Jan 5: How Positivity Conquers Negativity
We are experts on what we don't believe and we rightly are skeptical of fantasies that are too convenient or self-serving. Even so, we can find honest ways to create more hope in the horizons of our mind. Bill Jacobsen speaks.
Jan 12: Is God in Our Brains?
Several scholarly books claim to have located areas in the brain that explain the proclivity of our species to use God imagery. If you think a bit about it, this possibility explains many things. Bill Jacobsen speaks.
Jan 19: Anticipation
Back by popular demand, we use a colloquy (participatory) form to think about the inevitability of change and imaginative ways in which we can respond. 2003, here we come!
Jan 26: Passing On the Humanist Heritage
Paula Rochelle and Ben Wade have enrolled in a three year program that equips them for leadership in humanist circles around the globe. They share their impressions of this rigorous program.
Feb 2: Skepticism and Wonder
Some laymen think that scientists and skeptics are cynical
curmudgeons who take all the wonder and mystery out of the universe. Recently, scientists have explained that science does not take away our sense of wonder and awe out of life; indeed it enhances it. Jonathan Harvey reviews writings of Carl Sagan, Richard Dawkins and Chet Raymo on why skepticism isn't an obstacle to a sense of wonder.
Feb 9: Origins and History of Darwin Day as an International Celebration of Science and Humanity
Bob Stephens and Arthur Jackson speak.
Feb 16: Pantheism: Not as Odd as it Sounds!
To trivialize pantheism as "worshiping a mountain" and to dismiss it with scorn would be unfair. Bill Jacobsen says if you can put yourself in a poetic mood, you might be attracted to some modern versions of this ancient stance.
Feb 23: Buddhism as a Bridge
Many Buddhists regard themselves as non-theists and see "God-ideas" as false and empty. But they don't try to undermine other faiths. While they encourage meditation, they also promote radical questioning and doubt. Individual responsibility goes hand in hand with freedom of thought.
Jonathan Harvey speaks.
Mar 2: Phillip Johnson's War on Evolution
If you're guilty this is the trial lawyer you want. This Berkeley law professor makes an impossible case seem plausible. His strategy is awesome! Bill Jacobsen speaks.
Mar 9: Evangelicals and Humanists Support the Right to Think -- Even When Wrong
Was it wise for the Texas biology teacher to refuse a letter of recommendation because the student disbelieved . . . in evolution? Bring your boxing gloves for this hot topic. Bill Jacobsen speaks.
Mar 16: Impressions of Cuba
-- both good and bad -- will be offered by Claire Gordon, who has visited recently. No one sleeps on the street; everyone has a place to live, be it ever so humble. There is universal health care and free education through university, which includes schooling right up to becoming a doctor, engineer, etc. Claire will tell us what one sees in Havana and in the countryside -- the people, the food, the museums, the bathrooms and the economy. She'll also say a bit about how to get there, for those who want to make the trip.
Mar 23: The Three Faces of America
Today this country has three populations: the red, the white, and the blue. Together they make up a still-great nation. But which face are you? Or do you know yet? It's all a matter of how you feel about certain vital issues. Burt Liebert discusses recent happenings and invites you to take a stand.
Mar 30: Why I am an Atheist
Mark Thomas shows that there are no good reasons to believe in any god, and many reasons not to believe in a god. He examines all the standard reasons for belief, and describes how they collapse under the weight of science and philosophy. He then explains the advantages of Atheism and Humanism as world outlooks.
Do you have questions about your lack of faith? Is your faithlessness being testing by the righteous, brothers (and sisters)? Do you have doubts about your doubts? Do your parents/ friends/ siblings think that you will soon be back among the saved? Are you afraid of backsliding? Come today and get your rational head back on straight.
Apr 6: Is the Moon Made of Rock or Cheese?
In celebration of April Fool's Day, here's a debate (between Barbara and Richard Lau) on the most controversial theories of all time in the field of looney lunar geology. Join us in having a little fun with logic.
Apr 13: The Real Reasons Behind the Bush Administration's Drive to War on Iraq
Joel Beinin says: "It looks like we are going to have a war on Iraq, but I'm not quite ready to call it a done deal." He'll tell us why the real reasons are in his words "even more frightening than weapons of mass destruction."
Apr 20: Humanists Look at Racism
America, in spite of amazing strides toward equality, has vestiges of racism, more subtle, but no less harmful than the obvious apartheid system of the past. Ben Wade and Paula Rochelle offer an update on their training for Humanist leadership with this practical topic.
Apr 27: The Power and the Glory and the Choice: John Steinbeck for the 21st Century
John Steinbeck, the only native-born Californian to be awarded the Nobel prize in literature, was an ardent humanist. A century after his birth, his life and work offer fresh and powerful insights into the human experience (this means YOU!). Molleen Matsumura will present selected readings and anecdotes for your enjoyment and inspiration.
Her writings have appeared in Free Inquiry, Humanistic Judaism, and Reports to the National Center for Science Education.
May 4: Working with our Previous Enemy
Nations change their relationships but the people do not always change to reflect the new national relationship. Bob Dodd, a senior engineer at a local commercial satellite company, has had the unique experience of living with Russians at their launch base. Even the very existence of this base was denied by the Russians during the cold war. Baikonur is still not on most maps. This is the location where all of the Russian manned missions were launched in Kazakhstan. It is also where there were (are?) hundreds of ICBMs pointed at the United States. There were many surprises, highs and lows in the experience.
May 11: War ... Peace ... the UN
Our Forum celebrates the idea of respectful dialogue. Bob Gauntt and Bill Jacobsen agree on humanistic values, but puzzle about practical, positive steps to move nations from the injustice and violence, characteristic of this era, toward a social order with security based on peace and equity. Should the UN be transformed or replaced? How? Should the US change its ways? To what?
May 18 (10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.) Knowledge Fair
Come learn and share as your fellow Humanists present their interests and hobbies. Note the extended time. Instead of our usual lunch buffet, we will be having a sandwich and salad bar.
May 25: The Conversation Mother Warned You About
Sick and tired of religious zealouts ignoring your concerns in their hurry to legislate Bible-based solutions and stand in the way of progress? Why not talk to them? Chris Lindstrom presents The Garrison-Martineau Project, which works to bridge the culture divide by enabling people to talk to one another and to see the human beings behind the rhetoric.
Jun 1: Nutrition Politics
Michele Simon, founder and director of the Center for Informed Food Choice, speaks. Her education and experience include a master's in public health, Yale; law degree from UC Berkeley (Hastings); policy analyst, Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine. She may touch on: conflicts of interest in the U S Department of Agriculture; corporate influence on dietary guidelines and the Food Pyramid; National School Lunch Program; financial bailouts of meat and dairy industries; and the government's connection to the milk mustache campaign.
Jun 8: Adapting to the Next Chapter in Your Life
What will the next phase in your life be entitled -- a new slant on your self-image? a new spin on your circumstances? a new role for you to explore? an affiliation or relationship revitalized? an avocation finally realized? a farewell to existence? This is the first in a two-parter by Bill Jacobsen on "New Horizons."
Jun 15: Will Absolute Power Corrupt and Endanger America?
America has moved through many phases. From a continent taken over by European explorers, to an extension of the empires of Spain and France, to trading companies and colonies shaped by English culture, to colonies declaring their independent identity as a sovereign state, to an expansive nation claiming its "manifest destiny", to a state that allows slavery as a peculiar, but legal, institution, to a land that takes for granted segregation and prejudice, to a country that attempts to bring justice to her social institutions, to the world's last remaining super power. In its next phase will it relinquish some of its sovereignty in order to establish global fairness and peace? Or will it engage in preemptive actions to establish a new imperialism that tries to destroy all competitors? BJ concludes his "New Horizons."
Jun 22: Inclusiveness: The Public and Personal Experience of a Woman of Color
Lorene Garrett Browder is the founder of Women as Allies, whose mission is "to bring women and girls of Color and those who are our allies together to create opportunities for education, dialogue, networking and healing."
Jun 29: Update on the World of Reproductive Freedom
If you've been following the news, you know that "partial birth" abortion is in jeopardy and that President Bush wants to exclude facilities that provide family planning from access to funds to fight AIDS. He calls his plan "the path of action and the path of hope." Health-care providers are dismayed at this theological repression of common sense, decent compassion, and conscience. Creighton Mendivil, from Planned Parenthood, speaks.
Jul 6: Mad Cow Disease
Retired biologist Joseph Hendricks offers a critical survey of what has been called the biggest threat to the human race since the "Black Death" of the 14th century. Or is it badly overhyped? What is the cause? What makes it so hard to control? What recent development in the livestock industry has amplified the problem? What are future prospects? What can you as an individual do?
Jul 13: The Mafia Syndrome
Bill Jacobsen is not referring to the violent side of organized crime, but to its codes of loyalty. Think of cover-ups in the Watergate incident, bishops undermining the attempt of lay Catholics to hold them accountable for sex crimes, the no-snitch attitudes in police and armed forces. Painful as it may be, transparency is the answer.
Jul 20: I'm an American; Why Should I Be Concerned?
Has America's reaction to 9/11 deepened the nation's paranoia and xenophobia? Helal Omeira, from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, raises the issue of how the curtailment of civil liberties and due process on any group weakens the fabric of our free society.
Jul 27: National Self-Examination
If confession is good for the individual soul, is it also a wholesome, healing activity for nations? Or is it more important to stress only positives, explaining away any possible criticisms? Think Germany, Japan, America, Argentina. Bill Jacobsen plays the father confessor.
Aug 3: Is the Humanist Community Pregnant with a New Possibility?
The time has come to stress the cultivation of character, ethical commitment, and informed opinion, rather than the formulation of an anti-theological creed. We must project our humanism in manner that's useful for our time. Are we ready to give birth to an additional organization, a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational institution that supports progressive values and open communication? Let's form a task force to seek a corporate sponsor that allows us to use part of its facilities for more hours on Sunday as a form of community service. The Humanist Community would continue, sponsoring events not located in the corporate facility, with an emphasis on the Humanist heritage. Bill Jacobsen speaks.
Aug 10: Why Belong to the AHA?
What are the advantages and drawbacks of belonging to the American Humanist Association, a national organization? Arthur Jackson and Hilton Brown have been very active members not only in our Community, but in the AHA as well. Come hear their opinion and share yours.
Aug 17: Seeing Ourselves Through the Eyes of Others
Over time, we have all developed our own perception of the Humanist Community. We may even share these perceptions with other members. But how does our organization look to guests, speakers, and newcomers? Everyone is invited to speak.
Aug 24: What Do Humanists Do?
Well, in this Community, an awful lot. In addition to our Sunday Forums, we have at least eight different groups and activities every month, whose hosts or leaders will expound. If you ever wanted to find out more about an activity or propose one, this is the Forum for you!
Aug 31: Ramp Up to the Retreat
Is there something you'd like to see changed or pursued? The Board of Directors of the Humanist Community will be available to take your suggestions, answer your questions, and present the challenges facing our Community.
Sep 7: The Best from the Rest
You don't have to be at the retreat to come up with creative ideas for the Community. Hilton Brown will lead us in a setting that draws the best out of the rest of us.
Sep 14: Two Kinds of Humanism
Frank Friedlander holds forth for an alternative to the intellectual-philosophical stance identified with the naturalist world view. He points to methods used by "Humanistic Psychology" that seek to encourage personal growth and emotional maturity.
Sep 21: Merging Our Visions for the Community
Representatives from the recent retreat and those who brainstormed at home join forces to present concrete plans for the Humanist Community in the near future.
Should be inspiring. Bill Jacobsen moderates.
Sep 28: Why God Won't Go Away
Chuck Walton, developmental psychiatrist, presents the neuropsychiatric foundation for how people think. Some folks get along fine without a deity, but most have a God-shaped hole waiting to be filled. What does this mean for Humanism?
Bill Jacobsen offers a two-part series on America as seen by outsiders:
Oct 5: Americans, Go Home!
Some of my best friends are Americans, but I can't abide their foreign policy. What must it be like to find yourself continually embarrassed by the arrogance and bullheadedness of leaders who are acting in your name? What are you doing about it?
Oct 12: A Love Note to America
Even if all that the critics say is true, there are so many fine aspects of your nation which can't be ignored in any honest appraisal. Yes, there are a handful of countries I could happily live in, but not many. Anti-Americanism is akin to paranoia.
The next two Forums feature members who offer a personal take on what humanism and our community means to them.
Oct 19: Am I a Humanist?
Kay Culpepper has pondered this question after attending Humanists' meetings for several years. She is a painter, a watercolor artist, and her college education focused on the "humanities" -- literature and language -- English, Spanish, French, Fine Arts and Philosophy -- a far cry from the scientific minds she encounters here. Could her strong interest in the "humanities" perhaps be related to "humanism?"
Oct 26: From Wasteland to Humanism in Three Difficult Steps
Arthur Jackson will share his journey from a world where agnosticism, atheism, humanism, or even Judaism was unknown -- or at least undiscussed -- toward Humanism as a result of a few random discoveries.
Nov 2: Sex, Time, and Power
Sex, Time, and Power: How Women's Sexuality Shaped Human Evolution is the title of a new book by Leonard Shlain, who will visit us to promote it. The Tuesday book discussion group has chosen this book to discuss, starting in Dec, so you may be pleased to know that copies will be on sale after this Forum.
Nov 9: Winter Wonderland Boutique
Come see the arts and crafts produced by the artistic members of the Humanist Community. Listen to the Solstice Singers. Browse, relax, and shop early for those holiday gifts. Produced by Richard & Barbara Lau.
Nov 16: The Food Forum Banquet
If you like food and fun, this is the Forum for you! Food-related performances! Food-related music! Food-related surprises! And did we mention food? Produced by Richard & Barbara Lau.
Nov 23: Remembering Edward Said
An imaginative literary critic, a decent human of great integrity, a Christian Palestinian, a foe of Arafat's corruption, an advocate, not of a separate Palestinian state, but of the one-state solution: two peoples living in a secular state founded on justice, peace, mutual acceptance and respect. Bill Jacobsen remembers.
Nov 30: What are Your Favorite Books?
Bill Jacobsen says: I will discuss books that I have been reading of late. But why let me have all the fun? Bring some of your favorites and be ready to give them a very brief plug. I suspect we have a lot of "bookies" in our midst. Uh -- I mean, bibliophiles.
Dec 7: George Bush and the Big Lie
Paul George, of the Peace and Justice Center of Palo Alto, offers a broad examination of the administration's rather impressive propaganda campaign that led to the war in Iraq. His comments are constantly being updated, as you might imagine. The irony of today being Pearl Harbor Day adds a dimension to the discussion.
Dec 14: Thoughts on Humanism
"... a talk on the above subject ... the thought somewhat terrifies me" wrote Martin Squibbs. But after enough arm twisting by You Know Who, Martin is willing to give his usual lucid, compelling performance.
Dec 21: From a Growing Darkness to a Growing Light
As we celebrate the Solstice, Bill Jacobsen lays out the difference between hope and optimism as these ideas apply to foreign policy, domestic politics, personal development, scientific theories, and religion. ... Also the case for despair and pessimism.
Dec 28: Transformations in the Movies
As we approach a new year, Bill Jacobsen surveys flicks that show one gender passing as another, a child who adds 20 years overnight; exchanges: mother/daughter, tramp/tycoon; plus a crook who becomes a politician and an updated version of reincarnation. What do we learn from these vicarious experiences?