***Update***: Many current CFI staffers and local advisory board members (independent from CFI management and Board of Directors) have signed a “Letter of Gratitude,” thanking Paul Kurtz for all he has done.
We, the undersigned CFI staff and local advisory board members, wish to express our profound gratitude to Paul Kurtz for his many decades of service to the causes of secular humanism and skepticism. Through his tireless efforts, Dr. Kurtz has been an inspiration for the entire secular and skeptic community. We thank Dr. Kurtz for founding and leading the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, the Council for Secular Humanism, and the Center for Inquiry, all organizations that we look forward to continuing to serve. Without a doubt, Dr. Kurtz will forever be known as the Father of Secular Humanism.
We would also like to take this opportunity to voice our support for the CFI Board of Directors and management. In the past two years, under the sound guidance of CEO Ronald Lindsay, they have successfully demonstrated both the desire and the ability to advance Paul Kurtz’s vision well into the twenty-first century. More than ever, we are confident that CFI will continue to prosper and grow while maintaining its founder’s dedication to fostering a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values.
…
After all the jabs back-and-forth, I’m frankly surprised this didn’t happen sooner. But I doubt either side is really celebrating this as a victory.
Paul Kurtz, the man who founded the Center for Inquiry, has resigned.
If you’re looking for a reason as to why Kurtz left the organization, you might find some explanation in this post by Ron Lindsay, current CEO of CFI.
The Board of Directors of the Center for Inquiry, the world’s leading and largest organization promoting humanism and skepticism, issued the following statement today: The board will accept Dr. Paul Kurtz’s resignation as chairman emeritus and as a member of the board:
The board sincerely thanks Paul Kurtz for his decades of service to the Center for Inquiry and its affiliates. The board deeply respects Dr. Kurtz and his work and knows that this organization will always be associated with his efforts on its behalf. Dr. Kurtz founded and led our organization and helped it thrive. Much of CFI’s success is due to Paul Kurtz’s inspiration and leadership.
Our success is also due in no small part to the efforts of CFI’s dedicated staff, its many skilled volunteers, and its generous financial supporters. CFI has never been a one-person operation.
At Paul Kurtz’s behest, CFI began years ago to organize a leadership transition. Moreover, in recent years the board had concerns about Dr. Kurtz’s day-to-day management of the organization. In June 2008, the board appointed Dr. Ronald A. Lindsay president and CEO; in June 2009, the board elected Richard Schroeder chairman, with Dr. Kurtz moving to chairman emeritus. During this two-year transition, CFI continued to hold a rigorous schedule of more than 110 national and international events, to develop its grassroots network, and to advocate effectively for humanism and skepticism.
As a result of this transition, CFI is well-prepared to move forward into the next phase of its institutional life, confident that the organization will remain at the forefront of secular humanism and skepticism.
CFI still has vocal critics, including former leader R. Joseph Hoffman (previously mentioned here and here), who wants to see one more resignation.
With or without Kurtz, CFI is an important organization and if this is what’s necessary for them to move forward, I hope it helps.
Pingback: Blasphemy Day International