Face to Faith: Christians and Humanists in Conversation

***Please note the change of venue from the one published in our programme***

Wednesday 25^th April 7.30pm
Elstead Hotel,  12-14 Knyveton Road, Bournemouth, BH1 3QP

With David Warden and John Macdiarmid

David Warden, chair of Dorset Humanists, will be talking with John Macdiamid, pastor of Poole Christian Fellowship about their different worldviews and how they came to hold diametrically opposed conclusions about God and the meaning of life.

John Macdiarmid was brought up a Catholic. He went through a brief phase of being an atheist and then converted to evangelical Christianity as a student. David Warden was an evangelical Christian in his teens and studied theology at university with a view to becoming a priest, but he graduated and left as a confirmed atheist. John and David are friends and have much in common, but on the biggest question of all they remain firmly in opposite camps. Tonight we bring them together with compère Dean Robertson to discuss their respective worldviews in front of a live audience.

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/

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

***Please note the change of venue from the one published in our programme***

Learning to Live Well Together

Saturday 14^th April 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Dr Allan Hayes

Taking his title from a recent book on interfaith diversity by Tom Wilson and Riaz Ravat, lifelong humanist Allan Hayes is concerned that, at a time when we need to bring people together, we are instead dividing children by religion, allowing the divisions between science and religion to deepen, and failing to promote a shared understanding of humanity. What can we do about it? In this enlightening presentation Allan will be highlighting some of the ways in which we can all engage constructively with diversity. He will also address how religious education can be reformed and improved.

Former Church of England choirboy Allan Hayes became a lifelong humanist from the age of 14. He has taught maths at Massachusetts Institute for Technology, Purdue University Indiana, and at the University of Leicester. He has served on the boards of the British Humanist Association, the Sea of Faith Network, All Faiths and None, and Leicester Secular Society.

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. Please email Chairman@dorsethumanists.co.uk for a PDF copy for you to print and display.

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

Faith to Faithless

Saturday 14^th October 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Co-founder of Faith to Faithless Imtiaz Shams

Although non-religious people account for around one-fifth of the world’s population, those of us who do not believe are treated poorly in many communities. Discrimination and ill treatment can occur in many areas of life including within families, institutions, societies, and states. For those who are minorities within minorities, such as apostates or those having different faiths within majority faith communities, such discrimination is often much worse and can include rejection, victimisation and even violence. ‘Faith to faithless’ was founded in 2015 by Aliyah Saleem and Imtiaz Shams to support people facing religious discrimination and to draw attention in particular to the discrimination faced by minorities within minorities. It also offers a platform to the faithless to come out in public and speak out against this discrimination. Faith to Faithless is now a part of Humanists UK (formerly the British Humanist Association).

“Join us for a review of the activities of ‘faith to faithless’, and an insider’s view of life as an apostate within a religious community”

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.

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.

Atheism UK

Saturday 12^th August 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

with President of Atheism UK Chris Street

The principles of Atheism UK affirm that humans have fabricated religion, that God and gods do not exist, that morality develops independently of religion, and, perhaps most controversially, that religion inhibits rational thought. The group promotes an atheistic worldview and questions the whole validity of the concept of religious faith. Atheism UK supports the right of all non-religious people to have the same freedom of expression as their religious counterparts, and the organisation has assisted UK-based atheist ex-Muslims who have been threatened with deportation.

In this presentation, President of Atheism UK Chris Street will explain why we need to promote atheism as a worldview, and he will discuss the group’s principles and activities. Atheism UK is the nation’s only democratic, member-led, campaigning organisation advancing atheism. Its distinguished supporters include Susan Blackmore, Maryam Namazie and PZ Myers.

Chris Street is a life-long atheist (despite attending a Catholic secondary school!) and has been an active humanist since 2006. He has been an Atheism UK Council Member since January 2011 and became the organisation’s President in June 2014. He is also a committee member of Dorset Humanists.

“Join us to discover why our nation needs more outspoken atheists”

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.

Memories of a Former Sri Chinmoy Devotee

Saturday 8^th April 2.00pm  
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

Former Sri Chinmoy Devotee Alice Herron spent 27 years as the devotee of the Indian guru, Sri Chinmoy. She will describe how as an idealistic young woman she joined a meditation group, and how this group grew and changed over the subsequent years. She will also cover Chinmoy’s life as he travelled the world gaining new disciples, meeting the rich and famous, and building a worldwide spiritual empire.

Explaining why she eventually left, this presentation is an insider view of life in a Hindu-based religion in the later part of the 20th century. Alice will highlight both the positive and negative aspects of such groups.

Alice Herron is a retired business studies lecturer. After leaving the Sri Chinmoy group she studied for an MA in Psychology of Religion at Heythrop College, University of London. In 2007 her master's dissertation was titled, 'Psychological Factors in the Emergence of New Religious Movements'. She is currently a psychology PhD candidate at the University of Surrey, researching atheists who claim to have had some kind of mystical-type experience.  She aims to complete her PhD in 2018.

“Join us for a fascinating insider’s view of life in a new religious movement”

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.

A Sceptic's Guide to the Origins of Christianity

Wednesday 22^nd March 7.30pm

The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

With Historian Peter Marchant
Many scholars have realised that the Gospels were largely re-imaginings of earlier Hebrew scriptural stories that were believed to be prophetic, but it is less well understood that the Gospel authors also borrowed from Greek literature such as the epics of Homer. Peter Marchant will show how Persian religion influenced and merged with brands of Judaism to produce the first Christian sects, and he will challenge the early dates traditionally given to the New Testament writings, arguing that critical scholarship is now moving their composition into the second century. He will also offer a surprising alternative explanation for the Anno Domini dating system. Throughout the presentation, Peter will be providing evidence demonstrating that Christ is a ‘composite construction’ combining supernatural elements with both legendary and genuine historical persons.

Peter Marchant graduated in Ancient History from Manchester University and has been studying Christian origins for a quarter of a century.  He has worked for the Council for British Archaeology, and is the author of the book: ‘3 Peter: a Sceptic's Guide to the Origins of Christianity’. 

“Join us for some fascinating revelations about the real origins of the world’s most widely followed religion”
 

Hosted by Dorset Humanists (donations appreciated)

(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/

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.

Filling the Void

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

Incorporating Dorset Humanists’ 20^th Anniversary!

With special guests Jonathan MS Pearce, Gareth Howells and Louis Howells

Join us for an inspirational evening of poetry and music with our special guests Jonathan MS Pearce, who has edited a volume of poetry for humanists and atheists called ‘Filling the Void’, and Gareth Howells of award-winning folk band Bemis, with his son Louis.

There is often thought to be a God-shaped void in humanist and atheist lives, but that is far from the truth and our lives can be filled with meaning and purpose. ‘Filling the Void’ helps to document this with a wide variety of thought-provoking and emotional poems. Jonathan and Gareth will deliver an eclectic selection of their favourite poems from the book, and Gareth and Louis will be providing some appropriately themed musical entertainment.

David Warden will bring the evening to a close with a brief review of some of the highlights of Dorset Humanists over the past 20 years, and remember those who made it possible. Wine and light refreshments will be available.

Jonathan Pearce is a Hampshire-based philosopher who has written and edited many books that will be of interest to humanists and atheists, including ‘Free Will?’ , ‘The Little Book of Unholy Questions’, ‘The Nativity: A Critical Examination’, and ‘Filling The Void: A Selection Of Humanist And Atheist Poetry’. He also writes the popular ‘A Tippling Philosopher’ blog for the Patheos blog network.

“Join us for an inspiring celebration of creating meaning, purpose and community in a life without gods”

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 Evolution of Religion

Saturday 12^th November 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Senior Lecturer in Psychology Dr Michael E. Price

‘Is it Adaptive to Believe in a Higher Power?’ The consensus among evolutionary psychologists is that religiosity is a non-adaptive by-product of psychological mechanisms that evolved for other purposes. However, a great deal of scientific evidence now suggests that religion offers survival benefits, and that being religious can actually increase your life expectancy. So, why is there a positive relationship between religiosity and survival, and does this relationship suggest that religiosity is in fact an adaptation? Addressing these issues can produce valuable insights for both the religious and non-religious alike. Dr Michael E. Price is Senior Lecturer in Psychology, and Director of the Centre for Culture and Evolution, at Brunel University London. His research focuses on the evolutionary psychology of human social behaviour, morality, and religiosity.

“Join us for a fascinating exploration of the evolution of, and evolutionary significance of, religious beliefs”

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.

‘One Life’ Course: Exploring Humanism and Atheism

September/October 2016
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

Course Tutor: Chair of Dorset Humanists, David Warden

The ‘One Life’ Course is a seven week introduction to Humanism and Atheism. 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 (All sessions: 7.30pm to 9:30pm)

1. An Overview of Humanism [September 5th 2016]

2. Thinking skills – how to avoid biases and intellectual black holes [September 12th 2016]

3. How to achieve a secular society [September 19th 2016]

4. How to live an ethical life [September 26th 2016]

5. How to be happy – the science and psychology of human flourishing [October 3rd 2016]

6. How to build the good society for everyone [October 10th 2016]

7. The future of Humanism [October 17th 2016]

There will be a small charge for this course to help cover venue hire.

Course Cost 
   · £15 initial deposit (£10 for paid up members of Dorset Humanists).
   - Plus £3 per session attended

All sessions 7.30pm – 9.30pm at The Green House Hotel, Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX.

David Warden will be acting as treasurer for the course to simplify course admin, so please make any cheques payable to ‘David Warden’

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, and Honorary Lifetime Member of the British Humanist Association.

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.

Is God Required for Morality?

Wednesday 24^th August 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

With Philosopher and Author Jonathan MS Pearce

While most religious believers agree that atheists are capable of living moral lives, many claim that questions of right and wrong ultimately collapse into relativism and subjectivity without a religious foundation. In this thought-provoking presentation, philosopher Jonathan Pearce will present a wide range of arguments challenging the claim that God is necessary for morality, and he will show that empathy, compassion, reason and science are all that are required to build a sound moral framework. More controversially, he will demonstrate that the theist’s God must himself be a consequentialist, and that Christians place themselves in the uncomfortable position of having to defend biblical genocides as good because they are commanded by God, while condemning secular genocides.

Jonathan Pearce is a Hampshire-based philosopher who has written and edited many books that will be of interest to humanists, including ‘Free Will?’ and ‘The Little Book of Unholy Questions’, and ‘The Nativity: A Critical Examination’, and ‘Filling The Void: A Selection Of Humanist And Atheist Poetry’. He also writes the popular ‘A Tippling Philosopher’ blog for the Patheos blog network.

“Join us for an entertaining and enlightening evening examining the foundations of our morality”

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.

Understanding Islam

Wednesday 27^th July 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

With Chair of Dorset Humanists David Warden

David will be explaining why he believes a Humanist approach to Islam requires a different emphasis from our more combative approach to Christianity. This is not about giving privileged treatment to Islamic beliefs but about recognising there is an overriding need for ordinary Muslims to feel part of British society rather than a marginalized minority. It is therefore essential that we avoid misunderstanding, stereotyping and oversimplification based on ignorance.

David will explore Islam’s history with a special focus on how extremism has developed over the last century. He will also highlight moderate voices within Islam and assess the likelihood of reform.

David Warden is a former business trainer with a degree in theology and a continuing passion for studying religious beliefs. He has been Chair of Dorset Humanists for seven years.

“A thought-provoking examination of our relationship with Muslims and the religion of Islam”

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.

Blasphemy by the Backdoor

Saturday 9^th April 2016 - 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Chief Executive Officer of the British Humanist Association Andrew Copson.

Although they still remained on the statute books, Britain’s antiquated blasphemy laws were widely believed to have been abandoned prior to their surprising revival for 1979’s high profile Gay News trial. And in 1991, Muslim efforts to ban Salman Rushdie’s ‘The Satanic Verses’ highlighted that our anachronistic laws only protected Christian beliefs, and consequently had no place in a modern multi-cultural society.

In 2002, veteran human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell stated “The blasphemy law gives the Christian religion privileged protection against criticism and dissent. No other institution enjoys such sweeping powers to suppress the expression of opinions and ideas”.

In the ensuing years, it became increasingly clear that freedom of speech was a more important principle than protecting religious beliefs, and our blasphemy laws were finally repealed in 2008, but are we truly free to criticise religious sensibilities?

In this lively talk, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association (BHA) Andrew Copson will be considering how various rules and regulations still privilege religions in the public space and lead to opposing voices being silenced. Beginning with a number of banned adverts, Andrew will provide examples of the often arbitrary ways in which the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) carries out its duty to take down any adverts "likely to cause serious and widespread offense". Among the many other relevant examples of ‘blasphemy by the backdoor’ he will be discussing, we expect the various hurdles that were placed in the way of the BHA’s efforts to get the Atheist Bus Campaign underway will also get a special mention.

“Join us for an entertaining and alarming exploration of Britain’s de facto blasphemy laws!”

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.

Dorset Humanists' Response to the Woolf Institute's 'Living With Difference' Report

In September 2013 the Woolf Institute in Cambridge convened an independent commission to undertake, over a two-year period, the first systematic review of the role of religion and belief in the UK today and to make policy recommendations. 

Its report Living with Difference: Community, Diversity and the Common Good was published in December 2015. Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association, was one of twenty distinguished commissioners.   

The report recognises the rapid increase in the number of people with non-religious beliefs and identities (49 per cent according to the British Social Attitudes Survey) and it gives considerable support to many humanist policy positions including a call for humanist representation on Radio 4’s Thought for the Day, equitable representation for humanist chaplaincy in hospitals and prisons, the reduction of selection of school pupils and staff on grounds of religion, and the repeal of the requirement for collective worship in schools in favour of inclusive times for reflection.  

Its recommendations include the following:

• A national conversation should be launched across the UK by leaders of faith communities and ethical traditions to create a shared understanding of the fundamental values underlying public life which foster the common good
• Voluntary organisations should promote opportunities for interreligious and inter-worldview encounter and dialogue
• Much greater religion and belief literacy in every section of society
• All pupils in state-funded schools should have a statutory entitlement to a curriculum about religion, philosophy and ethics that is relevant to today’s society, and the broad framework of such a curriculum should be nationally agreed

Dorset Humanists can play its part in fulfilling all such recommendations. In particular, I would like us to hold an event during Inter-Faith week (3^rd week in November) and I would like us to strengthen our schools education project. We will also continue to arrange talks and evening courses to improve religion and belief literacy. I was pleased that the Bournemouth Echo included our humanist message on Christmas Day alongside religious messages and we have become a regular participant in the Bournemouth Remembrance Service. 

Please have a think about how you, as a member of Dorset Humanists, could help us to fulfil these aims. We look forward to hearing your views.

David Warden  

Women and Humanism

Saturday 9^th January 2016 - 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

with Former Chair of the National Sex Education Forum Jo Adams

All of us deserve the opportunity to be educated, to work, to be healthy and to participate in all aspects of public life.

Yet throughout history, women have been denied many of these rights and religion has played a major part in this oppression and discrimination. So what role does Humanism have to play in advancing gender equality, and what part do women play in modern Humanism?

Jo Adams will examine these issues and discuss ways in which women can be equally represented in a truly egalitarian Humanist movement..

Jo Adams is a member of the Women's Equality Party, and was formerly chair of the National Sex Education Forum and an Adviser to the Department of Health on Sexual Health and Teenage Pregnancy. She is also the author of a number of books relating to self-esteem and positive sexual health.

Join us to hear a compelling case for actively supporting and promoting worldwide gender equality.

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.

Inside Alcoholics Anonymous: Can a Non-Existent God Really Cure Alcoholism?

Saturday 12^th December 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Jon Stewart, Senior Lecturer in Cultural History at BIMM Institute

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has become a widely accepted and media-approved treatment for problem drinkers. Yet while AA’s social worth is rarely challenged, its efficacy rate, estimated to be as little as 5%, appears comparable to that of spontaneous remission.

Can an imaginary "Higher Power" really offer meaningful solutions to the debilitating and frequently fatal condition of alcoholism? If so, what happens to all those alcoholic atheists and skeptics? How did AA become the go-to treatment for one of the great social health scourges of our age, and is this really the best we have to offer in the twenty first century? Jon will be sharing his experiences of the rock’n’roll lifestyle, alcoholism and recovery, as he answers these questions and more in this fascinating and entertaining presentation.

Jon Stewart was co-founder, guitarist and co-songwriter for platinum-selling Britpop band Sleeper, with whom he enjoyed three UK Top 10 albums and eight UK Top 40 singles.  He subsequently played on albums by K D Lang and Mel C, and contributed to feature film and documentary soundtracks including Trainspotting and Telstar: The True Story of Joe Meek.  Jon currently lectures in cultural history at BIMM Institute, Brighton, and is also a PhD researcher at University of Southampton.  Author of a long-running column in Guitarist magazine, Jon has published a wide range of research in peer reviewed journals and collections of academic essays.  An active and sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous for 14 years, Jon quit the fellowship in early 2014. His blog "Leaving AA, Staying Sober" is at http://jonsleeper.wordpress.com

“Join us to hear Jon Stewart reveal the reality of Alcoholics Anonymous, along with some entertaining tales of life in a platinum-selling rock band”

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.

Is ‘Goodness without God’ Good Enough?

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

A debate with Moorlands College of Christian Theology

One of the core claims of Humanism is that we can be ‘good without God’, basing our morality on empathy, compassion, reason and science, rather than deriving it from ancient ‘sacred’ texts. While most Christians agree that humanists are capable of being good without God, many claim we are living off the moral capital of Christianity and that without a religious foundation questions of right and wrong ultimately collapse into relativism and subjectivity. A frequent accusation levelled against atheists is that ‘without God all things are permitted’, so is a firm foundation for ethics without God simply a hopeless quest?

Join us for this exciting debate between Dorset Humanists and Moorlands College as we consider the question: ‘Is God Required for Morality?’ Chair of Dorset Humanists David Warden and Dorset Humanists’ committee member Dean Robertson will be representing Dorset Humanists, and we welcome Luke Barrs and Yaz Bennett who will represent Moorlands College. We expect this to be a stimulating debate that will be of great interest to people of all faiths and none.

“Join us for an enjoyable and informative evening as we debate whether God is required to ground our morality”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Moorlands College of Christian Theology is an Evangelical Christian Training College with campuses in Christchurch, Torquay and Birmingham.

Jonathan M.S. Pearce is a teacher from South Hampshire, UK, who has dedicated many years to studying all manner of things philosophical and theological. With a Masters in Philosophy from the University of Wales, Trinity St David, he also holds a degree from the University of Leeds, and a PGCE from Southampton. His published books include ‘Free Will?’ and ‘The Little Book of Unholy Questions’, ‘Twins: A Survival Guide for Dads’ and ‘The Nativity: A Critical Examination’.

(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.

Losing My Religion

Saturday 12^th September 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Clive Aruede and Lola Tibulu of London Black Atheists

For social and historical reasons black societies tend to be very religious, often socially excluding those who live their lives without belief in God. Even here in the UK, a census of church attendance in 2005 showed that black people accounted for nearly half of all churchgoers in London!

In this presentation Clive and Lola will be sharing the experiences that led to them rejecting their religious beliefs and later co-founding London Black Atheists. Their group’s mission is to encourage and enable people of all ethnicities, particularly of the African Diaspora, to ‘come out’ as atheists, and they provide support and a welcoming environment to anyone wary of receiving hostile reactions from family and friends.

Originally from Nigeria, Lola Tinubu has lived in the UK for 25 years. She is a legal representative for refugees and migrants, a human right activist and a staunch supporter of the LGBT community. She describes herself as a feminist and an unapologetic atheist. She was raised in a devout Seventh Day Adventist Church family, and has been both a street preacher and a church worship leader. She is a co-founder and one of the organisers of London Black Atheists, and has appeared on 4ThoughtTV and BBC’s The Big Questions.

Also from Nigeria, Clive Aruede came to the UK with his parents when he was around six, and was brought up as a Methodist.  As an adult he married a Catholic, converted to Roman Catholicism and practised as a Eucharistic Minister, before a journey of discovery led him to atheism. He is currently Chair of London Black Atheists.

London Black Atheists works with the British Humanist Association, London Atheist Activist Group, and Central London Humanists, and despite the name ‘Black’ welcomes atheists of all races.

Come along to hear Clive and Lola share their journeys from Christianity to atheism, along with their experiences of building a positive community for atheists in London.

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.