Be sure to check the meetup.com site for new events. There are a couple up there.
Here are the notes from last week's meeting, courtesy of the wonderful Ann Brady:
Secular Sunday
April 7, 2019
Attendees:
- Ann Brady
- Bill Sparks
- Sean Bienert
- MJ Loflin
- Mike Loflin
- Bob
- Ronnie
- Geoff
- Gene
- Derek
- Pam
- Uzma
- Tara
- Molly
- John
- Gene
- Brian
- Pearl
- Cheryl
- Kathryn
- Joe
Announcements:
Hemant Mehta will be at TFS on Sunday April 14th 2-330. Update on Orange Barrel Guy from Bill. Sean has a new motorcycle. Book club April 27th at 5-630 at Earth Fare. Book is The Handmaid’s Tale. Mad Hatter Tea Party time change 2pm. April 20th . If you have RSVP’d and can’t come, let Sean know because the RSVPs are closed.
Election results: Sean – president, MJ – treasurer, Ann – secretary. Term of office is until April Fools Day 2020. Next time we will have a nominating committee or something. We can move now to a 501-3C status.
Discussion Notes:
John’s sister had a conversation with a woman who came to her church looking for community, as we were discussing last week. Most of us are looking for community. Sean – community is important, but core beliefs are important too. We are not scientific enough for some, too liberal for others, and we’ve been accused of being dogmatic (we don’t get this one at all!)
Limits of God’s powers in the bible. Jesus healing blind man using dirt. If god is limitless, why are the bad things so prevalent and easy to access? Why are some things seemingly necessary in the bible, like child sacrifice.
Ronnie – two grandparents died and Ronnie went back to Texas. His grandfather began a gay relationship after a 20 year marriage. The attitude towards gays in his community caused him to hate his grandfather without ever knowing that he was gay. He only changed his mind when he became an atheist. He picked up on attitudes from family and community that influenced him without actually saying that his grandfather was gay.
MJ – microaggressions. Like the expectation that women should be nice.
Gene – in more closed minded groups they may have friends in the ostracized group, but “those” people are okay, it’s all the rest who are bad.
“Hate the sin, love the sinner.” – it is such and obnoxious saying. In terms of being gay, this is something people cannot control.
Mental health is another area that is taboo, shameful.
Lots of really tacit things that affect how we treat or think about other people.
Christians say that even without heaven as a reward they would still believe. But would they?
Determining what is right and wrong is somewhat subjective (Gene’s survey link www.yourmorals.org)
Even without god you can believe in an objective morality (Sean). If there is an objective morality then some of the things in the bible (comparing Caananite woman to a dog) is objectively wrong.
Kathryn – the western legal system is based on Judeo-Christian beliefs. Morality is cultural.
Tara – justice is something that is inborn to small children, so maybe.
John Stuart Mill is the basis of modern liberalism (Gene). There are other foundations that can inform your beliefs. Erisology – studying why people can’t disagree and come to some sort of common ground (see Plato’s Cave posting).
John – flaming gays make him uncomfortable even though he feels that being gay is normal.
In the Righteous Mind there are 5 traits that define our personalities. (Gene). Openness is a defining characteristic of being liberal (the omnivore’s dilemma).
Cultural and societal norms are what influence us (Molly).
It is easier to object to people when you don’t know them.
Moral licensing (Malcolm Gladwell) – “I have a black friend, how can I be racist?” People do something good so it excuses the bad things we do. This also plays into the punishment aspect of criminal justice.
Joe Biden – led into a discussion of touching and when it is okay. Overcoming your habits, etc.
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