Don’t miss this!

Charles DarwinWednesday 20th February provides an opportunity for us to contribute to the controversy that still surrounds embryonic stem cell research and is appropriate as we commemorate the birth of Charles Darwin (Feb 1809).

Our guest speaker, Professor Daniel Brison, is the scientific director of the department of reproductive medicine within the St Mary’s Hospital, Central Manchester and Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and is a leader in this important area of biology. And he wants our help.

Professor Brison told us “I would like to use your group as a sounding-board for some ideas I have on the ethical / moral / religious controversies around embryonic stem cell research I think the humanist perspective on this would be very interesting.

Don’t miss this Wednesday

Don’t miss the next LSH meeting this Wednesday 19th. We have Guy Otten from GMH taking to us about Mohammed. I anticipate a lively meeting and lots to talk about in the pub afterwards. Be there if you can!

Plenty to read about here

The LSH September newsletter is out and as usual packed with plenty of good content.

Guy OttonIn particular this month there is an introduction to Guy Otton’s talk about Mohammed (19th September at 7.30pm). Remember, first time visitors can attend our meetings free of charge, so why not bring a friend along. This is sure to be a lively evening. And of course as usual we can carry on in the pub afterwards.

Also full details about the forthcoming DOUBLE WHAMMY:

    (i) AC Grayling talking about The State of Religion on the 31st October

    (ii) And the exciting NW Humanists Conference stretching from
    Friday 2nd November to Sunday 4th November
    .

CLICK HERE for more details about these events and also how to book now to gain your EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT!!

Reminder next meeting

Pecha Kucha – Wednesday 15th August
This is now a regular annual event.

Pecha Kucha is a Japanese term for ‘Chit-Chat’ which we have adapted and simplified. Anybody can speak on any subject they want: the only criteria being you have precisely
6-minutes 40-seconds available to you. You are guaranteed not to be interrupted, heckled, jeered or criticized during your time. However – as soon as the bell sounds (signifying the end of the allotted time) you MUST stop. No Exceptions – No Excuses!

Actually,when we say ‘speak’ what we really mean is – the floor is yours! You could also sing, mime, juggle, dance, whistle, yodel, paint, conjure, gurn, play an instrument or do origami.

If you wish to take part please contact Ian. Or if there is time you should be able to partake on the night!

You don’t have to be a member of LSH – or a humanist / atheist / secularist. You don’t have to have been before – you don’t have to join (or promise to join).

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Information for all LSH meetings:

Entry donation: £2 LSH members; £3 non-members; free to first-time visitors.

All LSH meetings are ‘open’ meetings. You are invited to join in any of our discussions regardless of whether you are a humanist – secularist – religious – undecided – or (for whatever other reason) – interested.

Being freethinkers there are many things secular humanists will not agree on, but there are some matters on which we do take a firm and unanimous stand. We do not condone discrimination of any sort. Nor do we hate religious people. Such views are entirely contrary to any humanist philosophy and we reserve the right to exclude any person promoting them.

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(* Please bear in mind that – as in life – arrangements are subject to change at short notice. Check this calendar nearer to the event to confirm final arrangements.)

When
Wed 15 Aug 17:30 – 19:30 London
Where
Great Eccleston Village Centre 60 High Street, Great Eccleston, Preston

Dan Bye addresses ‘May’ meeting:

Following on from LSH’s ‘Question Time’ event last month – where issues around secularism surfaced a number of times – our guest speaker for May is a member of the National Secular Society.
A founder member of Sheffield Humanist Society Dan Bye will talk about the campaigning work of the NSS – no doubt including the recent Bideford Council Prayers case.
Dan was a columnist for ‘New Humanist’ magazine from 1998-2002 and is the longest serving current member of the NSS Council of Management.
He is also chair of the publishing company of ‘The Freethinker’: the world’s oldest surviving atheist magazine.

7.30 [for 8pm start]
Wednesday 16th May
Great Eccleston Village Centre.

Fancy Walking The Ancestors Trail

Chris Jenord is the organiser of an event in Somerset called The Ancestor’s Trail where people, especially non-believers, walk a branching network of footpaths representing Darwin’s ‘Tree of life’.
Inspired by Richard Dawkins’ book the Ancestor’s Tale, the event has been described as a ‘secular pilgrimage’ celebrating our shared ancestry with all life and raising money for nature conservation.
This will be the third ‘Trail’ event and is scheduled for the 25th-26th August.
As part of this event Chris has to organise speakers to discuss evolutionary biology and biodiversity in a local venue.
The whole event is financed through an online crowd-sourcing website called Crowdfunder.
The ‘pitch’ is now live and already counting down.
Essentially, the ‘pitch total’ needs to be reached by the expiry date for the event to happen.
If not, everyone who has invested gets their money back.
The pitch offers various all-inclusive accommodation packages especially designed for folks coming from further afield.
It’s a long way from Lancaster I know, but last year people were welcomed from Devon, Dorset, London, Norfolk, Yorkshire and even the USA and so the organisers thought such longer distance travellers may prefer to know about their accommodation well in advance.
A second pitch will open in early June, primarily to allow local people to book the two evening events.
You’ll find all the information you need on the Crowdfunder pitch: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/investment/ancestor-s-trail-2012-358or The Ancestors Trail website: http://ancestorstrail.net/
The crowd-sourcing approach relies on folks spreading the word so, if you know anyone who you consider may be even remotely interested, PLEASE FORWARD THESE DETAILS.

To hear more about our project follow this link to our special Ancestor’s Trail episode on Clare Balding’s BBC R4 Ramblings show: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011tsdb. Alternatively, this is the 2011 event video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqnx3f_uHHc

April meeting is on the QT

Wednesday, 18 April 2012

This promises to be a really interesting evening. It’s planned as a “Question Time” session with panellists representing religious, political, educational and philosophical points of view. As in the Dimbleby version you are invited to send your questions in advance although the panel will have no notice of the question beforehand Click HERE to send us your questions. Just scroll down to the bottom of that page to the message form and write your question in there or if you prefer email it to the Chairman, Ian Abbott – ian@lancshumanism.org.uk