Center for Inquiry

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The '''Center for Inquiry''' or '''CFI''' is a nonprofit organization that defends [[secular]] and [[humanist]] values and [[scientific skepticism]]. CFI operates many branch locations located across the US and in different countries like Argentina, India, Canada, Poland, and Kenya. All of these locations relate to promoting CFI's core mission. CFI is also a non-governmental organization (NGO) at the [[United Nations]] with special consultative status under the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<ref>[https://centerforinquiry.org/our-issues/office-of-public-policy/ CFI's Advocacy Information]</ref>

==History==
The Center for Inquiry was established in 1991 by [[Paul Kurtz]] and was formed by melding two similar organizations, the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal ([[CSICOP]]) and [[Council for Secular Humanism]], under one official umbrella organization.

==Goals==
*An end to the influence that [[religion]] and [[pseudoscience]] have on public policy.
*An end to the privileged position that religion and pseudoscience continue to enjoy in many societies.
*An end to the stigma attached to being a nonbeliever, whether the nonbeliever describes her/himself as an [[atheist]], [[agnostic]], [[humanist]], [[freethinker]] or [[skeptic]].<ref>[https://centerforinquiry.org/about/ About CFI]</ref>

The Center for Inquiry's Office of Public Policy works in the US Congress as CFI's lobbying arm to ensure that secular and humanist values are fairly represented in America's policy and decision making space. 
Operates Secular Rescue which supports secular activists and bloggers in the Middle East and Bangladesh in their pursuit of safety from persecution.
Operates TIES which provide educators with free online resources and workshops to help them teach evolution, natural selection, and diversity.

==Sexism==
Noted fallen from grace [[sexist]] [[Lawrence Krauss]] reportedly sexually harassed several women onboard a cruise ship conducted by the CFI. The CFI proceeded to ignore this complaint and let Krauss return ''several times over''. Nothing was done about Krauss' harassment as it was deemed that Krauss' celebrity status 
among neckbeards
 was more important than actually providing justice for sexual harassment victims.<ref>"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wI_kS3lrYs Jeffrey Epstein, Lawrence Krauss, and Firing your Heroes into the Sun]" by [[Rebecca Watson]]</ref>

==Affiliated programs==
*The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry ([[CSI]])
*[[Council for Secular Humanism]]
*Secular Islam<ref>[https://centerforinquiry.org/blog/category/secular-islam/ About Secular Islam]</ref>
*CFI On Campus<ref>[http://www.centerforinquiry.net/oncampus/ CFI On Campus]</ref>
*The Freethought Books Project - Disseminating freethought/atheist literature to prisoners<ref>[https://centerforinquiry.org/community-outreach/freethought_books/ About the Freethought Books Project]</ref>
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==References==
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[[Category:Atheist groups]]
[[Category:Political action groups]]
[[Category:Skeptical organizations]]
[[Category:United Nations]]

Categories: Atheist groups, Political action groups, Skeptical organizations, United Nations