Atheist Presentations and Conferences

[Astonished]

Not sure if there's already a thread like this but I do enjoy watching presentations of this sort on youtube but it's got to be such a different experience being there in person, and I'd like to dedicate this thread to anyone who wants to share their experience attending a presentation or conference or other get-together or to-do revolving around atheism or freethinking or opposition to religion.

Here's my story from earlier this evening that inspired me to make this thread.

I took work off early today (only half an hour) so I could go to a presentation at my workplace to attend a presentation by Mandisa Thomas, titled "Fear of a Black Atheist: How Religion Crippled the Black Community". I never went to anything like that before and at first it almost felt like those days wasting time in church pews before I stopped thinking girls were icky. But then it got started and the atmosphere was really inviting. She was a great speaker with a pleasant voice (kind of reminded me of my supervisor) and while I wasn't completely on board with everything she was saying (mostly things with racial components and keeping different atheist groups racially segregated rather than uniting; it's been said all too often it's like herding cats, so why do something to deliberately make things harder because of something so spurious?), we had a great Q&A session afterward. I was the last one to get to ask questions and two of mine were:

1. Does the idea that religion reverses the concepts of respect and love in that it dictates that respect should be freely given rather than earned (undeserved, in other words) and that love is conditional rather than freely given without reservation (like a parent who disowns a child for not believing in everything their parents want, or withholding love and affection in their attempts at discipline, promoting an environment of emotional blackmail) have a point or am I overreaching with this idea?

2. What is a good approach for dealing with door-to-door evangelists, and do you think the idea I have that having something like a ten-question True or False quiz covering the various faiths (Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, etc.) to hand to these proselytizing sheep and challenging them to get all ten questions about some of the seriously messed-up stuff in their holy books correct, and if they can successfully prove that they actually know that stuff and still believe it, then we'll humor them and engage them in conversation, otherwise they agree to walk away, hopefully with a little pebble in their shoe that bothers them enough they can't stop thinking about it?

Incidentally after the presentation was over I discovered a fellow attendee was a friend of mine I hadn't seen in a while and we finally got phone numbers swapped (there were some issues previously) and he convinced me to stay longer and talk to the presenter right up to the point where they were closing down the auditorium. Had some really fantastic conversations and exchanges of information (I love that feeling, seeing someone's face light up with astonishment and delight at learning something new; that's why I'm going to be a teacher) and I'm kicking myself for not getting this one cute black girl's phone number after she complimented my questions and wanted to hug me. It's hard enough to meet atheist women, let alone those of color, according to the presentation. I did get her name, though, hopefully she's a student and in the Secular Student Alliance so I might get a second chance. Wish me luck!

So, anyone else have any good or bad experiences attending events like this? Even just a regular meeting of something like the Secular Student Alliance or if you happen to meet up with the people who put on the public access program The Atheist Experience at the restaurant they go to after the shows are over.