The Freethought Society will once again cosponsor a Secular Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Zoom event on Wednesday, November 2, 2022. The bilingual event will start at 3:45 PM (PST)/6:45 PM (EST). Other sponsors are Center For Inquiry, Hispanic American Freethinkers, American Ethical Union, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
A Secular Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Secular event is a celebration of life. Nontheist Hispanics view the Secular Day of the Dead as a perfect way to remember the legacies of dead loved ones in a way that does not require prayer, church, or religious dogma. To nontheists, our legacies are our afterlife. More and more people are abandoning their religious upbringing but still want to celebrate the beauty of their culture. This is why a Secular Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Secular event was created.
The 2022 event will include many secularly designed Hispanic traditions and rituals that celebrate our one and only life, legacies, and cultural heritage. All are welcome.
We are pleased to host author Fernando Alcantar as the 2022 speaker. Actor Jon Huertas will open the program with a special message.
The Secular Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Secular program will include performances by Luis Alberto Torres Castro, Kaneko Leyva, Juan Antonio Garcia Hernandez, Daniel Zepeda, and Salvador Leon.
Attendees are encouraged to participate in the honoring ceremony. Prizes will be awarded to the best Zoom box decor, face painting, honoring table, and hair/hat adornment. Below is the event agenda, but details will be updated every week.
Agenda
3:45 PM (PST)/6:45 PM (EST) Pre-Event Social
Comedian Luis Alberto Torres Castro will present a hilarious bilingual skit during this 15-minute time slot.
4:00 PM (PST)/7:00 PM (EST) Welcome
Bilingual welcome messages from Huertas, organizers and cosponsors Guillermo Alejandro Benumea, Bart Worden, Crescencio Sanchez, Robyn Blumner, Dan Barker, Annie Laurie Gaylor, Victoria de la Torre, Margaret Downey, and David Tamayo.
4:30 PM (PST)/7:30 PM (EST) Guest Speaker
Fernando Alcántar, “Free to Love: Life Lessons from Our Dead”
5:00 PM (PST)/8:00 PM (EST) Honoring Ceremony
Reservations are being taken for speakers who want to celebrate the life of a dead loved one. Filmed or live presentations are welcomed. Send films and transcripts prior to October 10th to the following email address: Margaret@FtSociety.org
Reserve your 3-5 minute in-person time slot at the following email address: Victoria@FtSociety.org
The 2021 Secular Day of the Dead / Día de los Muertos Secular
A Secular Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Secular event is a celebration of life. Nontheist Hispanic/Latin people and others view the Secular Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Secular 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/Día de los Muertos Secular event will include many redesigned and religion-free Hispanic/Latin 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/Latin culture. This is why a Secular Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Secular was created. The 2021 Secular Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Secular will be presented as a Zoom event on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 with special attention to Spanish speaking participants. The 2021 Secular Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Secular is cosponsored by The Freethought Society, Hispanic American Freethinkers, American Atheists, Center for Inquiry, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Secular Student Alliance, Secular Coalition for America, and Atheists United.
Entertainment and chatting opportunities with like-minded individuals will take place during this 15-minute time slot, featuring a mini-concert by John Davidson – a Hollywood legend and musical stage star who lived in Mexico and speaks Spanish.
4:00 (PST)/7:00 PM (EST) Welcome
Bilingual welcome by organizers and cosponsors Robyn Blumner, Victoria de la Torre, Margaret Downey, Nick Fish, Annie Laurie Gaylor, Dan Barker, David Tamayo, Kevin Bolling-Hey, Debbie Allen, and Sergio Ortega-Rodriguez. Cosponsors 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. A musical interlude will be provided by cellist Rich Rodriquez as people divide into their preferred language Zoom Rooms.
4:30 PM (PST)/7:30 PM (EST) Guest Speakers
Julia Sweeney Interviews Jon Huertas
“From Heartsick and Holy to Happy Heathen”
5:00 PM (PST)/8:00 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 by emailing SecularDayoftheDead@FtSociety.org
The Honoring Ceremony will open with dedications from author Fernando Alcántar, Ethical Culture Leader Hugh Taft-Morales, activist and president of Atheists United Christina Magallanes-Jones, educator Consuelo Cortes-Fleming, and photographer John Jones-Cortes.
The musical interlude will feature Margarita Reyna and James Nunnelley performing a Cumbia dance.
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 being honored. The honoring of a pet is also welcomed.
Prizes will be awarded and mailed to participants who the cosponsors determine to have the best Secular Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Secular themed clothing, Zoom setting, face painting, face mask, and hair adornment.
The end time of this event is unknown. Anyone who would like to honor a dead loved one will have an opportunity to do so before we conclude with a mini-concert by Gary Stockdale and Abraham Steve Mackey.
To see what was done last year, see our YouTube recordings of the 2020 celebration!
The 2021 National Day of Reason Mayday for Humanity Event a Huge Success!
National Day of Reason Mayday for Humanity Photos
Mayday for Humanity Co-Sponsor Photos
Mayday for Humanity Celebrity and Performer Photos
Mayday for Humanity Benefiting Organizations
An African Journey Story by Amaka Oguguo
Mormons or Christians – Who Are Better? by Herb Silverman
Announcing the 2021 Freethought Society Secular Student Alliance Scholarship
Freethought Society Multi-Month Zoom Calendar
Donation and Information Page
We hope that you will remain or become an active supporter of the great work FS is doing. Please donate to the general fund or select a project you want to help sponsor. All donations to FS are tax-deductible!
If the Ezine inspires you to become more actively involved with FS, please provide us with your contact information, including your phone number and mailing address.
Special events are being planned in your area so don’t miss an opportunity to participate further. All personal information is confidential and will not be shared with other organizations.
Freethought Society President Speaks at Freedom of Religion or Belief Committee Conference
Thomas Paine-Themed “Ask an Atheist” Show
Atheist or Agnostic? Does it Matter? by Herb Silverman
Learning About Baháʼí Religious Beliefs by Margaret Downey
The Journey Story of Representative Donald Sternoff Beyer, Jr. by Donald Sternoff Beyer
Defending Yourself from Misinformation via Neuroscience By Dr. Gleb Tsipursky
Dr. Robert E. Kay: His Life Remembered Obituary and Susan O’Connell’s Reflections
Freethought Society Four-Month Zoom Calendar
Donation and Information Page
We hope that you will remain or become an active supporter of the great work FS is doing. Please donate to the general fund or select a project you want to help sponsor. All donations to FS are tax-deductible!
If the Ezine inspires you to become more actively involved with FS, please provide us with your contact information, including your phone number and mailing address.
Special events are being planned in your area so don’t miss an opportunity to participate further. All personal information is confidential and will not be shared with other organizations.
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.
