LFS Meeting Minutes – 5/6/2013
Approximately 14 people attended a meeting of Lancaster Freethought Society help Monday, 5/6/2013, 6pm at Isaac’s Restaurant, Manheim Pike, Lancaster, PA.
Scott Rhoades began by discussing the upcoming Atheist/Humanist conference in Philadelphia. Cost will be $113, (to include the Friday PM party). The admission fee covers dinner and lunch. Embassy Suites Hotel has reserved a block of rooms. Room fees will include complementary breakfast and happy hour. Suites include two queen-sized best and a pull-out couch.
Scott discussed conference volunteer opportunities, (inquire via the web site), also gave a run-down of speakers including:
Shelly Saegal (comedian)
George Hrab
Jerry DeWitt (Clergy Project)
Jamila Bey
Ropb Boston
Mark Cohen
JT Eberhard
(and many others)
VIP tickets will be available. Student tickets will be availbale for $40, (ticket price to include a piza party – in lieu of lunch/dinner).
Board Member Reports:
Dan Mercer briefly discussed recent Habitat for Humanity volunteer events.
Claire Larson discussed that Pub Night will be held in May, also a Coffee and Conversation event, (possibly at the Pillar Hookah Lounge).
Scott Rhoades discussed Ask An Atheist, (held recently in downtown Lancaster). The next will be held 6/22w, hosted by Dan & Lisa Mercer.
SPEAKER: The Scientific Methods, by David Kolesar
Key terms/ideas, (as per Claire Larson’s observations):
-Where did it come from?
-Scientific revelation
- Printing Press
- Descartes
- Rationalism-empiricism fusion, (people very susceptible to bias- force observer from the observed)
- Independent/dependent variables
- reliance on assumptions
- Scientism – belief that scientific knowledge is superior
- Two realms of reality we can be certain of – math & logic – cannot be proven by the scientific method.
- Sociological method
- The Moral Landscape – by Sam Harris – Although we cannot use science to define morals, we can work toward more or less suffering…. Science works on behalf of morality to reduce suffering. (Book available in LFS library for dues-paying members.)
- John Stuart Mill (Utiles, secular method of coming-out with morality)
- Jeremy Bentham
- The Golden Rule disrespects sadists & masochists
- “Always be skeptical.” – David Kolesar
Scott summarized the meeting by emphasizing that the first priority of LFS is community.
A summer LFS picnic may be scheduled.
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