The success of the 2009 Northwest Freethought Alliance Conference has encouraged us to hold a 2010 conference.

This one will be at the Renton Technical College, just SE of Seattle; I’m anticipating we’ll alternate host sites annually between Portland State University and Renton Technical College.

Here is what we’re asking from you:

1. Put a link from your website to the conference site.
2. Put notices in your newsletter encouraging members to attend.
3. Announce the conference at your meetings.

Just as for the 2009 conference, it’s being planned and carried out by Humanists, Atheists, Brights, Americans United, various Meet-ups, Skeptics, etc.

And of course, we could use all the ideas that anyone wants to include. We have already tweaked parts of the conference based on feedback from the 2009 attendees.

There were some fabulous talks by Jim Corbett, Roy Speckhardt, David Domke and others. We Twittered much of the conference here (of course, you have to start at the bottom and read up). #freethought, for those of you who do that.

While we were there, of course, the article in the Seattle Times ran, and there was a DoS attack on the Seattle Atheists servers, so it was fun-filled and exciting, and most of all, great to see that atheists and humanists were coming out of the woodwork. It’s a wise, compassionate, and energetic group of people, and I’m honored to have been a part of it. Jerry, Sylvia (of the Humanists of Greater Portland), and I did a panel on using Meetup to build membership, which I think people enjoyed. I particularly enjoyed Jim Corbett’s talk on debating Darwin deniers, and the CFI presentation.

The food was great, the speakers were great, the coffee was great, and it was fun doing the set-up and introductions, and running around helping. I also learned, interestingly, that some Catholics have likened Humanists to cannibals. Hey, we don’t go for that transubstantiation thing, man. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

A big, huge thank you to the HGP and all the other groups for making this event possible. Look for a bigger, better conference next year in Seattle!

Keynote speakers

• Dr. David Domke, author of “The God Strategy” and “God Willing? Political Fundamentalism in the White House” will be sharing ideas from his books and current events.
• Dr. Bob Park, author of “Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science” and “Voodoo Science: The Road from foolishness to Fraud”, will share ideas from his research.
• Roy Speckhardt is the Executive Director of the American Humanist Association, and a board member of The Humanist Institute. He’s also an advisory board member of the Secular Student Alliance and the Women’s Law & Public Policy Fellowship Program.

Some of the very interesting workshops and speakers include: