Skepticon II: A Roaring Success in the Midwest

Students and speakers gather for a group photo at Skepticon II.

Mid-November 2009 brought a host of interested atheists and other secularists to the Springfield campus of Missouri State University to partake in Skepticon II; and what a terrific groundswell of enthusiastic support the event was given! The two days featured best-selling authors and experts in various fields, such as Dan Barker, D.J. Grothe, Victor Stenger, P.Z. Myers, Richard Carrier, Rebecca Watson, Joe Nickell, and Robert Price. The event included talks from those listed as well as a debate with top scholars from the Assemblies of God and a student debate. There was also a Meetup at a local pub where attendees met, chatted, and drank with people who, in some cases, were strong influences in the evolution of freethinkers. In short, it rocked.

While the event's message was given by a host of celebrated voices in the freethought/skeptic movement, it was only made possible by the contributions of its unsung heroes: the students who met and plotted and organized for months in advance to bring this event to life. The event is the brainchild of J.T. Eberhard and Lauren Lane. Both are co-founders of the MSU Chapter of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, one of the nation's largest and most active student freethought groups. J.T., who has been blogging, speaking, and debating on issues of religions for the last five years, emceed the event and also participated in both debates and gave a talk on moral philosophy. Lauren, who just graduated with a degree in art, took on the unenviable task of handling the finances for the event. Other students involved were Katie Hartman, JD Garrettson, Jacob Smothers, and Amber, Ryan, Justin, and Leah Culbertson-Faegre.

Skepticon II co-organizer JT Eberhard moderates a panel discussion.

But the special beauty of all of this, beyond the presentations of the invited celebrity speakers, and the hundreds of enthusiastic guests, and even the foundation message that "good without God is a reality" is being able to see the potential effects developed as its result. For two years running, Skepticon has hosted a marvelous array of reasoned academia and social responsibility that has impacted the broader population from the city of Springfield, across Missouri, and into neighboring states. It has been an eye-opener to a silent audience; and as an indirect result, a new Secular Student Alliance campus affiliate has taken root at the Missouri Southern State University. The MSU Chapter of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has already begun to work on Skepticon III for 2010.

You can view videos of the presentations at Skepticon II at http://www.youtube.com/hamboneproductions.