On Saturday, December 12, 2020 The Freethought Society (FS) and the Philadelphia Ethical Society (PES) will co-host a Winter Holiday Zoom event during which a Tree of Knowledge will be decorated in the FS office located in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The event starts at 11:45 AM (PST)/2:45 PM (EST) with a 15-minute Pre-Event Social piano concert featuring Rollin Wilber. Wilber’s musical presentation was filmed at the PES building located at 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Authors of books that are always included on our Tree of Knowledge will be in attendance. Margaret Downey, president of FS, and Hugh Taft-Morales, leader of PES, will introduce special guests with technical assistance from Michael Steven Martin. Invited authors and titles of their book that each chose to discuss include:
Dan Barker God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction
Rob Boston Why the Religious Right Is Wrong About Separation of Church & State
Christopher Cameron Black Freethinkers
Tom Flynn The Trouble with Christmas
Annie Laurie Gaylor Women Without Superstition
Karen Garst Women Beyond Belief
Abby Hafer The Not-So-Intelligent Designer
Bailey Harris My Name is Stardust
Elle Harris Elle the Humanist
Hemant Mehta I Sold My Soul on eBay
Julien Musolino The Soul Fallacy: What Science Shows We Gain From Letting Go of Our Soul Beliefs
David Orenstein Darwin’s Apostles: The Men Who Fought to Have Evolution Accepted, Their Times, and How the Battle Continues
Ben Radford The Martians Have Landed!
Herb Silverman Candidate Without a Prayer
Katherine Stewart The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children
Tom Krattenmaker Onward Christian Athletes
Marlene Winell Leaving the Fold
As each author speaks (5-10 minutes each), a laminated copy of the book cover they are discussing will be placed on the Tree of Knowledge at the FS Chester County office.
After the formal presentations conclude there will be a 10-minute break with entertainment from Abraham Steve Mackey and Taft-Morales. Get yourself a holiday drink and rejoin us for a Post-Event Social. Attendees can help select additional laminated book cover ornaments that will adorn the 2020 Tree of Knowledge during this time. The list of available book cover ornaments can be found at this link:
As each book cover ornament is placed on the Tree of Knowledge, the person who made the selection will be invited to talk for 3-5 minutes about why the book is of significance and should be included.
Please sign up at the Freethought Society Meetup page to learn how to participate in this event:
2020 Virtual Tree of Knowledge Winter Holiday Event
Saturday, Dec 12, 2020, 2:45 PM
Online event ,
21 Freethinkers Attending
On Saturday, December 12, 2020 The Freethought Society (FS) and the Philadelphia Ethical Society (PES) will co-host a Winter Holiday Zoom event during which a Tree of Knowledge will be decorated in the FS office located in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Here is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89298159428 The event starts at 11:45 AM (PST)/2…
This meeting will implement the latest available security features to help keep our conversation secure and will be recorded for replay on social media. By joining the meeting, you consent to be recorded and agree to abide by the Freethought Society’s Anti-Harassment and Code of Conduct Policy.
Sunday November 1, 2020 Noon (PDT) / 3:00 PM (EDT)
A Secular Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Secular event is a celebration of life. Nontheist Hispanics and others view the Secular Day of the Dead as a perfect way to remember the legacy of dead loved ones that does not require prayer, church, or religious dogma. To nontheists, our legacies are our afterlife.
The Secular Day of the Dead event will include many redesigned and religion-free Hispanic traditions and rituals that celebrate our one and only life, legacies and cultural heritage.
More and more people are abandoning their religious upbringing but still want to celebrate the beauty of the Hispanic culture. This is why a Secular Day of the Dead was created. The 2020 Secular Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Secular will be presented as a Zoom event on Sunday, November 1, 2020 with special attention to Spanish speaking participants. The 2020 Secular Day of the Dead is co-sponsored by The Freethought Society, Hispanic American Freethinkers, American Atheists, Center for Inquiry, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Register at:
Entertainment and chatting opportunities with like-minded individuals will take place during this 15-minute time slot, featuring musical presentations by Gary Stockdale, Christina Jones, and Juan Carlos.
Noon (PST)/3:00 PM (EST) Welcome
Bilingual welcome by actor Jon Huertas, organizers, and co-sponsors Robyn Blumner, Victoria de la Torre, Margaret Downey, Nick Fish, Annie Laurie Gaylor, and David Tamayo. Co-sponsors and organizers will each light a candle to honor a “Secular Saint” of historic significance. A Spanish Speakers Zoom Room and an English Speakers Zoom Room will be offered to participants at this time. Music at this time will be provided by Gary Stockdale and Abraham Steve Mackey.
12:30 PM (PST)/3:30 PM (EST) Guest Speaker
Dan Barker: “Adios a Dios” (a journey story presentation)
1:00 PM (PST)/4:00 PM (EST) Honoring Ceremony
Reservations are being taken for speakers who want to celebrate the life of a dead loved one. Reserve a 3-5-minute time slot through the following email address: SecularDayoftheDead@FtSociety.org
The Honoring Ceremony will open with dedications from actor Jon Huertas, writer Sasha Sagan, sculptor Zenos Frudakis, author Fernando Alcántar, and John Davidson – a Hollywood legend and musical stage star.
After the reserved speaking spots conclude, the Zoom spotlighting function will be available for anyone who would like to participate. The screen share function will be enabled so that speakers can display photos of the person or pet being honored.
Zoom logon information is only available to those who pre-register. Register for the Zoom link here:
Prizes will be awarded and mailed to participants whom the co-sponsors determine to have the best Secular Day of the Dead themed clothing, Zoom setting, face painting, face mask, and hair adornment. See photos of the prizes and find additional information at:
The end time of this event is unknown. Anyone who would like to honor a dead loved one will have an opportunity before we conclude with a mini concert by John Davidson and closing song by Abraham Steve Mackey.
The 2019 Philadelphia Tree of Knowledge (ToK) will be installed and decorated on Sunday, December 1, 2019 in the lobby of the Philadelphia Ethical Society (1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).
The installation ceremony begins at 11:00 AM with a presentation by Hugh Taft-Morales, who is the Philadelphia Ethical Society Leader. The title of his presentation is “The Hidden Joy of Serving: Appreciating Their Story.” Taft-Morales will talk about the importance of listening to the stories of the people we volunteer to serve.
Freethought Society (FS) founder and president, Margaret Downey will create ornaments on-site for anyone who brings two color copies of the front cover of their favorite book.
This event is free and open to the public, and attendees are encouraged to bring two color copies of the front cover of their favorite book.
Tickets for the authentic Mexican fare buffet luncheon are only:
$20 per adult
$10 children over 5 years old
Free for children under 5 (please reserve a spot)
A Secular Day of the Dead event is a celebration of life – sans religion. More and more people are abandoning their religious upbringing, but still want to celebrate the beauty of their culture. Many nontheist Hispanics want to continue traditions and cultural rituals, but in a secular way.
Nontheist Hispanics view the Secular Day of the Dead as a perfect way to remember the legacy of dead loved ones in a way that does not require prayer, church, or any religious dogma. This is why a Secular Day of the Dead was created. To nontheists, our legacies are our afterlife.
The Secular Day of the Dead event will include many redesigned Hispanic traditions and rituals that celebrate our one and only life, legacies and cultural heritage. Any cultural representation and all speakers are welcome.
Rave reviews were received for Secular Day of the Dead celebrations that have already taken place in San Diego, California and Los Angeles, California. We hope to see this tradition repeated in other cities around the country. Your participation will help establish this event as an important cultural tradition and a much needed outreach to nontheists/secularists in the Hispanic community.
Please attend to experience this unique and beautiful event. You will find much joy in the appreciation of the here and the now combined with the remembrances of those who lived before us.
Additional Hotel Information
Hotel information if you want to make a weekend out of going to San Diego. The closest hotel to Emiliano’s Restaurant is:
DoubleTree by Hilton 7450 Hazard Center Drive San Diego, CA 92108
Reservation Phone Number: (619) 297-5466
Currently priced rooms are:
$259.00 – Double Occupancy with 2 queen beds $265.00 – 1 king bed The price includes tax and an incidental hold of $75. The $75 hold per night is refundable if no parking or incidentals are applicable at check out. A 72-hour prior notice for full cancellation refund with no penalties.
To date, the FS Ezine/newsletter is sent to over 7,000 recipients, FS’s Meetup page has almost 1,300 members, the FS Facebook page has thousands of followers, and FS events take place all over the country (some abroad), with volunteers eagerly participating. It appears that FS is thriving — and 25more years of serving the nontheist community is on the horizon.
FS will hold several celebrations in 2018 which will take place in different locations around the country to allow for the most supporter participation. The firstcelebration is taking place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Friday, February 23rd. The Philadelphia event is described below:
Basic Information:
The FS Philadelphia location anniversary celebration will include three options for participation. Past speakers will be attending. Comedians LeighannLord and Steve Hill will perform after dinner.
Date and Times:
Friday, February 23, 2018 5:30 PM Happy Hour, 6:30 PM Dinner, 7:30 PM Comedy Show
Place:
Ethical Society Building, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Participation Costs:
The full 25th Anniversary package with a happy hour, includes wine bar, dinner and comedy show is $100.
Dinner and Comedy show is $75 (includes wine bar and live-dinner music featuring Christine Jones on the piano).
Comedy show only (includes wine bar) is $25.
Student prices are:
$70 Student Package that includes happy hour, dinner and comedy show
$50 Student Package that includes dinner and comedy show
$15 Student Package that includes comedy show
Note: IDs will be checked at the door upon entering. No drink wristband will be given to students under 21 years of age.
We hope to see you there, but if you can’t attend, please send a congratulatory message of encouragement. Congratulatory messages will be collected throughout the year, published periodically and read aloud at the anniversary events.
Celebration Messages!
See the messages of congratulations we received. Thank you everyone for your generous thoughts and well wishes!
