Skeptic groups?
dr jam
Posts: 69
This is my first post on this forum, born out of a sort of frustration I guess, from everything I see and hear around me at the moment.
I think in these days of widespread super-charged religious-based in-fighting and bigotry, and in an atmosphere of political mistrust over huge issues like the environment, it is easy to lose any trust we had in the mainstream governors - those in power and who want power are often the ones who really shouldn't have it, etc.
Anyway, what I'm looking for is a group of freethinkers, of skeptics, of people who question what they are being told... but are not conspiracy theorists either.
Modern day religion leaves me cold, confused and, frankly, afraid, so who else is there to turn too? Modern day political groups and parties seem to be run by the upper-middle class out for their own gain, so who is the alternative? For those of us who believe that religion should not play a part in everyday politics, especially in a multi-religious (including no-religion-at-all) society, who will stand up for us?
They must be out there - perhaps people reading this can identify with what I'm talking about. This is a bit confusing even for me to write, but this forum has inspired in the past so I though I'd give it a go... I hope it makes sense to someone!
I'm not looking for an argument
just looking for like minded people who can advise.
Thanks for reading, don't get angry anyone who happens to disagree with anything I've said, this post is not aimed at you. Honestly.
I think in these days of widespread super-charged religious-based in-fighting and bigotry, and in an atmosphere of political mistrust over huge issues like the environment, it is easy to lose any trust we had in the mainstream governors - those in power and who want power are often the ones who really shouldn't have it, etc.
Anyway, what I'm looking for is a group of freethinkers, of skeptics, of people who question what they are being told... but are not conspiracy theorists either.
Modern day religion leaves me cold, confused and, frankly, afraid, so who else is there to turn too? Modern day political groups and parties seem to be run by the upper-middle class out for their own gain, so who is the alternative? For those of us who believe that religion should not play a part in everyday politics, especially in a multi-religious (including no-religion-at-all) society, who will stand up for us?
They must be out there - perhaps people reading this can identify with what I'm talking about. This is a bit confusing even for me to write, but this forum has inspired in the past so I though I'd give it a go... I hope it makes sense to someone!
I'm not looking for an argument
just looking for like minded people who can advise.Thanks for reading, don't get angry anyone who happens to disagree with anything I've said, this post is not aimed at you. Honestly.
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
You're looking for like-minded skeptics?!
Isn't that an oxymoron?
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
Taken from "The God Delusion"
Appendix
A partial list of friendly
addresses, for individuals needing
support in escaping from religion
I intend to keep an updated version of this list on the website of the Richard
Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science: http://www.richarddawkins.net. I
apologize for limiting the list below largely to the English-speaking world.
USA
American Atheists
PO Box 5733, Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733
Voicemail: 1-908-276-7300
Fax: 1-908-276-7402
Email: info@atheists.org
http://www.atheists.org
American Humanist Association
1777 T Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009-7125
Telephone: (202) 238-9088
Toll-free: 1-800-837-3792
Fax: (202) 238-9003
http://www.americanhumanist.org
Atheist Alliance International
PO Box 26867, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Toll-free: 1-866-HERETIC
Email: info@atheistalliance.org
http://www.atheistalliance.org
The Brights
PO Box 163418, Sacramento, CA 95816 USA
Email: the-brights@the-brights.net
http://www.the-brights.net
Center For Inquiry Transnational
Council for Secular Humanism
Campus Freethought Alliance
Center for Inquiry - On Campus
African Americans for Humanism
3965 Rensch Road, Amherst, NY 14228
Telephone: (716) 636-4869
Fax:(716)636-1733
Email: info@secularhumanism.org
http://www.centerforinquiry.net
http://www.secularhumanism.org
http://www.campusfreethought.org
http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=aah&page=index
Freedom From Religion Foundation
PO Box 750, Madison, WI 53701
Telephone: (608) 256-5800
Email: info@ffrf.org
http://www.ffrf.org
Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia
PO Box 242, Pocopson, PA 19366-0242
Telephone: (610) 793-2737
Fax: (610) 793-2569
Email: fsgp@freethought.org
http://www.fsgp.org/
Institute for Humanist Studies
48 Howard St, Albany, NY 12207
Telephone: (518) 432-7820
Fax: (518) 432-7821
http://www.humaniststudies.org
International Humanist and Ethical Union - USA
Appignani Bioethics Center
PO Box 4104, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10162
Telephone: (212) 687-3324
Fax: (212) 661-4188
Internet Infidels
PO Box 142, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-0142
Fax: (877) 501-5113
http://www.infidels.org
James Randi Educational Foundation
201 S.E. 12th St (E. Davie Blvd), Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316-1815
Telephone: (954)467-1112
Fax: (954) 467-1660
Email: jref@randi.org
http://www.randi.org
Secular Coalition for America
PO Box 53330, Washington, DC 20009-9997
Telephone: (202) 299-1091
http://www.secular.org
Secular Student Alliance
PO Box 3246, Columbus, OH 43210
Toll-free Voicemail / Fax: 1-877-842-9474
Email: ssa@secularstudents.org
http://www.secularstudents.org
The Skeptics Society
PO Box 338, Altadena, CA 91001
Telephone: (626) 794-3119
Fax: (626) 794-1301
Email: editorial@skeptic.com
http://www.skeptic.com
Society for Humanistic Judaism
28611 W. 12 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Telephone: (248) 478-7610
Fax: (248)478-3159
Email: info@shj.org
http://www.shj.org
Britain
British Humanist Association
1 Gower Street, London WC1E 6HD
Telephone: 020 7079 3580
Fax: 020 7079 3588
Email: info@humanism.org.uk
http://www.humanism.org.uk
International Humanist and Ethical Union - UK
1 Gower Street, London WC1E 6HD
Telephone: 020 7631 3170
Fax: 020 7631 3171
http://www.iheu.org/
National Secular Society
25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL
Tel: 020 7404 3126
Fax: 0870 762 8971
http://www.secularisrn.org.uk/
New Humanist
1 Gower Street, London WC1E 6HD
Telephone: 020 7436 1151
Fax: 020 7079 3588
Email: info@newhumanist.org.uk
http://www.newhumanist.org.uk
Rationalist Press Association
1 Gower Street, London WC1E 6HD
Telephone: 020 7436 1151
Fax: 020 7079 3588
Email: info@rationalist.org.uk
http://www.rationalist.org.uk/
South Place Ethical Society (UK)
Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL
Telephone: 020 7242 8037/4
Fax: 020 7242 8036
Email: library@ethicalsoc.org.uk
http://www.ethicalsoc.org.uk
Canada
Humanist Association of Canada
PO Box 8752, Station T, Ottawa, Ontario, K1G 3J1
Telephone: 877-HUMANS-l
Fax: (613) 739-4801
Email: HAC@Humanists.ca
http://hac.humanists.net/
Australia
Australian Skeptics
PO Box 268, Roseville, NSW 2069
Telephone: 02 9417 2071
Email: skeptics@bdsn.com.au
http://www.skeptics.com.au
Council of Australian Humanist Societies
GPO Box 1555, Melbourne, Victoria 3001.
Telephone: 613 5974 4096
Email: AMcPhate@bigpond.net.au
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~humanist/resources/cahs.html
New Zealand
New Zealand Skeptics
NZCSICOP Inc.
PO Box 29-492, Christchurch
Email: skeptics@spis.co.nz
http://skeptics.org.nz
Humanist Society of New Zealand
PO Box 3372, Wellington
Email: jeffhunt90@yahoo.co.nz
http://www.humanist.org.nz/
India
Rationalist International
PO Box 9110, New Delhi 110091
Telephone: + 91-11-556 990 12
Email: info@rationalistinternational.net
http://www.rationalistinternational.net/
Islamic
Apostates of Islam
http://www.apostatesofislam.com/index.htm
Dr Homa Darabi Foundation
(To promote the rights of women and children under Islam)
PO Box 11049, Truckee, CA 96162, USA
Telephone (530) 582 4197
Fax (530) 582 0156
Email: homa@homa.org
http://www.homa.org/
FaithFreedom.org
http://www.faithfreedom.org/index.htm
Institute for the Secularization of Islamic Society
Email: info@SecularIslam.org
http://www.secularislam.org/Default.htm
My pleasure
I'm partial to American Humanist, Skeptics Society, James Randi Foundation and one that wasn't on that list The Society for Natural Science at http://determinism.com/
Most of these places have membership fees or magazines you can subscribe to and stuff, I just go to them for the online articles and discussions. Secularism, Humanism, etc.. can almost be like a religion..
If you are looking for the companionship that most people attend church for, I'd suggest something like Toastmasters or a sports team or something.
Only joking, Ahnimus. Couldn't resist a bit of silliness. :cool:
lol, wtf?
Stats?
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
However, I am also skeptic towards skeptics and their sometimes smug attitude of "we know best" as has been shown in some links in the past on this board to such sites and groups.
Asking questions, not accepting at face-value are great qualities to have. Just don't let it run away with you so you no longer question the questioners.
Wow, I think I'll start my own sect or religion now, as I am alwready full of bullshit cool-sounding one-liners.
Peace
Dan
"Every judgment teeters on the brink of error. To claim absolute knowledge is to become monstrous. Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty." - Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965