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The
Center for Inquiry is launching a Secular Celebrant
Program!
CFI Secular Celebrant
Training
December 5,
2009
Center for Inquiry Indiana
350 Canal Walk, Suite
A, Indianapolis
Click here to register
online.
Why a CFI Secular Celebrant
Program?
As we move through life, we celebrate many
occasions filled with joy and love, accomplishment and striving,
loss and grief. Unfortunately, the choice of persons
to conduct ceremonies for these occasions is usually
between religious clergy and impersonal civil
officials.
For the 16% of
the U.S. population not affiliated with any religion,
this
can be a traumatic experience.
They may be required to go through religious
counseling and/or have religious references in their
ceremony. They may be prevented from having their
choice of music or readings as part of the ceremony. The
local minister called on to conduct a funeral/memorial may
preach a "come to Jesus" sermon or otherwise use religious
references that are not in keeping with the worldview of the
person being memorialized. Many of us have seen this
done.
Wedding ceremonies, memorials, and other
life passages are extremely important events—they are
life's milestones—and people should be able to
have these ceremonies conducted in a manner and by a person of
their choosing.
While some people of the secular worldview
do not see a need for rituals and ceremonies of any kind, many
feel that having a way of marking life passages is
important. CFI feels that this is a personal
choice and that secular ceremonies—and persons to
conduct these ceremonies—should be available to those
who want them.
Who can become a
Secular Celebrant?
CFI Secular Celebrant Training is
open to all, but additional steps are required of those
wishing to receive CFI Secular Celebrant Certification and
listing in the CFI Celebrant Directory.
Cost for all-day training workshop:
$75.00
Instructors
CFI Secular Celebrant Training in
Indianapolis will be led by Reba Boyd Wooden,
Executive Director of CFI Indiana, and Jim
Underdown, Executive Director of CFI Los Angeles.
Both have performed many dozens of ceremonies and have taught
the art of secular celebrations to many others. They will
be joined by John Shook, CFI Vice President and
Senior Research Fellow, and D.J. Grothe, CFI
Vice President and Director of Outreach Programs.
For more information, please
visit the following links:
Registration
Page
Conference Schedule and
Lodging (Hurry! Special hotel rates expire
11/4/09)
CFI Certification and What
This Certification Qualifies You to Do
 We are excited about this new CFI program
and look forward to meeting you in Indianapolis!
Reba Boyd Wooden, Executive Director, CFI
Indiana
Jim Underdown, Executive Director, CFI Los
Angeles
Co-directors, CFI Secular Celebrant
Program
Questions? Call 317-423-0710 or
email rwooden@centerforinquiry.net.
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