Is Humanism a Religion?

Wednesday 23^rd August 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

with John Coss from Greater Manchester Humanists

Humanism is a worldview that rejects belief in gods and the supernatural, and relies instead on reason, science, empathy and compassion to both guide our morality and inform our understanding of the world around us.

Most humanists have long sought to disentangle ourselves from any hint of religiosity but have we thereby lost something of value? John Coss believes we have and he will explain that there is an important distinction between ‘Religion1’ (the standard dictionary sense involving supernatural beliefs) and ‘Religion2’ (a wider sense that also encompasses non-supernatural belief systems). Controversially, John will be proposing that Humanism is a religion in this wider sense, and he will suggest how this perspective has implications for what Humanism should be in the future.

John Coss is a former Secretary of Greater Manchester Humanists.

“Join us to discover whether our understanding of Humanism and its future may need an update”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Religion in Schools?

Wednesday 22^nd February 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

Whether religion has any place in schools is a controversial question engendering strong feelings both from those who see it as a good thing and those who do not.

For this evening’s event, we have assembled a panel of current and former school workers with a vested interest in this topic to present us with their differing views on the various forms of religious involvement in schools. Our panel members will be Hilary Bond who is a Schools and Children's worker for the Parish of Wareham, Cathy Silman who is a retired teacher and current member of Dorset Humanists Education Group, and Dave Pegg who is a Christian schools worker. Together they will discuss the controversial and contested domains of religious education, worship in schools, and faith schools.

Is there scope for Humanists, Christians, and people of other faiths to find common ground on the place of religion in our children’s education? Come along and join this lively discussion.

“Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on the place of religion in our children’s education”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

The God Confusion

Saturday 11^th June 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Philosopher Dr Gary Cox

What is God? Does he exist? Can we know?

How we answer these questions has enormous implications for our understanding of the universe, our purpose in life, and our morality, but throughout history our best philosophers have failed to reach agreement.

In this presentation, Gary Cox will be exploring various conceptions of God, and the arguments for and against their existence, in an entertaining yet objective manner, and he will demonstrate why he believes it is logically impossible for us to move beyond speculation to proof.

If we must reject the idea of inner religious certainty, can living as though a moral God exists still be a worthwhile enterprise? You may be surprised by Gary’s answer!

Gary Cox is a philosopher and the author of several books on general philosophy, Sartre, and existentialism including ‘The God Confusion: Why Nobody Knows the Answer to the Ultimate Question’, and ‘The Existentialist’s Guide to Death, the Universe and Nothingness’. He is an honorary research fellow of The University of Birmingham, UK.

“Join us for an entertaining examination of the God Confusion”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Sunday Assembly (aka “Atheist* Church”) comes to Bournemouth

Bournemouth Sunday Assembly’s Inaugural Event

Sunday 28th September from 11.00am to 12.30pm

Rooper Hall, 5 Victoria Park Rd, Bournemouth BH9 2RB

September 28th 2014 will be an important day for Sunday Assembly!

Across the world, many new Assemblies will be launching and thousands of people will be coming together to celebrate being alive. Thousands of people who didn’t know each other before will be coming together to form new communities, and the great news is one of them is in Bournemouth!

Sunday Assembly was founded in London in January 2013 by comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans as “all the best bits of church but without the religion, and with awesome pop songs too”. “We are dedicated to helping the people that attend, and the folk in the wider community, to make the most of this one life that we know we have”. “We harness fun, joy and wonder to build communities and to help others”.

Sunday Assembly is for everyone who wants to:

•  Live Better. We aim to provide inspiring, thought-provoking and practical ideas that help people to live the lives they want to lead and be the people they want to be
•  Help Often. Assemblies are communities of action, building lives of purpose, encouraging us all to help anyone who needs it to support each other
•  Wonder More. Hearing talks, singing, listening to readings and even playing games helps us to connect with each other and the awesome world we live in.

Each service is based around a theme, with a guest speaker, poets and/or comedians and some great pop songs. The theme of the first assembly will be ‘community’.

* Please note that although Sunday Assemblies are regularly referred to as ‘atheist churches’ by the media, Sunday Assemblies welcome everyone, regardless of any theological beliefs they may have.

For more information, or to help organise Sunday Assembly Bournemouth, visit https://www.facebook.com/sundayassemblybournemouth

(Edit: Link to new post on 26th October meeting: http://dorset-humanists1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/singer-songwriter-shelley-segal-at.html )

‘One Life’ Course: Exploring Humanism and Atheism

October/November 2014. All sessions: 7.30pm to 9:30pmThe Green House Hotel, 4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

The ‘One Life’ Course: A six week introduction to Humanism and Atheism (Course Tutor: Chair of Dorset Humanists, David Warden)
This popular and enlightening course is intended for everybody who is interested in Humanism and wishes to discover more about its principles and the activities of Humanists. It's a great opportunity to explore life's big questions from a non-religious perspective, while meeting and interacting with interesting new people in a positive friendly environment.
During the course we’ll discover how Humanism provides a rational, non-religious way of approaching life’s ‘big questions’, and how it offers values that help us to live happy, worthwhile and fulfilled lives.
Session schedule:
   1. Humanist Beliefs and History: Tuesday October 7^th 2014
   2. The God Debate: Monday October 13^th 2014
   3. Secularism and Religious Privilege: Tuesday October 21^st 2014
   4. Ethics & Morality without Religion: Tuesday Nov 4^th 2014
   5. Prospects for Happiness: Tuesday November 11^th 2014
   6. Possibilities for a Good Society Tuesday November 18^th 2014
   (No meeting on 28^th October due to half-term break).
There will be a small charge for this course to help cover venue hire. All sessions 7.30pm – 9.30pm at The Green House Hotel, Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX.
Total Course cost (The total course cost is the same regardless of how many sessions you choose to attend)
   · £15 for non-members, or £12 for members of Dorset Humanists.
   · Early booking discount: £2 off members’ and non-members’ prices if booked before 15^th Sept.
   · Flat rate of £5 for students (whenever booked).
Please make cheques payable to ‘Dorset Humanists’, or contact us for BACS payment details.
Please book early to avoid disappointment due to a limited number of places

Some feedback from previous ‘One Life’ courses:
· “An amazing course – it’s been fantastic!”
· “Just what we need to introduce people to Humanism”
· “As a Christian I felt at ease and accepted by those present.”
· “My mind continues to buzz about many issues arising from the course”
Course Tutor: David Warden BA, MA, Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Chair of Dorset Humanists.
For further information, email David Warden at chairman@dorsethumanists.co.uk or phone 07910 886629, or talk to us at one of our meetings.
(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).
Click here to view details of forthcoming and recent Dorset Humanists events on this website.

The Case for Agnosticism

Wednesday 25^th June 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

with Kate Holden M.Phil

The “God Question” is perhaps the most important question there is, as not only does the answer have enormous implications for our understanding of the universe, our morality, and indeed our very existence, but billions of people live their lives guided in some way by ancient religious texts. Many theists and atheists regard agnostics as ‘fence-sitters’ who’ve simply failed to properly consider the evidence, but Kate Holden has extensively examined atheist and theist positions and believes there are good grounds for rejecting both.

In this presentation, she will explore both philosophical and evidential perspectives including the nature of God, the nature of truth, the ambiguity of faith, the apparent conflict of science and religion, and difficulties associated with proving God’s existence. She will highlight parallels between the atheist and theist positions and suggest that both are comparably weak, before concluding with the proposal that agnosticism embraces the undeniable lack of proof and certainty, and consequently provides a more realistic response to life’s ultimate questions.

Kate Holden studied for a BA in Philosophy and an MA in Philosophy and Religion at Heythrop College, University of London.

“Join us for another fascinating examination of the God Question”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed from Gervis Road, which is well lit and has roadside parking).

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.