Incivility in the city: Rogers Centre Bans Alcohol in cheap sections on $2 Tuesdays

As I note in my personal profile, I am a fan of the Toronto Blue Jays. I just learned that the Toronto Blue Jays management has elected to discontinue the serving of alcohol in the $2 sections on $2 Tuesdays. For those unfamiliar with this promotion, on select Tuesday home games tickets for the entire fifth level of the Rogers Centre (formerly the Skydome) and 200-level seats behind the homerun fence cost only $2.  And now, because of a small number of morally-challenged individuals who think it a good idea to be be disrespectful, uncivil, loud-mouthed, aggressive, and violent, these $2 sections will now be dry. Now, I personally won’t miss the alcohol because I’m not interested in paying $6.50 for a palatable-at-best domestic beer. But it is a depressing shame that such a measure had to be taken in the first place. Jays President and CEO Paul Godfrey also said that if the raucous behaviour continues the entire promotion might be scrapped for everyone. I would not blame him. It’s truly unfortunate when, as Godfrey put it, a few can ruin something for the majority.

So, what exactly has gone on over the past few days?

Scientology protest: Pickering Flea Market, Sunday April 13

I was just directed to a post on the AnonymousToronto website that a protest is being organized for this coming Sunday afternoon (i.e., the day after Operation Reconnect, the third major monthly international day of protest against the illegal, unethical, inhumane and dangerous practices of the Cult of Scientology) at 1 PM outside of the Pickering Flea Market in Pickering Ontario, just east of Toronto. The protest is apparently geared at presenting the “other side” of Scientology, as the people manning the Dianetics booth inside will surely be displaying the cult’s rosy window-dressing.

The Pickering Flea Market (or “The Pickering Markets Trade Centre”) is located at 1400 Squires Beach Rd (L1W 4B9)

Gonna be in/around Oshawa, ON on Friday afternoon? Go see Tom Flynn

In addition to speaking at the Centre For Inquiry (Toronto) on Friday evening, Tom Flynn of CFI Transnational will be speaking at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa from 2-4 PM. Flynn will be speaking on his upcoming publication The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief.

For a complete rundown of the event, click here to see the official CFI event description.

Location: UA2130, UOIT Science Building - University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, ON, Rm UA2130

Tom Flynn in Toronto at Center For Inquiry, this Friday

Centre for Inquiry’s CELEBRATION OF SCIENCE AND FREETHOUGHT

ATHEISTS, HERETICS and UNBELIEVERS have fought at the forefront of every
major civil rights movement of that last 300 years, including the
Enlightenment, universal suffrage, abolitionism and minority civil rights.
As the aggressive ‘New Atheists’ make headlines, the public tends to forget
the legacy from which they stem.

In celebration we present…
TALES FROM A NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA, A presentation by Tom Flynn, Fri, April 4,
7pm

Tom Flynn, editor of FREE INQUIRY, leading secular humanist magazine,
discusses the challenges he faced - and some of the surprising things he
learned - during his five years editing THE NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF UNBELIEF. It
covers in unprecedented detail the freethought, atheist, and humanist
traditions and histories across the world. Flynn will share insights from
research unearthing a once-vibrant freethought tradition in Toronto.

$5 general, $4 students, FREE for Friends of the Centre of Inquiry.
Join today ($60 regular, $20 students & low income)

The event is at CFI– located just south of St. George & College at 216
Beverley St.-Canada’s first home for those whose worldview is based on
science, secularism and rationality. All are invited

EPIC WIN: Hundreds of Toronto Anonymous PARTY HARD at March 15 Scientology Protest

Hundreds of Anonymous filled the sidewalk opposite the Toronto “Church” of Scientology on Saturday March 15 in the most recent major day of protest against the human rights abusing practices of the Cult of Scientology. Most attendance estimates seem to be in the 200-300 range. Police were very friendly and supportive. Protestors were enthusiastic, friendly and law-abiding. However, as was expected, the Co$ seems to have have sent out a number of its members to masquerade as protestors (well, technically everyone was wearing a mask…) in order to attempt to obtain information from protestors and in some cases engage in or attempt to provoke illegal behaviours. In their bravery and willingness to confront conflicting points of view, they shut down the building and drew all curtains shut (with the exception of the main entrance, which was blocked by police officers anyway), and rumour has it that they also had all members of the organization below the rank of OT3 (the level at which Scientologists learn about Xenu) evacuated from the premises in advance (apparently a number of Scientologists *live* in the Toronto Co$ building!). CTV, the Torontoist, the Toronto Sun, and presumably other local and national media representatives were on hand. Read on for more commentary and pictures.

The Secular Conscience | Dr. Austin Dacey speaks in Toronto this Friday

THE SECULAR CONSCIENCE:  WHY BELIEF BELONGS IN PUBLIC LIFE,
 with Dr. Austin Dacey.  The first Canadian book tour stop!

 Do ethics presuppose religion? Are objective morals incompatible with
 secular liberalism? Do questions of religion & values belong in public
 life?

Editorial Submission re: War of the Worldviews religious debate event in Whitby, ON

Here is the final draft just sent to the Durham Region News, for publication as an op-ed:

Letter to the Editor Re: War of the Worldviews religious debates in Whitby, ON

The recent War of the Worldviews religious debates in Whitby, ON was covered in the Durham Region newspapers this week. The event was also covered extensively on this blog, here, here, here and here. My letter to the editor on this event can be read below. I will be sending the letter of as soon as it has received endorsement (or declines for endorsement) by each of the humanist organizations on hand. I think I’ll actually also send it to the non-Christian religious organizations as well, to see if they would like to endorse it.

Review of Atheism - Christianity debate between Christopher DiCarlo and Dave Hunt at the “Decide for Yourself” religion debates in Whitby, ON

For general overviews of the event, go here, here and here. These reviews are all written by humanists who were strongly disappointed by the slanted nature of the event. Put briefly, the event was run by Christian literalists, at a Christian school, with Christian moderators, with questions to the speakers having to be written down so that they could be selected by the Christian literalist organizer, and with numerous other examples of favouritism toward Christian presenters and guests. See reviews for more details. If anyone else would like to submit a review for posting here (good or bad), please send it to theframeproblem [at] live [dot] ca. Read on for the review on DiCarlo vs. Hunt.

Another humanist reviews the Whitby “Decide for Yourself” religion debates

This third review, though less heavy handed, was consistent with the first two reviews collected and presented here and here. To readers who attended the events: If you would like to write a review (good, bad, whatever), email it to me at theframeproblem [at] live [dot] ca. The review is presented next.