Platforms
Just Mercy
Philadelphia Ethical Society 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA, United StatesHugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society With the release of a feature film Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson’s work helping the poor, the incarcerated and the condemned caught up in the criminal justice system will soon be known by millions. Already praised for his book, Just Mercy, and the creation of his Equal Justice Initiative, Stevenson is worth [...]
Keeping Church and State Separate: Recent developments
Philadelphia Ethical Society 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA, United StatesAlex Luchenitser Associate Legal Director, Americans United for Separation of Church and State Alex Luchenitser will discuss the recent lawsuit against officials of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, in which he represented the Philadelphia Ethical Society, its late Leader Emeritus Richard Kiniry, and other nontheist groups and individuals that sought equal rights for nontheists to [...]
Deed Before Creed: Ethics and Non-Theism
Philadelphia Ethical Society 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA, United StatesHugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society What does it mean to commit to “deed before creed"? To Hugh Taft-Morales, it simply means that it is more important how you treat people than the reasons behind your actions. Treating people with compassion and respect matters more than the motivating philosophy. Whether you help someone as an [...]
From Nuclear Madness to a Green New Deal
Philadelphia Ethical Society 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA, United StatesThe Rev. Robert Moore Executive Director, Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) The Rev. Robert Moore will give an overview of the two existential threats to human survival: nuclear weapons and the climate crisis. He will explore the inter-relationship between those two issues, and will propose a solution. He will also include a description of CFPA's [...]
CANCELED: The “Seven Deadly Sins” through a Humanist Lens
Philadelphia Ethical Society 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA, United StatesHugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society Most humanists reject the concept of “sin” as it relates to divine judgment. Many liberal religions embrace the idea that human nature, as flawed as it is, is basically good. So how do humanists process the seven deadly sins condemned by the bible as “deadly”? How should we regard pride, [...]
CANCELED: Improving Community Responses to Sexual Violence
Philadelphia Ethical Society 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA, United StatesRose Corrigan Professor, Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Drexel University Rose Corrigan will provide an overview of sexual violence, the responses to it by police, prosecutors, and medical staff, and why those responses are problematic. She will discuss how communities have tried to improve these responses, and the continuing challenges facing organizations that serve [...]
Virtual Platform: The Fragility of Life
Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society Opening our hearts and minds to the delicate beauty of the biosphere, the only known home for complex life in the universe, should engender great respect for nature. Instead, as David Wallace-Wells writes in The Uninhabitable Earth, human beings have activated “elements of climate chaos” that threaten our own [...]
Virtual Platform: The Meaning of Membership
Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society Email Hugh Taft-Morales at LeaderHugh@phillyethics.org if you would like to receive the ZOOM invitation.
Virtual Platform: Our Golden Rule
Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society The “Golden Rule” is a collection of moral aphorisms from religion and philosophy used to promote consideration of other people. In a world desperately in need of more empathy, reciprocity, and altruistic behavior, what place should the Golden Rule have in our lives? Hugh Taft-Morales explores various versions, their [...]
Losing I, Finding We: An Exploration of Attachment through the Prism of Ethical Culture
PA, United StatesChristian Hayden Ethical Culture Leader in Training Ethical Culture does not have explicit tenets or commandments, but it does ask of its members/followers to commit to building ethical relationships, because we as a community feel they are imperative to social justice and realizing a better world. At the same time, many of us struggle to [...]