We are launching a monthly discussion group, tentatively called the Freethinkers’ Forum. The purpose of these gatherings will be to discuss topics of interest to freethinkers, atheists, agnostics and other non-religious people. We hope to foster respectful dialogue on interesting and intellectually stimulating topics. The focus will be discussion and so we will not have speakers. We may have brief presentations to introduce topics, but those will be restricted to 15 minutes or less. There may be optional readings or television or film recommendations to stimulate discussion.
The first meeting will be on Wednesday, August 6th at 6:30 pm in Community Room A at the Keith Summey Library, located at 3503 Rivers Ave in North Charleston, and we will be discussing the question, “Are you anti-religious?”
Discussion prompt: Are you anti-religious? SHL, as an organization, is fundamentally NOT anti-religious. We are defenders of religious freedom and believe that everyone should have the right to believe (or not believe) and practice their religion (or lack thereof) as they see fit–so long as doing so does not infringe on the freedoms of belief and practice of others. However, part of our mission is to advocate for visibility and equal rights for non-religious people, and to create a supportive community of non-religious people, many of whom have been hurt by religion and may themselves be anti-religious. How do we, as a community, support those individuals while maintaining a positive environment that is welcoming to people with a wide range of views toward religion?