Gator Freethought Archives: 02.06

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Meetings

This post will serve as an archived list of our official group meetings, places, and important dates, as well as affiliated events.

For current events, join Facebook.

The page is accessible through the Info/FAQ in the sidebar. Click "Meeting X" to find out details and what happened at our X meeting. Alternatively, see all posts tagged "meetings" to view them all on one page.

We try to have meetings approximately every 2 weeks. If you have any questions about meeting times/places, email us or call any of the officers (see our Facebook group for officer profiles with phone info).

Gator Freethought Schedule - Spring 2012

Meetings at 8:00pm in MAT 105 unless otherwise noted

January 18th: Machine Consciousness / Topic Selection

February 1st: Logical Fallacies/Paradoxes

February 15th: LGBT Rights

February 29th: Politics and Religion

March 14th: TBD

March 28th: TBD

April 11th: TENTATIVE: Dr. Witmer speaks on "Rational Religious Disagreement"?
Officer Nominations

April 25th: TBD / Officer Elections

_________________________________________

Archives Begin Here

Gator Freethought Schedule - Fall 2011
All meetings begin at 7:30, in Matherly 105 unless otherwise noted

September 7th
Topic: Why you MUST attend this meeting, a discussion of Free Will.

September 21st
Topic: Blonde Baby Battalion: Where Genetic Engineering Meets Eugenics. Also taking suggestions for future meeting topics.

October 5th
Topic: Need We Worry About Overpopulation?

October 19th

Topic: Sexual Ethics/ Occupy *Insert Place Here*

November 2nd

Topic: TBD

November 16th

Topic: TBD

November 30th

Topic: TBD

Gator Freethought Schedule - Fall 2010

All meetings begin at 7:30 PM

September 16 - Behind Belief: What causes and guides the things we believe in?

Matherly Hall 119

September 29 - What is God? (Continued discussion of Dr. Palmer's talk)

Matherly Hall 103

October 14 - Illegal Things (Drugs and software piracy)

Matherly Hall 119

October 27 - Topic To Be Announced

Matherly Hall 103

November 4 - Topic To Be Announced

Matherly Hall 119

November 17 - Topic To Be Announced

Matherly Hall 119

December 2 - Topic To Be Announced

Matherly Hall 119

Gator Freethought Schedule - Spring 2010

January 14 - Logical Fallacies
Anderson Hall 101

January 27 - Quantum Physics

Anderson Hall 101

February 11 - Movie Night: Inherit the Wind

Griffin-Floyd Hall 100

February 24 -Environmentalism

Anderson Hall 101

March 17 - Guest Speaker: Dr. Witmer on Philosophy of Religion.

Anderson Hall 101

April 1 - -Isms and Officer Nominations

Griffin-Floyd Hall 100

April 14 - Officer Elections / What did you change your mind about this year

Anderson Hall 101

Fall 2009 Schedule

September 16 - Life After Death

October 1 -What does it mean to be a freethinker?

October 14 -Movie Night: The God Who Wasn't There

October 29 - (Non)Religion and Humor

November 12 - Free Will

December 2 - Raising Children (Non)Religiously.

All meetings will be in Anderson Hall, room 101, at 7:30 PM.

________________

Summer 2008

Lake Wauburg Social, Sun, Aug 3rd @ 1pm
GF Summer Crew -- our way of staying connected and doing social events during the lull

Spring 2008

Kickoff Social!, Thurs, Jan 17th @ 8pm: It's a new year for Gator Freethought, and we've got a lot planned for this semester. Since our new year's resolution is to have more fun, we plan to kick off the new year this Thursday at Tim and Terry's, a casual open-mic / food / beer place, located across University behind Target Copy (see map). They do NOT card at the door, only at the counter if you buy a beer, so do not use your age as an excuse not to come! There's a huge back porch area where we can set up a few tables and chat and have a good time, so come on out.
Discussion, Mon, Jan 28th (day before primaries), 8pm in 303 Griffin-Floyd: How do your religious beliefs affect or inform your political ones? Are ethical issues (abortion, gay marriage) more or less important to you than issues of foreign policy, and is your preference affected by your religious standpoint? Some Republican candidates have declared their support for teaching creationism in schools—whether or not you agree, could something like this be enough to lose (or gain) them your vote? How far should politicians' own religious beliefs affect their political decisions? Do the candidates uphold the separation of church and state—why or why not? We plan to entertain these questions and more this Monday at 8pm in the Philosophy Library (room 303 of Griffin-Floyd—see map). We'll try to have some form of refreshments as usual. Come on out join us!
"Love, Sex, and Religion": Second Spring Discussion, this Wednesday (Feb 13, day before Valentine's Day) @ 8pm in Rinker 110: Join us this Wednesday at 8pm in Rinker 110 for a lively discussion on how our religious beliefs inform our sexual mores and values. What is the ideal relationship to you, now and later? The ideal man or woman? Are certain sexual acts sacred and others merely bestial, and if so, why? Is sexual desire natural or sinful, to be welcomed or avoided? Essentially we'll be discussing all things love, sex, and religion this Wednesday, Feb 13 at 8pm in Rinker 110. Come on out and join us! We'll try to have refreshments available this time for sure.
"Shopping for God" with Prof. James Twitchell, Thu, 2/28, @ 8pm in NEB 101. Facebook event here. Campus map directions here. Dr. Twitchell, professor of English and Advertising in our very own English department, will present next Thursday (2/28) on his latest book, "Shopping for God: How Christianity Went from In Your Heart to In Your Face," and will lead a Q&A discussion afterwards.
GF Spring Social: "Wii? Taboo? Beer? A most holy unholy trinity", Sat, 3/30 @ 10pm at 2340 NW 16th Ave. Facebook event here. Google map directions here. BYOB or a few bucks, please!
GF Spring Meeting 4: "The FSM & Religiosity" What is a religion? Can it be distinguished from "fake" religions, such as the Flying Spaghetti Monster? What makes a religion fake or authentic? What exactly is the FSM parodying? Come on out Wed, 4/16 @ 8pm in CSE E121 and discuss these questions and more! Facebook event here. Campus map directions here.

Fall 2007

Debate: Dr. Robert Price and Dr. Michael Greene, Saturday, Aug 25th, 7 PM, Medical Science Building Auditorium
Meeting 1: Tuesday, September 4th, 8pm, in the Philosophy library, room 300 in Griffin-Floyd (FLO 300).
Meeting 2: Wed, Sep 26, 8:00, FLG 245. Prof. Gene Witmer will give a general discussion of atheism called "How To Think About (the Lack of a) God." Click for more!
Meeting 3: Thurs, Oct 11, 8pm, CSE E119. Our very own philosophy grad students, Holly and Jared, lead a discussion on fate, free will, and how they (ought to) affect our personal, religious, and political beliefs. Click for more!
The Academy: Thurs, Oct 28, 8pm, Rinker 110. We're cooperating with Gator Christian Life to host "The Academy", a panel discussion between students of various (non)religious groups on campus. This time we're talking about the Big Question: what's the point of life, anyway? For more information, click here (GF) or here (facebook).
Meeting 4: Thurs, Oct 25, 8pm, CSE E119. Dr. Tresan will speak on what it means for morality to be "objective," and lead a discussion thereon. More information here.
Sat, Nov 3rd, 9pm, The Philhouse. Halloween party!, to which Gator Freethought is graciously invited. Come dressed as a videogame character—come on, that's awesome.
Meeting #5, "Christianity after Rorty" with Dr. Richard Horner, this Wed 11/14 @ 8pm in BAR 211. Dr. Richard Horner of the Christian Study Center has agreed to come speak to us about how philosopher Richard Rorty, who was openly influenced by Nietzsche, has led him not to atheism (as it did for Rorty and Nietzsche themselves), but to a strengthened understanding of, and faith in, Christianity. He will lead a Q&A/discussion following his talk. Come on out!

Summer 2007

The Academy: Fri, July 13, 6-8 PM, Reitz 282 | flyer

Spring 2007

Student Organization Fair: Thurs, Jan 18, 10AM - 3PM [come by anytime] Reitz Colonnade (see last Fall's for more info)
GF Meeting 13: Tue, Jan 23, 7:00, Social/Business Meeting, CLB 414
GF Meeting 14: Sun, Feb 11, 5:00, Elections/Group Discussion, 1st Floor Marston Science Lib.
GF Meeting 15: Sun, Mar 4, 5:00, Event Planning/Discussion, 1st Floor Marston Science Lib.
Eddie Tabash Campus-wide Event: Sun, Mar 25, 2 PM, Norman Hall 137 (flyers)
GF Meeting 16: Sat, Apr 21, 1:00, Prof. Jon Tresan, Ethics, CLB 414

Fall 2006

GF Meeting 1: Wed, March 22, 7:00, Social: Food & Drink, see Flyer w/ Details
GF Meeting 2: Tue, April 11, 6:30, Social/Business Meeting, the Copper Monkey
GF Meeting 3: Tue, April 25, 7:00, Social/Business Meeting, CLB 414
GF Meeting 4: Sat, June 3, 7:00, Social: Food & Drink, Hops Restaurant
GF Meeting 5: Sat, July 8, 7:00, Social: Food & Drink, The Swamp Restaurant
GF Meeting 6: Thu, Aug 3, 7:00, Business Meeting, CLB 414
GF Meeting 7:Thu, Aug 24, 7:00, Business/Discussion, CLB 414

-- First two weeks of classes, from Aug 23 - Sep 1, we'll be emphasizing tabling and advertising on-campus --

GF Meeting 8: Thu, Sep 7, 7:00, Movie Clip /Discussion, CLB 414
GF Meeting 9: Tue, Sep 26, 7:00, Speaker/Discussion, Prof. Witmer, CLB 414
GF Meeting 10: Wed, Oct 11, 7:00, Speaker/Business, CLB 414

-- I plan for us to have our first campus-wide event during this time, a guest speaker or public debate --

GF Social: A Weekend Date, Sometime in Nov, Social, location TBD
GF Meeting 11: Thu, Nov 9, 7:00, Speaker/Discussion, Joe Meert, CLB 414 (updated from Wed 11-8)
GF Meeting 12: Thu, Dec 7, 7:00, Discussion, CLB 414

After all of our meetings, we have customarily gone to eat, drink and socialize afterwards.

In addition to these listed events, our members host parties at their own residences. Since we are an official student organization at UF, we cannot call these "meetings" without entailing some complications (regulations on off-campus meetings and alcohol restrictions). I have it on good authority that these social events will be continuing throughout the group's entirety. Thus, I am listing below a few samples of the "other events" that we have enjoyed as a group, whether as a whole or in part. Most of these socials will be advertised as a Facebook event:

Summer 2007

Social, Tues, June 12, Daniel's place (details here)
Social, Sat, June 30, Rob & Andrew's place (details here)

Spring 2007

Social Event 1, Fri, Feb 24, Rob & Andrew's place

Fall 2006

Social Event 1, Fri, March 25
Social Event 2, Fri, June 9
Social Event 3, Fri, June 16
Social Event 4, Sat, Aug 12
Social Event 5, Sat, Sept 2, "First Game of the Season"

________________
Technorati tags: Gator Freethought

Monday, February 27, 2006

Registration

AAFSA registration has been completed with SAC. They should have our organization listed within 2-3 business days. I will next be working on a room and thinking about our meeting format.

To address any concerns regarding the group, please email gatorfreethought at gmail.

Don't forget about Prof. Witmer's presentation on "How to Think About (the Lack of a) God" (for the Undergrad PhilSoc) March 7, and the Gainesville Humanists meeting on March 6. If you had to pick one, pick the former, as I am sure our advisor will have some really interesting perspectives on atheism.

More to come...

Adding Contributors to Site

I sent out a Blogger invite to the following people's emails. If you see your name under the "Contributors" list, please still read this post, and please feel free to post, or comment, at will. Because of spam filtering, I have a feeling most people did not receive the email. If you find yourself on the list, please email me (thinkingfreely @ gmail) and I will re-send the invite. We need all the contributors we can get to post notices, news, and announcements relevant to the group and its activities.

I am also disclosing some posting tips for contributors below the fold. Read on...

The following emails have been sent a blogger invite (date/time invited):
biogenx@ufl.edu 2006-02-21 08:21:12.8
jenniferdehart@hotmail.com 2006-02-21 08:17:40.973
asilver0@ufl.edu 2006-02-26 13:53:27.326
lacivita@ufl.edu 2006-02-21 08:17:40.94
ckinter@ufl.edu 2006-02-26 03:10:47.956
bgalecki@ufl.edu 2006-02-21 08:21:12.833
So, if your email is on that list, and you want me to re-send (I know this happened with two of our contributors), or if I used the wrong email addy, please email me.

Tip on posting: When you go to post, there is some simple HTML code in the post template you need to know. If you are posting a short article (500 words or less), then you can just clear out all of the HTML code for the post and do your thing. If you are posting a long article, though, I would appreciate it if you would use these tags to "show/hide" the teaser/fullpost, respectively, to keep our page accessible. The following code is what you will see in the "Edit HTML" mode of posting, you will see *nothing* in the "Compose" mode.

< class="shortpost">
< /div >
< class="fullpost">
< /div >

In order to display the code, I had to add the extra space before and after each carrot <>, those spaces prevent the code from working:

First tag: < class="shortpost">

This tag opens your "teaser" -- the first few sentences of a long post. Everything you want to appear on the main page needs to fall between this tag and its close tag < /div >

Second tag: < class="fullpost">

This tag opens the rest of your post -- what will appear if you click the "Read more (+/-)" link on the main page. You *must* close this tag also with a < /div >. Note that this is only relevant to the main page, and on the ItemPage, the entire post will automagically (I meant "g", not "t") display.

If you have any questions about this, see here, or this page for more, step 5.

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Some Good News

First, an announcement -- note that the HSG is meeting March 6 due to spring break, amended from the 13. I got us our first link! Keith Augustine of the Secular Web graciously fixed the old AASA link for the new AAFSA one. I had a great phone call from Jim Heldberg, director of AA affiliations. We talked a bit, then he gave me a "point man" here in FL to go through and then the AA should be updating our listing. I also set us up with the Center for Inquiry - On Campus (see affiliates), who, although they have no links on the affiliates page and haven't yet fixed the name, did something even better: sent us an info packet for our group and resources. SSA is doing the same thing!

The wheels are turning, and as new as we are, I am enthused about the response thus far and the amount of serendipity with past members and presidents of AASA. Please, keep spreading the word (and the links).

Read on for the full-text of the CFI email.

email received:

Dear Student Freethinker,
On behalf of CFI-On Campus, welcome! By joining CFI-On Campus, your group will become a part of the world's largest international affiliation of non theist, skeptical, humanist, and freethought students and student groups. As a CFI-On Campus affiliate group, you will enjoy not only the benefits of belonging to a community of like-minded people, but also the numerous concrete resources offered by CFI-On Campus, including:

- The Campus Inquirer, CFI-On Campus's monthly e-newsletter
- The CFI-On Campus Affiliate Group Organizing Guide
- Admission to humanist and student freethought conferences
- Special Free Inquiry subscription rate of $15 for your group members
- Free books, magazines, and merchandise
- Access to the CFI-On Campus Video Library
- Access to the CFI-On Campus Lectures and Debates program
- Participation in social and political student campaigns
- Online news, information, and communications services
- Leadership and internship opportunities
AND MORE!

In a short time your group will receive an introductory package, including some of our latest complimentary materials. Please read this material carefully.

If you have questions or comments, please email me at director@campusfreethought.org or call 716.636.7571 x314.

As CFI-On Campus Director, I will serve as your primary contact with CFI-On Campus, helping to make your group's experience as rewarding as possible. Again, I welcome you to CFI-On Campus and I look forward to working with your group in upholding and promoting reason and free inquiry on your campus.

Sincerely,

DJ Grothe
CFI-On Campus Director

PS-- Be sure to invite your group members to subscribe to the Campus Inquirer at www.campusfreethought.org

CFI-On Campus
PO Box 664
Amherst, NY 14226
Tel: 716.636.7571 x314
Fax: 716.636.1733
director@campusfreethought.org
www.campusfreethought.org

So, like it says, get plugged in to CFI-OC. The more we network, the more resources and people we'll have.

Movie, Faculty Advisor and Talk, Meeting

Jim Heldberg (of atheists.org) recommended we check out The God Who Wasn't There. It sounds like a good idea for one of our first meetings. You can download the trailer by clicking here (QT .mp4), or view the other clips here.

More great news! Professor D.G. Witmer (Philosophy) has graciously offered to be our faculty advisor. Given his penchant for the philosophy of religion, I know this will prove a huge boon. He will be giving a talk that we all ought to attend: The Undergraduate Philosophy Society hosts biweekly talks, and Professor Witmer's on March 7 sounds right up our alley, "How to Think About (the Lack of a) God." I hope to see you in the Floyd-Griffin 3rd floor library Tuesday, 3-22, at 7:15! I'll announce it again as it approaches.

As for our first meeting, I would like to tentatively establish Wednesday, March 22 as the date, time TBA. Given Spring Break, there isn't a lot of choice. As of this moment, I would like to have a social at my place, but am open to suggestion and group opinion. I would like to grill out, and can do this a few ways:

Charge a $3-4 door fee for all the food and beer you want
Pay for the hot dogs & such, but alcohol is BYO
We can meet at a restaurant, preferably semi-quiet so we can talk.
Anything else someone else thinks of

Feedback, please...

Constitution

Note: Since the group changed the name to Gator Freethought in April, we have not yet amended our constitution with UF. However, we have a new constitution on file that will become active shortly.

The following is the outdated 2/25/07 constitution for AAFSA was amended from the 1998 version adopted by HASA. If you want the new GF version, click here.

Versions on www: AAFSA Constitution, Word 2007 .docx, .pdf format
Grove pages: AAFSA Constitution, Word 2007 .docx, .pdf format
(rev. 2/25/07)

Article I: Name

The name of this organization is the Atheist, Agnostic and Freethinking Student Association, hereafter abbreviated by the acronym AAFSA. AAFSA is a special interest group at the University of Florida. AAFSA is a not-for-profit and non-commercial student organization.

Article II: Purpose

The purposes of AAFSA are the following:

1. To provide an open and supportive environment for, and enhance the educational experiences of, local atheists, agnostics, deists, humanists, skeptics, and other freethinkers.

2. Dedicated to examining, discussing, advocating, presenting, and improving the image of: atheism, agnosticism, freethought generally, skepticism towards supernatural claims, and the nontheistic worldviews.

3. To promote ethics through secular humanism, responsibility, science, rational thought, critical inquiry, and the worth of the individual.

4. To ensure the separation of church and state.

Activities consistent with our purpose and sponsored by AAFSA may include:

1. Discussions and presentations

2. Visits from guest speakers from local and national secular organizations

3. Organized debates

4. Demonstrations and lobbying

5. Coordination and affiliation with like-minded organizations

Article III: Membership

Official membership shall be limited to registered students of the University of Florida. Membership is automatically granted to any registered student who requests it. A private record of the membership of AAFSA shall be kept by the secretary of AAFSA. Our meetings and activities are open to the public at large, however, non-registered students at UF, including the faculty advisor, cannot vote in elections. Faculty, staff, the spouses of members, and other students may be associate members. Associate members may not hold office or vote on matters concerning this organization. Members are free to leave and disassociate without fear of retribution or harassment.

Article IV: Nondiscrimination and No Hazing Statement

AAFSA does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, ethnicity, disability, or sexual orientation. AAFSA does not support any induction requirements for members, nor does AAFSA sponsor or condone “hazing” in any form. Consistent with University policy and our own ethical principles, no member will be pressured or forced to participate in any hazing, or degrading initiation ritual, nor any process to disengage from AAFSA. Members are free to leave and dissociate without fear of retribution or harassment.

Article V: Meetings

Regular official meetings will be held at least once a month. The frequency of meetings may be changed by a hand-vote decision of a simple majority of the members present at any official meeting of AAFSA.

Article VI: Finance

No dues, "hat-passing", or membership fees of any kind will be imposed on AAFSA members at any time.

Student government funding may be sought as a concurring decision of the President and Treasurer.

Article VII: Officers

Elected officers and their duties include:

1. President -- shall be the official representative of the group to other organizations and UF; preside over regular and executive meetings; act as the liaison between members and the faculty advisor; coordinate group activities.

2. Vice-President -- shall assist the president; preside over meetings in the absence of the president; work with the Secretary in keeping a record of members and attendance; perform the duties of the president in his or her absence.

3. Secretary -- shall record minutes of each meeting, to be used as an historical record.

4. Treasurer -- shall have custody of all funds and items of value possessed by the organization; keep complete records of funds; pay bills; oversee other monetary transactions including fund raising and social activities; prepare and maintain an annual budget; be present at student government meetings as necessary to aid in the procurement of funding.

All of the officers must be willing to fill in for the duties and responsibilities of the other officers should the need arise.

Article VIII: Election Procedures

Elections shall be held at the first regular meeting during the month of February.

Officers are elected by a simple majority of all members during the first official meeting in February. The election will be conducted by secret ballots, and the counting will be openly conducted by and confirmed by all of the officers present at that time. The results of the election will take effect the next day. Thus, the terms for officers run from the day after the election until the day of the next election, a term of one year. There are no rules of any kind surrounding nominations, nor who may run for election. Any member of AAFSA may nominate herself/himself for any officer candidacy and is eligible for election to any position. Any officer may be re-elected to any office an unlimited number of times.

Temporary appointments may be made, at the discretion of the President, in order to fill a position, if a vacancy occurs. A special election would then be held at the next meeting to elect a new officer to the vacated office using the same guidelines as the general election − a simple majority vote by the members using secret ballots.

Should the members choose to impeach an officer, impeachment may occur by a 3/4 majority vote of all of the members present at an official meeting of the organization. A special election would then be held at the next meeting to replace the impeached officer using the same guidelines as the general election − a simple majority vote by the members using secret ballots.

Article IX: Faculty Advisor

The duties of the faculty advisor include:

1. Support the club members in fulfilling the purpose of the club

2. Be an academic resource for the club

3. Represent the club to the community and the University of Florida as needed.

The faculty advisor will be chosen by the President. Once the faculty advisor accepts, she or he will continue to hold the position until the advisor (any of the following):

1. No longer wishes to hold the office

2. Can no longer fulfill the requirements of office

3. Is voted by a 2/3 majority of the members to be replaced during the general election. Thus, the term of the faculty advisor runs from the first official meeting in February until the next election. The new faculty advisor will be chosen by the President in all cases.

Article X: Adherence to Student Regulations

Members of AAFSA are willing to adhere to the Student Guide and other laws, bylaws, rules, and regulations governing the University of Florida and its students at all times.

Article XI: Amendments

A 2/3 majority of members present at an official meeting may amend this constitution or rewrite it. The new constitution must then be ratified before the old one is retired and replaced. A review of this constitution must occur yearly, during the session of general elections (first regular meeting in February).

A Couple of Things

Just FYI, I decided to throw "Freethinking" into the title, in an attempt to be more inclusive. There are many rational, skeptical Deists, Hindus, Buddhists, etc., who deny any observable supernaturals in our universe (although they may believe in some sort of Mind behind the universe). I don't want to leave out anyone who doesn't like (or identify as) atheist or agnostic.

Also, I started a Facebook group. Join it!

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Gainesville Humanists

It seems almost absurd that in Gainesville, with the size of our university and student population, there are so few (read: one, that I've found) freethought / atheist / agnostic organizations. Luckily, I did find one -- the Humanist Society of Gainesville (http://www.gainesvillehumanists.org/).

So far as I can tell, there really was only AASA and HSG as organizations which existed to promote a freethinking way of life, and provide social interaction among those who think freely.

The HSG meets every month on the second monday at SFCC's downtown campus. See here for a map. From the HSG webpage description:

Meetings are held every second Monday of the month in Room DA 121 (please note room change for 2006) at the Downtown Campus of Santa Fe Community College at 7:30 p.m.. Meetings are open to the public and all interested parties are welcome to join us.

Click HERE for a map showing where the meetings are held

I will be going on ** UPDATE ** March 6 (not March 13, as I reported before, due to spring break) ** END **, and want to invite any/all interested to check it out, and email me if they want to go but need a ride. If you have more questions about HSG, email Louis Clark.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Gator Freethought Information

The following outline provides nearly all the useful information you can ask for about Gator Freethought:

Overview:

Welcome to Gator Freethought, formerly/a.k.a. the Atheist, Agnostic & Freethinking Student Association at UF. We are the one and only registered student organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the needs and wants of the nontheist** community of UF, and Gainesville at large. The Gator Freethought email (spam-proofed):

Purpose:

We aim to provide a forum for discussion, rational debate, guest speakers, and social activity. This group will, certainly, fill a void at UF − providing a place to “plug in” if you consider yourself a nontheist, but we do not discriminate (see the constitution below) against members or visitors to our meetings, regardless of their views, so long as they are genuinely interested in being a part of our group (and not solely in proselytizing). So, even believers who may wish to sharpen their views, or understand atheism, are entirely welcome.

We do not all agree on politics, values, ethics, or fashion, and we do not demand conformity − instead, we encourage freethinking. Given there are probably 100 religion-related groups at UF, it is certainly time for a group for the nonreligious. AASA used to fill that void, but went defunct and has now been evolved to Gator Freethought. Given that a 2001 CUNY ARIS research survey revealed that 14% of Floridians mark, “no religion” as their religious preference, there is certainly a need to provide this segment of the population with community and advocacy. We hope to seriously engage with the university community, in order to promote our values alongside, and not necessarily in competition with, those promoted by other campus groups and political organizations. The core values and purposes of Gator Freethought are listed in the constitution. See the FAQ #1, #5 and #9 for more.

Meetings:

Always check for scheduled meetings HERE. We will be using an alternating schedule of

i) formal lectures by guest speakers, followed by Q&A
ii) semiformal topical forums, in which we have an open dialogue without moderation, but attempt to stay on topic
iii) purely social events involving food/drink/whatever

The short, interesting talks and Q&A will come from departments in philosophy, comparative religion, theology-related groups, mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry etc. They could speak on everything from epistemology, metaphysics, culture wars, arguments for/against gods, string theory and cosmology, abiogenesis…really interesting stuff.

Long-term, we plan for the group to host many speakers from SSA, AA, CFI, and others to come in and do campus-wide debates or large-audience talks.

We also want to work with Campus Crusade for Christ at UF, Gator Christian Life, &c. (yes, you read that correctly). We want to be available to them to present an alternative voice and possibly engage with them in dialog and debate on campus. We simply have to make an effort to engage in dialog with those people who desire to have one, and this will often be religious campus groups.

Why a Blog?

Although we have space on our grove account for a healthy web page, we went with a blog for several reasons. One of the reasons the group fell apart was lack of interconnectivity in administration. Once the group was not renewed after the last president departed, the old grove page went dead, rendering communication between members effectively null. We realized from the outset that we had to look forward to this sort of situation possibly arising again, and prevent it. Another step we took to try to help prevent the dissolution of the group was to write a succession document to assist the transition in leadership. A blog, and especially an independently-hosted blog, is the perfect solution: many contributors, all constantly posting and revising and refining information…it’s like natural selection in action. One could also see the blog as a sort of subset of the Gator Freethought community all its own.

Another reason a blog is favorable was to make posting notices, news, and meeting information facile for EVERYONE. A single web page is almost always one person’s responsibility, and thus can be no more up-to-date and revised than that person’s schedule allows. Many people don’t know how to FTP, and major problems can arise with too many people using FTP or trying to do serious web updates. This prevents major headaches in putative webmaster(s)’ lives. Also, ideally, the functional “freshness”, and scope, and depth, of information here is limited not by my own schedule (or whatever webmaster), but by ALL the contributors’ schedules.

Want to join this site? Email us, and we’ll send you a Blogger invite. You can use a pseudonym and stay completely anonymous. Also, see the contributors page.

Plugging In:

See here if you want to join, and see here to help out with our efforts.

Organization:

We are registered with UF's Center for Student Involvement as an official student organization. See that record here. Also see our Gator Freethought Constitution (rev. 9-12-06) [external link]

Officers:

The offices of President and Treasurer must be filled to claim organization status with UF. All other leadership is optional, but rather necessary for the health of the group. There are some requirements for officers (at least part-time status at UF, >2.0 GPA), and the first core of officers was taken on a voluntary basis. The next core will be elected in accordance with the constitution. The officers are usually listed here on our Facebook group. Our current faculty advisor is Philosophy Prof. D. Gene Witmer.

Frequently Asked Questions:

We have a FAQ page to answer general questions about the group, our purpose, etc., in more detail.

Contributing to the Gator Freethought Site (Blog):

If you haven’t been added to the contributors list on the Gator Freethought site, you can still write comments (even anonymously). However, if you wish to post articles to our site, you must be sent an invite. Those of you who have an interest, please check out the contributors information, which gives you step-by-step instructions for getting started with Blogger.

**By nontheist, I want to include anyone and everyone who does not have a belief in a personal god, who does not think it possible to know whether or not God exists, as well as those who strongly disbelieve in any sort of god, as well as those who are amenable to some aspects Deism or Buddhism, but reject a supernatural ontology. Nontheists can thus be Atheists, Agnostics, Infidels, Heathens, Freethinkers, Humanists, Unitarian Universalists, etc… We want a big tent in freethought, and we don’t have doctrines to agree with.