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!

This week we’ll be checking out a video from the broad selection of atheist and secular creators on YouTube: CGP's video adaptation of Nick Bostrom's allegory titled "The Fable of the Dragon Tyrant". In this fable, Bostrom presents a society that has long accepted the tyranny of a dragon that demands a sacrifice each year, symbolizing the inevitability of death and the complacency that often accompanies it. This video will challenge us to reflect on mortality, the human condition, and the moral implications of our choices in the face of existential threats.

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!

This week is our next installment of Atheist YouTube! We'll be watching the video "The pattern behind self-deception | Michael Shermer" from the channel TED.

Here's the description they gave for this video:

http://www.ted.com Michael Shermer says the human tendency to believe strange things -- from alien abductions to dowsing rods -- boils down to two of the brain's most basic, hard-wired survival skills. He explains what they are, and how they get us into trouble.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

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