Join us each month on the first Friday, at 10 a.m. on the church campus, to learn more about our society and ourselves. Our speakers challenge us to think about topical social issues related to religion, ethics, morality or social justice.
Audios are available where indicated.
Click here to read the background and philosophy of the UUCS Freethinkers program.
2010-12 Presenters and their topics
"Stand Your Ground, Self Defense and Common Sense" -- Adam Tebrugge, board certified criminal trial attorney (June 4, 2012)
"Freeing the Innocent on Florida's Death Row" -- Seth Miller, executive director, Innocence Project of Florida (May 11, 2012)
"The Occupy Wall St. movement's influences and impact" -- Dr. Richard Skinner, professor of political science, New College of Florida (April 6, 2012)
"Quakers and Their Philosophy" -- Prof. Jerry Frost, Quaker historian, Swarthmore College, Quaker Library Director (Mar. 16, 2012)
"The Bible and the Historical Jesus" -- Rev. David Ryan (Feb. 3, 2012)
"Evolution Mis-applied" -- Prof. Joseph Kerata, former Ohio Teacher of the Year (Jan. 13, 2012)
"Candidate without a prayer" -- Herb Silverman, president and founder, Secular Coalition of America (Dec. 2, 2011)
"Florida's immigrants fight for fair wages" -- Coalition for Immigrant Workers (Nov. 4, 2011)
"Changing Images of Aging in the Media" -- Maria Vesperi, anthropologist, New College of Florida (Oct. 7, 2011)
"Indian Buddhist Mysticism" -- John Newman, Religion Professor, New College of Florida (Sept. 9, 2011)
"Immigration in America and Florida: Crisis, Costs and Future" -- Former Sarasota Mayor Kelly Kirschner (August 5, 2011)
"End-of-life issues among older adults in the Sarasota community" -- Dr. Kathy Black, associate professor at the University of South Florida (May 6, 2011)
"Fissures between Black Americans and Indian Nations" -- Willard Johnson, prof. emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Mar. 4, 2011)
"Disruptive Green Technologies" -- Arthur Kesten, president, Nanocap Technologies (Feb. 4, 2011)
"The Sugar Slave Trade" -- Robert Waite (Jan. 7, 2011)
" The Human Animal" -- Joseph Kerata (Dec. 4, 2010)
"Islam and Lesbianism" -- Prof. Heather White, New College of Florida (Nov. 19, 2010)
"When 'doing the right thing' is the wrong thing to do" -- Prof. April Flakne, New College of Florida (Nov. 5, 2010)
"Whatever happened to The Enlightenment? The Decline of Critical Thinking" -- Dr. Gordon E. "Mike" Michalson, president, New College of Florida (Oct. 1, 2010)
65 Years of Social Justice -- Social activist Thomas Hemphill, former ex dir, Heifer International (Sept. 3, 2010)
"Why the Catholic church is in such decline across the modern world" -- Prof. James W. Johnson (August 6, 2010)
"A Reform Rabbi Wrestles with God" -- Rabbi Harold Caminker, spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Bradenton (June 3, 2010)
"Cuba at a Crossroad" -- Monte Hayes, retired AP bureau chief, and attorney Lou Altman (May 21, 2010)
"Evolution ... only a theory?" -- Joe Kerata, retired advanced biology teacher (May 7, 2010)
"The Tranformation of Quebec" -- Larry Birch, retired government of Canada official (April 16, 2010)
"Dispatches from the Front: The Battle to Separate Church and State in Florida" -- Glenn Katon, director, ACLU's Center for Religious Freedom (April 2, 2010)
"Achieving peace in the Middle East" -- Andy Blanch, director, Center for Religious Tolerance (March 19, 2010)
"Reconciling Economic development and Environmental Sustainabilty" -- Prof. Frank Alcock, director, Marine Policy Institute, Mote Marine Lab (March 5, 2010)
"The economic maelstrom in Washington and what it means to you" -- Syndicated financial columnist Lauren Rudd (Feb. 5, 2010)
"Buddhism 101" -- Paul Lewis (Jan. 8, 2010)
Note: A list of our 2008/09 presentations
is on this page.