Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle

Winter Solstice Celebration
2019-12-22 13:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST celebrates the ancient tradition of Winter Solstice with a humanist flavor. Members, friends, and visitors will share their reflections on the season, such as how do humanists find meaning during this time of year, as well as sharing memories of seasons past. We will also have some music provided by the musicians from Sunday Assembly!

Year End Round Table Discussion
2019-12-29 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST will facilitate a round table discussion focusing on issues that matter most to members and friends of EHST. Come share your thoughts about what matters for this final program of 2019, and equally important, hear what others are thinking.

Polyamory - the Case for Consensual Nonmonogamy (CNM)
2020-01-05 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST friend Ken Haslam will speak about polyamory. The New York Times has covered polyamory several times, as well as The Guardian. Is it time to reconsider traditional relationship patterns? Dr. Haslam recommends listening to a podcast on polyamory that aired back in 2014 on “The Humanist Hour,” a production of the American Humanist Association. Here’s the link to it; the program segment on polyamory begins at about 6:00: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a3fzgt1adGBVa6at3WAy8rA1a9jmRuM2/view?usp=sharing
Dr. Haslam has been an activist in this expanding community for some 20 years, and established and maintains an archive of CNM history at the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. He has given dozens of lectures on the subject and followed the growth of this community until just recently, when he retired.

Loss of Ethical and Secular Democratic Values in India Under BJP
2020-01-12 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Ever since the formation of a BJP government in India, since 2014 there has been a steady erosion of ethical behavior and secular democratic values in India. Following their success in the 2019 elections, the Modi-Shah government has adopted an avowed Hindu fundamentalist agenda. Disfranchisement of minorities and revoking citizenship rights of Muslims and Christians is but the latest effort to turn India into a single party Hindu state. EHST member Atish Sen will help us understand the situation in India.

Mr. Sen provided the slides to us, and they can viewed here.

Annual Meeting of Members 2020
2020-01-19 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST will hold its annual meeting of members. This is a business meeting where the members will (re-)elect board members, and pass a budget for 2020. We will also seek suggestions from members for our priorities for 2020. Visitors and friends are welcome to attend, but they will not be eligible to vote. Members who cannot be present must submit proxies to the EHST secretary if they wish to have their interests/votes counted at the meeting. Submission of proxies by email is acceptable. See our bylaws section 6 for more information.
As usual, we will have refreshments following the meeting, and an opportunity to ask questions about membership for anyone who is considering joining.

Humanists Rise Against Hunger (Saturday event)
2020-01-25 13:00 - 15:00
The Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle has chosen to partner with Rise Against Hunger for a very unique service opportunity. Rise Against Hunger distributes food aid through global partners that administer school feeding programs, orphanages, health clinics, vocational training, and respond to crisis. Be sure to donate and register for this fun, educational, high-impact event. To register as a participant, or to simply make a donation for our $2,000 fundraising goal, use this link: http://events.riseagainsthunger.org/ehst.

The New Voices of Black Freethinkers
2020-01-26 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Prof. Christopher Cameron, a history professor at UNC Charlotte, a member of Black Nonbelievers of Charlotte, and the author of the recently released book Black Freethinkers: A History of African American Secularism (Northwestern University Press), will speak about his book. Here is an excerpt from the writeup on Goodreads.com:
“Black Freethinkers argues that, contrary to historical and popular depictions of African Americans as naturally religious, freethought has been central to black political and intellectual life from the nineteenth century to the present. Freethought encompasses many different schools of thought, including atheism, agnosticism, and nontraditional orientations such as deism and paganism.”

The Story of Love Wins and Community Service
2020-02-02 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Ms. Blu Honeycutt of Love Wins will speak on how and why the Love Wins organization came to be. She will provide information about the community services they provide, including food and shelter to the homeless in Raleigh. From the Love Wins Community Engagement Center website… “What We Believe: We believe that homelessness is, at its core, a relationship issue. People who have deep, intimate relationships and a broad spectrum of social contacts don’t end up chronically homeless. The opposite of homelessness isn’t being housed, it is community. We think relationships have the power to change a life, and ultimately, the world. If we want to change the world, we have to do it together.”

GENTLE REMINDER:
This will be the first Sunday of the month. Please bring canned goods and other non-perishable dry goods for the IFC Food Pantry. Please remember to bring your donations in PAPER grocery bags.

Voices In Our Heads: What Is Your Internal Narrative?
2020-02-09 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
We live our entire waking life immersed in our inner experiences (thoughts, feelings, sensations) – internal private phenomena for us, inaccessible to others. What is the nature of our inner experience – our internal narrative? Is my inner experience structured the same way as your inner experience? Just what are the voices and processes in our heads, anyway? How do our brains affect our thoughts, contributing to our perceptions of ourselves? Our differences in our internal narratives are another aspect of human diversity that should be understood, embraced, and celebrated. This platform will involve audience participation. Randy Best, Leader of the Northern Virginia Ethical Society, is our speaker.

The Great Monkey Trial: John Scopes and Clarence Darrow versus William Jennings Bryan and the State of Tennessee
2020-02-16 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST member, Mike Conrad, will speak about this famous trial to help us remember and celebrate the work of Charles Darwin and how his work challenged our way of thinking. The fight to teach evolution is still not over! Check these links for more information:
https://futurism.com/battle-teach-evolution-public-schools-far-from-over
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation_and_evolution_in_public_education_in_the_United_States

Second Chances and the Community Success Initiative
2020-02-23 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Dennis Gaddy, Founder and Executive Director of the Community Success Initiative, will tell us how his organization helps those who have previously been incarcerated make the transition to life on the outside. Since 2004, the CSI has helped those who have made mistakes in their lives to get a second chance in life.

Reckoning Initiative: Race and Memory at UNC
2020-03-01 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
In the fall of 2019, UNC – Chapel Hill embarked on a shared learning initiative entitled Reckoning: Race, Memory and Reimagining the Public University. Spurred in part by the ongoing controversy surrounding the forcible removal of the Confederate monument Silent Sam, this initiative comprised a broad set of courses and campus events. The objective was to support student learning and discussions about heritage, race, post-conflict legacies, politics of remembrance, and contemporary projects of reconciliation.
EHST is pleased to host Professor William Sturkey of the UNC Department of History and Professor Charles Irons of the Department of History and Geography at Elon University to discuss the reckoning initiative at UNC and similar efforts at other institutions of higher learning.
Prof. Sturkey teaches one of the courses in this program at UNC. He received his PhD in African American history at Ohio State University. Prof. Irons is Chair of the Department of History and Geography at Elon University.

GENTLE REMINDER: This will be the first Sunday of the month. Please bring canned goods and other non-perishable dry goods for the IFC Food Pantry. Please remember to bring your donations in PAPER grocery bags.

The Slow Decline of Human Values and Ethics
2020-03-08 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Professor Mary Hope of the radio program, Seeking Justice, will speak to us about her program and our shared focus on seeking justice for all. Prof. Hope’s professional work at William Jessup University in Greensboro is focused on Peace and Conflict Studies. Her radio program examines issues of conflict from multiple perspectives, seeking to transcend “right” and “wrong,” to more deeply understand causes and seek options for positive resolutions.

EHST CANCELS MARCH PROGRAMS
2020-03-15 13:30 - 2020-03-29 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Following the guidelines issued by Gov. Cooper, EHST Sunday platforms are canceled through the end of March. Therefore, no meetings will be held on the 15th, the 22nd, or the 29th of March.
Per the governor’s guidelines, meetings should be restricted to fewer than 100 people. Those in high risk categories should stay away from assemblies. This applies to people age 65 and older, those with heart or lung disease, diabetes, etc. Also, people with a weakened immune system. This covers most of our Society.

We will make an announcement about April programs later in the month.

Discussion and Sharing Sunday
2020-04-05 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
EHST will hold its first virtual program through Zoom (zoom.us). We are having this first meeting only for our members and friends. Our subsequent program on April 12th will be a Zoom virtual program that is open to the public.

Affordable Housing
2020-04-12 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Mai Nguyen, UNC Associate Professor of City and Regional Planning, will speak to us via Zoom* about affordable housing: What is “affordable” housing, and what is being done locally to make it available? Our speaker will provide us with the details on this important issue.
Here is an article to prepare you for this talk: https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/its-time-for-progressive-politicians-to-catch-up-to-the-rising-affordable-housing-movement/
*You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. We are NOT meeting at Extraordinary Ventures. We will post the link to the Zoom session soon.

What You Need to Know About Antisemitism
2020-04-19 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Max Lazar, PhD Candidate in History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will speak to us (via Zoom*) on Antisemitism, and what we should all know about it. We should all be concerned about the rise of Antisemitism in Europe and the U.S. White Supremacist propaganda efforts in the U.S. in 2019 more than doubled from 2018, according to a recent report by the Anti-Defamation League. This was the largest number of propaganda incidents the ADL has ever recorded. Such propaganda includes not only Antisemitism, but also anti-Muslim, anti-Black, and non-white immigrant racism, as well as anti-LGBTQ hate memes.
*You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. We are NOT meeting at Extraordinary Ventures. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Special Meeting
2020-04-26 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
This meeting is a restricted meeting for members and those familiar with our society. We hope you will find another meeting of interest and participate via our Zoom based programs.

The Compass Center for Women and Families
2020-05-03 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Valerie Saur, Director of Education for the Compass Center, will speak to us about the mission and work of the Compass Center for Women and Families. Here is their mission statement: “Compass Center for Women and Families helps all people navigate their journey to self-sufficiency, safety, and health. We empower individuals and promote equal access to opportunity regardless of gender or economic status. Our services include career and financial education, domestic violence crisis and prevention programs, assistance with legal resources, and youth health programs.”

You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. We are NOT meeting at Extraordinary Ventures. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Journey to Myanmar: Pagodas and Bamboo Houses.
2020-05-10 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Earlier this year, EHST member Jan Broughton traveled to Myanmar with a group of fellow Habitat for Humanity volunteers to participate in that organization’s international Global Village program. Through the monetary contributions and volunteer labor of these groups housing is built for peoples in many countries. Travel, meals, and accommodations are arranged by the local and host country Habitat affiliates. The volunteers learn about local customs and building methods for an unforgettable experience in cultural immersion.
In her talk Jan will briefly cover the history of Burma/Myanmar and share the cultural practices she observed while being the tourist in cities and the countryside. Included in the photographic essay will be a description of how to build a bamboo house in less than and week.
This will be presented via Zoom.
You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Taoist Philosophy
2020-05-17 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
The Tao Te Ching text in the form we know it dates from between 200 to 600 BCE, It is a collection of 81 verses that have elements similar to Buddhism, Christianity, Stoic Philosophy, and others. Taoist philosophy as outlined in the Tao Te Ching contains many of the principles of ethical humanism and offers us practical guidance for daily living. Fred Breidt will discuss a bit of the history of the Tao Te Ching, the many translations of the text to English, its relationship to western cultural values, and related topics. Recommended reading for the talk is: Tao Te Ching, the Definitive Edition, by Lao Tzu, Translation and Commentary by Jonathan Star.
This will be presented via Zoom.
You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Losing I, Finding We - An Exploration of Attachment
2020-05-24 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Christian Hayden, an ethical humanist leader-in-training, will speak to us via Zoom. Ethical Culture does not have explicit tenets or commandments, but it does ask of its members/followers to commit to building ethical relationships, because we as a community feel they are imperative to social justice and realizing a better world. At the same time, many of us struggle to invite intimacy into our personal, romantic, and communal lives — why is that? And what ideas might lead us to better meeting our charge in the future?
The most important thing to know about Christian, is that he is an Ethical Culture leader in training. The second most important thing is that he fell in love with photography recently, so you might hear about that, too. Christian is a full-time facilitator, a very part-time poet, and is striving to be a 24/7 humanist. He also spent a year in Ghana with the Humanist Service Corps and was awarded the Mossler Fellowship in 2016.
You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Instances of Gratitude Felt in Spite of the Coronavirus Pandemic
2020-05-31 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Join us for a check-in and discussion this Sunday led by EHST Program Chair John Holmgren. Our topic will be “Instances of Gratitude Felt in Spite of the Coronavirus Pandemic.” We welcome you to think about your experiences over the last three months and share any positive moments that emerged during the upheaval of lock down and social distancing.
This will be presented via Zoom.
You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Are Humans Bad For The Earth?
2020-06-07 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Leader Kate Lovelady spoke to the New York Society for Ethical Culture in October 2010 on this topic. We will show her talk via Youtube, and discuss our reactions to it. The Pulitzer Prizewinning book “The Overstory” was published in 2018, and it covers similar territory as Ms. Lovelady’s talk. You can view it here if you can’t participate on Sunday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnQZNjGD_p4&t=2189s

You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

How the COVID19 Pandemic Is Affecting Service Workers
2020-06-14 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Prof. Anna Gassman-Pines of Duke University will speak about how service workers are impacted by the COVID19 Pandemic. Prof. Elizabeth Ananat of Barnard College and Prof Gassman-Pines recently published an article in the New York Times about the problems and needs of service workers: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/opinion/coronavirus-paycheck-guarantee-act.html. Their study began before the COVID19 outbreak, and has continued since. They described the data as “grim” before and after the outbreak. They also support the Paycheck Guarantee Act proposed by House Rep. Pramila Jaypal which should help these workers.

You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

A Philosophical Approach to Coping with a Pandemic
2020-06-21 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Randy Best, Leader of the Northern Virginia Ethical Society, will speak to us via Zoom. Here is his synopsis…
“What tools do I need to help me deal with a global pandemic? Are some of the ideas and approaches found in Philosophy useful in helping me cope with this existential crisis? I have found that consciously adopting a philosophical approach promotes peace of mind and allows me to move forward to contribute to solutions. I will share my findings with you.”
You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Reclaim Our Vote
2020-06-28 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
The upcoming presidential election may be the most important in modern American history. Voter turnout will be an essential factor in the outcome, especially given voter suppression efforts and the idiosyncrasy of the electoral college.
The American Ethical Union, our national organization, is partnering with Reclaim Our Vote, a non-partisan organization, to increase voter turnout in North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. Since 2017, Reclaim Our Vote has been reaching out to voters in states with a long history of voter suppression and have had measurable results.
In addition to the AEU, Reclaim Our Vote partners include NAACP, StateVoices, Black Voters Matter, Virginia Poor People’s Campaign, DemLabs, Mi Familia Vota, Progressive Coders Network, VoteRiders, the Transformative Justice Coalition, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, UU the Vote, Rapid Resist and others.
Join us on Sunday to find out how you can be involved in an EHST postcard campaign to get out the vote. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Holiday
2020-07-05 13:30 - 15:30
EHST will be taking a holiday, so there will be no Zoom meeting, and no meeting at Extraordinary Ventures. We hope you have a safe, and happy 4th of July weekend!

Tenant Rights in NC and the Coranavirus Pandemic
2020-07-12 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Attorney Kate Woomer-Deeters of the NC Justice Center, speaking on tenant rights during the pandemic. She specializes in Immigrant and Refugee Rights at the NC Justice Center. You can view her resource page for Tenants here: https://www.ncjustice.org/publications/updates-for-tenants-during-the-coronavirus/

This talk will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Hemant Mehta - Is Atheism The Last Political Taboo?
2020-07-19 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Hemant Mehta will speak to EHST via Zoom about atheism today. Is it the last political taboo? Mr. Mehta has become nationally known for his advocacy for “friendly atheism.” You can view his blog via this link: https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkcu6vrj4iE9BpHVIXTo_4PRO8WqmDfXUp. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Attendance is limited, so please register soon!
