Hi folks,

We're set to meet at Redline at 7 pm April 7 in the back room. Suzanne Ryan suggested a topic as follows:

"Don't know if this has been discussed before...how about the concept that humans are wired to be religious, in fact NEED to be religious for behavioral purposes...and how we can adapt to that without rocking their boat or compromising our own belief system?"

Good questions, thanks Suzanne, and of course we can discuss whatever else seems of note on the naturalist front, such as the growth in the number of folks that aren't affiliated with any religion, as shown in recent surveys.

Hope to see you there,

Tom

twc at naturalism.org
[masked]

PS: if you have topics you'd like to discuss or other ideas for future meetups, or meeting spots you like, please suggest them.

General description of what we're about (this bit doesn't change from month to month):

Allies of Naturalism welcomes those interested in exploring and promoting a science-based, humanistic and progressive naturalism that can make a difference in our lives. To see what's involved in being a humanistic and progressive naturalist (more or less), check out Naturalism.Org, centerfornaturalism.org and the Guide to Naturalism at http://www.centerforn....

Essentially, naturalism shows our full connection to the world and others, leads to an ethics of compassion, and gives us far greater control over our circumstances. We don't need anything supernatural either above us or inside us to lead moral and meaningful lives: nature is enough. Naturalism is a viable alternative to faith-based worldviews such as traditional religions and new age philosophies, offering a set of ideas with positive personal and social consequences.

The meetings offer a chance to meet fellow naturalists in an informal, relaxed setting, but with at least some structure. That's to say that we'll try to have one or two topics suggested in advance for people to think about, and then discuss when we get together. Ultimately the focus and format of the meetings will be determined by participants, but will certainly include time for socializing and networking. Watch the discussion board for topic announcements and other details. Hope to see you there!