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First Coast Freethought Society, Inc.
Join, Renew, Donate
Website Administration
ALocation
Buckman Bridge Unitarian Universalist Church
8447 Manresa Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32244
From the I-295 Roosevelt exit, go north to the first traffic light, Collins Rd. Turn right on Collins. Go 400 ft. The church driveway will be on your right.
Third Monday of each month EXCEPT December
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
(Doors open at 6:00 p.m.)
Troy Capers, UNF Senior
July 15, 2019 "Florida's Legislative Disappointments in 2019 and a Progressive Agenda for 2020" David Johnson of the Board of Directors, Unitarian Universalist Justice Florida; the Steering Committee, Northeast Florida Indivisible; and the Steering Committee, Indivisible Clay
There is no question that political outcomes are determined by those who have wealth and privilege. How do progressive voices respond and what is our message?
June 17, 2019 "Collegiate Secular Communities: Working Past the Four-Year Cycle" Troy Capers, Senior, University of North Florida
Does UNF's commitment to diversity actively help non-religious students, or are we once again left out of the pluralistic ideal?
May 20, 2019 Pam Edwards-Roine, with the League of Women Voters Speakers Bureau "Making Every Vote Count, Making Every Vote Equal: All about the National Popular Vote (NPV)"
Learn about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) and how it will ensure the presidential candidate with the most popular votes is sworn in on Inauguration Day. More and more states are joining in.
April 15, 2019 Reuben Keith Green, retired surface warfare officer and author of Black Officer, White Navy "From Adversity to Diversity to Uncertainty: From the Red Summer of 1919 to the Anxious Summer of 2019"
Keith will examine the state of military unit cohesion and readiness, and the challenges faced by today's minority and female veterans and service members.
"Humanism Evolves: Religious to Secular"
Charles Murn, author, humanist philosopher, editor of "The Best of The Humanist: Humanist Philosophy 1928 - 1973" published by the Humanist Press
The founders of modern humanist philosophy purposely mirrored scientific views of reality. Just as human understanding has evolves, so humanist philosophy has evolved from religious, to scientific, to secular.
Feb. 18, 2019 "A War That Won't End: The Battle for Science Education in the Sunshine State" Brandon Haught, Communications Director of Florida Citizens for Science, environmental science teacher, author of "Going Ape: Florida's Battles over Evolution in the Classroom"
Science teacher and author Brandon Haught will share highlights of the battles over the teaching of evolution that have raged for more than 90 years, including the present day, here in Florida. Learn how the current conflicts directly impact our children and what you can do about it.
Jan. 21, 2019 American Atheists: The Time is Now Jim G. Helton, National Field Organizer, American Atheists
Jim will will define atheist issues, challenge the status qu, and will lay out a plan to fight for equality, the true separation of religion and government, and other pertinent and timely issues.
Dec. 17, 2018 "Fifteenth Annual HumanLight Celebration & FCFS's 20-Year Anniversary Party!" No lecture tonight. We celebrate the season, install 2019 officers, recognize past accomplishments, and celebrate 20 years of existence!
Primarily for members, guests, and friends of the FCFS, although others are welcome. For location and to RSVP, you must join the First Coast Freethought Society Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/FirstCoastFreethoughtSociety/ .
Nov. 19, 2018 "Update on the AHA's Work on Capitol Hill and the Congressional Freethought Caucus!" Matthew Bulger, Legislative Director, American Humanist Association, Washington, DC
Join AHA Legislative Director Matthew Bulger as he discusses the latest legislative work of the American Humanist Association and the exciting work of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, the first openly secular and humanistic caucus on Capitol Hill.
Oct. 15, 2018 "The Lessons We Are Not Learning in the Trump Era" David M. Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida
it seems much has gone topsy-turvy since Trump has entered the White House. Have we examined ourselves lately to make sure that we are keeping our political and moral compass in good working order? Let's check!
Sept. 17, 2018 "2018 Ballot Amendment Presentation" Angela DeMonbreun, Outreach Director, Past President, League of Women Voters of Jacksonville
Why are there so many ballot amendments in 2018? What is a bundled amendment? Why are some being challenged in court?
Aug. 20, 2018 "Understanding the Gender Spectrum: The Physiology of Gender" Elaine M. Hull, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Florida State University
Genes and hormones are the major factors that produce sex differentiation, but social factors and stress can also affect the process, resulting in a broad spectrum of gender diversity.
July 16, 2018 "Civil Liberties and the November 2018 Election. Samir S. Gupte, North Florida Regional Organizer, ACLU of Florida
This discussion will help unpack the myriad of initiatives on the November ballot pertaining to proposed revisions to our Florida Constitution that impact our civil liberties.
June 18, 2018 "A Primer in Child Development: The nine-year-old and the Jacksonville City Council" Merrill Shapiro, Trustee and Immediate Past President, National Board of Trustees, Americans United for Separation of Church and State
You will learn of the recent actions of the Jacksonville City Council that ultimately let non-Christians know that they do not belong in our cosmopolitan, diverse and internationally significant metroplex.
May 21, 2018 "Two Atheists Visit Sunday School" Rex Burks, attorney; and Owen Younger, pilot, both advocates for freethought and humanism
Since leaving religion, these gentleman enjoy visiting Sunday Schools in a wide range of Christian denominations having discussions with believers and advovating for atheism. They have fascinating, and sometimes humorous, stories to tell.
April 16, 2018 "Exploring Germany: If you want humidity, you need to bring your own!" Joque H. Soskis, UNF faculty member (ret.), Florida Bar member (ret.), part-time resident of Bavaria for the past 10 years
Joque will touch upon governmental structure, politics, healthcare, education, law enforcement, and corrections. Significant photodocumentation to accompany discussion.
March 19, 2018 "The Case for Space, from a Humanist Perspective" Jenny Kalmanson, Vice President, American Humanist Association and President, Institute for Humanist Studies
Having spent sixteen years as a systems engineer in the space industry, Jenny is eminently qualified to discuss "The Case for Space from a Humanist Perspective."
Feb. 19, 2018 "Atheists Haven't Got a Prayer" Jocelyn and David Williamson, Central Florida Freethought Community, Co-Presenters
The Central Florida Freethought Community sued the Brevard County Board of Commissioners for religious discrimination and won! Come learn the facts of the case from the plaintiffs themselves, Jocelyn and David Williamson.
Jan. 15, 2018 "The New Higher Morality" David R. Simon, Ph.D., Sociology Professor, (Ret.)
In the 1950s, C. Wright Mills coined the term "higher immorality" which defined deviant, immoral behaviors among the power elites. Dr. Simon will enumerate these behaviors as well as explore new ones and discuss the dangers they pose to the interrelated global society.
Dec. 18, 2017 "Fourteenth Annual HumanLight Celebration" No lecture tonight. We celebrate the season, install 2018 officers, recognize past accomplishments, envision future goals and direction.
Primarily for members, although others are welcome. We'll gather at the OLIVE GARDEN on Philips Highway between 6:00 and 7:00 to socialize, dining by 7:00 (ordering from the menu). Please RSVP on Meetup or to Carrie to attend.
Nov. 20, 2017 "An Atheist's Adventures in the Bible Belt" Herb Silverman, Founder, Secular Coalition of America and Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry (in Charlston, SC); author, secular activist
Herb, "the unflappable atheist," will discuss his first book, "Candidate Without a Prayer" and his latest book, "Atheist Stranger in a Strange Religious Land," Herb is billed as "one of the most original and humorous voices in the secular movement today."
Oct. 16, 2017 "Our Foreign Policy in the Age of Trump" David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida
The Chinese are expanding, the Russians are conniving, the Europeans are splitting, the North Koreans are going ballistic, and the Middle East is on fire. Is there any method to the apparent messy madness of American Foreign Policy today?
Sept. 18, 2017 "Let's Preserve, Protect, and Defend Florida's Constitution!" Merrill Shapiro, Trustee and Immediate Past President, National Board of Trustees, Americans United for Separation of Church and State
In 1968, Florida became the only state that allows for its state constitution to be revisited and changed through a regularly scheduled commission called the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC). The CRC, which meets every 20 years, is a group of 37 commissioners who examine the relevance and applicability of Florida's Constitution to current and future needs. Are any of us safe? Not really!
Aug. 21, 2017 "Storms of My Grandchildren" Gary A. Stilwell, Ph.D., from Tallahassee, Florida
Dr. Stilwell will review James Hansen's "Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity" and then lead the discussion.
July 17, 2017 "How to Defeat 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, "How to Defeat Religion in 10 Easy Steps" illustrates specific, actionable steps that interested nonbelievers and progressive believers can take to facilitate fundamentalist religion's decline.
June 19, 2017 "Spinoza: Religion without Theism" Scott Kimbrough, Professor of Philosophy and Chair, Division of Humanities, Jacksonville University
When asked whether he believed in God, Albert Einstein answered, "I believe in Spinoza's God who reveals Himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who... Come to learn more!
May 15, 2017 "The Crisis of the American Dream" David R. Simon, Ph.D., Sociology Professor (Ret.)
The American Dream is a vague, commonly used phrase which is both overly used and highly questionable. It is not that a majority of Americans are no longer middle class. It is more that the American Dream has always been based on mythical notions
April 17, 2017 "What Has the AHA Done for Me, Lately?" Jenny Kalmanson, Vice President, American Humanist Association and President, Institute for Humanist Studies
Learn more a about humanism and about the American Humanist Association, especially pertinent in that the FCFS has just become a chapter of the AHA and espouses its principles. (See
March 20, 2017 "To Be an American" Ken Hurley's documentary film, "To Be an American" will be shown in its entirety at our March monthly meeting, at no charge.
This award-winning film by Ken Hurley, edited by Bridget Green, as told by Americans, captures what ot MEANS to be an American in the opinions of hundreds of people from all 50 states.
Feb. 20, 2017 "The 2016 Election—Why Hillary Clinton Lost in Florida: A Field Perspective" Tony Penna, Regional Organizer for the Hillary Clinton Campaign, Duval County; former North Florida Regional Director, Enroll America
The presenter will contrast perceptions of the candidates in 2012 and 2016 and will assess the 2016 Florida Clinton campaign Field Operations effort.
Jan. 16, 2017 "The Role of Empathy in End-of-Life Decision Making" Adrianne L. McEvoy, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy; Director, Great Conversations Honors Program, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
This talk will examine the nature of empathy and the vital role it plays, for providers as well as patients' loved-ones, in making end-of-life medical decisions.
Dec. 19, 2016 "Thirteenth Annual Human Light Celebration" No lecture tonight. We celebrate the season, install 2017 officers, recognize past accomplishments, envision future direction.
Gather at 6:30 p.m. at a local Jacksonville restaurant. Dine at 7:00. Ceremonies to follow. RSVP to Carrie by Friday, December 16, for location and directions, if you plan to attend.
Nov. 21, 2016 "American Public Education: The Sinister Linkage - ACE Events, the GINI Score, and a Rapidly Deepening Spiral" Joque H. Soskis, retired UNF faculty member, retired Florida Bar member, author, freethinker
That the U.S. educational system is in serious crisis is widely recognized. We shall delve into why this is so.
Oct. 17, 2016 "How to Talk to a Person of Faith About Church-State Separation, if You Have To…" Bill Mefford, Faith Organizer, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Washington DC
Can people of faith and people who embrace a nonreligious worldview work together to ensure freedom of religion for all people? How? Let's find out together.
Sept. 19, 2016 "Beyond My Plate: Nutritional Advice for a Long and Healthy Life" Frances V. Siver, MS, RDN, LDN; Coordinator, ISPP Program, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Brooks College of Health, University of North Florida
Learn about practical, science-based dietary changes that you can make to decrease your risk of chronic disease while at the same time, potentially increasing your years of quality life.
Aug. 15, 2016 "The Physiology of Gender" Elaine M. Hull, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Florida State University
Genes and hormones are the major factors that produce sex differentiation, but stress and social factors can tweak the process, sometimes leading to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.
July 18, 2016 "Why Interfaith Must Include the Nonreligious" Tarah Trueblood, J.D., M.Div., M.A., Director, Interfaith Center, University of North Florida
America is currently the most religiously diverse country in the world. To heal our divided America, communities across the country must engage in meaningful interfaith dialogue and cooperation; and interfaith must include the religious, nonreligious, and spiritual but not religious.
June 20, 2016 "Can Moral Reasoning Rise above Emotion: Moral Psychology and the Role of Emotion in Reasoning" Scott Kimbrough, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy and Chair, Division of Humanities, Jacksonville University
People do not typically reason to their moral convictions, but emotionally affiliate with "moral tribes." Can reason rise above emotion-based tribalism?
May 16, 2016 "The Rise of the Authoritarians" David R. Simon, Ph.D., Sociology Professor (Ret.), Postdoctoral Fellow
Social critic David Simon will explore the rise of authoritarian voters in the 2016 political campaign. He will explain the classical sociological theory of authoritarians and touch upon the potential dangers of authoritarian candidates being elected.
April 18, 2016 "Playing on a Broken Chessboard: Policies and Realities in the Middle East" David Schwam-Baird, PhD, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida
America's Middle East policy is in tatters, mainly because the Middle East is in tatters. Given the current disarray, is it even possible for America to craft a coherent and realistic policy for the Middle East, today?
March 21, 2016 "The American Healthcare System from A-Z, in 30 Minutes or Less" Tony Penna, North Florida Regional Director, Enroll America (a nonprofit whose mission is to spread health insurance coverage)
Tony will compare healthcare models in America and in other countries and discuss the impact of the Affordable Care Act on our healthcare system.
Feb. 15, 2016 "The Religious Freedon Restoration Act and its Dangers to Secular Society and Government" Toni Van Pelt, President, Institute for Science and Humane Values
Increasingly, we are seeing businesses refusing services to indivisuals based on religious objections. Imposing beliefs on others who do not share them goes against the very fiber and core of not just secular humanist values and principles, but American family values, as well.
Jan. 18, 2016 "The Role of Empathy in Medical Decision Making" Adrianne Leigh McEvoy, PhD, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania What exactly is the role of empathy in medical decision making? More than most patients and providers realize.
Dec. 21, 2015 "Twelfth Annual Human Light Celebration" No lecture tonight. We celebrate the season, install 2016 officers, recognize past accomplishments, envision future direction. Gather at 6:30 p.m. at a local Jacksonville restaurant. Dine at 7:00. Ceremonies to follow. RSVP to Carrie. RSVP to Carrie by December 18 for location and directions, if you plan to attend.
Nov. 16, 2015 "When the Government Should Shut Up: Religion, Abortion, and Confederate Flags" Christopher J. Roederer, Professor of Law and Director, International Programs, Florida Coastal School of Law Roederer says of his talk, I plan to tie in cases that range from Town of Greece (establishment clause) through Casey and Rust v. Sullivan (abortion "counseling") to Texas v. Walker (the recent case in Texas regarding the confederate flag on license plates).
Oct. 19, 2015 "Policing in America: It's Worse Than You Think. (FAR worse!)" Joque H. Soskis, former police officer and police administrator, retired UNF criminal justice professor, and retired attorney The present failures, misfeasance, and malfeasance of the American police have multiple interlocking and intractable sources, many of which are not directly related to the police, themselves.
Sept. 21, 2015 "Building God's Kingdom: Inside the World of Christian Reconstruction" Julie Ingersoll, PhD, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, and Religious Studies Program Coordinator, University of North Florida Dr. Julie Ingersoll will be discussing her brand new book, Building God's Kingdom: Inside the World of Christian Reconstruction (Oxford University Press 2015)
Aug. 17, 2015 "Colonization of the Inner Solar System" Jay S. Huebner, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Physics, University of North Florida How can we build manufactured habitats for better lives in space?
July 20, 2015 "The Politics of Neoliberalism" David Jaffee, PhD, Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, University of North Florida Neoliberalism has been the dominant political economic paradigm in the United States since the 1980s. We shall consider how neoliberalism has shaped electoral politics, the two party system, and the prospects for democracy.
June 15, 2015 "The Theocracy War: Dispatches from the Front" Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, President, National Board of Trustees, Americans United for Separation of Church and State There is a movement in our midst that rejects the values of inclusivity and diversity, a movement that seeks to undermine the foundations of our modern secular Democracy! Patriots of every stripe are rising to wage war on Theocracy.
May 18, 2015 "A Road No Longer Winding" Douglas R. Doan, past Methodist minister, now freethinker Join us for another remarkable tale of de-conversion!
April 20, 2015 "ISIS Under Your Bed! What Are the Threats of the Current Mid-East Mess?" David Schwam-Baird, PhD, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida Come and learn more about the latest terrorist phenomenon from a respected expert on Middle-East politics.
"FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Linchpin of a Free Society"
SPECIAL EVENT - a panel discussion on Freedom of Speech co-sponsored by the FCFS, the UNF Department of Political Science and Public Administration, the UNF Pre-Law Program, and FOLIO Weekly.
Panelists: Parvez Ahmed, PhD, Associate Professor of Finance, UNF; Susan Cooper Eastman, Writer-at-Large, Folio Weekly: Frank Denton, PhD, Editor, Florida Times-Union: François Kloc, Honorary French Consul, Jacksonville; Christopher J. Roederer, Law Professor, Florida Coastal School of Law; Brian Thornton, PhD, Professor of Communications, UNF. Moderator: Staci Spanos, WJXT-TV Channel 4
Join us on TUESDAY, April 14, at the UNF University Center, 12000 Alumni Drive, for this panel discussion on Freedom of Speech by two UNF professors, two outstanding journalists, and the French consul. This panel discussion was inspired by the world-wide mixed reaction to the recent Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks. The panelists will address this and much more. For tetails, visit: Link to Flyer.
March 16, 2015 "The United States of Insanity" David R. Simon, PhD, Sociologist, Research Fellow, Institute of Public and International Policy, University of North Florida (Ret.) e last few years, several respected authors have claimed that the United States has become a dysfunctional society. Has it? And how would one empirically prove this statement, anyway?
Feb. 16, 2015 "Dinosaurs, Locomotion, and Dinosaur-to-Avian Evolution" Jeremy Stalker, Ph.D., Marine Biologist, Jacksonville University Celebrate Darwin's birth month with us as we take a trip through time, which will include some dinosaur evolution and locomotion, geology, and dinosaur-to-avian evolution.
Jan. 19, 2015 "Common Core and Education Reform: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" Scott Shine, Duval County School Board Member Scott Shine will take an objective look at Common Core and High Stakes Testing in a public education environment undergoing unprecedented reform.
Dec. 15, 2014 "Eleventh Annual Human Light Celebration" Celebrate the season, Install 2015 officers, recognize 2014 accomplishments, envision future direction. (No lecture.) Gather at 6:30 p.m. at the BELLA VITA Italian Restaurant, 3825 Baymeadows Rd., Jax, 32217. Dine at 7:00 (order from the menu). Ceremonies to follow. RSVP to Carrie.
Nov. 17, 2014 "Waiting for a Donut" - a one-act play by Earl Coggins Cast in order of appearance: Newt (Earl Coggins) and Zorba (David Schwam-Baird), "Waiting for a Donut" is a witty, introspective journey into the complexity of a simple life.
Oct. 20, 2014 "Rethinking the Search for Truth" Matthew Groe, PhD, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Jacksonville University Dr. Groe will throw suspicion on the idea that we could ever reach the absolute truth about how reality really is.
Sept. 15, 2014 "Dredging for Commerce: A Critical Perspective on the St. Johns River Deepening Project" David Jaffee, PhD, Sociology Professor, Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, UNF Dr. Jaffee will critically analyze the pros and cons of the impending St. Johns River Deepening Project.
Aug. 18, 2014 "Huntington's Disease: Medical and Moral Dimensions" Richard T. Hull, PhD, Bioethicist; Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, SUNY Buffalo; Author; Editor; Humanist Dr. Hull will discuss the horror and the facts of this dsease. He will review current research and its promise for eventually conquering Huntington's, long misidentified as a divine retribution for the sins of past relatives.
July 21, 2014 "How Do We Know?" or "Why science and conservative theology can't agree on anything of substance except that the other side is wrong." David Campbell, award-winning high school science teacher This talk will be an exploration of different ways of learning and knowing in the domains of science and religion. David will examine how both science and religion ask and answer questions, the types of questions they ask, and how they arrive at their conclusions.
June 16, 2014 "Operation Inclusion: There's a Role for Each of Us" Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, President, National Board of Trustees, Americans United for Separation of Church and State In light of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent misguided ruling to allow prayer at government meetings (in Town of Greece v. Galloway), Americans United has launched a multi-pronged plan titled, "Operation Inclusion," designed to protect ALL Americans.
May 19, 2014 "Questioning Questioning Darwin" David R. Simon, PhD and Jocque Soskis, J.D., Co-presenters In-depth analysis of recent HBO documentary film, Questioning Darwin.
April 21, 2014 "Socrates on the Pious and the Just: Was Socrates a closet freethinker?" Paul M. Carelli, PhD, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, UNF Was Socrates really a closet freethinker? Come and foud out!
March 17, 2014 "Motivating Health Care Facilities to Meet the Needs of Secular Patients" Joe Beck, MSW (ret.), Humanist Chaplain; Founder and Chair, Humanists of the Treasure Coast Secular patients are not accorded the same level of support and recognition in health care facilities, especially hospices, as are religious patients. You will learn the extent of this problem and find out what you can do to help.
Feb. 17, 2014 "Charles Darwin: His Life and His Voyage on the HMS Beagle" Jim Strayer, retired biology educator, Darwin expert What made Charles Darwin tick? How did he come to abandon his ministerial studies and embark on a path of discovery that would change science forever?
Jan. 20, 2014 "The Truth Virus: It's All Plato's Fault (or, Why All Truths Are Lies)" Jack Maurice ("Orlando Jack"), founder of the Orlando Humanist Association and the Orlando Coalition of Reason What if you had a virus in your brain? What if it were a cognitive virus, a kind of cognitive AIDS? How would it affect your thinking? How did you get infected with the virus? Is there a CURE?
Dec. 16, 2013 "Tenth Annual Human Light Celebration" Celebrate the season, Install 2014 officers, recognize 2013 accomplishments, envision future direction. (No lecture.) Gather at 6:30 p.m. at the BELLA VITA Italian Restaurant, 3825 Baymeadows Rd., Jax, 32217. Dine at 7:00 (order from the menu). Ceremonies to follow. RSVP to Carrie.
Nov. 18, 2013 "In Preparation for Comet ISON 2012, November-December 2013" Jay S. Huebner, BSEE, MS & PhD, Physics, Visiting Research Professor, Sensors Group, Physics Department, UNF This comet is named for a telescope system (the International Scientific Optical Network) used to discover it and for the year it was discovered. It could be the brightest comet anyone alive now has ever seen!
Oct. 21, 2013 "The Jobs Are Coming Back, But They're Just Visiting: The Welfare State, the Singularity, and the Automation of Production" Joque Soskis, retired UNF faculty member, retired Florida Bar member, teacher, author Joque will discuss the impact that the approaching singularity in artificial intelligence will have on production and hence, the economy.
Sept. 9, 2013 "Freedom from Religion: Past, Present, and Future" Dan Barker, Co-Director, Freedom from Religion Foundation Dan will be speaking from his vast amount of experience in the freethought movement. You will not want to miss this special meeting!
Aug. 19, 2013 "How Atheists, Freethinkers, and Humanists Deal with Death and Religious Consolations" Richard T. Hull, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, SUNY Buffalo, Author, Editor, Bioethicist, Humanist Richard will examine how nonreligious folks handle the loss of a loved one, as well as how they handle the consolations of believers.
"The Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion, and Dorothy: Finding Community on the Yellow Brick Road"
Teresa MacBain, former Methodist minister, recent recipient of the 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? Join us as Teresa explores the answers. You might be surprised!
June 17, 2013 "Framing the Question of Value: The Problem of Environmental Ethics" Erich Freiberger, PhD, Professor of Philosophy, Division of Humanities, Jacksonville University As we confront the reality of global climate change, can ethics help us assess the scope of the problem and help us identify solutions?
May 20, 2013 "Understanding the Economic Crisis: A Neo-Marxist Perspective"
David Jaffee, PhD, Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of North Florida Is the current U.S. economic crisis an anomaly, or is it an inherent and predictable feature of capitalism? Under prevailing conditions, what are the prospects for a sustained recovery?
"From Nundom to Freedom"
Former Catholic nun, Liz Murad, now freethinker and humanist Liz shares the remarkable story of her long journey from faith in the unbelievable to life in reality, and all the stops in between.
March 18, 2013 "New Revelations in the JFK Assassination Case" David R. Simon, PhD, Research Fellow (Ret.), Institute of Public and International Policy, University of North Florida There are now over 1,000 books, 2,000 articles, and tens of documentaries about President Kennedy's murder. New shocking information reveals facts about the number of the President's wounds, the single bullet, and many other aspects of the case.
Feb. 18, 2013 "That Complex Whole: Darwinian Approaches to Cultural Evolution" Gordon F.M. Rakita, PhD, RPA, Associate Professor of Anthropology,
Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology, UNF Culture changes... but does it evolve? How has Darwin's theory of evolution been applied to human culture and what can we learn about how we live and the things around us by applying Darwin's universal acid?
Jan. 21, 2013 "Crimes Against Logic: Identifying Errors in Reasoning" Earl Coggins, President and Founder, First Coast Freethought Society, Inc. Learn about non sequiturs, slippery slopes, false dichotomies, and other logical fallacies as we explore "Crimes Against Logic."
Dec. 17, 2012 Ninth Annual "Human Light Celebration" Installation of 2013 officers and 2012 recognitions. (No formal lecture tonight, just a party!) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church where we regularly meet. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. dine at 7:00 p.m., ceremonies to follow.
Nov. 19, 2012 "The Best Speech Ever... Really." (Or, why America is smart enough to have left plenty of room for improvement.)
Ken Hurley, Co-founder and Director, Civication, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting civics education and civil responsibility. A free speech by Ken Hurley. Lively Q&A and discussions to follow.
Oct. 15, 2012 "Where's the 'freedom' in Ballot Amendment 8, The Florida Religious Freedom Amendment?" Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, President, National Board of Trustees of Americans United for Separation of Church and State "Ballot Amendment 8 is a wonderful vehicle to gaining important insights into the workings of the Florida State legislature." Shapiro will teach us to truly appreciate how Amendment 8 keeps on giving!
Sept. 17, 2012 "What's Really at Stake in the 2012 Election? It's Not What You Think." David R. Simon, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Public and International Policy, University of North Florida Dr. Simon plans to talk about the hidden agendas of this election. He says, "This will be a genuine exercise in freethought and not a partisan diatribe for or against either party."
Aug. 20, 2012 "The Devil Made Me Do It: What Light Can Neuroscience Shed on the Problem of Free Will?" Elaine Hull, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee Recently, neuroscientists have been seeing if there are ways of testing whether free will is genuine or an illusion. Come and learn what research indicates!
July 16, 2012 "Corporations Are Persons, and So What?" Mitchell Haney, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Philosophy; a Director of the Florida Blue Center for Ethics, at UNF Dr. Haney will argue first that there is nothing spooky about corporate personhood; and second, if corporations are persons, this need not have any sinister effects on our moral or political lives.
June 18, 2012 "What Would Socrates Ask?" Karla Pierce, M.A., Adjunct Philosophy Instructor, Florida State College at Jacksonville, and Jacksonville University Join us for an educational, interactive workshop designed to hone your critical thinking and critical questioning skills. Critical thinking is an essential component of freethought.
May 21, 2012 "The Truth About True Crime: It's Not What You Think!" David R. Simon, Ph.D., Research Fellow (Ret.), Institute of Public and International Policy, University of North Florida An estimated 95% of what the public knows about crime comes from the mass media (TV news, CSI shows, movies, and an occasional book). Come and learn the TRUTH about true crime.
April, 16, 2012 "The Politics of Harry Potter" David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida The Harry Potter series is a social and cultural phenomenon which raises some interesting and troubling moral and ethical questions. It has also been attacked as anti-Christian. Definitely worth exploring!
March 2012 "Taxpayer-Funded Religion in Florida" Mark Palmer, Esq., Executive Director, Humanists of Florida Association Mark will explain why this November's Amendment 8 (Removal of the No-Aid Clause) and Senate Bill 98 (Prayer at Public School Assemblies) threaten the freedoms of religion and belief of all Floridians.
Feb. 20, 2012 "What Does Evolution Mean for Ethics?" Scott Kimbrough, Ph.D., Chair, Division of Humanities, Jacksonville University Does evolutionary theory provide a new foundation for ethics? Or does it show our ethical commitments to be groundless products of natural selection?
"What Would Socrates Ask?"
MEETING CANCELLED DUE TO A PLUMBING PROBLEM.
Rescheduled for June 2012.
Karla Pierce, M.A., Adjunct Philosophy Instructor, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Jacksonville University Join us for an educational, interactive workshop designed to hone your critical thinking and critical questioning skills. Critical thinking is an essential component to freethought.
Dec. 19, 2011 Eighth Annual "Human Light Celebration" Installation of 2012 officers, 2011 awards and recognitions. (No formal lecture tonight, just a party!) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church where we regularly meet. Gather at 6:00 p.m. for social hour, dine at 7:00 p.m., ceremonies at 8:00 p.m.
Nov. 21, 2011 "King Louis XVI's Timing was Terrible. Will Ours be Better?"
Lecture notes: Joque H. Soskis, retired UNF faculty member, past member and official of the faculty union of the State University System, retired member of the Florida Bar, author, freethinker. In other words, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette waited too long to remedy the economic distress of their citizenry. Can we learn from their mistake?
Oct. 17 2011 "Refledtions on the Arab Spring: What Do We Need to be Asking? David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, UNF When the rebellion in Tunisia spread to Egypt, then to Bahrain and on to Jordan, Yemen, Libia, and Syria, there was hope that the way was opening for democracy to fluorish. Is this the case?
Sept. 19, 2011 "Analytical Conflict Transformation: How to Transform a Dispute into Meaningful Dialogue" Casey Welch, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminology, Dept. of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL In another of our series, "Building Bridges Beyond Belief," Casey and Earl will be discussing the use of Analytical Conflict Transformation (ACT) in everyday life and especially as it pertains to the freethought movement.
Aug. 15, 2011 "The Neurophysiology of Religious Experience" Elaine Hull, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee A number of brain imaging studies have shown increases and decreases in activity in specific brain areas during
religious experiences. In addition, epilepsy and some serotonergic drugs can trigger religious experiences. What may (or may not!) be common to all of these experiences?
July 18, 2011 "Opinions, Dominions, and Great Virginians: The Hope for Civil Discourse"
Ken Hurley, Co-Founder and Director of Civication, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting civics education and civil responsibility. What elements are necessary for an opinion? How do you form your opinions? Does it sometimes seem that everyone else is wrong? Come be part of the audience and share your opinions...
June 20, 2011 "Building Bridges Beyond Belief: Dialogue With a Bridge-Building Hospital Chaplain Presenters: Ed Wilder, M. Div., M. Ed., Senior Chaplain, Baptist Medical Center South; and Earl Coggins, President and Founder, FCFS
Ed and Earl will be discussing Ed's "Multi-faith Educational Program" designed to bring awareness to Baptist South employees of the many diverse worldviews (including nontheistic) held by hospital patients and how to accommodate them.
May 16, 2011 "New Biblical Problems: Pseudepigraphy, Pseudonymity, Contradictions, and Failed Prophecies" David R. Simon, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Institute of Public and International Policy, University of North Florida Recent biblical scholarship has uncovered a multitude of problems with both the old and new testaments including plagiarization, multiple authorship of the same books, failed prophecies, and more.
April 18, 2011 "Origin and Structure of the Universe" Jay S. Huebner, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus and Visiting Research Professor, Physics Department Dr. Huebner will explain how great telescopes and other scientific advances allow us to discern much of the large-scale history and origin of the universe.
March 21, 2011 "Ethics, Truth, and Politics: Three things rarely found in the same place" Scott Shine, former City of Jacksonville Ethics Commissioner and local Political Consultant Come and learn about the Jacksonville Ethics Commission, its mission, workings, accomplishments, projects.
Feb. 21, 2011 "Evolution vs. Creation: What does the evidence say?" Anthony M. Rossi, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of North Florida Join us as we celebrate the birth month of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin and examine the evidence for his great contributions to our understanding of life on this planet.
Jan. 24, 2011 "More Dialogue With a Muslim: Discussion Continues" Parvez Ahmed, Ph.D., Member, Jacksonville Human Rights Commission; Associate Professor of Finance, UNF; Fulbright Scholar; Muslim; and Folio Weekly Person of the Year The September 2010 FCFS meeting, "Building Bridges Beyond Belief: Dialogue with a Muslim" was so well received that many people wanted him to come back. Dr. Ahmed has graciously agreed to rreturn so the discussion may continue. Come and have your questions answered.
Dec. 20, 2010 Seventh Annual "Human Light Celebration" Installation of 2011 officers, 2010 awards and recognitions. (No formal lecture tonight, just a party!) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church where we regularly meet. Gather at 6:00 p.m. for social hour, dine at 7:00 p.m., ceremonies at 8:00 p.m.
Nov. 15 2010 "What Can Possibly Explain All This? or, a Scientist Seeks a Unifying Theory for Everything About America"
Joque H. Soskis, retired UNF faculty member, past member and official of the faculty union of the State University System, retired member of the Florida Bar, author, freethinker. Joque will explore 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. He will cite examples, suggest an explanation, and host a lively Q&A afterwards.
Oct. 18, 2010 "Cretaceous Park: Paleontology Adventures in Southern Utah" L. Barry Albright, Ph.D., vertebrate paleontologist, author, and a professor of Earth Science, Dept. of Physics, UNF Dr. Albright discovered a new species of dinosaur, a rare sickle-clawed dinosaur, the Nothronychus graffami. He has just returned from a dig in Southern Utah and Mongolia.
Sept. 20, 2010 "Building Bridges Beyond Belief: Dialogue with a Muslim"
Parvez Ahmed, Ph.D., Member, Jacksonville Human Rights Commission; Associate Professor of Finance, UNF; Fulbright Scholar; Muslim talks with Earl Coggins, President, FCFS; Freethinker; Secular Humanist FCFS President Earl Coggins will be holding the second dialogue in his series, "Building Bridges Beyone Belief." The first was with a Baptist minister, this one is with a Muslim! They will be discussing differences in the Muslim and atheist worldviews. Dr. Ahmed is a frequent commentator on Islam and the Muslim American Experience.
Aug. 16, 2010 "Marriage = 1 Man + 1 Woman--or Does It? Richard T. Hull, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Philosophy, SUNY Buffalo; Author, Editor, Bioethicist, and Humanist In dialogue form with two characters previously introduced at FCFS meetings (Dr. Phil the Philosophy Professor and Rose the Catholic), Richard Hull reviews the reasons pro and con for seeking to limit marriage to one man plus one woman. This dialogue is updated for recent court decisions.
July 19, 2010 "Christian Roots of the U.S. Constitution--Real or Imagined?" Justin DePlato, Ph.D., Department of Political Science and Public Administration, UNF Dr. DePlato will be focusing on the intellectual merits and empirics to determine whether the Framers intended for America to be a "christian" nation, a secular nation, or even a pluralistic religious community.
June 21, 2010 "Where Was God: Evil, Theodicy, and Modern Science" We welcome back Author and Humanist Gary A. Stilwell, Ph.D., (who gave us a talk last year based on his book, Christianity: 5000 Years of History and Development"). Dr. Stilwell will be discussing his newest book, "Where Was God." He will have books available at the meeting. NOTE: The Humanist Book Discussion Group will be discussing this book on June 6, 2010. (See Book Discussion Group link for details.)
May 17, 2010 "Crime and Religion"
David R. Simon, Ph.D., Research Fellow, Institute of Public and International Policy, University of North Florida Dr. Simon will examine 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.
April 19, 2010 "What Should It Mean To Be an American?" followed immediately by lively discussion.
Ken Hurley, Founder and Director of Civication, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting civics education and civil responsibility. Consider these: I Have a Dream. The American Dream. United We Stand. We The People. In God We Trust. Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death. Don't Tread On Me. My Country Right or Wrong. God Bless America....
March 15, 2010 "The Morals and Ethics of a 'Godless Person'" "Orlando Jack" (a.k.a. Jack Maurice), Founder and President, Orlando Area Atheists and Freethinkers Meetup Group Jack poses the following questions: Does religion paralyze morality? Are you, dear freethinker, an ethical person? a person of good morals? What makes you a good person? By whose standards are you leading a good, ethical life??
Celebrate Darwin's birth monthwith us, as we listen to "Of Metaphysics and Missing Links: Ardipithecus ramidus and Modeling Human Evolution"
Gordon F. Rakita, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anthropology with the Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology, University of North Florida Dr. Rakita's areas of expertise include evolutionary theory, bioarcheology, and human skeletal biology. He will discuss fossils and models of human evolution, why the "Ardi" finds are so important, and "missing links."
Jan. 18, 2010 "Theism and Atheism: A Dialogue About Building Bridges"
Rev. Harry Parrott, Baptist Minister; and Earl Coggins, President, FCFS; hosted by Ken Hurley, Director, Civication, Inc. Come, listen, and participate as FCFS president and a local Baptist discuss pertinent issues in the theism vs. atheism battle going on for the last 2000 years. Covering historical and contemporary issues, this is sure to kick off 2010 with a bang.
Sixth Annual "Human Light Celebration" Installation of 2010 officers, 2009 awards and recognitions. (No lecture or educational program tonight, just a party!) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church, 7405 Arlington Expressway. Gather at 6:00 p.m. for social hour, dine at 7:00 p.m., ceremonies at 8:00.
Nov. 16, 2009 "An Overview of Church/State Separation Issues on Florida's First Coast" Jeff Brumley, Staff Writer with the Florida Times-Union Come and hear the man who has his finger on the pulse of the First Coast discuss this controversial subject. His talk will be followed by a lively Q&A.
Oct. 19, 2009 "What was Jesus' Good News?" Author Gary A. Stilwell, Ph.D., (who has most recently written, Where Was God: Evil, Theodicy, and Modern Science). This topic is based on Dr. Stillwell's book, Christianity: 5000 Years of History and Development. NOTE: The Humanist Book Discussion Group will be discussing this book on October 4, 2009. (See Book Group link.)
Sept. 21, 2009 "To Separate or Not to Separate: How Other Countries Deal With Questions of Church and State" David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Dept. of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida We will explore how various democratic foreign countries approach the sensitive issues surrounding the question of Church-State separation.
Aug. 17, 2009 "Tales of the Club-footed Boy: How has man answered life's fundamental questions: How did we get here? What is our purpose? Where are we going?" Pam C. Dement-Liebenow, Professor of Biological Sciences, Florida Community College at Jacksonville Join us as we examine creation stories throughout man's history and compare them to the facts that scientists have discovered.
July 20, 2009 "A Baptist Minister Reflects on the Freethought Tradition." Reverend Harry B. Parrott, Jr., President, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Clay County Chapter, and ordained Baptist Minister Rev. Parrott will discuss his understanding of the freethought tradition, some views on religion, and our common ancestry regarding separation of church and state.
June 15, 2009 "The History of Social Control" Casey Welch, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminology, Dept. of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Flagler College, Saint Augustine, FL Religion is just one of many sources of social control. Come and learn more!
May 18, 2009 "The History of Creationism in Florida" Joe Wolf, President, Florida Citizens for Science Florida has a long and glorious (ignoble) history of creationist activity lasting to today. Hear the ongoing saga of the continued struggle to teach real science (evolution), rather than creationism ("intelligent design") in Florida public schools.
April 20, 2009 "Idiots, Activist Judges, Civics, and the United States Supreme Court"
Ken Hurley, Founder and Director, 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. 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?
March 16, 2009 "Without God, Whence Cometh Morality?" Richard T. Hull, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at SUNY Buffalo; editor, author, educator, ethics scholar, and Humanist Come and explore with us the origins of morality, ethics, values, etc. Dr. Hull's presentation will be followed by a lively question and Answer session.
Feb. 16, 2009 "Happy Birthday, Charles Darwin: A Retrospective" Anthony M. Rossi, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of North Florida Join us as we celebrate the birthday anniversary of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin and the examine the great contributions he made to our understanding of life on this planet.
Jan. 19, 2009 "Positive Atheism: Presenting the Merits of Disbelief" Earl Coggins, Founder and President, First Coast Freethought Society, Inc. Non-believers have been described as unethical and immoral. They are unelectable to most public offices and have even been called Satan-worshipers. Earl Coggins looks at the virtues and benefits of having no religious beliefs. He will discuss the importance of framing disbelief in a positive light.
Dec. 15, 2008 Fifth Annual "Human Light Celebration" Party! Installation of 2009 officers, 2008 awards and recognitions. (No educational program tonight.) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church, Arlington Expressway. Gather at 6:00 p.m. for social hour, dine at 7:00 p.m., ceremonies at 8:00.
Nov. 17, 2008 "Analysis of the 2008 Elections" Matthew Corrigan, Ph.D., Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida Join us as Dr. Matthew Corrigan analyzes the 2008 election results and explores their implications for our future.
Oct. 20, 2008 "It's a BA-by!" Richard T. Hull, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at SUNY Buffalo; Founder and President, Tallahassee Center for Inquiry; author, editor, bioethics scholar, and Humanist. With Dr. Hull we will explore early pre-embryo metaphysics and the ethics of early abortion and stem-cell harvesting. He will explain why these procedures don't harm any individual human beings. He will also try to answer the question, When do we become persons? His account is novel and was recently published in the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy.
"Subverting our Constitutions: When Should a Constitution Be Changed?"
David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, University of North Florida Dr. Schwam-Baird plans to discuss several amendment issues ("2, 7, 9") which will be coming up for a vote in November and about which the FCFS is very concerned. He will tie this in with state and federal constitutions.
Exploring the different "Flavors of Freethought"
Nationally-known speaker, Mel Lipman, President, American Humanist Association Humanism, agnosticism, atheism, freethought? What do these words mean? Is there a difference? What is the difference? Come to our meeting and find out!
July 21, 2008 "Conflict Transformation" Casey Welch, Ph.D.,
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of North Florida Conflict is omnipresent. Responses to conflict can be highly enlightening and valuable for all who are experiencing and managing them. Want to learn more?
June 16, 2008 "The Process is Due: Gitmo and America's Constitutional Values" followed by Lively Q & A. Ken Hurley, Interim Director, ACLU of Florida, Northeast Regional Office What happened to due process? Which process is due? How can people be detained for years without charges? How can the "War on Terror" end? Are there really constitutional values?
May 19, 2008 "Why Religion Won't Go Away" John Anderson, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of North Florida The world's religions are not going to go away, but they could evolve.
April 21, 2008 "Psychoanalysis and Science" Erich Freiberger, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy, Jacksonville University Dr. Freiberger will explore some of the basic assumptions we make when we take up the quest to be scientific in relation to a field such as psychoanalysis.
March 17, 2008 "Positive Humanism: How Humanism Fits into a Participatory Democracy" Heather Wellman, former Executive Director, Humanists of Florida Association Heather is an experienced, entertaining and informative speaker. This is a good time to bring friends!
Feb. 18, 2008 "What Genetics Tells Us about Evolution" Matthew Gilg, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, UNF Celebrate Darwin's birthday! Come to an overview of genetic data and learn what it actually teaches us.
Jan. 21, 2008 "Crime Perpetrated by Religious Groups Throughout History" David R. Simon, Ph.D., retired criminology professor, author. Can the "holy" perhaps not be so holy, after all? A real eye-opener!
Dec. 17, 2007 Fourth Annual "Human Light Celebration" Party! Installation of 2008 officers, 2007 awards. (No educational program tonight.) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church, Arlington Expressway. Gather at 6:00 p.m., dine at 7:00 p.m., ceremonies at 8:00
Nov. 19, 2007 "Defining Atheism: Exposing the Myths, Revealing the Taboos" Earl Coggins, Founder and Spokesperson for the FCFS Earl will define, dissect, explore, and examine atheism from many angles.
Oct. 15, 2007 "What is the future of secularism in the Middle East?" David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Professor, Dept. of Political Science and Public Administration, University of North Florida Dr. Schwam-Baird, a recognized expert in the politics of the Middle East will examine the possibilities for secularism, there.
Sept. 17, 2007 "The Pursuit of Happiness: A Humanist Mandate" Jennifer Hancock, past Associate Director, Humanists of Florida Association; now writer and humanist activist To learn more, visit her website, http://www.sumogirl.com/ which contains the her thoughts, opinions, and creative pursuits. Included on the site is her Humanist counter to the advice given by televangelist Billy Graham!
Aug. 20, 2007 "Buy the Funeral You Want at a Reasonable Price: Funeral industry secrets revealed" Hugo Borresen, Founder of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Greater Jacksonville Knowledge is the key to avoid being ripped off by the funeral industry in a time of personal tragedy, stress, and distress.
July 16, 2007 "How Religion is Approached/Treated in Academia." Satya Pachori, Ph.D., Ret., Professor of English, UNF; Editor Emeritus of the South Asian Review Dr. Pachori will examine how the subject of religion is handled (approached, discussed) in academia.
June 18, 2007 Top-down vs. Bottom-up Societal Structures: A Historical Perspective Frank P. Besag, Ph.D., Sociology Professor Dr. Besag's own words, he will discuss the history, geography, economics, and religion of slavery and "top-down" versus "bottom up" societal structures.
May 21, 2007 "The Culture Wars: How Humanism Fits In" Heather Wellman, Executive Director, Humanists of Florida Association This new humanist leader will be discussing her view of the future of humanism and the direction of the HFA.
April 16, 2007 "Divine Command Theory" Is all morality dependent upon the will of God? Come and find out! Ellen Wagner, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Philosophy, University of North Florida This term can be used to refer to any one of a family of related ethical theories which all take "God's will" to be the foundation of ethics.
March 19, 2007 "Pasteur and Koch, Two Giants of the Scientific Method" Jim Strayer, retired biology teacher from Ormond Beach, Florida Get the real scoop on Science vs. Superstition!
Feb. 19, 2007 Florida Citizens for Science: "Science's New Pep Squad in Florida" Joe Wolf, President, Florida Citizens for Science Florida Citizens for Science: Their goals, achievements, and aspirations.
Jan. 15, 2007 "Why Bogus Therapies Often Seem to Work" Barry L. Beyerstein, Ph.D., professor of neuropsychology at Simon Fraser University in Canada, and a leading skeptic Video of presentation given at a recent conference of the Center for Inquiry, Florida.
Dec. 18, 2006 Third Annual "Human Light Celebration" Installation of 2007 officers, 2006 awards. (No formal program tonight.) Covered Dish Dinner to be held downstairs in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church, Arlington Expressway.
Nov. 20, 2006 "Is Freethought Really Free? It may be imprisoned by its need to be free from all religion and spirituality." Rev. John L. Young is the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville where we meet. Dr. Young will be discussing trends within Unitarian Universalism, the relationships of Unitarian Universalism with secular humanism and freethought, and our shared interests on many issues.
Nov. 13, 2006 "SCIENCE UNDER SIEGE: The Attack on Evolution" Special event, co-sponsored by FCFS and UNF.
Tony Rossi, Ph.D., Matthew Gilg, Ph.D., Jay Huebner, Ph.D. Gordon Rakita, Ph.D Moderator: Ken Hurley. A panel discussion (also Q&A) stressing the importance of teaching
evolutionary theory in the classroom. To be held in the University Center of University of North Florida. Free parking. Free admission.
Oct. 16, 2006 "Ra, Blue Blankies, Ghosts, Holy Ghosts, and Flying Spaghetti Monsters: Should we tolerate the intolerable?" Ken Hurley, President, Greater Jacksonville Chapter of the ACLU Ken is a dynamic, entertaining speaker, always with a thought-provoking, worthwhile message.
Sept. 18, 2006 "Philosophical Speculation: What it is, what it has achieved and why we still need it." Erich Freiberger, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy, Jacksonville University Dr. Freiberger maintains "it is the way of inquiry that leads to science." He proposes that science needs such speculation if it is to progress into new domains.
Aug. 21, 2006 "Examining Crime from a Scientific Perspective" Christine Rasche, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, UNF Dr. Rasche is a leader in her field. She has developed numerous programs, among them, the criminal justice program at UNF.
July 17, 2006 "Polishing our Crystal Ball: Planning the future of the FCFS" Curtis Wolf, Chair, Long-Range Planning Committee; and Vice President, FCFS A brainstorming, workshop-type session. Come and share your thoughts.
June 19, 2006 "Alternative Ethical Systems for Freethinkers" Ellen Wagner, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Philosophy, University of North Florida If we do not base ethics on the Bible or any other "sacred" text, on what do we base them? What alternative ethical systems are available to freethinkers?
May 15, 2006 "SOS, Sobriety without a Higher Power, The Humanist Path to Sober Living" Bob Stevenson, from the CFI Daytona SOS (Secular Organizations for Sobriety) provide an alternative recovery method for alcoholics and drug addicts who are not comfortable with the spiritual content of the12-Step programs.
April 17, 2006 "What the Founding Fathers Really Meant by Separation of Church and State" David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, University of North Florida An examination of the secular origins of the U.S. Constitution. Is the U.S. a Christian nation, as many people claim?
March 20, 2006 "Crossed-Up in Starke" Lon Bevill A discussion about efforts to remove a publicly funded cross from the water tower in Starke, Florida.
Feb. 20, 2006 "The Study Circles Initiative and the Faith-Based Community" Charlene Taylor Hill, Executive Director, Jacksonville Human Rights Commission; and Bill David, Program Manager Charlene and Bill will discuss the goals and plans of the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Jan. 16, 2006 "Examining Fundamentalism" Julie Ingersoll, Ph.D., Professor of Religious Studies, UNF Dr. Ingersoll will examine fundamentalism from all angles.
Dec. 19, 2005 Second Annual "Human Light Celebration" A party - no formal program tonight. Covered Dish Dinner to be held in the Social Hall of the UUCJ.
Nov. 21, 2005 "Benefits and Hazards of Atheism" Earl Coggins, Moderator Come and participate in a round table discussion on rejecting the supernatural.
Oct. 17, 2005 "Understanding the Fundamentalist Mind" Greg Warner Mr. Warner is executive editor of the Associated Baptist Press news service.
Sept. 19, 2005 "Losing God Saved My Life" Jay Mooney How an ex-Congressional aide overcame addiction through freehought.
Aug. 15, 2005 "A Double-Super-Secret No-Take-Backs Discussion" Ken Hurley, President, Greater Jacksonville Chapter of the ACLU Ken is a dynamic, entertaining speaker, always with a worthwhile message.
July 11, 2005 "Mom's Funeral" Earl Coggins, Founder, First Coast Freethought Society Come and hear the first-person account of one atheist versus his Christian family.
June 13, 2005 "Social Security Reform Examined" Bob Childers, retired, having worked almost 40 years for the Social Security Administration. Mr. Childers is still active with the National Committee to Preserve SS & Medicare. Come and learn the facts about Social Security Reform.
May 9, 2005 "Banned Books" Rona Brinlee Ms. Brinlee, owner of the Bookmark Book Store at Atlantic Beach will be discussing banned books. Some facts might surprise you!
April 11, 2005 "Let's Make Humanism Matter" Jerry Lieberman, President, Humanists of Florida Association Exploring pathways for humanists to gain greater acceptance and influence in our society.
March 14, 2005 "Global Warming: Potential Shifts in Biological Processes" Anthony M. Rossi, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology at UNF Dr. Rossi will examine whether global warming is actually occurring, whether the temperature increase is part of the natural weather cycle, etc.
Feb. 14, 2005 "The State of Education in Duval County Public Schools" Laura Lane Laura Lane, with the JCCI, will discuss studies and findings of the JCCI concerning education in the public schools and mention some of the other JCCI projects as well.
Jan. 10, 2005 "The Cost of Free Speech, Pulpit Politics, Moral Values, Fishing, and the Big Lies" Ken Hurley, ACLU Ken is President, ACLU of Greater Jacksonville (including the counties of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, and St. John's).
Dec. 13, 2004 "Human Light Celebration" Members and friends will discuss the past, present, and future of the FCFS. (No formal program.) Covered Dish Dinner to be held in the Social Hall of the Unitarian Church.
Nov. 8, 2004 "What I've Discovered About the Roots of Our Country's Continual Involvement in Wars" David Henderson, with the organization Wage Peace, Inc. Mr. Henderson thinks that our getting out of Iraq is not enough; that stopping our involvement in unnecessary wars should be our goal.
Oct. 11, 2004 "A Brief History of Just War Theory" Erich Freiberger, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy, JU Dr. Freiberger will introduce Just War theory and discuss and explain Just War Theory and show how it applies to Iraq, today.
Sept. 13, 2004 "Buddhism: A Nontheistic Mystical Discipline" William A. Mendoza, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Jacksonville University Dr. William Mendoza currently teaches physics and engineering at JU but has degrees in psychology and in rehabilitation services as well. He an avid student of Eastern religions.
Aug. 9, 2004 "The Status of Reproductive Health" Lauren Jones, Coordinator of Public Policy, Health Educator, Planned Parenthood of Northeast Florida Ms. Jones will discuss the history and current status of reproductive health and birth control under the Bush administration.
July 12, 2004 "There an Estuary Next Door" Maia McGuire, Ph.D., University of Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent for Nassau, Duval, St. Johns, and Flagler counties. Dr. McGuire will discuss the biology and ecology of estuaries as well as human threats to estuaries and ways to minimize negative impact on coastal environments.
June 14, 2004 "What Is the Good Life?" Ellen Wagner, Ph.D., Asst. Professor of Philosophy, UNF Dr. Wagner will discuss the ancient Greeks' concept (Aristotle's in particular) of what it took to lead a good life. Different from today's concept!
May 10, 2004 "The debate between evolution and creation 'science'." Anthony M. Rossi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology, UNF Dr. Rossi will explain evolution and explore the controversial debate between evolution and creation "science."
April 12, 2004 "The Schiavo Case: Moral Quandaries and Legal Pitfalls in Surrogate Decision Making" Assya Pascalev, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Philosophy, UNF Dr. Pascalev's specialties include bioethics, ethics, social philosophy, and aesthetics. She will be discussing the bioethics involving Terry Schiavo
March 8, 2004 "Myths About Crime and Criminal Justice" David Simon, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor of Criminology and Social Justice, UNF Dr. Simon will examine how images of crime, criminals, and criminal justice agencies are represented unrealistically by the media.
Feb. 9, 2004 "Endowed by their Creator. . . Considering the Origins of Civil Rights" Ken Hurley, President, ACLU, Greater Jacksonville Chapter Ken will explore the nature of "rights." Are rights God given? Are rights discovered? From whence do our rights come?
Jan. 12, 2004 "The Middle East -- Right Now!?" David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Political Science Professor, UNF Dr. Schwam-Baird will discuss developments in Iraq and in Israel-Palestine which seem to be changing by the minute--changing on the surface, at least.
Dec. 8, 2003 "The Humanist Foundations of Progress" Jennifer Hancock, Executive Director, Humanists of Florida Association Jennifer will discuss the relationship between humanism and social progress and discuss how American society is culturally humanist even if it does not embrace modern humanism.
Nov. 10, 2003 "Agnosticism" Erich Freiberger, Ph.D., Department of Philosophy, Jacksonville University Some reflections on the nature of human knowledge and our ability to know God in Plato, Epicurus, Kant, and Kierkegaard.
Oct. 13, 2003 "That's What YOU Say!" Ellen Wagner, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, University of North Florida A workshop. Learn more about how to critically analyze claims and arguments someone makes.
Sept. 13, 2003 "Candidate Without a Prayer" Herb Sliverman, President and Founder, Secular Humanists of the Low Country in South Carolina Herb will recount his campaign for Governor of South Carolina, during which he challenged a South Carolina law requiring a religious belief in order to hold public office in that state.
Sept. 8, 2003 "The Baloney Detection Kit" Earl Coggins, Founder, First Coast Freethought Society A critical thinking skills guide to accurately distinguishing exposing pseudoscience from real science.
Aug. 11, 2003 "How Safe is Safe Enough?" Fred Altieri, Ph.D. Will touch upon the efficacy of the Homeland Security Office, examine the passing of laws restricting civil rights of individual citizens supposedly to make investigation and surveillance of suspicious people easier.
July 14, 2003 "The Fate of the Universe" Jay Huebner, Ph.D. Recent observations with some of the world's best telescopes indicate the expansion of the Universe has been accelerating...
June 10, 2003 "The History of State and Church Separation, Part II" Earl Coggins, Founder, First Coast Freethought Society America drifts from Jeffersonian and Madisonian principles in the 19th Century and the de facto Protestant Establishment.
May 12, 2003 "Congress Shall Make No Law Respecting an Establishment of Religion: A Brief History of the Separation of State and Church Part I" Earl Coggins, Founder, First Coast Freethought Society Why did our Founding Fathers place the religion clauses of our Bill of Rights at the very beginning, in the First Amendment? Did they intend to create a secular government, and if so, what lead them to believe it was the right thing to do?
April 14, 2003 "Whoosh! Was that our Constitution? The USA PATRIOT Act: Safety AND Freedom." Ken Hurley, President, ACLU, Greater Jacksonville Chapter Ken will examine the more troubling aspects and explain how the USA PATRIOT Act purports to alter the meaning of our Bill of Rights.
March 10, 2003 Logical Fallacies, and How to Make them Work for You Ellen Wagner, Ph.D., Department of Philosophy, UNF Logical Fallacies, an interactive workshop.
Feb. 10, 2003 "Biological Evolution" Hector Harima, Ph.D., Department of Biology, UNF Dr. Harima, Professor of Biology at FCCJ, will be discussing genetics and biological evolution.
Jan. 12, 2003 "War with Iraq?" David Schwam-Baird, Ph.D., Department of Political Science, UNF The clash of irrational policies.
March 16, 2015 David R. Simon, Ph.D., Sociologist
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Indian Army, Air Force, Navy ready to strike Pakistan again: report
April 3, 2019 - 13:17 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - During a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on Tuesday, April 2, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the three branches of the country's defence forces — Army, Air Force, and Navy — were ready for another action against Pakistan, India TV News reported, according to Sputnik News.
Modi reportedly asked the military to make sure that no civilians died i the neighbouring country and that the targets be military-related.
Neither India's Defence Ministry, nor the Modi government has confirmed the reports yet.
The development comes just a day after local media cited the Director-General of Pakistan's Inter-Service Public Relations as saying that Islamabad was entitled to use any means of self-defence — a claim which followed weeks of denial that Pakistan had used a US-built F-16 in a 27 February dogfight with India:
"Whether it was F16 or JF17 which shot down 2 Indian aircraft is immaterial. Even if F-16s have been used as at that point in time complete PAF was airborne including F16s, the fact remains that Pakistan Air Force shot down two Indian jets in self defence. India can assume any type [of plane] of their choice even F-16. Pakistan retains the right to use anything and everything in its legitimate self defence", the official reportedly said.
The militaries of the nuclear arms-wielding nations have come up with competing claims regarding the aerial combat on 27 February over the Line of Control in the disputed area of Kashmir: while Islamabad alleged it had brought down two Indian planes, New Delhi admitted to the loss of only one of its aircraft and made a counter-claim, saying it had destroyed a Pakistani F-16.
Pakistan has flatly denied that US-made F-16s were either deployed or lost, while India claimed that Islamabad could have violated the fighter jet's sale deal with the United States.
The tensions between the two neighbours, who have been embroiled in a conflict since 1947, were exacerbated by a deadly suicide bomb attack allegedly claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e Mohammad on a convoy of Indian military personnel in Pulwama on 14 February. In response to the attack, the Indian Air Force conducted an air raid on a suspected terror camp in Balakot, Pakistan on 26 February, later claiming it had killed 300 terrorists.
Pakistan has denied the existence of any such camps in the area, with local media citing locals as saying that besides hitting some 15 pine trees, only one elderly villager was hurt in the air raid. The following day, the two countries' aircraft engaged in a fierce dogfight over Kashmir; since then both sides have been involved in sporadic fighting over the de facto border.
Sputnik. Indian Army, Air Force, Navy Reportedly Ready to Strike Pakistan AGAIN
World's oceans hotter than ever before – study
The study new found that ocean temperatures in the last decade have been the warmest on record.
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Over our 60-year history, Vistage has solidified our reputation as the world's most trusted executive coaching company. Our core formula of peer groups of executives from non-competing industries, backed by one-to-one coaching, has driven our members to outperform their competition through boom markets and recession.
What makes us the best business coaching company? In 1957, businessman Bob Nourse brought together several Milwaukee-area executives to share their collective knowledge and experiences to help each other generate better results for their businesses. He made sure members were from non-competing industries and kept their conversations confidential. When a question eluded the group's knowledge base, he brought in experts to share their perspective. The formula worked: Members of Nourse's group made better decisions, achieved greater results and outperformed their competition.


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UNHCR: Tens of Thousands of Civilians in Syria Displaced
Friday October 11th, 2019 by ASHARQ AL-AWSAT (London-based, pan-Arab daily)
As Turkey continues its assault on northern Syria, the UNHCR has highlighted the number of children who are displaced and that civilians must not be targeted reports Asharq Al-Awsat.
The UN refugee agency said on Thursday tens of thousands of civilians in Syria are on the move to escape the fighting and seek safety amid a Turkish offensive into the area.
UNHCR's statement came a day after Turkish troops began a military operation against Kurdish fighters in Syria.
The agency called on parties to adhere to International Humanitarian Law, including providing access for aid agencies.
It also said hundreds of thousands of civilians "in northern Syria are now in harm's way. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must not be a target."
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that more than 60,000 have fled their homes in northern Syria since Wednesday, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
UNHCR said after eight years of conflict, Syria remains the largest refugee crisis in the world, with 5.6 million Syrians living as refugees in the region.
Also, a group of 14 international aid agencies are warning of an escalating humanitarian crisis in northeast Syria.
They said "civilians are at risk as violence escalates and humanitarian work is suspended."
According to AP, Thursday's statement co-signed by the organizations — including Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam and the Norwegian Refugee Council — said an estimated 450,000 people live within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the Syria's border with Turkey "and are at risk if all sides do not exercise maximum restraint and prioritize the protection of civilians."
The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
What Happened Over the Weekend in Syria
THE SYRIAN OBSERVER, Monday January 17th, 2022
HTS Killed Government Soldier in Syria's Northwest, Hemeimeem
NORTH PRESS (Kurdish agency), Monday January 17th, 2022
ISIS Kills Six Pro-Iran Militants in Syria Desert
ZAMAN AL-WASL (Opposition website), Monday January 17th, 2022
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Challenge Yourself… You Will Be Somebody Someday!
So, before you get worried about all sorts of issues including time, money, sacrifices etc, you would need to be able to tell your mind to make a non-stoppable decision. That is to take on the challenge.
When you start thinking about the rest of the issues, your mind would most likely become undecided due to its reasoning ability and you would soon find that it is quite difficult to pursue the degree after all.
Making up our mind is one of the most difficult task when we try to analyze to consider if we should proceed with what we want to do, especially for long-term projects. So, if you are planning to further your studies, make up your mind and then only start to find out about the rest of the stuff needed for you to pursue a diploma or degree.


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home News General Atlantic names John A Prasetio as special advisor
General Atlantic names ex-Indonesia ambassador John A Prasetio as special advisor
Antonia Timmerman - DealStreetAsia
Private equity firm General Atlantic (GA) has appointed a former Indonesian ambassador to South Korea and prominent businessman, John A Prasetio, as a special advisor.
Prasetio's new role is to support the firm's strategic business initiatives in Southeast Asia, the company said in a statement today.
GA has recently invested $80.9 million in Indonesia's retailer Mitra Adiperkasa (MAP), the local operator of global brands such as Starbucks and Cold Stone. The transaction marked GA's first foray into the Indonesian market. The retailer's unit, MAP Boga Adiperkasa, has said that it is planning to go public this year, selling 20 percent stake.
Prasetio's appointment might indicate GA's intent to explore other opportunities in the country.
"With decades of experience serving in various leadership roles at leading global financial institutions, Mr Prasetio will work closely with General Atlantic's Southeast Asian investment team to identify and support business opportunities in the region with a particular focus on Indonesia," the statement said.
Prior to joining GA, Prasetio was the Ambassador of Indonesia to the Republic of Korea. He is currently president commissioner of the Indonesia Stock Exchange, senior advisor of Crowe Horwath Indonesia, and independent commissioner of SMN Telecommunication and Global Mediacom. He had worked with Andersen Worldwide as Asia Pacific CEO, Ernst & Young Global as regional senior advisory chairman, Bank Permata as independent commissioner, and Energy Development Corporation as outside director.
Prasetio has also held a number of leadership positions at government institutions and leading business associations, including serving as a member of the President's National Economic Committee, the President's National Business Development Council, the National Committee on Good Governance, the Investment Committee of the Investment Coordinating Board, the Association of Publicly Listed Companies Advisory Board, and the Special Staff of the Minister of Industry. Furthermore, Prasetio served as Vice Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Indonesia Chair of APEC Business Advisory Council.


It's been a few weeks since Keith Flint was found dead in his Essex mansion and it's fair to say that Prodigy fans probably still haven't recovered from hearing about it – and they might not ever.
Today was the day that Keith was going to be laid to rest though in his hometown of Braintree in Essex and thousands of Prodigy fans showed up to pay tribute to his life. Most of them did this by listening to old Prodigy tunes and raving outside his funeral, which is probably exactly how he would have wanted it to happen.
The ravers were solemn as they observed the procession marching through the town to the church where the service was going to be held. This was attended by family and friends, although there were a couple of speakers outside who relayed what was going on to the gathered crowds. Everyone else stayed outside and listened intently in between drinking loads of beer and probably boshing pills too. After that, everyone headed to the local boozers to listen to Prodigy songs and dance the night away.
Wow. Obviously a funeral is never a great occasion but you really can feel the love between everyone vibing over how much The Prodigy and Keith meant to them during their lives. Great to see such a diaspora of people out there as well – The Prodigy really were one of those universal bands that everyone loved.
It's awesome that it was a really sunny day as well and it's just a really beautiful moment isn't it? Kinda what rave music is all about, but without the ecstasy for once. What an absolute send off for an absolute legend. RIP Keith, you'll never be forgotten.
For more of the same, check out Sepultura covering Firestarter in tribute to him. Absolute legends.


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From Population to Production: Scientists' Changing Views on How to Feed the World
Overpopulation Research Project Food security, Population growth, Sustainable population March 12, 2020 March 12, 2020 5 Minutes
Fifty years ago, in his 1970 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Norman Borlaug said: "There can be no permanent progress in the battle against hunger until the agencies that fight for increased food production and those that fight for population control unite in a common effort." Borlaug was insightful, but also a genuinely humble man. A recent study of the scientific literature on food security shows that most experts have learned the opposite lesson from the successes of the Green Revolution, appearing to assume that technological progress can sustain indefinite human population growth.
By Philip Cafaro
Food is a basic human need, with grave consequences for human well-being when it goes unmet and grave consequences for the existence of nonhuman species when it is met. Recently, Lucia Tamburino from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala and several colleagues published the first comprehensive overview of the scientific literature on food security. "From population to production: 50 years of scientific literature on how to feed the world" undertakes a quantitative textual analysis of a comprehensive data set of over 12,600 studies from 1969 through 2018, a period of fifty years. The results are revealing.
The authors identify three primary "levers" to address food security in the literature: limiting human numbers through birth control and demographic policy, limiting per capita food consumption through dietary modifications, and increasing total food production through technological and managerial improvements. They note: "All three levers — population, per capita demand, and food production — affect the potential to meet global food needs, and are active areas in both public debate and scientific research. However, the emphasis on different levers — and the degree to which they are considered together — potentially implies different visions and paradigms on how to tackle sustainability issues." Their main finding involves changes in the relative importance of the three levers in the literature.
For publications during the first decade of this period, limiting population growth was the lever most often discussed, in about 60% of publications. By the most recent decade, however, this had fallen off considerably, with only about 15% of publications considering it. Over this same period, technologically-driven food increases went from a focus in 25% papers to a focus in about 70%. The third lever, dietary changes to reduce consumption (either of total calories or of animal food, which is particularly resource intensive), remained steady throughout the entire period, being considered as a factor in ensuring food security in about 25% of all papers (figure 1).
Figure 1. Cluster distribution showing proportion of papers in the food security literature discussing three main levers to achieve food security. Points report the proportion of the documents from the main dataset included in each cluster per year. Curves represent LOESS smoothing with 95% confidence intervals. Documents could be classified into more than one of the three clusters. Source: Lucia Tamburino et al., "From population to production: 50 years of scientific literature on how to feed the world." Global Food Security 24 (2020): 100346
The conclusion of "From population to production" is clear: discussions of food security have shifted from a primary focus on limiting demand through limiting human numbers to a focus on accommodating demand through increased production. As Tamburino and colleagues note, this has two important implications—both negative.
First, "the dominance of production-oriented studies may undermine achieving food security" around the world, if production increases fail to keep up with increased demand. This is particularly worrisome in a world facing unprecedented ecological degradation, which could impact global food production. A 2013 study by University of Minnesota agricultural researchers showed that current yield improvement trends for major grains are far below projected future global needs (figure 2). But as the new study notes, "it might not be possible to sustain current rates of agricultural productivity increases under degraded environmental conditions due to climate change, soil depletion, and water scarcity. A synergistic approach to improve productivity and reduce the global food demand at the same time might be more prudent and effective."
Figure 2. Projections for global grain yields. Observed area-weighted global yield 1961-2008 shown using closed circles and projections to 2050 using solid lines for maize, rice, wheat, and soybean. Shading shows the 90% confidence region. The dashed line shows the trend of the 2.4% yield improvement required each year to double production by 2050 without bringing additional land under cultivation starting in the base year of 2008. Source: Deepak Ray et al., "Yield Trends Are Insufficient to Double Global Crop Production by 2050." PLoS ONE 8 (2013): e66428
Second, even if humanity manages to feed itself in the coming decades, increased agricultural production could undermine other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on environmental quality. As the authors report, research has shown that "for the environment, food production is currently the main global driver of biodiversity loss, water use, and land use change, and drives a quarter of climate change." But in the face of increased human numbers, limiting agricultural production becomes difficult, making environmental problems more intractable. Measures to curb population growth, on the other hand, could further both environmental SDGs and SDGs focused on improving the lives of girls and women. Tamburino and colleagues write that "support for the 'universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights' (SDG Target 5.6) could help improve women's conditions, especially in developing countries where unmet contraception demand is highest." They note that according to the United Nations Population Fund, "there is a strong synergy between actions to reduce fertility rates and actions that support gender equality (SDG 5), and access to education for girls and women (SDG 4)."
The problem is obvious: human societies continue to try to fit continuously growing food demands within a physically finite system. The solution almost surely will have to involve limiting demand: either through limiting human numbers, limiting per capita food demands, or both. Yet the scientific literature on food security, for the most part, ignores this. Here it resembles the scientific literature on global climate change, with its focus on technological fixes and its general unwillingness to consider reducing human demands on nature.
In the face of this learned neglect, Tamburino and her colleagues are the souls of reason. They admit they do not know the optimal way to balance the three levers at humanity's disposal for addressing food security, and conclude mildly: "our results suggest that increasing research focus on diets and population size is likely necessary to provide an adequate evidence-base for policy. To reverse a long-term trend whereby population, diet, and food production have been tackled in isolation, we suggest strengthening interdisciplinary research that jointly addresses these three leverage points."
This is good advice: food researchers do need to broaden their focus. But so do policymakers, who almost surely will have to make greater demands on their societies in order to avoid the twin disasters of mass starvation and mass extinction. Humanity is trying to eat the world, and in the process we are vomiting up an Anthropocene epoch of unprecedented ecological destruction and ugliness. More of the same is not the solution.
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5 thoughts on "From Population to Production: Scientists' Changing Views on How to Feed the World"
Pretty-looking charts. Wasn't this published in 2010? and 2014? and 2018? We need to address the problem of communication. And look at the privately-owned, and self-serving, major Media Corporations. They are not telling people about this. What to do? This is a personal issue, and a community issue.
Philip Cafaro says:
Agreed! We need to get the word out: humanity needs to embrace limits to growth and reduced demands on the environment. How to do that most effectively in a media environment dominated by corporations committed to the status quo is a tough nut to crack. Suggestions are welcome! In the meantime … share this post with your friends and colleagues on social media!
John Ames says:
I think the reframing of this as a racial or political issue has really hurt our ability to discuss it. It seems obvious to me that in the areas that have high consumption, this /must/ be reduced, and in the areas with high population growth, this /must/ be reduced.
Both of those are politically infeasible at the moment, regardless of what the science is screaming. However, advocating for one of those is perfectly acceptable, and the other risks your whole career. Yet both revolve around gently adjusting peoples behaviours (and 'restriction of freedoms') for the improvement of life on earth for current and future.
I've been in many situations (barricades or lecture halls) where the whole group enthusiastically agrees the world should go vegan, or private car ownership should be banned… but try to show you are a racist/eco-fascist/sexist/colonialist as soon as you state population growth is the biggest cause of all the problems, and is the key lever for improving the system.
I think a fair trade is to get the rich world consuming less too, naturally, but there is a shortsighted puritanical stupidity to this shrieking over this topic that I find repugnant. I bring up overpopulation regularly, and you can feel the room ice… but someone bloody needs to. The very people shutting down the discussion over this are exactly the people who will never face the effects of this personally.
I genuinely feel this is a freespeech issue, and I wonder if more of us should join something like the newly founded https://freespeechunion.org to grant us the safety to "speak truth to power".
WK69 says:
My feeling is that the reliance on technological fixes as a 'get-out-of-gaol' free card is symptomatic of the rights-driven magical thinking which pervades our societies and dominates group think.
I= A*T, so no need to consider P, which would impinge on human rights, freedom of choice and would ,in any case, be open to accusations of racism.
How this refusal to face facts will be overcome is the great challenge of our age.
Even most Greens still refuse to discuss P, Europe's Green parties being a prime example.
https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/why-most-deadly-viruses-arise-in-africa-or-asia
See this link for an example of the reluctance to tackle population pressure as complicit in the spread of recent and current epidemics: it is mentioned as a cause, but that is all.
https://thepointmag.com/examined-life/the-end-is-coming-agnes-callard/
This philosopher is considering the need to consider the advent of human extinction. Worth reading.


We need never carry any burden alone. Nor do we need to analyze the size of our issue to evaluate whether it's worthy of God's attention. Psalm 68:19 says "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." God is omnipotent, meaning He is all-powerful. Nothing is too hard for Him! There are no limits to His power. God is omnipresent, meaning He is everywhere at the same time. His presence and attention to your issue do not reduce His availability anywhere else. God is omniscient, meaning He is all-knowing. Nothing takes God by surprise. Revelation 22:13 says God is "the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." He knows the end from the beginning, so it stands to reason that He knows everything in between.
Proverbs 12:25 says "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad." The next time you feel anxiety rising, remind yourself that you are connected to the one who holds all power. Remind yourself that God's GOT this!
We are often guilty of clinging tightly to what is familiar, even when it is not healthy or beneficial for us. Fear of the unknown, repeating past mistakes, and other emotional considerations can weigh heavily on our hearts and minds.
In those instances, we must pray and ask God to grant us whatever we need – wisdom, strength, courage, and peace – to let go. The more a situation bothers us, the more important it is to attempt the deep spiritual work of confessing our limitations and our desire to release such situations to God.


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DN66 este un drum național din România, care face legătura între Craiova, Târgu Jiu, Petroșani și Deva, pornind din DN6 din Filiași, în apropiere de Craiova și terminându-se în DN7 la Simeria, lângă Deva. Drumul traversează Carpații Meridionali prin defileul Jiului, între grupa Parâng și grupa Retezat-Godeanu.

DN 66 este principala artera care face legătura între Oltenia și Valea Jiului.

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66

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