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.

March 18, 2024. CLIMATE CRISIS. Is it too late? Professor Adam Rosenblatt explains.

February 19, 2024

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQkey__I0y_zS9TC5lLfUFQ

Doing the Things! Building Community Through Activism

MEETING DESCRIPTION: Sam will be sharing some highlights from the April 2021 American Atheists Convention and will update us on the latest plans and activities of the American Atheists. She will also explore ways to motivate members from inertia to action.

MEET THE SPEAKER: Sam McGuire has a varied background in counseling, education, event planning, and volunteer management. As American Atheists’ National Field Director, she works with local grassroots activists, volunteers, and affiliates to help them engage on emerging local civil rights issues, advocate for state-level legislation, and build thriving communities.

Sam has a Bachelor’s of Science in Neuropsychology from the University of Massachusetts and a Master’s of Science in Counseling from Johns Hopkins. She is a National Certified Counselor and a Certified Humanist Celebrant.

Transforming Jacksonville’s Downtown Riverfront

MEETING DESCRIPTION: 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 explore 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.

MEET THE SPEAKERS: A native of Jacksonville, Jimmy Orth joined St. Johns Riverkeeper as the Executive Director in 2004. He maintains overall responsibility for budgeting, staffing, program development, fundraising, and public relations. Jimmy has been involved in environmental policy and advocacy issues in Northeast Florida for over 25 years. He received his undergraduate degree in Marketing from Florida State University, and his master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of North Florida.

Nancy Powell joined Scenic Jacksonville in 2020 as its first executive director and is project lead for the Riverfront Parks Now steering committee and coalition. She served as Board Chair of Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) and currently serves committees with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and the Late Bloomers Garden Club. Her professional career included roles as an executive with Stop At Nothing, Inc., a leadership consulting firm, American Express, AT&T Universal Card, and MediaOne, the predecessor to Comcast. Nancy holds an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, and an undergraduate degree from Brown University.

America and the Middle East: Even When Things Look Better, It’s Bad

MEETING DESCRIPTION: Well, 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?

MEET THE SPEAKER: Dr. David Schwam-Baird currently serves as 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, at the University of North Florida. He received his B.A. in Philosophy at the University of New Orleans, his Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) at the School of Urban and Regional Studies, University of New Orleans, and his Ph.D. in Political Science from Tulane University.

Dr. Schwam-Baird teaches courses on International Politics, with an emphasis on the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe. He also teaches courses on Political Philosophy. He has travelled extensively abroad and has lived in Israel, France, and Belgium. He has taught a semester at the University of Maryland for U.S. Military personnel in Germany and has taught one summer at Yeditepe University in Istanbul. David has lived in Jacksonville and taught at UNF since 1994. He has been a member of the First Coast Freethought Society since its earliest days, having served as president, vice president, and program chair in the past.

Veganism: Does What’s On Your Fork Determine Your Future?

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.

MEET THE SPEAKER: Jyoti Chawla is a registered nurse and an engineer who promotes a whole food plant-based lifestyle in memory of his mother who was very compassionate and inspired him to become a nurse. Jyoti’s mother died from heart disease and set him up on a journey to study the impact of our food on health, environment, animals, and social justice.

Jyoti has been strongly influenced by documentaries like WatchDominion.com, GameChangersMovie.com, WhatTheHealthFilm.com, and Cowspiracy.com. Jyoti loves the quote from philosopher Jeremy Bentham: “The question is not, Can they reason?, nor Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?” Why should the law refuse its protection to any sensitive being?

The Continuing Soap Opera of Health Care Reform

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.

MEET THE SPEAKER: Carolyn McClanahan, M.D., CFP® is a physician and financial planner. She is the founder of Life Planning Partners, Inc., a comprehensive fee only financial planning company.

In addition to working in her financial life planning practice, Dr. McClanahan provides education to financial planners and health care professionals on the interplay between health and financial issues, particularly regarding insurability, aging issues, end of life, health care costs, and health care reform. She writes for various publications and serves on the CNBC Financial Advisor Council.

Dr. McClanahan is a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), the Financial Planning Association, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. She was named a Woman to Watch and an Innovator by Investment News. She is quoted regularly in numerous publications and has also appeared on CNBC, Hardball, AC360, and NPR.

Policy and Paraphernalia: a Conversation about Cannabis

This video is from the July 20, 2020, lecture meeting of the First Coast Freethought Society, in Jacksonville, FL.

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!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Shelton Hull has been writing about cannabis issues for Folio Weekly for the past two years. Shelton began writing for Folio Weekly in 1997. In addition, he writes for Void, J Magazine, and Orlando Weekly. Shelton is also a regular contributor to “First Coast Connect” on WJCT-FM, and a former candidate for Jacksonville City Council in 2011.

Political Economy of COVID-19: America’s Exceptional Failure and Future Scenarios

The COVOD-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 whose 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.

MEET THE SPEAKER: David Jaffee is Professor of Sociology at the University of North Florida. He has a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He has served as an administrator and faculty member at UNF since 2000. Jaffee teaches courses in Introduction to Sociology, Political Sociology, Social Change and International Development, and Data Analysis. He is currently serving as co-chair of the Jacksonville chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Exploring Mormonism: A View From the Inside

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.

MEET THE SPEAKER: Rick Phillips was raised a Mormon in small-town Utah. When he moved to New York City for college, the clash of cultures filled his mind with so many questions that he ended up becoming a religion professor in the process of answering them. He has a Ph.D. in the sociology of religion from Rutgers University, and he has taught at the University of North Florida since 2000. He is the current president of the Mormon Social Science Association.

Presented May 18, 2020

The Stories We Tell Ourselves: Wall-to-Wall Coverage. Plus a special live musical appearance by Kenny Bunco and the 12 Notes

Ken Hurley is the Director of Civication, Inc., a non-profit, educational organization that seeks to promote civic learning and civil responsibility. Ken created and hosted a public engagement television program called “Civil Discourse” which ran for nine years. He created, and was the Executive Producer and Head Writer for, a public engagement television program on PBS called “ACCESS News.” Also, Ken traveled to each state in the USA to interview strangers for his documentary, To Be An American.

“The Stories We Tell Ourselves: Wall to Wall Coverage” 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?

Presented February 17, 2020.

Defeating 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, Ryan T. Cragun illustrates specific, actionable steps that interested nonbelievers and progressive believers can take to facilitate fundamentalist religion’s decline.

The Tinman, Scarecrow, Lion, and Dorothy: Finding Community on the Yellow Brick Road”

This video was recorded at the July 2013 monthly meeting of the First Coast Freethought Society, Jacksonville, Florida. The speaker, Teresa MacBain, former Methodist minister, won 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? Teresa MacBain explores the answers.

Understanding the Economic Crisis: A Neo-Marxist Perspective

This video was recorded at the May 2013 monthly meeting of the First Coast Freethought Society, Jacksonville, Florida. The speaker, Dr. David Jaffee, currently serves as Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, at the University of North Florida. He received his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, his MA in Political Science from Washington University-St. Louis, and his BA in Political Science from the University of Florida.

Jaffee’s research, writing, and publication are in the areas of social and economic development, organization theory, political economy, and higher education. He is the author of two books-Levels of Socio-Economic Development Theory (Praeger) and Organization Theory: Tension and Change (McGraw-Hill) and numerous articles. He is currently heading up The Ports Project at the University of North Florida that examines the socio-economic implications of a port economy growth strategy for cities and regions.

At the University of North Florida, Jaffee has held several different academic administrative positions, including Director of the Office of Faculty Enhancement, Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Acting Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Studies. During the 2010-2011 academic year, Jaffee was a visiting General Education Fulbright Scholar at the City University of Hong Kong.

From Nundom to Freedom

Former Catholic nun, Liz Murad, shares the remarkable story of her long journey from faith in the unbelievable to life in reality, and all the stops in between.

The Best Speech Ever . . . Really
Or, why America is smart enough to have left plenty of room for improvement.

Ken Hurley is the director of Civication, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting civics education and civil responsibility. He spoke at a meeting of the First Coast Freethought Society, Jacksonville, Florida, on November 19, 2012.

Opinions, Dominions, Great Virginians, and the Hope for Civil Discourse

What elements are necessary for an opinion? How do you form your opinions? Does it sometimes seem that everyone else is wrong?

Ken Hurley is a co-founder and director of Civication, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting civics education and civil responsibility. He spoke at a meeting of the First Coast Freethought Society, Jacksonville, Florida, on July 18, 2011.

What Can Possibly Explain All This? Or–A Scientist Seeks a Unifying Theory for Everything About America

Joque H. Soskis explores 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. Learn about his theory of theistic exceptionalism.

Joque is a retired University of North Florida faculty member, past member and official of the faculty union of the Florida State University System, retired member of the Florida Bar, author, and freethinker.

Building Bridges Beyond Belief: Dialogue with a Muslim

Earl Coggins, President, First Coast Freethought Society, welcomes Parvez Ahmed, Ph.D., Member, Jacksonville Human Rights Commission; Board Member, OneJax; Associate Professor of Finance, University of North Florida; Fulbright Scholar. They discuss differences in the Muslim and atheist worldviews. Dr. Ahmed is a frequent commentator on Islam and the Muslim American Experience.

Crime and Religions

David R. Simon, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Institute of Public and International Policy, University of North Florida. Dr. Simon examines 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.

What Should It Mean To Be An American?

A discussion with Ken Hurley, presented at a meeting of the First Coast Freethought Society, Jacksonville, Florida, April 19, 2010.

Theism and Atheism: A Dialogue About Building Bridges

FCFS president Earl Coggins and Baptist minister Harry Parrott discuss pertinent issues in the theism vs. atheism battle that has been going on for at least the last 2000 years. Moderated by Ken Hurley, Director, Civication, Inc.

WAITING FOR A DONUT. A delicious, black, gray, bleak, mirthful, passionate, Socratic dialog in one act. Starring Earl Coggins as Newt and David Schawm-Baird as Zorba. Written and Directed by Earl Coggins.

Idiots, Activist Judges, Civics, and the United States Supreme Court

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?

Speaker: Ken Hurley, founder and director of 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.

Presented April 20, 2009, at a meeting of the First Coast Freethought Society.