Calendar Archive - Recent Events
NJHN MONTHLY MEETINGS are normally held on the fourth Wednesday of each month
at 7:30 PM, and are free and open to the public.
Meetings are held at one of the following locations:
Bridgewater Library (map) (directions)
Somerset County Library Headquarters
1 Vogt Drive
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
PeopleCare Center (map) (directions)
120 Finderne Avenue
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
November 19, 2008: Program Meeting (in the Cafeteria Area)
"The Science of Happiness" with speaker Gary Brill
September 24, 2008: Program Meeting
NJHN member Peter Schweinsberg will discuss The Ethics of Food.
He will cover the environmental impact of various foods, why secular humanists should care about animal welfare, and the advantages and disadvantages of vegetarian and vegan diets that some may propose to help reduce these environmental and cruelty-related problems. The goal of the talk is to help provide relevant information so that people will know how to make more ethical food choices based upon their available food options.
NOTE: NJHN will participate in the townwide garage sale in Belvidere, NJ on Saturday, October 4th. If you have garage sale items you'd like to donate, please bring them to the meeting on Wednesday night. Thanks!
October 22, 2008: Program Meeting
Group Discussion: What political issues relate to us as humanists?
With only two weeks left until Election Day, we'll discuss the issues of this campaign season and the impact of political rhetoric on our ability to reach consensus with those of differing viewpoints. Please join us for what will surely be a lively discussion!
October 26, 2008, 12:00 Noon: NJHN Families Group meeting
This meeting will be an activity and hike at Watchung Reservation. We loved using this site for our September meeting, so we will be doing that again! RSVPs to families at njhn.org appreciated!
Location: Watchung Reservation Nature Center
452 New Providence Rd
Mountainside, NJ 07092
Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 7:30 PM: Monthly Program Meeting
Guest speaker Matt LaClair shares his "Raising Hell in High School" story about his efforts to preserve church-state separation and educational integrity in the classroom at Kearny High School.
Also: NJHN members will elect a slate of candidates to the Board of Directors for 2008-2010.
May 28, 2008: PeopleCare Center, 7:30 PM
Ron Steelman, President of Red Bank Humanists will speak about the
Red Bank Humanists Video Project and will show three videos:
What is Humanism?
Journeys to Humanism
About Red Bank Humanists
April 23, 2008: PeopleCare Center, 7:30 PM
Group Discussion--What should Humanists do to promote the general welfare?
We will talk about the fairness of various proposed tax systems after a general introduction given by Tim Ridge.
March 26, 2008: PeopleCare Center, 7:30 PM
We'll show Pledge of Allegiance Blues, a film by Lisa Seidenberg, which follows the story of Michael Newdow, the blues-playing atheist physician and lawyer who brought the landmark lawsuit to remove the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States Supreme Court. The film uses The Pledge of Allegiance as a starting point to examine ideas of religiosity and patriotism in America - using the activist edge and sense of humor of both the filmmaker and her subject. Newdow, who grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, performs some of his original church-state separation ballads throughout the 72-minute documentary. We'll also discuss Newdow's current lawsuits to Restore the Pledge (challenge to "under God") and Restore the Motto (challenge to "In God We Trust").
February 27, 2008: PeopleCare Center, 7:30 PM
Guest Speaker Howard Young discusses the YD Cometary Impact Event. In October 2007, a ground breaking paper by Richard Firestone and others was published in the Periodical of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), hypothesizing that 12,900 years ago a comet (or possibly meteorite) entered the earth’s atmosphere and either smashed into North America or exploded above it, causing massive fires and floods. This impact has been named the YD Event, and is believed to have destabilized the Laurentide Ice Sheet, wreaked devastation over a vast area, and caused severe climatic disruption across the entire planet. How did this cataclysm affect the thinking of the survivors? How might established and cultured peoples have reacted to cataclysm? How might their reaction have left a religious legacy, still in existence today?
January 23, 2007: PeopleCare Center, 7:30 PM
Guest speaker David Silverman will provide an overview of current Church-State Separation issues.
January 13, 2008: Happy Humanists Variety Club
Snow tubing at Camelback Ski Area / Dinner at Pangea Restaurant (Poconos)
Tannersville, PA 18372
Info/Map
Join us for a fun day of snow tubing at Camelback in the Poconos, followed by a wonderful dinner together at Pangea Restaurant! Snow tubing is fun and easy - no skills are required. You get to ride down various slopes on individual innertubes and then ride back up on a lift to play some more! More information about snow tubing and height requirements for children at Camelback, and also the Pangea Restaurant's large number of menu selections and pricing can be found at these two links:
http://www.skicamelback.com/snowtubing.php
http://www.poconospangea.com/cuisine.html
You can either meet us directly at Camelback at about 1:45 pm, or you can carpool in with us -- and we do enjoy laughing and joking around a lot during the carpool! We will be meeting at 12:15 in Hopatcong and carpooling from there to Camelback. It is about an hour's drive from Hopatcong. If you are driving there directly, please note we are getting the 3-hour tubing sessions from 2pm to 5pm. There are also plenty of places indoors at Camelback to rest, relax, and grab a snack anytime you like. The cost for all ages for the 3-hr session is $22 (or $19 if we qualify for the group rate which so far looks like we will). Please note that Camelback requires a release form to be signed before snow tubing. It can be downloaded on-line at the above address and brought with you, or you can sign one after arriving.
**Important**: Apparently the afternoon snowtubing time slots fill up quickly on the weekends, so a group reservation of 25 spots has been made to ensure that all can get in. Everyone will be paying Beverly Lloyd directly for their tickets (note: checks are fine). Bev will need to call Camelback (and Pangea restaurant) sometime closer to the date to firm up the number of people, so please RSVP in advance to reserve a spot.
When you sign up for this event, please let Bev know whether you will be meeting us there or carpooling in with us, and we'll forward you the directions to the carpool meetup location on Northwood Road in Hopatcong. So come, laugh, be among friends, .......and have fun!!!!
RSVP to Beverly at 973-663-3555 or happyhumanists at verizon.net and include your phone number (for any last minute changes).
Join the HHVC Meetup Group to get event reminders!
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Saturday, December 22, 2007
4:00 - 8:00 PM
Morris County Cultural Center
300 Mendham Road (CR 510/24)
Morristown, NJ 07960
(map & directions)
Created by NJHN members, HumanLight is our secular winter celebration of our Humanist
ideals and sentiments: the positive vision of a peaceful, ethical, enlightened and happy world that we,
as humans, can bring about without reliance on concepts of supernatural entities.
This year's event will include a buffet dinner & dessert, and NJHN member and HumanLight co-founder Gary Brill
will be our Master of Ceremonies. Classical string quintet String Theory returns by popular demand and
juggler Jen Slaw will entertain (and teach) young and old alike. This will be a *BYOB* event.
December 18, 2007: 7:00 PM - Middlesex County Atheists Monthly Dinner
Come out for dinner and camaraderie with fellow atheists in your area.
Omega Diner (map & directions)
1337 US Highway 1 South
North Brunswick, NJ
November 28, 2007: PeopleCare Center, 7:30 PM
Group Discussion: The holidays are coming! What will you celebrate?
November 20, 2007: 7:00 PM - Middlesex County Atheists Monthly Dinner
Come out for dinner and camaraderie with fellow atheists in your area.
Omega Diner (map & directions)
1337 US Highway 1 South
North Brunswick, NJ
October 24, 2007: PeopleCare Center, 7:30 PM
Group Discussion: Latest News and Secular Views
It’s all the rage these days - debating atheism v. theism – and the results are encouraging! More young people than ever before are rejecting organized religion, the “religious left” is fighting back against the “religious right,” the Secular Coalition for America is gaining strength and allies, and philosopher/author Sam Harris (The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation) has a provocative new view on how we “label” ourselves. Get the latest and share your views on these and other issues in the news.
October 21, 2007: 1:00 PM - Happy Humanists Variety Club
Pumpkin Carving and Wine Tasting with Pot Luck Fun!Hopatcong, NJ
Join us for a day of being a kid again and relax with some nostalgic October fun!
We'll start out the afternoon with a quick trip to a nearby farm where we'll each pick a pumpkin (or pumpkins!). Then we head back to Hopatcong where we'll carve pumpkins and roast and eat the pumpkin seeds, and taste some seasonal wines - all followed by a late afternoon pot luck meal! So bring your imagination and your favorite dish - be among friends, laugh, and have fun!
RSVP to Beverly at hhvcnj at verizon.net with your phone number (for any last minute changes), the area you are driving from (so to forward to you the directions) and your pot luck dish (note: this is a private residence, so dishes can be reheated but refrigerator and stove space is limited so dishes that are ok left unrefrigerated or not warming on the stove for a few hours - like salads, snacks, desserts, appetizers, or side dishes - are most helpful.)
Join the HHVC Meetup Group to get event reminders!
October 16, 2007: 7:00 PM - Middlesex County Atheists Monthly Dinner
Come out for dinner and camaraderie with fellow atheists in your area.
Omega Diner (map & directions)
1337 US Highway 1 South
North Brunswick, NJ
October 16, 2007: 11:00 AM - Family Humanist Group
If you are looking for Humanist activities or a Humanist family community for your family with children ages 2-15 (or so), please consider joining our group of Humanist families meeting monthly in the Fanwood/Scotch Plains area.
The meetings will generally be on the third Sunday of the month from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (or so). Meetings will include children's activities, an outdoor activity (weather permitting), some organized adult discussion (with children playing supervised nearby), and lots of informal chatting opportunities with like-minded families. We are developing a group lending library of books for children and parents raising children in a Humanist family.
Topics for children's activities will include:
- Equality - everyone deserves to be treated well
- Superstition
- Science - critical thinking
- Solstices/Equinoxes - the science behind seasons and celebrations
- Enthusiasm for life - celebrating your uniqueness
- Evolution
- Nature - our connection to it and the importance of taking care if it
As our group grows and evolves, we might have more different types of activities to add.
We want our group to become a real community to give a sense of belonging to our children. We want it to grow to include educational topics for 8-13 year old children that would include: comparative religions, in depth study of Humanist values/principles, etc. Maybe even involve some sort of coming of age ceremony.
Our group is still in the formative stages and we welcome any and all input and contributions. Come plant and water what you want to see grow!
For more information about our meeting location, upcoming events or to get involved, please contact: Tamara Mount at
908-904-4901 or tamaramount at earthink.net or Mindy Quirk at 908-322-3461 or mindyquirk at yahoo.com.
Program Meeting
Topic: Preserving Freedom of Choice and Reproductive Health Care
Selina Winchester & Leslie Zucker of Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern New Jersey will discuss the latest issues facing advocates of protecting reproductive health and rights, including U.S. policy on international family planning, efforts in Congress to restrict federal funding for Planned Parenthood health centers, and the upcoming “40 Days for Life” protests by anti-choice reactionaries (targeting Planned Parenthood health centers around the country – including 2 NJ clinics).
September 22, 2007: 8:00 PM
Movie/Exchange of Ideas Night
Fischer's Dance Studio
341 Lakeside Avenue
Glasser, NJ (Hopatcong Area)
A Brief History of Disbelief, Part 3
The subject of atheism has sparked a major cultural and religious discussion in America. Best selling books, press reports and magazine articles are fueling the debate. The first ever television exploration of the idea that God does not exist was broadcast in England in 2005. This 3-part series is a personal essay by Jonathan Miller, author, lecturer, producer and director. Now at a time of growing debate over faith versus reason, it is being offered for the first time to viewers in America. Followed by a short film: Mr. Deity.
Join the discussion, bring your opinions! Bring your friends! As always, our showings are free of charge. We will have refreshments and lots of discussion. Please, it is not necessary to bring any food or house gifts. We plan to start the movies at around 8:00 pm, but feel free to arrive any time after 7:00 pm.
RSVP Katy and Russ Fischer or call 973-663-4646. They can also provide directions if needed.
September 18, 2007: 7:00 PM - Middlesex County Atheists Monthly Dinner
Come out for dinner and camaraderie with fellow atheists in your area.
Omega Diner (map & directions)
1337 US Highway 1 South
North Brunswick, NJ
September 7, 2007: Freethought Book Club - 7:30 PM
It's fiction this month. We will discuss Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut.
From the publisher: Galapagos takes the reader back one million years, to A.D. 1986. A simple vacation cruise suddenly becomes an evolutionary journey. Thanks to an apocalypse, a small group of survivors stranded on the Galapagos Islands are about to become the progenitors of a brave new, and totally different human race. Here, America's master satirist looks at our world and shows us all that is sadly, madly awry -- and all that is worth saving.
New Location!!
Barnes & Noble Booksellers (map & directions)
869 US Highway 1
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
August 21, 2007: 7:00 PM - Middlesex County Atheists Monthly Dinner
Come out for dinner and camaraderie with fellow atheists in your area.
Omega Diner (map & directions)
1337 US Highway 1 South
North Brunswick, NJ
August 12, 2007: Happy Humanists Variety Club event: The Bronx Zoo!
Time: 9:45 am at the Bronx Zoo -- or -- 8:00 am in Hopatcong where we'll carpool to the zoo.
Join us for a totally fun day at the Bronx Zoo! Once inside the zoo we'll be headed for some of the most popular exhibits like the Skyfari (skytram) to the Wild Asia Monorail (like a drive-thru safari but on a monorail), Jungle World (a lush indoor rain forest), Congo Gorilla Forest (where the gorillas can come right up to the glass so you can see them up close and personal!), and feeding time at the World of Birds (where the birds swoop down to catch live crickets!).
Some of us will be bringing our own lunches (there are picnic tables) and some of us will be buying our lunches at the zoo. Either way we'll be at the Dancing Crane Cafe where there is a beautiful view of ponds/marshlands with lots of pink flamingos and other water fowl.
You can either meet us in the Southern Boulevard Gate C parking lot at 9:45 am (we'll be holding a purple helium balloon near the entrance gate) or you can meet us at 8 am in Hopatcong where we'll be carpooling from there to the zoo.
Costs for the zoo entrance is $25 per person, children 3-12 $19, seniors (65+) $21. This is for their P.O.P. ("pay one price") ticket which will cover entrance to all of their exhibits, monorail, shuttle, skytram, etc. Parking fee is $10.
Things recommended to bring: water bottle, comfortable shoes
If you are planning on attending, please RSVP to hhvcnj at verizon.net as soon as you can, and please also include a phone number (especially a cell phone number) to reach you at in case of any last minute changes. Let us know whether you will be meeting us at the Bronx Zoo or Hopatcong (we'll forward the Hopatcong meet-up address and directions). I can be reached at home in the evenings at 973-663-3555 (Beverly Lloyd) if you have any questions.
Note: More information including maps and directions for the Bronx Zoo can be found by going to their website.
P.S. There are also lots of photos now up on meetup.com of the mule rides which can be seen by clicking here.
August 11 , 2007: 8:00 PM
Movie/Exchange of Ideas Night
Fischer's Dance Studio
341 Lakeside Avenue
Hopatcong, NJ (Glasser Area) 
"The U.S. vs. John Lennon"
In retrospect, it seems absurd that the United States government felt so threatened by the presence of John Lennon that they tried to have him deported. But that's what happened, as chronicled in directors David Leaf and John Scheinfeld's The U.S. vs. John Lennon.
The film starts with a familiar look at the former Beatle's troubled childhood, his outspokenness as one of the Fabs ("We're more popular now than Jesus Christ," etc.), and his eventual hookup with Yoko Ono, paralleled by the growth of political protest in '60s America, particularly against the Vietnam War. John and Yoko went on to stage their own peaceful demonstrations, like the Canadian "bed-ins," but these were largely harmless media stunts. It was when the Lennons moved to New York in the early '70s and took a more active role in the anti-war movement, making friends with radicals like Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Black Panther Party founder Bobby Seale, that the government got interested--and paranoid--and men like President Nixon, FBI director Hoover, and right-wing Sen. Strom Thurmond began actively looking for ways to silence him.
An array of talking heads weighs in, ranging from Ono and others sympathetic to Lennon's plight (Walter Cronkite, Sen. George McGovern, even Geraldo Rivera) to those on the other side, including Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy. Though The U.S. vs. John Lennon is hardly impartial, it's safe to say that although Lennon was more an idealist than an activist, he was an influential celebrity whom Nixon viewed as a potential nuisance in an election year. And even once Nixon had won the '72 presidential race, the Immigration and Naturalization Service refused to drop its case. Why? "Anybody who sings about love, and harmony, and life, is dangerous to somebody who sings about death," says author Gore Vidal.
Join the discussion, bring your opinions! Bring your friends! As always, our showings are free of charge. We will have refreshments and lots of discussion. Please, it is not necessary to bring any food or house gifts. We plan to start the movies at around 8:00 pm, but feel free to arrive any time after 7:00 pm.
RSVP Katy and Russ Fischer or call 973-663-4646. They can also provide directions if needed.
August 5 , 2007: Annual Picnic! 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Schooley's Mountain County Park in Long Valley, NJ. Rain or shine.
Adults $10.00, children age 12-17 $5.00, and children under 12 are FREE.
RSVP by August 1, 2007 to NJHN at Optonline.net or call 732-658-6440.
Please include whether you will bring a side dish or dessert to share.
Checks can be made payable to: New Jersey Humanist Network.
This year's picnic will again be catered by NJHN volunteers, and the menu items to be provided will include:
- hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, veggie burgers with buns
- garnishes and condiments
- baked beans and assorted hot dishes
- fruit juice, iced tea, a variety of soda and diet soda, coffee and hot tea, with milk, sugar, & sweetener
- All utensils
We are asking for picnickers to bring a cold side dish (potato, pasta, veggie salad, or your favorite) OR a dessert (pie, cake, cookies, fruit, or your favorite) to share with everyone. We do have an alcohol permit, so feel free to bring your own.
Bring your favorite picnic party games and get to know your fellow Humanists. Wear your favorite freethought apparel and win a prize! Games for the kids would be appreciated, especially in case of rain. The park offers many activities - details at the park's webpage. Pets must be restrained by a leash. The shelter is handicap accessible via a side access road.
July 28, 2007: 8:00 PM
Movie/Exchange of Ideas Night
Fischer's Dance Studio
341 Lakeside Avenue
Hopatcong, NJ (Glasser Area)
Fidel
To some he is a champion of the poor and the powerless;
to others he is a ruthless dictator. He is often dismissed as a relic,
yet many revere him as a saviour. He is Cuban President, Fidel Castro.
Director, Estela Bravo allows the story to unfold through the words of Alice Walker, Sydney Pollack, Ted Turner, Muhammed Ali, Harry Belafonte, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Congressman Charles Rangel, Ramsey Clark, Wayne Smith, and others. Family and close friends, such as the Nobel Prize winning writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez, also offer a window into the largely unknown private life of Fidel Castro.
Juxtaposing the personal and the anecdotal with the history of the Cuban Revolution and Castro's fight to survive the post-Soviet period and the continued U.S. embargo, this 91-minute documentary tells a story that has yet to be told on film. Without resorting to polemics, Bravo is able to surprise her audience as she reveals another side to the compelling figure of Fidel.
Join the discussion, bring your opinions! Bring your friends! As always, our showings are free of charge. We will have refreshments and lots of discussion. Please, it is not necessary to bring any food or house gifts. We plan to start the movies at around 8:00 pm, but feel free to arrive any time after 7:00 pm.
RSVP Katy and Russ Fischer or call 973-663-4646. They can also provide directions if needed.
July 17, 2007: 7:00 PM - Middlesex County Atheists Monthly Dinner
Come out for dinner and camaraderie with fellow atheists in your area.
Omega Diner (map & directions)
1337 US Highway 1 South
North Brunswick, NJ
July 15, 2007, 11:00 am: Happy Humanists Variety Club of North Jersey hosts its inaugural event!
Looking for a couple of hours where you can just sit around on your ass?!
Then let your ass do all the work and join us for a fun day of mule rides in the Poconos!
Meet at:
Katy & Russ Fischer's
341 Lakeside Avenue
Hopatcong, NJ
Cost: $32 per person
Destination:
Pocono Adventures Riding Stable
Meadowside Road
Pocono, PA 18344
570-839-6333
www.pocono.org/ride.html
Important items to bring:
- water bottle
- long pants
- closed-toe shoes
- snack (a dry finger food like trail mix, chips, etc.)
- credit card (this is required by Pocono Adventures Riding Stable)
We will not be stopping to eat on the drive there, so you may want to plan on eating beforehand or bringing a snack to eat on the way. There are probably a few small-town-type shops on the main street in town that we may try to visit on the way back. Car pool for those interested. If it rains, we may be going to the Bronx Zoo instead.
To RSVP or for any questions, please email Beverly and Tommy Lloyd or call them at 973-663-3555.
If you are planning on attending, please let us know as soon as you can, and please also include a phone number where we can reach you in case of any last minute changes.
July 14 , 2007: 8:00 PM
Movie/Exchange of Ideas Night
Fischer's Dance Studio
341 Lakeside Avenue
Hopatcong, NJ (Glasser Area)
Part drama, part documentary, The Road to Guantánamo focuses on the Tipton Three, a trio of British Muslims who were held in Guantanamo Bay for two years until they were released without charge. In 2001, four Pakistani Britons, Ruhal Ahmed, Asif Iqbal and Shafiq Rasul and another friend, Monir, travel to Pakistan for a wedding and in a urge of idealism, decide to see the situation of war torn Afganistan which is being bombed by the American forces in retaliation for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Once there, with the loss of Monir in the wartime chaos, they are captured by Northern Alliance fighters. They are then handed them over the American forces who transport them to the prison camps at the Guantanamo Bay base in Cuba. What follows is three years of relentless imprisonment, interrogations and torture to make them submit to blatantly wrong confessions to being terrorists. In the midst of this abuse, the three struggle to keep their spirits up in that face of this grave injustice.
RSVP Katy and Russ Fischer or call 973-663-4646. They can also provide directions if needed.
June 30 , 2007: 8:00 PM
Movie/Exchange of Ideas Night
Fischer's Dance Studio
341 Lakeside Avenue
Hopatcong, NJ (Glasser Area)
TerrorStorm: A History of Government Sponsored Terrorism
Throughout history, criminal elements inside governments have carried out terror attacks against their own populations as a pretext to enslave them. TerrorStorm reveals how, in the last hundred years, Western leaders have repeatedly murdered their own citizens while posing as their saviors.
TerrorStorm dissects false flag terrorism, a tactic having served our rulers well over the centuries, now polished to high art. The film describes several incidents of classic false flag terrorism--Hitler's torching of the Reichstag, the CIA overthrow of the democratically elected government of Iran, Johnson's Gulf of Tonkin, the Israeli attack on the U.S.S. Liberty, the July 7 London bombings, and more, all instrumental---thus revealing the murderous mendacity of government,
no matter the stripe.
RSVP Katy and Russ Fischer or call 973-663-4646. They can also provide directions if needed.
June 27, 2007: PeopleCare Center, 7:30 PM
Board of Directors election. We request all members of NJHN who can make this meeting to please attend and vote.
Discussion regarding organizational plans for the next fiscal year.
June 16 , 2007: 8:00 PM
Movie/Exchange of Ideas Night
Fischer's Dance Studio
341 Lakeside Avenue
Hopatcong, NJ (Glasser Area)
Determined to find the law that requires American citizens to pay income tax, producer Aaron Russo (The Rose, Trading Places), set out on a journey to find the evidence. This film which is neither left, nor right-wing is a startling examination of government. It exposes the systematic erosion of civil liberties in America since 1913 when the Federal Reserve system was fraudulently created.
Through interviews with U.S. Congressmen, a former IRS Commissioner, former IRS and FBI agents and tax attorneys and authors, Russo connects the dots between money creation, federal income tax, and the national identity card which becomes law in May 2008. This ID card will use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips which are essentially homing devices used to track people. This film shows in great detail and undeniable facts that America is moving headlong into a fascist police state.
RSVP Katy and Russ Fischer or call 973-663-4646. They can also provide directions if needed.
June 19, 2007: 7:00 PM - Middlesex County Atheists Monthly Dinner
Come out for dinner and camaraderie with fellow atheists in your area.
Omega Diner (map & directions)
1337 US Highway 1 South
North Brunswick, NJ
June 7-10, 2007: American Humanist Association 66th Annual Conference, Portland, OR
Details here.
June 3 , 2007: 8:00 PM
Movie/Exchange of Ideas Night
Fischer's Dance Studio
341 Lakeside Avenue
Hopatcong, NJ
Ever since the events of 9/11, Rudy Giuliani has become a name recognized the world over. His role as mayor during that catastrophe elevated him to the status of an international hero. He went on to be Time magazine's "Person of the Year," receive a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth and become a key fund raiser and energetic campaigner for the Bush/Cheney administration.
Over the last year his name has been rumored as a popular choice for not only senator and governor but as America's envoy to the United Nations, the new director of the CIA and a number of other high-profile positions. He is also talked about as a favored candidate for the 2008 GOP Presidential nomination.
But what defined "America's Mayor" before he was catapulted to a kind of secular sainthood? During the only years Giuliani held office as an elected official, what was his record like? What was behind a Republican "New Urban Paradigm" in an overwhelmingly Democratic city?
With participants that range from the former police commissioner and schools chancellor under Giuliani, former New York mayors and conservative policy-makers to journalists, policemen, homeless people, artists and even Donald Trump. Giuliani Time presents a diverse, original and poignant perspective on this historical period in New York City and how the most famous event of all elevated a "lame duck" mayor to an international name--a name that is not going away anytime soon.
RSVP Katy and Russ Fischer or call 973-663-4646. They can also provide directions if needed.
June 1, 2007: Freethought Book Club - 7:30 PM
We will discuss the biography American Infidel: Robert G. Ingersoll by Orvin Larson.
Rediscover Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899)
From the publisher: Freethought flowered in the United States in the latter half of the 19th century, and its best known advocate was Robert Green Ingersoll, a lawyer and Civil War officer, who travelled the continent for 30 years, speaking to capacity audiences. Although his repertoire included lectures on Shakespeare, Voltaire and Burns, the largest crowds turned out to hear him denounce the bible, and religion.
Meet in the cafe.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers (map & directions)
319 Route 202/206
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
May 23, 2007: PeopleCare Center, 7:30 PM
Program Meeting: Group Discussion
Who is your Humanist Role Model?
May 15, 2007: 7:00 PM - Middlesex County Atheists Monthly Dinner
Come out for dinner and camaraderie with fellow atheists in your area.
Chili's Grill & Bar (map & directions)
911 US Hwy 1 South
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
May 4, 2007: Freethought Book Club - 7:30 PM
We will discuss Natural Atheism by David Eller.
From the book: Dr. David Eller leads readers through "a short course on reason" into an intelligible discussion of the nature of proof, unreason, religion, and relativism. An account of how discoveries in anthropology resulted in a loss of certainty concerning human nature and destiny leads to an analysis of the concepts and issues of importance to Atheists: knowing vs. believing; Agnosticism vs. what has been called positive or negative Atheism; science vs. religion; toleration and truth. Reasons for separating religion from government are provided and the dangers of fundamentalisms of all kinds are exposed. Eller explains why Atheists should band together to spread their 'good news,' defend their common interests - interests which prove to be those of civilization itself - and help their fellow citizens adjust to living in a disenchanted world.
Meet in the cafe.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers (map & directions)
319 Route 202/206
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
April 25, 2007: Location TBA, 7:30 PM
Program Meeting: TBA
April 20-21, 2007: Harvard University Humanist Chaplaincy 30th Anniversary Gala/Symposium, Cambridge, MA
Details here.
April 17, 2007: 7:00 PM - Middlesex County Atheists Monthly Dinner
Come out for dinner and camaraderie with fellow atheists in your area.
Chili's Grill & Bar (map & directions)
911 US Hwy 1 South
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
April 6, 2007: Freethought Book Club - 7:30 PM
We will discuss The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan.
Carl Sagan muses on the current state of scientific thought, which offers him marvelous opportunities to entertain us with his own childhood experiences, the newspaper morgues, UFO stories, and the assorted flotsam and jetsam of pseudoscience. Along the way he debunks alien abduction, faith-healing, and channeling; refutes the arguments that science destroys spirituality, and provides a "baloney detection kit" for thinking through political, social, religious, and other issues.
Meet in the cafe.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers (map & directions)
319 Route 202/206
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
March 28, 2007: Bridgewater Library, 7:30 PM
Program Meeting: TBA
March 20, 2007: 7:00 PM - Middlesex County Atheists Monthly Dinner
Come out for dinner and camaraderie with fellow atheists in your area.
Chili's Grill & Bar (map & directions)
911 US Hwy 1 South
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
March 2, 2007: Freethought Book Club - 7:30 PM
We will continue to discuss The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.
Richard Dawkins, in The God Delusion, tells of his exasperation with colleagues who try to play both sides of the street: looking to science for justification of their religious convictions while evading the most difficult implications—the existence of a prime mover sophisticated enough to create and run the universe, "to say nothing of mind reading millions of humans simultaneously." Such an entity, he argues, would have to be extremely complex, raising the question of how it came into existence, how it communicates —through spiritons!—and where it resides. Dawkins is frequently dismissed as a bully, but he is only putting theological doctrines to the same kind of scrutiny that any scientific theory must withstand. No one who has witnessed the merciless dissection of a new paper in physics would describe the atmosphere as overly polite.
Meet in the cafe.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers (map & directions)
319 Route 202/206
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
February 28, 2007: PeopleCare Center Auditorium, 7:30 PM
$5.00 suggested donation at the door
Book available for sale at the event for $24.00 (20% discount)
Guest speaker George Levine, Professor Emeritus of English at Rutgers University, will discuss the theme of his new book: Darwin Loves You - Natural Selection and the Re-enchantment of the World.
Charles Darwin saw a world from which his theory had banished transcendence as still lovable and enchanted, and Professor Levine shows that we can see it like that too--if we look at his writings and life in a new way. Levine shows that Darwin's ideas and the language of his books offer an alternative form of enchantment, a world rich with meaning and value, and more wonderful and beautiful than ever before. Without minimizing or sentimentalizing the harsh qualities of life governed by natural selection, and without deifying Darwin, Levine makes a moving case for an enchanted secularism--a commitment to the value of the natural world and the human striving to understand it.
Read Chapter 1 here (pdf).
February 24, 2007: 8:00 PM
Movie/Exchange of Ideas Night
Fischer's Dance Studio
341 Lakeside Avenue
Hopatcong, NJ
(map & directions)
Langston Whitfield (Samuel L. Jackson) is a Washington Post journalist. His editor provocatively sends him to South Africa to cover the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, in which the perpetrators of murder and torture on both sides during Apartheid are invited to come forward and confront their victims. By telling the unvarnished truth and expressing contrition, they may be granted amnesty. Can the deep wounds of Apartheid be healed through reconciliation? Langston is deeply skeptical. He tracks down Col. De Jager, the most notorious torturer in the SA Police and tries to penetrate the mind of a monster, an experience that obliges him to confront his own demons.
Anna Malan (Juliette Binoche), is an Afrikaans poet who is covering the hearings for radio. As a white South African she is shattered by the accounts of the cruelty and depravity committed by her fellow countrymen. Anna and Langston must both question their sense of identity. Where do they each belong? How responsible are they for what is done in the name of their respective countries? The moving testimony of the victims affects them deeply. In different ways they are both estranged from their families, and their shared experience draws them ever closer to each other. It is a story charting the unfathomable depths of human cruelty and the redeeming power of forgiveness and love...
This film is the Winner of (the) Diamond Cinema for Peace Award 2004.
RSVP Katy and Russ Fischer or call 973-663-4646.
February 20, 2007: 7:00 PM - Middlesex County Atheists Monthly Dinner
Come out for dinner and camaraderie with fellow atheists in your area.
Chili's Grill & Bar (map & directions)
911 US Hwy 1 South
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
February 2, 2007: Freethought Book Club - 7:30 PM
February 11, 2007: 1:00 - 5:00 PM
Darwin Day Family Field Trip!
Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England. Darwin Day is an international celebration of science and humanity as exemplified in the life, work and influence of this great scientist. It is celebrated by people around the world who value the adventurous spirit and natural curiosity that scientists and explorers of all kinds share.
We will visit the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology for its Darwin Day and Evolution Teach-In.
The day will feature short teach-in talks, a Science Cafe discussion forum and a physical anthropologist's corner with plaster casts of hominid skulls and other bones. "Darwin" will be on hand, reading excerpts from his writings. There will be a film, an ongoing children's workshop, a birthday cake and badminton, reputedly a favorite game of Darwin's.
More information, including directions. This is a free event at the museum.
If you plan to attend, please RSVP via email or by calling 732-658-6440. We will try to arrange carpools.
Bring the kids and join us!
We will discuss The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.
Richard Dawkins, in The God Delusion, tells of his exasperation with colleagues who try to play both sides of the street: looking to science for justification of their religious convictions while evading the most difficult implications—the existence of a prime mover sophisticated enough to create and run the universe, "to say nothing of mind reading millions of humans simultaneously." Such an entity, he argues, would have to be extremely complex, raising the question of how it came into existence, how it communicates —through spiritons!—and where it resides. Dawkins is frequently dismissed as a bully, but he is only putting theological doctrines to the same kind of scrutiny that any scientific theory must withstand. No one who has witnessed the merciless dissection of a new paper in physics would describe the atmosphere as overly polite.
Meet at the front of the bookstore, near the Cafe.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers (map & directions)
319 Route 202/206
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
January 31, 2007**: Bridgewater Library, 7:30 PM
Program Meeting: Group Discussion
Group Discussion: Have you "come out" as a humanist or atheist? Why or why not? When did you deconvert, what prompted you to do this, how did you go about it, and what reaction did you get? Share your story with us.
With recent books by authors Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins so much in the news these days, have we reached critical mass for the open expression of "atheist pride" in America today?
**Please note this is a meeting date change from Jan. 24th because of the unavailability of meeting rooms due to the Library's annual book sale. Refreshments provided.
January 27, 2007: 8:00 PM
Movie/Exchange of Ideas Night
Fischer's Dance Studio
341 Lakeside Avenue
Hopatcong, NJ
(map & directions)
"War i$ $ell" dissects the strategies of war propagandists -- soldiers armed not with guns, but with words, pictures and commercial advertising techniques in their battle to win hearts and minds.
How do you sell a war? How do the techniques of government propagandists, public relations consultants and commercial advertisers work, and why are they so effective? How did the United States become a master of domestic war propaganda over the course of the twentieth century?
If, as many claim, human beings are biologically "hard-wired" to wage war, why should propaganda be necessary at all? Is it possible to train people to critically evaluate, and ultimately resist, deceptive propaganda messages?
War i$ $ell uses archival films, television news coverage, propaganda images from WWI and the Iraq War and interviews with a diverse set of researchers to answer these and other questions in a lively, absorbing manner. Official selection: Big Muddy Film Festival, Wisconsin Film Festival, & Martha's Vineyard Independent Film Festival.
RSVP Katy and Russ Fischer or call 973-663-4646.
January 16, 2007: 7:00 PM - Middlesex County Atheists Monthly Dinner
Come out for dinner and camaraderie with fellow atheists in your area.
Chili's Grill & Bar (map & directions)
911 US Hwy 1 South
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
January 13, 2007: 8:00 PM
Movie/Exchange of Ideas Night
Fischer's Dance Studio
341 Lakeside Avenue
Hopatcong, NJ
(map & directions)
Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers
This is the story of what happens to everyday Americans when corporations go to war. Acclaimed director Robert Greenwald (Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, Outfoxed and Uncovered), takes you inside the lives of soldiers, truck drivers, widows and children who have been changed forever as a result of profiteering in the reconstruction of Iraq. Iraq for Sale uncovers the connections between private corporations making a killing in Iraq and the decision makers who allow them to do so. - iraqforsale.org
Regardless of the war, the administration, or the various sophistries for expending human lives as a matter of government policy, profiteering from it universally offends all citizens, whether they are Republicans, Democrats, Independents, other parties or no shows. - Charles Lewis, founder of the Center for Public Integrity
RSVP Katy and Russ Fischer or call 973-663-4646.
January 5, 2007: Freethought Book Club - 7:30 PM
We will discuss The End of Faith by Sam Harris.
From Natalie Angier's NY Times review:
Sam Harris presents major religious systems like Judaism, Christianity and Islam as forms of socially sanctioned lunacy, their fundamental tenets and rituals irrational, archaic and, important when it comes to matters of humanity's long-term survival, mutually incompatible.
Harris writes what a sizable number of us think, but few are willing to say in contemporary America: "We have names for people who have many beliefs for which there is no rational justification. When their beliefs are extremely common, we call them 'religious'; otherwise, they are likely to be called 'mad,' 'psychotic' or 'delusional.'"
Barnes & Noble Booksellers (map & directions)
319 Route 202/206
Bridgewater, NJ 08807