Some Iowa Secularists were recently featured in an article by Molly Rossiter, the Faith and Values reporter for the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The article focused on the perception of an increased push by atheists and secularists to have their voices heard. You can read the article here.

Tuesday, October 2: UNI Freethinkers (UNIFI) meeting, 8:00 pm in Sabin 207 on the UNI campus in Cedar Falls.

Sunday, October 7: new Des Moines breakfast meetup! 9am at Panera Bread on 42nd St. in West Des Moines in the back room

Tuesday, October 9: UNI Freethinkers (UNIFI) will co-sponsor a meeting with Kaio Church called “Grab a Brew, Share Your View” on the second Tuesday of every month at 8:00pm at the Voodoo Lounge in Cedar Falls. Find more details here.

Thursday, October 11: Iowa City/Coralville monthly meeting, 7:00pm at Old Chicago, Coralville. For more details and to RSVP, please visit the Meetup site here *note: Iowa City and Cedar Rapids groups share this site so look for both on the calendar!

Friday, October 12 - Sunday, October 14: A number of Iowa Secularists will be attending the 30th annual Freedom From Religion Foundation conference in Madison, WI on the weekend of October 12-14. If you are interested in attending this conference, please visit the site here for more information and to register.

Tuesday, October 16: UUSIC Secular Humanist group meeting, 7:00 p.m. in the UUSIC Fireside Room at 10 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City. ISU Professor Hector Avalos will speak this month followed by Dan Barker in November.

Thursday, October 18: Des Moines monthly meeting, 7:00pm at Legends American Grill, 8460 Birchwood Ct. in Johnston. For more details and to RSVP, please visit the Meetup site here

Thursday, October 18: Cedar Rapids monthly meeting, 7:00pm at Leonardo’s Pizza in Cedar Rapids. For more details and to RSVP, please visit the Meetup site here *note: Iowa City and Cedar Rapids groups share this site so look for both on the calendar!

Each Saturday: North Iowa Secularists, 10:00am on Saturdays at the Mason City Airport Cafe at Hwy 122 W

Each Tuesday: ISU Atheists and Agnostic Society, 7:00pm Tuesdays on the ISU campus in Ames, Ross 120.

The UUSIC Secular Humanist group will resume meetings, tonight, Tuesday, September 18th at 7:00 p.m. in the UUSIC Fireside Room at 10 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City. Tonight’s topic will be discussion of the book The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. This group meets on the third Tuesday of each month. Hector Avalos will speak in October followed by Dan Barker in November.

A number of Iowa Secularists will be attending the 30th annual Freedom From Religion Foundation conference in Madison, WI on the weekend of October 12-14. If you are interested in attending this conference, please visit the site here for more information and to register.

Tuesday, September 11th: UNIFI (the new student organization at UNI) will co-sponsor a meeting with Kaio Church called “Grab a Brew, Share Your View” on the second Tuesday of every month at 8:00pm at the Voodoo Lounge in Cedar Falls. Find more details here.

Thursday, September 13: Iowa City/Coralville monthly meeting, 7:00pm at Old Chicago, Coralville. For more details and to RSVP, please visit the Meetup site here

Thursday, September 20: Des Moines monthly meeting, 7:00pm at Rock Bottom Brewery. For more details and to RSVP, please visit the Meetup site here

Thursday, September 20: Cedar Rapids monthly meeting, 7:00pm at Leonardo’s Pizza. For more details and to RSVP, please visit the Meetup site here

Each Saturday: North Iowa Secularists, 10:00am on Saturdays at the Mason City Airport Cafe at Hwy 122 W

Each Tuesday: ISU Atheists and Agnostic Society, 7:00pm Tuesdays on the ISU campus in Ames, Ross 120 or 125.

Thursday, August 9: Iowa City Monthly Meeting, 7pm at Old Chicago in Coralville. *The Iowa City meetings are now a part of the Corridor Atheists and Secularists Meetup. Visit the Meetup site here to register and RSVP.

Thursday, August 16: Des Moines Iowa Secularists Meetup, 7pm at Panera Bread, 4150 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines, visit the Meetup site here to register and RSVP.

Each Sunday: Cedar Rapids Secular Breakfast, 10am at the Blue Strawberry

Each Saturday: North Iowa Secularists, 10am at Mason City Airport Cafe at Hwy 122 W

The Cedar Rapids group will host monthly meetings starting again in September. Visit the Corridor Atheists and Secularists Meetup site here to register and RSVP.

Thursday, July 12th: Iowa City monthly meeting, Old Chicago, 7pm, Coralville

Saturday, July 28th: Des Moines monthly meeting, Picnic at Walnut Ridge park on Saylorville Lake (Johnston area), Shelter #1, 10:30am
All welcome. Bring your own food to grill, maybe something to share, and your own plates, etc.
This is a family friendly social, so bring the kids.

Directions:
1. Take Merle Hay Road North three miles to NW Beaver Drive
2. Take Beaver Drive West to the entrance across from Weather Service radar ball
3. Go East into park
4. Road forks - go left
5. Magically find Shelter #1
Google Map

Activities:
Disc Golf (we’ll have extra discs available, and help if you’ve never played before)
Playground for the kids

Weekly events:
Saturdays:
North Iowa Secularists
10:00 a.m. at the Mason City Airport Cafe at Hwy 122 W, Mason City

Sundays:
Cedar Rapids Secular Breakfast
10:00 a.m. at the Blue Strawberry Coffee Co., 118 Second St. SE , Cedar Rapids

The second annual Iowa Secularists Conference will be held July 7, 2007 at Stoney Creek Inn in Johnston, IA. Our keynote speaker will be Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

How was the 2006 conference?:
“Attending the Iowa Secularists conference last year was completely amazing. I had no idea what to expect, but came away anxious for the next one. The group was like minded as secularists, yet very diverse in almost every other way. It’s a great opportunity to have some discussions, get informed, and have a lot of fun! I’ve already registered for this year.”
-Mike, Cedar Rapids

“I attended the first annual Iowa Secularists Conference in 2006. It was
my first real introduction to the organization and I joined during the
event. The sessions were interesting and the people were great. Talking
and laughing with like-minded individuals was a great experience.”
-Kevin, West Des Moines

Registration is closed as of June 30. If you have questions regarding this, please email jsabelATiowasecularistDOTorg.

Conference Schedule (May be subject to change)

10:00 am - 12:00 Annual Meeting of the Members - Associate and Contributing members are eligible to participate in IS business. This meeting will include a reelection vote for two of the members of the Board of Directorsas well as a confirmation vote for a new director.
12:00 - 1:00 Break for Lunch on your own - Stoney Creek is near a number of options

12:30-1:00 Registration
1:00 - 1:30 Introduction/Opening Remarks
1:30-2:15 Session 1: Inability to Act*
2:15-3:00 Session 2: Is there a conflict between science and religion?*
3:00-3:15 Break
3:15 - 4:00 Session 3: The Nuts and Bolts of Political Advocacy*
4:00 - 5:00 Round Table Discussion: Secularism in Iowa
5:00 - 6:00 Cocktail Hour (cash bar)
6:00 - 8:00 Keynote Dinner featuring Dan Barker

Contact Stoney Creek Inn
Here is some helpful information if you would like to reserve a room or get more information on the location.

(515) 334-9000
www.stoneycreekinn.com
5291 Stoney Creek Ct., Johnston, IA 50131

*Session descriptions
Inability to Act
Do you find yourself frustrated after a spontaneous conversation realizing what you wish you had said? Do you want to be able to discuss your worldview but find the ideas don’t come out clearly? Are there opportunities you wish you could take advantage of but you are too bogged down with things you have to do but aren’t learning from? Doug Nelson will lead an interactive session where we develop some tools and techniques to be both able and willing to act when opportunities arise.

Is there a conflict between science and religion?
This session will include discussion of topics such as:
1. Science can investigate specific doctrines and practices
related to religion, including specific properties attributed to god but cannot answer the basic question, “Is there god?”
2. Science, physics in particular, and as it seems, biology
in the near future, shows conclusively that nature can exist
and function without the need of a creator to start it or
an overseer to keep it going.
3. Science and religion are in conflict in terms of methodology and in the sense of morality.
4. Science still allows god to be defined but does not
require this definition to be made. But why should one
need it?

The Nuts and Bolts of Political Advocacy
This workshop-style session will provide participants with practical tips on communicating with elected officials about state-church separation. Participants will receive a packet with sample letters, contact information for their elected officials, and tips for communicating effectively with elected officials.

Thursday, June 14: Iowa City local meeting. 7:00pm New location!! Let’s try a different place this time and meet at Capanna Coffee Company in downtown Iowa City. http://www.capannacoffee.com/ They have both coffee beverages and gelato. We are going to try to reserve the conference room there. If we can’t reserve it, we will just be out in the main area. For those of you that would like to eat, Capanna is in the same building with NYNY Deli.

Thursday, June 21: Cedar Rapids local meeting. This will likely be in the same place at the same time but I will post the details when I have them.

Thursday, June 21: Des Moines local meeting. 7:00pm Rock Bottom Brewery in West Des Moines.

Weekly Events:
Saturdays:

Sundays:

*note the change in the day for this meeting

The Cedar Rapids May meeting will be held Wednesday May 23rd at 7:00pm at 224 26th Street NW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52405. Note the date change! Please RSVP or direct questions to Chris at monsterdesignstudioATyahooDOTcom.

Thursday, May 10: Iowa City area meeting, Old Chicago, Coralville, 7pm - If you would like for us to consider a different location, please email jsabelATiowasecularistDOTorg with suggestions.

Thursday, May 17: Cedar Rapids area meeting, check back for details

Thursday, May 17: Des Moines area meeting, Panera Bread, 4150 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, 7pm; visit the Meetup website and register to get updates http://atheists.meetup.com/511/

Weekly Events:
Saturdays: