Rocky Mountain Atheists

RMA Coffee Chat is an enjoyable, unstructured, afternoon conversation. Anyone can introduce an idea or ask a question and the group will jump in and discuss it. You never know where the conversation will go but it is always interesting and sometimes even educational. Join us and add your two-cents-worth.

Skeptics in the Pub Calgary has been running monthly since 2008! We started presenting monthly topics in 2018, and many members of our community have either presented or suggested great topics. There is plenty of time to mingle and meet other atheists, humanists, skeptics, and overall great people.

Agenda: we will mix and mingle until about 7:30, then have a 20 minute presentation on a topic of interest, followed by group discussion.

Topic: Psychics and Magic Tricks

Description: Join us as some of our members wow you with their magic tricks, then explain how they work! Learn some of the deceptions used by psychics and mentalists, and keep an eye out for an appearance from our resident psychic, Claire V. Oyance!

A note about respectful behaviour:

We are an inclusive community of atheists, humanists, skeptics and secular freethinkers who welcome people of all backgrounds and identities.

We won't all agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for disrespectful behavior. Disagreements should be resolved in a constructive manner and without personal attacks. Challenge ideas not people. Do not insult or put down other participants. Harassment and other exclusionary behavior aren’t acceptable.

WeCanReason Webinar - From Church Graveyards to Country Clubs: Changing Preferences for End of Life Rituals with Chris Miller

For centuries, religion has shaped the way by which people approach death. In addition to shaping beliefs around what happens after we die, religions traditionally describe what rituals we might carry out just before and just after death. With growing numbers of people no longer affiliating with religion, how does this change the rituals people carry out to make sense of death? This presentation reflects on the changing ritual landscape over the last century, and explores emerging preferences for memorializing life in ways that are more personalized and meaningful.

About the Speaker:
Chris Miller is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Ottawa, and a contributor to the Nonreligion in a Complex Future project. His current projects explore death, dying, and nonreligion, or more specifically, how religious transformation in society impacts the way that people make sense of death. As a member of the Repairing Sociality, Safeguarding Democracy research team, his work also explores how people build trust and cooperation through everyday interactions. In his spare time, he likes to travel, garden, and explore the wildlife of Toronto.