“Guelph Skeptics? I’m a little skeptical” …That is my least favorite thing people say to me when I asked if they’ve heard of our group. It’s not funny. At all.

Being a skeptic isn’t affirming a belief, it’s not joining an organization or having to bow down to someone. It’s not saying that Dawkins is your hero, or that you deny Jesus. Skepticism isn’t atheism, it isn’t even labeling yourself agnostic. You don’t have to be a humanist or be part of a club on campus that is secular.

What it is … is using your brain. Not buying into it …whatever it might be. The thing that bothers me most is when the media calls or e-mails me for an interview about our “skeptics” club and the first thing they ask is what religion we are.

We’re not a religion. You can be a skeptic - and be religious. Go ahead and believe in your god and Jesus - and ask questions at the same time. Don’t just bend over and let the church paddle you in the ass.

My being the president of the Guelph Skeptics isn’t simply about holding lectures that defend atheism, evolutionists and science - it’s about creating a discussion. And the sooner people get that into their heads, the sooner we’ll understand each other. When I send an e-mail out to the christian group on campus that says “come talk” I’m not sitting there taunting or trying to start a fight - I’m inviting a conversation. I want to have that conversation. I want to be a part of it.

What I’ve enjoyed the most since I got involved with these student groups last June are the conversations and phone calls I get into. I get calls from Alon all the time where he’s just calling me up to tell me I’m wrong about something - I yell at him… but I love those conversations. My brother and I get furious at one another at the dinner table over 9/11 conspiracy theories, but I love that thats what we’re getting furious about - not something trivial or stupid. (I must say now - fighting over music … that is not trivial or stupid - not really being “skeptical” but… it is a worthy fight.)

It’s questioning. Not claiming. My group doesn’t claim anything. We look into it. And we got into three newspapers this week …I make an awesome president.

I didn’t bring my camera - and Ang has yet to upload the photos - but Dr. Jeffrey Shallit spoke at Guelph last night about misinformation theory. I am much to tired to go into why this next statement is true, so you’ll just have to take my word for it:

Jeffrey Shallit is by far the best speaker I have ever seen as a skeptics event. Including all CFI events, UTSA, Guelph - all of them. He was by far - the best. He was interesting, entertaining, informative and hilarious. He brought prizes for the crowd, which was the cutest thing ever. (Even cuter was that they were really geeky prizes and we all thought they were so incredibly awesome.)

If you ever have a chance to go and see him - goooo! It was so good. I appreciated his talk a lot… I wish we could have pulled in more people for him to talk to (we had just over 60). Hopefully I’ll be able to post a picture of two eventually. I feel like a doofus - I totally forgot my voice recorder and it would have been a great lecture to have recorded because it was super entertaining.

Also - for all you 9/11 crazies (aka my brother) you should head over to his blog and check out all his posts on 9/11 conspiracy theories - they show a ton of great arguments that you should be reading.

Unfortunately Kirk Durston didn’t show up to put on a good debate for us - but he did agree to do a talk on information theory for us in the fall - so I look forward to hearing why the disgusting display of “math” is actually okay in his world.

Well… my interview with the mercury went hardcopy. Suffice to say I’m not 100% happy about the total lack of information about my group/CFI/our events/our goals. She totally focused on me and what I believe - which isn’t so hot. Anywhere, here’s the article:

March 24, 2008

Lisa Varano, lvarano@guelphmercury.com
GUELPH

The biggest misconception about skeptics is that they are against religion, paranormal claims and alternative medicine, says the president of a local freethinker group.

Skeptics want to investigate those matters and decide whether they are supported by facts.

Katie Kish, president of the Guelph Skeptics, said “credible evidence” means she’ll change her opinions.

“I’m not stuck in my ways,” she said.

The skeptic group promotes critical thinking and secularism, she said.

This past week the Guelph Skeptics hosted a guest speaker on facts behind the theory of evolution.

About 60 people usually turn out for lectures hosted by the local skeptics, 10 people participate in their weekly discussions and 250 people are on the on their e-mail list. Guelph Skeptics is a social club run by students at the University of Guelph, but open to the community.

Despite the support, the group also encounters backlash, Kish said.

“We get a lot of negative feedback. But I think any group does. What we’re trying to do is bring in those who view us negatively and ask them to communicate with us — so that we can either try to understand each other or open up a discussion that is valuable to both of us,” she said.

After all, intellectual discussion is the group’s focus, Kish said.

The approach sits well with some Christians on campus.

“University is meant to be a place where ideas are discussed. As a Christian . . . some ideas might not be what I would agree with, but I’d go listen,” said Graham Watt, director of an inter-denominational Christian organization at the University of Guelph, called Campus for Christ.

Discussion of spiritual ideas should be encouraged through respectful dialogue, he said.

For some people, it is possible to be skeptical and religious at the same time, Kish said.

In her own embrace of skepticism, however, she went from Christian to secular humanist.

That is someone who believes in “finding the good in people and looking beyond supernatural powers to find beauty in the world,” she said. “I believe in using science to look at the world and to examine life critically”

It could have been much worse.

I was really excited, I got off work almost an hour early today because there is a blizzard outside and the store was pretty dead. I packed up my things and bolted across the road to catch the earliest bus possible. I settled into my usual seat (2nd from the back), put my ipod on and started staring at people. (People watching is one of my all time favorite things to do.)

After the group of 4 immature idiots that were stoned out of their mind hopped off the bus I had a clear view of a mother and her daughter that had gotten on the stop prior. The little girl was really cute and was holding a giant pink bunny that was wrapped up in a clear garbage bag, I assumed to protect it from the wet blizzary snow. When the bus stopped downtown most of the people got off, including the mother - but not her daughter.

Confused by this, I watched a little longer. …The daughter waved furiously out the window to her mom and then slumped back down into her seat. …As the bus started moving again I was anxious about the situation. I moved up a couple seats so that I was directly behind the girl. I asked her why her mom had left her alone.

“She does everyday” the little girl answered. …So I asked her how old she was … “four”. We got talking a little bit more, I learned that her bunny’s name is Thomas, and that she was indeed protecting him from the snow. I also learned that everyday the little girls mom leaves her to take the bus from downtown to her stop (only 3 stops before mine) where she then gets off and walks about 10 minutes all alone to get to her house. “Did you want to walk with me today?” …Relieved that I didn’t have to look like a weirdo adult asking her if I could walk her home I said “absolutely”.

So we got off and tracked through the snow (I had to pick her up at least 3 times to get her over snowbanks) to her house. I expected her to just walk right in because her father was home, but instead she picked up a rock and this little four year old girl picked up her spare key and unlocked the front door. The house stank of cat piss and dirty laundry - the walls were littered with pictures of Harley Davidson paraphernalia, crosses and pictures of Jesus. (Just for fun I asked her “that” was and pointed to Jesus, she laughed at me and said “My Lord, silly”. …I mumbled under my breath “oh, so that’s who watches you after school I guess then, eh?”)

I didn’t walk past the front mat, and kept the front door open, I asked her a little bit more about her situation. She told me her dad lived far away, and that her sister often stayed overnight at her “boyfriends” (did I mention the sister is 10 years old?…I don’t think I did.) She said that her mom usually comes home around 8 pm, but sometimes it’s a lot later if she “goes out”.

Sad and heartbroken I called child services who gave me permission to go into the home until one of their representatives got there (which, surprisingly, was only 20 minutes later).  After spending 20 minutes in the house I saw a lot of evidence of drug use (alcohol, pot and coke at least), a lot of dirty dishes, three cats that looked nearly dead and a dog who was too scared of me to even come a foot close (I think it was abused). Me and the little girl played Barbies and she showed me her favorite shoes.

When I went to leave she ran to me and asked if she would see me again. I told her I didn’t know, but I’d be happy if I did. She made me give Thomas a hug goodbye and called me her best friend. It was by far the saddest 3 hours of my life. I walked home and cried a little (not a lot because I’m tough like that *grrowl*) and thought about how many other children are living like that.

*sigh*

Thanks to Will - my main man in 9/11 conspiracies, for all the links and information. It would have taken me forever without him to find decent material.

Instead of simply regurgitating everything I’ve read (and I will admit - I didn’t know *why* I thought 9/11 wasn’t an inside job when I so proudly declared so at Easter dinner, so I have been reading quite a bit) I will link to the best of the best:

This one is probably the best from eSkeptic: 9/11 Conspiracy Theory

If you’re too lazy to read, and just want to listen - go here.

This one was the one that I read first - it’s really good if you just want a quick q and a. It covers all the common claims like the towers not falling over how they were supposed to (the one my mom and brother brought up at dinner.)

And another from popular mechanics. …Once you read these, or listen to these sites… it’s incredibly hard to believe that 9/11 was an inside job. I’m cynical, but I’m not paranoid.