Topic: Secular Morality

(Tomorrow) Wednesday January 20 is COHA’s first meeting at the Barrie Public Library. Doors of the Angus-Ross room, just inside the main entrance on the left, will open at 6:30pm with a 7:00pm start. Our pre-meeting social dinner is as usual at the Swiss Chalet on Bayfield St. at 5pm.

Our topic is What is morality? Where does it come from? Shawn will lead off with a video presentation from an expert — associate professor of Psychology Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion. Prof. Haidt discusses the secular roots of innate morality, and how differing views of morality intersect with religion and the political spectrum. After the video, Shawn has invited two or three members to comment. By then I’m sure the rest of us will be itching to react to all of this, so expect a lively discussion.

Don’t forget to renew your membership — $30 per year.

This month the Central Ontario Humanist Association was pleased to have biology professor Dr. Monika Havelka give us a presentation on Evo-Devo.  In this presentation she explains how small changes in the HOX genes that control development can lead to big changes in how an animal looks.

This video is now posted online and you can watch it right here:

You can download the slides in PDF format.

The Central Ontario Humanist Association has just released their updated 2010 Membership form. There are two changes this year over previous years. The first is that members are no longer automatically members of the Humanist Canada (Humanist Association of Canada). The second is that because of this, our membership fees are lower than previous years.

You can view our membership information and to download the membership form on this site by going to our membership section.

You can download the Humanist Canada (Humanist Association of Canada) membership form or pay online at the Humanist Canada Membership page.

Hello Everyone,
Good news! I was able to book Barrie Public Library’s 50 seat meeting room for all our regular monthly meetings in 2010. The not so good news is that I was unable to book the room on the last Wednesday of every month. Please put the following COHA meeting dates in your 2010 calendar:

Wednesday January 20
Thursday February 25
Wednesday March 24
Thursday April 29
Wednesday* May 26
Wednesday* June 30
Wednesday* July 28
Wednesday August 18
Wednesday* September 29
Thursday October 28
Thursday November 25
Wednesday* December 29

The asterisks flag the last Wednesdays of those months. Although historically we have not met in June, July, August, and December, I booked those months just in case (and will cancel as soon as we know we won’t need the room). If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

More good news!
Dr. Monika Havelka is over H1N1, and will be coming to our November meeting. As you know, last January a snow storm caused most of us to miss Monika’s (TVO’s twice nominated best lecturer) extraordinary slide presentation. Then the day before she was to speak at our October meeting her daughter came down with H1N1. Sooo… hopefully for sure this time come prepared to learn about the exciting discoveries coming from the emerging biological specialty of “evo-devo” — whereby a set of genes common to all life forms, including us, control the construction of our bodies. There will be time for questions, and I intend to ask her about the even newer field of epigenetics. And please, post a copy of the attached poster on your favorite grocery store’s bulletin board and/or other venues.

One of the reasons we can enjoy Monika’s presentation at our Annual General Meeting, is that the business portion of the meeting can be mercifully short. — the current slate of Directors is being acclaimed, so no time is required for elections.

In yet more good news, the recent changes in our afilliation with Humanist Canada (the old HAC) allow us to decouple our membership fees. This means you can choose to continue your Humanist Canada membership or not. If not, you need only pay COHA’s annual membership fee, which starting on Jan. 1, 2010, will be $30 per person, or $50 per household, or $15 if you have a student card. If you do want to renew your Humanist Canada membership you can download it from www.humanistcanada.com and remit it to Humanist Canada yourself. And please note that if you wish to make a charitable donation to COHA (always needed and welcome), you can remit it to Humanist Canada with the stipulation that it be forwarded to COHA, and a tax deductible receipt will be issued to you. That way, all tax payers support COHA as well as all the churches out there.

Warm regards,
Paul
President, Central Ontario Humanists Association

I just received an email from our featured speaker, Dr. Monika Havelka, saying that her daughter has contracted H1N1 flu, and Monika thinks she is coming down with it too. So, … we will reschedule her visit to a later meeting. Tomorrow we will meet as planned, at 7pm the Barrie Native Friendship Centre (175 Bayfield). In lieu of Dr. Havelka, we will present:

Saturday Night Live comic actor Julia Sweeney’s video: Letting Go of God
When two young Mormon missionaries knock on her door one day, it touches off Julia’s “quest for something I could really believe in” — which turns out to be no God at all. In the process she explores love, cancer, family and faith.

For those inclined to break bread before the meeting, see you as usual at 5pm at the Swiss Chalet, 397 Bayfield.

Sorry about the late notice. And please, … stay healthy or stay home!

The Central Ontario Humanist Association’s Wednesday, October 28th, meeting will feature Dr. Monika Havelka giving her extraordinary presentation on the emerging biological specialty of “evo-devo” — the application of evolutionary theory to the development of all life forms, including us of course. We will see you at the Barrie Native Friendship Centre, 175 Bayfield St. Doors open at 6:30pm. Our usual pre-meeting dinner will be at the Swiss Chalet, 397 Bayfield, 5:00pm.

Hello Everyone,

A record 38 people attended our September meeting. And two first timers wanted to become members on the spot. Momentum is building!

Thanks to fellow member Klaus Kuch, we learned about behaviorism in everyday life.

This was our first experience in the Barrie Native Friendship Centre (175 Bayfield Street, south of #400). We were supposed to meet in their Board Room, but a very heavy roll of carpet took up so much room that at the last minute we decided to cram into a smaller room. And it was crammed. As October’s meeting could enjoy an even larger turnout, I’ve asked the Centre to move or dispose of the carpet.

Why a larger turnout? Last January a snow storm caused most of us to miss Dr. Monika Havelka’s extraordinary slide presentation. Since 2009 is Darwin’s 200th birthday, it is entirely appropriate for us to invite TVO’s twice nominated best lecturer back to tell those who missed her the first time about the exciting discoveries coming from the emerging biological specialty of “evo-devo” — the application of evolutionary theory to the development of all life forms, including us of course. Sooo, by popular demand,… I am pleased to announce she will be treating us to a repeat performance at our October 28 meeting (this time the weather gods will cooperate). There will be ample time for questions, and I intend to ask her about the even newer field of epigenetics.

I expect many non-members, as Barrieites, scientists and non-scientists alike, should have another chance to enjoy it. To this end, I’ve attached a publicity poster of this event. Please post a copy on your favorite grocery store’s bulletin board or other places.

In other news, COHA is now officially a non-profit corporation. This should enable us to meet at the Barrie Public Library during 2010.

More potentially good news: In a recent revision of their affiliation rules, it appears that the Humanist Association of Canada will now permit us to issue tax receipts. We are in the process of confirming this revision.

Warm regards,
Paul
President, Central Ontario Humanists Association

Hello fellow Humanists and Humanist-friendly people,

I have 4 interesting things to tell you.

1. Vote for November’s video presentation
2. Last months presentation available online
3. Discussion group
4. Richard Dawkins’ new book available at next meeting
5. Humanist social / meet-up

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1. Vote for November’s video presentation

The November presentation and AGM is coming up it less than two months. We will be having a video presentation and want you to vote on which short video we will use to start a discussion on November 25th (that’s next month). Please respond to this email with your selection of one of the following three videos:

a) *Jonathan Haidt* on secular morality

Associate Professor of Psychology Jonathan Haidt, author of /The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion/ discusses where innate morality comes from in a secular, naturalistic world view. Also, how morality intersects with politics on the left and the right as well as with religion.

b) *Dan Dennett* on dangerous memes

Starting with the simple tale of an ant, philosopher Dan Dennett unleashes a devastating salvo of ideas, making a powerful case for the existence of memes — concepts that are literally alive.

c) *Julia Sweeney* on letting go of God

This video features Julia Sweeney (of Saturday Night Live fame) giving a sample of her one-woman show ‘Letting Go of God’. This delightful and thought provoking video intertwines a young ladies coming of age story and humour and Julia Sweeney discussions he deconversion from the Catholic faith.

Please respond to this email before October 26th to make your vote count, only a few weeks away.

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2. Last months presentation available online

You can now download last months presentation of the psychology of bahaviourism from our website in MP3 form and the slides. Go to the following website:

http://www.cohumanists.ca/2009/behaviorism-and-daily-life/

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3. Discussion group

At the last meeting I told everyone that we had started an email discussion group. We now have 6 people signed up, and they are interesting people! We have been talking about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and what the proper etiquette for people who don’t believe in gods actually is. Is it more respectful to sit in silence while others pray out loud? Is it mocking their beliefs to pretend to pray or accept communion? Is it disrespectful to not sit down until the hand-holding grace-saying pre-meal festivities are over? What if you are the host and religious people are coming to your house?

Sign up and take part in future conversations. We are inviting all atheist, agnostics, skeptics, freethinkers and otherwise Humanist-friendly people in the area and beyond to join the discussion. You don’t need to be a member.

Email shawn @ cohumanists.ca to be added to this email distribution list so you can participate or just listen.

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4. Richard Dawkins’ new book available at next meeting

We are pleased to announce that at this months presentation we will have copies of Richard Dawkins’ new book ‘The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution’. This book is a return to Richard Dawkins’ first interest, evolution. Rather than a critical look on religion this is a biology book. A minimum donation of $20 to COHA is required for you to pick up this book at our next meeting.

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5. Humanist social / meet-up

A bunch of us are getting together at William’s Coffee Pub on Bryne Dr. on Wednesday, October 20th, 2009 at 7:30 PM. If you would like good company come on down and hang out with us. Everyone is welcome to join. This is behind the south-end Wal~Mart.

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Have a good October!

UPDATE: Download the presentation below!

Dr. Klaus Kuch, retired Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and member of COHA, will be our September 30 speaker. Dr. Kuch has practiced and taught behavior therapy for many years and has published in international medical journals and textbooks. He will treat us to slides and a talk on:

BEHAVIORISM AND DAILY LIFE.
Subtle cues, rewards and punishments shape many of our hopes and fears, often without awareness. We may have less control over ourselves than we might wish. Behaviorism, when applied to daily life, can show us how to study our behavior in this context, objectively and without speculation.

He will also demonstrate some of the theory and methods of behavioral assessment, concerning habits, fears and phobias. I expect this talk to be extremely interesting for all Humanists, so please plan to meet us at the Barrie Native Friendship Centre, 175 Bayfield St. Doors open at 6:30pm. Our usual pre-meeting dinner will be at the Swiss Chalet, 397 Bayfield, 5:00pm.

• Slides used in the presentation
  • Behaviourism slides in PowerPoint format
  • Behaviourism slides in PDF format
• Download an audio recording of the presentation
  • Behaviourism audio in MP3 format
  • Behaviourism audio in OGG format

Hello Everyone,

• We will no longer meet at Zehrs — it keeps raising the rent and reducing the service. For the rest of this year at least, we will hold meetings in the Boardroom at the Barrie Native Friendship Center 175 Bayfield Street. It is a bit south of highway 400, on the East side, a more central location. This venue charges $60 per meeting and includes coffee (so I’m told)!
• COHA withdrew its registered charity application (after considering the federal government’s negative response). This makes sense, given COHA is a community association, not a charity in the usual sense of raising funds to help the needy. Unfortunately, this means COHA cannot issue tax deduction receipts. Now if we were a religious movement ….
• COHA is incorporating as a non-profit organization (NPO). Why you may ask? Because NPOs are eligible to hold meetings at the Barrie Public Library at no cost. Reserving Library space for our 2010 meetings must be done in early November, and we expect to be registered by then. The cost to incorporate is less than $800, which is just over a year’s rent. That said, our financial position will be more precarious for some time, so please be generous when helping yourself to coffee, or acquiring one of our books, etc.
• COHA may dis-affiliate with Humanists Canada (HAC). Below are some thoughts to ponder. Please email your own thoughts to shawn@cohumanists.ca. Next month Shawn will integrate them into a comprehensive list of pros and cons, including HAC’s position (if any). COHA members will vote on this issue at our annual general meeting:
  • Historically HAC affiliation allowed members to receive tax deductions for donations to COHA. But when HAC changed its governance model, members lost this ability.
  • Historically HAC funded COHA. In the new model we fund HAC.
  • HAC has been unresponsive, such as when we requested membership data and advice on applying for charity status.
  • Individuals can still be members of HAC, so what benefits accrue from COHA’s affiliation?
  • HAC forced COHA to raise its dues this year. Of the $60 annual dues, COHA receives only $20.
  • Dis-affiliation would enable COHA to both reduce its dues and improve its financial situation.
  • COHA expects to be able to participate in secular humanist activities with or without HAC.
  • There are other organizations we might prefer to affilate with, such as The Centre for Inquiry, and the Brights movement.
• COHA is forming an email server. It’s purpose is to permit interested people to learn about Humanist news and views, and to be able to add your own comments and ideas for further discussion by others on the list. Anyone interested in being on this list please contact Shawn@cohumanists.ca
• COHA needs your ideas, your enthusiasm, and your community spirit. We cannot thrive without you occasionally participating in such things as
  • greeting people as they arrive at our monthly meetings, and registering their attendance.
  • leading a monthly discussion on a humanist topic of their choosing
  • educating the community at large, especially young people, about Secular Humanism
  • running fund raisers, such as a monthly 50-50 draw
  • most importantly, helping COHA function by being on the executive, which consists of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Director.
  • hosting our annual solstice parties
  • implementing Humanist pet projects of your own!
• Sign-up Sheets will be on hand at the next meeting, so please think about what you would like to do in time to let everyone know.
• Tom Cooke is forming an elections committee in order to fill the executive roles for 2010. Please feel free to offer yourself for office and to nominate others by emailing him at tom@cohumanists.ca.