Ethical Humanism

Join us for a deep dive into Christian doctrine through the lens of the Bible. This evening sessions will provide a unique opportunity to explore key theological concepts, discuss spiritual growth strategies, and enhance your understanding of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Whether you are new to Christianity or a seasoned believer, this event is designed to enrich your faith journey and strengthen your relationship with God. This meetup is open to all members of the DMV Bible Study Meetup Group, regardless of age or background. Come prepared to engage in meaningful discussions, ask questions, and connect with fellow Christians in a supportive and welcoming community. Let's grow in faith together as we delve into the timeless wisdom found in the scriptures.

**Tired of surface-level conversations?** Join us for *Ditch the Small Talk*—an evening of deep, real connection with strangers who are down to go there. We’ll meet at the church (we are a secular group), break into small groups, and draw questions from a deck of cards designed to spark vulnerable, honest conversations. ***Rules:*** 1. Don't debate politics. 2. Keep what is shared in the group within the group. 3. If you need to use your phone, step away from your group first. \*\*If you show up late, please hop into a group and don't interrupt the speaker. Just sit down in a group of your choice, and they'll bring you up to speed when whoever is talking finishes. Community of Christ church: 3526 Massachusetts Ave.

PLEASE CHECK THE ONLINE MEDITATION CALENDAR FOR DETAILS OF THESE MORE THAN 50 SERVICES A WEEK- https://onlinemeditation.yogananda.org/calendar/

This feature tells the true story of Shakespeare’s *Macbeth* performed by an all-Black cast in 1936. Under a New Deal program to support arts organizations, the funding of this project by the Negro Theater Unit in Harlem was controversial, and complications arose as efforts to attract and retain suitable actors and crew floundered. The most serious obstacle to the play’s success was the obsessive and superstitious nature of its young first-time director: Orson Welles. The screenplay is derived from actual events as recalled by ten directors, eight writers, and three producers who either contributed to or witnessed the production. ■ Title — *Voodoo Macbeth* ■ Directors — Dagmawi Abebe, Victor Alonso-Berbel ■ Cast — Inger Tudor, Jewell Wilson Bridges, June Schreiner ■ Unrated, suitable for teens and adults ■ ©2021 \| 1h 48m \| Drama ■ Watch it free with ads on Fandango: https://athome.fandango.com/content/browse/details/Voodoo-Macbeth/2189918 ■ Watch it free with ads on Fawesome: https://fawesome.tv/movies/10602305/voodoo-macbeth ■ Watch it free with ads on Filmzie: https://filmzie.com/content/voodoo-macbeth-2021 ■ Watch it free with ads on Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/100010106/voodoo-macbeth ■ Available free without ads to Kanopy subscribers (details below): https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/13858661 ■ Available free without ads to Hoopla subscribers: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/16151789 ■ Kanopy streaming service is available free to holders of DC library cards. DC libraries will issue cards to residents of Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, and other nearby areas. Visit any branch to obtain your card. Kanopy is also provided free to Loudoun County library card holders who live, work, or study in Loudoun County. ■ As with most of our online features, you can watch this one whenever you like. Members who watch at the scheduled time may enjoy exchanging comments with other members on this page. If you post a comment before the show, please avoid spoilers. Comments posted after the show may contain any content, but Oddball Cinema encourages members to always avoid spoilers unless there’s some particularly important details you need to mention. ■ Many of the movies on our online events from as far back as March 2020 are still available for viewing. However, titles sometimes move from one streaming service to another. If you find that the links on an old event no longer work, you can search for the current providers of any title here: https://justwatch.com

Learn the key to vibrant health! Join and share in the camaraderie with others that are claiming their good health and have the same need for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This one-hour overview describes a seven-day program to cleanse and detoxify the mind, body, and spirit. Learn a structured approach to maintaining good health and new ways to renew and recharge. The wellness program is part of a seven-day process with two days of pre- and post-cleansing activities and three days of liquid cleansing with herbal teas, fresh juices, and hearty vegetable broths. This is a great way to start your new weight or health management program. The Conference Call phone details: 267 930 4000 Passcode 768113964# The overview begins at 6PM

Come out to [Third Hill Brewing Company](https://www.thirdhillbrewing.com/) and play some board games! Serving food with their variety of drinks so come and fuel up for the games. Learn about new games, play games, meet new friends, and have a good time! All ages and levels of experience/knowledge of games are welcome as long as you have a willingness to learn and/or teach your games. Host will provide some games but as always, you are welcome/encouraged to bring your own (recommended you know them and/or ready to teach them). Please be aware that there is no direct parking but there is nearby parking garages. **NTBG** is a safe environment for all to have fun. Bullying/harassment is not tolerated.

Please join us for our next **Friday gathering** on **March 6, 2026** for an evening of warm fellowship and insightful discussion. We'll start at **7:00 pm** with **refreshments** at the **Alexandria Bahá’í Center**. The discussion will begin at 7:30 p.m. on **One Human Family.** One Human Family is a core tenet of the Bahá'í Faith, expressing the fundamental belief in the oneness of humanity. This principle calls us to recognize the essential unity of the human race and to work toward eliminating prejudices of race, class, gender, and nationality. In our increasingly interconnected yet divided world, this teaching is more vital than ever—it challenges us to move beyond superficial differences and build a global civilization founded on justice, equality, and shared purpose. The presentation will be led by Trisha Irons, a member of the Alexandria Bahá'í community who enjoys volunteering her time working with families in many community-building activities.

**\| Two Strong Wings: Advancing the Equality of Women & Men** *** **Can humanity truly reach its full potential without all of its members being free to reach and contribute their all? Is equality a tug of war where one side gains at another’s expense? Does empowering women require taking opportunities away from men, or does it actually strengthen the whole and create more opportunities and a better world for everyone?** **If a bird has one broken wing, it isn’t able to fly or live a full and healthy life. Could this same thinking apply to the balance of men and women? The two wings of a bird do not fight for power, strength or dominance. Both wings need to be of equal strength for the bird to soar. Can humanity truly advance if women do not enjoy the same rights, prerogatives and opportunities as men? How can we work to ensure that we are building communities where everyone has the same opportunities to grow and develop and to contribute to the advancement of humanity together?** **Come join a different kind of conversation – one that welcomes every perspective in a search for the truths that unite us all – as we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’í Teachings on the essential equality of the sexes. Join us for a lively discussion as we explore how achieving that equality is needed for all of humanity to progress and reach its full potential.** **“The world of humanity has two wings – one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible. ” – Bahá’í Teachings** **\*\*\* This event is free and open to all regardless of background or belief. Donations will not be accepted.**

Socrates Café meets on the first Saturday of each month. Though this may be considered a "philosophical" group, there are no rules as to what is discussed. Usually, the topics revolve around social concerns, morality, and the first principles of things. Prior to each meeting we vote online for the questions we will discuss. That way, we will have enough time to ruminate on them and have more in-depth conversations. If you RSVP to a meeting, you may post your question in the event comments section below. I'll send out a survey for voting a few days prior to the meetup. We discuss two questions each night. So you will get to cast two votes in the survey. When we meet, we break into smaller groups of five to seven to discuss the top two vote-getters. Each group discusses one question for around 45-50 minutes, and we then take a short break. After reconvening, each group moves on to its second question. Hope to see you there! -Brian

**Is the "wisdom of the crowd" a real phenomenon?** In an era of deepfakes and decaying institutional trust, a new kind of "Truth Machine" is rising: **Prediction Markets**. By forcing participants to put their money where their mouths are, these markets claim to filter out bias and reward objective reality. But can we actually "bet" our way to a more rational society? Join the Fairfax Freethinkers for a deep dive into the Epistemology of Prediction Markets. We will explore how "skin in the game" might fix our broken information ecosystems—and where it might lead us into a new kind of dystopia. I bet you can't resist attending! ; ) I encourage everyone to bring food to share! ***Thoughts/Questions*:** \- Is there truth behind the wisdom of the crowd? What about the mob mentality and collective delusions? \- What are the benefits/risks of using predictive markets as an epistemic tool? \- How do human biases like tribal play a role? Can a system built on economic rationality ever truly account for our basies\, such as needing to feel right? \- Does this market simply measure knowledge/reality\, or shape it? **The Death of the Expert** \- In a decentralized market\, does a PhD matter less than a profitable portfolio? \- What are the dis/advantages of thedemocratic element to prediction markets in that they flatten expertise? Credentials\, status\, or pedigree do not matter\. Only accuracy does\. \- Does "skin in the game" filters out bias and irrationality \- What is the risk of an epistemic plutocracy \(the truth is determined by the most money\)? \- Does the move from centralized to decentralized knolwege actually bypass institutions\, or will it inevitably re\-create them? At what point does a decentralized truth machine become a centralized council of judges? **Role in Scientific Knowledge** Science is currently facing a "reproducibility crisis"—many landmark studies simply cannot be replicated. We will compare our current scientific method against a market-integrated approach: * The Current Model: Relies on peer review, institutional prestige, and "publish or perish" incentives. It is slow, prone to gatekeeping, and often rewards "interesting" results over "true" ones. * The Market Model: Uses financial "skin in the game" to validate claims. If a researcher publishes a study, others bet on its replication. If it fails, the "proposers" lose money. * The Question: Would you trust a medical study more if you knew 10,000 independent actors had bet their own money that it was true? Can a profit motive truly replace the scientific method, or does it prioritize "profitable" science over ethical research? * Currently we approach science by "blind evolution"—we throw ideas at the wall and see what sticks. If prediction markets can tell us which "crank theories" have a 10% chance of being true (versus 0.01%), should we divert all our research funding to those signals? * Can a financial market force a level of intellectual honesty that a peer-review panel cannot? **Policy and "Decision Markets"** The [NPR report](https://www.wnyc.org/story/the-problems-with-prediction-markets/) discusses how the new administration is clearing the way for people to bet on policy outcomes. Should politicians be influenced if most people predict a negative outcome of a policy? ***Podcast and Articles:*** [https://www.npr.org/2026/02/19/nx-s1-5719312/the-problems-with-prediction-markets](https://www.npr.org/2026/02/19/nx-s1-5719312/the-problems-with-prediction-markets) [https://medium.com/@devdollzai/the-epistemology-of-prediction-markets-81a79de49488](https://medium.com/@devdollzai/the-epistemology-of-prediction-markets-81a79de49488) [https://paradigmresearch.substack.com/p/prediction-markets-as-epistemic-tools?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web](https://paradigmresearch.substack.com/p/prediction-markets-as-epistemic-tools?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web) Super deep dive [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ajes.12546](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ajes.12546)

Can humanity truly reach its full potential without all of its members being free to reach and contribute their all? Is equality a tug of war where one side gains at another’s expense? Does empowering women require taking opportunities away from men, or does it actually strengthen the whole and create more opportunities and a better world for everyone? If a bird has one broken wing, it isn’t able to fly or live a full and healthy life. Could this same thinking apply to the balance of men and women? The two wings of a bird do not fight for power, strength or dominance. Both wings need to be of equal strength for the bird to soar. Can humanity truly advance if women do not enjoy the same rights, prerogatives and opportunities as men? How can we work to ensure that we are building communities where everyone has the same opportunities to grow and develop and to contribute to the advancement of humanity together? Come join a different kind of conversation – one that welcomes every perspective in a search for the truths that unite us all – as we discuss the spiritual perspective offered by the Bahá’í Teachings on the essential equality of the sexes. Join us for a lively discussion as we explore how achieving that equality is needed for all of humanity to progress and reach its full potential. *“The world of humanity has two wings – one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible. ”* – Bahá’í Teachings \*\*\* This event is free and open to all regardless of background or belief. Donations will not be accepted.

**Join us in Falls Church for conversations that go beyond small talk.** Higher Grounds – Falls Church is where this growing network of gatherings began: a space for thoughtful, authentic dialogue about what matters most. Whether we’re exploring the nature of happiness, the challenges and possibilities of midlife, spirituality, culture, capitalism, parenting, or the role of art and travel in a meaningful life, every conversation is shaped by the people in the room. There’s no set leader or rigid agenda—just a shared commitment to listen as much as we speak. We start with brief introductions focused on what makes you *you* (not your LinkedIn bio), then dive straight into whatever is on people’s minds. The direction of each meetup emerges organically, making every event unique. MANDATORY: PLEASE REVIEW OUR COMMUNITY GUIDELINES IN THE GROUP DESCRIPTION. Everyone is expected to engage in respectful conversations and listen deeply as well as share. We have a zero tolerance policy of sexual harassment and hate speech. Come ready to share, reflect, and connect with others in Falls Church who are also seeking deeper conversations. **Suggested Questions: Life Stages & Transitions** 1. What did you think you'd have figured out by now that you're still completely winging? 2. When did you realize your parents' advice was for a world that no longer exists? 3. What are you finally old enough to stop pretending to care about? **Suggested Questions: Identity After the Roles** 1. Who are you when nobody needs anything from you? 2. What dream keeps resurfacing even though the "practical" time has passed? 3. How do you handle having the freedom you always said you wanted? **Suggested Questions: AI & Being Human** 1. What human experiences will AI never truly understand? 2. If machines handled all your have-to's, what would you actually do? 3. What becomes more precious as everything becomes automated? **Suggested Questions: Belief & Meaning** 1. What certainties have you given up, and what rushed in to fill that space? 2. How has knowing someone who died changed how you live? 3. What do you believe now that would shock your younger self? **Suggested Questions: The Modern Psyche** 1. What anxiety do you carry that previous generations didn't have? 2. Which of your survival strategies are you ready to retire? 3. What uncomfortable truth about happiness did it take you years to accept? **Suggested Questions: Work & Purpose** 1. When did you stop believing that your job would complete you? 2. What would you do for work if money and status weren't factors? 3. How has your definition of "making it" changed over the years? **Suggested Questions: Relationships & Connection** 1. What relationship dynamic do you keep recreating, and why? 2. When did you realize your parents were just people trying their best? 3. What kind of loneliness doesn't go away even when you're with others? **Suggested Questions: Time & Mortality** 1. What are you running out of time to say or do? 2. How differently do you spend your time knowing it's finite? 3. What will you regret not trying, even if you fail? **Suggested Questions: Society & Culture** 1. What social convention do you follow even though it makes no sense? 2. Which generation do you understand least, and what might you be missing? 3. What aspect of how we live now will seem insane in 20 years? **Suggested Questions: Personal Philosophy** 1. What rule for life did you create after learning something the hard way? 2. When did you stop believing that everyone else had it figured out 3. What paradox about life have you learned to live with?

**As divine, immortal Soul, we have an inborn connection to the Creator. This unbreakable bond of love, support, and guidance can allow us to live life productively, joyfully, and adventurously. However, it can be challenging to remember and use our gift of spiritual communication. Singing HU – a sacred sound and ancient mantra – can help us recognize, strengthen, and consciously maintain this deep connection.** **During a lively, interactive session, we’ll explore how HU, the Sound behind all sounds, can:** **• Fill us with peace and re-ignite our dreams.** **• Help us face challenging situations with confidence.** **• Bring more love into our life now.** **We look forward to seeing you then. If you wish, you can download a free ebooklet about the HU at: www.eckankar.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/HU Your-Key-to-Spir-Living_ebooklet.pdf** **A flyer for this event is available for you at:** **https://eck-va.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Poster-for-March-8th-2026-HU Key-to-Spiritual-Living-Rev-1.pdf**

The Humanist Monthly Program is our longest running event and still a community favorite. In the old days it used to be called "Going to HCCO" and we still like to think of it as our flagship event. Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk. Our March speakers are Molly Gaines and Zack Parrish, co-organizers of the Secular Education Association: They will share their story of how a small group of Ohio parents grew into a national organization tracking released-time religious instruction and other church–state issues in public schools. The presentation will cover SEA’s early wins and hard lessons, what we’re seeing nationally right now, and how local advocates can play a meaningful role in protecting public education. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the landscape — and practical ways to get involved. Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC) The formal presentation will start at noon

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!

Come join us for coffee at Matari Coffee to discuss our March book, "The Enchanted Greenhouse"! Book description: Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium. This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home. But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again. This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Meeting Room 2b, Main Library Join us for a welcoming evening of reflection, gentle music, and meaningful conversation. We’ll begin with a short grounding moment, followed by a brief reading from spiritual or philosophical traditions, and an open reflection circle where participants can share (or simply listen). Libera Animae is an interfaith community focused on inner growth, creativity, and authentic connection. We desirere to cultivate a space where all questions are welcome and all members are treated with compassion and respect. All backgrounds are welcome.

This is not an event, but an announcement that we are accepting new members. If you'd like to pursue joining our group, please write us at columbusmensgroup@gmail.com with a few paragraphs about yourself, what you'd like to experience in the group, and the contribution that you'd like to make. Thank you!

We may pick a specific topic and post in advance or may discuss current events and various ad hoc topics . We would love to spend time hanging out and getting to know one another. Atheist, agnostics, other non-theists, and atheist-friendly people are welcome to join us. Note: COUNT operates a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/groups/COUNT.discussions (http://www.facebook.com/groups/COUNT.discussions/) to promote discussions among members and visitors.