Skepticon is a skeptic and

secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin , or or ), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. The origins of secularity can be traced to the Bible itself. The concept was fleshed out through Christian hi ...

convention held in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Guest speakers are invited to discuss

skepticism Skepticism ( US) or scepticism ( UK) is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the p ...

science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

activism Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make Social change, changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from ...

, and other related topics.

History

The Skepticon conference grew out of a speaking engagement organized by a student group on the campus of Missouri State University. The students invited two well-known atheist speakers, PZ Myers and

Richard Carrier Richard Cevantis Carrier (born December 1, 1969) is an American ancient historian. He is a long-time contributor to skeptical websites, including The Secular Web and Freethought Blogs. Carrier has published a number of books and articles on ph ...

, to campus to speak critically about belief in God. The event was considered particularly controversial because

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...

, is home to the

Assemblies of God The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...

national headquarters and the campuses of several religious universities, including Evangel University. Hemant Mehta at Skepticon 7

In the years that followed, the conference was able to attract additional speakers willing to reduce or forgo their speakers' fees so as to keep the conference free for attendees. Donors help with the cost of event space and speakers' travel costs. In July 2010, Skepticon received the "Best On Campus Event" award from the Center for Inquiry. Shortly before Skepticon III in November 2010, critics questioned the naming of the convention, suggesting that it focused more on atheism than skepticism. Skepticon IV (2011) featured a tour of a nearby creationist museum, two full days of lectures detailing science-related topics, and a performance by Atheist Evangelist Brother Sam Singleton. A local

gelato Gelato (; ; ) refers to a specific type of ice cream of Italian origin. In Italian, ''Gelato'' is the common word for all types of ice cream. Artisanal gelato in Italy generally contains 6–9% butterfat, which is lower than other styles of ...

shop owner took offense to Singleton's performance and posted a sign in the store window which read "Skepticon is NOT welcomed to my Christian Business." The resulting internet reaction had a negative impact on the store's user ratings on a number of consumer satisfaction websites. Three days later the shop owner posted an apology on the website

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. Concern over whether the sign violated the

Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and United States labor law, labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on Race (human categorization), race, Person of color, color, religion, sex, and nationa ...

earned the incident the nickname "gelato-gate." In 2016, Skepticon banned Carrier for what organizer Lauren Lane described as "repeated boundary-pushing behavior." Later that year, Carrier sued Skepticon and Lane for

defamation Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...

, tortious interference, and emotional distress.

Atheism vs. Christianity debate

Skepticon 2009 featured a debate between Christian and atheist experts on the question "Does God exist?" Participants included

, Victor Stenger, and JT Eberhard for the atheist perspective and professors Charlie Self, Zachary Manis, and Greg Ojakangas presenting the Christian position.

Confrontation vs. accommodation debate

Skepticon III (2010) explored the merits of confrontation versus accommodation and featured a debate between James Randi, PZ Myers,

, and Amanda Marcotte.

Locations, dates and speakers

References

External links

* {{Skeptical conferences Conventions in Missouri Atheism in the United States Skeptic conferences Recurring events established in 2008