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Past Meetings

Meeting minutes are available going back to the very first Freethought Association meeting in the summer of 1997!

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Science

Richard Dawkins - Unweaving the Rainbow (Dr. Carl Bajema, GVSU Biology)
Evolution; what's all the fuss 4 billion years after the FACT? (Dr. Greg Forbes, GRCC Biology)
Richard Dawkins Lecture at GVSU (Dr. Richard Dawkins, Oxford)
The Evolution of Human Sexuality (Dr. Carl Bajema, GVSU Biology)
Polygamy; A Natural History (Dr. Greg Forbes, GRCC Biology)
Quantum Mechanics (Dr. Jack Mallalh, FSU Physics)
Surely we're different? What makes us human? (Dr. Greg Forbes, GRCC Biology)
Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel (Marshall Grate, Attorney)
Reversing Human Aging (Dr. Michael Fossel, MSU Clinical Medicine)
Tower of Babel, The Evidence Against the New Creationism (Dr. Robert Pennock, MSU Science/Philosophy)
Perspectives on Evolution and Creation: Implications for Science, Religion and Faith. (Dr. Greg Forbes, GRCC & Dr. Michael Pape, U of M Microbiology)
Artificial Intelligence (Dr. Guenter Tusch, GVSU Math/Computer Science)
The Neurological Basis of Consciousness (Herman Sullivan, MD)
Intelligent Design; Grasping for Straws in the New Millennium
A presentation of the many unintelligent designs in nature (Dr. Greg Forbes, GRCC Biology)
The History of Language Science (John Joldersma)
Dogma, Doctrine & Deduction; Darwin's Life of Discovery (Dr. Greg Forbes, GRCC Biology)
If We Reverse Human Aging, What Happens? (Dr. Michael Fossel, MSU Clinical Medicine)
Science, Pseudoscience and Just Plain Nonsense;
A Consumer's Guide to Scientific Claims (Dr. Greg Forbes, GRCC Biology)
Stem Cell Research and Cloning (Dr. Greg Forbes, GRCC Biology)
Built on Sand: The Collapsing Creationist Tower (Dr. Robert Pennock, MSU Science/Philosophy)
The Science of Chiropractic (Dr. Brian Mikula, GRCC Science)
Science and Religion: Potential for a Grand Dialogue (Dr. Douglas Kindschi, GVSU Math/Philosophy)
Why Are We So Gullible? — How Good Thinking Goes Bad (Dr. Greg Forbes)
From the Big Bang to the Big Crunch: Ultimate World History Dr. Craig Benjamin, GVSU History

Psychology

Reality Therapy (Walt Van Dam)
Fundamentalism and Abuse (Charles LaRue)
Evolutionary Psychology (Dr. Greg Miklashek, Psychiatrist)
Integrating Medicine and Psychology (Dr. Robert Collins, Psychologist)
ADHD: Disease or Deception? (Dr. Robert Collins, Psychologist)
Is alcoholism a disease? (Jill Pinkerton)
The Human Mind as a Prism (Dr. Robert Collins, Psychologist)
Psychology of Religion: Research on Religiosity, Fundamentalism, and Atheism(Dr. Luke Galen, GVSU Psychology)
Nature or Nurture; How do Genes, Environment & Free Will Affect Human Behavior? (Dr. Greg Forbes, GRCC Biology)
Why We Believe: Cognitive Psychology and Religion (Dr. Luke Galen, GVSU Psychology)
Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Optimizing Our Nature (Dr. Robert Collins, Psychologist)
The Psychology Behind Our Treatment of Animals (Jamie DeLeeuw)

Paranormal/Skepticism

Skeptics and True Believers; The Exhilarating Connection Between Science and Religion (Dr. Carl Bajema, GVSU Biology)
Claims of the Paranormal (Dr. Paul Critelli, Psychologist)
Why People Believe Weird Things (Dr. Michael Shermer, Skeptics Society)
Are Ghosts for Real? (Don Hansen)
The Latest Woo Woo - What's happening in the world of "I'll believe anything" (Dr. Paul Critelli, Psychologist)

Religion

An Evening with Duncan Littlefair (Duncan Littlefair, former pastor of Fountain Street Church)
Life and Death? (Various)
Promise Keepers (Jeff Smith, Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy)
Civility in an Age of Road Rage (Pastor Ben Ingebretson, Kentwood Community Church)
Religion in the Media (Charles Honey, Religion Editor, Grand Rapids Press)
Religion of the Founding Fathers (Bill Jacobks, MA, MLA, MCC PoliSci/History/Humanities)
Buddhism (Steve Anderson)
Losing Faith in Faith (Dan Barker, Freedom From Religion Foundation)
A Calvinist Contemplates Walking Away from Faith (Dr. Ruth Tucker, Calvin Seminary)
The Jewish Approach to Living (Rabbi David Krishef, Temple Ahavas Israel)
The Meaning of Mythology (Jason Pittman)
Numbers (Ray Sadowski)
A Finger Pointing at the Moon, An Introduction to Philosophical Taoism (Jeff Seaver, Exec Dir of Freethought Association)
Cults and Religions; A Question of Continuum or Context? (Dr. Greg Forbes, GRCC Biology)
The Success of Christianity in Modern Culture (Dr. Robert Collins, Psychologist & Jeff Seaver, Exec Dir of Freethought Association)
The World of Islam (Mustafa Eissa, Islamic Center of West Michigan)
Women and Religion (Heidi Stenson)
Secret Origins of the Bible (Tim Callahan, Religion Editor, Skeptic Magazine)
Does Religion Do More Good or Harm? (Dr.David Myers, Hope College Psychology)
The Philosophy of Vedanta (Renu Malhotra and Fred Stella, Interfaith Dialogue Association)
WWJD: Debunking Popular Myths About Jesus (Jeremy Crow)
Ancient Cosmology and Early Christian Symbolism (David Fideler, PhD)
I'm a God-fearing Humanist! (Rev. Tom Owen-Towle, Fountain Street Church)
The Jesus Smorgasbord: Recreational Christianity in the "Northern Bible Belt" (Jeremy Beahan, AJ Koorsta, and Matt Wylie)
Rot on the Vine: The Many Dark Faces of Religion (Dr. J. Stenesh, Emeritus WMU Chemistry)
The American Religious Civil War (Edwin Kagin, Constitutional Law Attorney)
Science and Religion: Potential for a Grand Dialogue (Dr. Douglas Kindschi, GVSU Math/Philosophy)
Jesus, The Empty Tomb, and other Myths (Dr. Robert Price, Fellow of Westar Institute's Jesus Seminar, author)
From Calvinism to Freethought: The Road Less Traveled (Dr. Howard J. Van Till, Emeritus Calvin College, Physics and Astronomy)
Tolerance and Truth: a Dialogue on Constructing a Free and Virtuous Society (Father Robert A. Sirico, President of the Acton Institute)

Politics and Economics

God and the Constitution (Marshall Grate, Attorney)
Separation of Church and State (Tim VanHaitsma)
Election Results and Politics (Dirk Nebbeling)
Kosovo Crisis (Dr. Kris Lou, Aquinas College PoliSci)
ACLU on Vouchers (Charles Bearden & Lee Nelson Weber, ACLU of West Michigan)
The 2000 Election (Jeff Seaver, Exec Dir Freethought Association)
Socialism vs. Capitalism (Frank Girard)
The Federal Reserve Bank (Dennis Murphy)
America's Role in the World: Globalization and the Clash of Cultures (Henry Cisneros)
Nuclear Disarmament & International Law (Kary Love, Attorney)
Dow Jones 40,000 (Bill Van Oosterhout)
The Fundamentals of Extremism: The Christian Right in America (Kimberly Blaker, author of The Fundamentals of Extremism: The Religious Right in America)
US Foreign Policy in the Middle East (Keith St. Claire, GRCC PoliSci)
Why the religious right is wrong about separation of church and state (Rob Boston, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, author of Why the Religious Right is Wrong About Separation of Church and State)
What church do you belong to?' An Atheist Runs for Office in Grand Rapids (Kathryn Lynnes)
The US Patriot Act (Kary Love, Attorney)
Why Traditional Values May Not Be Beneficial to the West Michigan Economy (Ben Rudolph, PhD, GVSU Seidman School of Business)
The wacky, maddening employment system. (George Crosby)
Beyond Liberal and Conservative Bias: Noam Chomsky's Media Propaganda Model (Jeremy Crow)
The Media and Democracy (Jeff Smith, Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy)
Clash of Civilizations: The Ideas of Samuel Huntington (Dennis Murphy)
Funding of Michigan's Public Schools (Marshall Grate, Attorney)
The Science and Politics of Energy (Greg White)
Industrial Ecology: A Darwinian Business Model (Geoffrey Saint)

Arts

Freethought and the Arts (Various)
The Myth of the Golden Mean (Shane Van Oosterhout & Bill Fischer, Kendall College of Art and Design)
Freethought and the Arts 2005 (Various)
Freethought and the Arts 2006 (Various)

Freethought, Humanism, and Atheism

Social and Family Issues Facing Freethinkers (John Schmeider)
The Freethought Legacy of Robert Ingersoll (Roger Greeley, author of The Best of Ingersoll)
Humanism and Spirituality (Dirk Nebbeling)
Women in Freethought (Lanette Grate)
Women in Freethought Part II (Barb Neuman)
Personal Accounts of Leaving the Fold (I) (Jeff Seaver, Exec Dir Freethought Association)
Testimonies of Leaving the Fold (III) (Jeff Seaver, Exec Dir Freethought Association)
Secular Weddings and Funerals (Jeff Seaver, Exec Dir Freethought Association)
Secularism is the Religion of Humanity (Roger Greeley, author of The Best of Ingersoll)
What is secular humanism? (Dr. Paul Kurtz, Emeritus, SUN-Buffalo Philosophy)
Meditation for Heretics (Steve Anderson)
Mark Twain tries (again) to become a Christian (Joel Welty)
Freethought Stories, Stickers, and Slogans (Dr. Robert Collins, Psychologist)
Richard Dawkins - The Devil's Chaplain (Dr. Carl Bajema, GVSU Biology)
What is the Center for Inquiry? The Challenge of the New Enlightenment (DJ Grothe, Council for Secular Humanism)
Staying Sane in a Crazy World: How to Live Your Life as a Freethinker (Rabbi Sherwin Wine, Society for Humanistic Judaism)
Freethought 101 (Dr. Robert Collins, Psychologist)
Atheist Politics and Power in America (Ellen Johnson, President American Atheists)
The Future of Freethought in West Michigan (Freethought Board)
Raising Children in Freethinking Families (Panel Discussion)

History

The Life and Times of Clarence Darrow (Marshall Grate, Attorney)
The Origins of War (Marshall Grate, Attorney)
Early Freethought Literature (Frank Girard)
Freethought Association History & Stories of Leaving the Fold (II) (Jeff Seaver, Exec Dir Freethought Association)
The History and Advantages of Freethought (William Merriman)
I Just Like the Presents — The Origins of Holidays (Bob Stark)
Clarence Darrow Live! (Roger Brewin, Unitarian Universalist Minister)
Astronomy: the Origin of Religions (Bob Baumbach, GRCC Astronomy, Retired)
Freethought Women Throughout History (Dr. Valerie Wilkes, National Organization of Women)

Social Issues and Civil Rights

Physician Aid in Dying (Nancy Bedell, Merrian's Friends)
Human Rights in Chiapas, Mexico (Jeff Smith, Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy)
What is a Bigot? (Howard Foster, former Baptist minister)
Diversity (Tharani Jayaratnam)
Gay/Lesbian Issues (Jim Eastman)
Internet Censorship in Public Libraries (Kristen Vandenburg, Attorney, Hudsonville Library Board Member)
Animal Rights (Simon Hatley)
Religious Displays on Public Property (Frank Bacon)
Alcoholics Anonymous and Religion (Jill Pinkerton)
Gun Control (Dennis Murphy)
End of Life Issues (Kevin Miller)
Separation of Church and State (Dirk Nebbeling)
Keep Your Hands Off of My Genitalia: The Biology and Socio-political Controversy Surrounding Genital Modification (Mutilation) and Intersex (Hermaphroditic) Individuals (Dr. Greg Forbes, GRCC Biology)
The Secular Basis for Human Rights (William Merriman)
Whither Humanity? What does evolution teach us about the current human condition and how do we go about effecting social change?(James Kulig)
Affirmative Action (Marshall Grate, Attorney)
The Separation on State Street: Michigan's Own Witch Hunt (Rob St. Mary, WOOD Radio News)
Nepal: Reconciling Paradise and Poverty (Earl Canfield, ANSWER)
Hard Times Cafe — An Empowerment Model (Hard Times Cafe Staff)
Organ Donation: The Gift of Life (Tami Jacobs, Art Bott, and Jennifer Tislerics, Michigan Gift of Life)
Religion, Sex, and Terror — The Current State of Civil Liberties (Shelli Weisberg, ACLU of Michigan)
Sex in Politics — How the Religious Right Perverts Social Science Research on Sexuality (Dr Luke Galen, GVSU Psychology)
Reproductive Rights: Past Progress, Current Threats (Alice St. Clair, Planned Parenthood of West Michigan)
The Statue of Liberty’s Dark Torch — Immigration in America (Richard Kessler, Esq.)

Philosophy

Determinism vs. Free Will: How Will, Choice, and Liberty are consistent with Determinism (William Merriman)
The Meanings of Life (Jeff Seaver, Exec Dir Freethought Association)
Is White A Color? Goethe vs. Newton (Dr. Robert Collins, Psychologist)
An Evolutionary Approach to Critical Thinking (Ron Palmer)
Omni-scientific Cosmology and Human Destiny (Anthony Marr)
The Philosophy of Ayn Rand (Dennis Murphy)
Mencius Tells About Confucius (Joel Welty, Great Lakes Humanist Society)
Naturalism: The Next Step for Humanists? (Tom Clark, Director, Center for Naturalism)
Truth-Driven Thinking (Stephen Gibson, author of Truth-Driven Thinking)
Materialism and Mindfulness: Science and the Sense of Self (Jeremy Beahan)

Ethics and Morality

The Ten Commandments (Jeff Seaver, Exec Dir Freethought Association)
The Ethics of Pre-marital Sex (Rob Adamczyk)
Abortion and Human Life (Various)
Skeptics Search for Moral and Ethical Values (Marshall Grate, Attorney)
Ethics of Human Cloning (Dr. Paul Huizenga, GVSU Biology)
Naturalistic Ethics (William Merriman)
Medical Bioethics (Herman Sullivan, MD)
The Ethics and Effects of Plant Biotechnology (Dr. Fred Deneke, GRCC Biology)
Is there sanctity of life for human and non-human animals? (Jeff Seaver, Exec Dir Freethought Association)
Are There Objective Values? Human Hope Vs. Randian Logic as an Answer to Relativism (Dr. Joseph Ellin, WMU Philosophy)
A Freethinking Humanist builds a house; Making my house ethical is up to me (Joel Welty, Great Lakes Humanist Society)
The Problem of Circumcision (Norm Cohen, NoCirc of Michigan)
Whose Life is it Anyway? Your Right to a Peaceful Death (Faye Girsh, Hemlock Society)
EVIL: Should we speak of it in the 21st century? (Danny L. Balfour, PhD, GVSU School of Public and Non-profit Administration)

Environment

The Day After Tomorrow: Truth, Fiction or Otherwise? (Jan O'Connell, National Board Member, Sierra Club)
Great Lakes in the Balance? (Cyndi Roper, Clean Water Action)
Saving Local Farms: A Critical Step for Sustainability (Tom Cary, West Michigan Environmental Action Council)
Our Environmental Destiny (Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.)
Uncertain Science...Uncertain World (Dr. Henry Pollack, Emeritus U of M Geology and author of Uncertain Science...Uncertain World)
Industrial Ecology: A Darwinian Business Model (Geoffrey Saint)

Miscellaneous

Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Planning (Jeff Seaver)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Planning (Jeff Seaver/Don Hansen)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
1998 Solstice Party (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
Open Discussion (Various)
Book Reviews (Various)
Group Discussion (Various)
2005 Solstice Dinner and Awards Presentation (Various)