Seattle Atheist Church

Let's get together before church and discuss this week's passages from The Daily Stoic! Each day of the year has a corresponding "devotional reading" (so to speak). Each week we discuss the readings since our previous meeting, from the previous Monday through the Sunday of the meeting, and share what resonated with us, what we found profound, and what insights we can apply to what's going on in our lives.

Each reading is about 3 minutes long. They're all self-contained, so you don't need to worry about catching up - feel free to jump in on any week's session!

There are a lot of messed up and dangerous things happening in our country right now, and many of our fundamental rights are threatened. People all over the country are facing old threats we hoped we would never see again. Those of us in Washington have the privilege of living in a very liberal state, but even here our medical care is threatened and our legislators are fighting to keep us safe from the abuse of power now being sanctioned by the higher levels of our government. This is an overwhelming and scary time, and it can be hard to engage with, even enough to find out what can be done for you or by you. I have searched out and collated information about what we might do and how we might do it, and what resources exist for us and for others. During this talk I will address the following questions:

What resources are available for us and for others during this time of political upheaval and removal of rights? What resources can we provide? What are some specific pieces of guidance for action we can take? How can we engage in-person/out in the world? What can we do remotely if we aren't able to go out in person? What kinds of support can we offer if we don't have the mental, emotional, or physical bandwidth to engage on a regular basis? What steps can we take to keep ourselves safe going forward?

My goal is to provide concrete guidance and resources -- this talk will be focused on action and support, not on a deep-dive into the details of our political trauma. That said: there will, of necessity, be discussion of mistreatment and legal threat, so please listen with that content warning in mind. I will be posting a list of resources and links in the Discord after the talk, so there will be information available even if one cannot attend. Please take care of yourselves, your wellbeing is important. <3
This week's speaker will be AshePhoenix.

After the talk, we'll have a group discussion to explore the ideas presented, and to share related thoughts, resources, and personal experiences.

Let's get together before church and discuss this week's passages from The Daily Stoic! Each day of the year has a corresponding "devotional reading" (so to speak). Each week we discuss the readings since our previous meeting, from the previous Monday through the Sunday of the meeting, and share what resonated with us, what we found profound, and what insights we can apply to what's going on in our lives.

Each reading is about 3 minutes long. They're all self-contained, so you don't need to worry about catching up - feel free to jump in on any week's session!

Courage is one of the 4 Stoic Virtues, and "Courage is Calling" is Ryan Holiday's book about courage in his Stoic Virtues series. Here's Amazon's description of the book:

Almost every religion, spiritual practice, philosophy and person grapples with fear. The most repeated phrase in the Bible is “Be not afraid.” The ancient Greeks spoke of phobos, panic and terror. It is natural to feel fear, the Stoics believed, but it cannot rule you. Courage, then, is the ability to rise above fear, to do what’s right, to do what’s needed, to do what is true. And so it rests at the heart of the works of Marcus Aurelius, Aristotle, and CS Lewis, alongside temperance, justice, and wisdom.

In Courage Is Calling, Ryan Holiday breaks down the elements of fear, an expression of cowardice, the elements of courage, an expression of bravery, and lastly, the elements of heroism, an expression of valor. Through engaging stories about historic and contemporary leaders, including Charles De Gaulle, Florence Nightingale, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Holiday shows you how to conquer fear and practice courage in your daily life.

This week's speaker will be Jack.

After the talk, we'll have a group discussion to explore the ideas presented, and to share related thoughts, resources, and personal experiences.