What we’re about
Welcome Skeptics! Join Charlottesville's lively Skeptical community! Founded in 2006, we're in our tenth year of discussion dinners, happy hours, lectures, picnics, seasonal parties, with more events planned each month!
What is Skepticism?
Skepticism," when it applies to the Skeptic movement, means valuing the use of reason, rationality and the tools of science in our everyday lives. (Note it does not mean "cynicism" or simply "Hey, I'm skeptical about a lot of things so this group must be right for me.")
Charlottesville Skeptics is part of a growing international movement known as "modern skepticism" or "scientific skepticism," consisting of an informal network of groups, writers and bloggers. Prominent skeptical organizations include the Center for Inquiry, the Skeptics Society, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, the Richard Dawkins Foundation, the Council for Secular Humanism, the American Humanist Association and the James Randi Educational Foundation. Well-known periodicals include Skeptic, Free Inquiry, The Humanist, Humanist Network News and the Skeptical Inquirer.
Skepticism is a positive, not a negative trait. We are gardeners of ideas, weeding as needed so that good ideas may grow. Most skeptics conclude that nontheism flows naturally from the above. In particular, Charlottesville Skeptics has an especially close relationship with regional humanist groups, so is therefore largely comprised of persons with nonreligious philosophies such as humanists, atheists, agnostics, Brights, naturalists, and freethinkers.
And yes, we claim Thomas Jefferson as one of us! We have little doubt if he were alive today he'd be Charlottesville Skeptics' president emeritus.
Goals of Charlottesville Skeptics
1) Provide fellowship and fun among skeptics.
2) Promote critical thinking and the integration of the scientific method into our daily lives.
3) Increase understanding of the benefits of science to society.
4) Increase understanding of the negative impacts to society of poor science, pseudoscience, and science devaluation.
5) Promote truth-seeking based on reason and evidence over dogma in solving personal and societal problems.
