Common Questions
What is CFI-On Campus?
What is "Freethought"?
Are you a religious organization? Are you a cult?
Are you an atheist organization?
Are you anti-Christian or anti-religious?
What about spirituality?
Who can join CFI-On Campus?
Are you a partisan organization?
What is CFI-On Campus's overall stance on political issues?
1. What is CFI - On Campus?
The Center for Inquiry - On Campus is an umbrella organization uniting
student freethinkers, skeptics, secularists and humanists and their groups
on campuses across North America and around the world. CFI - On Campus is
dedicated to building student freethought communities and promoting
humanism, critical thinking, and scientific inquiry. CFI - On Campus also
defends civil liberties, church-state separation and religious freedom from
the Religious Right and other opposing forces. CFI - On Campus's chief aims
are to promote and defend reason, science and freedom of inquiry in
education.
2. What is freethought?
"Freethought" is the name of an American intellectual and cultural movement
that can be traced back to the writings of the founders of our nation, the
philosophers of the French and German Enlightenment, and the secular
populists of the 19th century. A freethinker is a religious unbeliever who
forms his or her judgments about religion using reason rather than relying
on tradition, authority, faith, or established belief. Members of the
freethought movement strive to free the mind of ignorant presuppositions and
superstitions and are generally secular and humanist in outlook.
3. Are you a religious organization? Are you a cult?
No. The Campus freethought movement is a nonreligious student movement
dedicated to promoting reason, not religion; science, not pseudoscience; the
poetry of science, not faith. Freethinkers emphasize reason and scientific
inquiry, individual freedom and responsibility, human values and compassion,
and the need for tolerance and cooperation.
4. Are you an atheist organization?
No. Most (but not all) of CFI - On Campus's members doubt or disbelieve
God's existence. However, doubt of religious dogma is only a part of what
defines CFI - On Campus. Aside from doubt of religious dogma, CFI - On
Campus promotes religious liberty, the ethical ideals of secular humanism,
and science education.
5. Are you anti-Christian or anti-religious?
No. CFI - On Campus believes in academic freedom, freedom of conscience and
freedom of inquiry, and does not resist presenting rational and scientific
critiques of religious, paranormal, and pseudo-scientific claims. There are
no "sacred-cows" to CFI - On Campus, including religion. CFI - On Campus
opposes attempts to force beliefs on others. However, CFI - On Campus
promotes and defends church-state separation and religious liberty: the
right of every person to believe and worship as he or she pleases, or not to
do so at all. As such, CFI - On Campus is not anti-Christian or
anti-religious. CFI - On Campus does, however, strongly oppose the
politicization of personal religious beliefs.
6. What about "spirituality"?
Properly defined, the term "spiritual" may accurately describe some members
of CFI - On Campus. Freethinkers reject spiritual claims insofar as they
deal with the supernatural. Spiritualists and "New Agers," who speak of
spiritual forces or spiritual ways of knowing reality, reject reason in
favor of tradition, speculation or mystical experience. Because of this,
they wouldn't be considered freethinkers. If the word "spiritual" is used to
refer to a strong sense of emotion, such as a deep appreciation of the arts
or a sense of wonder and awe at the beauty of the universe (i.e.: the
"poetry of science") it is compatible with freethought. Many famous
freethinkers, atheists and humanists, such as Carl Sagan and Richard
Dawkins, talk emotionally about their respect and awe for the size and age
of the universe, the beauty of science or the power of the arts, and use the
word "spiritual" in this sense.
7. Who can join CFI - On Campus?
CFI - On Campus welcomes all college and high school students and student
organizations that support the mission of CFI - On Campus. Some members of
CFI - On Campus affiliate groups are religious students who are interested
in freethought and related issues.
8. Are you a partisan organization?
No. CFI - On Campus is a non-profit educational organization that is not
affiliated with any particular party or figure. There are classical
liberals, fiscal conservatives, libertarians, Republicans, Democrats, social
democrats, socialists and Marxists who support the aims of CFI - On Campus -
promoting and defending reason, science and freedom of inquiry in education.
9. What is CFI - On Campus's overall stance on political issues?
As a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization, CFI - On Campus is
not permitted by IRS regulations to engage in political activity beyond a
certain amount. While CFI - On Campus has taken positions on some
politically-charged issues, not every CFI - On Campus member or affiliated
campus group agrees with every position. CFI - On Campus recognizes and
appreciates differences of political and social opinion among its members.
Generally, CFI - On Campus values individual freedom and civil liberties,
while striving to make reason and secular values, rather than religious
faith, the foundation on which a political position is based. CFI - On
Campus has taken a position on several related issues that have been
attacked on religious-political grounds. CFI - On Campus strongly supports
church-state separation and religious liberty; freedom of speech and
conscience, and the defense of academic freedom.