The traditional decorating of The Tree of Knowledge continues via Zoom this year. Please join the Philadelphia Ethical Society and the Freethought Society as they host author, Phil Zuckerman. Celebrate knowledge and the changing of the seasons on Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 2:45 PM. RSVP through the Freethought Society Meetup page and where the Zoom link is listed:
Zuckerman is the author of several books, including What It Means to be Moral, The Nonreligious, Living the Secular Life, Faith No More, and Society Without God. He is an Associate Dean as well as Professor of Sociology at Pitzer College, and the founding chair of the nation’s first Secular Studies Program. Zuckerman is also the Executive Director of Humanist Global Charity. Zuckerman lives in Claremont, California, with his wife and three children.
There will be a fifteen-minute pre-event chat social that will include a musical performance by performer Gary Stockdale. Stockdale is a two-time Emmy-nominated composer, song-writer and singer.
In advance of the event, please send a front cover high resolution scan of your favorite book so that an ornament can be made based on your submission. Your book recommendation will be placed on The Tree of Knowledge and we hope you will be available to tell us who you are, why you like the book, and what you learned from it. To guarantee the creation of an ornament, scans must be sent by December 1st to: Margaret@FtSociety.org
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.
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.
