Opening the Door for Democracy with YVote (Why Vote)
2024-03-31 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
AEU All-Societies Platform
March 31, 2024, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
“YVote is creating a youth-led civic movement. We equip young people to channel their passions into positive action—at and beyond the ballot box.”
Sanda Balaban, co-founder of YVote, and Audrey Kindred, of the NYSEC will present on how they collaborate to bring Voter and civic engagement activities to hundreds of youth in ongoing democracy reinforcing programs. They will show how other Ethical Societies can do similar civics / voter actions.
The program will include youth who will tell of their concerns and how YVote has prepared them for action and leadership.
RSVP for Opening the Door to Democracy
Sanda Balaban is passionate about helping young people understand their individual and collective power, at and beyond the ballot box. In response to the complex times we’re living in, the vulnerability of democracy being demonstrated, and the desire to support young people in being on the front lines of change, she co-founded and directs cross-partisan youth civic engagement nonprofit YVote / Next Generation Politics, aiming to equip leaders of tomorrow for their roles and responsibilities as citizens shaping a more just world.
Sanda has held leadership roles in education and youth development for over 25 years, in the public sector at the New York City Department of Education, in education philanthropy at the Ford Foundation and the Goldman Sachs Foundation, and in nonprofits including Facing History and Ourselves, the Boston Private Industry Council, and The Teachers Network.
Sanda is proud to serve on the founding Board of Directors of Generation Vote and The Hope Reichbach Memorial Fund and on the National Reader Advisory Board for Chalkbeat. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Swarthmore College and Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Audrey Kindred is Director of Ethical Education for children, youth & families at The New York Society For Ethical Culture.

Colloquy
2024-04-07 14:30 - 16:00, 2024-05-05 14:30 - 16:00, 2024-08-04 14:30 - 16:00, 2024-10-06 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
Colloquy is an opportunity to explore and reflect on a particular aspect of life in a structured and facilitated small-group setting in a nonjudgmental, confidential atmosphere. It is held on the First Sunday of the month from 2:30 to 4:00 pm. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we will meet online -live! Join on Zoom
Colloquy was created more than 25 years ago by Arthur Dobrin (now Leader Emeritus of the Ethical Society of Long Island) and brought to Asheville by Joy McConnell, Consulting Leader for the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville. Colloquy inspires participants to raise awareness of their own views, emotions and values. Guided by a facilitator, participants sit in a circle, listen to a topic read by the leader, and take turns sharing responses – speaking from personal experiences, thoughts and feelings.
Examples of recent topics include: honesty, friendship, generosity, anger, forgiveness, music that defines us, “This I Believe.”
Visitors are welcome. Come join us!

Be the Change: Mindfulness-Based Emotional Intelligence for Self-Care, Deep Collaboration and Conflict Resolution” by Stacey Crowley
2024-04-21 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Be the Change: Mindfulness-Based Emotional Intelligence for Self-Care, Deep Collaboration and Conflict Resolution” will be presented by Stacey Crowley at the Sunday, April 21, 2024, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30-4:00 PM, at Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Road, Asheville, NC. We hope you will attend in-person. There will also be a Zoom connection. All are welcome to attend.
While restorative justice and social emotional learning initiatives are on the rise in the United States, many adults have not been trained in the conflict resolution or emotional intelligence practices we seek to teach our youth. Additionally, the complexity of 21st Century life and the enormity of the mental health issues we see across the human lifespan create an imperative for parents and educators to tend to our own well-being as the first intervention offered to those in our care.
This highly experiential session, based on the Search Inside Yourself program, combines neuroscience and mindfulness with emotional intelligence training to offer participants foundational practices that promote self-care and build self-awareness, empathy and communication for deep collaboration and conflict resolution.
Stacey Crowley, MA, CCC-SLP (she/her); communicologist, neural architect, storyteller, owner of Learning Tree Literacy, is a certified public accountant turned dually certified speech language pathologist and literacy specialist with over two decades of experience as an educator, public speaker, and professional development provider. Her current work combines her fields of expertise with neuroscience, mindfulness, and nonviolent communication to teach emotional literacy and peaceful conflict resolution to youth.
As a certified teacher for the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, Stacey is passionate about restorative practices and providing state of the art emotional intelligence and compassionate communication training to adults who teach and raise children. Stacey’s work with educational systems focuses on empowering students with the 21st Century skills they need to become engaged citizens who are mentally fit, emotionally intelligent, creative problem solvers capable of deep collaboration. It is Stacey’s core belief that a peaceful planet depends on the human skills we teach, and that these human skills are trainable at all ages and stages of life.

Understanding: The Assignment by Dr. Je’ Exodus Hooper
2024-05-19 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
We seek to understand each other. Understanding creates relationships. Understanding is rooted in epistemology – a way of knowing. The worth of knowing, the worth of understanding is learning to create a better world. Take on the need to apply learning and understanding so that we can elicit the best in each other and thereby the best in ourselves.
The history of the Ethical Culture Movement had been a long journey of uncertainty and unprecedented ideas. Dr. Felix Adler, although well educated and informed, made up this philosophical and religious formation each and everyday. In this platform, we will seek to appreciate and explore uncertainty, seek meaning, be generators of ideas and agents of change. You are the assignment: you matter. You shape your role, your assignment.
Jé Exodus Hooper (them/they) is an arts and cultural community curator, clergy, and scholar, who has served the Ethical Culture and Congregational Humanist Movements for over eight years while an instructor of performance theory at Ohio University School of Theater. Dr. Hooper repurposes the Humanist message with alive spiritual intensity, cultural complexity, and persistent intellectual urgency.

Colloquy
2024-06-02 14:30 - 16:00, 2024-07-07 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
Colloquy is an opportunity to explore and reflect on a particular aspect of life in a structured and facilitated small-group setting in a nonjudgmental, confidential atmosphere. It is held on the First Sunday of the month from 2:30 to 4:00 pm. We continue to meet online – live! for Colloquy. Join on Zoom
Colloquy was created more than 25 years ago by Arthur Dobrin (now Leader Emeritus of the Ethical Society of Long Island) and brought to Asheville by Joy McConnell, Consulting Leader for the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville. Colloquy inspires participants to raise awareness of their own views, emotions and values. Guided by a facilitator, participants sit in a circle, listen to a topic read by the leader, and take turns sharing responses – speaking from personal experiences, thoughts and feelings.
Examples of recent topics include: honesty, friendship, generosity, anger, forgiveness, music that defines us, “This I Believe.”
Visitors are welcome. Come join us!

"Living Our Ethical Humanism to Bring Out Our Best" by Dr. Khandra Sears
2024-06-09 13:30 - 15:30 | Zoom
The American Ethical Union president, Khandra Sears, is speaking at the Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle (Chapel Hill) Sunday, June 9 at 1:30 PM. We are invited to take a “field trip” (via Zoom) to our North Carolina sister Society. Register to receive a Zoom link: https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/

Living Our Ethical Humanism to Bring Out Our Best

Khandra Sears will address how living our ethical humanism will bring out our best. Her relationship with Ethical Humanism began as she pursued an undergraduate degree in microbiology and began to question what faith and the Bible meant to her. As she moved to Baltimore to earn a Ph.D. in Microbiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), she started to attend Baltimore Ethical Society Platforms and went on to join them as a member. She is now President of the American Ethical Union, the national organization of ethical humanist/culture societies in the U.S.

This program will be presented via a Zoom session. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please use our contact us form to make your request.

Contact Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle:
https://ehstnc.org/contact-us/

"Christian Ethics vs. Ethics” by Dr. Vincent Bacote
2024-06-16 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Christian Ethics vs. Ethics” will be presented by Dr. Vincent Bacote at the Sunday, June 16, 2024, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, in-person and also available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Join Dr. Bacote for a lively presentation and discussion as we consider questions on Christian Ethical Discernment vs. Ethical Discernment – Is there a difference? Ethical Societies “preach” deed vs. creed. Creed, however, can be formal (religious) doctrine, or a philosophy or personal set of beliefs. Dr. Bacote will explore and seek greater understanding of the intersection of beliefs from different doctrines and its impact on ethical discernment (ability to judge well).
Dr. Vincent Bacote, Ph. D., is Professor of Theology and Director of the Center for Applied Christian Ethics at Wheaton College. Dr. Bacote is a frequent author of scholarly publications (from a Christian perspective) on ethics, race, racial justice, public life/theology, African American Theology, and other works. His forthcoming work is Eschatology and Ethics, Baker Academic. He has been a regular columnist for Comment Magazine and contributes to other magazines and journals, including Books and Culture, Christianity Today, Think Christian the Journal for Christian Theological Research, and others. Dr. Bacote believes that doctrine is central to the life of a church.
The Center for Applied Christian Ethics (CACE) promotes and encourages the formation of moral character and the application of biblical ethics to contemporary moral decisions. CACE serves Wheaton faculty and students through a portfolio of activities, including ethical training, public forums, and projects. The upcoming spring 2024 CACE faculty seminar will focus on civil discourse and teaching controversial issues in undergraduate courses.

2024 Annual Meeting - 6/23/2024 2:30 PM
2024-06-23 14:30 - 16:30 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
Dear EHSA Members,

Our annual meeting is scheduled for Sunday, June 23, 2024 at 2:30 pm at Friends Meeting House. It will be followed by a very brief board meeting – and finally, after a few years of intense Covid-fears, a potluck meal. Please contact Gloria Cosgrove Smith and let her know what you plan to bring to our potluck. Gloria’s email is gloria.cosgrove@gmail.com.

The candidates for the board are:
Martha Marshall
Andy Reed
Jackie Simms
Rich Wasch
Karen Ziff

Annual Members Meeting Agenda June 23, 2024

Looking forward to seeing you on June 23.

Karen Ziff

"Standing Up to Book Banning" by Dr. Christopher Harris
2024-06-30 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Attempts to ban books from all types of libraries continue to rise at an unprecedented level across the country. The American Library Association reported attempts to censor 4,249 unique titles of library books and resources in 2023. This is the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago and a 65% increase over 2022.
Learn how concerned people can support the Freedom to Read along with the many partners of the Unite Against Book Bans campaign led by the ALA.
The American Library Association fully supports the right of every parent to control what their child reads and to select alternative reading or instructional materials for their child. We do not believe, however, that a parent’s right to control their child’s reading includes a right to restrict what other children read, or to limit the books that are available to young people in the library.
Register Here. AEU Link Here
Presenter: Dr. Christopher Harris
Dr. Christopher Harris is the Director of a School Library System in Western New York and a Senior Policy Fellow with the American Library Association. He was a participant in the first American Library Association Emerging Leaders program in 2007 and was honored as a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in 2008. His policy work with the ALA has included equity of access to ebooks, coding for youth, and most recently the Unite Against Book Bans campaign. Dr. Harris is an author, speaker, gamer, and member of his local public library board of trustees.
Read two opinion pieces by Dr. Harris:
Censorship and the case for institutional literacy →
Support your local librarians by rejecting book bans →

"Leadership and Public Education” by Mo Green
2024-07-21 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Leadership and Public Education” will be presented by Maurice (Mo) Green at the Sunday, July 21, 2024, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, in-person and also available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Join Mo Green as he discusses Leadership and Public Education. Not only will Mo’s style entertain, but his passion for championing public education and his determination to make a difference is impressive. Under his leadership, the Guilford County Schools saw substantial improvements in student performance and overall educational standards. Green implemented changes in personnel and leadership, ensuring that the right talents were in place to drive the district’s vision forward. He inspired educators and administrators by fostering a culture of excellence and innovation and advocates for improving North Carolina’s public schools.
Maurice (Mo) Green, served for more than seven years as superintendent of Guilford County Schools – the third largest district in North Carolina. Prior to that, he served as general counsel, chief operating officer and deputy superintendent for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. He was the executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation from 2016-2023.
Mo began his career as a lawyer in private practice after doing two United States judicial clerkships. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics and a law degree, both from Duke University. Mo is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi (the Boulé) fraternities. He is married and has two adult children, both of whom were educated in North Carolina public schools

2:00 PM Aspirations for Ethical Culture
2024-07-28 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
2024 Assembly Platform
Sunday, July 28 2:00 PM ET
Ethical Culture Leader Louise Jett will talk about her aspirations for Ethical Culture and the importance of clergy within our movement and Societies.
Immediately following the presentation, Joy McConnell will lead a discussion for EHSAsheville members and guests on

"The Foundations of Applied Ethics: Felix Adler and Henry Sidgwick" by Terry Smith
2024-08-18 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“The Foundations of Applied Ethics: Felix Adler and Henry Sidgwick” will be presented by Terry Smith at the Sunday, August 18, 2024, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, in-person and also available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Join Terry L. Smith as he explores the foundational assumptions, ideas and ideals of Ethical Culture and contemporary applied ethics. Applied ethics is built upon the judgment of people of good will, who are found in all walks of life. Ethical culture focuses on applied ethics rather than philosophical ethics, promoting the knowledge and practice of social and personal ethics. Its goal is to help people find meaning by living lives of moral worth.
Terry Smith is the former dean of arts and sciences at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, and before that, department chair and philosophy professor at the University of the District of Columbia. He has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.A. in History from Wittenberg University. Now retired, Terry has renewed his interest in research, writing, and editing and has published articles in several professional journals on behavior and philosophy.

Colloquy
2024-09-01 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
Colloquy is an opportunity to explore and reflect on a particular aspect of life in a structured and facilitated small-group setting in a nonjudgmental, confidential atmosphere. It is held on the First Sunday of the month from 2:30 to 4:00 pm. We meet online – live! Join on Zoom
Colloquy was created more than 25 years ago by Arthur Dobrin (now Leader Emeritus of the Ethical Society of Long Island) and brought to Asheville by Joy McConnell, Consulting Leader for the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville. Colloquy inspires participants to raise awareness of their own views, emotions and values. Guided by a facilitator, participants sit in a circle, listen to a topic read by the leader, and take turns sharing responses – speaking from personal experiences, thoughts and feelings.
Examples of recent topics include: honesty, friendship, generosity, anger, forgiveness, music that defines us, “This I Believe.”
Visitors are welcome. Come join us!

"Leverage Your Voting Knowledge" by Ron Katz By ZOOM ONLY
2024-09-15 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
Join Ron Katz, long-time CJJ-West leader and voting rights advocate, to explore ways of leveraging your voting knowledge. You can be a resource to your friends and family. Ron will focus on three questions. 1) How do I navigate voting? (What has the NC General Assembly done to make it harder to vote?); 2) How do I find the positions of the candidates on the issues I care about? (I want more than the misleading info on candidate mailers.); 3) How can I do more? (There are a wide range of partisan and nonpartisan groups and activities to match your interests and empower voters with information on the up AND down-ballot races.)
Ron Katz currently focuses much of his time on issues of social justice. He created and administers the website WNC Social Justice Guide which connects those interested in social justice public policy with nonpartisan organizations working on eighteen social justice issues. He edits an e-newsletter on Voting & Democracy Rights for WNC. He is also the lead for the Carolina Jews for Justice West chapter for Democracy Rights and a member of the state advisory board of Common Cause NC. Ron retired from the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County as the Community Fund Director.

No EHSA Presentation - Gathering for Connection Instead
2024-10-20 14:30 - 15:30 | Zoom
We hope you are safe. Many are still without internet and potable water after Hurricane Helene.
Jackie will host a “Gathering” for those who want to connect.

"Practices for a Flourishing Life" by Guy Sayles
2024-11-17 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Practices for a Flourishing Life” will be presented by Guy Sayles at the Sunday, November 17, 2025, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, in-person and also available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Join Guy Sayles as he draws on a variety of wisdom traditions and psychological perspectives to explore practices which help us to flourish and to contribute to the flourishing of others and of creation. Flourishing, in this context, includes moving toward wholeness, exercising compassion, and experiencing joy.
Guy Sayles is a retired pastor and professor who spends his time writing, consulting with faith-communities, and offering spiritual guidance or coaching. His website is FromTheIntersection.org

"Why Heroes Don't Change the World” (video TEDx Talk followed by Zoom discussion) with David LaMotte
2024-12-15 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
We will view the TEDx Talk video “Why Heroes Don’t Change the World” followed by a live Zoom discussion with David LaMotte at the Sunday, December 15, 2024, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, in-person and also available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
In March of 2024, David LaMotte gave an 18 1/2 minute talk at TEDx Asheville 2024, along with eight other speakers at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. David’s talk focused on the downside of hero narratives, and how stories that we tell to inspire people can often have the opposite effect. It’s a hopeful message, reminding us that we don’t have to be extraordinary to make change, we just have to work together. David’s TEDx Talk was chosen by TED International as an “Editor’s Pick.”
David will also draw from his book: You Are Changing the World; Whether You Like It or Not, David LaMotte challenges some deeply held, though seldom examined, ideas we have about how large societal changes happen and what our own roles in those changes can and should be. Drawing on stories from his own work and interviews with others in Guatemala, India, South Africa, Australia, Palestine, the United States, and Bosnia, LaMotte methodically challenges narratives that keep us immobile in the face of problems that confront communities, nations, and a world.
David LaMotte is a songwriter, speaker and author. He has performed over 3500 concerts and released thirteen full-length CDs of primarily original music, touring in all of the fifty states and on five of the seven continents. David’s speaking and workshop calendar has included presenting at the PC(USA) Mission to the United Nations, keynoting peace conferences in India, Australia, Germany and at the Scottish Parliament, as well as offering the baccalaureate for 2016 graduates of Columbia Seminary.

"Gathering Light in Our Times" by Hugh Taft-Morales
2024-12-29 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Gathering Light in Our Times
December AEU All-Societies Platform
Sunday, December 29
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Ethical Culturists from around the country will gather to acknowledge the dark and bring out the light. Let’s bring out the best of others and thus ourselves through this heart-centered winter solstice program of many voices.
Hosted by Hugh Taft-Morales, Ethical Culture Leader

"The Paradox of Persuasion: Motivating Americans to Sacrifice Present Consumption for the Future" by Ty Jones
2025-01-19 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“The Paradox of Persuasion: Motivating Americans to Sacrifice Present Consumption for the Future” will be presented by Ty Jones at the Sunday, January 19, 2025, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, in-person and also available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Join Ty as he explores why the “Environmental Movement” mostly failed to motivate people to change their consumption behaviors. He will review some dark episodes in the nation’s history (Native American relocations, slavery’s profitability, numbing responses to today’s school shootings) as informative to today’s failures, that is, knowing something is morally wrong won’t likely change behaviors around the convenience of consumption, profit and loss, or national policy. He will consider how “what about expertise” and “weaponized politics” can also undermine well-intended motivations to reform ourselves.
Ty Jones [the Rev. Deacon John Tyler Jones] was born (1951) and raised on a farm in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains north of Pittsburgh, PA. He earned a BA in history (John Carroll University) and MBA (Gannon University). He was an industrial electrician, a technical writer, a communications manager and an IT manager for manufacturing and software companies and tech start-ups. From 2003-6 he attended Virginia [Episcopal] Seminary (Master of Theological Studies) with his wife, who became an ordained priest (died, 2023). Ty was ordained a deacon at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC in 2012, one of the first ever “permanent deacons” to be honored that way.
Ty and his wife retired to Asheville in 2016. He assisted at the Cathedral of All Souls and at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit in Mars Hill. He especially enjoys learning about archeological finds, indigenous cultures, and the history of early America.

"Whole Broken People" by Brenda Lewis
2025-02-16 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Whole Broken People” will be presented by Brenda Lewis at the Sunday, February 16, 2025, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, Brenda will be in-person. Also available by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
In a culture that often values autonomy above most other principles and values, the challenges of aging impact our sense of self, the stories we tell about our lives, and our sense of meaning and spirituality in profound ways. How can we navigate changes and transitions with agency and intention and find the gifts that this unexpected and often unwanted journey brings?
Brenda Lewis is the Director of Spiritual Care at Givens Estates and Givens Gerber Park in Asheville. Before coming to Givens three years ago she worked for 18 years as a chaplain with CarePartners Hospice. Her work in Interfaith and Interphilosophy chaplaincy began three years before that as the chaplain at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Brenda also taught Humanities at UNC Asheville for five years. When not at Givens, Brenda keeps bees and chickens, hikes, reads voraciously, and plays bass in seedy places.

"The Power of Vulnerability" by Brene Brown & EHSA Discussion
2025-03-23 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
“The Power of Vulnerability”, a TED talk by Brene Brown will be viewed and discussed at the Sunday, March 23, 2025, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm. This will be a Zoom only meeting. All are welcome to attend.
Note that this is the 4th Sunday instead of the regular 3rd Sunday.
While we will look at the TED talk together, here is a link in case you’re interested: https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?referrer=playlist-the_10_most_popular_tedx_talks&autoplay=true
Jackie Simms and Rick Ott will lead the discussion.

AEU All Societies Platform - The Brick Wall Brain - Why Aren't Facts Changing Minds? by Seth Andrews
2025-03-30 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
We present solid data. They go blank, get angry, or walk out. Why isn’t evidence breaking through belief barriers? Seth Andrews shares his perspective on “Identity Beliefs” and how to perhaps carve the crack that lets in some light. If bullet points aren’t working…what does?
Seth Andrews is a former evangelical and Christian broadcaster who now hosts The Thinking Atheist…one of the most popular podcasts and online atheist communities in the world. The Thinking Atheist is not a person. It is an icon encouraging all to reject faith and pursue reason and evidence. He also hosts a second podcast, “True Stories with Seth Andrews.”
With a mix of humor and heart, Seth Andrews has spoken for audiences large and small in the U.S, Canada, Europe, and Australia about his former faith, the promotion of science and skepticism, the importance of Humanism in this often crazy world, and why we should all pursue a personal relationship with reality.
Register Here

“Religion versus Secular Humanism: What the Psychological and Social Sciences Can Tell Us” by Tim Church
2025-04-20 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Religion versus Secular Humanism: What the Psychological and Social Sciences Can Tell Us” will be presented by Tim Church at the Sunday, April 20, 2025, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting. A. Timothy Church, Professor Emeritus, Washington State university, will be on the big screen attending and taking questions by Zoom with members and guests in-person and on Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
In today’s contentious climate—in which a seemingly unbridgeable divide persists between religious and secular worldviews— Tim will address the relative merits and viability of religion versus secular humanism from the perspective of the psychological and social sciences. Among the questions asked: Are there plausible naturalistic (i.e., nonreligious) explanations of the origins, evolution, and functions of religion? What are the beneficial and harmful effects of religion, and can the benefits be adequately achieved via secular means? As much of the world secularizes, is religion likely to persist? Some proposals to reduce the religious-secular gap are also offered.
Timothy Church, PhD, is Professor Emeritus at Washington State University. He has published extensively in prominent scientific journals in the areas of culture and personality and his research in these areas was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Mental Health. He is a member of the American Humanist Association and a contributor to Free Inquiry magazine. His most recent book is Religion versus Secular Humanism: What the Psychological and Social Sciences Can Tell Us (Hypatia Press, 2024).

“Why We Can’t & How We Can – Just All Get Along” by Rick Ott
2025-05-18 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Why We Can’t & How We Can – Just All Get Along” will be presented by Rick Ott at the Sunday, May 18, 2025, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, in-person and also available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
With the current societal polarization, open-mindedness is the first step to self-care, rational thinking, and discarding the “scare script” that leads to demonizing others. Rick will offer practical strategies for engaging in conversations with individuals holding opposing political views. He emphasizes the importance of understanding, empathy, and effective communication to bridge political divides.
Rick Ott is a member of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville. He grew up on his grandpa’s cattle farm in Ohio, drove the tractor at age 11, helped his carpenter-father build the family home at age 12, earned an engineering degree and worked for 30 years in manufacturing engineering. He retired, moved to Asheville in 2001 and married the love of his life, Judy, in 2018.
Rick has relished his spiritual/philosophical journey having found Sunday homes in liberal protestant, Unity Church, Unitarian Universalism, Jubilee! of Asheville, and now Ethical Humanism. Rick appreciates EHSA as an open-minded alternative within the liberal-religious market. He’s hoping to leave us with a pearl or two as our guest speaker.
Zoom Recording of Rick’s Talk:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/vBhggt3j9BhqCrA6ky-zYkDBubtO7-pxMxBIUNaGkOBUQvl_zCQjlO68oaXUWT4u.T4aYpfxxoPaCATcN
Passcode: [REDACTED]

“Why the World's Religions Still Matter” by Vicki Garlock
2025-06-15 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Why the World’s Religions Still Matter” will be presented by Vicki Garlock at the Sunday, June 15, 2025, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be an in-person only meeting (no Zoom). All are welcome to attend.
Religion has long been used to justify the worst of human behaviors. We’re also seeing a modern-day shift in the role of both religious institutions and faith-based practices. Nevertheless, religion continues to play an important role in one’s identity, how we interact with our neighbors, and how we care for the earth. Vicki has a special interest in educating kids about the world’s religions. As it turns out, her award-winning kids’ books also help educate adults.
Vicki Garlock earned a Ph.D. with dual specialties in neuroscience and cognitive development and became a Psychology Professor at Warren Wilson College. To spend more family time, Vicki took a job at Jubilee! Community where she ran their Sunday School program, wrote the curriculum for kids aged 3 through 8th grade and became their Minister of Education. Vicki has written three books. Her latest book, “ABCs of the World Religions”, was recently named an International Impact Award Winner! It also received a Bronze “IPPY” and a Book Excellence Award! “We All Have Sacred Spaces” received a Gold Award from the Nonfiction Authors Association and a Bronze “IPPY” in the Multicultural Non-Fiction for Juvenile/YA. “Embracing Peace – Stories from the World’s Faith Traditions”, a 2021 Finalist in American BookFest’s Children’s Religious category, features 16 of her favorite stories from various centuries, cultures, and religions. Her website is: https://worldreligions4kids.com

Annual Meeting and Potluck
2025-06-22 14:30 - 17:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
Mark your calendar for our annual meeting and potluck meal Sunday, June 22nd, 2:30 PM at Friends Meeting House. This is an important and fun gathering. During our annual meeting, we will hear reports on EHSA activities of this fiscal year, decide on a budget for next fiscal year which starts on July 1st, and elect board members for the coming year. It is an open meeting, but only members may vote.
Help our Ethical Humanist community thrive by becoming a more active participant, serving on the board or a committee, spearheading a new activity.
We will consider additional programs such as:

“A Conversation with … Ethical Leader”
Humanist Happy Hour once a month; there are certainly a lot of breweries in Asheville
Issues and Actions Discussion Circle
In solidarity: Once a month EHSA participation in and promotion of a program of another faith, community or social justice organization.
