March 2023 Newsletter
It’s March, but we shouldn’t be ‘mad as a March Hare’ because just four short days after
the Ides of March, it will be the vernal equinox! On March 20 after 3:24 pm, the days will begin to longer than the nights. It will be spring! Well, this is Calgary, so we won’t make any
promises about snow, even if winter is over. Nevertheless, we can start making plans for
spring.
We, at RMA, are planning a special WeCanReason Webinar for March. Our speaker,
Dr. Phil Zuckerman, will be coming to us from Southern California. Phil is a professor of sociology and secular studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. The title of his talk will be “Why are Atheists so Moral?” He knows whereof he speaks because Phil has done research on the sociology of religion. He founded the first ever secular studies program in which a student can graduate with a degree in secular studies. In addition to his academic work, Phil has written several popular books including Society Without God, What it Means to be Moral, Faith No More, and several others. You don’t want to miss this one so put it on your calendar now, Wednesday March 29, at 7:00 pm. Just click on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81416289479 and you’ll be there.
There is another very important day, this spring, to put on your calendar. That day is Saturday, May 6. It is still a couple of months away but you need to start planning and saving your pennies now. RMA is presenting the first annual Western Canadian Reason Conference at the Clique Hotel in Calgary. We have several excellent speakers lined up and we will be confirming more soon. All of the information you need on the WeCanReason Conference will be on the web page at https://wecanreason.com/. More information will be added as planning progresses.
Lois’ Pick: My pick for this month is Raising Freethinkers, a podcast by Dale McGowan on Only Sky Media. https://onlysky.media/raising-freethinkers-podcast/ Although not raised religious himself, Dale discovered that many non-religious parents were looking for guidance in raising their children. He found that there was “nothing out there” so he started working on the concept. He has written several books including Parenting Beyond Belief and Raising Freethinkers, among others. Dale has accomplished too much to even list. He earned degrees is both anthropology and music and was a music professor at a university. He also founded the charity, Foundation Beyond Belief, for the non-religious. Check out his podcast;
it’s great.
Thursday March 2
Life Without Religion - Online
First Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm
Were you once a believer in a fundamentalist faith and then realize that you could no longer believe? Did you then feel lost and alone and think you were the only person who ever
stopped believing? Well, you aren’t alone and Life Without Religion (LWR) was created for people like you. There are many of us who have found our way out of fundamentalism
and are here to support each other. 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 March 7
Skeptics in the Pub
First Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm
Do you want to socialize with like-minded non-believers? Then come to Skeptics in the Pub. Enjoy the friendly conversation and the good food at Bottlescrew Bills, 140 10 th Ave SW. Also enjoy the interesting video clips that Jeff has assembled to stimulate a discussion
Thursday March 9
RMA Book Club – ONLINE
Second Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm
The title of the Book Club book for this month sounds ominous but, in reality, it is very practical. The title is When Violence is the Answer. The author, Tim Larkin, explains that violence should be avoided when at all possible. But sometimes it isn’t and that is why he wrote the book. You can learn a lot about self-defense by reading this book. But even if you haven’t read it, you can still come to the meeting and join in the conversation. You can come to the online session by clicking on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81285558331
Thursday March 9
RMA Book Club – IN PERSON
Second Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm
Do you prefer to socialize in-person rather than on Zoom? The Book Club offers you the option. The information is the same as the online session but you can join the crowd, in-person, by coming to the address listed on the Meetup page.
Saturday March 11 5:30 PM
Pub Night with live music
The Heathens are out and about and playing at the Silver Point Pub & Eatery, located at 5720 Silver Springs Blvd NW #8. Come hear RMA’s own house band and enjoy some food
and friendly conversation, as well. For details, check the Meetup page.
Monday March 13
Coffee Chat
Second Monday of every month at 1:00 pm
You will find friendly people and lively conversation at the RMA Coffee Chat. If you have some idea or thought that has been nagging at you and you want to hear other people’s ideas about it, come to the chat and bring up your subject. You will certainly get feedback. And you will have an opportunity to respond to other people’s ideas. Nothing reasonable is out of bounds. To join in the conversation, just click on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84665676362
Wednesday March 15 7:00 pm
RMA Monthly Board Meeting
If you have some ideas you would like to share with the RMA board members, you are welcome to come to the meeting and make suggestions. However, only board members can vote. The time and place of this month’s meeting is to be determined. So, keep an eye on the Meetup page to find out.
Saturday March 18 10 AM
Blood Donor Clinic
Four times a year, as announced
There are people who need your blood more than you do. So come out to the clinic and donate a little of yours. Then enjoy lunch with the other donors while you rebuild your blood
supply. You will need to plan ahead so, to find out how and where to register, check the Meetup page.
Tuesday March 21
Life Without Religion
Third Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm
RMA has two LWR meetings every month because we still want to have one in-person and one online. We will, eventually, but the location that we were considering for the in-person meeting is closing. We will keep looking but, for now, we are still online. Nevertheless, we have some very stimulating and supportive conversations. To keep conversations confidential and discussions on point, LWR is open only to people who have experienced difficulty in their lives due to involvement in a fundamentalist religion. If you are not yet a member but you meet the criteria and would like to join us, contact Lois at loislwr@gmail.com
Monday March 27
Movie Night - Online
Fourth Monday of every month at 7:00 pm
The movie for this month is Holy Hell, a documentary about director/producer, Will Allen’s, experience in the Buddhafield cult. Because Allen had graduated from film school before he
was drawn into the cult, he became the cult leader, Michel Rostand’s, documentarian. After escaping the cult and making the film, Allen was able to use much of the actual footage from
the cult in the documentary. Check out the Meetup Page here. Come see the film and join in the stimulating conversation afterwards, by clicking https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89721443052
Wednesday March 29
WeCanReason Webinar
To cap off a busy month, we are having a guest speaker for our WeCanReason Webinar. Dr. Phil Zuckerman, professor of sociology and secular studies at Pitzer College in Claremont,
California, is going to speak on “Why are Atheists so Moral?” Phil probably knows more about this subject than anyone else because he has done years of research on secularism. He spent over a year in Denmark, teaching at Aarhus University and doing research on the secularity in one of the most secular countries in the world. In addition to teaching and research, Phil has written the popular books, What It Means to Be Moral, Living the Secular Life, Society without God, Faith No More, and more. He is also the general editor for Secular
Studies series published by NYU, and the research editor for Only Sky Media. This is a webinar that you won’t want to miss. So put it on your calendar and on March 29th at 7:00 pm, click on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81416289479
For more WeCanReason, check out our Conference 2023 webpage. May 5-6 2023 at Hotel Clique near the Airport! Early Bird discount available until March 20 for tickets.