Freethinkers first, last and always
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or any other dogma. The cognitive application of freethought is known as freethinking, and practitioners of freethought are known as freethinkers
--Wikipedia.
The First Friday Freethinkers is a group of individuals at UUCS who believe knowledge comes from the free expression and exchange of ideas, especially in the fields of religion, morality, ethics and justice. The group got its start at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota in 2007.
We believe society benefits when orthodoxy is eliminated and people are free to believe what they want and to speak their minds openly. We sponsor discussions on the first (and very often the third) Friday of every month at 10 am in the Jefferson Room on the church's campus at 3975 Fruitville Road in Sarasota. Please join us. We'd love to hear your views.
Discussions center around a specific topic and usually last an hour, with an additional half-hour devoted to questions, answers and discussion.
For those who wish to expore the concept of freethinkers more fully a comprehensive definition of a freethinker can be found at the site of the Freedom from Religion Foundation.
If you're interested in finding out if you're a freethinker, or how to become one, Scott Berkun has some advice for you to think about at http://www.scottberkun.com/essays/how-to-be-a-free-thinker/
Forums are held every first Friday of the month at 10 a.m. in the Jefferson Room on the church campus. Occasionally we will sponsor a second forum on the third Friday of the month. We hope to see you there.
** If you are interested in being on our emailing list or otherwise contacting the organization you can email us at freethinkers@uusarasota.com.
The challenge: How do we create economic development without destroying the planet?
Frank Alcock, director, Mote Marine Laboratory, Marine Policy Insitute
Bringing together two disparate parties such as the Israelis and Palestinians requires super-sensitive skills in the conciliation process.
Andy Blanche, peace activitist, director of the Center for Religious Tolerance
Latest skirmishes in the separation of church and state war in Florida.
Glenn Katon, regional director, ACLU's Tampa office
Generally considered one of the greatest scientistis who ever lived Einstein believed in God. We know because he told us as much. But his God was not the God that we commonly think of on those occasions when we allow ourselves to wonder if there's a God. Come hear what Einstein believed, then let's talk about what you believe.
Open discussion