Diary
Ipswich Science in the Pub Radiation risks
Monday, Dec 12, 2011Monty Guest runs Suffolk Radiation Technical Services Ltd which provides advice on radiation protection to companies and organisations throughout the UK.Americans (and Brits) and God
Sunday, Dec 11, 2011Interesting piece in the New York Times by Eric Weiner, on Americans and organised religion. For a nation of talkers and self-confessors, we are terrible when it comes to talking about God. The discourse has been co-opted by the True Believers, on one hand, and Angry Atheists on the other. What about the rest of us? The rest of us, it turns out, constitute the nations fastest-growing religious demographic. We are the Nones, the roughly 12 percent of people who say they have no religious affiliation at all.United Nations event in Ipswich
Sunday, Dec 11, 2011**The local United Nations Association group organises an annual inter-faith Celebration of Human Rights in Ipswich. This year the event was on the 10 December and the theme was ‘The Family’, based on Article 16:3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.” This was my contribution (MN). What do we mean by the family?January meeting a game of Diversity
Friday, Dec 9, 2011We’ll be playing Diversity, a non-competitive educational game devised by Suffolk Inter-Faith Resource that teaches you about the different faiths and beliefs practiced in the county, including humanism. Long term members may remember playing it a few years ago, but you can always learn more. The game tends to prompt lots of discussion, so no one ever seems to finish it. Click here for more about the game. Click here to see it being played by a group of 6th form students.December meeting 10-minute topics
Friday, Dec 9, 2011The popular format where everyone comes with suggestions for topics for discussion, then write them on bits of paper, and the pieces of paper go in a hat, is back. Is there something you want to talk about? As usual, guests are welcome and there’ll be refreshments. Note that we’ll be in our new venue at University Campus Suffolk. [Click here for printable maps and directions (pdf).](http://www.suffolkhands.org.uk/files/1/SH&S at UCS - maps and directions.UN Day Celebration
Friday, Dec 9, 2011Every year the local UN Association organises an inter-faith Celebration of the Universal Charter of Human Rights. This years theme is the family, based on Article 16: (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.Ark logistics
Sunday, Dec 4, 2011With reference to our discussion about the ark (see previous post), and thanks to Tony Sidaway.Dinosaurs in Noahs Ark?
Saturday, Dec 3, 2011We’ve been visited by a creationist. Feel free to join the debate on whether there were dinosaurs in Noah’s Ark, and if scientists made up the theory of evolution. See the comments on Jesus and a baby dinosaur.Religion should be abolished?
Saturday, Dec 3, 2011This week’s National Secular Society e-newsletter quotes Irish writer Jennifer Johnston saying, “Personally I think that religion should be abolished and I think when you look around we’re doing not too bad a job of it in this country at the moment. It’s all just moving and about time, too.” This was in an interview with the Irish Independent. Johnston’s attitude is understandable, when you read about her own and her family’s experience of Catholicism, but abolishing religion isn’t the answer.Weekend web stuff
Friday, Dec 2, 2011Some of the stuff you could have found for yourselves, if you’d wanted to (that’s what Google is for), but I saved you the bother, OK? Sam Scott Perry was on Channel 4’s 4thought.tv, where he opined that men and dinosaurs were alive at the same time, and that Creationism should be taught in schools. Whoever taught Sam didn’t do a very good job. His science isn’t up to much.