We have the conference room for the rest of 2023. When you enter, turn right, then left as soon as able. Take the first door to your right to enter room.
Our last August 17th meeting had 19 attendees. (Picture Above). All parties enjoyed a nice meal and drinks and getting to know each other with our circle of introductions!
If by some chance we have less than 8 RSVP's, a day or two before event (hasn't happened yet in the past year!), our private room reservation may be canceled. If that happens, please follow instructions below:
Please wait for other parties at front desk for a shared booth. Either I and/or Salem Smith will be there and will wait to 6:30 pm to see if any late comers show.
We have 2 starter topics:
1st - We will continue with the topic we ended with at our last meeting: "What's the Limit of Free Speech and Privacy issues?" For those who showed interest in this discussion and have supporting documents, please send me the links to secularworld @aol.com or text links to me at 360-510-2501. I will post them here as soon as I get them from you!
2nd - Clyde saw a fascinating 1 hour and 14 minute 2021 Documentary on Netflix - I believe it is worthy of discussion. Details:
BREAKING BOUNDARIES: The Science of Our Planet, (On Netflix)
1 hr 14 minutes, 2021 Film,
David Attenbourough and scientist Johan Rockstrom examines Earth's biodiversity collapse and how this crisis can still be averted.
Our Democratic Circle of Conversation:
Rather than I pre-selecting in advance the Topic of the day, we will have impromtu topics suggested by attendees and vote. We could also pre-vote for next month's meeting a topic and the person who suggested it will send me in advance of future meeting a typed intro by email or text with links to resources, readings and/or on line videos for members to view in advance of the next meeting. These will be included in future meeting posts.
In absense of a pre-planned discussion described in above paragraph, we will introduce ourselves and our passions of life and also share what we'd like our group to discuss today (2 minutes or less per person). The moderator will then ask on the next go around for members to select someone else's topic of choice; they cannot select their own unless by coincidence someone else brought up the same topic. We will have a brief discussion and vote on what the 1st topic of the day will be, and if there's time, topic 2 and topic 3 as back-ups to fill our time.
This is an evolving process and I will gladly accept suggestions to improve the process, quality and enjoyment of meeting for all, if possible!
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We encourage attendees to share their life story that lead their journey to the 'Land of Freethought', Free Inquiry and Skepticism towards cultural norms, traditions and stories.
Freethought ecourages creative solutions, but then this group uses reason, evidence and the scientific method as the only reliable means to prune down answers to our probing questions and common sense solutions to humanity's current problems.
If you wish to challenge this underlying assumption of the scientific method as the only reliable means to approximate reality, please feel free to join us and explain other methods at deriving "truth". We pride ourselves as freethinkers, open to rethink our stance, but not so open that our brains fall out!
Unsurprisingly, we would anticipate a rational explanation backed up by evidence (humm - catch 22? Unwittingly use the Scientific Method to validate other methods of knowing?)
Suggestions for future meeting's starter topics are encouraged. If you have a book that you have finished and are prepared to share it with us or want to suggest a topic, feel free to comment below, message Monty Vonn at secularworld@aol.com, and if approved (most likely) we will include it in a future announcement and perhaps give you up to 20 minutes to share and to open for discussion.
See you there!
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WE DO HAVE THE "Quiet" CONFERENCE ROOM for the rest of 2023, reserved for the third Thursday of every month, but to hold them we need at least 8 people to show, otherwise it is my duty to call Bob's Burger and Brew to cancel room reservation a few days earlier.
Have dinner, conversation and your favorite beer (or beverage of your choice) with other skeptics from Bellingham and beyond!
Tom Kearney & Monty Vonn
Co-coordinators
