Imagine No Religion 5: June 5-7, now in a new place

January 20, 2015 • 3:15 pm

It may be a bit early to flog this conference, but I suspect that it will sell out early as it’s in Vancouver this year (it’s always been in the much smaller and less accessible town of Kamloops) and because it has some Big Names in Science speaking, namely Richard Dawkins, Carolyn Porco (who gave a fantastic talk at INR4) and Lawrence Krauss.  Here’s the logo and date; click on the screenshot to go to the main website:

Screen Shot 2015-01-20 at 9.06.28 AM

The list of speakers, which is a very good line-up (and I don’t say that because it includes me) is here, and you can buy your tickets here.

I am not in general a huge fan of big secular meetings, but this is one of the best I’ve been to. The schedule is easygoing, the ambiance is informal, there are lots of good noms, there’s a ton of schmoozing (intellectual and otherwise), and you get a lot of chances to interact with the speakers. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing old friends as well as meeting other secularists I’ve admired, like Maryam Namazie and Robert Price.

If you want to go, I suggest anteing up now. It’ll be a good time.

 

20 thoughts on “Imagine No Religion 5: June 5-7, now in a new place”

  2. What a great lineup of speakers!

    I became aware of Robert Price when he was a guest on the HP Lovecraft literary podcast (as his description mentions, he writes stories set in the Cthulhu Mythos world) — he was both informative and fun to listen to.

    1. Yeah it is a great lineup, and free of people who would keep me away. *cough* FTBers *cough*

      1. Hmm. Glad you found something you like. Frankly it’s the clique-y smugness which you’re demonstrating so well that make me uncomfortable. It’s not enough to say you like the speakers, you have to crap on other secularists while you do it. Classy.

        1. I’m sorry it makes you uncomfortable, do you need a hug? Their being secularists doesn’t give them any special privilege where crap is concerned, and I’m sure they would agree given that it’s their bread and butter.

          1. “it’s their bread and butter”

            Nice. Now you’re doing everyone a favour?

            You know that Maryam Namazie is a speaker and part of the FTB network, right? Oh noes! She’s tainted! I guess you could give her a chance but it’s probably a lot easier for you to just tune out everyone based on their associations rather than their actions. Because secularism!

          3. You know that Maryam Namazie is a speaker and part of the FTB network, right?

            I don’t know her, but assuming she’s better than most of their bloggers I guess, based on your standard, we can’t criticize Islam because Maajid Nawaz is a Muslim.

  3. I would really like to attend this one. Don’t know if I can make it happen. It would make for a very nice riding trip too, but then I’d have to add ten or twelve days to the trip!

  4. I’ve never attended one of these conferences before but this one is in my backyard and there are a lot of big names. OTOH, I’ve seen videos of them talking, listened to their podcasts & interviews, read their books and read their many articles. I also don’t feel like religion really intrudes upon my life very often so finding like-minded people is easy and I have very little to complain about. I can’t see myself becoming much more active and I know I’m waaaaaay to shy to talk to any of the speakers in person.

    So what’s the draw, what’s the selling point?

  5. I do not get what is up about the FTB people (I’m glad, though, that I recognize the FTB acronym).

    All I understand, is that there is something I do not uknow.

    Could anyone, please, explain me what’s going on or give me a link?

    Thank you in advance.

    1. Free Thought Blogs. PZ Myers blogging website. They’re very critical, in a holier than thou, you should be silenced, and excommunicated from atheism because you make us look bad way, of anyone who’s views they don’t agree with. Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and our host among other notables have been targets of their wrath.

      1. Thank you very much for your answer.

        Yes, I know the FTB blog network.

        I have not explored all these blogs, I do not know how homogeneous they are in their worldview.

        I have noticed something along what you describe in the comments part of Pharyngula. I was not aware it was an endemic FTB trait.

        I have to say, I do not understand what goes on when people have the attitude you describe. It is, to me, a mindfuck.

      2. It would probably be better to limit our stated distaste to just Pharyngula (or perhaps, Pharyngula+ ?) rather than tar everyone at FtB…I understand there are yet a few worthwhile bl*ggers over there?

        But Mike, your remark was immediately clear to me!

        1. Well from what I understand FTB is owned by PZ Myers, will all profit going to, or through him. In that sense he’s the pope of the website, so even if all the bloggers there don’t necessarily support him they do “support” him, so I’m not necessarily convinced any of them are undeserving of being tarred by that association, but point taken.

        2. I’ve just now seen this thread, and am a bit dismayed that it’s degenerated into dissing other websites. Well, too late for me to keep things on track. This is the penalty I pay for not seeing comments as they come in.

  6. I will be at this. How could I pass it up, really? Right in my hometown (well, technically it’s in Richmond, but close enough). I’ll think of it as a graduation present for myself (assuming my committee actually lets me graduate the week before!)

  8. I don’t understand why this conference has to happen in the boonies while it is a well known fact that good looking intelligent people reside at the centre of the universe, also known as Toronto

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