We of Little Faith: Why I Stopped Pretending to Believe (And Maybe You Should Too)

Kate Cohen (photo by KT Kanazawich)

11 a.m., February 11, 2024

This Sunday we will watch and discuss an interview by Seth Andrews of Kate Cohen about her latest book, We of Little Faith: Why I Stopped Pretending to Believe (And Maybe You Should Too).
Mr. Andrews is a former Christian broadcaster and is now the host of The Thinking Atheist ( https://www.thethinkingatheist.com).
Ms. Cohen is a Washington Post contributing editor, author, and mother of three kids.
You can preview this video at: https://youtu.be/P6Mf2xVJ_g8

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This week, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at Maker Nexus, 1330 Orleans Drive, Sunnyvale CA, 94089. (On the first and third Sunday of the month, you can continue to attend our forum at the Mountain View Senior Center.) We may visit a nearby restaurant for lunch after the forum. If you attend in person, COVID protocols will be followed. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom. Help us make sure we have room for you. If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to let us know.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Add this event to your Google calendar:
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/
Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2024-02-11/
RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/299064783/
Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1755371082008400061.

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Raised in the Jehovah’s Witness Cult, and Surviving the Escape

Nate Vizcarra

11 a.m., February 4, 2024

Come hear the saga of a young man whose family raised him in the Jehovah’s Witness (JW) Christian cult, and who left when he decided he did not believe the cult’s religious dogma. He now inspires others to escape the narrow, rigid JW world.

The Atheist Community of San Jose and the Humanist Community are proud to jointly host Nate Vizcarra from Irvine, California, in person and on Zoom. We encourage you to come meet Nate and other atheists and humanists, hear his inspiring life story, engage in lively Q&A, and join us for further discussion with Nate over lunch.

Nate will give us a brief history of the Jehovah’s Witness cult, and will describe what it is like to grow up in such a constricted and controlling environment. We will discover what led him to question the beliefs he had been taught and how he managed to exit the JW community. He will tell us about the shunning that follows after someone is audacious and courageous enough to leave JW.

Our enthusiastic speaker will tell us about the support network that exists to ease the transition out of JW for anyone who chooses to leave, and Nate’s role in that network. The sudden loss of family and friends can be harmful for the escapees from JW. How did Nate cope, and how has the ex-JW support network helped others?

Nate Vizcarra was raised in Orange County and is now a software engineer. He will tell us how he has rebuilt his life after JW, and created new family and friends to replace those lost to him.

At this event, we also expect to be hosting a large group of students from Dr. Elizabeth Drescher’s university course on “Nonreligion in America.” Come help us introduce these college students to humanism and atheism!

2/4/2024 Nate Vizcarra from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

———-

On the first and third Sunday of the month, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation for lunch.

If you attend in person, COVID protocols will be followed. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom. Help us make sure we have room for you. If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to let us know.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Add this event to your Google calendar:
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/
Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2024-02-04/
RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/298725328/
Atheist Community of San Jose on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/acofsj/events/298654718/
Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1750043257130873050/.

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

The Worst Intelligence Disaster in FBI History

Robert Philip Hanssen

11 a.m., January 28, 2024

This Sunday we will watch and discuss The Worst Intelligence Disaster in FBI History, about the career of FBI Soviet counterintelligence agent Robert Philip Hanssen, who sold secrets to the Soviet Union and Russia from 1971 to 2001.
This 51-minute video presents a good picture of the Soviet and U.S. spy industries, the life and the activities of Agent Hanssen, and his eventual capture and punishment.
You can watch this video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8WgEHAC2Cg

———-

This week, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at Maker Nexus, 1330 Orleans Drive, Sunnyvale CA, 94089. (On the first and third Sunday of the month, you can continue to attend our forum at the Mountain View Senior Center.) We may visit a nearby restaurant for lunch after the forum. If you attend in person, COVID protocols will be followed. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom. Help us make sure we have room for you. If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to let us know.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Add this event to your Google calendar:
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/
Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2024-01-28/
RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/298728810/
Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1749689064448749737.

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Fusion of South Asian Folk Art and Western Modern Art

Masuma Ahmed

Masuma Ahmed

11 a.m., January 21, 2024

At this Sunday’s Forum we will watch a video by artist and writer Masuma Ahmed, who will be present to answer any questions and explain her work.

Masuma, an internationally acclaimed artist hailing from New York City, captures the essence of women, diasporas, social issues, and science through her award-winning artwork. Her pieces intertwine Western, digital, and South Asian arts, portraying vibrant narratives in both traditional and digital mediums. 

Combining her expertise in traditional and digital art, Masuma crafts diverse works, ranging from abstract to folk, street, and mural art. Her creations encapsulate the unspoken voices of women and diasporas—often overlooked by mainstream media—vibrantly representing their influence on US economic and cultural landscapes. 

A self-taught artist and writer, Masuma honed her craft at Stanford University, Yale University, and Bangladesh National Arts College. She shared her artistic knowledge with students at the Stanford University International Center, complemented by taking creative writing courses at Yale and Stanford. 

While holding a Ph.D. in Physics from Yale, Masuma shifted from a career in physics and high-tech to pursue her passion for art and writing in 2015. Her remarkable artistic journey has been recognized by various international galleries (Light, Space & Time Art Gallery in the US, Artist of the Four Seasons Gallery in Germany, Kolkata Art Group in India, and All Art Gallery in Brazil) and her exhibitions have graced numerous esteemed venues across the United States, from the City of Palo Alto to New York City. 

Notable among her achievements is being selected by the City of Palo Alto for the prestigious Palo Alto BLM Mural in 2020. She has also been a chalk art muralist in Redwood City for several consecutive years, alongside her mural projects in New York City and the Bay Area. 

Masuma is not just an artist but a multifaceted writer, delving into poetry, short stories, and vignettes reflecting societal and feminist issues, scientific endeavors, aging, and cultural traditions. Her poetry has found a place in prominent publications such as the NYC Poetry Table Anthology and the Bay Area Waverly Writers Collection. 

Embracing the digital realm, Masuma’s platform, “New York City Rainbow Faces”, https://www.facebook.com/nycrainbowfaces,
encapsulates the unspoken narratives of women and diasporas while celebrating the intrinsic beauty of science. 

To explore more of Masuma’s incredible body of work, visit her website. For inquiries or collaborations, she can be reached at masumaa@yahoo.com. 

You can watch her video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSWiId8npWs

1/21/2024 Masuma Ahmed from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

———-

On the first and third Sunday of the month, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Mountain View Senior Center at 266 Escuela Ave, Mountain View, CA 94040. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation for lunch. Help us make sure we have room for you. If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to let us know.

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Add this event to your Google calendar:
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/
Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2024-01-21/
RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/298602012/
Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1747495265433792742.

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Let’s teach religion — all religion — in schools

Daniel Dennett

A video of Daniel Dennett

11 a.m., January 14, 2023

This Sunday, we will meet online to watch and discuss a 2006 TED talk by Daniel Dennett, Let’s teach religion – all religion– in schools.

In this talk, Dennett calls for teaching religion, all religion, in schools, so we can understand its nature as a natural phenomenon. Then he takes on “The Purpose Driven Life”, a 2002 bible-study book written by Christian pastor Rick Warren, disputing its claim that, to be moral, one must deny evolution.

Daniel Dennett is an American philosopher, writer, and cognitive scientist whose research centers on philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and philosophy of biology, as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science. He is one of the “Four Horsemen of New Atheism” with Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens.

You can watch this video at:
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_dennett_let_s_teach_religion_all_religion_in_schools

———-

The Forum meets this week only online via Zoom. On the first and third Sundays of the month, you can attend our forums in person with fellow humanists at the Mountain View Senior Center at 266 Escuela Ave, Mountain View, CA 94040.

Thus, this week, we present our forum on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Add this event to your calendar:

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/
Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2024-01-07/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/298343746/
Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter here.

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508