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Podcasts from The Ethical Society of St. Louis
Subscribe to podcasts of selected Ethical Society Platforms (MP3s)
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or download individual presentations by using one of the links below.
All of these podcasts are live recordings of regular Sunday
Platform addresses to the St. Louis Ethical Society.
Podcasts last Updated: 04/15/2008
04/15/2008
A human faith, Kate Lovelady, Leader, 13-Apr-2008 
I like periodically to update and present some of the great wisdom from our past. We need to know history in order not to repeat it, or not to have to re-invent it; there is a lot of historical thought that is surprisingly relevant to today. Unfortunately, that thinking can lose its power over the years due to changes in language and communication styles.
This Sunday we will explore the central ideas in "A Common Faith," a seminal work on religious humanism by famous American philosopher John Dewey, who while not a member of an Ethical Society had close ties with our movement. His ideas were radical in his day, and remain radical in ours, and I will do my best to translate them into modern language so that they may re-inspire a new generation.
"The religious is any activity pursued in behalf of an ideal end against obstacles and in spite of threats of personal loss because of its general and enduring value." - John Dewey
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04/05/2008
From vengeance to mercy, Part 2, Kate Lovelady, Leader, 23-Mar-2008
This Sunday's address will continue our look at justice in America. Two differing concepts of justice are retributive justice, which focuses on punishing the offender, and restorative justice, which focuses on the reconciliation of the offender, the victim, and the community. We will examine some of the current problems of our criminal justice system and hear some stories of remarkable reconciliation and healing. We will also explore the ethics of restitution, forgiveness, and mercy, and ask how the values of religious human-ism can help us encourage forms of justice that affirm worth and dignity and seek to bring out the best in all of us.
We ought always to deal justly, not only with those who are just to us, but likewise to those who endeavor to injure us; and this, for fear lest by rendering them evil for evil, we should fall into the same vice.
Hierocles
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03/24/2008
From "What passes for religion," Tony Hileman, Senior Leader New York Society For Ethical Culture, 16-Mar-2008
For centuries, the threshold of religion was our acceptance of forces be-yond 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?
Tony Hileman is Senior Leader of the New York Society for Ethical Culture. Tony began as a successful businessman in Indiana. He then went on to a second career in wire service journalism, working in Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa for United Press International, then as an executive for Agence France Presse (AFP). Disenchanted with corporate life, Tony left AFP and began his next career as an independent consultant, first in the field of journalism and then more broadly. He eventually specialized as an executive coach, helping individuals achieve personal as well as professional success while simultaneously discovering the vast numbers of people who support a Humanist life stance similar to his own. These years saw the full development of Tony's lifelong views on Humanism and eventually led to his position as executive director of the American Humanist Association in 1999. As Tony often expresses to Humanist and non-Humanist audiences alike, "the need for a strong Humanist voice in the national dialogue has never been greater than it is today." He joined the NY Society for Ethical Culture in 2005.
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03/11/2008
From vengeance to mercy, Part 1, Kate Lovelady, Leader, 9-Mar-2008
This Sunday's address is the first of a two-part examination of ideas of justice in current American culture. We look back on the "Wild" West as a time of lawlessness and vigilantism, but have our underlying attitudes toward justice really changed all that much? Our criminal justice system, a largely privatized industry and a pawn of political games, emphasizes punishment over rehabilitation, seemingly blind to the fact that most prisoners will eventually again be our neighbors. Our popular culture sells to even the smallest children a vision of heroism in which the good guys hurt or kill the bad guys, and we all cheer. How can our ethical values help us to promote justice that keeps us safe and that aids the healing of victims, perpetrators, and society?
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03/09/2008
From Imus to Jena and several Sharpton stops in between: The media's role in racial polarization, Mark Albrecht, 24-Feb-2008
The tragic Don Imus and Jena 6 situations were two of the biggest stories highlighted by the media in 2007. And the term "race" served as the back-drop. Predictably, the African-American, dynamic duo of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton stepped up to participate and serve as "de-facto" representatives as national dialogue began. But what exactly are Sharpton and Jackson's roles, who appoints them, and what are the effects of their participation in these types of situations?
Additionally, what kind of dialogue did we end up with as a nation? Are we better off for it? How was that dialogue moderated? And what role did the media play in all of this?
Ethical Society member Mark Albrecht is a Senior Media Communications Major with a double minor in Multicultural Studies and Anthropology at Webster University. Three years ago, Mark had a personal epiphany. Witnessing the state of affairs in the city, state, nation, world and planet, he realized that if he didn't get personally involved in social change, then it was not realistic for him to expect positive change.
At Webster, Mark has been active in many student organizations including the University Recycling Committee, ONE Webster (student branch of the ONE Campaign to end global poverty and AIDS), Behavioral and Social Sciences Club, and Habitat for Humanity. He traveled to New Orleans twice to do Hurricane Katrina recovery work and advocacy and is in the process of doing a documentary on the topic. Mark won a Dean's Award for Service from Webster University in 2007 for his work to bring awareness to Katrina's after-math.
Currently, his focus is social justice through Media Literacy and Media Re-form and working with Jobs with Justice, ACORN, wecanmo.org, Think Before You Ink campaign, and other grassroots efforts focusing on responsible humanity.
To discuss our podcasts please visit http://www.live.ethicalstl.org/platforms on our community site.
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03/02/2008
Atheists anonymous, Kate Lovelady, Leader, 17-Feb-2008
The U.S. Constitution explicitly prohibits any religious test for public office, yet polls reveal that Americans are less likely to vote for an atheist than a member of any other minority, and the presidential candidates as usual are vying to be named "Most Religious." Americans also tell pollsters in over-whelming numbers that they believe in a god, yet more Americans are living outwardly-secular lives than ever before, and "angry atheist" books top the best-seller lists. What are the roots of anti-atheist prejudice and what is it really like being an atheist today? What is the duty of Ethical Culture, a "non-thiestic" religion that seeks to unite people on the common ground of ethics, to stand up for non-believers?
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03/02/2008
The evolutionary emergence of purpose, Dr. Ursula Goodenough, 10-Feb-2008
A common misunderstanding of Darwinian evolution is that it renders existence meaningless and without purpose. In fact, the origin of life marks the origin of meaning and purpose: indeed, if they exist anywhere else in the uni-verse, we will probably never know. This understanding, Dr. Goodenough will suggest, has wondrous ethical implications.
Ursula Goodenough, Ph.D., is Professor of Biology at Washington University. Before joining the staff of Washington University, she was Assistant and Associate Professor of Biology at Harvard from 1971-1978. Her primary teaching has been a cell biology course for undergraduate biology majors, but she also co-teaches a course, The Epic of Evolution, with a physicist and a geologist, for nonscience students. Her research has focused on the cell biology and (molecular) genetics of the sexual phase of the life cycle of a unicellular eukaryotic green algae and, more recently, on the evolution of the genes governing mating-related traits. Her laboratory has been supported by grants from NIH, NSP, and USDA and she has written three editions of a widely adopted textbook, Genetics. Dr. Goodenough has served in numerous capacities in national biomedical arenas, including review panels, editorial boards, and many positions in the American Society for Cell Biology.
Dr. Goodenough joined the Institute of Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS) in 1989. She has presented papers and seminars on Science and Religion in numerous areas and written a book on the subject, The Sacred Depths of Nature (Oxford University Press, 1998). She is a strong advocate of teaching the History of Nature in our schools.
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02/10/2008
Communication with children: poetry, precision and practice, Dave Mampel, 3-Feb-2008
The Minnesota poet Alan Tate has said that "to communicate effectively is to love," and that, I believe, is the essence of my address. I want to explore how we as adults can best tap into our desire to love our children (or anyone for that matter!) and express ourselves more effectively with language that says what we really want to say. How do we get as close as possible to our values, ethics, and core beliefs when we communicate? How do we keep it real, simple, truthful, fresh, and loving with our kids? Of course, communication is sometimes very difficult with children if we are unable to empathize with the variety of languages and unique perspectives children have or if we are too tired, rushed, and distracted by the cares of life. So, how do we slow down and empathize and communicate with kids better?
Dave Mampel has been performing professionally since 1992. Previously, Dave was an active ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, serving a 100-member parish in Idaho Falls, Idaho. After leaving the parish ministry to pursue an entertainment career, Dave developed his central character, "Daffy Dave" which has been a popular hit with family audiences in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Daffy Dave's shows have delighted children. He has performed widely in the Bay Area and on his local television show, "Daffy Dave's Tree Fort." Dave's CDs and videos are sold internationally. Daffy Dave also has an official fan club and interactive website, www.daffydave.com.
To discuss our podcasts please visit http://www.live.ethicalstl.org/platforms on our community site.
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02/09/2008
Spending our ethical currency, Kate Lovelady, Leader, 27-Jan-2008
It's time once again to kick off our yearly pledge campaign. There are many areas in our lives in which we ask ourselves the question, "Is this worth it?" Committing ourselves to ethical living means weighing the results we want against the resources in time, energy, money, and emotion it will take to move closer to our goals. Each of us must ask him or herself, "Am I really pursuing my goals, or just wishing for them?" Sometimes we feel helpless in the face of all the large problems of our community, our nation, our planet. But in all our lives, there remain untapped resources. What "ethical currency" do we have, and how can we spend it more wisely to help us move our ideals toward reality?
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01/27/2008
Fostering ethics in the face of globalization, John Daken, MD, 13-Jan-2008
The world seems to be getting smaller all the time. Our economy and our culture are increasingly interdependent with those of other countries. This intensifying interplay between people from different backgrounds offers the hope of greater understanding; it also poses the specter of oppression, alienation, and violence. These developments are not morally neutral, yet religious voices have not been prominent in the debates about globalization. One reason may be that the world’s major religions have often been poor global neighbors. Many theological traditions make their own exclusive claims to truth, setting the stage for irreconcilable debates and even blood-shed. Our pluralistic world calls for a pluralistic ethics rooted in a faith in the unique ethical capacities of every person and played out through an inclusive, elevating discourse.
John Daken is a native of Mystic, Connecticut who now makes his home outside Washington, DC with his wife Abigail and daughter Eleanor. In his role as a U.S. Navy psychiatrist, he participated in responses to terrorist at-tacks against the USS Cole and the Pentagon and later spent five weeks deployed to western Iraq. Having lost faith in the ability of military force to adequately address the terrorist threat, he left the Navy in October of 2006. He now serves as Medical Director of a community mental health clinic and is an active member of the Washington Ethical Society.
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01/20/2008
Starting over, Kate Lovelady, Leader, 6-Jan-2008
Many of us have experienced, and all of us will experience eventually, changes in our lives that overturn much of what we have known and counted on: we move to a new place, we lose a job, we retire from a vocation, we lose a beloved person. And so we must start over; we must remake our lives within new circumstances, find new reasons for and new ways of living. The dawn of a new year is an appropriate time to acknowledge that life is a series of endings, but also of beginnings, and to ask, where do we find the knowledge, strength, and help to start over?
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12/16/2007
If there is no god, from where do we get our hope? Dr. Joseph Chuman, Leader of The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County, New Jersey, 9-Dec-2007
For those who are traditionally religious, hope is derived from belief in a Divine Being who promises that all will work out for the best in the end. But for humanists, who doubt the existence of such a being, what are the sources of hope, especially when we are challenged by life's misfortunes and tragedies?
Dr. Chuman has been the leader of the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County, NJ, for 30 years. He has a doctorate in religion from Columbia University where he teaches seminars in religion and human rights for master’s and doctoral students.
Dr. Chuman also teaches at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Hunter College, and has taught at the United Nations University for Peace in San Jose, Costa Rica. He has published numerous articles in the Bergen Record and has also had articles published in The New York Times, The Humanist, Free Inquiry, Humanistic Judaism, and other periodicals. His articles on Ethical Culture and religion have appeared in several encyclopedias.
As an activist, Dr. Chuman has worked on many progressive causes, notably on behalf of human rights and civil liberties and in opposition to the death penalty. He has recently initiated a sanctuary program for asylum seekers detained at the Elizabeth Detention Center in Elizabeth, NJ.
"I have learned two lessons in my life: first, there are no sufficient literary, psychological, or historical answers to human tragedy, only moral ones. Second, just as despair can come to one another only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings." - Elie Wiesel
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12/16/2007
Listening to the season, Kate Lovelady, Leader, 2-Dec-2007
No matter a person's beliefs, December in America is inescapably Holiday Time. In our hemisphere, the days are shortening and growing colder, and people draw together for warmth and cheer, as they have for millennia. Yet on top of this natural desire for closeness, our economic culture has overlaid expansive and expensive dreams of extraordinary gifts, decor, food, entertainment-all in the name of peace, family, and friends. With all these conflicting needs and messages, it’s no wonder so many of us feel confused and emotionally exhausted at this time of year. What can we do to reclaim the Solstice season? First, we can stop and listen-to ourselves and to our loved ones. What are our true deep needs and desires for others and for ourselves? How can we authentically act to express and fulfill these needs?
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12/03/2007
The plateau of consciousness, Robert Greenwell, Leader Mid Rivers Ethical Society, 25-Nov-2007
Where do you go in sleep? The nature of yourself, and of consciousness, is thrown into sharp relief when we consider sleep and the process of "waking up." When we do come up from sleep, is there a fixed degree of awareness that we normally reach—a “plateau” of consciousness where we customarily stop? It will be mused that a per-son’s state of consciousness can be raised beyond the plateau one currently reaches, however normal or adult or elevated it seems to be. We can hardly know today what a higher level of awareness might be like for us tomorrow, but we can confidently say that it will mean an expanded scope of ethical understanding, an increased desire to mount an integrity of self, and a deeper satisfaction from doing so.
Bob Greenwell is Leader of Ethical Society Mid Rivers, a satellite of our Society. Mid Rivers began accepting members in January, 2004, and its membership now stands at 51. Bob has a M.Ed. in counseling, is married to Kathleen, and is the proud grandfather of four. He says that at age 61 he sleeps more now than he used to (taking naps), which gives him more opportunities to rise to higher waking states. Sometimes it happens.
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11/18/2007
Lives of the ethical saints: Galileo, Kate Lovelady, Leader, 11-Nov-2007
If you know anything about Galileo, it's probably that he challenged the prevailing belief of his time that the Earth was the center of the universe; that he was indicted by the Catholic Church for his beliefs; and that he backed down. That was pretty much all I knew until a few weeks ago. But in finding out more about this classic confrontation between science and orthodoxy, I found that there are many ethical lessons we can take from Galileo's life. Please note: almost all Italian words are pronounced incorrectly (sorry).
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11/11/2007
Moral striving: the core of ethical culture, Dr. Anne Klaeysen, Leader, The Ethical Humanist Society Of Long Island, 4-Nov-2007
Ethical Culture founder Felix Adler described societies as religious communities "dedicated to moral striving." Their purpose was to help people move toward goodness, without any common formula or creed, but with a common need and desire to find better ways of living. How is this possible? By living among others: trying and making mistakes, listening and learning; then trying again. In this way we discover new truths about ourselves and our world. Leader Anne Klaeysen examines the process of moral striving as the core of ethical religion.
Anne Klaeysen has been Leader of the Long Island Society since 2002. She is a graduate and current co-mentor of the Humanist Institute and earned a doctorate in ministry from Hebrew Union College. She also holds master's degrees in business administration from New York University and in German from the State University of NY at Albany. Anne was raised Catholic and her husband Glenn Newman was raised Jewish, so it was only natural that they would find Ethical Culture, where their children Andrew and Emily have been raised.
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11/04/2007
Poetry of witness, Kate Lovelady, Leader, 28-Oct-07
One of the greatest challenges faced by those who are concerned about an ethical problem in the world, whether that problem is war, global warming, or genocide in Darfur, is how to make other people care about it. In the past, perhaps, this was primarily a problem of getting and disseminating information. These days, graphic pictures and lists of grim statistics get swept aside a week later by a new avalanche of information. When the average person is numbed by "compassion fatigue," how can people's consciences be awakened, and kept awake? One way is through a more creative and vital use of language. This Sunday we'll look at how our use of language can motivate and inspire and hear some words that will move us to tears, hope, and action.
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10/27/2007
Day of deeds, Members of the Ethical Society, 21-Oct-2007
This Sunday we will celebrate our second annual Day of Deeds. Ethical Societies were founded on the principle of "Deed Rather Than Creed," to quote the title of an 1879 New York Times article on the early Ethical Movement. What are some of the deeds currently underway at the Society? Find out about a few of them at this intergenerational platform, which will also feature special music by the Ethical Voices chorus. Speakers from the Sunday School, Coming of Age class, and Senior Connections project will share what inspired them to commit to their causes, and in turn inspire us to help and/or spread the word.
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10/18/2007
Iraqis in crisis: What have we done? Kathy Kelly, peace activist, 14-Oct-2007
Kathy Kelly, a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence (VCNV) spent four months of 2007 living among Iraqis who fled violence in their country. She believes that one way to prevent a "next" war is to continue to tell the truth about this war. Using anecdote and analysis, Kelly helps amplify the voices of people who've borne excruciatingly harsh consequences of a U.S. "war of choice." Kelly, who has visited Iraq twenty-six times since 1991, lived in Baghdad during the 2003 “Shock and Awe” attack and invasion. VCNV urges U.S. lawmakers to end funding for the illegal and immoral war in Iraq.
Kathy Kelly co-coordinated Voices in the Wilderness, a campaign to end U.N./U.S. economic sanctions against Iraq. The U.S. government fined the group $20,000 for openly violating the sanctions. Rather than pay the fine, the group ended its ten-year campaign. However, with Voices for Creative Nonviolence, they continue working to end the war in Iraq and the Global War on Terror. Kelly has served time in U.S. prisons and jails for nonviolently challenging U.S. militarism. (She was sentenced to one year in maximum security prison for planting corn on a nuclear missile silo site.) She has taught in Chicago high schools and colleges for 16 years. As a war tax refuser, she has, since 1981, refused payment of all forms of federal income tax.
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10/13/2007
Horizontal religion, Kate Lovelady, Leader, 7-Oct-2007
What is "horizontal religion"? Well, it's not religion that you practice while lying down, but otherwise you'll have to come out to the Ethical Society this Sunday to find out. As part of the answer to this question, we'll continue our 2007-08 theme of Ethical Communication. Over the last two Sundays, we've heard about communicating with our unconscious and communicating with the wider culture in which we live. This Sunday we'll try to define ethical interpersonal communication and explore how we can practice our ethical values in our everyday interactions. Buddhism has a concept of "right speech"-what does Ethical Humanism have to say about how we should speak and listen to each other?
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10/05/2007
Communicating with our culture: Weather vanes, steeples or trees? Don Johnson, Leader Emeritus, 30-Sep-2007
What do we want our public face to be towards our culture, and how will our choices be demonstrated? We could function as weather vanes, swaying with the trends, affirming and accommodating our culture. We could be like steeples, fixed, unbending and pointing to something beyond. Or we could take trees as our model, being alive, rooted deep in the earth, the present and the real, flexible yet necessary. In the past these choices were seen as either to accommodate, oppose or transform. What differences will result by our choices?
Don Robert Johnson is a Leader Emeritus of this Society, having served here as Leader from 2002 to 2005. He was a trained and practicing minister for twenty years, a college chaplain and then Senior Leader at the N.Y. Society for Ethical Culture for twelve years. Don and his wife Beverly Collier currently live in southwest Virginia near the Blue Ridge mountains. Don recently served as sabbatical minister for the New River Valley Unitarian- Universalist congregation in Blacksburg, Virginia.
To discuss our podcasts please visit http://www.live.ethicalstl.org/platforms on our community site.
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10/04/2007
Communicating with the self within, John Hoad, Leader Emeritus, 23-Sep-2007
T.S. Eliot has written: "Between the idea / And the reality… Between the conception / And the creation / Falls the Shadow" ("The Hollow Men"). John Hoad will explore with us how to deal with that shadow - the gap between intention and performance. It requires that we get in touch with ourselves. John’s wife, Karen, runs a hypnosis practice (she studied under Don Mottin of Saint Louis), and observing her remarkable results, John has been studying how we connect with our subconscious mind for better control of our lives.
To discuss our podcasts please visit http://www.live.ethicalstl.org/platforms on our community site.
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10/04/2007
Deeper connection: The ethical journey, Kate Lovelady, 16-Sep-2007
The theme for our 2007-08 season is communication: What kinds of communication qualify as "ethical" and how can we make deeper connections within ourselves, between each other and between the Ethical Society and the wider community? Come join us to hear about several exciting new programs this year that will help us make these deeper connections and get inspired and reinvigorated for your own ethical journey, whatever its focus may be—personal growth, political action, social service, meaningful work, lifelong education, strengthening relationships, friends and family ties.
"The Ethical Movement seeks to prevent the ethical ideal from petrifying. No matter how sublime an ideal is for one time, it must be vivid in our own lives. The ethical ideal must ever be a growing ideal adapted to changes in society, changes in self, changes in the circumstances of life." - Felix Adler
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10/02/2007
Fall festival - Bob Pickard, Andie Jackson and Tucker Overmann, 9-Sep-2007
At Platform, our Leader, Kate Lovelady and members Bob Pickard, Andie Jackson and Tucker Overmann will share with us a favorite piece of literature that has had a significant and lasting affect on their lives.
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10/02/2007
A design for living - Dr. Nora Beiswenger, 26-Aug-2007
Dr. Nora Beiswenger considers herself a continuing student in many ways and has discovered that uncertainty can often lead to unexpected delight, that spontaneity can create new opportunities, and that audacity does produce remarkable responses. Crucial influences in the formation of her approach to life have come from family, friends, laughter, music, literature, film, and art. She is ready to "kick it up a notch" and share some of what she has learned.
Nora is a native of Michigan who earned B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan before teaching English, American, and World Literature at Clarkson University in New York State and at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, retiring in 1994. Her specialization was 19th and 20th century women writers. She is a member of the Ethical Society.
To discuss our podcasts please visit http://www.live.ethicalstl.org/platforms on our community site.
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10/03/2007
Our Jewish roots: Ethical Culture and Reform Judaism - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 19-Aug-2007
The founder of Ethical Culture, Felix Adler, was brought up in a Reform Jewish household, the son and grandson of rabbis who were influential in Germany and America. Although Felix eventually chose a different religious path, his roots had a strong influence on his ethics, his beliefs, and the practical organization of the movement he founded. This platform address will explore some of the history of Reform Judaism in the mid-to-late 1800s and its impact on early Ethical Culture, using as a source the study by Benny Kraut, From Reform Judaism to Ethical Culture: The Religious Evolution of Felix Adler (pre-reading not required!).
Kate Lovelady has been the Leader of the Ethical Society of St. Louis since 2005. Previously, she was Leader Intern at the Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture, the Ethical Society of Austin, and the New York Society for Ethical Culture.
To discuss this podcast please visit Our Jewish roots on our community site.
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10/04/2007
Tune into TV ethics - Tom Rogers, 12-Aug-2007
Is there such a thing as ethics in television? KMOV Producer Tom Rogers will discuss the struggles of daily TV news coverage. Get an insider’s look at what goes on behind the scenes at a local television affiliate. Details at 11 a.m.
Tom Rogers is a promotion writer/producer at KMOV-TV, the CBS affiliate in St. Louis. His responsibilities include the production of the commercials that promote the anchors and reporters of NEWS 4. His career started at a small station in Charleston, South Carolina, and in the past 20 years has taken him around the country. He has received several Missouri Broadcasting Awards, Emmy Awards and, this summer, he won the top television promotions honor, the PROMAX Gold Medallion. Tom and his wife Kit are members of the Ethical Society.
To discuss this podcast please visit Tune into TV ethics on our community site.
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10/04/2007
St. Louis jazz: Race and other issues - Dennis Owsley, 5-Aug-2007
In face-to-face interviews about his book, City of Gabriels: The Jazz History of St. Louis 1895-1973, Dennis Owsley found that although issues in the book such as race, the musicians' unions and other sensitive topics were discussed, they were not found in the final printed stories. This platform address will examine some of these topics.
The host of KWMU's Jazz Unlimited show since 1988, Dennis Owsley is a retired research scientist, part-time teacher, author and photographer. A fan and student of jazz since age 15, he has become one of St. Louis' foremost experts on local contributions to the art form. He and his wife Rosa are members of the Ethical Society.
To discuss this podcast please visit St. Louis jazz: Race and other issues on our community site.
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08/16/2007
Hinduism and modern life - Anita Mehra, 22 July 2007
How do the ancient ethical traditions of Hindu and Sikh fit into modern western life? How do practicing Hindus and Sikhs meld their prevalent beliefs into contemporary beliefs? Several core Hindu concepts will be discussed: Karma, the belief in cause and effect., i.e., what you radiate outwards comes back to you in some form; Detachment, living in the world yet in touch with an inner world; Enlightenment, acquiring knowledge of the Self; Mantras or word formulations that are believed to evoke inner wisdom, i.e., the power of using specific words and symbols to guide one's thoughts and actions.
Anita Mehra is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist in private practice. She is a nationally board-certified hypnotherapist and has been studying guided imagery for 10 years under Dr. Robert Fiebiger, a clinical psychologist practicing in St. Louis for the last 30 years. Anita has lived in the United States most of her life. She learned yoga as a child from her grandparents and her mother. She was raised in the Hindu tradition that emphasizes there are basic truths in all religions and philosophies. She studied classical Indian dance for 13 years under famous teachers in the U.S. and India. She most recently studied meditation under the guidance of Prince Hirindra Singh of Patiala, who has given her insight into Eastern traditions such as those of Hindu and Sikh philosophies.
To discuss this podcast please visit Hinduism and modern life on our community site.
To discuss this podcast please visit St. Louis jazz: Race and other issues on our community site.
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08/09/2007
Mindfulness, ethics, and positive psychology - Ryan M. Niemiec, 15 July 2007
This presentation will continue our series on the fascinating, blooming area of mindfulness meditation, this time from a modern social-science perspective. Mindfulness, which means becoming aware of our moment-to-moment experience without judgment, is both a technique and an approach to life. Dr. Niemiec will discuss how mindfulness can help individuals live in a healthy, ethical, and meaningful way. He will emphasize practical tools and resources that anyone can begin using immediately. The area of focus is the connection of mindfulness and the new positive psychology, a field that studies the science of human virtues (e.g. courage, humanity, justice) and strengths (e.g. curiosity, gratitude, fairness, social intelligence).
Ryan M. Niemiec, Psy.D. is a local psychologist who works in two settings: 1) St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute, where he works with people with health problems, depression, chronic stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. He is on staff with the Program for Psychology and Religion, a program that treats priests and people in religious orders. 2) SLUCare's Primary Care and Prevention Center, where he is a consultant to physicians in an "integrated care program," helping to improve the overall health of the patients in the family practice. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He gives local, regional, and national lectures and workshops on a variety of topics, such as integrated care, mindfulness, and spirituality. He is co-author of the book, Movies and Mental Illness, and co-author of the forthcoming book Positive Psychology at the Movies.
To discuss this podcast please visit St. Louis jazz: Race and other issues on our community site.
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08/07/2007
Mindfulness: Ancient wisdom for modern times - Bridget Rolens, 8 July 2007
The Buddha explored deeply the human experience of suffering. His exploration revealed to him how we create suffering in our lives and how we can end that suffering. He invited others to explore for themselves this phenomenon of suffering and developed a method for that exploration called the Noble Eightfold Path. We will focus on two elements of this path - ethical living and the practice of mindfulness - and see how they work together to free our minds and hearts from old habits of reactivity that bring suffering to ourselves and others. Our time together will include experiencing mindfulness through a guided meditation.
Bridget Rolens, MA, OT, teaches meditation as a spiritual practice and as a tool for stress reduction. She is a co-leader for the St. Louis Insight Meditation Group and a program facilitator for the mind-body stress reduction program at Masterpeace Studios. She holds an MA in Theology and a BS in Occupational Therapy. Thirty years of experience in traditional healthcare and in a variety of spiritual practices rooted in the Christian, Buddhist and 12-Step Recovery traditions have given Bridget a strong understanding of the connection between body, mind and spirit in promoting health and well-being.
To discuss this podcast please visit St. Louis jazz: Race and other issues on our community site.
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07/07/2007
Ethics and architecture: Gentrification - The good, the bad and the ugly - Jim Thomas, 17 Jun 2007
The last 50 years have been tough for US cities, St. Louis more so than some others. Struggling to survive, cities have worked hard to stabilize and revitalize their neighborhoods. Yet such efforts are often flashpoints for conflict, with overtones of racial and class antagonism and accusations of "gentrification." Can the generic good of neighborhood improvement actually be bad, even ugly? Can we revitalize neighborhoods in ways that are fair and inclusive? How have public policies and opinion about neighborhoods, low income housing, historic preservation and, in the future, green building shaped the debate?
Jim Thomas came to his interest in neighborhoods and architecture growing up in a restored 1830s home in a historic district of Alton, Illinois. His parents restored the home in the 1950s before historic preservation became trendy. He has been committed to living in mixed income, racially integrated neighborhoods since he moved to St. Louis after graduating from college. For almost 20 years (1981-2000), he was editor and publisher of a newspaper for the Gay and Lesbian community, a community noted for its involvement in neighborhood revitalization and historic preservation. He was executive director of University City Residential Service from 2002 to 2005. He currently does freelance consulting work on communications strategy and organizational development.
To discuss this podcast please visit St. Louis jazz: Race and other issues on our community site.
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06/28/2007
Ethics and architecture: The impact of sustainability - Thomas A. Taylor, 3 Jun 2007
Sustainability can be defined as meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainable or “green” buildings are high-performance buildings that through their orientation, design, construction and operation are highly efficient, achieve lower operating cost, are better for the environment and promote occupant health.
We have an opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment through the way we build, maintain, and occupy buildings. We are at a point in time where global events and climatic conditions have forced society to look at the way in which we proceed into the future. We have now educated ourselves to the point where we can challenge the status quo and as consumers, demand a more thoughtful way of meeting our needs without compromising future generations.
Thomas Taylor is a fourth generation construction professional turned sustainability consultant and has served at Alberici Corporation for over 20 years. He brings experience and passion to the leadership of Alberici's new sustainable consulting service, Vertegy, and represented both owner and construction manager on Alberici's dual-certified Four Green Globes and LEED Platinum Certified Headquarters. He holds a B.S. in Business Management from Southern Illinois University with a minor in Construction Management. Over the years, Taylor has served and chaired various committees on both the local St. Louis and National Associated General Contractors of America. He is a member of the St. Louis Regional Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, chairman of the sustainable construction task force of the National Associated General Contractors, and a LEED Accredited Professional.
To discuss this podcast please visit St. Louis jazz: Race and other issues on our community site.
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05/24/2007
Signs of hope - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 20 May 2007
This is going to be an anti-"Yes; but: morning-I hope. It may take quite an act of will on all our parts to resist the impulse, after I mention that situation X is getting better, to immediately say in our minds "Yes, but Y is getting worse!" Still, let's try. For today, let's just be happy with what's going well, with what's improving in the world. I think we can do this without deluding ourselves that we live in a paradise or that progress is so inevitable we can just kick back and wait for it to come without any work on our part. I think we should do this, because taking time to note the signs of hope in the world can reenergize us in our ethical quest.
Links from this platform: The Banality of Heroism by Zeno Franco and Philip Zimbardo, from Greater Good Magazine. and Living High and Letting Die: Our Illusion of Innocence by Peter Unger.
To discuss this podcast please visit St. Louis jazz: Race and other issues on our community site.
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05/05/2007
Democracy and war - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 29 April 2007
In 1902, Felix Adler asked "Two Ethical Questions" about the Philippine War: "Is it treason to condemn a war waged by our country while the war is still in progress?" and "Are civilized nations justified in adopting uncivilized methods of warfare?" Throughout our history, Ethical Culture has struggled with vital questions for a democracy at war, and the words of past Ethical Leaders (who have run the gamut from interventionist to pacifist) clearly are still relevant today.
This Sunday we'll hear modern "translations" of Ethical Culture thoughts on war, from Adler's day to the 2003 and 2006 resolutions against the Iraq War passed by the National Leaders Council and the American Ethical Union, and we'll explore the decisions we need to make as ethical citizens today.
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04/19/2007
2007 Humanist of the Year: Towards a Democracy of Art - Joan Lipkin, founder and artistic director of That Uppity Theatre Company, 15 April 2007
Today we honor Joan Lipkin as the 2007 Ethical Humanist of the Year. A playwright, director, teacher, activist and social critic, Lipkin has established several theater groups, including That Uppity Theatre Company and the DisAbility Project. Her work is devoted to creatively portraying the life dimensions of everyday people, including the lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, gay and questioning (LBTGQ) population, cancer survivors, those with disabilities, the indigent and racial or cultural minorities.
Lipkin puts the principles of cultural diversity and social justice into innovative theatrical practice as she collaborates with many underrepresented populations. Her works include "After Rodney," which followed news coverage of the mid-1990s beating of Rodney King, "Some of My Best Friends Are…" the first gay and lesbian review produced in St. Louis, and many others. Her plays have been performed in several U.S. cities as well as in Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland and Australia. Lipkin is a mentor for those in arts administration, marketing, grantwriting, playwriting, directing, and promoting social justice. She is passionate about involving others in the arts and has introduced many to acting and theater.
"Joan Lipkin was chosen for this award from a field of 10 exceptional nominees. All aspects of her art are imbued with humanist values and devoted to promoting social justice," said Kayla Vaughan, chair of the Ethical Humanist of the Year Committee. "She is a performance/theater artist whose creative work helps these important messages become part of our public discourse."
The James F. Hornback Ethical Humanist of the Year Award was established in 1976 to honor individuals or organizations for outstanding work in improving the human condition.
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04/10/2007
What's so funny? - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 1 April 2007
There once was an Ethical Society
Whose platforms were models of propriety;
But one April Fools' Day
They tried a new way
That made visitors doubt their sobriety.
Join us for a (mostly) light-hearted look at the serious subject of humor, one of the human animal's most unique traits. Humor helps us cope with life's troubles and lowers our psychological defenses. Learning to laugh at our own foibles is an essential part of wisdom.
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03/28/2007
Health care weekend - Patriotism, public health and health care - Dr. Fred Rottnek, 25 Mar 2007
Dr. Fred Rottnek, chief physician in corrections medicine for St. Louis County and physician to many of the area's poor and indigent, has worked on the frontline of the nation's growing health care crisis. He sees the toll exacted by the state of Missouri on its most helpless citizens. In 2006, Missouri cut almost 100,000 people from Medicaid, the first state to do so. Without this safety net, many don't have access to the most basic health care. Nearly 50 million Americans and a million Missourians are unable to afford health insurance. Dr. Rottnek questions a brand of patriotism consisting of weaponry and war while ignoring the health of its citizenry. Believing the country and state can do a better job of maintaining the common good, he makes a case for adequate health care for everyone.
In addition to his post with St. Louis County, Dr. Rottnek is the director of Community Services at the Institute for Research and Education in Family Medicine and the assistant director of the Master of Arts in Health Care Ministry program at the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. He was awarded the James F. Hornback Ethical Humanist of the Year Award in 2006 for his advocacy on behalf of the marginalized and underserved in the St. Louis area.
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03/22/2007
Ethical Sex - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 18 Mar 2007
America has a difficult relationship with sex. On the one hand, sexualized images are everywhere and are an important fuel for our desire-based economy; more-conservative countries complain that our images and attitudes are corrupting their cultures. On the other hand, many politicians, preachers, and educators build careers on trying to convince Americans--particularly American youth--to re-embrace our Puritan past; more liberal countries find our sexual attitudes and policies to be unscientific and even dangerous.
Personally and as citizens, we all make decisions about sex: who should have it, when, how, with whom, under what circumstances. Ethical decisions need to be conscious and informed; therefore we need to start with some fundamental questions: What is sex for? What is "good" and "bad" sex in an ethical sense? Where do people's assumptions about sex come from? To what extent is the issue of sex in America not really about sex at all, but about other things: power; idealizations of childhood; assumptions about women's and men's roles, about sexuality and orientation, about families? What are the hidden beliefs and agendas behind much of today's "sexuality police"?
"When authorities warn you of the sinfulness of sex, there is an important lesson to be learned. Do not have sex with the authorities." - Matt Groening
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03/14/2007
All in the same room: Creating a center for ethics, Ira Kodner MD and Stuart Yoak, PhD - Center for the Study of Human Values and Ethics, 11 Mar 2007
Founded in 2003, the Center for the Study of Human Values and Ethics at Washington University is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary program with a mission to advance the understanding of the most complex and troubling ethical issues facing society. The Center works with students, faculty, and community leaders in all professions providing education, research, community outreach, and service in ethics and human values.
Dr. Ira J. Kodner is Director of the Center and the Solon and Bettie Gershman Professor of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Washington University. After 20 years of teaching medical students ethical and compassionate care of their patients, he became a consultant and author for the American College of Surgeons curriculum for teaching ethics to surgery residents. Dr. Kodner has published more than 100 scientific articles relating to colorectal diseases. The recipient of many honors for accomplishments in medicine and teaching, he also serves as a Chief Medical Consultant for KMOV-TV and serves as attending in the Surgery Clinic at St. Louis Connect Care.
Dr. Stuart Yoak is the Executive Officer for the Center and Lecturer in Professional Ethics at Washington University. In addition to his work at the Center, Professor Yoak teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in ethics at Washington University. He chairs the Biomedical Ethics Committee at Christian Hospital in St. Louis and is actively involved in patient-physician case consultations and education for the hospital. He consults regularly with corporate leaders and gives presentations to professional meetings on ethical decision making.
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02/28/2007
Media matters: How the media affect kids and what parents can do about it - Dr. Ken Haller, 25 Feb 2007
Ken Haller, MD, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Dr. Haller worked in community health centers in East St. Louis, IL, for 10 years before moving to Saint Louis University. He was recognized by the American Medical Association in 1990 and 1998 for his work in underserved areas and is the recipient of the 1990 Illinois State Medical Society Public Service Award as well as the 2006 Excellence in Pediatrics Award from the Saint Louis Pediatric Society. Dr. Haller has been a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Media Matters Task Force since 2001 and speaks frequently to professional and community groups about the effects of media on kids.
"Nothing you do for children is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us, hovering, averting our eyes, and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted." - Garrison Keillor
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02/20/2007
Valentine for humanity - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 18 Feb 2007
Wednesday of this past week was of course Valentine's Day, and therefore the topic of love has been in the air. When we think of love we tend to think of close personal relationships, but what are the deeper connections between the human capacity for love and ethics? In this platform address, with the help of the words of poets, philosophers, and Ethical Culture leaders, we'll explore the idea that ethics--underneath all the fancy jargon--is unconditional love for humanity, and that this love is the true common ground between religious idealism and secular utilitarianism. Perhaps it's true that all we need is love.
"I truly feel that there are as many ways of loving as there are people in the world and as there are days in the life of those people." - Mary S. Calderone
"If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to, no one with which to share the beauty of the stars, to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life? It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning. This is harmony. We must discover the joy of each other, the joy of challenge, the joy of growth." - Matsugi Saotome
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02/19/2007
Darwin Day: Darwin confronts intelligent design - Dr. George Johnson, Washington University, 11 Feb 2007
Few topics in science are more familiar to the general public than evolution, and few are more often misunderstood. The teaching of evolution in Missouri science classrooms has been under attack by proponents of "intelligent design," who argue that living things are too complex to have arisen without the intervention of an intelligent designer. A bill was passed out of committee in the Missouri legislature last session with a "DO PASS" recommendation that would facilitate the teaching of this view in our state. It is interesting to speculate how Darwin might have responded to the authors of this bill today.
Dr. George Johnson is Professor of Biology at Washington University where he has taught biology and genetics to undergraduates for 30 years. Also Professor of Genetics at Washington University's School of Medicine, Dr. Johnson is a student of population genetics and evolution, renowned for his pioneering studies of genetic variability. He is the author of more than 50 scientific publications and seven texts. St. Louisans are familiar with Dr. Johnson as the author of a weekly science column, ON SCIENCE, in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and as the founding director of The Living World at the St. Louis Zoo.
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02/04/2007
The pursuit of eqality - Rudy Nickens, Director of the Black Repertory Company, 4 Feb, 2007
Rudy Nickens is an experienced facilitator, educator and entrepreneur, with a strong background in cultural diversity, business management and community development. Currently, Mr. Nickens serves as Executive Director of the St. Louis Black Repertory Company. Prior to this position, he was vice president of St. Louis 2004, a civic organization created to act as a catalyst for community development. While with St. Louis 2004, he worked on initiatives related to Workforce Diversity, Zero Tolerance for Hate and the Ceasefire Program to Reduce Youth and Gang Violence. Since 1993, Mr. Nickens has taught in the School of Communications and Media Studies as a member of the Adjunct Faculty of Webster University and lent his skills as an educator to Planned Parenthood of St. Louis as well as the National Conference of Community and Justice.
For the past 20+ years, he has consulted, educated and trained several local and national organizations in the areas of workforce diversity, leadership development, cultural competence and conflict resolution throughout the United States, Africa and the Caribbean. Mr. Nickens continues to be very active in the community serving on various boards including Diversity Awareness Partnership, Missouri Restorative Justice and Black Leadership Roundtable, The Institute for Peace and Justice and SSM Health System.
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02/02/2007
Giving and growing - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 28 Jan, 2007
This Sunday is the kick-off to our yearly pledge campaign. I feel fortunate to have an excuse to talk about money every year, because money is one of the most fundamental yet hard-to-talk-about aspects of our lives. In our culture, almost every decision we make, every minute of the day, is related to money whether we realize it (or like it) or not. Money can ruin and save lives, build and break relationships, feed and destroy communities. How do our unconscious feelings about money affect our ethical choices? How can we change our attitudes toward money so that however much or little we have, our money can be another way we bring out the best in others and in ourselves?
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01/28/2007
Love: Its mysteries, myths and broken promises - Rebecca Armstrong, 21 Jan, 2007
If we live our lives unaware of the greater forces that frame our existence, we are like little fish in a vast ocean being swept along by the tides. In no area of contemporary life is this limited vision more apparent than in the institution of marriage, where more than half of those who ride this wave are dashed upon the shoals of disappointment and defeat. This talk will be a beacon of hope for those tempest-tossed souls, as the deeper currents that carry the yearnings of human hearts are explored and much that was murky is made clear.
Rev. Rebecca Armstrong invites you to sail with her on a journey of discovery through the origins of romantic love and its relationship to Eros, Agape, Marriage and Divorce. You will see its effect upon the western imagination and its stormy intersection with the women’s movement and capitalism. Along the way we will catch glimpses of the eternal love energies embodied in the gods and goddesses of myth, fairytale and popular literature. The love promise that can be kept and never broken is the far shore towards which our journey leads us.
Your guide Rebecca has been traveling the world for more than 40 years as a singer, storyteller, minister and mythologist. Her parents, George and Gerry Armstrong, were well-known folksingers and welcomed many talented bards to the family home including the famous mythologist, Joseph Campbell, who became a close friend. Rebecca worked for the Joseph Campbell Foundation for 12 years representing Campbell’s work to a worldwide audience. She co-founded an interfaith group called Friends of Compassion and was honored to take a group to India where they met with the Dalai Lama. In her work with the Parliament of World Religions she had the opportunity to be the opening act for Nelson Mandela and has met with other extraordinary people all over the world.
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01/15/2007
America's unfinished business - Dr. Martin J. Rafanan, Executive Director National Conference of Community and Justice of Metropolitan St. Louis (NCCJSTL), 14 Jan, 2007
While St. Louis has achieved success at some level in addressing racial polarization and other issues of bias and bigotry related to human identity, in no area can we claim to have fully created the inclusive society envisioned and championed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The St. Louis we all believe in and have helped to build is still an imperfect place, in spite of great progress made in the past generation. Access and opportunity are not equal for all. As we imagine the equitable society of which we dream, hard work, moral strength, and dedication to purpose are not yet the only requirements for fulfilling the American dream. As we look to the future, how can each of us become the empowered leaders that make the dream a reality?
Ordained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 1978, Dr. Rafanan ministered an African American congregation near O'Fallon Park on the northern part of the city for nearly 20 years. There he was "trained" by his parishioners to be aware of the structural impact of racism and to understand how cultural representations, public policies, and institutional procedures interact to maintain racial hierarchies that produce disparate and negative outcomes for people of color in the City of St. Louis.
As director of NCCJSTL, he has had the opportunity of increasing the size and scope of the organization's work in St. Louis, collaborating with community leaders to develop new training programs and community initiatives that empower leaders to change institutions and transform community.
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01/13/2007
First Amendment Sunday - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 7 Jan, 2007
The First Amendment--particularly the rights of freedom of speech, freedom from government-established religion, and freedom to practice religion-- is one of the most important and controversial parts of U.S. law. The Ethical movement has long been a player in the struggle for these rights, both as one of the influences that created the ACLU and as a minority religion in one of the most publicly religious countries in the world.
Ethical Culture philosophy suggests that diversity and the ability to listen to views with which we disagree are requirements of ethical living.
But what are the limits of First Amendment rights, and what are the responsibilities that go along with these rights? Where are the lines between censorship, tolerance, and encouragement? This Sunday we’ll look at first amendment rights and controversies as they relate to our ethical growth, our Ethical Society, and our nation.
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12/12/2006
Ethics begins in the home - Curt Collier, Leader of Riverdale-Yonkers Society, 10 Dec, 2006
The goal of ethical religion is not to instill a set of beliefs, but to foster the development of ethical personalities: people who feel connected to all of life and to others, and who strive to bring out the life-affirming qualities in others. But how does one do this? How do we elicit the best from our children? This talk explores the origin of ethics within a human heart and how to create a home environment that allows ethics to blossom.
Curt Collier is a graduate of the Humanist Institute and the Post Graduate Center for Mental Health. He is completing a Doctorate in Ministry (ABD) from Hebrew Union College. He is the founder of Just Matrimony, promoting marriage equality for gays and lesbians, and served as co-Mentor for the Humanist Institute and the Humanist in Leadership Training programs. Curt has traveled extensively promoting Ethical Culture and was credited for founding the Ethical Society of Austin, Texas. Curt is Adjunct Faculty with the University Studies Department at Hofstra University. He has served on several committees for the American Ethical Union (including the Assembly Committee and the Leadership Training Committee) and has served on faculty of the Lay Leadership Summer School. Curt enjoys traveling and his plays have appeared on several stages in the New York area. He was a recipient of a grant from the Bronx Council of the Arts for his play Yeats: Mad as the Mist and Snow, and his play Displaced Moments was performed off-off Broadway.
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12/07/2006
On solitude and community - Bob Greenwell, Leader Mid Rivers Ethical Society, 26 Nov, 2006
Americans are desperate for community. They are flocking to conservative churches that have mastered the art of providing meaningful and plentiful small groups. Meanwhile the mainstream liberal Christian denominations, tied to traditional forms of large (and anonymous) gatherings on Sunday, and each follower left to his own devices the rest of the time, have been dwindling in membership. But community is not all that a human being needs. A person needs a degree of solitude as well. However, just as there are substitute and fake forms of community that do not fulfill in the long run, so there are substitute and fake forms of solitude as well.
Bob Greenwell is Leader of our offspring Mid Rivers Ethical Society, which began accepting members in January, 2004. Their membership now stands at 40. Bob has an M.Ed. in counseling, is married to Kathleen, and is the proud grandfather of four. He has known solitude from his Catholic seminary days (eons ago!) and his Siddha Yoga meditation. He has known community from family and from the Ethical Society.
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11/16/2006
Infinite Interrelatedness - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 12 Nov, 2006
Felix Adler defined spirituality as awareness of our "infinite interrelatedness." A few weeks ago, we explored our emotional and imaginative awareness of our interdependence with each other and the natural world. This Sunday, we'll look at philosophical theories and beliefs. Ethical Culture's assertion of universal human worth grew out of a long discussion in philosophy about human nature: How are we different from other animals? Are we more than material beings? On what can we ground our beliefs in worth and dignity and human rights? Adler's struggle with these issues will lead us to perhaps the hardest question in ethics: What is our ethical responsibility to others? How do we live with that sense of responsibility and use it to inspire us?
"If men talked about only what they understood, the silence would become unbearable." - Max Lerner
"Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend it better every day. And you will come at last to love the whole world with an all-embracing love." - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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11/05/2006
Parenting at the speed of the internet - Dr. John Hoad, Leader Emeritus, 5 Nov, 2006
At the request of our Leader (Kate Lovelady), John Hoad is addressing guidance on parenting. John's qualifications include raising five children and enjoying five grandchildren. But are these qualifications out of date as we move into the Age of the Internet? Just as many of us could not help with New Math when it became standard, can we help our children face the growing frontier posed by new technology? Or are they out beyond us? The American Association of Pediatrics has recently called for some good old-fashioned playtime for our kids, and less regimentation and less devotion to video games. What are the values that abide that each generation needs to learn to build an ethical world? How can we address the Confucian challenge that there be a thread of values that runs from the individual through the family, through the nation, to the laws of the universe?
Dr. Hoad is a Leader Emeritus of the Ethical Society of St. Louis, having served 1980-1994. He lives in Charleston, SC, where he and his wife, Karen, have a practice based on her work as a hypnotist and his as a lifetime coach. John is a native of Barbados and previously served as a Methodist minister and seminary president in the Caribbean. After retirement from the Society, he served with Provident Counseling of St. Louis and as a visiting preacher for Emerson and Alton Unitarian churches.
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10/29/2006
Principle centered parenting: Dropping out of the new "gerbil race" - Dr. Tim Jordan, 29 Oct 2006
The rat race to "keep up with the Joneses" starting in the 1950s was about "things," i.e., homes, cars, appliances. The "gerbil" race today is about children: getting your kids in the "right" school, on the "right" select sports teams, building the perfect resume. Kids are growing up too fast, being treated as adults, and are stressed out and overextended. Dr. Jordan will lay out the costs to kids and families due to these extraordinary pressures and he will inspire parents to take control of their families' lives, parenting from the principles and values important to them.
A nationally known speaker and educator, Tim Jordan, M.D., has dedicated his career to helping children and families. As a key media consultant, he has appeared on national and local television and radio and hosted the weekly radio show "Families First."
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10/22/2006
The terrible, beautiful mess of life - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 22 Oct 2006
The strength of humanistic ethics is based in the heart as well as in the head. I'm often asked if its possible for people to live without a certainty of supernatural belief. My answer is to point to the long history of poetry, art, and music that has helped humanity develop compassion and commitment in the face of the uncertainties and pains of living. An ethical movement that rejects absolutist answers can still uplift and inspire by embracing this tradition, so this Sunday I'll be sharing some of my favorite poems that explore grief, celebration, confusion, transcendence, and other joys and challenges of being human.
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10/19/2006
AEU Leadership Certification Ceremony - Kate Lovelady, Leader, Jul 2006
Recorded at the 91st Assembly of the American Ethical Union in Chicago, Kate explains her career move from poet to Ethical Culture Leader and reads one of her favorite poems by W. H. Auden.
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10/08/2006
Stem cell research in Missouri - Dr. Gerald Magill, Saint Louis University Center for Health Care Ethics, 8 Oct 2006
The vote for or against Missouri's Amendment 2 elicits significant controversy around embryonic stem cell research. People of good will and people of faith stand on each side of the debate. The ethical dispute is not about choosing between the protection of human life and the promotion of human healing - each side makes those claims, whether by reason or by faith. Rather, the contest deals with the irresolvable controversy about when personal human life begins. And each side submits substantive moral justifications for their opposing perspectives. There is need for respect and restraint to foster a calm courteousness to help citizens prepare for the referendum.
Gerard Magill, Ph.D., is a Professor with tenure at Saint Louis University's Center for Health Care Ethics. He served as the Center's first Department Chair from 1996 to 2006 and was Executive Director of the Center from 1999 to 2006. He has secondary appointments at Saint Louis University as a Professor of Internal Medicine in the School of Medicine and as a Professor of Health Administration in the School of Public Health.
is education includes a baccalaureate degree in philosophy, a baccalaureate degree in religion, and a master's degree in religious ethics at the Gregorian University in Rome, as well as a Ph.D. degree in religious ethics at Edinburgh University, Scotland.
His areas of research specialties include: the policy and ethics implications of human genomics and stem cell research, and religious discourse in health care ethics.
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10/01/2006
Ethics: The next generation - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 1 Oct 2006
This Sunday we'll look at some of the cultural and psychological pressures on today's youth. What will influence them to be more or less ethical than the current generation? Many pundits proclaim that America is in a state of moral decline--is this true, and if so, will the next generation learn to imitate or to restore today's moral lapses? What are the current trends in ethics among the younger set, and what can sociological research teach us about how to bring up our youth to create a more ethical society?
"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other, wings." - Hodding Carter
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09/24/2006
The fate of eminent domain - Gary Feder, 24 Sep 2006
Can the private owner of a residence or business be required, as a matter of law, to sell their property to a developer intending to use that property, along with others, to create a new comprehensive project designed to serve the general public?
The Supreme Court of the United States answered this question in the affirmative last summer in the landmark decision, Kelo v. City of New London, Connecticut. The decision set off a firestorm of protest concerning the long established practice of "eminent domain." Eminent domain is the right of local governments, including school districts, highway departments, and some utility companies, to force the sale of certain real estate and to condemn the title thereto in consideration for payment to the owner of the property's fair market value as determined through a court determined procedure. Expansion of the process nationally over the past half century has resulted in "takings" of real estate that wind up in the hands of private development companies rather than be titled to public entities. Instead of building roads, eminent domain has increasingly been used to build stadiums, office complexes, and shopping centers. Private property rights vie with governments' desire to eradicate deteriorated or blighted areas, create new taxes/jobs, and stimulate growth. The controversial Centenne project in the heart of Clayton is just one local example of this battle. Legislative changes have already happened in Missouri. What lies ahead both national and locally?
Gary Feder is a member of the Land Use Development and Financing Practice Group in the St. Louis office of Husch and Eppenberger, LLC. His primary areas of concentration are real estate law, corporate law, and related litigation. He is a former member of the Clayton Board of Education and Clayton's City Plan Commission and Architectural Review Board. Gary is a frequent speaker on real estate development issues, such as the use of tax increment financing, transportation development districts and urban redevelopment corporations.
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09/17/2006
Saying Yes - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 17 Sep 2006
In my candidate address last fall, I argued that one of the steps in ethical development is learning to Say Yes. By that I meant cultivating optimism, being open to the possibilities of life, and being willing to stretch ourselves and to work with others in trying new things. Humanism looks for signs of ethical progress in the world, and ethical humanists try to do our part, however small or large, to help positive change occur. Growth, whether of a person or an institution, requires change. However, change also challenges our comfort zones. This year we will be taking more steps toward positive change, including an increasing emphasis in our platforms on children and families, and more opportunities for ethical action. This platform will introduce some new practices and explore the exciting and the difficult aspects of change and growth.
"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power." - Alan Cohen
"Change is inevitable, except from vending machines." - Anonymous
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09/10/2006
Authentic happiness: living brilliantly - Peggy Duffield and Lynne Michelson, 10 Sep 2006
Drawing from current research, wisdom traditions and anecdotes, they hope to inspire our community toward an experience of living more joyfully. Inspired by the work of Dr. Martin Seligman, the founder of Positive Psychology and head of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Peggy and Lynne will explore the following questions: Exactly what is authentic happiness? How is it defined? Learn practical tips for bringing happiness into your life. Positive Psychology is a new branch of psychology that focuses on the empirical study of such things as positive emotions, strengths-based character, and healthy institutions. Dr. Seligman's research has demonstrated that it is possible to be happier — to feel more satisfied, to be more engaged with life, find more meaning, have higher hopes, and probably even laugh and smile more, regardless of one's circumstances.
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09/10/2006
Reflections on September 11th - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 10 Sep 2006
As the opening of the Ethical Society of St. Louis's Fall Gathering Leader Kate Lovelady reflects on the 5th anniversary of September 11th.
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05/22/2006
Founders Day - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 14 May 2006
On May 15, 1876, in New York City, twenty-five-year-old Felix Adler delivered the founding address for Ethical Culture, laying out his argument and design for a new movement that would modernize religion, ethicize philosophy, and commit its members to affirming the infinite worth of every man, woman, and child.
For the 130th anniversary, we will revisit the Founding Address, translating it where necessary into modern understanding, and see how well it has held up and what inspiration and direction it offers our still-moving movement. This will be the inauguration of an annual Founders Day, a day on which Ethical Societies across the country recall our roots, celebrate our individual Society's history and people, and consider our legacy as the founders of the future.
"Diversity in the creed, unanimity in the deed!" Felix Adler, Founding Address
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04/30/2006
Faith In Science - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 30 Apr 2006
I chose the title "Faith in Science" for Sunday's platform to address two misuses and misunderstandings of sciencethe attempt to impose on science non-science-based beliefs (something done by both the Fundamentalist right and the New-Age left), and the belief in science itself as a type of savior. Empirical research and the scientific method are crucial to helping us learn about human nature and make ethical decisions. Yet biology and even evolution are not necessary destiny, and what is technologically possible is not always wise. What are the promises and limitations of science?
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04/28/2006
Ethical Humanist of the Year - Fred Rottnek, MD, MAHCM, 23 Apr 2006
Fred Rottnek, MD, MAHCM, has been chosen to receive the 2006 Humanist of the Year award. This prestigious award was established 30 years ago by James S. McDonnell in honor of Jeff Hornback, then the Leader of the Ethical Society of St. Louis.
Dr. Rottnek's life integrates the practice of medicine with his love of teaching, commitment to social justice, spirituality, and theology. His patients are the homeless and those incarcerated in St. Louis County. Dr. Rottnek works with many local homeless shelters and nonprofit agencies, providing direct, on-site health care services to people in shelters and other locations where they go to obtain goods and services needed for their day-to-day survival. In St. Louis County, he was the first physician to utilize community volunteers to establish a hospice environment for prisoners approaching death.
In addition to his work with the incarcerated and coordinating care for as many as 50 patients in an evening at a homeless shelter, he has organized many other physicians, nurses, psychologists, and social workers to use their time and talents to deliver health care to people living outside the fringes of the work-a-day world. He inspires a myriad of professionals to understand their importance and value to the patients they serve.
An insight into what inspires and motivates our 2006 Ethical Humanist of the Year is best provided by the recipient himself. Dr. Fred Rottnek says, "The quality of all of our lives depends on the quality of the lives of those who have the least."
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04/08/2006
Is it time to grow up yet? - Kate Lovelady, Leader, 9 Apr 2006
The concept of adulthood and maturity has been changing in America, for both good and bad. Many older people are more active than ever, while many younger people are putting off responsibility, or just not finding room for themselves with all these active older folks still in charge. At the same time, America's mass-market culture is more youthoriented than ever. What does it mean to have an adolescent national culture? What are the thoughts and feelings that keep us from growing up, as individuals or as a culture? What can we do to support the positive evolution of ourselves, our kids, and our nation?
"We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice -- that is, until we stop saying 'It got lost,' and say 'I lost it.'" - Sydney J. Harris
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04/08/2006
Lessons in paying attention: Lao-Tzu and the Taoist tradition - Dr. Belden Lane, 2 Apr 2006
Dr. Lane will draw on stories from the Taoist and Buddhist traditions in talking about some of the central paradoxes in the spiritual teachings of the Tao Te Ching. These include the mystery of wordlessness, the importance of doing for the sake of doing, the power of acting as not-acting, and the effectiveness of leading without ego. The presentation will suggest how these can be lived out in practice, pointing out parallels between Lao-tzu and Jesus Christ, between the Way of the Tao and the Way of the Lilies (as Jesus speaks of this in the Sermon on the Mount).
Dr. Belden C. Lane is Professor of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University. His books include Landscapes of the Sacred: Geography and Narrative in American Spirituality (2001) and The Solace of Fierce Landscapes: Exploring Desert and Mountain Spirituality (1998). He was introduced some time ago as a Presbyterian minister teaching at a Jesuit University telling Jewish stories at the Vedanta Society.
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04/02/2006
Health care for the privileged few? Why not health care for all! - Jim Hightower, 26 Mar 2006
The health care crisis in the United States affects everyone. With costs outpacing most peoples wages, only the wealthy can easily afford decent health care. Nearly 1.4 million people joined the ranks of uninsured in the last year, bringing the number of Americans without health care to 45 million. Seventy-four percent of those without insurance come from working families and 8.5 million children in the United States have no health care. Jim Hightower has spen | |
