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Welcome, UCD humanist society

  • 09-04-2009 02:17PM
    #1
    ChocolateSauce
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,892 ✭✭✭


    I've been talking about it for 2 years, but it is finally done.

    UCD's newest student society, the humanist society, has just been approved by the societies board, and I hope it will take its place in the freshers tent next year.

    IF you're interested in getting involved, PM me and we'll talk. Suggestions also most welcome. Although I'm very dedicated, I'm less than experienced in running a society.

    The aims of the society will be, in short, to promote atheism, and secular humanism in particular, as an alternative to theism, and to encourage science and reason.


Comments

  • #2
    Tom65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,685 ✭✭✭Tom65


    Sounds interesting. What kind of things would the society be doing?


  • #3
    Thomas_S_Hunterson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    Tom65 wrote: »
    Sounds interesting. What kind of things would the society be doing?

    Lots of crazy-ass nihilist orgies I hope:pac:


  • #4
    Raphael
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,880 ✭✭✭Raphael


    Awesome, congratulations!

    The one piece of advice I'd give you as regards society running is to try and get your committeee sorted now, so you can make solid plans for freshers week and the coming year in general over the summer holidays. Having that kind of stuff sorted before you come back can make a huge difference.


  • #5
    Tom65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,685 ✭✭✭Tom65


    Sean_K wrote: »
    Lots of crazy-ass nihilist orgies I hope:pac:

    I'm intrigued...


  • #6
    The_Minister
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,255 ✭✭✭✭The_Minister


    I for one welcome our new, humanist overlords....


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  • #7
    El Siglo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,803 ✭✭✭El Siglo


    Are you going to try and bring Richard Dawkins to UCD? Fair play anyway, so long as there's some sessions involved then it's all gravy from here!;)


  • #8
    33% God
    Closed Accounts Posts: 338 ✭✭33% God


    Count me in.
    What kind of activities do ye have in mind?


  • #9
    ChocolateSauce
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,892 ✭✭✭ChocolateSauce


    Sean_K wrote: »
    Lots of crazy-ass nihilist orgies I hope:pac:

    I would organise one, but what's the point? The men wouldn't be able to get it up.

    Speaking of the committee, it's full of vacancies, which I suppose I have to fill by appointment this year; can't have an election without members!

    As for what we'll be doing, 3 things basically: Talks, Debates, and other. In other, I was thinking the screening of interesting shows, like Real Time with Bill Maher, maybe some docs like Root of All Evil, religilous, and perhaps coffee mornings.

    As for guests, that depends entirely on how much money we can offer them!:rolleyes:

    But I have one or two people in mind who are personally known to me who might have something to say to us!


  • #10
    Dave!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,856 ✭✭✭✭Dave!


    Congrats :)

    Get Michael Shermer from Skeptic magazine! I'd love if someone could confirm this for me, but I'm pretty sure he was at a debate in UCD before about the existance of god... I'm not sure, but think it was him.

    Anyways, good luck with it all ! Stick up some posters around the college to get some interest/hype going, and to recruit a committee


  • #11
    Pride Fighter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,729 ✭✭✭Pride Fighter


    I'll send you a PM about working with you. But first I have to get elected as auditor for the Soc I am going for.


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  • #12
    jimi_t
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,578 ✭✭✭jimi_t


    Pride Fighter wrote: »
    I'll send you a PM about working with you. But first I have to get elected as auditor for the Soc I am going for.

    Which is?

    When you've an idea of what you're doing worked out feel free to send me a PM, have spent a worrying amount of time with Richard Butler in 2008 and can advise on how to avoid some pitfalls/maintenance grants etc...


  • #13
    smashysmash
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10 ✭smashysmash


    Moneywise you'll get the guts of 200 quid as a start up grant, it doesnt really go beyond that. sit on finance committee an kicked off the artssoc there 2 years back an thats the norm!

    Any q's dave jus pm me, that was a great presentation by the by!


  • #14
    KeyLimePie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 861 ✭✭✭KeyLimePie


    ..................oh my :)

    best of luck with it


  • #15
    bnt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,116 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    As for ideas on what to do, there are other similar organizations out there, who we can talk to and borrow ideas from, such as:

    You are the type of what the age is searching for, and what it is afraid it has found. I am so glad that you have never done anything, never carved a statue, or painted a picture, or produced anything outside of yourself! Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets.

    ―Oscar Wilde predicting Social Media, in The Picture of Dorian Gray



  • #16
    aequinoctium
    Closed Accounts Posts: 667 ✭✭✭aequinoctium


    will you be able to answer the great question: is it called:
    a) Allied Atheist Alliance
    b) United Atheist Alliance
    c) United Atheist League
    ?


  • #17
    bnt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,116 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    What are you on about? The society already has a name, it's not open for debate after it's been approved by the Board.

    You are the type of what the age is searching for, and what it is afraid it has found. I am so glad that you have never done anything, never carved a statue, or painted a picture, or produced anything outside of yourself! Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets.

    ―Oscar Wilde predicting Social Media, in The Picture of Dorian Gray



  • #18
    Tom65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,685 ✭✭✭Tom65


    aequinoctium wrote: »
    will you be able to answer the great question: is it called:
    a) Allied Atheist Alliance
    b) United Atheist Alliance
    c) United Atheist League
    ?

    Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure humanism isn't the same as atheism.


  • #19
    33% God
    Closed Accounts Posts: 338 ✭✭33% God


    bnt wrote: »
    What are you on about? The society already has a name, it's not open for debate after it's been approved by the Board.
    It's a South Park reference from the episode where Cartman freezes himself so he won't have to wait for the Nintendo Wii to come out but accidentally ends up centuries in the future where everyone is atheist thanks to Richard Dawkins and his beautiful wife Mrs Harrison but all the atheists are at war over what to call themselves.


  • #20
    bnt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,116 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    Ah, there you go - South Park. I went off South Park after the movie - no way the episodes could top that, and they should have let it end on a high. That "atheist" episode was an example of what I mean: pointless.

    If you remember previous threads on this topic, there was so much whining and negativity that it's not even funny to speculate on "in-fighting". We really do not need any more of that.

    You are the type of what the age is searching for, and what it is afraid it has found. I am so glad that you have never done anything, never carved a statue, or painted a picture, or produced anything outside of yourself! Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets.

    ―Oscar Wilde predicting Social Media, in The Picture of Dorian Gray



  • #21
    aequinoctium
    Closed Accounts Posts: 667 ✭✭✭aequinoctium


    Tom65 wrote: »
    Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure humanism isn't the same as atheism.

    well, it was mentioned in the original post:
    ChocolateSauce wrote: »
    The aims of the society will be, in short, to promote atheism, and secular humanism in particular, as an alternative to theism, and to encourage science and reason.


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  • #22
    The_Minister
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,255 ✭✭✭✭The_Minister


    Tom65 wrote: »
    Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure humanism isn't the same as atheism.
    Humanism is essentially cuddly Atheism.


  • #23
    bnt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,116 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    Here's a speaker idea, one that will also appeal to the SF fans: Joss Whedon, if he comes to Ireland.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTY8-XPhTzQ

    Faith in God means believing in something, absolutely, with no proof whatsoever. Faith in Humanity means believing in something, absolutely, with a huge amount of proof to the contrary. We are the true believers.
    Now there's a quote that's just asking to be taken out of context, so I hope folks watch the whole thing - about 5 minutes.

    You are the type of what the age is searching for, and what it is afraid it has found. I am so glad that you have never done anything, never carved a statue, or painted a picture, or produced anything outside of yourself! Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets.

    ―Oscar Wilde predicting Social Media, in The Picture of Dorian Gray



  • #24
    Tom65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,685 ✭✭✭Tom65


    The_Minister wrote: »
    Humanism is essentially cuddly Atheism.

    That's a concept I can warm to :D


  • #25
    the evil lime
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 356 ✭✭the evil lime


    ChocolateSauce wrote: »
    As for guests, that depends entirely on how much money we can offer them!

    The finance committee will not fund the payment of speakers' fees. Try inventing some incentives (see the James Joyce award for an excellent example of this)... or getting external funding.


  • #26
    passive
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,403 ✭✭✭passive


    the evil lime wrote: »
    The finance committee will not fund the payment of speakers' fees. Try inventing some incentives (see the James Joyce award for an excellent example of this)... or getting external funding.

    First Annual Joss Whedon Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Humanism?


  • #27
    ChocolateSauce
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,892 ✭✭✭ChocolateSauce


    Posters are now up!

    Looking for people interested in being active members, particularly a secretary and treasurer, but also 5 regular committee members! The 9 members of the committee are the sole arbiters of the mission statement for the first year of operation, so if you know anyone interested, send them to me at ucdhumanistsociety@gmail.com.


  • #28
    JohnGalt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 230 ✭✭JohnGalt


    Is it really necessary to actively promote atheism? I think that would discredited the organisation. It would be better to leave it as implied that atheism or agnosticism are the positions held by most members, and focus on encouraging the kind of thinking that led these people to these conclusions.


  • #29
    Brimmy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,536 ✭✭✭Brimmy


    Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't one of the big societies promise Wheadon at the beginning of the year?

    Along with ArtSoc promising Ricky Gervais and Megan Fox. L&H promising Philip Seymour Hoffman and Chris Jericho. Lawsoc promising Patrick Stewart and a rake of others....

    Just don't promise speakers or guests you can't deliver and I'll join to support if I'm still around next year :)


  • #30
    bnt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,116 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    Brimmy wrote: »
    Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't one of the big societies promise Wheadon at the beginning of the year?
    I mentioned him and linked to the video because he gave a humanism-related speech at Harvard. That's it. It wasn't intended as a promise to bring him to UCD. :confused:

    You are the type of what the age is searching for, and what it is afraid it has found. I am so glad that you have never done anything, never carved a statue, or painted a picture, or produced anything outside of yourself! Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets.

    ―Oscar Wilde predicting Social Media, in The Picture of Dorian Gray



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  • #31
    Brimmy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,536 ✭✭✭Brimmy


    bnt wrote: »
    I mentioned him and linked to the video because he gave a humanism-related speech at Harvard. That's it. It wasn't intended as a promise to bring him to UCD. :confused:

    And I never suggested that you had. I was just saying I seem to have remebered one of the big societies promising Wheadon at the beginning of the year and (to no surprise) didn't deliver :(


  • #32
    ChocolateSauce
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,892 ✭✭✭ChocolateSauce


    Brimmy wrote: »
    Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't one of the big societies promise Wheadon at the beginning of the year?

    Along with ArtSoc promising Ricky Gervais and Megan Fox. L&H promising Philip Seymour Hoffman and Chris Jericho. Lawsoc promising Patrick Stewart and a rake of others....

    Just don't promise speakers or guests you can't deliver and I'll join to support if I'm still around next year smile.gif

    Of course! I'm still sore about Patrick Stewart. No promises will be made by me.
    JohnGalt wrote:
    Is it really necessary to actively promote atheism? I think that would discredited the organisation. It would be better to leave it as implied that atheism or agnosticism are the positions held by most members, and focus on encouraging the kind of thinking that led these people to these conclusions.

    I don't think promoting outright atheism would do that at all. We're not promoting anti-theism, which is something many atheists and agnosics would have a problem with, and we're not too concerned with what non-humanists think of our style. Don't you think asking us not to promote atheism is like asking the Pope not to promote Catholicism? Although that's not a great analogy; you'd never stumble upon Christianity by a thought process, you have to be taught about it.

    That being said, maybe I'm wrong? Policy is decided by the committee (this year) and by the members once we have them.

    Only 5 committee spots remaining, so anyone who wants to be an active member, let me know! Also, look out in the next issue of the Observer, they said they'd interview me to publicise the society.


  • #33
    Dave!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,856 ✭✭✭✭Dave!


    Might wanna throw up a few more posters man ! I was keeping an eye out for them as I walked around yesterday and today, but only saw the one (as you're coming down the steps from the library to get outside) ! I dunno if many people would notice if they're not more conspicuously placed :) You been getting much of a response/any emails?


  • #34
    ChocolateSauce
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,892 ✭✭✭ChocolateSauce


    Dave! wrote: »
    Might wanna throw up a few more posters man ! I was keeping an eye out for them as I walked around yesterday and today, but only saw the one (as you're coming down the steps from the library to get outside) ! I dunno if many people would notice if they're not more conspicuously placed :) You been getting much of a response/any emails?

    There are 50 posters divided between Arts, Science, Ag, Medicine, Conway, Eng, and the Library.

    I've gotten a fair response, but not enough. The fact that it's the end of the year and exams are around is a factor. I've had an interview with Zelda of the paper, so more publicity is right around the corner!

    Our main publicity will surely be the Fresher's tent next year. We'll have a fresh round of larger, colour posters around that time too.


  • #35
    jimminy-boi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37 ✭jimminy-boi


    33% God wrote: »
    It's a South Park reference from the episode where Cartman freezes himself so he won't have to wait for the Nintendo Wii to come out but accidentally ends up centuries in the future where everyone is atheist thanks to Richard Dawkins and his beautiful wife Mrs Harrison but all the atheists are at war over what to call themselves.

    Ah now, surely that's all taken from The Life of Brian...




    Anyway, to the Society at hand. I'd love to get involved. I'm studying in France at the moment, but I'll be back in Ireland from June onwards. E-mail being sent now...


  • #36
    Flamed Diving
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,609 ✭✭✭Flamed Diving


    Create a FAQ for promoting the society during Freshers Week.


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  • #37
    bnt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,116 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    I think a FAQ is a definite possibility - about Humanism in general, and why it's not simply Atheism under a friendlier name. Some representative quotes are also a good idea, I think, such as:
    And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Man's reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable - and we believe they can do it again.
    -- John F. Kennedy

    The current HAI campaign about religious oaths in public life is an example of why this kind of Society matters, in my opinion.

    You are the type of what the age is searching for, and what it is afraid it has found. I am so glad that you have never done anything, never carved a statue, or painted a picture, or produced anything outside of yourself! Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets.

    ―Oscar Wilde predicting Social Media, in The Picture of Dorian Gray



  • #38
    994
    Closed Accounts Posts: 911 ✭✭✭994


    Tom65 wrote: »
    Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure humanism isn't the same as atheism.
    HERETIC!


  • #39
    ChocolateSauce
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,892 ✭✭✭ChocolateSauce


    Our first meeting will be next Tuesday at 5 pm in room 201 in the Chemistry building.

    Orders of business are:

    Confirm committee
    Vote on Constitution
    Vote on Mission Statement
    Decide preliminary plan of action

    If you want to get involved with the society, this is the time and place to do it!


  • #40
    condra
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,850 ✭✭✭condra


    Congrats on getting the Humanist Society up and running.

    I just wanted to subscribe to this thread to keep informed on any public events which I might find interesting.


  • #41
    WeeBushy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,572 ✭✭✭WeeBushy


    Dang, I'll be too late for this... in final year now :(

    The best of luck though and I really hope it works out well for you. If I end up doing another course, or masters, here I'll definitely get involved.

    EDIT (should've read the thread, and dates, in full): I see this has been up and running all this year... oops :o


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  • #42
    The_Minister
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,255 ✭✭✭✭The_Minister


    condra wrote: »
    Congrats on getting the Humanist Society up and running.

    I just wanted to subscribe to this thread to keep informed on any public events which I might find interesting.

    You can subscribe to a thread without posting, just by using the thread tools in the upper right.
    nbc_the_more_you_know.jpg


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