Rejected Atheist Ads have Risen in Vancouver

The Centre for Inquiry's new atheist advertising campaign, initially rejected by Pattison Outdoor in Vancouver, has now been launched with CBS Outdoor. The ads replace religious proverbs with humanist phrases such as, "Praying won't help. Doing will."

The controversy has generated a heated discussion. In light of public support, CFI is raising funds to bring the ads across the country. "CFI is a voice for millions of Canadians who question the need for religion to live a good, meaningful life," said CFI President Kevin Smith. "We're pleased to bring their message into the public square, despite opposition."

Pattison now claims they would approve the ads with minor tweaks, which is fundamentally different from their original notice. Pattison officials had rejected out of hand CFI's request for explanation or guidelines behind their decision.

CBS Outdoor agreed to run the ads without changes. The ads can be seen on transit shelters in downtown Vancouver and on two billboards in Burnaby.

Imagine No Religion 2

Catholic School Boards vs. Gay-Straight Student Alliances - Stop the public funding! (Panel / Q&A)

 Next Friday I will be taking part in a panel discussion and question and answer session. I hope you can join us.

Friday, May 13^th 2011 at 7:00 pm

Centre for Inquiry, 216 Beverley Street (just south of College and St. George)

Part of CFI Ontario's ongoing "Voices of Reason" Series

Catholic School Boards vs. Gay-Straight Student Alliances - Stop the public funding of religious separate schools! (Panel / Audience Q&A)

Panel includes:

• Andrea Houston, News Reporter, XTRA Magazine 
• Mark Daye, candidate for the Green Party of Ontario in the riding of Toronto Centre. He lives with his husband and son and works for a national ergonomics and accessibility consulting firm as VP of Finance. A dedicated activist, Mark is passionate about human rights, free speech and the environment.
• TBA Member of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA)
• Casey Oraa, representing Queer Ontario  
• Leanne Iskander, student at St Joseph Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga and the founder of the St. Joes Gay-Straight Alliance
• Justin Trottier, representing CFI, Canadian Secular Alliance, and One School System Network
• Justin Stayshyn, blogger and producer 

Join us at the Centre to hear from an expert panel followed by audience Q&A.
The event is being held at CFI Ontario,
216 Beverly Street, Toronto | Map
General admission is $5 general, $4 students,
cash at the door only
FREE for CFI Members | Become a member

Seating begins at 6:15 p.m. Come early;
first-come basis; attendance expected to surpass capacity
For your convenience we also coordinate this and other events and invite online discussion at the following social networking sites:

Meetup.com
Facebook

We are able to host this and many other events of its kind due to memberships and donations given by people just like you. For reasons to join Centre for Inquiry, a full list of membership incentives and membership level options:

CFI Canada Support Page

Centre for Inquiry aims to foster a secular society by promoting reason, science, secularism and freedom of inquiry in every area of human endeavour.

Think Again! CFI's new channel.

 

Check out the new channel; Think Again! by the Centre for Inquiry.

Extraordinary Claims Bus Ads to Roll Early Next Year

Story In The Toronto Star

Last years atheist campaign on Toronto buses was such a success it's inspired a new campaign from the Centre for Inquiry, this time taking on Allah, Bigfoot and Homeopathy too.

Upcoming Lectures at the Centre For Inquiry

Lecture: Competing Notions of Feminism in Islam

 

Centre For Inquiry Website

WHEN: Friday, October 15, 2010 at 7:00 pm

WHERE: Centre for Inquiry Ontario, 216 Beverley Street (Just South of College and St. George)

COST: $5, $4 for students, FREE for CFI members

Does Islam accord women rights and privileges equal to men? Many wince at such suggestions but the majority of Muslims-- women included, often assert that their faith treats them with kindness, respect and civility. Many go as far as to assert that Muslim women must resort to the Koran itself to regain their long lost position of privilege in Muslim society. 
In this lecture, Farzana Hassan attempts to investigate the validity of these claims in light of the canonical texts of Islam, and whether Muslim attitudes on these issues are based on an outdated understanding of equality, privilege and human rights.

Speaker Bio

Farzana Hassan is an author ("Prophecy and the Fundamentalist Quest", "Islam Women and the Challenges of Today", and "Echoes from the Abyss"), a Freelance writer, Radio Program Host, musician, and a women's rights activist who earned an MBA from the University of Massachusetts. She recently completed her Doctorate in Education.

  Lecture: The Promise of New Worlds with Paul Delaney

 

Centre For Inquiry Website

WHEN: Friday, October 15, 2010 at 7:00 pm

WHERE: Centre for Inquiry Ontario, 216 Beverley Street (Just South of College and St. George)

COST: $5, $4 for students, FREE for CFI members
 

Since 1995, over 450 new exo-planets have been discovered. When the Kepler space probe was launched in April 2009, many expected hundreds of new worlds to be discovered in its 4 year lifespan. It appears that hundreds of exo-planets may have been found within the first months of its mission, suggesting that planets are more common than we had thought or dared hope. In this talk, Astronomy and Physics Professor Paul Delaney discusses the exploding field of exo-planetary astronomy, what we can expect in the coming months and its implication for life within our galaxy.

Speaker Bio:

Paul Delaney has been a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at York University since 1986. He is the Coordinator of the campus Astronomical Observatory and the Director of the Division of Natural Science. From 1995 to 2001 he was the Chair of Access York and was again its Acting Chair from 2009 through 2010. He is a passionate educator and delights in discussing the wonders of the universe with people of all ages.