Our monthly meetings are usually held the third Monday of each month from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Currently, the meetings are held via ZOOM. If you are new to ZOOM, please see our Menu Tab, “How to Join a Zoom Meeting.”

ZOOM and other details about each meeting can be found on our Meetup site: https://www.meetup.com/FirstCoastFreethoughtSociety/

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel where you may watch videos of past meetings. https://youtube.com/@firstcoastfreethoughtsocie7645

November 18, 2024. PHYSICS: High Pressure Research with Dr. Lev Gasparov. https://youtu.be/FN7zLhx3MjA?feature=shared

October 17, 2024. We watched and discussed the documentary, God & Country.

September 16, 2024. Dr. Denise Rose explains the benefits of eating a healthy plant based diet. https://youtu.be/9r8f3pVhJ4w

July 15, 2024. BELONGING. Dr. Richmond Wynn discusses why the need to belong is important. https://youtu.be/iHIv913qaNY?feature=shared

June 17, 2024. Time with Angie Nixon, Florida State Representative, District 13. https://youtu.be/PmpRQX_SpOA?feature=shared

.ay 20, 2024. Seth Andrews – Who is the better intelligent designer? Seth Andrews or GOD? https://youtu.be/eoP7RAyhJ5o?feature=shared

April 15, 2024. Dr. An Goldbauer explains in eloquent detail the difficult and controversial subject of gender identity, puberty blockers, and trans care for youth. https://youtu.be/QxqfOdx-q80?feature=shared

March 18, 2024. Dr. Adam Rosenblatt offers his wisdom and insights regarding the devastating consequences of our climate crisis. https://youtu.be/h7iTUsmKe6s?feature=shared

February 19, 2024. Singer / Songwriter / Lifetime Activist, HOLLY NEAR, sings and shares stories from her life well-lived. https://youtu.be/7mXRCfkQL6U?feature=shared

January 22, 2024. Freethought-For-All. A good discussion about book banning, Mein Kampf, Free Speech, Politics, Why is peace so difficult? and more. Just us. No speaker. You may watch here: https://youtu.be/Fa41_cn7pMo

December 18, 2023, Annual Human Light Celebration. We celebrate the season, install 2024 officers, recognize past accomplishments, and celebrate 25 years of existence! Primarily for members, guests, and friends of the FCFS, although others are welcome. For location and to RSVP, you must join the First Coast Freethought Society Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/FirstCoastFreethoughtSociety/.

November 20, 2023. “The Rising Tide of American Antisemitism.” Mark Potok, Director, Far Right Analysis Network, will present a talk titled “The Rising Tide of American Antisemitism.” There’s little question that antisemitism is on the rise around the world. There are many reasons for this, including the recent conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip. But in the United States, a country that historically has had lower levels of Jew hatred than most European nations, there are a set of unique factors that have driven the recent explosion of hate.

October 16, 2023. “Throwing Shade: Gerrymandering in the Sunshine State.” Nick Seabrook gave a talk titled “Throwing Shade: Gerrymandering in the Sunshine State.” Florida has long been one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation. Dr. Nick Seabrook, chair of the Political Science Department at UNF, explains how this sordid practice of district boundary manipulation has undermined the Sunshine State’s democracy, and how the city of Jacksonville has been particularly affected. Video link: https://youtu.be/p6QdnD0ON9o?si=0c8HycfueVgJVh3P

September 18, 2023. “How We Misunderstand Liberty.” Erich Freiberger, PhD Professor of Philosophy and Public Policy at Jacksonville University gave a talk titled “How We Misunderstand Liberty.” Our political and economic insistence on the supremacy of individual property rights has led us to neglect any notion of the common good. The Ancient Greeks had a word for this: Idiocy. In Pericles’s Funeral oration in Thucydides’s Peloponnesian Wars, the word Idiotes, or idiot, refers to one who is only concerned with his private interest. Sadly, with the advent of neoliberalism, our entire economy appears to be based on the idea that everyone should only look out for his private interest, but as is painfully evident in our current political crisis, this philosophy inevitably leads us to discredit and disregard any conception of our shared interest. Video link: https://youtu.be/3mRc5HjgF-Y?si=Ry3yRk9IFq0HDvtN

August 21, 2023. No meeting due to summer hiatus.

July 17, 2023, “Unlocking the Truth about Wrongful Convictions: Innocence Project of Florida.” Brandon Scheck is a Staff Attorney at the Innocence Project of Florida, where he litigates post-conviction innocence cases across Florida. In this presentation, he talked about the issue of wrongful conviction and IPF’s work throughout Florida to combat it. Video link: https://youtu.be/OuUvY6XYLnI

June 19, 2023, “A conversation with Frieda Saraga: Ninety years of living fully.” In this exciting Q&A session, longtime activist Frieda Saraga answerED questions about her work creating PFLAG of Jacksonville, facilitating the AIDS support group called Positive Attitudes, working as an educator in previous years for Planned Parenthood, and her experience as an HIV testing counselor in jails and with the general public. Video link: https://youtu.be/YQYTirL4fJc

May 15, 2023, “Debunking The ‘Christian Nation’ Myth.” In this talk, Robert Boston, from Americans United for Separation of Church and State, debunked Christian Nationalist claims about American history, explain why these myths endure, and discuss some strategies for building a truly inclusive, secular nation. Video link: https://youtu.be/cUzs4eu0B0M

April 17, 2023, “Black Nonbelievers: Past, Present and Future” Mandisa L. Thomas, Founder and President, Black Nonbelievers gave a talk titled “Black Nonbelievers: Past, Present and Future.” For the past 12 years, Black Nonbelievers has been a leading voice for Black Nonreligious Americans. Mandisa Thomas shared the origin of the organization, some ups and downs, and plans for the future. Video link: https://youtu.be/s6Naqbnoqx4

March 20, 2023, “The Struggle Continues!” Noted Civil Rights activist Rodney L. Hurst Sr. gave a presentation detailing his life’s work as a civil rights activist in Jacksonville and how he continues to fight against racism and for his Black human dignity and respect. Video link: https://youtu.be/dnsmuOhgVcQ

February 20, 2023, “New views of our universe from the first year of NASA’s JWST.” Since its launch on Dec. 25, 2021, NASA’s JWST has given us all unprecedented new views of our universe. From the earliest galaxies, to stellar nurseries, exoplanets, and even our own solar system, the largest space telescope ever built is already producing great discoveries. Dr. Jack Hewitt reviewed some of the highlights from the first year. Video link: https://youtu.be/-x94BEvRL7k

January 16, 2023, “Freethought Free-For-All.” Share your thoughts. Share your opinions. Pose a question. Bring your hopes, dreams, aspirations, and concerns to our first ever Freethought Free-For-All where we are the speaker and the questioner! No topic off limits. This is our opportunity to be heard. A lively Q&A is guaranteed or your money back! (It’s free.) Freethought Free-for-all. Bring your friends. Bring your ideas. Video link: https://youtu.be/VDWRBqnCsA8

December 19, 2022, Annual Human Light Celebration. We celebrate the season, install 2023 officers, recognize past accomplishments, and celebrate 24 years of existence! Primarily for members, guests, and friends of the FCFS, although others are welcome. For location and to RSVP, you must join the First Coast Freethought Society Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/FirstCoastFreethoughtSociety/.

November 21, 2022, “A talk titled “The Culture Wars Assault on Public Education.” Dr. Angela Mann will discuss how public education is a critical institution meant to develop successful, critical thinking citizens toward the perpetuation of a democratic society. In this meeting, we will discuss the current state of culture war assault tactics on public education as well as how this attack will likely trend. We will also discuss the impact this campaign is having on youth and educators. Finally, we’ll discuss what citizens can do to help fight the misinformation. Video link: https://youtu.be/arf7QK5k5uY

October 17, 2022, “From Purity Culture to Nudist.” Journey with Gwen Blodgett as she relates how the nudist lifestyle has helped her recovery from purity culture. In addition to sharing her journey, the talk will cover learning to love your body and dealing with guilt over actions taken while deep in religious indoctrination. She will also cover her experience volunteering with Recovering from Religion. Video link: https://youtu.be/CTZqazKGWw4 Note: video ends in the middle of the Q&A

September 19, 2022, “Street Epistemology 101: Encouraging Critical Thinking with Gentle Questioning.” Gina Gamba gave a presentation on Street Epistemology, a method for cooperatively examining a person’s reasons for believing something is true. After this meeting, people should understand the basics of how to have more productive conversations on difficult topics. Note: presenter did not consent to the meeting being recorded so no video link is available.

August 15, 2022. No meeting due to summer hiatus.

July 18, 2022, “The Satanic Temple (TST) Sober Faction: Sobriety Without Superstition.” Priest Joe Dee will discuss TST Sober Faction’s peer support program, including their unique Seven Rituals process, their Allyship program, how Sober Faction differs from mainstream 12-step peer support groups, their developing Sober Faction Outreach, and the science of rituals. Video link: https://youtu.be/wB8-zSz4U7s

June 20, 2022, “Religion and Happiness: Much Ado About Nothing.” Sociologist Ryan Cragun will discuss his recently published book chapter, in which he and his co-author detail the problems with prior research on the relationship between religion and happiness. They then use well-respected survey data from over 50 countries to examine this relationship. While the relationship is somewhat complicated, what they ultimately conclude is that there is no meaningful relationship between religiosity and happiness. Video link: https://youtu.be/S08eu4_WfF4

May 16, 2022, “Florida Legislature: Leading the Nation in Dangerous Christian Nationalism.” Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists discussed how for the last several years, Florida has had the dubious honor of being a trendsetter when it comes to Christian nationalist legislation. From bible classes to so-called “parental rights,” from the constantly growing school vouchers programs to the wave of anti-diversity education bills, Florida lawmakers been at the forefront of pushing forward a religious, politically motivated agenda to assault secular public schools, undermine access to health care, bulldoze the separation of religion and government, and enshrine Christian privilege into the law. This webinar examined several of these recent legislative efforts, discussed how they relate to larger national trends, and talked about what we can do as secular advocates. View slides. Video link: https://youtu.be/O38E4Wx4FLE

April 18, 2022, “Emptying the Pews and Embracing Pluralism: The Power of Stories for Secular Advocacy.” Chrissy Stroop, PhD discussed the hashtag campaign #EmptyThePews and its connection to her co-edited (with Lauren O’Neal) collection of personal essays by former conservative Christians: Empty the Pews, Stories of Leaving the Church. What connects both projects, besides the slogan, is the power of personal stories to excite empathy, forge connections, and hold oppressive religious leaders’ and institutions’ feet to the fire. She will argue that personal stories often work far better at reaching people than logical arguments, and that not pushing too hard on where people from oppressive religious backgrounds land–better religion or no religion–is more pragmatic and effective for secular advocacy than trying to convince people to become atheists. Video link: https://youtu.be/xGCUH3lKH8c

March 21, 2022, “A Human Response to the Humanist Convention.” Several members of the First Coast Freethought Society attended the Freeflo Conference in Orlando earlier in March. They will share impressions from what they learned and offer a recap of the weekend along with next steps for freethinkers and humanists. Video link: https://youtu.be/v8f61cEZJyk

February 21, 2022, “The Curse of the Disciple: New Thoughts About Freethought.” The worst thing that can happen to a creative thinker is to have devoted disciples. Disciples take their mentor’s new ideas and freeze them into rigid orthodoxies which cannot be challenged. But the disciples themselves will challenge each other’s interpretations of the orthodoxy, setting up newer, and narrower ones. Such a situation happens more often than we suppose. And it all too often happens among people who claim to value the ideas of science, critical thinking and intellectual and artistic freedom. In some disciplines, the results are simply absurd. But in others, they can be dangerous and even deadly. As Freethinkers, we should know more about these sorts of developments. Dr. Schwam-Baird will explore some examples of this problem of the Curse of the Disciple, and discuss why it matters to Freethinkers. Video link: https://youtu.be/55aQb7xpaq4

January 17, 2022, “Recovering from Religion: Meeting the Unmet Need of Religious Trauma.” Eric Wells from the organization Recovering from Religion will discuss how to help those recovering from religious trauma. Video link: https://youtu.be/aSFFVxoRau0

December 20, 2021, “Human Light Celebration.” We will hold our annual Human Light Celebration. This year, of course, due to the ongoing pandemic, will be our second virtual, online celebration. BYOB–Bring Your Own Banquet! Note: this celebration was not recorded so no video link is available.

November 15, 2021, “The Frankenstein Syndrome in Politics.” David Schwam-Baird, PhD. Politicians, spies, and generals are often pretty clever in unspooling their strategies. Ah, but often they are far too clever (or is it “arrogant”?) for their own good. We will explore three times when policy-makers devised elaborate strategies to build up allies that ultimately turned against them, much like Dr. Frankenstein’s Creature did, with devastating results. Video link: https://youtu.be/g0faw1wzYTc

October 18, 2021, “The ‘Do No Harm Act’–who wants to do harm?” Merrill Shapiro, Immediate Past President, Board of Trustees, Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Our country was founded on the principle of religious freedom, meaning that everyone should be able to practice their religion or no religion at all, so long as they do not harm others. But now the Religious Freedom Restoration Act is being misused to deny people access to health care and discriminate against LGBTQ people, women, religious minorities, and the nonreligious. Why would anyone want to use the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to harm others? Video link: https://youtu.be/hsbZokxYsIg

September 20, 2021, “Freethought Free-For-All.” Share your thoughts. Share your opinions. Pose a question. Bring your hopes, dreams, aspirations, and concerns to our first ever Freethought Free-For-All where we are the speaker and the questioner! No topic off limits. This is our opportunity to be heard. A lively Q&A is guaranteed or your money back! (It’s free.) Freethought Free-for-all. Bring your friends. Bring your ideas. Video link: https://youtu.be/fibdJ20kNIo

August 16, 2021, “Update on the Broader Middle East,” Richard Eason, Retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer. In light of the new Biden administration and the constant developments in this turbulent region, Richard gave updates on where developments may be going in the region and the impact on the U.S. and the world’s economy and politics. Video link: https://youtu.be/A-CDEQoByiA

July 19, 2021, “Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism,” Katherine Stewart, Investigative Journalist and Author. Katherine Stewart offered a rare look inside the movement that brought Donald Trump to power, taking readers inside the religious right’s key gatherings and strategy meetings and introducing them to the movement’s most intriguing personalities. Note: presenter did not give permission to publish presentation so no video link is available.

June 21, 2021, “The Adams – Jefferson Letters & Abigail Adams,” Michael Aiken, Social Studies Teacher, First Coast High School. Michael discussed the volume “The Jefferson – Adams Letters” that also includes Abigail Adams’ correspondence with her husband, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, revealing an under-appreciated and valued intellect and inquisitive mind holding her own with two of the most recognized intellectual heavyweights in American history. Video link: https://youtu.be/GAxgj6_4vr0

May 17, 2021, “Do the things! Building Communities Through Activism,” Samantha (“Sam”) McGuire, National Field Director, American Atheists, Inc. Sam shared some highlights from the April 2021 American Atheists Convention and updated the group on the latest plans and activities of the American Atheists. She also explored ways to motivate members from inertia to action. Video link: https://youtu.be/UYOKP7EnFFA

April 19, 2021, “Evangelical Teaching and American Radicalized Terrorism,” Julie Ingersoll, Professor of Religious Studies and Religious Studies Program Director at the University of North Florida. Heightened rhetoric, framed in cosmic terms, can have dangerous consequences and even lead to violence. It serves to establish a certain adversarial relationship with the world; a sense of injustice, embattlement, resentment, and anger that can be marshalled for all manner of purposes ranging from fostering anti-government sentiment, fear and anger over difference, hostility to science, and more. In this discussion, we’ll explore evangelical martyrdom and persecution rhetoric that is both the source of and product of this adversarial relationship. Video link: https://youtu.be/dP_GT-_FErM

March 15, 2021, “Transforming Jacksonville’s Downtown Riverfront,” Jimmy Orth, Executive Director, St. Johns Riverkeeper and Nancy Powell, Executive Director, Scenic Jacksonville, Representatives of Riverfront Parks Now.
Riverfront Parks Now is a coalition of ten nonprofit organizations who have come together to engage the community in a dialogue about the future of downtown’s publicly-owned riverfront properties and the numerous benefits provided by parks and public spaces. Riverfront Parks Now envisions an extensive network of public green spaces and active parks along the riverfront that prioritizes public access, catalyzes surrounding development, and helps create a more resilient downtown. Nancy and Jimmy explored our current riverfront opportunity and give examples showing how other cities have leveraged their waterfronts for successful downtown revitalization – for community gathering, for economic impact, and for resiliency. Video link: https://youtu.be/c-qphPkfAaA

Feb. 15, 2021, “What’s Ahead for the AHA,” Emily Newman, Education Coordinator, American Humanist Association’s Center for Education. The FCFS is a proud chapter of the American Humanist Association and joins them in advocating for compassion, reason, and science. Emily Newman, AHA Education Coordinator, will share with us what is being done, what is coming soon, and how we can participate. Video link: https://youtu.be/A9LyCHuez-Y

January 21, 2021, “Inside the U.S. Foreign Service: Tales of the Unexpected Richard Eason,” U.S. Foreign Service Officer (Ret.) We will ring in the new year with a new speaker for us, a 32-year veteran of the United States Foreign Service, Richard Eason. Dick has lived and served in 9 foreign countries during his extensive career as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. Video link: https://youtu.be/YFpKfAS8Hic

December 21, 2020, Sixteenth Annual Human Light Celebration.

November 16, 2020, “From Democracy to Theocracy: Following the Supreme Court’s Yellow Brick Road,” Merrill Shapiro, Immediate Past President, Board of Trustees, Americans United for Separation of Church and State. In Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the Supreme Court ruled that taxpayers can be forced to fund religious schools in states with private school voucher programs. In Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru, the Supreme Court ruled that “ministerial exception” means teachers at private religious schools aren’t protected from employment discrimination. The Supreme Court protected people in Louisiana who are seeking abortions, BUT in Trump v. Pennsylvania, the court allowed the Trump administration to issue exemptions to the Affordable Care Act, allowing employers and universities the right to use religion to deny their employees and students birth control insurance coverage. In Bostock v. Clayton County, the court affirmed that LGBTQ people are protected from workplace discrimination by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, but did not determine if discrimination that is motivated by an employer’s religious beliefs is still forbidden. The Supreme Court seems now designed to promote theocracy over democracy. Is there hope? Video link: https://youtu.be/TsN-YX_iCNE

October 19, 2020, “America and the Middle East: Even When Things Look Better, It’s Bad,” Dr. David Schwam-Baird, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the Master of Arts in International Affairs (MAIA) Program, in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida. It seems like good news. The United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to the so-called “Abraham Accord,” which is meant to normalize relations between the two countries. One of the stipulations in the agreement was that the Israelis agreed to halt plans to formally annex more Palestinian territory in the West Bank. The reactions of most players were predictable: the usual condemnations, the usual rejoicing, the usual cautious and noncommittal statements. But how should we analyze this important event? And how does it fit into the current chaos-as-usual situation in today’s Middle East? Video link: https://youtu.be/5087k0ujQIc

September 21, 2020, “Veganism: Does What’s On Your Fork Determine Your Future?” Jyoti Chawla, R.N., Founder and Administrator, Jacksonville Vegetarian/Vegan Facebook Group. Are you concerned about your health, environment, compassion, and social Justice? Do you want to make the world a better place without spending a fortune of time or money? Have you thought of simple ways you can invest in your future while helping the planet? Are you willing to forge a healthy path for yourself and the planet by using a simple fork? Join Jyoti in an exciting journey where we pick the forks in the road and travel towards compassion, health, and justice by taking small steps several times each day. Video link: https://youtu.be/Y4-d1HdG9t4

August 17, 2020, “The Crazy Soap Opera of Health Care Reform,” Carolyn McClanahan, M.D., CFP®, physician and financial planner. She is the founder of Life Planning Partners, Inc., a comprehensive fee only financial planning company. Health care reform has been an ongoing saga since the years of Franklin Roosevelt. Through the decades, health care has become more convoluted and expensive and is now unaffordable for many. In this talk, I share a brief history of reform, the cost of health care, and the challenges of fixing our health care system. I catch you up to date on the latest political posturing. Finally, I share what we need to discuss with our elected officials to help point them in the right direction to fix our health care mess. Video link: https://youtu.be/4aLLGQCliE4

July 20, 2020, “Policy and Paraphernalia: a Conversation about Cannabis,” Shelton Hull, FOLIO Weekly columnist. The market for medical marijuana has grown by leaps and bounds since it was made legal by Florida voters in November 2016. But what comes next? Shelton Hull will discuss the background of this issue and speculate on its trajectory going forward. You bring questions, and he will bring answers! Video link: https://youtu.be/t052MG5yens

June 15, 2020, “The Political Economy of COVID-19,” David Jaffee, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, University of North Florida. The COVID-19 global pandemic has revealed in stark form the many dysfunctional features of US neoliberal capitalism. From the failure of the public health system to the inability to provide the population with the necessary protective and medical equipment. What are the ideological, structural, and systemic sources of this failure? How has the crisis been managed and in who’s benefit? Will the lessons learned translate into a more humane society that prioritizes the human needs of the population? Or will the crisis result in the further concentration of corporate power and rollback of democratic accountability? This lecture will address all these questions from a political economic perspective that analyzes this crisis in the context of neoliberal capitalism. Video link: https://youtu.be/SVFWDWxmim8

May 18, 2020, “Exploring Mormonism: A View From the Inside,” Rick Phillips, Associate Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies, University of North Florida. From Mitt Romney to hit Broadway musicals, Mormons keep popping up on our radar. We know they don’t drink coffee. We know lots of them come from Utah. We know about polygamy. But do we know what makes them tick? How does your Mormon neighbor see the world? How do Mormons think about politics? Is Mormonism a Christian religion? In this lecture a former Mormon and religion professor pulls back the curtain to reveal the fascinating and sometimes hidden worldview of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – the Mormons. Video link: https://youtu.be/1rl8Bl4BF8w

April 20, 2020, CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19.

March 16, 2020 CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19.

February 17, 2020, “The Stories We Tell Ourselves: Wall to Wall Coverage,” Ken Hurley, Director of Civication, a nonprofit, educational organization that seeks to promote civic learning and civil responsibility. This talk explores how the beliefs of skeptics and believers impact civil discourse, civil engagement, and civic learning. Do we engage meaningfully? Or, are we part of the problem? Plus a special, live musical appearance by Kenny Bunco and the 12 Notes. Video link: https://youtu.be/_1an2y_bXTA

January 20, 2020, “Social Work Practice with the Faithless: Competency Implications for Atheism,” Ross McDonough, UNF Instructor of Social Work and Licensed Clinical Social Worker; and Kate Williams, Advanced Hospice and Palliative Care Licensed Clinical Social Worker. If Atheism were a religion, it would be the fastest growing religion in the United States with about 26% of Americans now identifying as atheist. What are the special issues for atheists in the healthcare and mental health systems and how might providers do a better job of providing appropriate care to this group?

Dec. 16, 2019, Fifteenth Annual Human Light Celebration & FCFS’s 20-Year Anniversary Party! No lecture tonight. We celebrate the season, install 2019 officers, recognize past accomplishments, and celebrate 21 years of existence! Primarily for members, guests, and friends of the FCFS, although others are welcome. For location and to RSVP, you must join the First Coast Freethought Society Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/FirstCoastFreethoughtSociety/.

Nov. 18, 2019, “Religious Freedom as a Tool of White Supremacy,” Merrill Shapiro, Trustee and Immediate Past President, National Board of Trustees, Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Let’s examine the use of religious freedom as a tool of white supremacy and understand it in a way that will enable us all to speak out against its appropriation by those who share opposing values. Video link: https://youtu.be/Me1bU5BaluY

Oct. 21, 2019, “The World Since Trump: Who Wins When the Western Alliance Ends” David M. Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science and Director, Master of Arts in International Affairs Program, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida. What is happening to our allies? Brexit still looms, and British politics has become ridiculously chaotic. NATO members Hungary and Turkey are becoming more autocratic at an alarming rate. The European Union is undergoing unprecedented tensions. The Ukraine crisis has never been resolved. The only obvious winner in this scenario is Russia, which very much wants a weakened Western Alliance. So it seems very peculiar that the American President encourages some of these trends while ignoring others, and seems determined to see Vladimir Putin as a political partner rather than as a dangerous and cunning rival.

Sept. 16, 2019, “Intuition and Evidence: How to Rely on Intuition Without Being Irrational,” Scott Kimbrough, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy and Chair, Division of Humanities, Jacksonville University. Dr. Kimbrough will give a qualified defense of appeals to intuition. Intuition is not, as some philosophers used to believe, a window onto eternal truths, but rather reflects cultural efforts to negotiate, sustain, and reconstruct concepts worth sharing, including the concept of evidence itself.

Aug. 19, 2019, “River Uprising: The Immediate Need for Resiliency in Northeast Florida in the Face of Rising Waters,” Shannon Blankinship, Advocacy Director, St. Johns Riverkeeper. Hurricane Irma was a wake-up call. It showed us the importance of ensuring we are ready BEFORE the next big storm in order to protect our community and the St. Johns River. Come and learn more.

July 15, 2019, “Florida’s Legislative Disappointments in 2019 and a Progressive Agenda for 2020,” David Johnson of the Board of Directors, Unitarian Universalist Justice Florida; the Steering Committee, Northeast Florida Indivisible; and the Steering Committee, Indivisible Clay. There is no question that political outcomes are determined by those who have wealth and privilege. How do progressive voices respond and what is our message?

June 17, 2019, “Collegiate Secular Communities: Working Past the Four-Year Cycle,” Troy Capers, Senior, University of North Florida. Does UNF’s commitment to diversity actively help non-religious students, or are we once again left out of the pluralistic ideal?

May 20, 2019, “Making Every Vote Count, Making Every Vote Equal: All about the National Popular Vote (NPV),” Pam Edwards-Roine, League of Women Voters Speakers Bureau. Learn about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) and how it will ensure the presidential candidate with the most popular votes is sworn in on Inauguration Day. More and more states are joining in.

April 15, 2019, “From Adversity to Diversity to Uncertainty: From the Red Summer of 1919 to the Anxious Summer of 2019,” Reuben Keith Green, retired surface warfare officer and author of Black Officer, White Navy. Keith will examine the state of military unit cohesion and readiness, and the challenges faced by today’s minority and female veterans and service members.

March 18, 2019, “Humanism Evolves: Religious to Secular” Charles Murn, author, humanist philosopher, editor of The Best of The Humanist: Humanist Philosophy 1928 – 1973, published by the Humanist Press. The founders of modern humanist philosophy purposely mirrored scientific views of reality. Just as human understanding has evolves, so humanist philosophy has evolved from religious, to scientific, to secular. Video link: https://youtu.be/C6r0yxmP8-U

Feb. 18, 2019, “A War That Won’t End: The Battle for Science Education in the Sunshine State,” Brandon Haught, Communications Director of Florida Citizens for Science, environmental science teacher, author of Going Ape: Florida’s Battles over Evolution in the Classroom. Science teacher and author Brandon Haught will share highlights of the battles over the teaching of evolution that have raged for more than 90 years, including the present day, here in Florida. Learn how the current conflicts directly impact our children and what you can do about it.

Jan. 21, 2019, American Atheists: The Time is Now, Jim G. Helton, National Field Organizer, American Atheists. Jim will will define atheist issues, challenge the status quo, and will lay out a plan to fight for equality, the true separation of religion and government, and other pertinent and timely issues.

Dec. 17, 2018, Fifteenth Annual Human Light Celebration & FCFS’s 20-Year Anniversary Party! No lecture tonight. We celebrate the season, install 2019 officers, recognize past accomplishments, and celebrate 20 years of existence! Primarily for members, guests, and friends of the FCFS, although others are welcome. For location and to RSVP, you must join the First Coast Freethought Society Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/FirstCoastFreethoughtSociety/ .

Nov. 19, 2018, “Update on the AHA’s Work on Capitol Hill and the Congressional Freethought Caucus!” Matthew Bulger, Legislative Director, American Humanist Association, Washington, DC. Join AHA Legislative Director Matthew Bulger as he discusses the latest legislative work of the American Humanist Association and the exciting work of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, the first openly secular and humanistic caucus on Capitol Hill.

Oct. 15, 2018, “The Lessons We Are Not Learning in the Trump Era,” David M. Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida. It seems much has gone topsy-turvy since Trump has entered the White House. Have we examined ourselves lately to make sure that we are keeping our political and moral compass in good working order? Let’s check!

Sept. 17, 2018, “2018 Ballot Amendment Presentation,” Angela DeMonbreun, Outreach Director, Past President, League of Women Voters of Jacksonville. Why are there so many ballot amendments in 2018? What is a bundled amendment? Why are some being challenged in court?

Aug. 20, 2018, “Understanding the Gender Spectrum: The Physiology of Gender,” Elaine M. Hull, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Florida State University. Genes and hormones are the major factors that produce sex differentiation, but social factors and stress can also affect the process, resulting in a broad spectrum of gender diversity.

July 16, 2018, “Civil Liberties and the November 2018 Election,” Samir S. Gupte, North Florida Regional Organizer, ACLU of Florida. This discussion will help unpack the myriad of initiatives on the November ballot pertaining to proposed revisions to our Florida Constitution that impact our civil liberties.

June 18, 2018, “A Primer in Child Development: The Nine-Year-Old and the Jacksonville City Council,” Merrill Shapiro, Trustee and Immediate Past President, National Board of Trustees, Americans United for Separation of Church and State. You will learn of the recent actions of the Jacksonville City Council that ultimately let non-Christians know that they do not belong in our cosmopolitan, diverse and internationally significant metroplex.

May 21, 2018, “Two Atheists Visit Sunday School,” Rex Burks, attorney; and Owen Younger, pilot, both advocates for freethought and humanism. Since leaving religion, these gentleman enjoy visiting Sunday Schools in a wide range of Christian denominations, having discussions with believers, and advocating for atheism. They have fascinating, and sometimes humorous, stories to tell.

April 16, 2018, “Exploring Germany: If You Want Humidity, You Need to Bring Your Own!” Joque H. Soskis, UNF faculty member (ret.), Florida Bar member (ret.), part-time resident of Bavaria for the past 10 years. Joque will touch upon governmental structure, politics, healthcare, education, law enforcement, and corrections. Significant photo documentation to accompany discussion.

March 19, 2018, “The Case for Space from a Humanist Perspective,” Jenny Kalmanson, Vice President, American Humanist Association and President, Institute for Humanist Studies. Having spent sixteen years as a systems engineer in the space industry, Jenny is eminently qualified to discuss “The Case for Space from a Humanist Perspective.”

Feb. 19, 2018, “Atheists Haven’t Got a Prayer,” Jocelyn and David Williamson, Central Florida Freethought Community, Co-Presenters. The Central Florida Freethought Community sued the Brevard County Board of Commissioners for religious discrimination and won! Come learn the facts of the case from the plaintiffs themselves, Jocelyn and David Williamson.

Jan. 15, 2018, “The New Higher Morality,” David R. Simon, Ph.D., Sociology Professor, (Ret.) In the 1950s, C. Wright Mills coined the term “higher immorality” which defined deviant, immoral behaviors among the power elites. Dr. Simon will enumerate these behaviors as well as explore new ones and discuss the dangers they pose to the interrelated global society.

Dec. 18, 2017, Fourteenth Annual Human Light Celebration. No lecture tonight. We celebrate the season, install 2018 officers, recognize past accomplishments, envision future goals and direction. Primarily for members, although others are welcome. We’ll gather at the OLIVE GARDEN on Philips Highway between 6:00 and 7:00 to socialize, dining by 7:00 (ordering from the menu).

Nov. 20, 2017, “An Atheist’s Adventures in the Bible Belt,” Herb Silverman, Founder, Secular Coalition of America and Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry (Charlston, SC); author, secular activist. Herb, “the unflappable atheist,” will discuss his first book, Candidate Without a Prayer and his latest book, Atheist Stranger in a Strange Religious Land. Herb is billed as “one of the most original and humorous voices in the secular movement today.”

Oct. 16, 2017, “Our Foreign Policy in the Age of Trump,” David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida. The Chinese are expanding, the Russians are conniving, the Europeans are splitting, the North Koreans are going ballistic, and the Middle East is on fire. Is there any method to the apparent messy madness of American foreign policy today?

Sept. 18, 2017, “Let’s Preserve, Protect, and Defend Florida’s Constitution!” Merrill Shapiro, Trustee and Immediate Past President, National Board of Trustees, Americans United for Separation of Church and State. In 1968, Florida became the only state that allows for its state constitution to be revisited and changed through a regularly scheduled commission called the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC). The CRC, which meets every 20 years, is a group of 37 commissioners who examine the relevance and applicability of Florida’s Constitution to current and future needs. Are any of us safe? Not really!

Aug. 21, 2017, “Storms of My Grandchildren,” Gary A. Stilwell, Ph.D., from Tallahassee, Florida. Dr. Stilwell will review James Hansen’s Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity and then lead the discussion.

July 17, 2017, “How to Defeat Religion in 10 Easy Steps,” Ryan T. Cragun, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Director, Honors Program, The University of Tampa. Drawing on the latest social-scientific research on religion, “How to Defeat Religion in 10 Easy Steps” illustrates specific, actionable steps that interested nonbelievers and progressive believers can take to facilitate fundamentalist religion’s decline. Video link: https://youtu.be/2Yc0jwr0OVA

June 19, 2017, “Spinoza: Religion without Theism,” Scott Kimbrough, Professor of Philosophy and Chair, Division of Humanities, Jacksonville University. When asked whether he believed in God, Albert Einstein answered, “I believe in Spinoza’s God who reveals Himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who…” Come to learn more!

May 15, 2017, “The Crisis of the American Dream,” David R. Simon, Ph.D., Sociology Professor (Ret.). The American Dream is a vague, commonly used phrase which is both overly used and highly questionable. It is not that a majority of Americans are no longer middle class. It is more that the American Dream has always been based on mythical notions

April 17, 2017, “What Has the AHA Done for Me, Lately?” Jenny Kalmanson, Vice President, American Humanist Association and President, Institute for Humanist Studies. Learn more a about humanism and about the American Humanist Association, especially pertinent in that the FCFS has just become a chapter of the AHA and espouses its principles.

March 20, 2017, “To Be an American,” Ken Hurley’s documentary film. To Be an American will be shown in its entirety at our March monthly meeting, at no charge. This award-winning film by Ken Hurley, edited by Bridget Green, as told by Americans, captures what it MEANS to be an American in the opinions of hundreds of people from all 50 states.

Feb. 20, 2017, “The 2016 Election—Why Hillary Clinton Lost in Florida: A Field Perspective,” Tony Penna, Regional Organizer for the Hillary Clinton Campaign, Duval County; former North Florida Regional Director, Enroll America. The presenter will contrast perceptions of the candidates in 2012 and 2016 and will assess the 2016 Florida Clinton campaign Field Operations effort.

Jan. 16, 2017, “The Role of Empathy in End-of-Life Decision Making,” Adrianne L. McEvoy, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy; Director, Great Conversations Honors Program, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. This talk will examine the nature of empathy and the vital role it plays, for providers as well as patients’ loved-ones, in making end-of-life medical decisions.

Dec. 19, 2016, Thirteenth Annual Human Light Celebration. No lecture tonight. We celebrate the season, install 2017 officers, recognize past accomplishments, envision future direction. Gather at 6:30 p.m. at a local Jacksonville restaurant. Dine at 7:00. Ceremonies to follow.

Nov. 21, 2016, “American Public Education: The Sinister Linkage – ACE Events, the GINI Score, and a Rapidly Deepening Spiral,” Joque H. Soskis, retired UNF faculty member, retired Florida Bar member, author, freethinker. That the U.S. educational system is in serious crisis is widely recognized. We shall delve into why this is so.

Oct. 17, 2016, “How to Talk to a Person of Faith About Church-State Separation, If You Have To,” Bill Mefford, Faith Organizer, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Washington, DC. Can people of faith and people who embrace a nonreligious worldview work together to ensure freedom of religion for all people? How? Let’s find out together.

Sept. 19, 2016, “Beyond My Plate: Nutritional Advice for a Long and Healthy Life,” Frances V. Siver, MS, RDN, LDN; Coordinator, ISPP Program, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Brooks College of Health, University of North Florida. Learn about practical, science-based dietary changes that you can make to decrease your risk of chronic disease while at the same time, potentially increasing your years of quality life.

Aug. 15, 2016, “The Physiology of Gender” Elaine M. Hull, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Florida State University. Genes and hormones are the major factors that produce sex differentiation, but stress and social factors can tweak the process, sometimes leading to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.

July 18, 2016, “Why Interfaith Must Include the Nonreligious,” Tarah Trueblood, J.D., M.Div., M.A., Director, Interfaith Center, University of North Florida. America is currently the most religiously diverse country in the world. To heal our divided America, communities across the country must engage in meaningful interfaith dialogue and cooperation; and interfaith must include the religious, nonreligious, and spiritual but not religious.

June 20, 2016, “Can Moral Reasoning Rise above Emotion: Moral Psychology and the Role of Emotion in Reasoning,” Scott Kimbrough, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy and Chair, Division of Humanities, Jacksonville University. People do not typically reason to their moral convictions, but emotionally affiliate with “moral tribes.” Can reason rise above emotion-based tribalism?

May 16, 2016, “The Rise of the Authoritarians,” David R. Simon, Ph.D., Sociology Professor (Ret.), Postdoctoral Fellow. Social critic David Simon will explore the rise of authoritarian voters in the 2016 political campaign. He will explain the classical sociological theory of authoritarians and touch upon the potential dangers of authoritarian candidates being elected.

April 18, 2016, “Playing on a Broken Chessboard: Policies and Realities in the Middle East,” David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida. America’s Middle East policy is in tatters, mainly because the Middle East is in tatters. Given the current disarray, is it even possible for America to craft a coherent and realistic policy for the Middle East, today?

March 21, 2016, “The American Healthcare System from A-Z, in 30 Minutes or Less,” Tony Penna, North Florida Regional Director, Enroll America (a nonprofit whose mission is to spread health insurance coverage). Tony will compare healthcare models in America and in other countries and discuss the impact of the Affordable Care Act on our healthcare system.

Feb. 15, 2016, “The Religious Freedom Restoration Act and its Dangers to Secular Society and Government,” Toni Van Pelt, President, Institute for Science and Human Values. Increasingly, we are seeing businesses refusing services to individuals based on religious objections. Imposing beliefs on others who do not share them goes against the very fiber and core of not just secular humanist values and principles, but American family values, as well. Video link: https://youtu.be/8XyzYKUN5IA

Jan. 18, 2016, “The Role of Empathy in Medical Decision Making,” Adrianne Leigh McEvoy, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. What exactly is the role of empathy in medical decision making? More than most patients and providers realize.

Dec. 21, 2015, Twelfth Annual Human Light Celebration. No lecture tonight. We celebrate the season, install 2016 officers, recognize past accomplishments, envision future direction. Gather at 6:30 p.m. at a local Jacksonville restaurant. Dine at 7:00. Ceremonies to follow.

Nov. 16, 2015, “When the Government Should Shut Up: Religion, Abortion, and Confederate Flags,” Christopher J. Roederer, Professor of Law and Director, International Programs, Florida Coastal School of Law. Roederer says of his talk, “I plan to tie in cases that range from Town of Greece (establishment clause) through Casey and Rust v. Sullivan (abortion ‘counseling’) to Texas v. Walker (the recent case in Texas regarding the confederate flag on license plates).”

Oct. 19, 2015, “Policing in America: It’s Worse Than You Think. (FAR worse!)” Joque H. Soskis, former police officer and police administrator, retired UNF criminal justice professor, and retired attorney. The present failures, misfeasance, and malfeasance of the American police have multiple interlocking and intractable sources, many of which are not directly related to the police, themselves.

Sept. 21, 2015, “Building God’s Kingdom: Inside the World of Christian Reconstruction,” Julie Ingersoll, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Religious Studies, and Religious Studies Program Coordinator, University of North Florida. Dr. Julie Ingersoll will be discussing her brand new book, Building God’s Kingdom: Inside the World of Christian Reconstruction (Oxford University Press 2015). Video link: https://youtu.be/wUKjG7M4dn4

Aug. 17, 2015, “Colonization of the Inner Solar System,” Jay S. Huebner, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Physics, University of North Florida. How can we build manufactured habitats for better lives in space?

July 20, 2015, “The Politics of Neoliberalism,” David Jaffee, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, University of North Florida. Neoliberalism has been the dominant political economic paradigm in the United States since the 1980s. We shall consider how neoliberalism has shaped electoral politics, the two party system, and the prospects for democracy.

June 15, 2015, “The Theocracy War: Dispatches from the Front,” Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, President, National Board of Trustees, Americans United for Separation of Church and State. There is a movement in our midst that rejects the values of inclusivity and diversity, a movement that seeks to undermine the foundations of our modern secular democracy! Patriots of every stripe are rising to wage war on Theocracy.

May 18, 2015, “A Road No Longer Winding,” Douglas R. Doan, past Methodist minister, now freethinker. Join us for another remarkable tale of de-conversion!

April 20, 2015, “ISIS Under Your Bed! What Are the Threats of the Current Mid-East Mess?” David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida. Come and learn more about the latest terrorist phenomenon from a respected expert on Middle-East politics.

April 14, 2015, “FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Linchpin of a Free Society.” SPECIAL EVENT – a panel discussion on Freedom of Speech, co-sponsored by the FCFS, the UNF Department of Political Science and Public Administration, the UNF Pre-Law Program, and FOLIO Weekly. Panelists: Parvez Ahmed, PhD, Associate Professor of Finance, UNF; Susan Cooper Eastman, Writer-at-Large, Folio Weekly: Frank Denton, PhD, Editor, Florida Times-Union; François Kloc, Honorary French Consul, Jacksonville; Christopher J. Roederer, Law Professor, Florida Coastal School of Law; Brian Thornton, PhD, Professor of Communications, UNF. Moderator: Staci Spanos, WJXT-TV Channel 4. Join us on TUESDAY, April 14, at the UNF University Center, 12000 Alumni Drive, for this panel discussion on Freedom of Speech by two UNF professors, two outstanding journalists, and the French consul. This panel discussion was inspired by the world-wide mixed reaction to the recent Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks. The panelists will address this and much more.

March 16, 2015, “The United States of Insanity,” David R. Simon, Ph.D., Sociologist, Research Fellow, Institute of Public and International Policy, University of North Florida (Ret.) In the last few years, several respected authors have claimed that the United States has become a dysfunctional society. Has it? And how would one empirically prove this statement, anyway?

Feb. 16, 2015, “Dinosaurs, Locomotion, and Dinosaur-to-Avian Evolution,” Jeremy Stalker, Ph.D., Marine Biologist, Jacksonville University. Celebrate Darwin’s birth month with us as we take a trip through time, which will include some dinosaur evolution and locomotion, geology, and dinosaur-to-avian evolution.

Jan. 19, 2015, “Common Core and Education Reform: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” Scott Shine, Duval County School Board Member. Scott Shine will take an objective look at Common Core and High Stakes Testing in a public education environment undergoing unprecedented reform.

Dec. 15, 2014, Eleventh Annual Human Light Celebration. Celebrate the season, install 2015 officers, recognize 2014 accomplishments, envision future direction. (No lecture.) Gather at 6:30 p.m. at the BELLA VITA Italian Restaurant, 3825 Baymeadows Rd., Jax, 32217. Dine at 7:00 (order from the menu). Ceremonies to follow.

Nov. 17, 2014, “Waiting for a Donut” – A One-Act Play by Earl Coggins. Cast in order of appearance: Newt (Earl Coggins) and Zorba (David Schwam-Baird). “Waiting for a Donut” is a witty, introspective journey into the complexity of a simple life. Video: https://youtu.be/ZBwwT5fH4E4

Oct. 20, 2014, “Rethinking the Search for Truth,” Matthew Groe, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy, Jacksonville University. Dr. Groe will throw suspicion on the idea that we could ever reach the absolute truth about how reality really is.

Sept. 15, 2014, “Dredging for Commerce: A Critical Perspective on the St. Johns River Deepening Project,” David Jaffee, Ph.D., Sociology Professor, Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, UNF. Dr. Jaffee will critically analyze the pros and cons of the impending St. Johns River Deepening Project.

Aug. 18, 2014, “Huntington’s Disease: Medical and Moral Dimensions,” Richard T. Hull, Ph.D., Bioethicist; Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, SUNY Buffalo; Author; Editor; Humanist. Dr. Hull will discuss the horror and the facts of this dsease. He will review current research and its promise for eventually conquering Huntington’s, long misidentified as a divine retribution for the sins of past relatives.

July 21, 2014, “How Do We Know? Or, Why Science and Conservative Theology Can’t Agree on Anything of Substance Except That the Other Side is Wrong,” David Campbell, award-winning high school science teacher. This talk will be an exploration of different ways of learning and knowing in the domains of science and religion. David will examine how both science and religion ask and answer questions, the types of questions they ask, and how they arrive at their conclusions.

June 16, 2014, “Operation Inclusion: There’s a Role for Each of Us,” Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, President, National Board of Trustees, Americans United for Separation of Church and State. In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent misguided ruling to allow prayer at government meetings (in Town of Greece v. Galloway), Americans United has launched a multi-pronged plan titled, “Operation Inclusion,” designed to protect ALL Americans.

May 19, 2014, “Questioning Questioning Darwin,” David R. Simon, Ph.D. and Jocque Soskis, J.D., Co-presenters. In-depth analysis of recent HBO documentary film, Questioning Darwin.

April 21, 2014, “Socrates on the Pious and the Just: Was Socrates a closet freethinker?” Paul M. Carelli, Ph.D., Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, UNF. Was Socrates really a closet freethinker? Come and find out!

March 17, 2014, “Motivating Health Care Facilities to Meet the Needs of Secular Patients,” Joe Beck, MSW (ret.), Humanist Chaplain; Founder and Chair, Humanists of the Treasure Coast. Secular patients are not accorded the same level of support and recognition in health care facilities, especially hospices, as are religious patients. You will learn the extent of this problem and find out what you can do to help.

Feb. 17, 2014, “Charles Darwin: His Life and His Voyage on the HMS Beagle,” Jim Strayer, retired biology educator and Darwin expert. What made Charles Darwin tick? How did he come to abandon his ministerial studies and embark on a path of discovery that would change science forever?

Jan. 20, 2014, “The Truth Virus: It’s All Plato’s Fault (or, Why All Truths Are Lies),” Jack Maurice (“Orlando Jack”), founder of the Orlando Humanist Association and the Orlando Coalition of Reason. What if you had a virus in your brain? What if it were a cognitive virus, a kind of cognitive AIDS? How would it affect your thinking? How did you get infected with the virus? Is there a CURE?

Dec. 16, 2013, Tenth Annual Human Light Celebration. Celebrate the season, install 2014 officers, recognize 2013 accomplishments, envision future direction. (No lecture.) Gather at 6:30 p.m. at the BELLA VITA Italian Restaurant, 3825 Baymeadows Rd., Jax, 32217. Dine at 7:00 (order from the menu). Ceremonies to follow.

Nov. 18, 2013, “In Preparation for Comet ISON 2012, November-December 2013,” Jay S. Huebner, BSEE, MS & Ph.D., Physics, Visiting Research Professor, Sensors Group, Physics Department, UNF. This comet is named for a telescope system (the International Scientific Optical Network) used to discover it and for the year it was discovered. It could be the brightest comet anyone alive now has ever seen!

Oct. 21, 2013, “The Jobs Are Coming Back, But They’re Just Visiting: The Welfare State, the Singularity, and the Automation of Production,” Joque Soskis, retired UNF faculty member, retired Florida Bar member. Teacher and author Joque Soskis will discuss the impact that the approaching singularity in artificial intelligence will have on production and hence, the economy.

Sept. 9, 2013, “Freedom from Religion: Past, Present, and Future,” Dan Barker, Co-Director, Freedom from Religion Foundation. Dan will be speaking from his vast amount of experience in the freethought movement. You will not want to miss this special meeting!

Aug. 19, 2013, “How Atheists, Freethinkers, and Humanists Deal with Death and Religious Consolations,” Richard T. Hull, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, SUNY Buffalo. Author, editor, bioethicist, and humanist Richard Hull will examine how nonreligious folks handle the loss of a loved one, as well as how they handle the consolations of believers.

July 15, 2013, “The Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion, and Dorothy: Finding Community on the Yellow Brick Road,” Teresa MacBain, former Methodist minister. Teresa is the recipient of the American Atheists 2012 “Atheist of the Year” award. What is community? Should we seek out community? Is religion the only place where community is found? Or necessary? Join us as Teresa explores the answers. You might be surprised!

June 17, 2013, “Framing the Question of Value: The Problem of Environmental Ethics,” Erich Freiberger, PhD, Professor of Philosophy, Division of Humanities, Jacksonville University. As we confront the reality of global climate change, can ethics help us assess the scope of the problem and help us identify solutions?

May 20, 2013, “Understanding the Economic Crisis: A Neo-Marxist Perspective,” David Jaffee, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of North Florida. Is the current U.S. economic crisis an anomaly, or is it an inherent and predictable feature of capitalism? Under prevailing conditions, what are the prospects for a sustained recovery?

April 15, 2013, “From Nundom to Freedom,” Liz Murad, former Catholic nun. Now freethinker and humanist, Liz shares the remarkable story of her long journey from faith in the unbelievable to life in reality, and all the stops in between.

March 18, 2013, “New Revelations in the JFK Assassination Case,” David R. Simon, Ph.D., Research Fellow (Ret.), Institute of Public and International Policy, University of North Florida. There are now over 1,000 books, 2,000 articles, and tens of documentaries about President Kennedy’s murder. New shocking information reveals facts about the number of the President’s wounds, the single bullet, and many other aspects of the case.

Feb. 18, 2013, “That Complex Whole: Darwinian Approaches to Cultural Evolution,” Gordon F.M. Rakita, Ph.D., RPA, Associate Professor of Anthropology,
Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology, UNF. Culture changes . . . but does it evolve? How has Darwin’s theory of evolution been applied to human culture and what can we learn about how we live and the things around us by applying Darwin’s universal acid?

Jan. 21, 2013, “Crimes Against Logic: Identifying Errors in Reasoning,” Earl Coggins, President and Founder, First Coast Freethought Society. Learn about non sequiturs, slippery slopes, false dichotomies, and other logical fallacies as we explore “Crimes Against Logic.”

Dec. 17, 2012, Ninth Annual Human Light Celebration. Installation of 2013 officers and 2012 recognitions. (No formal lecture tonight, just a party!) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church where we regularly meet. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. dine at 7:00 p.m., ceremonies to follow.

Nov. 19, 2012, “The Best Speech Ever . . . Really. (Or, Why America is Smart Enough to Have Left Plenty of Room for Improvement)” Ken Hurley, Co-founder and Director, Civication, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting civics education and civil responsibility. A free speech by Ken Hurley.

Oct. 15, 2012, “Where’s the ‘freedom’ in Ballot Amendment 8, The Florida Religious Freedom Amendment?” Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, President, National Board of Trustees of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Ballot Amendment 8 is a wonderful vehicle to gaining important insights into the workings of the Florida State legislature. Shapiro will teach us to truly appreciate how Amendment 8 keeps on giving!

Sept. 17, 2012, “What’s Really at Stake in the 2012 Election? It’s Not What You Think,” David R. Simon, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Public and International Policy, University of North Florida. Dr. Simon plans to talk about the hidden agendas of this election. He says, “This will be a genuine exercise in freethought and not a partisan diatribe for or against either party.”

Aug. 20, 2012, “The Devil Made Me Do It: What Light Can Neuroscience Shed on the Problem of Free Will?” Elaine Hull, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee. Recently, neuroscientists have been seeing if there are ways of testing whether free will is genuine or an illusion. Come and learn what research indicates!

July 16, 2012, “Corporations Are Persons, and So What?” Mitchell Haney, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Philosophy; a Director of the Florida Blue Center for Ethics at UNF. Dr. Haney will argue first that there is nothing spooky about corporate personhood; and second, if corporations are persons, this need not have any sinister effects on our moral or political lives.

June 18, 2012, “What Would Socrates Ask?” Karla Pierce, M.A., Adjunct Philosophy Instructor, Florida State College at Jacksonville and Jacksonville University. Join us for an educational, interactive workshop designed to hone your critical thinking and critical questioning skills. Critical thinking is an essential component of freethought.

May 21, 2012, “The Truth About True Crime: It’s Not What You Think!” David R. Simon, Ph.D., Research Fellow (Ret.), Institute of Public and International Policy, University of North Florida. An estimated 95% of what the public knows about crime comes from the mass media (TV news, CSI shows, movies, and an occasional book). Come and learn the TRUTH about true crime.

April, 16, 2012, “The Politics of Harry Potter,” David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida. The Harry Potter series is a social and cultural phenomenon which raises some interesting and troubling moral and ethical questions. It has also been attacked as anti-Christian. Definitely worth exploring!

March 19, 2012, “Taxpayer-Funded Religion in Florida,” Mark Palmer, Esq., Executive Director, Humanists of Florida Association. Mark will explain why this November’s Amendment 8 (Removal of the No-Aid Clause) and Senate Bill 98 (Prayer at Public School Assemblies) threaten the freedoms of religion and belief of all Floridians.

Feb. 20, 2012, “What Does Evolution Mean for Ethics?” Scott Kimbrough, Ph.D., Chair, Division of Humanities, Jacksonville University. Does evolutionary theory provide a new foundation for ethics? Or does it show our ethical commitments to be groundless products of natural selection?

Jan. 16, 2012, “What Would Socrates Ask?” Karla Pierce, M.A., Adjunct Philosophy Instructor, Florida State College at Jacksonville. Join us for an educational, interactive workshop designed to hone your critical thinking and critical questioning skills. Critical thinking is an essential component to freethought. MEETING CANCELLED DUE TO A PLUMBING PROBLEM. Rescheduled for June 2012.

Dec. 19, 2011, Eighth Annual Human Light Celebration. Installation of 2012 officers, 2011 awards and recognitions. (No formal lecture tonight, just a party!) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church where we regularly meet. Gather at 6:00 p.m. for social hour, dine at 7:00 p.m., ceremonies at 8:00 p.m.

Nov. 21, 2011, “King Louis XVI’s Timing was Terrible. Will Ours be Better?” Joque H. Soskis, retired UNF faculty member, past member and official of the faculty union of the State University System, retired member of the Florida Bar, author, freethinker. In other words, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette waited too long to remedy the economic distress of their citizenry. Can we learn from their mistake?

Oct. 17 2011, “Reflections on the Arab Spring: What Do We Need to be Asking?” David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, UNF. When the rebellion in Tunisia spread to Egypt, then to Bahrain and on to Jordan, Yemen, Libya, and Syria, there was hope that the way was opening for democracy to flourish. Is this the case?

Sept. 19, 2011, “Analytical Conflict Transformation: How to Transform a Dispute into Meaningful Dialogue,” Casey Welch, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminology, Dept. of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL. In another of our series, “Building Bridges Beyond Belief,” Casey and Earl will be discussing the use of Analytical Conflict Transformation (ACT) in everyday life and especially as it pertains to the freethought movement.

Aug. 15, 2011, “The Neurophysiology of Religious Experience,” Elaine Hull, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee. A number of brain imaging studies have shown increases and decreases in activity in specific brain areas during religious experiences. In addition, epilepsy and some serotonergic drugs can trigger religious experiences. What may (or may not!) be common to all of these experiences?

July 18, 2011, “Opinions, Dominions, and Great Virginians: The Hope for Civil Discourse,” Ken Hurley, Co-Founder and Director of Civication, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting civics education and civil responsibility. What elements are necessary for an opinion? How do you form your opinions? Does it sometimes seem that everyone else is wrong? Come be part of the audience and share your opinions.

June 20, 2011, “Building Bridges Beyond Belief: Dialogue With a Bridge-Building Hospital Chaplain,” Ed Wilder, M. Div., M. Ed., Senior Chaplain, Baptist Medical Center South; and Earl Coggins, President and Founder, FCFS. Ed and Earl will be discussing Ed’s “Multi-faith Educational Program” designed to bring awareness to Baptist South employees of the many diverse worldviews (including nontheistic) held by hospital patients and how to accommodate them.

May 16, 2011, “New Biblical Problems: Pseudepigraphy, Pseudonymity, Contradictions, and Failed Prophecies,” David R. Simon, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Institute of Public and International Policy, University of North Florida. Recent biblical scholarship has uncovered a multitude of problems with both the old and new testaments including plagiarism, multiple authorship of the same books, failed prophecies, and more.

April 18, 2011, “Origin and Structure of the Universe,” Jay S. Huebner, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus and Visiting Research Professor, Physics Department, UNF. Dr. Huebner will explain how great telescopes and other scientific advances allow us to discern much of the large-scale history and origin of the universe.

March 21, 2011, “Ethics, Truth, and Politics: Three Things Rarely Found in the Same Place,” Scott Shine, former City of Jacksonville Ethics Commissioner and local political consultant. Come and learn about the Jacksonville Ethics Commission, its mission, workings, accomplishments, projects.

Feb. 21, 2011, “Evolution vs. Creation: What Does the Evidence Say?” Anthony M. Rossi, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of North Florida. Join us as we celebrate the birth month of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin and examine the evidence for his great contributions to our understanding of life on this planet.

Jan. 24, 2011, “More Dialogue With a Muslim: Discussion Continues,” Parvez Ahmed, Ph.D., Member, Jacksonville Human Rights Commission; Associate Professor of Finance, UNF; Fulbright Scholar; Muslim; and Folio Weekly Person of the Year. The September 2010 FCFS meeting, “Building Bridges Beyond Belief: Dialogue with a Muslim,” was so well received that many people wanted him to come back. Dr. Ahmed has graciously agreed to return so the discussion may continue. Come and have your questions answered.

Dec. 20, 2010, Seventh Annual Human Light Celebration. Installation of 2011 officers, 2010 awards and recognitions. (No formal lecture tonight, just a party!) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church where we regularly meet. Gather at 6:00 p.m. for social hour, dine at 7:00 p.m., ceremonies at 8:00 p.m.

Nov. 15, 2010, “What Can Possibly Explain All This? or, a Scientist Seeks a Unifying Theory for Everything About America,” Joque H. Soskis, retired UNF faculty member, past member and official of the faculty union of the State University System, retired member of the Florida Bar, author, freethinker. Joque will explore why Americans seem not to be too concerned about the various ways in which things in the U. S. are deteriorating relative to other industrialized democracies. He will cite examples, suggest an explanation, and host a lively Q&A afterwards.

Oct. 18, 2010, “Cretaceous Park: Paleontology Adventures in Southern Utah,” L. Barry Albright, Ph.D., vertebrate paleontologist, author, and a professor of Earth Science, Dept. of Physics, UNF. Dr. Albright discovered a new species of dinosaur, a rare sickle-clawed dinosaur, the Nothronychus graffami. He has just returned from a dig in Southern Utah and Mongolia.

Sept. 20, 2010, “Building Bridges Beyond Belief: Dialogue with a Muslim,”
Parvez Ahmed, Ph.D., Member, Jacksonville Human Rights Commission; Associate Professor of Finance, UNF; Fulbright Scholar. FCFS President Earl Coggins will be holding the second dialogue in his series, “Building Bridges Beyone Belief.” The first was with a Baptist minister. This one is with a Muslim. They will be discussing differences in the Muslim and atheist worldviews. Dr. Ahmed is a frequent commentator on Islam and the Muslim American Experience.

Aug. 16, 2010, “Marriage = 1 Man + 1 Woman—or Does It?” Richard T. Hull, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Philosophy, SUNY Buffalo. In dialogue form with two characters previously introduced at FCFS meetings (Dr. Phil the philosophy professor and Rose the Catholic), Richard Hull reviews the reasons pro and con for seeking to limit marriage to one man plus one woman. This dialogue is updated for recent court decisions.

July 19, 2010, “Christian Roots of the U.S. Constitution–Real or Imagined?” Justin DePlato, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, UNF. Dr. DePlato will be focusing on the intellectual merits and empirics to determine whether the Framers intended for America to be a Christian nation, a secular nation, or even a pluralistic religious community.

June 21, 2010, “Where Was God: Evil, Theodicy, and Modern Science,” Gary A. Stilwell, Ph.D. Dr. Stilwell will be discussing his newest book, Where Was God? He will have books available at the meeting.

May 17, 2010, “Crime and Religion,” David R. Simon, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Institute of Public and International Policy, University of North Florida. Dr. Simon will examine the numerous relationships between crime and religion. Have you ever wondered if religiosity reduces delinquency and adult crime? Why are there sexual abuse and other scandals among the clergy? And more! The results may surprise you.

April 19, 2010, “What Should It Mean To Be an American?” Ken Hurley, Founder and Director of Civication, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting civics education and civil responsibility. Consider these: I Have a Dream. The American Dream. United We Stand. We The People. In God We Trust. Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death. Don’t Tread On Me. My Country Right or Wrong. God Bless America . . .

March 15, 2010, “The Morals and Ethics of a ‘Godless Person,’” Orlando Jack (a.k.a. Jack Maurice), Founder and President, Orlando Area Atheists and Freethinkers Meetup Group. Jack poses the following questions: Does religion paralyze morality? Are you, dear freethinker, an ethical person? A person of good morals? What makes you a good person? By whose standards are you leading a good, ethical life?

Feb. 15, 2010, “Of Metaphysics and Missing Links: Ardipithecus Ramidus and Modeling Human Evolution,” Gordon F. Rakita, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anthropology with the Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology, University of North Florida. Come celebrate Darwin’s birth month with us! Dr. Rakita’s areas of expertise include evolutionary theory, bioarcheology, and human skeletal biology. He will discuss fossils and models of human evolution, why the “Ardi” finds are so important, and “missing links.”

Jan. 18, 2010, “Theism and Atheism: A Dialogue About Building Bridges,”
Rev. Harry Parrott, Baptist Minister; and Earl Coggins, President, FCFS; hosted by Ken Hurley, Director, Civication. Come, listen, and participate as FCFS president and a local Baptist minister discuss pertinent issues in the theism vs. atheism battle going on for the last 2000 years. Covering historical and contemporary issues, this is sure to kick off 2010 with a bang.

Dec. 21, 2009, Sixth Annual Human Light Celebration. Installation of 2010 officers, 2009 awards and recognitions. (No lecture or educational program tonight, just a party!) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church, 7405 Arlington Expressway. Gather at 6:00 p.m. for social hour, dine at 7:00 p.m., ceremonies at 8:00.

Nov. 16, 2009, “An Overview of Church/State Separation Issues on Florida’s First Coast,” Jeff Brumley, Staff Writer with the Florida Times-Union. Come and hear the man who has his finger on the pulse of the First Coast discuss this controversial subject.

Oct. 19, 2009, “What was Jesus’ Good News?” Gary A. Stilwell, Ph.D. This topic is based on Dr. Stillwell’s book, Christianity: 5000 Years of History and Development.
Dr. Stilwell’s most recent book is Where Was God: Evil, Theodicy, and Modern Science.

Sept. 21, 2009, “To Separate or Not to Separate: How Other Countries Deal With Questions of Church and State,” David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Dept. of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida We will explore how various democratic foreign countries approach the sensitive issues surrounding the question of Church-State separation.

Aug. 17, 2009, “Tales of the Club-footed Boy: How Has Man Answered Life’s Fundamental Questions,” Pam C. Dement-Liebenow, Professor of Biological Sciences, Florida Community College at Jacksonville. How did we get here? What is our purpose? Where are we going? Join us as we examine creation stories throughout man’s history and compare them to the facts that scientists have discovered.

July 20, 2009, “A Baptist Minister Reflects on the Freethought Tradition.” Reverend Harry B. Parrott, Jr., President, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Clay County Chapter, and ordained Baptist Minister. Rev. Parrott will discuss his understanding of the freethought tradition, some views on religion, and our common ancestry regarding separation of church and state.

June 15, 2009, “The History of Social Control,” Casey Welch, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminology, Dept. of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Flagler College, Saint Augustine, FL. Religion is just one of many sources of social control. Come and learn more!

May 18, 2009, “The History of Creationism in Florida,” Joe Wolf, President, Florida Citizens for Science. Florida has a long and glorious (ignoble) history of creationist activity lasting to today. Hear the ongoing saga of the continued struggle to teach real science (evolution), rather than creationism (“intelligent design”) in Florida public schools.

April 20, 2009, “Idiots, Activist Judges, Civics, and the United States Supreme Court,” Ken Hurley, Founder and Director, Civication, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting civics education and civil responsibility; and former Director of the Board, Florida ACLU, and President, Northeast Florida Chapter of the ACLU from 2001-2007. What’s in a name? AND… How might new judicial nominations shape the philosophical direction of the Supreme Court? May we rest easy? How might the court view issues such as abortion rights, privacy rights, detention policies, executive power, gay marriage, voting rights, and our Pledge of Allegiance?

March 16, 2009, “Without God, Whence Cometh Morality?” Richard T. Hull, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at SUNY Buffalo. Come and explore with us the origins of morality, ethics, values, etc. Dr. Hull’s presentation will be followed by a lively question and Answer session.

Feb. 16, 2009, “Happy Birthday, Charles Darwin: A Retrospective,” Anthony M. Rossi, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of North Florida. Join us as we celebrate the birthday anniversary of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin and the examine the great contributions he made to our understanding of life on this planet.

Jan. 19, 2009, “Positive Atheism: Presenting the Merits of Disbelief,” Earl Coggins, Founder and President, First Coast Freethought Society. Non-believers have been described as unethical and immoral. They are unelectable to most public offices and have even been called Satan-worshipers. Earl Coggins looks at the virtues and benefits of having no religious beliefs. He will discuss the importance of framing disbelief in a positive light.

Dec. 15, 2008, Fifth Annual Human Light Celebration! Installation of 2009 officers, 2008 awards and recognitions. (No educational program tonight.) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church, Arlington Expressway. Gather at 6:00 p.m. for social hour, dine at 7:00 p.m., ceremonies at 8:00.

Nov. 17, 2008, “Analysis of the 2008 Elections,” Matthew Corrigan, Ph.D., Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida. Join us as Dr. Corrigan analyzes the 2008 election results and explores their implications for our future.

Oct. 20, 2008 “It’s a BA-by!” Richard T. Hull, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, SUNY Buffalo; Founder and President, Tallahassee Center for Inquiry. With Dr. Hull, we will explore early pre-embryo metaphysics and the ethics of early abortion and stem-cell harvesting. He will explain why these procedures don’t harm any individual human beings. He will also try to answer the question, When do we become persons? His account is novel and was recently published in the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy.

Sept. 15, 2008, “Subverting our Constitutions: When Should a Constitution Be Changed?” David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, University of North Florida. Dr. Schwam-Baird plans to discuss several amendment issues (“2, 7, 9”) which will be coming up for a vote in November and about which the FCFS is very concerned. He will tie this in with state and federal constitutions.

Aug. 18, 2008, “Exploring the Different Flavors of Freethought,” Mel Lipman, President, American Humanist Association. Humanism, agnosticism, atheism, freethought? What do these words mean? Is there a difference? What is the difference? Come to our meeting and find out!

July 21, 2008, “Conflict Transformation,” Casey Welch, Ph.D., Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of North Florida. Conflict is omnipresent. Responses to conflict can be highly enlightening and valuable for all who are experiencing and managing them. Want to learn more?

June 16, 2008, “The Process is Due: Gitmo and America’s Constitutional Values,” Ken Hurley, Interim Director, ACLU of Florida, Northeast Regional Office. What happened to due process? Which process is due? How can people be detained for years without charges? How can the “War on Terror” end? Are there really constitutional values?

May 19, 2008, “Why Religion Won’t Go Away,” John Anderson, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of North Florida. The world’s religions are not going to go away, but they could evolve.

April 21, 2008, “Psychoanalysis and Science,” Erich Freiberger, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy, Jacksonville University. Dr. Freiberger will explore some of the basic assumptions we make when we take up the quest to be scientific in relation to a field such as psychoanalysis.

March 17, 2008, “Positive Humanism: How Humanism Fits into a Participatory Democracy,” Heather Wellman, former Executive Director, Humanists of Florida Association. Heather is an experienced, entertaining and informative speaker. This is a good time to bring friends!

Feb. 18, 2008, “What Genetics Tells Us about Evolution,” Matthew Gilg, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, UNF. Celebrate Darwin’s birthday! Come to an overview of genetic data and learn what it actually teaches us.

Jan. 21, 2008, “Crime Perpetrated by Religious Groups Throughout History,” David R. Simon, Ph.D., retired criminology professor. Can the “holy” perhaps not be so holy, after all? A real eye-opener!

Dec. 17, 2007, Fourth Annual “Human Light Celebration.” Party! Installation of 2008 officers, 2007 awards. (No educational program tonight.) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church, Arlington Expressway. Gather at 6:00 p.m., dine at 7:00 p.m., ceremonies at 8:00

Nov. 19, 2007, “Defining Atheism: Exposing the Myths, Revealing the Taboos,” Earl Coggins, Founder and Spokesperson for the FCFS. Earl will define, dissect, explore, and examine atheism from many angles.

Oct. 15, 2007, “What is the Future of Secularism in the Middle East?” David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Professor, Dept. of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida. Dr. Schwam-Baird, a recognized expert in the politics of the Middle East, will examine the possibilities for secularism, there.

Sept. 17, 2007, “The Pursuit of Happiness: A Humanist Mandate,” Jennifer Hancock, past Associate Director, Humanists of Florida Association; now writer and humanist activist. To learn more, visit her website, http://www.sumogirl.com/ which contains the her thoughts, opinions, and creative pursuits. Included on the site is her Humanist counter to the advice given by televangelist Billy Graham!

Aug. 20, 2007, “Buy the Funeral You Want at a Reasonable Price: Funeral Industry Secrets Revealed,” Hugo Borresen, Founder of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Greater Jacksonville. Knowledge is the key to avoid being ripped off by the funeral industry in a time of personal tragedy, stress, and distress.

July 16, 2007, “How Religion is Approached/Treated in Academia,” Satya Pachori, Ph.D., Professor (Ret.) of English, UNF; Editor Emeritus of the South Asian Review. Dr. Pachori will examine how the subject of religion is handled (approached, discussed) in academia.

June 18, 2007, “Top-down vs. Bottom-up Societal Structures: A Historical Perspective,” Frank P. Besag, Ph.D., Sociology Professor. In Dr. Besag’s own words, he will discuss the history, geography, economics, and religion of slavery and “top-down” versus “bottom up” societal structures.

May 21, 2007, “The Culture Wars: How Humanism Fits In,” Heather Wellman, Executive Director, Humanists of Florida Association. This new humanist leader will be discussing her view of the future of humanism and the direction of the HFA.

April 16, 2007, “Divine Command Theory,” Ellen Wagner, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Philosophy, University of North Florida. Is all morality dependent upon the will of God? Come and find out! This term can be used to refer to any one of a family of related ethical theories which all take “God’s will” to be the foundation of ethics.

March 19, 2007, “Pasteur and Koch, Two Giants of the Scientific Method,” Jim Strayer, retired biology teacher from Ormond Beach, Florida. Get the real scoop on Science vs. Superstition!

Feb. 19, 2007, “Science’s New Pep Squad in Florida,” Joe Wolf, President, Florida Citizens for Science. Goals, achievements, and aspirations of Florida Citizens for Science.

Jan. 15, 2007, “Why Bogus Therapies Often Seem to Work,” Barry L. Beyerstein, Ph.D., professor of neuropsychology at Simon Fraser University in Canada, and a leading skeptic. Video of presentation given at a recent conference of the Center for Inquiry, Florida.

Dec. 18, 2006, Third Annual “Human Light Celebration.” Installation of 2007 officers, 2006 awards. (No formal program tonight.) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church, Arlington Expressway.

Nov. 20, 2006, “Is Freethought Really Free? It may be imprisoned by its need to be free from all religion and spirituality.” Rev. John L. Young is the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville where we meet. Dr. Young will be discussing trends within Unitarian Universalism, the relationships of Unitarian Universalism with secular humanism and freethought, and our shared interests on many issues.

Nov. 13, 2006, “SCIENCE UNDER SIEGE: The Attack on Evolution” special event, co-sponsored by FCFS and UNF. Tony Rossi, Ph.D., Matthew Gilg, Ph.D., Jay Huebner, Ph.D., Gordon Rakita, Ph.D. Moderator: Ken Hurley. A panel discussion (also Q&A) stressing the importance of teaching evolutionary theory in the classroom. To be held in the University Center of University of North Florida. Free parking. Free admission.

Oct. 16, 2006, “Ra, Blue Blankies, Ghosts, Holy Ghosts, and Flying Spaghetti Monsters: Should We Tolerate the Intolerable?” Ken Hurley, President, Greater Jacksonville Chapter of the ACLU. Ken is a dynamic, entertaining speaker, always with a thought-provoking, worthwhile message.

Sept. 18, 2006, “Philosophical Speculation: What It Is, What It Has Achieved, and Why We Still Need It,” Erich Freiberger, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy, Jacksonville University. Dr. Freiberger maintains “it is the way of inquiry that leads to science.” He proposes that science needs such speculation if it is to progress into new domains.

Aug. 21, 2006, “Examining Crime from a Scientific Perspective,” Christine Rasche, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, UNF. Dr. Rasche is a leader in her field. She has developed numerous programs, among them, the criminal justice program at UNF.

July 17, 2006 “Polishing our Crystal Ball: Planning the Future of the FCFS,” Curtis Wolf, Chair, Long-Range Planning Committee; and Vice President, FCFS. A brainstorming, workshop-type session. Come and share your thoughts.

June 19, 2006, “Alternative Ethical Systems for Freethinkers,” Ellen Wagner, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Philosophy, University of North Florida. If we do not base ethics on the Bible or any other “sacred” text, on what do we base them? What alternative ethical systems are available to freethinkers?

May 15, 2006, “SOS, Sobriety without a Higher Power, The Humanist Path to Sober Living,” Bob Stevenson, from the CFI Daytona SOS (Secular Organizations for Sobriety). An alternative recovery method for alcoholics and drug addicts who are not comfortable with the spiritual content of the12-Step programs.

April 17, 2006, “What the Founding Fathers Really Meant by Separation of Church and State,” David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, University of North Florida. An examination of the secular origins of the U.S. Constitution. Is the U.S. a Christian nation, as many people claim?

March 20, 2006, “Crossed-Up in Starke,” Lon Bevill. A discussion about efforts to remove a publicly funded cross from the water tower in Starke, Florida.

Feb. 20, 2006, “The Study Circles Initiative and the Faith-Based Community,” Charlene Taylor Hill, Executive Director, Jacksonville Human Rights Commission; and Bill David, Program Manager. Charlene and Bill will discuss the goals and plans of the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.

Jan. 16, 2006, “Examining Fundamentalism,” Julie Ingersoll, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies, UNF. Dr. Ingersoll will examine fundamentalism from all angles.

Dec. 19, 2005, Second Annual “Human Light Celebration.” A party – no formal program tonight. Covered Dish Dinner to be held in the Social Hall of the UUCJ.

Nov. 21, 2005, “Benefits and Hazards of Atheism,” Earl Coggins, Moderator. Come and participate in a round table discussion on rejecting the supernatural.

Oct. 17, 2005, “Understanding the Fundamentalist Mind,” Greg Warner. Mr. Warner is executive editor of the Associated Baptist Press news service.

Sept. 19, 2005, “Losing God Saved My Life,” Jay Mooney. How an ex-Congressional aide overcame addiction through freehought.

Aug. 15, 2005, “A Double-Super-Secret No-Take-Backs Discussion,” Ken Hurley, President, Greater Jacksonville Chapter of the ACLU. Ken is a dynamic, entertaining speaker, always with a worthwhile message.

July 11, 2005, “Mom’s Funeral,” Earl Coggins, Founder, First Coast Freethought Society. Come and hear the first-person account of one atheist versus his Christian family.

June 13, 2005, “Social Security Reform Examined” Bob Childers. Having worked almost 40 years for the Social Security Administration, Mr. Childers is still active with the National Committee to Preserve SS & Medicare. Come and learn the facts about Social Security Reform.

May 9, 2005, “Banned Books,” Rona Brinlee. Ms. Brinlee, owner of the Bookmark Book Store at Atlantic Beach, will be discussing banned books. Some facts might surprise you!

April 11, 2005, “Let’s Make Humanism Matter,” Jerry Lieberman, President, Humanists of Florida Association. Exploring pathways for humanists to gain greater acceptance and influence in our society.

March 14, 2005, “Global Warming: Potential Shifts in Biological Processes,” Anthony M. Rossi, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology, at UNF. Dr. Rossi will examine whether global warming is actually occurring, whether the temperature increase is part of the natural weather cycle, etc.

Feb. 14, 2005, “The State of Education in Duval County Public Schools,” Laura Lane. Laura Lane, with the JCCI, will discuss studies and findings of the JCCI concerning education in the public schools and mention some of the other JCCI projects as well.

Jan. 10, 2005, “The Cost of Free Speech, Pulpit Politics, Moral Values, Fishing, and the Big Lies,” Ken Hurley, President, ACLU of Greater Jacksonville.

Dec. 13, 2004, “Human Light Celebration.” Members and friends will discuss the past, present, and future of the FCFS. (No formal program.) Covered Dish Dinner to be held in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church.

Nov. 8, 2004, “What I’ve Discovered About the Roots of Our Country’s Continual Involvement in Wars,” David Henderson, with the organization Wage Peace, Inc. Mr. Henderson thinks that our getting out of Iraq is not enough; that stopping our involvement in unnecessary wars should be our goal.

Oct. 11, 2004, “A Brief History of Just War Theory,” Erich Freiberger, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy, Jacksonville University. Dr. Freiberger will introduce Just War Theory and discuss and explain Just War Theory and show how it applies to Iraq, today.

Sept. 13, 2004, “Buddhism: A Nontheistic Mystical Discipline,” William A. Mendoza, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Jacksonville University. Dr. William Mendoza currently teaches physics and engineering at JU but has degrees in psychology and in rehabilitation services as well. He is an avid student of Eastern religions.

Aug. 9, 2004, “The Status of Reproductive Health” Lauren Jones, Coordinator of Public Policy, Health Educator, Planned Parenthood of Northeast Florida. Ms. Jones will discuss the history and current status of reproductive health and birth control under the Bush administration.

July 12, 2004, “There an Estuary Next Door,” Maia McGuire, Ph.D., University of Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent for Nassau, Duval, St. Johns, and Flagler counties. Dr. McGuire will discuss the biology and ecology of estuaries as well as human threats to estuaries and ways to minimize negative impact on coastal environments.

June 14, 2004, “What Is the Good Life?,” Ellen Wagner, Ph.D., Asst. Professor of Philosophy, UNF. Dr. Wagner will discuss the ancient Greeks’ concept (Aristotle’s in particular) of what it took to lead a good life. Different from today’s concept!

May 10, 2004, “The debate between evolution and creation ‘science,’” Anthony M. Rossi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology, UNF. Dr. Rossi will explain evolution and explore the controversial debate between evolution and creation “science.”

April 12, 2004, “The Schiavo Case: Moral Quandaries and Legal Pitfalls in Surrogate Decision Making,” Assya Pascalev, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Philosophy, UNF. Dr. Pascalev’s specialties include bioethics, ethics, social philosophy, and aesthetics. She will be discussing the bioethics involving Terry Schiavo.

March 8, 2004, “Myths About Crime and Criminal Justice,” David Simon, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor of Criminology and Social Justice, UNF. Dr. Simon will examine how images of crime, criminals, and criminal justice agencies are represented unrealistically by the media.

Feb. 9, 2004, “Endowed by their Creator. . . Considering the Origins of Civil Rights,” Ken Hurley, President, ACLU, Greater Jacksonville Chapter. Ken will explore the nature of “rights.” Are rights God given? Are rights discovered? From whence do our rights come?

Jan. 12, 2004, “The Middle East — Right Now!?,” David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Political Science Professor, UNF. Dr. Schwam-Baird will discuss developments in Iraq and in Israel-Palestine which seem to be changing by the minute–changing on the surface, at least.

Dec. 8, 2003, “The Humanist Foundations of Progress,” Jennifer Hancock, Executive Director, Humanists of Florida Association. Jennifer will discuss the relationship between humanism and social progress and discuss how American society is culturally humanist even if it does not embrace modern humanism.

Nov. 10, 2003, “Agnosticism,” Erich Freiberger, Ph.D., Department of Philosophy, Jacksonville University. Some reflections on the nature of human knowledge and our ability to know God in Plato, Epicurus, Kant, and Kierkegaard.

Oct. 13, 2003, “That’s What YOU Say!” Ellen Wagner, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, University of North Florida. A workshop. Learn more about how to critically analyze claims and arguments someone makes.

Sept. 13, 2003, “Candidate Without a Prayer,” Herb Sliverman, President and Founder, Secular Humanists of the Low Country in South Carolina. Herb will recount his campaign for Governor of South Carolina, during which he challenged a South Carolina law requiring a religious belief in order to hold public office in that state.

Sept. 8, 2003, “The Baloney Detection Kit” Earl Coggins, Founder, First Coast Freethought Society. A critical thinking skills guide to accurately distinguishing exposing pseudoscience from real science.

Aug. 11, 2003, “How Safe is Safe Enough?” Fred Altieri, Ph.D. Will touch upon the efficacy of the Homeland Security Office, examine the passing of laws restricting civil rights of individual citizens supposedly to make investigation and surveillance of suspicious people easier.

July 14, 2003, “The Fate of the Universe,” Jay Huebner, Ph.D. Recent observations with some of the world’s best telescopes indicate the expansion of the Universe has been accelerating.

June 10, 2003, “The History of State and Church Separation, Part II,” Earl Coggins, Founder, First Coast Freethought Society. America drifts from Jeffersonian and Madisonian principles in the 19th Century and the de facto Protestant Establishment.

May 12, 2003, “Congress Shall Make No Law Respecting an Establishment of Religion: A Brief History of the Separation of State and Church Part I,” Earl Coggins, Founder, First Coast Freethought Society. Why did our Founding Fathers place the religion clauses of our Bill of Rights at the very beginning, in the First Amendment? Did they intend to create a secular government, and if so, what lead them to believe it was the right thing to do?

April 14, 2003, “Whoosh! Was that our Constitution? The USA PATRIOT Act: Safety AND Freedom.” Ken Hurley, President, ACLU, Greater Jacksonville Chapter. Ken will examine the more troubling aspects and explain how the USA PATRIOT Act purports to alter the meaning of our Bill of Rights.

March 10, 2003, Logical Fallacies, and How to Make them Work for You. Ellen Wagner, Ph.D., Department of Philosophy, UNF. Logical Fallacies, an interactive workshop.

Feb. 10, 2003, “Biological Evolution,” Hector Harima, Ph.D., Department of Biology, UNF. Dr. Harima, Professor of Biology at FCCJ, will be discussing genetics and biological evolution.

Jan. 12, 2003 , “War with Iraq?” David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Department of Political Science, UNF. The clash of irrational policies.