*** UPDATE ***
I have been going through old documents in my home files that pertain to BQ topics we used 20+ years ago. In the beauty of the bounty that philosophy essentially is, these topics are as pertinent and interesting today as they were then. So, in the spirit of the ideal that no idea ever dies or goes away I am resurrecting a topic from 2001 and adding some more current references and links to help my current participants enjoy the environment we created then, transported to today.
Humanist Manifesto
In an effort to provide some context and a quick summary, here is a link to the Wiki page that covers Humanist Manifestos I, II, and III, and links to others that are based on the same concepts. HMI dates from 1933 and outlines an optimistic worldview based on human cooperation and lives of service to others. HMII dates from 1973, and recasts the wording and key points in a way that takes into consideration of the world's horrors of the 1940's and before while not abandoning the optimism of the first version. HMIII was written by a committee in 2003 and originally signed by 22 Nobel laureates, but later the number of names of signatories swelled into the thousands.
When you read through the Wiki summary of the different versions certain elements included in them are based on philosophical points of view we have covered in the past. Certainly atheism, but existentialism and self-determination are strongly stated. The number of points that each of the manifestos use seems declines with each iteration, going from 34 to 17 to 6, but broadening in scope and reach of each at the same time. Please look these over and consider where your personal philosophy is in alignment or opposition to each.
The link for the HMIII document will take you to the American Humanist Association, an organization that embraces all three of these versions, and has links to others as well. They provide a wealth of information if this is a topic that resonates with you, as it does for me.
Recall that we are back to meeting at the Smith's home at 6:30 for a potluck dinner followed by the discussion at 8:00. I hope to see you there!
Original Blog:
So, how has your summer been going? Anything new going on in your lives? I've had a few changes in my life, mostly medical in nature making me better able to deal with the life I plan to live these next few decades, so I am paying it forward. Invest in health issues today to be able to reap the benefits later. It seems a good strategy.
As September nears I have started looking at my calendar, thinking about BQ meetings again. It looks like Sept 6 and 20 are open, so let's put those dates on the calendar. Judy and I have a trip planned at the end of the month which pushes the BQ meetings to this schedule in September, but limits the meeting dates in October to only 1 open date, Oct 18. Alli, can you add these dates to the shared calendar?
Keep updated on this site for the announcement of the discussion topic we will use for Sept 6, and beyond. I felt that getting the calendar set was a good first step, with topics to follow.