Media Advisory: First National Secular Supper Launched in Response to National Prayer Breakfast
May 15, 2011
MEDIA ADVISORY - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
First National Secular Supper Launched in Response to
National Prayer Breakfast
Former Ottawa City Councillor Alex Cullen to Make Address
Ottawa, Ontario – (May 15, 2011) – In response to the annual National
Prayer Breakfast, at which federal cabinet ministers, high ranking officers
in the armed forces, and even the Chief Justice of Canada discuss the role of
religion in public affairs, Centre for Inquiry Canada (CFI) has launched the
first annual National Secular Supper on May 18, 2011 at 7pm at the
Ottawa Citizen Conference Room at 1101 Baxter Road, Ottawa.
“Canada is a multicultural country, and it is our plurality that makes us
strong,” said CFI’s National Executive Director, Justin Trottier. “Events like
the sectarian National Prayer Breakfast, taking place May 18 – 19,
threaten to undermine this proud tradition.” CFI will be hosting the
National Secular Supper to celebrate the importance of governing our
society based on reason, secularism and equality for those of different
worldviews.
The dinner will feature former Ottawa City Councillor Alex Cullen, Ottawa Sun
contributor Athony Furey, and CFI Board Member Kevin Smith, a columnist in the
Ottawa Citizen’s weekly Ask the Religion Experts section.
The National Secular Supper is part of the larger Reason for a Change
convention, taking place May 18 – 20, 2011, the first official gathering of
humanists and freethinkers in Ottawa for the purpose of national lobbying on
issues related to church-state separation, freedom of speech and inquiry, and
the role of science and reason in policy making.
CFI representatives will also seek to foster a discussion of the importance of
secularism at the National Prayer Breakfast they will be attending on
May 19.
Centre for Inquiry Canada is an educational charity with a mandate to educate
and provide training to the public in the application of skeptical, secular,
rational, and humanistic inquiry.
For more information, please visit:
Reason for a Change Convention: reasonforachange.ca
National Secular Supper: secularsupper.ca
Contact:
Justin Trottier
Centre for Inquiry Canada
416-402-8856
jtrottier@cficanada.ca