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What's on ...........

The Liverpool Humanist Group presents

 

Pecha Kucha (Japanese for "chit chat") is a structured, open form in which participants present ideas for general discussion.

Come along and bring with you an idea or thought which you'd like to talk about for two, five or seven minutes. Ideas can come from anywhere - a newspaper article you've read, a book, a conversation you've had, something you've seen, a piece of art work - anything which has impressed you and lends itself to discussion from a humanist perspective.


Even if you don't want to present an idea, come along anyway for the chat and the crack.


7.30pm, Wednesday 10th June 2009

Venue: The Vines (aka The Big House), 81 Lime Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 1JQ

(Please note change from previous venue)


All Welcome

Latest News & Events
Picnic in Cheshire

The Greater Manchester Humanists are organising a day-out to Beeston Castle and Woodland Park on Sunday 21 June.  Entrance to the castle is £5 for adults with discounts for concessions. The plan is to meet at 12.30pm and bring food for a picnic, and there are contingency plans in case it turns out to be a traditional British summer day...
Darwin Anniversary Talk - A.C. Grayling

Another event being put on by the Greater Manchester Humanists is a talk on Darwin and the Darwinian Controversy by Professor Anthony Grayling.  This will be held at 6.30pm on Wednesday 18 November at St Peter's House in Oxford Road, Manchester.  The venue is only 10 minutes walk from Oxford Road station.  GMH hope that they will be able to organise an afternoon visit to Manchester Museum before the talk, complete with pre-talk buffet.
LHG go mad in Ireland!

Members of the Liverpool Humanists Group are planning a long weekend in Ireland in August. This will be a chance for members to get to know each other a bit better, meet humanists from other groups, and have a few drinks along the way : )


All Ireland Humanist Summer School: Humanism in the Global Village

Friday 21th- Sunday 23th August 2008, Carlingford, Co Louth

The annual all Ireland summer school is held  in conjunction with The Humanist Association of Ireland and the Belfast Humanist Group.
The event is a chance for Humanists from all over Ireland to come together for great lectures and good company.

Carlingford is a popular tourist destination and so it is wise to book accommodation early if possible. There are lots more details on the event on the Humanist Association of Ireland's website. Sláinte mhath!
European Humanist Federation and International Humanist and Ethical Union Meet in London - June 5-10 2009

The British Humanist Association will be hosting an international gathering of similar organisations this summer in London.  The event will be centred on a celebration of the anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and the publication of his book, On the Origin of the Species.  In addition to the main programme there are also social events being planned.  If anybody is interested in attending, more details can be found on the BHA's website.
World Conference on Untouchability - June 9-10 2009

At the end of the EHF/IHEU meeting mentioned above, Conway Hall in London is hosting the first World Conference on Untouchability.  This is a conference dedicated to the trouble faced by people who are persecuted as out-casts simply because of the group that they are born into.  Such problems exist all over the world and this conference will provide a forum both to raise awareness and seek solutions.  For more details see the website of the hosts, the International Humanist and Ethical Union.
Local Community News

Atheist Bus Campaign in Liverpool

The buses have now arrived in major cities across the UK, including Liverpool. More info. to follow. You can donate to help the BHA to achieve that at http://www.justgiving.com/thenextstop.

ASA rules that atheist bus ads can stay
The Advertising Standards Agency ruled on Wednesday that the Atheist Bus Campaign did not contravene advertising codes. The body investigated the adverts after receiving a number of complaints, including from Stephen Green of the evangelical organisation Christian Voice, that they were offensive to believers or that the claim ‘probably no god’ could not be substantiated.

The ASA concluded that the ad was expressing the opinion of the advertisers, and also the claims in it were “not capable of objective substantiation.” Although the ASA acknowledged that the content of the ad would be at odds with the beliefs of many, it concluded that it was “unlikely to mislead or to cause serious or widespread offence."

The University of Liverpool Atheist Society (ULAS)

This is a NEW society at the University. They have a (temporary) web site where you can find out what they are up to and buy a fab "I heart Atheism" Monkey! or ULAS hoodie at
http://www.livatheistsoc.webs.com/

The LHG want to wish you all the best!

National News

One Law for All Campaign against Sharia Law in Britain
Spokesperson Maryam Namazie

One Law for All Campaign launched at the House of Lords on December 10, 2008 - International Human Rights Day. In less than a month, the campaign has mobilised the support of many well known personalities and organisations and gathered over 5,000 signatures.

In commemoration of International Women’s Day join the One Law for All organised rally, public meeting and art competition award ceremony on Saturday, March 7, 2009 in London.

This is your chance to voice your opposition to Sharia law and all religious-based tribunals in Britain and elsewhere, demand one secular law and full citizenship rights, demand an end to cultural relativism and racism, and defend universal rights.

On the 7th, meet at North Terrace, Trafalgar Square, 3:30-4:30pm for a symbolic demonstration followed by a march towards Conway Hall from 4:30-5:30pm.

Then join a public meeting entitled Sharia Law, Sexual Apartheid and Women's Rights from 6:00-8:00pm at Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL.

Speakers include:
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (Journalist and British Muslims for Secular Democracy Chair), Naser Khader (Democratic Muslims Founder), Gina Khan (One Law for All Spokesperson), Kenan Malik (Writer and Broadcaster), Maryam Namazie (One Law for All Spokesperson), Fariborz Pooya (Iranian Secular Society and Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain Chair), and Carla Revere (Lawyers’ Secular Society Chair).

More information www.onelawforall.org.uk, or call Maryam at 07719166731 or email onelawforall@gmail.com. You can also download the booking form (http://www.onelawforall.org/events.html) or ask for one via email.

Speakers in schools
The BHA has many requests for speakers in schools and we know that many local groups and volunteers also go to schools to speak about humanist positions on ethical issues or about Humanism generally. Click here to go to our Humanism for Schools page.
Humanist 'Thought for the Afternoon' on Radio 4!

The BHA has long campaigned for the inclusion of non-religious contributors in the 'Thought for the Day' slot in Radio 4's Today programme.

In December Gavin Orland set up a Pledgebank page where people could pledge to email the BBC and urge them to open up the Thought for the Day slot to humanist contributors. Now Atheist Bus Campaign creator Ariane Sherine gave the first humanist 'Thought for the Afternoon' - on Radio 4's iPM programme on 10/01/09.

http://www.pledgebank.com/thoughtfortheday

The Humanist Society of Scotland have once again decided to record their own “Thought for the World” podcasts.

Andrew Copson and Hanne Stinson of the BHA have both contributed
http://www.thoughtfortheworld.org/
Free speech under threat as Waterstones caves into pressure from Christian Voice

Waterstones bookshop cancelled the launch of a poetry collection due to protests from Stephen Green and Christian Voice.  Poems in ‘Darkness is Where the Stars Are’, by Patrick Jones, who is gay, deal with a range of serious issues, including his views on religion.

You can add your protest against this action by Waterstones in a number of ways:
1. Visit the dedicated website supporting the book and campaigning for free speech in the arts: http://www.darknessiswherethestarsare.co.uk

2. Send protest emails to the MD of Waterstones (who stepped in to cancel the launch) at gerry.johnson@waterstones.com

3. Join the YouTube campaign <http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YDp0lNDZukM> which includes a Cinnamon Press competition for the best satirical poem on a religious issue in the time-honoured style of Jonathan Swift.

Help the BHA get the Bishops out the Lords!

The Government has now published their new proposals for House of Lords reform, proposing to retain Bishops. You can read the White Paper at http://tinyurl.com/5tudqb.

It proposes to retain the right of Bishops to sit in Parliament and even to give the Church new powers to decide precisely which Bishops will represent them. Read more here Campaigns Page.

Pervez Kambakhsh

Pervez Kambakhsh, 23, was convicted of downloading and distributing an article insulting Islam. He has denied the charge. The Afghan senate has retracted it's ratification of the death sentence, he is still imprisioned, but there is a bit of optimism that he might walk free after a 2nd court appearance.

Update in the Independent 26/05/08

Also RAWA [Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan] have had a truly inspirational PR/Appeal.

Faith schools on trial
The British Humanist Association is intervening in an important court case against a state-funded religious school for alleged racial discrimination. Read more here.
The Humanist Touch
Queen's University, Belfast, has appointed as its latest chaplain someone who doesn't believe in God - cleric Ruth Yeo. click here for more.

Assisted Dying
The Humanist and Secular Liberal Democrat one-day conference, “Setting the Agenda for 2008”, on 8/12/07 heard an inspiring keynote address from Dick Taverne, Lib Dem peer and distinguished supporter of the BHA . He reminded the audience of the unscrupulous scare-mongering employed by the religious lobbies to defeat Lord Joffe's 2006 bill to legalise assisted dying for the terminally ill.

BHA Report Launch: Quality and Equality: Human Rights, Public Services and Religious Organisations. Nov. 2008.

Proposed public service reforms risk discrimination against employees and service users and negative effects on social cohesion. Click here for more.
More News

Faith Schools: The government has published a 'joint vision statement' with religious leaders on faith schools in Britain, 10/09/07. Go to our Humanism for Schools page for more info.

Response here to the 2 Gov. Petitions on Faith schools: click 1 here,and 2 here.

The Guardian: Crisis of faith in first secular school - Headteacher is told establishing non-religious education would be 'politically impossible'

Plus LHG Press Officers letter to the Guardian: Faith school scandal

Atheists arise: Dawkins spreads the A-word among America's unbelievers See Guardian article.
Richard Dawkin link opposite for news of the organisation, established two months ago, complete with T-shirts bearing a large red A - the Out Campaign.
Information
Secular Americans More Moral than Christian Americans, go to web site article here

Rise of the funerals that leave out God

One in 20 families now rejects a church service in favour of a celebration of life, according to the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD), which represents 85 per cent of the industry.

The rise is being attributed to people's growing willingness to admit that they are non-believers, and to their desire to avoid "hypocrisy".
See Telegraph article here.

Archive
Go to our Archive page to find out about all our past meetings & events.
Quotations

If it turns out that there is a God, I don't think that he's evil. But the worst that you can say about him is that basically he's an underachiever.

Woody Allen, film Love and Death


Quotations

"I would not for my life destroy one star of human hope, but I want it so that when a poor woman rocks the cradle and sings a lullaby to the dimpled darling, she will not be compelled to believe that ninety-nine chances in a hundred she is raising kindling wood for hell."

Robert Green Ingersoll, "How To Be Saved" (1880)

 


liverpool humanist group
for a good life, without religion

|Humanism for Schools

LHG charity -Mustard Seed School in Uganda

Click here for more information on our Fundraising activities.

The Liverpool Humanist Group started in October 2005, and is affiliated to the British Humanist Association & National Secular Society. For more information on us click here.

Quotations

“I think there is a large, unrepresented constituency of people for whom religion doesn't enter their heads. ”

Sir Jonathan Miller


Writing

Book
The Dragon in My Garage, Written by Carl Sagan Click here for Word Doc.

  How to Create your Own Religion - In 10 Easy Steps. All Hail The Great God Lardicus. Click here to go to web page.

Jokes


Got any good jokes? give us a laugh & contact us with them.

LHG Members Book Recommendations

Chris recommends:
The Counter-Creationism Handbook by Mark Isaak
Chris writes:
“For many years the internet community has provided an excellent online resource, the “Talk Origins Archive”, to counter hundreds of arguments put forward by creationists.  This extensive archive makes reference to published scientific literature in an attempt to refute the lies and correct the inaccuracies in the arguments made by creationists.  The whole archive is now available in a paperback book (ideal to take to debates or lectures) for less than £10 (inc. P&P) through Amazon marketplace.

Megan recommends:
'The Reason Driven Life: What Am I Here on Earth For?' by Robert M. Price
(pub. Sept. 2006). This book was written as a rationalist response to Pastor Rick Warren’s wildly best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life.
More info. at the Point of Inquiry web site.

Humanism for Parents: Parenting Without Religion by Sean Curley
By some estimates, over 1 billion people in the world are non-religious (humanist/secular/atheist) yet many traditional parenting techniques are based on religion. This book describes itself as "an attempt to outline how non-religious parents can have rites, rituals, and practices needed for a healthy, spiritually fulfilled family."
Please e.mail your book recommendations.

Letters to the Press - Peter, LHG Press Officer

Secular roots New Statesman 6/11/08

African hero - Mustard Seed School in Busota, The Independent 3/11/08

Britain still has no business in an Afghanistan they helped destroy The Independent 24/10/08

It's still bigotry - privileging of religious belief, The Independent 25/7/08

Divine violence The Independent 10/7/08

Superior values New statesman 29/05/08

'Spiritual Exile - At home inthe world'
Times 14/05/08
'Veiled message
' letter to Education Guardian 8/4/08, regarding their depiction of female children wearng the veil.

'Schools ignore rulings' letter to the Guardian 11/3/08, regarding school's admissions procedures.

'Schools need religion' letter to the Echo 26/2/08 by Rev. Fr Michael Williams, Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King Liverpool in response to Peter's letter. And in response to the Rev. Fr Michael read The Happy Humanist Blog

'Faith in the System', letter to the Echo 21/2/08 by Mike Gee is a reply to one of Peter's letters. And the LGH response 'Faith in schools wrong', 29/2/08 Echo letter.

'City faith school in snub row', Echo article 4/2/08, LHG Response, submitted to the Echo 4/2/08

Bible lessons, Your Letters, 1/2/08, Echo
LHG Response to letter, submitted to the Echo 2/2/08

Pervez Kambaks: letter to The Independent, 04/2/08

Open best schools to all children:
letter to The Independent, by Peter, LHG Press Officer 26/1/08

'Hard to 'demonise' these Iranian bigots' letter to The Independent, 4/10/07

In the News - Articles from the press

'Religion is ‘the new social evil' 20/4/08 Times Literary Supplement

It's time to take a stand against Islam and Sharia

Times online 12/3/08
Maryam Namazie, head of the Council of Ex-Muslims in Britain, says that rights are for individuals, not religions or beliefs

The Church of England's gay crisis makes clear that that liberal Anglicanism is finished The Guardian, Saturday January 19, 2008

'Beware the dark side of the new moral consensus' Far worse than the threat from international terrorism is the aggressive process of secularisation that has gripped our country.... read more from the delightful The Rev Dr Peter Mullen who is chaplain to the Stock Exchange The Times, January 18, 2008

 

Quotations

" . . . I wish to comment on something that in the current climate of debate has been mainly overlooked: the fact that those who are not religious have available to them a rich ethical outlook, all the richer indeed for being the result of reflection as opposed to conditioning, whose roots lie in classical antiquity when the great tradition of ethical thought in Western philosophy began." Humanist philosopher AC Grayling

 

Quotations

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Links
Happy Human Logo, British Humanist Association Link
British Humanist Association

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speaking.org


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Pro-Choice Majority

Dignity in Dying

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Bloggs

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Last updated: 19/2/09
V - 18/2/09

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