What we’re about
The Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville is a humanist, non-theistic alternative to traditional religion, a member organization of the American Ethical Union and an affiliate of the American Humanist Association. The American Ethical Union (AEU) is the federation of Ethical/Ethical Culture/Ethical Humanist Societies across the United States. The AEU is affiliated with the the International Humanist and Ethical Union, and the Secular Coalition of America. Our meeting topics are educational, philosophical and of current interest. We are inspired by the ideal that the supreme aim of human life is working to create a more humane society. We endeavor to nurture the capacity and responsibility of human beings to act in their personal relationships and in the larger community to help create a better world. Our commitment is to the worth and dignity of the individual and to treating each human being so as to bring out the best in him or her. We join together to assist each other in developing ethical ideas and ideals, to celebrate life's joys and support each other through life's crises, and to cultivate ethical behavior in the community around him or her.
Our regular meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month at the Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Road (west off Merrimon at CVS, near UNC - Asheville), 2:30 - 4:00. On 1st Sundays the meeting is a Colloquy. Information about the origin and process of Colloquy appear in the "Pages" section of this site. Third Sunday platform meetings have a topic presented by a speaker which is followed by a discussion period. An informal discussion/social time follows platform meetings.
Meetup friends are persons interested in coming to our meetings/activities. The Meetup site is used for communication; signing up to be a friend/member on the Meetup site does not connote membership in the Ethical Society. Membership is reserved for those who attend Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville activities and wish to be members of the organization. They are invited to complete an Interest in Membership form which is available at our meetings. We started using Meetup for communication and awareness in June 2009. The Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, however, was founded before that - in August 2001.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Understanding: The AssignmentLink visible for attendees
“Understanding: The Assignment” will be presented by Dr. Je’ Exodus Hooper at the Sunday, May 19, 2024, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30-4:00 PM. This presentation will be Zoom only. All are welcome to attend.
We seek to understand each other. Understanding creates relationships. Understanding is rooted in epistemology – a way of knowing. The worth of knowing, the worth of understanding is learning to create a better world. Take on the need to apply learning and understanding so that we can elicit the best in each other and thereby the best in ourselves.
The history of the Ethical Culture Movement had been a long journey of uncertainty and unprecedented ideas. Dr. Felix Adler, although well-educated and informed, made up this philosophical and religious formation each and every day. In this platform, we will seek to appreciate and explore uncertainty, seek meaning, be generators of ideas and agents of change. You are the assignment: you matter. You shape your role, your assignment.
Jé Exodus Hooper (them/they) is an arts and cultural community curator, clergy, and scholar, who has served the Ethical Culture and Congregational Humanist Movements for over eight years while an instructor of performance theory at Ohio University School of Theater. Dr. Hooper repurposes the Humanist message with alive spiritual intensity, cultural complexity, and persistent intellectual urgency.The Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville endeavors to nurture the capacity and responsibility of human beings to act in their personal relationships and in the larger community to help create a better world. We are inspired by the ideal of working to create a more humane society, recognizing each person’s worth and dignity, and helping to bring out the best in him or her. We are a member of the American Ethical Union and an affiliate of the American Humanist Association. We join together to assist each other in developing ethical ideas and ideals, to celebrate life’s joys, support each other through life’s crises, and to cultivate ethical behavior in our community.
For more information: call 828 687-7759, email , visit our website at: http://EHSAsheville.org, or see us on MeetUp: www.meetup.com/Ethical-Society-of-Asheville.