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Friggatriskaidekaphobia Treatment Center

Nowhere in the entire world has there been a Friday the Thirteenth online anti-superstition bash until now! Please join the Freethought Society and the Center for Inquiry (CFI) as we cure people of their superstitions during the virtual opening of the famous Friggatriskaidekaphobia Treatment Center on Friday, August 13, 2021 at 3:45 PM PDT/6:45 PM EDT. During the Pre-Event Social, singer Rich DeSimone will perform a mini-concert of Frank Sinatra songs, including “Luck be a Lady” and “Witchcraft.”

Friggatriskaidekaphobia doctors and nurses will provide long-distance treatments that will involve humorous and fun-loving interaction as superstitions are dispelled and cured. A “Clean Bill of Mental Health” will be awarded to participants who participate and follow the “doctor’s orders.” Don’t miss your chance to take an anti-horoscope consulting pledge and participate in trashing your Zodiac sign. Join us by sitting under a ladder or umbrella. Prizes for the best Zoom box will be awarded.

The 2021 Friggatriskaidekaphobia Treatment Center will be offering a continuing education session with famous Skeptic and “Anti-Superstition Professor of Rational Thinking” Benjamin Radford. His presentation is entitled “The Curse of Magical Thinking.”


Though magical thinking can seem wonderful, imbuing the world with meaning and magic, there is a darker side to it. From lucky rabbit’s feet (not so lucky for the rabbit!) to gambler’s fallacies, Radford will examine psychological, cultural, and folkloric aspects of superstition, curses, luck, and much more. Though some magical beliefs are harmless, others can have unexpectedly harmful and even deadly consequences. Learn about the history of these beliefs as well as how to replace magical beliefs with science and reason.

Radford has degrees in psychology and education, and is a Research Fellow with the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is the author of a dozen books on critical thinking, science education, and media literacy. Radford is Deputy Editor of Skeptical Inquirer science magazine and co-host of the podcast “Squaring the Strange.”

To poke fun at fortunetelling, Christina Magallanes-Jones will be attending as the Friggatriskaidekaphobia Treatment Center’s Miss Fortune Teller. She will be using her special deck of “Tarot-Bull” cards to predict your future.

We will also have a mirror breaking ceremony so have goggles, a hammer, a mirror and a trash can close by.

To see past party photos visit:

http://www.friggatriskaidekaphobia.com

RSVP at: https://bit.ly/3y1OjNz

Ron Lindsay on the Necessity of Secularism Dec. 8, 2014

The Necessity of Secularism; Especially During the Winter Holiday Season

ronLindseyRon Lindsay, noted author, President and CEO of the Center for Inquiry (CFI), will be hosted by the Freethought Society (FS) and the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia (EHSP) at 7 PM on Monday, December 8, 2014. Lindsay’s presentation on The Necessity of Secularism: Why God Can’t Tell Us What To Do is based on his book of the same name. This event takes place at the EHSP building, located at 1906 South Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is a free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome!

Lindsay’s presentation is based on his recently published second book, which has garnered extreme praise by many notable reviewers.

“For some,” Lindsay states in his book, “secularism has become the ultimate scare word. …What’s interesting and ironic about this hysteria over secularism is that secularism, properly understood, is the best protection religious believers have, particularly in a society they no longer control. Secularism protects freedom of conscience, including freedom of religion; it doesn’t threaten it. One reason some may have such dread of secularism is that they mistakenly equate secularism with atheism… But secularism and atheism are distinct views and don’t even belong in the same category.

“The fact that I have been both a believer and a nonbeliever also gives me a heightened awareness of the novel, challenging situation in which the United States and many other countries now find themselves. For the first time in human history, we have substantial numbers of nonbelievers living side-by-side with believers. Moreover, this is a situation that is likely to persist for some time. The number of nonbelievers is going to increase in developed countries, but religion is not going to disappear in a few years, if ever.”

Lindsay is by training and experience the quixotic combination of lawyer and philosopher. He has a PhD in philosophy from Georgetown University specializing in bioethics, and a JD from the University of Virginia. He is the author of the essay “Euthanasia” in the International Encyclopedia of Ethics, as well as articles in many other prestigious publications, and of the book Future Bioethics: Overcoming Taboos, Myths, and Dogmas.

FS President Margaret Downey stated, “We are honored to have Dr. Lindsay give his presentation here in Philadelphia because this is the city where an unprecedented secular government began.  The Constitution includes a very important statement. Article VI explicitly states that ‘no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.’”

Hugh Taft-Morales, the EHSP Leader added, “The ‘no religious test’ Constitutional tenet was affirmed many times in court cases, including the United States Supreme Court in 1961 in its unanimous decision in Torcaso v Watkins.”

After the presentation, at 8:30 PM, visitors are invited to attend a birthday party for Dr. Lindsay in the upstairs EHSP community room. Birthday cake and beverages (wine, coffee, tea, and water) will be served. Donations for the party are appreciated.

For more information, contact the following event organizers:

Margaret Downey, Freethought Society President

Phone: 610.793.2737

Email: Margaret@FtSociety.org   

                                           

Hugh Taft-Morales, EHSP Leader

Phone: 215.735.3456

Email: LeaderHugh@phillyethics.org