Newsletter

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2008

• July 2008: Humanist Conversations considers The Omnivore’s Next Dilemma. Following some major conferences, it's time for another summary of the state of humanism. We'll be discussing George Bernard Shaw's play The Devil's Disciple, and watching the Hollywood film version. The fourth session of the Bible Reading Group will cover "Joseph" to "a Covenant with God".
• June 2008: Public service - communications media teacher and videographer Dror Kahn joins us to talk about Humanist Proselytizing in the Information Age. Humanist Conversations discusses Lester Brown's inaugural Distinguished Lecture at the Berkeley Institute of the Environment.
• May 2008: Humanist Conversations discusses access to water. For our anniversary meeting we welcome the executive directors of Camp Quest, Inc. and the Secular Student Alliance, who will tell us how they're reaching the next generation of humanists. We'll be discussing Neil Shubin's Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body. The third session of the Bible Reading Group will cover "the God of Old" to "Dinah".
• April 2008: Doug Peary uses Robert G. Ingersoll's words to show how Abraham Lincoln was seen by his contemporaries. Humanist Conversations considers where we get our election news from, and whether we should trust it. The second session of the Bible Reading Group will cover Genesis to Abraham. Our next book is Neil Shubin's Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body. There will be a short business meeting during the monthly meeting to discuss donating one "campership" to Camp Quest.
• March 2008: Ken Feder returns with a talk on the Loch Ness Monster. Humanist Conversations looks at Ralph Nader's effect on the upcoming presidential elections. Camp Quest is conducting a fund drive.
• February 2008: At Humanist Conversations we'll look at newer technology for enjoying humanist sources on the internet. Our featured speaker at our monthly meeting will be Khalil Iskarous. Details on the next book discussion and our new Bible Reading Group.
• January 2008: Humanist Conversations on "Freedom to Vote: Protecting the Ballot". Doug Peary returns for our monthly meeting with another short biography: Stephen Jay Gould, Humanist Hero.

  2007

• December 2007: More on George Lakoff's Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think. Our annual brunch has a new location. It's time for the annual meeting and winter solstice party.
• November 2007: Humanist Conversations to discuss Frontline's Showdown with Iran. Our monthly meeting features the new Executive Director of the ACLU of Connecticut, Andrew Schneider. Our next book discussion is on George Lakoff's Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think.
• October 2007: We celebrate the life and achievements of Sherwin Wine, founder of the Society for Humanistic Judaism. Our next book discussion is on The Fundamentals of Extremism: The Christian Right in America, by Kimberly Blaker (Editor). Humanist Conversations will feature a presentation on Loyal Rue's book on naturalizing religion, Religion is Not About God.
• September 2007: Art historian Dody Gall will be our guide to the history, arts and architecture of Indochina. Humanist Conversation discusses the third and final episode of A Brief History of Disbelief. Our next book discussion is on Brooke Allen's Moral Minority: Our Skeptical Founding Fathers.
• August 2007: Eugene Kogan's talk rescheduled for August. Humanist Conversation discusses the second episode of A Brief History of Disbelief. A chapter of Carl Sagan's Varieties of Scientific Experience will be discussed at our August 11 picnic.
• July 2007: Welcoming back Eugene Kogan. No Humanist Conversation this month. Next book discussion on Carl Sagan's Varieties of Scientific Experience.
• June 2007: Our annual picnic is scheduled for June 2nd. David Schafer and Michelle Koth to discuss Is Islam Compatible with Western Democracy?. Humanist Conversations confronts the meaning of Religious Humanism.
• May 2007: Humanist Conversations watches that Enron movie. Our anniversary meeting features Ellen McBride, former president of the American Ethical Union (AEU), who will introduce us to the Ethical Culture movement.
• April 2007: Yale's Professor Bruce Russett tells us "Why There Is Already More Peace Than You Think." Humanist Conversations reconsiders some of Sam Harris's speculative claims. Hartford area dinners move to Lemongrass in West Hartford.
• March 2007: Humanist Conversations makes way for a special visit by Secular Coalition for America lobbyist Lori Lipman Brown. On a return visit for our monthly meeting, Professor Ken Feder talks about an archeological mystery here in Connecticut: the Barkhamstead Lighthouse community.
• February 2007: We welcome back Doug Peary with a talk on Julian Huxley, Humanist Hero. Humanist Conversations considers whether recent books by Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris are striking the right tone. Our Hartford area dinner moves to Mayor Mike's restaurant.
• January 2007: Our guest speaker is author Jennifer Miller. Humanist Conversations shows Iraq for Sale. Plus another dinner at Black-Eyed Sally's in Hartford.

  2006

• December 2006: Humanist Conversations defines Scientism. We end out the year with our Solstice Party and annual brunch at Shangri-Lee in Cheshire.
• November 2006: We welcome back Dr. Steven Novella, President of the New England Skeptical Society, to bring us up to date on Weird Science. Humanist Conversations continues the topic of Moral Realism and the secular basis for ethics. Plus a hike in East Rock Park, and a dinner at Black-Eyed Sally's in Hartford.
• October 2006: Dr. David Koepsell, Executive Director of the Council for Secular Humanism, will talk on Secular Ethical Alternatives: Moral Realism. Humanist Conversations discusses global warming. Plus a trip to see Julia Sweeney's Letting Go of God in NYC, and a hike in the northwest hills.
• September 2006: We welcome Professor Barry Kosmin, director of the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture (ISSSC) at Trinity College, Hartford. Humanist Conversations discusses resistance to change, even trivial change.
• August 2006: Doug Peary summarizes a recent conference on church/state separation. Humanist Conversations discusses ABC's 20/20 program with George Stephanopoulos on the political polarization of America. An extra social dinner at Northern Galapagos. A picnic at the Lyons' home in Cornwall. Plus at trip to the Darwin exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.
• July 2006: Dr. Lesley Hart to speak on Meeting the Challenge of Special Needs Children in Ghana at our monthly meeting. Humanist Conversations discusses declarations of rights, from the Bill of Rights to the Univeral Declaration of Human Rights.
• June 2006: Humanist Conversations to show Robert Greenwald's film WalMart: The High Cost of Low Price. David Schafer considers the state of humanist education at our monthly meeting.
• May 2006: Immigration issues are the focus of our Humanist Conversations meeting. At our anniversary meeting, physicist and teacher Dr Ellery Schempp will share his thoughts on Church-State separation 40 years after his protest against mandatory bible readings in public school.
• April 2006: Hartford Courant writer Joel Lang will talk about the North's long-term Complicity in slavery. Humanist Conversations holds a planning meeting. Time to start reading Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code for the May book discussion.
• March 2006: Doug Peary's latest Humanist Hero is Scottish philosopher and historian David Hume. Next book discussion is on Blood and Oil by Michael T. Klare.
• February 2006: David Schafer surveys Darwin After a Century and a Half. Humanist Conversations considers American anti-intellectualism and how it influences the Republican war on science.
• January 2006: Ecotourism entrepreneur John Miceler returns.

  2005

• December 2005: Solstice Party time. At Humanist Conversations we'll show parts of The God Who Wasn't There.
• November 2005: Our featured speaker will be Thomas Clark of the Center for Naturalism: Tough Mind, Tender Heart: The Progressive Implications of Naturalism.
• October 2005: Skeptical archaeologist Ken Feder's annual visit considers conspiracy theories about the face on Mars. Next book discussion is on the End of Faith by Sam Harris.
• September 2005: Our monthly meeting will survey the state of Humanism. A late summer picnic at the Lyons home in Cornwall.
• August 2005: Local author and the Humanist contributor Brian Trent to talk at monthly meeting. We'll be celebrating Labor Day with Studs Terkel's Working
• July 2005: Eugene Kogan returns to consider the future of the Democratic Party: Liberalism or Leadership? The next book discussion will be on Antonio Damasio's Looking for Spinoza.
• June 2005: The annual picnic is here again! Conversations addreses the concerns behind so-called Intelligent Design. Upcoming book discussion on George Lakoff's Don't Think of an Elephant.
• May 2005: Richard Dawkins is the latest subject of Doug Peary's Humanist Heroes series. Conversations considers how humanist was atheist Ayn Rand?
• April 2005: 16th anniversary speaker Ross Henry advocates Humanist Evangelism. Conversations to discuss Whose Life Is It?
• March 2005: Nash Boutros asks us to consider Is Freedom Overrated? Conversations considers Was Darwin Wrong? Our book discussion is on Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism. We try a new location for the New Haven area dinner.
• February 2005: Our first Darwin Day celebration features Prof. Massimo Pigliucci: "Evolution: Is it a Logical Fallacy?" Conversations discusses Humanist Manifesto III.
• January 2005: Environmentalist Jon Miceler returns with an update from the borders of India, Tibet and Myanmar. Conversations considers the best material for explaining humanism. Manny Ratafia hosts a book discussion on Eric Hoffer's "The True Believer; Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements."

  2004

• December 2004: Rounding out the year with our annual elections and Solstice Party. Conversations and a book discussion coming in January.
• November 2004: Our guest speaker will be Robert Nave, Executive Director of the Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty. Book discussion on Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate.
• October 2004: CCLU Legal Director Annette Lamoreaux to speak on Civil Liberties and the Election. HAC to show the documentary Unconstitutional. Book discussion on Demonic Males.
• September 2004: CCSU's Ken Feder tells us Why archeaology didn't solve the Roswell UFO incident, and why it should have. Vegetarian potluck coming in October.
• August 2004: David Schafer holds a democracy workshop. Danbury/Waterbury area dinners go Portuguese.
• July 2004: Virginia Clark on English freethought; David Schafer on the state of Huumanists and the annual UU General Assembly. Finishing up our book discussion on the Worldly Philosophers.
• June 2004: Annual Picnic at the Raffords; discussing the Humanist Institute over dinner; movie Night coming up in July; our second book discussion.
• May 2004: Joe Gerstein is our 15 Anniversary Speaker. Special meeting coming up on Multiculturalism. Doug Peary's book is out.
• April 2004: Doug Peary celebrates the life of Corliss Lamont, Humanist Hero. Humanist Conversations to consider if US foreign policy is stuck between Iraq and a hard place.
• March 2004: Our panel looks at the (often dark) history of Christian passion plays. Humanist Conversations asks if there's a god gene.
• February 2004: Artist Nick Orsini asks Why are the walls empty?. Humanist Conversations examines the background of the civil rights movement.
• January 2004: Walter Wells presents an appreciation of multi-talented Paul Robeson. Humanist Conversations considers Patriot Act II.

  2003

• December 2003: Solstice party, elections, and by-law changes. A final reminder about Sherwin Wine's talk.
• November 2003: Doug Peary to present Bertand Russell, Humanist Hero. Sherwin Wine to speak in Westport.
• October 2003: Monthly meeting moves to Sunday 26th so we can hear Nick Nyhart talk on Clean Elections.
• September 2003: Ken Feder returns with a talk on the mysterious builders of mounds in the Midwest. Obituary and memorial for Bob Wolsch.
• August 2003: David Schafer and Manny Ratafia bring us up to date on Humanism after a busy summer of meetings. Conversations revisits Evil. A second picnic at the Lyon's home in Cornwall.
• July 2003: Walter Wells to talk about Italy and Humanists.
• June 2003: time for the annual picnic; Conversations considers After the Iraq War; Nash Boutros reprises Evil in Woodbury.
• May 2003: we try again to present Doug Peary with Walter Kaufman, Humanist Hero; let's hope there's no snow storm this time. (The events for June in this version, which was mailed to members, are completely wrong.)
• April 2003: AHA Executive Director Tony Hileman shares his views on The Future of Humanism.
• March 2003: Ecotourism entrepreneur Jon Miceler to talk on Saving Threatened Species and Creating Third-World Jobs
• February 2003: Doug Peary offers Walter Kaufmann as a Humanist Hero, plus Humanist Conversations tackles expressing our views positively; what are we for, not what are we against?
• January 2003: Walter Wells surveys Humanism in Italy, plus Humanist Conversations gets a report on the Godless Americans March on Washington.

  2002

• December 2002: Another Solstice Party, plus Humanist Conversations considers women's issues after Taslima Nasrin's visit.
• November 2002: Two appearances by Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin; Bob Rafford talks about Genealogy and Humanism, plus Humanist Conversations considers vegetarianism.
• October 2002: Manny Ratafia on Pharmaceutical Pricing, plus Humanist Conversations exchanges book recommendations.
• September 2002: Ken Feder returns to talk about Mysterious Circles of Stone: Megalithic Monuments of Western Europe.
• August 2002: Mickey Koth's second installment of Women and Islam.
• July 2002: David Schafer brings us up to date with Current Trends in Humanism, while Humanist Conversations starts planning for the Fall.
• June 2002: The Annual Picnic. Humanist Conversations consider Communal Conflicts.
• May 2002: Doug Peary returns to present Clarence Darrow, Humanist Hero. Humanist Conversations consider Israel and Palestine.
• April 2002: Tom Ferrick, the Humanist chaplain at Harvard, helps us celebrate our 13th Anniversary. Humanist Conversations about The Moral Implications of Cloning and Stem Cell Research.
• March 2002: CCLU Executive Director Teresa Younger to speak on Civil Liberties and the War on Terrorism. Humanist Conversations about Enron.
• February 2002: Obituary and memorial service for Nat Wolf. Nick Orsini will be the monthly speaker.
• January 2002: Walter Wells on orchidectomy and its applications in opera: "Girls will be Boys."

  2001

• December 2001: Rounding out the year with the Solstice Party.
• November 2001: Mickey Koth considers "Women & Islam."
• October 2001: Plato rears his ugly head again as Drs Bob and Lois Wolsch talk about the problems of literacy.
• September 2001: Manny Ratafia on the Cost of Prescription Drugs. Plus details on Fall talks from the Wolsches and from Mickey Koth.
• August 2001: Panel discussion on Globalization.
• July 2001: Humanists consider evil at a later than usual monthly meeting.
• June 2001: Our annual picnic is earlier this year. Where does Humanism go from here?
• May 2001: Our 12th Anniversary party, more dinner meetings, and a local talk by Michael Shermer.
• April 2001: Humanist Conversations celebrate superstitions, and "Darwin's Bulldog" turns out to be a Humanist Hero.
• March 2001: Humanist Conversations about the social necessity of nuturance, Paul LaCombe to ask if Death With Dignity has delivered, and the Mystic group discusses the role of arts in society.
• February 2001: Membership dues reminder, a return visit by the ever-entertaining Ken Feder, and the Mystic group discusses transplant ethics. (We also have a poster for Ken Feder's talk.)
• January 2001: Background to the Human Genome Project: David Schafer on genes; plus the silent auction results, new officers, and new meetings out in Mystic.

  2000

• December 2000: Another annual meeting brings another chance to participate in our silent auction, pot-luck, and election of officers.
• November 2000: Mickey Koth presents “Margaret Knight, Humanist Shero,” Walter Wells wins another award, and an appeal to deliver turkeys...
• October 2000: With elections approaching, humanistic viewpoints from both major parties.
• September 2000: Doug Peary's encore performance of: “Voltaire, Humanist Hero.”
• July/August 2000: Manny Ratafia: “Alternative Medicine: One Man, Two Views.”
• June 2000: Doug Peary presents “Richard Feynman, Humanist Hero.”
• May 2000: Lois & Bob Wolsch to speak at the eleventh anniversary meeting.
• April 2000: Jane Haddam to supply “Ammunition?”
• March 2000: Al Rader on China.
• February 2000: Our Valentine's day presentation, and the debut of the Professional Directory.
• January 2000: The results of the silent auction, and Cornel West.

  1999

• December 1999: The annual meeting and party.
• November 1999: The Cardiff Giant hoax.
• October 1999: The election cycle starts.
• September 1999: David Schafer on “Science and the Humanist.”
• August 1999: Mostly on P.B. Shelley.
• July 1999: FUUS vote becomes moot. Directions to the picnic, and some poetry.
• June 1999: Ron Loomis talks about Cults on Campus. The Humanist Conversation is about the Biological Basis of Morality.
• May 1999: Our tenth anniversary.
• April 1999: Doug Peary's latest Humanist Hero is Isaac Asimov.
• February 1999: Ghostbuster Joe Nickell visits Yale.