What we’re about
The Humanist Community in Silicon Valley was established in 1962 and is a chartered chapter of the American Humanist Association. We have a long tradition of promoting humanist values while providing interesting educational programs and fun, friendly social events for our members.
Check out our WEBSITE, like us on FACEBOOK, and follow us on TWITTER (@HumanistCommSV).
Our main event is the Sunday Forum which features a different speaker each Sunday discussing a topic of interest. A wide variety of topics are covered from week to week. Forums are held in various locations from 11am until 12:15pm. Look at each individual Forum listing to see where it is being held.
A buffet lunch follows the Forum at 12:30pm. Lunch is free for first time visitors and students. Otherwise we ask for a donation of $10. If you can't afford that, please give what you can, and join us for good food and even better conversation.
NOTE: Approximately 30 to 40 people attend the Forum each Sunday. Because Forums happen every Sunday, most of our members do not RSVP on Meetup, so don't let our RSVP count fool you.
Other weekly programs include the Free Thought Discussion Group (http://www.humanists.org/blog/free-thought-...) every Wednesday night at 7:30pm, and the Academic Video Group (http://www.humanists.org/blog/academic-vide...) every Thursday night at 8pm.
Monthly events include a Potluck, workshops (see the calendar for classes and schedules), and our Fun Group (www.humanists.org/blog/fun-group), which organizes a "fun" activity around the first of each month.
We hope to welcome you soon to the Sunday Forum or one of our other events. If you would like to suggest a topic for our Forum series, please send a message to the organizers (Brian and/or Matt Courtney). We would love to help you share your enthusiasm for a topic, a speaker, a social action project, a fun outing, etc., with other community members.
Humanists have more fun... together!
See you soon!
Brian
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Frans de Waal, the Evolution of Morality, and the Origin of ReligionLink visible for attendees
Join Mitchell Diamond in person OR online.
Perhaps the most popular explanation for the origin and purpose of religion is that it enhances social cohesion and group cooperation. Mitchell Diamond, who spoke to the Humanist Community in January about the Evolutionary Biology of Religion, presents a short video of the primatologist Frans de Waal describing his research that explores morality and empathy in non-human animals. Diamond then reviews ways some academics invoke religion to explain the development of morality, social cohesion, and cooperation in human societies. He finishes by examining the relationship between morality, empathy, and other social cohesion mechanisms in animals and similar features in humans.
Diamond received a BA in biology with a focus on behavioral and evolutionary biology. He has extensively researched the popular cognitive science of religion theories and found an explanation for the evolution of religion that better fits the evidence. He’s given talks to many of the atheist and freethinker groups in Northern California and has appeared on atheist podcasts including The Atheist Experience with Tracie Harris.
Here's the short Mitchell will present:
Moral Behavior in Animals — https://youtu.be/GcJxRqTs5nk
----------
Attend in Person:On the first and third Sunday of the month, such as this Sunday, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation for lunch.
If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. COVID protocols will be followed. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.# ----------
Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, go to:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81653890712?pwd=QzN4MTVNbGEwQ0Zua3d1VG9tVE50UT09
No password is needed -- our host will admit you from the waiting room.
Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it's not already installed), and then take you to the meeting.You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smart phone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634Join the meeting by phone. +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
Find an international phone number to call here:
https://zoom.us/u/afYkAuvE6***
Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar: webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY
Add this event to your Google calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/event...
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/
RSVP on Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/300760103/
Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter: https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1785711511211814941
Humanist Community website: http://www.humanists.org/blog/2024-05-05/
Videos of previous forums: https://vimeo.com/hcsv/
To help our Forum series continue, please consider making a donation or becoming a member (http://www.humanists.org/blog/membership/)) of the Humanist Community.
***
If you would like to speak at a Humanist Forum, or know someone who would, or there is a topic you think we should discuss, please let us know by emailing vp@humanists.org or havasy@live.com.
- Academic Video Group - Online MeetingLink visible for attendees
We are meeting online via Zoom. If you wish to join us, please sign up for the meeting, and the zoom link will be available on the right panel.
This Week:
4 April - Steven Pinker's Blueprint for Academic Renewal - The Contrarian S01E01 - 44:50
In this riveting episode of The Contrarian, host David Bernstein sits down with acclaimed psychologist and advocate for intellectual freedom, Steven Pinker. Together, they delve into the pressing issues facing academia today, from the stifling of dissenting voices to the need for greater intellectual diversity. Pinker shares his insights on the challenges of navigating ideological echo chambers and offers bold solutions for revitalizing academic discourse. Drawing from his extensive research and personal experiences, Pinker provides a compelling vision for a more open, inclusive, and intellectually vibrant academic environment. Don't miss this thought-provoking discussion on The Contrarian.
http://www.humanists.org/blog/academic-videos/s/Again, if you wish to join us, please sign up for the meeting, and the zoom link will be available on the right panel.