The Tampa Bay Coalition of Reason Freethought Volume 1 No. 5 Oct. 2012 Jim Peterson, Editor ews N What’s Inside? It Is Time for Secular Humanists to Run for Faith Unified Calendar… ... ... 2 is a Humanist Value Humanist Society…... 3 * Public Office Faith? ...in Humanism? Yes, actually. Not in Tampa Humanists…. 7 * By Paul Kurtz, Ruth Mitchell, Toni Van Pelt, and deities or superstitions of course, but in ourselves as human beings; and in each other. Faith in human Clr.UU-Humanists… 7 * Tom Flynn potential, confidence in the instruments of reason Post Carbon Council..8 As secular humanists, we live in this world here and and logic; in the value of the world we have created; Freethought Films…..9 now, not in an imaginary world beyond our lives. these are the basis of real hope. This is faith carved This is our place, and it can only be better if we take in the immutable granite of human history. We Humanist Families…. 10 * responsibility for it. The Council for Secular embrace both Mozart and Stalin, the ugliness and Americans United..… 10 Humanism and the Center for Inquiry are committed horror, the beauty and delight. For they are both an to a set of humanist ethical values, many of which expression of the human, and define for better or Military Atheists.….10 * can be fulfilled only by social and political action worse, our possibilities. Though we are not shaped Atheists of FL ……..11 * for which we need to take responsibility. as passive stone, our character is chiseled in the Ctr. For Inquiry.......12 * These take many forms, both private and public. context of history tracing in time, the contours of Private responsibility includes acting with interior humanity in each and all of us. Tampa Bay Skeptics.14 compassion and consideration in family and To feel the optimism to be found in imagining how Coalition News……..15 professional life. Public responsibility is found in we might be, and to make choices that embrace our many forms and at many levels. The basic public social nature, we must have an accurate account of * Member organizations responsibility is voting, which involves not only how our species has been. going to the polls but also knowing about the A Humanist is one who is conditioned by the bad intentions of candidates, their values, and news, but who sees in such news the possibility of Directory the good. Knowing the difference is the ground of background. Other public responsibilities include Tampa Bay service on juries when called and attendance at genuine morality. Understanding that our lives as meetings when important issues are discussed. beings in an ever changing universe, a universe in Coalition of Reason which simultaneous creation and destruction is a One public responsibility that, so far, secular Calendar humanists have not taken up in sufficient numbers is constant through all time, gives us a perspective to Rick O’Keefe running for public office. American democracy is have the courage to move, and the will to choose. We are the tip of the pen from which the current Web site built on a hierarchy of public offices, from membership in neighborhood commissions through line of the human story is being written. We cannot Jim Peterson school boards, councils, county commissions, state hide from the narrative, we cannot remove ourselves Newsletter legislatures, and elected judicial positions to national from the changes goings on all around us and within Jim Peterson office in the U.S. Senate and House of us. Always, the question is, how shall we live? Representatives, and, yes, the presidency itself. All Socrates said that knowledge is the highest human Special Projects these and more are open to qualified people. But good. Perhaps he said this in recognizing that we Mark Brandt very few are occupied by self-proclaimed secular cannot truly become ourselves without it. It is the humanists. instrument of our uniquely human evolution. But as Be Included! the edifice of knowledge makes us powerful, it must This may produce a horrified response: are secular Group Leaders are invited also humble us with its reach and size. Thus is humanists going to ally themselves with the to send items for this struck the balance of creation. Our part is to keep Democrats or Republicans or the Libertarian, Inde­ Newsletter. Please send the torch lit as it passes through our hands and to pendent, or Green parties? By no means. Secular them to: make whatever changes we think will help. Though humanists may be Left or Right, conservative or [email protected] what illuminates also burns, this is the delicate liberal, libertarians or social democrats: our secular For calendar items, include worldviews do not ally us with a single party. condition that bestows confidence, and faith, if you as much info as possible. will, in the beneficence inherent in our evolution. ( Continued on Page 9) JP 2 Sept/October 2012 COR Calendar Tampa Humanist Association–NEW TAMPA Saturday, October 20th, 2012 at 11:00 am Compiled by Rick O'Keefe, with Dale Friedley & Jim Peterson Jimmie B. Keele Library, 2902 W. Bearss Ave., Wesley Chapel, FL Click for the MAP Dates/times may change due to unforeseen reasons, Topic: Censorship–Past, Present, & Future. Check for more events + details on the Coalition of Reason Web site at: With Frank Prahl http://tampabay.unitedcor.org/tampabay/ Joint CFI & Brandon Atheists—BRANDON CFI Skeptics/Humanists Social–DUNEDIN Starts Sunday night, October 14th, at 7:00 PM Monday, October 22nd, 6:00 PM Location: The Brass Tap, 775 Brandon Town Center, Brandon, FL Café Alfresco, 344 Main Street, Dunedin, FL 34698 map: RSVP to Kathryn before Friday, October.12th, noon. The Brandon Atheists are a fun and friendly social-only group (no Map, menu, etc. Our monthly Dunedin gathering is a congenial affair, with far- divisive activism). So, if you want good conversation and a choice of 400+ craft beers, visit our monthly joint evening of freethought ranging discussions and good humor. Join us! Voted "Best enjoyment. Ask the host for the Brandon Atheists table. Restaurant on the Pinellas Trail 2009" by Tampa Bay Magazine. RSVP is required if you are coming so we can reserve enough space. Seating is limited to 12! Click here before noon, Oct. 21 The Suncoast Humanist Society (Sunday) ([email protected] ). Countryside Library, 2741 S.R 580 . Saturday, Oct. 6th at 2 PM THA German Beer Night–NEW TAMPA/USF This is an open session discussing “The On hiatus for now- Check back next month. Humanist Approach to the Issues of our Times”. See page 3 Location: Mr. Dunderbak's Beer Garden, 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa Fl. 33613 (813) 977-4104 Come and enjoy German Brandon–CFI Skeptic/Humanist Mixer food and a wide variety of beers with your fellow freethinkers. Ghengis Grill 910 Providence Ave. Brandon FL. Sunday October 21st at 3:30 PM. Details: http://www.meetup.com/CFI-Tampa-Bay/ Americans United for Separation of Church & State will have its annual meeting in March. Details forthcoming. RSVP to Carl at (813) 661-0633 or here. UU Clearwater Humanists Art Film Meetup: Sunday, October 21, at 12:30, for it's monthly meeting Dale Friedley hosts a showing/discussion of: at Unitarian-Universalist Clearwater. The presentation Great Existential Cinema will be a TED Talk with Jonathan Haidt: "The Real Friday, Oct. 5, at 6:45 PM Difference Between Liberals and Conservatives". Eckerd College Miller Auditorium, 4200 54th Ave. S. A discussion will follow the presentation. St. Petersburg FL Map RSVP: [email protected] For information, contact Bill Norsworthy (687-9867) or Mark Brandt (560-0971) or [email protected]. All are welcome. October Social Dinner for the Humanist Society Tampa Bay Thinkers Discussion Group at the Salt Rock Grill on Sunday October 21st at 5:00pm. CARROLLWOOD CULTURAL CENTER This fine but inexpensive restaurant is located at 19325 Gulf Monday October 15th at 6:30 pm RSVP at Web site. Blvd in Indian Shores. See details on Page 4. They Don’t Want Some of You to Vote will be discussed in depth. Details can be seen on our Meetup site. If you will be going, please bring a potluck snack, or Tampa Bay Skeptics Quarterly Meeting picnic-type treat. Click for details. Saturday, Sept. 29, 11 a.m. Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Rd, Carrollwood, FL 33618 (NW Tampa) UU Clearwater Humanists hosts Click for a MAP to the Center. Nobel Laureate Sir Harry Kroto Sunday, Sept. 30, 12:30 p.m. UU Clearwater Humanist Families of Tampa Bay For information, contact Bill Norsworthy Family outings and other activities are ongoing. (687-9867) or Mark Brandt (560-0971) or For more information, see our Facebook page Here [email protected]. All are welcome. Café Philo–philosophical discussion group in Tampa at Dale Mabry Barnes & Noble See Web site for more info. Need Psychological Counseling? For a secular therapist, click: Click to register for next year 3 A Socratic society dedicated to the proposition that the fully examined life is well worth living. Associate organization of the Humanists of Florida, the AHA, COR, and CSH. Find us at www.suncoasthumanist.com Volume 20 No. 10 October, 2012 What is the Humanist Approach There are 45 days until the elections. A community discussion to the issues of our times? What is the condition of our state, country, world, and universe? The common We need to use every one of those days making sure people aren't media are awhirl with conflict and controversy on many questions. We do not intimidated into not voting or propose any singular solutions, nor an easy way out of our multiple dilemmas.