January 2020
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1 EJanuaryTHICAL 2020 Vol. 134, No. 5 Newsletter V of the PhiladelphiaIEWS Ethical Society Sunday Platforms professor of history at the Jan. 26, 11:00 AM How Ethics University of Virginia and Yale and End Of Life Intersect Sunday, Jan. 5, 11:00 AM University. She currently serves Laura L. Barry, Visiting Nurse Association, Philadelphia, PA Memorial Sunday – Gratitude as Vice President (for research) for Those Gone for the American Historical End of life may not Hugh Taft-Morales, Leader, Association, and co-editor of Philadelphia Ethical Society be easy to embrace, the journal, Modern Intellectual yet the appropriate History. She is the recipient of and timely use numerous fellowships including of hospice may those from the Guggenheim minimize conflict Foundation and the Institute for and dilemmas. Advanced Studies at Princeton. Hospice provides In addition to Democracy collaborative and Truth, she is the author support, crucial conversations and of Common Sense: A Political guidelines enabling you and your On the first Sunday of each year History (Harvard, 2011), and loved ones to approach the end of life we remember with gratitude the A Revolution in Language: with grace and peace. Join Laura L. important life lessons and inspiring The Problem of Signs in Late Barry for discussion and education memories left to us by those who Eighteenth Century France regarding making informed choices have died. Members of the audience (Stanford, 2001), as well as as it relates to end of life. Learn about are encouraged to share how those numerous scholarly articles. types of hospice care and the best last no longer with us continue to help us Sunday, Jan. 19, 11:00 AM gift that can be given. live more fully, joyfully, and ethically. “Somebodyness” and Join Hugh Taft-Morales for this Inherent Worth Hugh Taft- Laura L. Barry, M.B.A. and M.Msc moving annual tradition. Morales, Leader, Philadelphia (Masters in Metaphysics) has worked Sunday, Jan. 12, 11:00 AM Ethical Society in hospice for almost a decade. Democracy and Truth in Crisis In honor of She was trained by the George Sophia Rosenfeld, Walter H. Martin Luther Washington University Institute Annenberg Professor of History King Jr., Hugh for Spirituality & Health, a global University of Pennsylvania Taft-Morales program and curriculum designed to Sophia Rosenfeld, explores support inter-professional spiritual author of “somebodyness” – care in healthcare. Laura sits on the Democracy and a term that King Ethics committee at Roxborough Truth: A Short used to ground Memorial Hospital. She currently History (Penn his dedication to advancing civil and helps educate physicians, staff and Press, 2019) will human rights. How is this concept facilities on the benefits of palliative explore why similar to, and different from, other and hospice care. Laura will also truth seems to approaches to individual human address her “accidental” transition to be under siege in beings? How does it compare to hospice. so much of the world today, Ethical Humanism’s commitment to how we got to this point, and the “inherent worth” of every person? And next month . what we might be able to do Come explore this foundation of Sunday, Feb.2, 11:00 AM about it. Prior to coming to Ethical Culture while honoring “Mr. Republican Rolls in Penn, Sophia Rosenfeld was Martin Luther King Jr. his Grave” 2 better contribute to, and benefit from, of mortality, I want to further my LEADER’S our interfaith coalition, POWER. I work in explaining how Humanists COLUMN believe there is little we can do to can engage with “spirituality” and make Philadelphia better than to “inspiration” in ways that give their AN UPCOMING help POWER grow in membership lives more meaning while respecting INTERFAITH JOURNEY and effectiveness. A small number evidence, reason, and the limits of of Ethical Society members pour human knowledge. I want to live a Hugh Taft-Morales, Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society their heart, mind, and body into life full of awe and wonder without POWER initiatives that are raising succumbing to supernaturalism consciousness and raising wages for or “magical thinking.” I want to On January 7 and 8, I will be in the working class of our city. If we celebrate the mysteries of life. And Philadelphia, but I will not be are to continue our involvement in I want to live in a way that such doing Ethical Society work at POWER, we need more members inspiration animates my conviction 1906 Rittenhouse. I will be at the to get involved. I hope my time to ethical behavior. There are many Comcast Collaboration Studio on in the Peer Learning Network will down-to-earth reasons why spiritual Oxford Street to participate in the show me how best to encourage quests are such powerful parts of launch event for the Interfaith membership participation. human culture. I want to offer non- Peer Learning Network, a project supernatural ways to engage in a of Interfaith Philadelphia. This Second, on a more personal level, similar quest – one that offers forms organization strives to promote I hope my time with the Learning of transcendence that harmonize Network will support my looking with science and inspire ethical work. into how humanists best process the existentially challenging topic I am grateful to the Ethical Society of mortality. While traditional for paying the tuition to be a part theistic faiths have well-known of the Network. I know that these social harmony and inter-religious methods of framing the fact that three hopes are a lot to ask of my understanding while standing in we will all die, humanist approaches upcoming brief time with the solidarity with our diverse neighbors. are diverse, developing, and not well Interfaith Peer Learning Network. I will continue this collaboration known. I hope to hone my own I will be satisfied if one of the three throughout May via on-going video approach to this, which you can hopes are realized. Then again, I conferences. get a sense of by watching my talk, am open to unexpected ways in “Be Honest with Death.” (https:// which this experience will affect This group of a few more than a vimeo.com/188516684 or https:// me. I’ll report back more about my dozen educators and social leaders www.youtube.com/ experience in a future newsletter. For will rely on a self-guided tool watch?v=Azl6CJtwDss) now, I just wanted to explain why created by Interfaith Philadelphia, I won’t be in my office on January the Passport to Understanding, to Third, and related to the challenge 7 and 8. explore new ways to deepen cross- cultural and interfaith relationships. While I am uncertain what will grow out of my experience in this initiative, I hope it will deepen my commitment to Ethical Culture and give me skills to navigate the interfaith world and spread our humanist message to Philadelphia. More specifically, I have three hopes regarding being a part of the Father and son engaged in an eternal dialogue on death. This monument at Certosa, Bologna monumental cemetery is dedicated to anthropologist Fabio Frassetto (1876-1953) and his son, killed Interfaith Peer Learning Network. during the Second World War. Created by sculptor Farpi Vignoli in 1968. The full sculpture is shown First, I hope to learn how PES can with the January 5th platform. 3 From the PES Ending Racism Task Force: nomination. According to FactCheck, important monitoring provisions of ONE YEAR TO since the Iowa caucus and New the Voting Rights Act affect future Hampshire primary came to outcomes of elections? (Although THE DAY submitted by Kate Esposito national prominence as the first two the House has voted to reauthorize contests in the modern presidential the Act with stronger enforcement It occurred to me about a month ago nomination system in 1972, the only provisions, only one Republican, that when we observe Martin Luther Democratic candidate to lose both Brian Fitzpatrick from PA voted King Day this month on Jan. 20, the and go on to win the presidency to support. The Senate will, in all day will be exactly one year prior to is Bill Clinton. Of the eight major likelihood vote against it.) the Presidential Inauguration. (Are Democratic candidates in 2008, you scared? Yeah, me too!) Obama surprised the political world Have they already done so? What when he won the Iowa caucus. The happened to Stacey Abrams’ bid in As we know, the Voting Rights Act rest, as they say, is history. her run for Governor in Georgia? signed by President Lyndon Johnson What if folks can’t make it to the on August 6, 1965, guaranteed the As of this writing, Sen. Kamala Harris polls because they have to work right to vote for Black citizens who, has suspended her presidential two jobs? Oh, and let’s not discount especially in the South, often risked campaign. Sen. Cory Booker has the efforts by the Russians, and their lives to cast their ballots. On barely qualified for the next debate now maybe others, to inject fake May 17, 1957 Dr. King addressed stage by raising enough money, but news, conspiracy theories and toxic 25,000 civil-rights activists who had has not polled well enough. He says opinions that are often racist in gathered for the Prayer Pilgrimage he is resolute about staying in the nature, into the electoral information for Freedom saying, “The denial of race. Julian Castro did not qualify stream, which can poison the whole this sacred right is a tragic betrayal for the last debate and his future process and change outcomes. And of the highest mandates of our viability remains questionable. Then let’s hope they don’t actually hack democratic tradition.