Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville

"Leverage Your Voting Knowledge" by Ron Katz By ZOOM ONLY
2024-09-15 14:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

Colloquy
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!

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.

AEU All Societies Platform - SAVING DEMOCRACY: A Conversation with Julia Angwin
2025-06-29 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Award-winning investigative journalist, bestselling author, and New York Times contributing Opinion Writer Julia Angwin will dialogue with Ethical Culture Societies around the country about what we are doing to effectively resist and reverse the current slide into authoritarian government, and how to work together to do it better. The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County hosts this All-Societies Platform with 22 Societies across the country.
Pre-registration is required to attend via Zoom, at the link below.
https://aeu.org/2025/06/courage-is-contagious-june-all-societies-platform/

"NC Medicaid: Issues and Options - A discussion" by Lindsey Prather and Brian Turner
2025-07-20 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“NC Medicaid: Issues and Options – A discussion” will be presented by NC Representatives Lindsey Prather and Brian Turner at the Sunday, July 20, 2025, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. Lindsey and Brian will be with us in-person for presentation and Q&A. There will also be a hybrid Zoom option. All are welcome to attend.
This presentation will center on policy developments, the process of how NC expanded Medicaid, the impact the OBBBA Medicaid cuts will likely have on our state and explore issues and options as the NC legislature seeks to balance competing objectives. At this early date, we may not know the extent of the cuts impacting NC residents and the options. Nevertheless, the conversation will be valuable to both participants and presenters.
Please note: This is a nonpartisan, educational event. We ask all attendees to keep the conversation focused on issues and legislation—not political parties, campaigns, or candidates—in accordance with our nonprofit guidelines. Thank you for helping us maintain a respectful and constructive environment.
Lindsey Prather is an educator, community leader, and public servant. Lindsey received a NC Teaching Fellows scholarship, graduated from the University of North Carolina Asheville with a Sociology degree, taught Special Education, Civics, and U.S. History for 6 years in Buncombe County Schools and is now the Assistant Director of Admissions at UNC Asheville. She earned a Masters of Public Affairs from Western Carolina University and dove into making her community a better place. In 2022 she was elected to the NC legislature representing the 115 district. Lindsey loves biking in the Pisgah mountains with her husband, Eric.
Brian Turner grew up in Asheville, worked as a television producer for MTV in New York, returned to Asheville in 2004 to assist the family manufacturing business, joined UNC Asheville as Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations in 2012 and was promoted to Assistant Vice Chancellor. He was first elected to the NC House of Representatives in 2014. After a short break from legislating, Brian, now in his fifth term, represents the Downtown/ center of Buncombe County – District 116. Brian is an avid outdoor enthusiast and lifelong learner. He earned a degree in Economics from Northwestern University, an MBA from Wake Forest University, and is pursuing a Masters in Energy and Environmental Management at the University of Connecticut. He is especially delighted that his wife, Hope, has joined him as his legislative assistant.

AEU 110th Assembly
2025-07-25 | Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 South Rittenhouse Sq, Philadelphia, PA, 19103
The Annual Assembly of the AEU is the most important gathering for our movement. We are aware of the many anxieties and constraints that these times present us. “Creating Communities for an Ethical Future” is this year’s theme. We hope you are inspired to bring members, friends, family, and neighbors to a place where we can register our needs for ethical practices in our public and private lives. All fees include food and beverages served at the Philadelphia Ethical Society.
The registration fees are Members and Friends $325 early bird discount $300; Adults Under 29 years $200 early bird discount $175; Youth Under 18 years $75 early bird discount $50; Day Trippers $125 early bird discount $100.

"The Exvangelicals" by Sarah McCammon
2025-08-17 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
“The Exvangelicals” will be presented by Sarah McCammon at the Sunday, August 17, 2025, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm. Sarah will be live by Zoom for presentation and Q&A. Because of technical support limitations, It will be a Zoom only meeting. All are welcome to attend.
Sarah will talk about the growing social movement of people leaving the church from her March 2024 NYTimes Bestseller book: “The Exvangelicals”.
The Exvangelicals is the story of a rising generation of the children of evangelicalism, including Sarah herself, who are growing up and fleeing the fold, who are thinking for themselves and deconstructing what feel like the “alternative facts” of their childhood. Part memoir, part investigative journalism, Sarah describes the post-evangelical movement: identifying its origins, telling the stories of its members, and examining its vast cultural, social, and political impact.
Growing up in a deeply evangelical family in the Midwest in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Sarah McCammon was strictly taught to fear God, obey him, and not question the faith. Persistently worried that her gay grandfather would go to hell unless she could reach him, or that her Muslim friend would need to be converted, and that she, too, would go to hell if she did not believe fervently enough, McCammon was a rule-follower and—most of the time—a true believer. But through it all, she was increasingly plagued by fears and deep questions as the belief system she’d been carefully taught clashed with her expanding understanding of the outside world.
After spending her early adult life striving to make sense of an unraveling worldview, by her 30s, she found herself face-to-face with it once again as she covered the Trump campaign for NPR, where she witnessed first-hand the power and influence that evangelical Christian beliefs held on the political right.
Sarah McCammon, an award-winning journalist and National Correspondent for NPR, where she covers political, social, and cultural divides across the United States. Her reporting often explores the intersections of politics and religion, reproductive rights, and other deeply personal issues that shape our national conversation.
Now living in Washington DC, Sarah has reported from Georgia, Iowa, and Nebraska, and served as NPR’s lead political reporter on the 2016 Trump presidential campaign. She has earned multiple awards, including honors from the Atlanta Press Club, the National Press Club, and the Gracie Awards.
Sarah was raised in a conservative evangelical Christian home in Kansas City, a rule-follower and—most of the time—a true believer. But she was increasingly plagued by deep questions as the belief system she’d been carefully taught clashed with her expanding understanding of the outside world.

American Ethical Union All-Societies Platform: "Labor Power Can Beat Fascism" by Hamilton Nolan
2025-08-31 11:00 - 12:15 | Zoom
This is a Zoom only meeting 11:00 am to 12:15 pm. All are welcome to attend.
Join Online: RSVP and join on Zoom
This Labor Day, the outlook for organized labor power in America is grim. Already, the Trump administration has decimated the federal work force, torn up union contracts, broken our system of labor law enforcement, and pushed us down the road to fascism and oligarchy. Despite all that, however, one fundamental, structural truth has not changed: Labor power is still one of the only things that can pull us back from this precipice. What would that look like? Let’s talk about it.
Hamilton Nolan is an author and journalist who writes about labor, politics, and class war. He has written for Gawker, In These Times, The Guardian, and many other publications. Today, he runs his own site, How Things Work, at HamiltonNolan.com. In 2015, he and his colleagues made Gawker Media the first major online media company in America to unionize. Hamilton has remained a union activist ever since. He is the author of the 2024 book, The Hammer: Power, Inequality, and the Struggle for the Soul of Labor. He lives in Brooklyn.

"The Architecture of Life: TAOLISM" by Joe Simonetta
2025-09-21 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“The Architecture of Life: TAOLISM” will be presented by Joe Simonetta at the Sunday, September 21, 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. We will meet in-person. Joe will be with us by Zoom for interactive conversation on the big screen. All are welcome to attend.
Taolism is a modern philosophical movement and ethical framework founded by Harvard Divinity School graduate Joseph R. Simonetta. Rooted in science, reason, and sustainability, Taolism presents a reality-based understanding of sacredness—not through myth, but through action. It serves as a path for both personal well-being and collective sustainability, offering a practical approach to a healthier, more ethical, and environmentally responsible world. Taolism is built upon three foundational principles, expressed in seven words: Be Healthy. Be Kind. Respect the Environment.
Joe Simonetta (https://www.taolism.org and https://joesimonetta.com) is the author of ten books, nine available on Amazon.com. Titles include Interconnected, Interrelated & Interdependent World — Like it or Not, 7 Words That Can Change The World — The Simple Truth & The Death of Sacred Cows, A Message to Humanity from a Friendly Alien, and more. He writes books for humanists, progressives, freethinkers, agnostics, atheists, skeptics, and the like. He holds a BS in business from Penn State University, an MA in architecture from the University of Colorado and an MA from Harvard Divinity School where he studied ethics, global environmental issues, world belief systems, cosmology, and evolutionary biology. He has been a U.S. Army officer, professional athlete (tennis), entrepreneur and businessman, architect, real estate developer, home builder, environmental activist, senior editor of the World Business Academy, twice a candidate for the U.S. Congress, and a gold medalist in the sprint triathlon in the 2023 U.S. National Senior Games. He is the founder of Taolism, a philosophy and social movement rooted in science, reason, ethics, and sustainability—a universal framework for living well, both individually and collectively.
Recording of Presentation: Click Here

"Housing is a Human Right" by Jessie Figueroa and Abby Nelson
2025-10-19 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Housing is a Human Right” will be presented by Jessie Figueroa and Abby Nelson at the Sunday, October 19, 2025, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC There will also be a hybrid Zoom option (see link below). All are welcome to attend.
Grounded in the belief that every person has intrinsic worth and dignity, we’ll explore the impact of Homeward Bound’s programs through collaborations with the city and partners, highlight stories of neighbors who have moved from homelessness into permanent housing, and reflect on what it means to build a community where everyone belongs. In 2024, Permanent Supportive Housing programs from Homeward Bound had a 96.5% retention rate of individuals not returning to homelessness and taking steps to rebuild their lives as neighbors in our community.
Jessie and Abby will also discuss the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care (CoC) 2025-2028 Strategic Plan to address homelessness. The CoC objectives are to 1) Decrease unsheltered homelessness; 2) Increase exits from homelessness to permanent housing; 3) Coordinate and expand Homelessness Prevention, Diversion and Rapid Rehousing; and 4) Build housing-focused system capacity.
Join us to discuss challenges and successes of “Every Neighbor Matters: Homeward Bound’s mission to prevent and end homelessness”.
Jessie Figueroa has always had a passion for connecting with people. She served in the AmeriCorps VISTA program as a community organizer for homeless services, was a program manager serving homeless and low-income neighbors in Orlando and moved to Asheville in 2015. She joined Homeward Bound in 2021 as Housing Placement Director and in 2024 moved into the role of Resource Development Director. Jessie is a graduate of University of Central Florida, enjoys music, hiking, traveling, and spending quality time with her husband, friends, and family.
Abby Nelson is a dedicated nonprofit fundraising and events professional with a strong commitment to advancing housing-first solutions. In her role as Development Officer at Homeward Bound of WNC, she oversees strategic initiatives to secure funding and cultivate partnerships with businesses and faith communities, efforts that are essential to addressing homelessness across Western North Carolina. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality & Tourism Management with minors in Business Administration and Interior Architecture from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

"Becoming Compassionate Participants in our World—deepening self-awareness" by Sandra Smith
2025-11-16 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Becoming Compassionate Participants in our World—deepening self-awareness” will be presented by Sandra Smith at the Sunday, November 16, 2025, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. Sandra will be with us in-person for her presentation and Q&A. There will also be a hybrid Zoom option. All are welcome to attend.
This presentation will give focus to the nuance between being “present” and being in “presence” and the role receptivity plays in the quality of our lives. To be available to ourselves allows us to be available to others and to our deeper knowing. Being present to ourselves and developing inner spaciousness is the foundation of self-observation, an essential first step in using the Enneagram Map. Sandra will reference teachings from her recent book The Enneagram Map to Your Deeper Self: Living Beyond Your Type (2024) and invite participants to engage in some simple practices from this book.
The Enneagram (“ennea” is Greek for nine) is a map of our ego structures automatic patterns. This map names nine unique perspectives and ways humans filter information. No type is better than another type. We retain the same type throughout our lives, however, behaviors change as we become more self-aware.
Additionally, the Enneagram System suggests we have three centers of intelligence: head or thinking center, heart or feeling center, and body the center of sensing. Depending on our Enneagram type, one of these is our lead center of intelligence. Knowing our lead center shapes our communication, decision-making and problem solving.
Sandra Smith (https://alchemyworksevents.com/sandra-c-smith-enneagram-consultant/), is a Certified Narrative Tradition teacher, an Enneagram Consultant, and an IEA (International Enneagram Association) Accredited Professional and Spiritual Companion. Sandra began teaching this system in 2001 and founded AlchemyWorks in 2008, which began her full-time Enneagram Teaching and Consulting.
Sandra received her BS in Business from Wake Forest University and MDiv from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She is certified in nonprofit management through Duke University and is a trained community mediator. She spent 17 years in the corporate world and 14 years directing a nonprofit.
Click for a link to the Enneagram Graphic

All-Societies Platform: "Thinking Outside of the Box: What If These Aren’t the Worst of Times?" by Laura Flanders
2025-11-30 11:00 - 12:15 | Zoom
This is a Zoom only meeting 11:00 am to 12:15 pm. All are welcome to attend.
Join Online: RSVP and join on Zoom
Laura Flanders is the host and executive producer of Laura Flanders & Friends, a nationally syndicated TV and radio program which reports on progressive change-making in the worlds of arts, politics and economics. In New York, Laura Flanders & Friends is seen weeknights on CUNYtv and WLIW, and heard on WBAI and WNYE. Nationally, you can find the show on close to 300 PBS stations and on YouTube as well as wherever you get your podcasts. Laura is also the author of several bestselling books and a contributing writer to The Nation Magazine. Follow @lauraflanders on social media or subscribe at lauraflanders.org.
The AEU All-Societies Platform is free to attend or stream. All virtual participants must register to receive the Zoom link.

Winter Festival
2025-12-21 14:30 - 16:00 | Cloisters Clubhouse, 2700 St. Augustine PL., Asheville, NC, 28805
Join us for a Holiday gathering – Food, Drink, Camaraderie

Note Location – NOT at our regular Friends Meeting House location
At Cloisters Clubhouse; 4302 Angelus Circle, Asheville
In person only – No Zoom

"Asheville Poverty Initiative" by Ben Williamson
2026-01-18 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Asheville Poverty Initiative” will be presented by Ben Williamson at the Sunday, January 18, 2026, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. Ben will be with us in-person for presentation and Q&A. There will also be a hybrid Zoom option. All are welcome to attend.
Join Ben for a presentation and discussion as Ben leads a discussion on API’s model of community-building as a response to poverty and homelessness, focusing on the human experience and systemic barriers.
Ben will discuss a collaboration with Unlabel Me and the Asheville Poverty Initiative, scheduled for Thursday, January 22, at Pack Library, designed to challenge stereotypes about people in poverty and experiencing homelessness.
Ben first learned about API as a teacher leading school groups on poverty walks. After years in education, Ben’s most recent experiences are in community organizing and non-profit management. When not working, Ben is usually at home with his two dogs, his wife Hayette, and his daughters Grace and Keira.

Colloquy
2026-02-01 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
Zoom Only (Because of bad weather!) We will meet from 2:30 to 4:00 PM.
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.
The topic for 2/1/2026 is “Embodying Resilience”
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: resistance, honesty, friendship, generosity, anger, forgiveness, deep listening, living with intention, perfection, pluralism, renewal, uniqueness, possibility . . .
Visitors are welcome. Come join us!

"Sin - An Ethical, Moral, Religious and Practical Perspective" by Andy Reed
2026-02-15 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Sin – An Ethical, Moral, Religious and Practical Perspective” will be presented by Andy Reed at the Sunday, February 15, 2026, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. Andy will be with us in-person for his presentation and Q&A. There will also be a hybrid Zoom option. All are welcome to attend.
Growing up a Unitarian in the Bible Belt (here in Asheville), Andy Reed was exposed to the concept and supposed repercussions of sin from an early age. He has spent a lifetime figuring out how to incorporate various ethical, moral, religious, and practical views of sin into his own belief system … and behavior. But in Ethical Humanism, there’s no god to judge us, no savior to redeem us, and no hellish eternity awaiting us for punishment.
This Sunday, he’ll ask you, our fellow Ethical Humanists and friends, to jointly address these questions: What does “sin” mean? How do we recognize it in ourselves? How do we “repent,” or “atone,” or “redeem” ourselves from its impacts on our lives? And should we even bother?
Andy Reed is an Asheville native, writer, editor, actor, and community advocate whose work has spanned publishing, theater, marketing, and social activism. A graduate of Columbia University where he majored in English literature, Andy began his publishing career editing outreach materials for nonprofit organizations before moving into advertising and marketing with NBC Television. After returning to Asheville, he became deeply engaged in the region’s creative and civic life — acting and directing in regional theater, editing numerous books, and founding Pisgah Press to publish works that illuminate the human condition. He currently serves as copy editor for The Urban News and has edited more than a dozen books across fiction and nonfiction.
Andy is a member of both the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville and the Black Mountain Unitarian Universalist congregation. He is an advocate for LGBTQ inclusion and civil rights, works to build bridges across communities and generations and brings to his endeavors a lifelong exploration of ethics, language, identity, and belonging.

Colloquy
2026-03-01 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
Colloquy in person is back! We will meet from 2:30 to 4:00 PM at the Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Road, Asheville.
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.
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: resistance, honesty, friendship, generosity, anger, forgiveness, deep listening, living with intention, perfection, pluralism, renewal, uniqueness, possibility . . .
Visitors are welcome. Come join us!

"Hope, Mindfulness, and Success in the Midst of Political Chaos and Upheaval - A Former FBI Agent’s Perspective" by Ken Wheatley
2026-03-15 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Hope, Mindfulness, and Success in the Midst of Political Chaos and Upheaval – A Former FBI Agent’s Perspective” will be presented by Ken Wheatley at the Sunday, March 15, 2026, meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. Ken will be with us in-person for his presentation and Q&A. There will also be a hybrid Zoom option. All are welcome to attend.
Ken will discuss the ground truth of law enforcement operations, checks and balances, resistance versus protest, and the tools, techniques, and action items for the path forward, drawing on lessons from his time in the military, Federal law enforcement, and international corporate leadership.
Ken Wheatley is a security management consultant and forensic expert witness. Ken’s varied experience includes a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force, FBI Special Agent, Senior Vice President / Chief Security Officer (CSO) with Sony Electronics’ global operations, a social impact CEO, entrepreneur, political volunteer, guest lecturer and interviewed on several radio and TV stations. He currently serves as one of the 14 members of the Senior Advisory Group with the FBI’s Domestic Security Alliance Council (DSAC) and as an Advisor to the FBI’s Threat Resilience Information Sharing Committee (TRISC). Ken lives with his wife Lorraine Kerz in Fairview, Buncombe County, NC.

"How to be Foolproof in Today’s News Environment: Bias, Misinformation, AI – what can you trust?" by Eric Schurenberg
2026-03-29 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Sunday, March 29 – 11:00 AM ET – All Society Program – Sponsored by the American Ethical Union

“How to be Foolproof in Today’s News Environment: Bias, Misinformation, AI – what can you trust?” will be presented by Eric Schurenberg on Sunday, March 29, 2026 – by Zoom only at 11:00 AM. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link.
Register Here Link to American Ethical Union Announcement
The founder of The Alliance For Trust in Media, veteran journalist and media executive Eric Schurenberg will take you through a crash course in navigating today’s chaotic news environment to uncover information you can trust. He’ll explain the economic reasons that news gets delivered the way it does, the effects of the growing seepage of AI into the information ecosystem, and some quick, non-partisan rules that you can deploy to avoid being misled online.
Eric is the former editor in chief of the publications Inc., Money, CBS MoneyWatch and BNET and the former CEO of Inc. and Fast Company. He’s now a distinguished instructor of journalism at University of Chicago and the host of the podcast In Reality.
