Basic skills in caring and respectful communication.

Join the Northern Virginia Ethical Society for a public workshops in December at Green Hedges School, led by Jone Johnson Lewis. The workshop will focus on the basics of caring and respectful communication (based on the Nonviolent Communication process taught by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg).

Members of NoVES are, of course, more than welcome, as are others in the wider community. Please invite your friends and others:

Suggested donation: $5-$15.

Books on Nonviolent Communication will be available at the workshop or are available online at http://www.noves.org/nvc

Participants may also be interested in Communicating Compassionately at the Holidays, a workshop on December 16.

Skills in expressing honesty and empathy, for more authenticity and compassion at family events. Includes handling anger and difficult conversations.

Join the Northern Virginia Ethical Society for a public workshops in December at Green Hedges School, led by Jone Johnson Lewis. The workshop will focus on the basics of caring and respectful communication (based on the Nonviolent Communication process taught by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg).

Members of NoVES are, of course, more than welcome, as are others in the wider community. Please invite your friends and others:

Suggested donation: $15-$40.

Books on Nonviolent Communication will be available at the workshop or are available online at http://www.noves.org/nvc

Participants may also be interested in Communication for Connection a workshop on December 10.

"Beyond Right and Wrong" -- Jone Johnson Lewis, NoVES Leader

Ethics is about deciding who's right and who's wrong, who's good and who's evil, right? In our Ethical Culture tradition, ethics is about relating to others by attributing essential human worth, right or wrong. Jone will explore this paradox.

"Economics and Ethics" -- Dr. Sven Sinclair, NoVES Member

Is free market always the best? Is it immoral to place a monetary value on human life? How should society punish criminals? Being the "physics of social sciences," modern economics not only informs policy, but also helps think rationally about ethical issues. On the other hand, influential economists are often guided by their preconceived ethical values and what the public perceives as economic ideas are sometimes value judgments in disguise. Economics and ethics are more intertwined than we might like. And new research in biology of human behavior may force us to rethink some fundamental ideas in both economics and ethics.

"A New International Image for America" -- Glenn Schweitzer, National Academy of Sciences

"Our Religious Neighborhood" -- Jone Johnson Lewis, NoVES Leader

Do your friends get confused when you tell them you belong to an Ethical Society? Are you reluctant to tell your friends because it's difficult to explain who and what we are? Jone will talk about some of the humanist and religious groups which are closest to Ethical Culture and a few we're sometimes confused with by others. What are our similarities? Differences?

"Ethics and Harry Potter"-- Amy Anderson, NoVES Member

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books chronicling the adventures of the young wizard are among the best-selling books of all times. These books have also created controversy and are among the most banned books of all times, most often by conservative Christians. But beyond the religious controversy, there are moral themes in the books; themes to which children and adults world wide have responded strongly. Ms. Anderson, graduate of Yale Divinity School and currently a play therapist, will discuss these moral themes and values in her platform, "The Ethics of Harry Potter."

"The Ethics of Good Science: Why Teaching Evolution is Moral" -- Gregory Tinkler, Ph.D. Board Member of the Alliance for Science, Postdoctoral researcher at the National Institutes of Health.

Evolutionary Theory is the cornerstone of biology and modern medicine. Yet creationists, wearing the mantle of morality, attempt to cast doubt upon this crucial concept. Who is right? What does evolution have to offer humankind, and what are the ethical consequences of promoting evolutionary theory in the classrooms? Come hear a presentation about the importance of evolution to health and society, and why withholding knowledge of good science is bad for everyone.

"The Spirit of Generosity: Creating a More Giving World, by Learning to Receive" -- Jay Perry, founder of The Coaching Collective

Most people agree that generosity is a quality to be practiced and nurtured. However simply viewing generosity as a series of selfless acts misses a key aspect to the equation: A desire to contribute + someone to receive the contribution = generosity. What would life be like if there were no one to receive the special gifts that we have to offer? How can we increase the number of people that are prepared to receive our goods, our services, or our love? Is it possible that we could help to create a more generous world by developing our own ability to receive?

Cancelled due to adverse weather conditions -- moved to later in the year.

Katharine Munzer Rogers, Professor Emerita of English, Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York

L. Frank Baum edited a newspaper as a young man, and in his very first issue he celebrated a new "age of Unfaith," in which people's reason revolted against the Church's teachings of blind faith in the Bible, salvation and damnation.

In Oz, Baum created a utopia in which God is pointedly not mentioned: people are happy because they are prosperous and valued; they are good because they are happy; laws and law enforcement hardly exist because good people are not motivated to do wrong.

"What Passes For Religion" -- Tony Hileman, Leader, New York Society for Ethical Culture

For centuries, the threshold of religion was our acceptance of forces beyond nature, and our reliance on them for information about things we do not know and perhaps cannot know. The prophesies of those claiming insight to the forces and mysteries of the universe guided our thoughts, our actions, and our lives. We no longer suborn intellect to authority, and we've come to recognize that religion consists of involvement as much as contemplation. As our concept of what passes for religion shifts, are there imposters that we should be protesting? Have the prophets of yore become the pretenders of today?

"The Sky Is Falling: A History of the End of the World" -- Jone Johnson Lewis, NoVES Leader

Apocalyptic thinking still characterizes a lot of religion in America today. Jone will talk about some of the roots of apocalyptic religion, and how it may impact on politics, and culture even for those who don't share this "end of the world" view.

"Why Adler Never Signed the Humanist Manifesto" -- Curt Collier, Leader of the Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture

The Humanist Manifesto is one of the most comprehensive statements of the aspirations and values of the Humanist community in the 1930's. It was signed by a list of notable thinkers and clergy. However, one name was noticeably absent; Felix Adler's. Why didn't Adler sign the document, and what does this act teach us about what he considered the future direction of our movement?

No meeting on Easter Sunday -- enjoy a day off with family, friends, or yourself.