Past Events 2023

monthly online social discussion series ON CRITICAL THINKING

TUESDAY, JULY 11TH, 6:30PM – VIRTUAL SOCIAL
Virtual Event on Zoom – 2nd Tuesdays of the Month

Welcome to our monthly online social discussion series where we celebrate and reward the quest for truth and the pursuit of critical thinking!

Zoom Join Link

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE!

Join us in exposing logical fallacies, debunking flawed arguments, and promoting rational discourse.

Each month, we explore how a specific logical fallacy is used to manipulate opinions and shape public discourse. By examining real-life examples from politics, religion, media, and everyday conversations, we become better equipped to navigate discussions, debates, and decision-making processes.

Whether you’re a seasoned skeptic or new to logical fallacies, our casual discussion group is open to all levels of familiarity with the topic. This is a collaborative and inclusive environment where everyone is encouraged to share their insights, examples, and perspectives on the month’s fallacy.

July’s fallacy will be: SLIPPERY SLOPE.

Look for examples before you come – anything at all about the month’s fallacy that interests you – and share what you have learned with the rest of us.

By actively engaging in the discussions and sharing your thoughts, not only will you gain valuable tools to strengthen your own arguments and become a more effective communicator, but you will also have a chance to win a special prize!

Once you start to recognize the most enormous fallacies, you will soon start to notice more pesky little fallacies popping up everywhere. Let’s expose those fallacies!

Start your learning journey here!
Thou Shalt Not Commit Logical Fallacies
https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/

JEREMIAH CAMARA PRESENTATION – FFRF-VS ANNUAL MEETING

Jeremiah’s presentation is now available on:

Sunday, May 7, 2023 – HSGP Humanist Center
627 West Rio Salado Parkway, Mesa, AZ 95201

Join us on Sunday, May 7th:

Potluck Breakfast (bring a dish) at 9:00am
Jeremiah’s compelling presentation at 10:00am
Then please join us in-person for the FFRF Valley of the Sun’s annual chapter meeting at noon.

Jeremiah’s Presentation: WHY CHRISTIAN ICONOGRAPHY MUST BE ELIMINATED

Christian religious iconography has been used to manipulate and influence the beliefs and psychology of people for centuries. Public facilities must eliminate biblical depictions which subliminally infer supremacist and racist messages.

Jeremiah Camara is the author of the books Holy Lockdown: Does The Church Limit Black Progress? and The New Doubting Thomas: The Bible, Black Folks & Blind Belief. Camara is the creator of the widely watched video series Slave Sermons.

Jeremiah has two documentary films available on Amazon Prime:

Contradiction: A Question of Faith – Looks at the paradox of church saturation in African-American communities throughout the United States that far too often are coexisting with poverty and powerlessness.
Holy Hierarchy: The Religious Roots of Racism in America – This film explains how the notions of a Supreme Being in colonial Virginia led to supreme human beings and how these beliefs worked their way into the legal system; ultimately creating racism and turning it into an institution.

Full Bio and More at Jeremiah’s Website.

American Atheists 2023 National Convention

April 6-9, 2023 – Hyatt Regency Phoenix Arizona

https://conven tion.atheists.org

FFRF-VS Zoom Social
January 19th, 2023 – Thursday @ 5:45 to 6:45pm AZ time

We will be hearing from the amazing young leader Sami Al-Asady [BIO] who has just returned from Washington DC after being selected for the White House Intern program!

Please register in advance of this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0od-qhqjMtE9C57hlUXYOBdQ45iaBvOa7Y

Past Events 2022

October 20th, 2022 – Thursday @ 5:45 to 6:45pm AZ time

Just a casual discussion with like-minded secular folks.
Today we plan on discussing our favorite student essays that were published in FFRF’s Newsletter, Freethought Today. Here are links to some of them:
Sept 2021 First place — High school essay contest: Ava Bertolotti – Freethought Today
Oct 2022 1st place: College essay contest — Caleb Buell – Freethought Today
Jan/Feb 2022 1st place: Grad student essay contest — Elias Rodriguez – Freethought Today
May 2022 1st Place Legal Essay Contest – James B Aird – Freethought Today
Oct 2021 1st Place College Essay Contest – Ryan Rindels – Freethought Today

FFRF-VS ‘Virtual Social’ – You are invited to a Zoom meeting!

September 15th, 2022 – Thursday @ 5:45 to 6:45pm AZ time

FFRF-VS ‘Virtual Social’ – You are invited to a Zoom meeting!

Just a casual discussion with like-minded secular folks.

MORE DETAILS HERE!

May 19th, 2022 – Thursday @ 5:45 to 6:45pm AZ time

FFRF-VS ‘Virtual Social’ – You are invited to a Zoom meeting!
Just a casual discussion with like-minded secular folks.

April 21, 2022 – Thursday at 4:30 pm AZ time

Annual Meeting of FFRF Valley of the Sun Chapter Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of FFRF – Valley of the Sun Chapter have scheduled the annual meeting at 4:30 pm on April 21, 2022 for the purpose of electing new Board members and officers.

Per the Bylaws:
“Nominations for Directors may be submitted by FFRF Members or any other interested persons, living within the geographic area of the chapter, in advance of the Annual Meeting of the Board. All nominations shall be collected by the Chapter Secretary and forwarded to the Board at least one (1) month in advance of the Annual Meeting of the Board. The Directors shall be selected from among the candidates nominated in advance.”

For this meeting, all nominations must be received by the secretary by e-mail to info@ffrfvs.org no later than April 18, 2022.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Our Virtual Social will be following this meeting at the usual link.

Past Events 2021 and prior

December 16th, 2021 – Thursday @ 5:45 to 6:45pm AZ time

FFRF-VS ‘Virtual Social’ – You are invited to a Zoom meeting!
Just a casual discussion with like-minded secular folks.

November 18th, 2021 – Thursday @ 5:45 to 6:45pm AZ time

FFRF-VS ‘Virtual Social’ – You are invited to a Zoom meeting!
Just a casual discussion with like-minded secular folks.

August 19th, 2021 – Thursday @ 5:45 to 6:45pm AZ time

FFRF-VS ‘Virtual Social’ – You are invited to a Zoom meeting!
Just a casual discussion with like-minded secular folks.

April 15th, 2021 – Thursday @ 5:45 to 6:45pm AZ time

FFRF-VS ‘Virtual Social’ – You are invited to a Zoom meeting!
Just a casual discussion with like-minded secular folks. Tory will give an update on what is happening at the AZ State Legislature.

March 15th, 2021 – Secular Day at the Capitol – on Zoom at 10:00am AZ time

Join us for the annual Secular Day at the Capitol (this year it’s online on Zoom) and let your Arizona legislators know we’re here, and that we want church and state to remain separate.

March 18th, 2021 – Thursday @ 5:45 to 6:45pm AZ time

FFRF-VS ‘Virtual Social’ – You are invited to a Zoom meeting!
Just a casual discussion with like-minded secular folks. We will pose a discussion question at the beginning of the meeting.

February 18th, 2021 – Thursday @ 5:45 to 6:45pm AZ time

FFRF-VS ‘Virtual Social’ – You are invited to a Zoom meeting!
Just a casual discussion with like-minded secular folks. We will pose a discussion question at the beginning of the meeting.

January 21st, 2021 – Thursday @ 5:45 to 6:45pm AZ time

FFRF-VS ‘Virtual Social’ – You are invited to a Zoom meeting!
This month we have a surprise guest will do some musical comedy for us and discuss his journey to atheism.

November 19, 2020 @ 5:45pm AZ time

FFRF-VS ‘Virtual Social’ – You are invited to a Zoom meeting!

October 15, 2020 @ 5:45pm Arizona time – Special Event / Webinar
Rebecca Markert – FFRF Senior Staff Attorney
She will discuss some of her favorite Supreme Court cases and have a Q&A session.
(this will be October’s ‘Virtual Social’)

Rebecca is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a B.A. in political science, international relations and German. She received her Juris doctor in 2008 from Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island. She worked for former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold both in his legislative office in Washington, D.C., and in his 2004 campaign office. She joined FFRF as the first in-house staff attorney in 2008.

Rebecca is admitted to practice Law in Wisconsin, and before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. District Courts for the Western and Eastern Districts of Wisconsin, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She is also a member of the Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association, Dane County Bar Association, and the James E. Doyle American Inn of Court. She also serves as the President of the Legal Association for Women in Madison, Wisconsin.

September 17, 2020 @ 5:45 PM Arizona time
FFRF-VS ‘Virtual Social’ – You are invited to a Zoom meeting!
The first question we plan to discuss: “Can women achieve equality under a theocracy?”

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsd-yvqj4oH9zIu3Y8eNi6SzOxIjNZoIRV

*We plan to have these Virtual Socials on every third Thursday of each month.*

September 23, 2020 @ 6:00pm Arizona time
FFRF-VS along with Secular AZ and other groups, is co-hosting a Massive Voter Turnout event. A Virtual Discussion with Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes! Register for this event at the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_E3stT3fJR3KypWX6rVkZZw

2019 Events

Sunday November 17th 2019 at 2:30pm at the Burton Barr Public Library in central Phoenix.
FFRF-VS General Meeting & Social!

The Legislative Update presentation and discussion will be led by Tory Roberg from 2:30 to 4:00pm at the library. Then afterwards we will go across the street to Pizza People Pub for a no-host happy hour social. Hope to see you there! Here is the event on Facebook.

SecularAZ’s Sine Die Happy Hours are on Tues 09/24/2019 in Tucson and Thurs 09/26/2019 in Phoenix, honoring the AZ state legislators that have been advocates of church state separation. Hope you can join one!

Update: The Meeting went well and we had a turnout of about 25 people at the library. Then afterwards about half of us went across the street to have some grub!

FFRF-VS group went out to eat after the meeting.

What: FFRF-VS General Meeting & Social
When: Sunday September 15th 2019, 2:30-4:00pm
Where: Burton Barr Central Phoenix Public Library
1221 N Central Ave, Phoenix, Arizona 85004

Details: Our Topic will be Andrew Seidel’s book “The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism is Un-American”. Plus we’ll watch an FFRF video on the same topic and discuss.

This event is free and open to the public. Here is the event on Facebook and Meetup.

Everyone is welcome to attend an informal happy hour social at Pizza People Pub across the street after the meeting! We hope to see you there!