Happy Valentine’s Day
Wishing you and your loved ones a happy February. Winter is dragging on and all the festivities are over and some people think February is bleak. But it doesn’t have to be. Not only is Valentine’s Day in February, but there are also many days to celebrate. I checked a list to find my favourite: National Hedgehog Day (?), National Golden Retriever Day (maybe),
National Pizza Day (hmmm!), National Chocolate Mint Day (ummm!!!). Then I found it, Do a Grouch a Favor Day! I read recently that if you are feeling down and depressed, do something nice for someone and you will feel better. So, on February 16th, who better to do something nice for than a grouch? Try it.
Another very important day in February is Darwin Day. Darwin’s birthday is on February 12 and every year, the Biology Department at the University of Calgary has a Darwin Lecture near Darwin’s birthday. This year, the lecture is on Friday, February 10th at 4:00 pm. It sounds like a good one, Evolution in the Final Frontier: why might we see so many humanoid aliens in Star Trek. For detailed information, follow this link: https://events.ucalgary.ca/science/biological-sciences/event/427733-darwin-lecture-2023-evolution-in-the-final
WeCanReason Webinars are back! We have been on a bit of a hiatus due to the Sagan Day event in November and Winter Solstice event in December. But we are off to a great start in February. Our very own David Spencer will be presenting Easter Island: It's Not Just About Heads. We have all seen photos of the stone statues on Easter Island but what is the Birdman Cult? David has been to Easter Island and he has amazing photos and great stories. You won’t want to miss this one, February 28 at 7:00 pm at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86860529776.
Lois’s Pick
My pick for this month is…I just had to do it…wait for it…the Gutsick Gibbon. Erika, better known as Gutsick Gibbon, is working on her PhD in biological anthropology. Raised as a young earth creationist, she developed a fascination with dinosaurs. Her interests led her out of religion and into anthropology. Many of her videos debunk creationism but she also teaches a lot of evolutionary biology in the process. Does she ever know her hominids, both extinct and extant! She is brilliant and hilarious at the same time. She was also interviewed by Seth Andrews.
Thursday February 2 
| Life Without Religion - Online First Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm People who have never been part of a fundamentalist religion, usually don’t understand the difficulties involved in leaving such a religion. But we, in LWR, do understand because we have been there. In our meetings, we discuss challenges that some are currently facing and most have faced at one time or another. If you are not yet a member but feel that the support of those who have had a similar journey as you, contact Lois at loislwr@gmail.com. |
Tuesday February 7  | Skeptics in the Pub First Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm If you are tired of being cautious about what you say about religion because someone in earshot might be offended, then come to Skeptics in the Pub. No one will blink an eye at open discussions about religion and most other subjects. In addition, our discussions are often educational and fascinating. Jeff always has some thought-provoking video clips and the discussions after seeing the videos are interesting. Join us at Bottlescrew Bills at 140 10 Ave SW · Calgary. For more details, see the Meetup page. |
Thursday February 9  | RMA Book Club – In Person Second Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm Conversations at Book Club are never impossible and always stimulating. Everyone always has at least ten minutes to get there “two cents worth” in. The book that we will be discussing this month is How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide, by Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay. Now that should make for an interesting conversation. Even if you haven’t read the book, join us anyway and find out what the book is all about. You will meet people with inquiring minds and great ideas. All you have to do to join us is click on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85870272323. |
Monday February 13  | Coffee Chat Second Monday of every month at 1:00 pm Some of us are not morning people and then there are some who are not night people. But afternoons are for everyone. Some like structured events with planned topics. Then there are some of us who enjoy conversations when you have no idea what topic will pop up next. Well, that’s Coffee Chat. You might not know what the conversation will be about, but I assure you, it will be interesting. If you have a subject you want to discuss, bring it up and we will all join in with you. Find us at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84665676362. |
Wednesday February 18  | RMA Monthly Board Meeting Third Wednesday of every month at 7:00 pm Many people think that board meetings are boring. I can assure you; RMA board meetings are not. If you are interested in learning more about RMA or if you have some ideas you would like to suggest to the board, you are welcome to come to the meetings which are open to all. However, only board members can vote. The meeting is on Zoom and the link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87623621985. |
Tuesday February 21 | Life Without Religion Third Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm Are you an ex-believer, having to catch yourself before you say something that you will regret because of who will hear it? Life Without Religion (LWR) is for you. We are a peer support group with closed meetings. That makes it possible to discuss anything you feel the need to discuss while feeling assured that everyone there will understand what you are coping with. If you meet the criteria and would like to join us, contact Lois at loislwr@gmail.com. |
Monday February 27  | Movie Night - Online Fourth Monday of every month at 7:00 pm Atheist preachers? Have you ever imagined that the person standing in the pulpit and preaching was an atheist? Come to Movie Night and meet some of them. The movie for this month is the documentary, Losing Our Religion. The documentary features several ex-ministers, some of whom were still in the pulpit when they lost their faith and became atheists. What do they do? Where do they turn? The documentary fills you in on answers to that, also. Join us for the movie and for a stimulating discussion afterwards. Find us at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82004088905 . |
Tuesday February 28  | WeCanReason Webinar Once a month as announced Are you in for a treat this month! We have a great speaker and an interesting topic at our WeCanReason Webinar. David Spencer will be speaking on Easter Island: It's Not Just About Heads. David learned a lot about the rocks and geology and the giant heads carved in stone on Easter Island when he was there. He learned a lot about the culture and mythology, too. He tells us that "Giant statues were carved and erected over a period of centuries, then many were knocked down and broken over a period of a few years to decades, and no new ones were made. There was a Birdman cult, which grew larger at about the time the statues were knocked down. What happened?" The answer is just a click away. Join us at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8686052977 |