HAOC Board Elections & Discussion of "humanism"

SATURDAY, January 5, 2012, 1:30 pm, Community Meeting Room, 15500 Sand Canyon Avenue, east side of the building (across the parking lot from 15600 Sand Canyon)

Election: Officers and Board Members are to be elected at the January meeting. After discussions with some of the nominees, the current nominees are President: Pete Anderson (one more year!?), Vice President: Victor Tanious, Secretary: Carol Copp, Treasurer: Virginia Bernal, Members at Large: Carl Mariz, Lou Regal. Additional nominations can be made at the January election prior to the election.

Defining Humanism – a Topic for Discussion
In response to Paul Ricci’s criticisms of the Humanist philosophy, how do we go about defining a “Philosophy of Humanism”? Or “Secular Humanism” to be more precise. Most of us know pretty well what the philosophy is. How do we go about clarifying it and making a more rigorous statement of our beliefs?

The following is my version of the basic ideas. Please bring your own ideas to the discussion.

Pete Anderson

Defining Humanism

Basically, Secular Humanism is a life philosophy that says that it is up to we humans to determine our own destiny.
We accept the fact that our universe came into being some thirteen plus billion years ago, that our earth formed over four billion years ago, that life began on our earth over three billion years ago, and that we are products of that evolution.
In turn, our cultures and our ethical values have evolved over many thousands of years. We are gradually finding out that it pays to try to understand and cooperate with one another.
Questions of meaning and purpose are debatable by Secular Humanists. We don’t accept the idea of an after-life. Our goal is to create as good a life as possible, on this earth and in this universe, for all of us. As part of this goal, we will work towards the gradual withering away of beliefs in religions, with their supernatural gods and mysterious forces.

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As usual our program allows for a Q&A period following the presentation.