Glass Half Full Taproom - September Meetup

Time: 7PM - Whenever
Location: Glass Half Full Tap Room (at Alamo - Lakeline)
14028 US-183 Building F, Austin, TX 78717

NOTE: Meetup only allows me to list 10 guests on the free plan. If the meetup is full, PLEASE STILL COME. Just post a comment to let me know you're coming.

If you're an Atheist, Agnostic, Skeptic, going through the process of deconstruction, or simply questioning your faith and want to hang out with some awesome people, come on out to our February meetup!

There is generally no major agenda, though this month I do have a discussion topic to get things started:

Discussion Topic: Belief - A choice, or a conviction?
Do we choose what we believe, or do we simply find ourselves believing whatever we are ultimately convinced is true?

Consider a belief you currently hold strongly. Could you decide, right now, to genuinely believe the opposite?
For example, could you simply choose to believe that:

• God exists, if you're currently an atheist?
• God does not exist, if you're currently religious?
• The Earth is flat, if you know it is round?
• Your favorite sports team is actually terrible, if you're convinced they're great?

If you can’t simply choose to believe something, what does that mean for religious belief?

### Questions to discuss

1. Can you intentionally choose to believe something you genuinely don't believe?
2. If belief isn't voluntary, can someone be morally blamed for holding a false or irrational belief?
3. If you can't choose your beliefs, can you choose to investigate evidence differently and thereby change what you believe?
4. Is "just have faith" actually asking someone to make a choice they aren't capable of making?
5. Does this apply equally to atheists and religious believers?
6. If someone is sincerely unconvinced that God exists, what would it even mean to tell them to "choose God"?
7. Are we responsible for our beliefs because we are responsible for the process that produces them?
8. If belief isn't a choice, does that change how we should think about religious disagreement?

Our regular meetup starts at 7PM and we usually just chat over drinks and food (though there is no pressure to order anything.)

Look forward to seeing all you regulars (and hopefully some new faces too!)