Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics (AHA!) @ Stanford

Want to show your AHA! pride? Want to support the group? Just need a new shirt? We have good news: AHA! t-shirts will soon be available to purchase. The shirts will be cardinal in color, with the design shown printed on the front in white. In addition to being cool, the shirts will serve as a fundraiser for the group as budgets tighten at our usual funding sources. Shirts will cost $10 for members, and $15 for non-members. To help us get an idea of how many shirts to print, and to increase the likelihood that there is one in your size, please fill out our quick survey if you’re interested. Thanks, and stay tuned for more info on godless garments!

When: Wed. Nov. 4th 7:30pm
Where: Common Room, 3rd Floor of Old Union
Sponsored by Stanford Says No To War
Facebook Event

We will be having our weekly Wednesday meeting in a different time and
place. Specifically, we will be watching a screening of ‘Torturing
Democracy,’ a film about the US and torture during the Bush
administration.

When: Wednesday, October 28, 6:00pm
Where: LGBT-CRC (2nd Floor - Firetruck House)
RSVP
Dinner will be served.

The LGBT-Community Resource Center and the Stanford Associated Religions are partnering to hold an event that will overlap with our meeting time this week, so we’ll be canceling to attend. Join us in seeing “For the Bible Tells Me So”, a film about Christianity and homosexuality, plus dinner and discussion.

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival, Dan Karslake’s provocative, entertaining documentary brilliantly reconciles homosexuality and Biblical scripture, and in the process reveals that Church-sanctioned anti-gay bias is based almost solely upon a significant (and often malicious) misinterpretation of the Bible.

As the film notes, most Christians live their lives today without feeling obliged to kill anyone who works on the Sabbath or eats shrimp (as a literal reading of scripture dictates).

Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families — including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson — we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child.

Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard’s Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.

When: Nov 18th, 7-8:30pm (doors open at 6:30)
Where: Cubberley Auditorium, School of Education
Price: Free!

See Greg M. Epstein speak about his new book Good Without God: What a Billion Non-Religious People Do Believe. A Q&A and book-signing will follow the lecture.

In response to the “New Atheists” who see religion as a public enemy, Epstein presents Humanism as a more balanced and inclusive worldview. With a focus on the positive, he highlights humanity’s potential for goodness and the ways in which Humanists lead lives of purpose and compassion. Humanism can offer the sense of community we want and often need in good times and bad, as we celebrate marriages and the birth of our children, and as we care for those who are elderly or sick. In short, Humanism teaches us that we can lead good and moral lives without supernaturalism, without higher powers, and without God.

Greg Epstein, called “the most outspoken voice for Humanism in the United States” by New York magazine, serves as the Humanist Chaplain of Harvard University. In 2005 Epstein received ordination as a Humanist Rabbi from the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, where he studied in Jerusalem and Michigan for five years. He holds a BA (Religion and Chinese) and an MA (Judaic Studies) from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Masters of Theological Studies from the Harvard Divinity School. Epstein is a regular contributor for “On Faith,” an online forum on religion produced by Newsweek magazine, the Washington Post, and Tikkun, and his work as a Humanist rabbi and Chaplain has been featured by National Public Radio, BBC Radio, Newsweek, US News and World Report, USA Today, the Boston Globe, the Jewish Daily Forward, and many more. He was also selected by the United Nations General Assembly to serve as a representative of Humanism at a “High-level Dialogue of the General Assembly on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace.”

Co-sponsored by the Silicon Valley Coalition of Reason and ASSU Speakers Bureau, and supported by the ASSU Undergraduate Senate and Graduate Student Council.

Join AHA! for a night of book talk. If you have a favorite book related to freethought, atheism, skepticism, or just something you enjoy, bring it and let us know why it’s important to you.

When: Wednesday, October 21, 7pm
Where: 201 Old Union

We’ll take some time to discuss the philosophy, life, and work of Bertrand Russell, one of the 20th centuries most notable philosophers, mathematicians, humanists, and peace-advocates. Leading the discussion is the faculty advisor for AHA!, Professor Peter Stone. Prof. Stone teaches and works in the political science department at Stanford, and is a member of the Bay Area Russell Set, a local chapter of the Bertrand Russell Society.

If you want to get a leg up, you can of course check out wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand_Russell

When: Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Old Union 201

Join leading Humanist voice Fred Edwords for an evening of discussion. Fred Edwords is recognized as an outstanding lecturer, debater, and inspirational speaker on human rights, humanist philosophical issues, and humanist lifestyle concerns. He has appeared on national and local television in the United States and Canada, has been interviewed on radio and for newspapers around the world, and has lectured in North America, Europe, and India. He has also written for several publications in the United States and elsewhere. He served for fifteen years as executive director of the American Humanist Association and twelve years as editor of Humanist magazine. He now leads the United Coalition of Reason, bringing local group leaders together in cities across the United States and training them in public relations and effective use of the media.

When: Friday, October 16, 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: Mitchell Park Community Center, 3800 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto
Who: The Humanist Community in Silicon Valley and the United Coalition of Reason, co-sponsored by AHA!

Come to a barbecue at Lake Lagunita, noon, Saturday October 10th. Enjoy some food and some sun, and meet other atheists, agnostics, humanists, skeptics, and freethinkers at Stanford.

Please RSVP via this web form so we know how many people to plan for. Consider bringing some food to share.

What: Free Food
When: Noon, Saturday, October 10
Where: Lake Lagunita

Come to a short meeting this week to continue the discussion from Dawkins@Kepler’s on Tuesday. We’ll address a couple of audience questions that weren’t completely answered. For example:

Should we be worried about the ethics of genetic manipulation?

Should we be worried about species extinction, or is it simply part of evolution?

We’ll also talk a bit about the Saturday BBQ and going to see “A Serious Man” next week.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 7, 7:00 pm
WHERE: Old Union room 216D

Thanks to Chris Bourg for the following pictures from the Banned Books Read-Out last friday.