About us
WELCOME!
HSGP is a warm and welcoming community of people with open minds and lots of questions. While we have a lot of diverse opinions and interests, we are accepting and tolerant of differing ideas and positions. While non-belief in the supernatural brought many of us together, our belief in the essential goodness of humanity and dedication to open discussion keeps us together and helps us grow. We have only one life and we strive to make it a good one for ourselves and for others. We are home to people with a wide range of beliefs and positions such as: humanists, atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, and Nones. That covers a lot of ground!
In addition to our Facebook group, we offer a variety of activities to support our Humanist goals and we are always looking for more ways to socialize, learn, and help others. We have a community center near downtown Mesa! Be sure to check us out at our Game nights, Sunday Speaker meetings, or other events.
To learn more, go to our website at [www.HSGP.org](http://www.hsgp.org/). There you will find more information about HSGP and our scheduled events. If you are not a member, please consider becoming a paid member. Your support keeps the building open and the activities running. If you’re not ready to commit to a membership, please join us at one of our free and open to the public events where we hope you will find like-minded individuals. Thank you and we look forward to meeting you!
About Humanism (from the American Humanist Association)
Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
Alex Zygmunt
President, HSGP
Visit our website at www.hsgp.org
See our Code of Conduct Policy Here.
Upcoming events
327
Sunday Speaker: Human Purpose in the Age of AI - Anoop Grewal
Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix, 627 W Rio Salado Pkwy, Mesa, AZ, USSunday Speaker Topic: Human Purpose in the Age of AI - Anoop Grewal
As AI becomes capable of doing more of the work through which people have traditionally found identity, status, and purpose, a question emerges: What makes a human life meaningful despite and/or with AI? Drawing on philosophy and responses from students, educators, and community members, this talk explores how we might rethink dignity, contribution, and human flourishing in the age of AI.
For much of modern life, the question “What do you do?” has served as a shorthand for something much larger: Who are you?
Work does far more than provide income. It can give us structure, identity, social recognition, relationships, and the feeling that we are useful to others. Philosopher Andrea Veltman argues that meaningful work can be an important part of human flourishing. Yet David Graeber’s critique of “bullshit jobs” reminds us that employment and meaningful contribution are not the same thing. Hannah Arendt goes further, distinguishing between labor, work, and action, and suggesting that human life has always contained forms of meaning that extend far beyond economic production.
Artificial intelligence is making us revisit at least some of these questions!
If machines become capable of performing more cognitive, creative, administrative, and technical work, what happens to societies that have tied dignity and identity so closely to productivity? If fewer hours of human labor are eventually needed, will people experience that as liberation, loss, or some combination of both?
To explore these questions, I am also asking students, educators, colleagues, and others how they understand purpose in their own lives; and then presenting the findings. What gives them a sense of meaning? How much of their identity comes from work or study? What would they miss if they no longer needed to work for income? And if AI took over more economically valuable tasks, what would they want to spend more of their lives doing?This talk asks whether AI might force us to separate two ideas we have long treated as together/related work and having a purpose.
If productivity becomes less central to human identity, perhaps meaning will need to be found more deliberately in relationships, creativity, learning, caregiving, service, civic participation, curiosity, stewardship, and contribution to a shared world.Bio:
Anoop Grewal is a Teaching Professor in Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, with a research background in robotics, dynamics, and control and then joined ASU in 2014.His primary professional focus is engineering education, particularly experiential and project-based learning, student mentorship, and human-centered engineering. His courses emphasize hands-on, open-ended projects that rely on teamwork, problem-solving, real-world application, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
Please Note:
Doors open at 9:00 am for optional buffet breakfast ($10 donation) and socializing. Speaker program begins at 10:00 am.Important: $10 breakfast fee waived for awesome humans bringing in food to share!
If you can help with set-up, clean-up, and/or by bringing a breakfast casserole, please go to SignUpGenius Here.
A Children's Program is available during the Speaker Meeting. Please check the Meetup listing for details and to RSVP for your kids.
Prefer to join us remotely?
YouTube: You can watch live (15 second delay), or you can watch later. Link Here
Need help? Email humanist@hsgp.org before the day of this meeting.The Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix presents its Sunday Speaker meetings twice a month on Sunday mornings. Meetings are free and open to the public.
**Go to our YouTube channel to see past meetings, presentations, and interviews. Please become a subscriber--it's free! Link Here
**We invite you to become a dues-paying member of HSGP. To become a member or make a donation, go to www.hsgp.org24 attendees
SMART Recovery Support Group - Mondays
Humanist Community Center, 627 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Mesa, AZ, USAre you or somebody you know suffering from an addiction to a substance or behavior? Are you looking for a secular support group for those addictions?
We all know about other 12-step groups and the lack of a scientific basis for support, but what about programs for the non-believer? Introducing, SMART recovery!
There are meetings every Monday and Tuesday. This event is free and open to the public.
Our Purpose
To support individuals who are struggling with addictive behaviors (substances or activities), as well as the concerned significant others of people who struggle with addictions. Our program is evidence based, and helps participants build and maintain motivation, cope with urges, manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and live a balanced life. Our facilitator is also trained in assisting family members. We focus on learning how to help without "enabling", how to set boundaries, and discussing self-care activities.Our Approach
- Teaches self-empowerment and self-reliance.
- Encourages individuals to recover and live satisfying lives.
- Teaches tools and techniques for self-directed change.
- Meetings are educational and include open discussions.
- Advocates the appropriate use of prescribed medications and psychological treatments.
- Evolves as scientific knowledge of addiction recovery evolves. If you wish to attend but prefer to RSVP confidentially, send a Meetup Message to one of our hosts. Need to know more? Check out their videos: SMART Recovery
See you there!
• Important to know
You may RSVP on this page, as usual, or you may choose to send a private message to the facilitator, Sadie Jane. To do so click on their picture below. Note that it is unnecessary to RSVP.If you have any questions or would like additional information, you can contact the facilitator (Sadie Jane) on their cell phone at 602-303-2012 or email them at mesasmartrecovery@gmail.com.
2 attendees
Discord Monday Evening Social
·OnlineOnlineTopic: Discord Monday Evening Social!
Time: Every Monday, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Arizona Time (MST)
Here is a community HSGP social event for you if you don’t live close to the Center, and no Zoom events fit your work schedule. This is an opportunity to meet people and take advantage of the free HSGP Discord Server which provides Voice, Video, and Text opportunities to interact socially with other humanists.
The Discord service is similar to Zoom, but no “host” is required for you to use it in a group setting. There is no 45 minute time limit without a Zoom host with a paid account. Groups can meet as long as they want whenever they want for free. In this regard, an ad hoc group can choose to get together on Discord any time two or more people show up to talk.
Here is the larger view of how to do it and get into the Discord Server:
Details
Topic: Discord Monday Evening Social!
Time: Every Monday, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Arizona Time (MST)
Note that the Attendees list won’t necessarily reflect the number of participants. This is a new activity and will be growing. Everybody is respectful of each other and everyone gets to talk more than enough. The facilitator will act as a moderator, but no Host is actually required. This event will be using our Discord server which does not require anyone to pay for the Zoom service, and there is no time limit as there would be on the free version of Zoom.For those not on Discord already, here are the Discord Registration instructions:
Registration for a Discord account is relatively easy, you can have a username that doesnothave to be your real name (you can also have different Nicknames on different servers and change them at any time). You will have to provide Discord a valid email account which you have access to from any computer or phone you will be using to login to the discord server. No one on Discord has access to this email address and you will not be spammed by Discord or any businesses. Discord uses the email to confirm you are the one using the account any time you login from a new device or to send you notifications if someone has named you in a posting.
To create an account simply access Discord at https://discord.com . If you want to just use your browser to register or later to get into the Discord system select “Login” (note: this page also allows you to download the application to install on your computer or phone). If you are logging in, at the Login screen you will provide your valid email and password. If this is a first time login you may be told that an email is being sent to you that you will use to confirm you are really you, otherwise you will be allowed into the Discord system. If you need to register for an account you will see a link on the Login screen that says “Need an account? Register”. You will select this to set up your account.You will be asked several questions including what you want to use as a username (does not have to be your real name), your valid email address, setting a password and a few others. Simply respond as appropriate. After you are registered you will be allowed to Login.
Once you are inside of Discord, you will need to add a server. Select the + symbol on the far left which starts “Add a Server”. You will see several options and at the bottom you will see and can select “Join a Server.” At the top of the next window you will enter the Invitation link which is https://discord.gg/c4PT5sJTrw and this will put you in the Virtual Library channel of the HSGP Discord Server. As you get used to Discord you may find other servers that are of interest as well (the American Humanist Association also has a Discord server).
If this is your first time accessing the HSGP Server you will have to wait 10 minutes before you can “connect” to the voice channel, or post any text in the HSGP Discord Server. You may see a “countdown timer” that shows you when the 10 minutes has completed. You will not experience this on subsequent visits.
You simply click on the Virtual Library after the 10 minute limit has lapsed to join the voice channel and once you are in you can also turn on your video camera if you so desire via a camera symbol in the lower left (use of a camera is not required). Note: you may also see a notification that Discord needs to access your microphone and you will need to accept that request.
The little Gear symbol on Discord is a place where you can set or check a number of items. It is good to be familiar with “Voice and Video” which allows you to test those items and change settings if you want to. Things like Push to Talk for you microphone can be set here.
Also you should become familiar with your Profile since this is where you set things like a different name you want to be known by on a Server by Server basis, Password changes, and it also lets you supply a picture for your avatar (a picture of you or some artwork, otherwise you will have a generic avatar which is fine).
For those who are already Discord users, here are the instructions for adding the HSGP server.
You will add the HSGP Discord Server by selecting the + symbol on the far left which starts “Add a Server”. You will see several options, and at the bottom you will select “Join a Server.” At the top of the next window you will enter the Invitation link which is https://discord.gg/c4PT5sJTrw and this will put you in the Virtual Library channel of the HSGP Discord Server.
If this is your first time accessing the HSGP Server you will have to wait 10 minutes before you can “connect” to the voice channel, or post any text in the HSGP Discord Server. You may see a “countdown timer” that shows you when the 10 minutes has completed. You will not experience this on subsequent visits.For those who are already HSGP Discord users, simply select the Virtual Library to join the conversation.
In case of difficulty please contact: Curtis.Eickerman@cox.net
3 attendees
Past events
6535
