Our regular get together at Cafe Barrone on the first Thursday of every month.

This time we're celebrating "Blasphemy Day" (which is sponsored by the "transnational" CFI organization). In honor of that day we'll bring a board game (either "Playing Gods" or "Blasphemy") that will be available to any old fashioned (i.e. non video) gamers who want to try it out. The rules are a little complicated so I've uploaded a version to the Files section of this meetup

For more about Blashphemy day see the Facebook page

Also CFI is sponsoring a contest. Details of the rules will be sent to everyone on CFI/SF mailing list soon, but if you're not on the list and want to participate send me email here (Jerry Schwarz) and I'll send you the pdf with the full rules. Here is the announcement.

"The Center for Inquiry (CFI), in conjunction with its Campaign for Free Expression, is pleased to announce a contest that will challenge your blaspheming skills. You are invited to submit a phrase, poem, or statement that would be, or would have been, considered blasphemous (loose definition: denying or scoffing at God or God’s alleged attributes). One of the reasons we are running this contest is to emphasize our view that there should be no restrictions on speech criticizing religion. For much of human history, religious institutions have successfully used force or the threat of force to suppress criticism. People have been subject to severe punishment (e.g., tongues being cut out, branding, or death) merely for questioning religious dogma.
"Our primary purpose is not to offend religious sensibilities; but, of course, since some religious maintain that any criticism of religion is offensive, avoiding all offense would be difficult, if not impossible."