Humanist Group

The Humanist Group meets on the last Sunday of the month online at 7:30 pm. Humanism is a philosophy that encourages people to think for themselves, valuing science and reason. It is focused on human means for comprehending reality and pursuing good. Humanist ethics are based on respect for all life and regard human values as having meaning in the context of human life rather than the promise of life after death.

Register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

2024 – 2025 Church Year

Sept 29th: We will have more ideas about AI! There are lots of resources available. We will look at the many advantages & disadvantages of AI. How about finding an advantage & disadvantage and brining them to the meeting?
Oct 27th: Is there a way to end war? On Sunday October 27th at 7:30, Earl Morris will introduce discussion on moves that are underway to end war completely.  World Beyond War and the Rotary club are working together and the book “A Global Security System: An Alternative to War” gives a detailed blueprint for how this could come about. Join the Humanist Group to learn more and for discussion.
Nov 24th: We will meet on zoom and Luc Beadoin will lead a discussion based on the question,  ‘What are the implications of Jonathan Haidt’s moral foundation theory for humanism and Unitarianism?’ based on Haidt’s book, The Righteous Mind.
Dec 29th: No meeting in December.
Jan 26th:
Feb 23th:
March 30th:
April 27th:
May 25th:
June 29th:
July and August: No meetings. We look forward to meeting again September 28th.

2023 – 2024 Church Year

Sept 24th: Luc Beaudoin will introduce the topic “How can we be, or resist being, transformed by experience, a minister’s service, an advertisement, a book, a podcast and culture?” Are we mostly inert or mostly malleable? Let us compare and contrast L.A. Paul’s philosophical approach to transformation with Luc P. Beaudoin’s integrative cognitive science approach
and with your approach. Visit CoqZest for more information.
October 29th: Donna Web will introduce discussion begun by the book, I will Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity by IZZELDIN ABUELAISH, a Canadian-Palestinian medical doctor.  Not only is this book a well written page turner of his very difficult life, it is, of course, very timely.  It is a very worthwhile read as well as giving us much to discuss.
November 26th: Marilyn Meden will introduce further discussion of Will Storr’s, The Status Game, by way of Gabor Maté’s, The Myth of Normal. Status, says Storr, is our life, status meaning competition in very many ways, placing others on many hierarchies of value, labelling them as good at this and bad at that.  Gabor wakes us up to recognition that we are diverse, to be looked at as whole people, not one of us fitting some arbitrary definition of normal, status not defining the person.  Can we agree with and follow Maté’s ideas??
Dec. 31st: No meeting this month.
Jan. 28th: Marilyn presents this month.  We will take Will Storr’s, The Status Game a little further, by way of Gabor Matés, The Myth of Normal.
Status, says Storr, is our life.  Status meaning competition in very many ways, placing others on many hierarchies of value, labelling them as good at this and bad at that.  Gabor wakes us up to recognition that we are diverse, to be looked at as whole people, not one of us fitting some arbitrary definition of normal, status not defining the person.  Can we do this?
February 25th: We will discuss the questions:
Are we animals?
How are we different from/the same as the other animals?
What does being truly human mean?
What does this mean about our relationship with the other animals?
Does it separate us or connect us?
March 31st: What is instinct? Does it manifest itself differently in humans than in other animals? How is it different from reflexes? What can we learn from studies of instinct? These are some of the questions that Gunnar Jonsson will introduce.
April 28th: How much is enough? What is fair in this world? Can we settle for clothing, shelter and food? What more do we want? Would it be foolish to enjoy what we have?
May 26th: How does ChatGPT work and is AI a menace to society? Tristan Engst, a third year Ph.D. student in machine learning/computer science at SFU will be leading this discussion. Source material includes a podcast and a New Yorker article,both by Cal Newport.
Sunday June 23rd: I am absolutely thrilled to say that our guest presenter will be Moji Agha. Brother Moji Agha is an Iranian-American Sufi “monk” (or dervish) with a vow of service and poverty. He is currently on a speaking tour engaged in the healing of “Grandmother Earth.” His concerns are with the intersectionality of peace, justice, human rights, democracy, interfaith, dialogue, and “Grandmother Earth” activism. He will speak of PATH (Peace And Truth Heals.) Brother Moji will outline PATH’s 3 topics: Iranian nonviolence, Native/American Truth and Reconciliation, and intersectional circles or chambers of compassion. The talk will be followed by questions and discussion.

Brother Moji Agha has had a four decade long professional clinical and academic career in cultural psychology (and ecological studies and conflict resolution) as a now retired university educator and psychotherapist. He is a member of Historians for Peace and Democracy, an associate member of Veterans For Peace, and a Muslim member of the Jewish Voice for Peace. His intersectional activism has been endorsed by the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Professor Noam Chomsky, among many other notables.
July and August: No meetings. We look forward to meeting again September 29th.