Announcing Life After Religion Firesides

I find there are many conversations people want to have but don't know where to have them. For example, there's the...I-don't-really-believe-in-"God"-anymore-but-I-kinda-wish-there-was-something-sort-of-like-God-I-could-still-believe-in conversationor theThis-non-religious-progressive-enlightened-supermarket spirituality-metaphysical-"be present in the moment"-namaste-I am god or goddess-source-chakra-thing-seems-way-too-complicated-and-slightly-woo-woo conversationor the I-have-no-answers-for-anything-and-frankly-this-scares-the-shit-out-of-me conversationor theI'm-just-tired-of-trying-to-figure-it-out conversationor the Can't-just-being-human-be-enough conversationI want to create a space to have these kinds of conversations, and so I am hosting the Life After Religion Firesides. LIFE AFTER RELIGION FIRESIDESconversations about a post-religion and more human spirituality Starting Tuesday, July 25th, I’m going to be hosting a series of Life After Religion Firesides, which are small group conversations over Skype. I will provide a video connection to myself, but it's your choice if you want to participate by video or audio only. Either is fine. These Fireside chats will be 60-minute group calls. I will share 15 minutes of thoughts on the theme for the night, and then facilitate discussion on the topic. No, there will not be an actual fireplace or camp fire but I’ll see if I can find something to set ablaze. The Firesides are limited to 5 people per call so we can truly have meaningful interaction and conversation. It is requested that each participant make a minimum donation of $35 per call. The monies will be used to help support the spiritual counseling work I do with the homeless in my city. Here are the themes for each Fireside: JULY 25 – CHILL SPIRITUALITY / 7pm CSTSpirituality has become a lot of effort, exertion, toil and labor. How much more do we really need to know, and do we already know too much for own good? Maybe it’s time to clear the decks and let go of the incessant pursuit and insatiable consumption of new and improved beliefs, better dogma, and more enlightened concepts and practices… and cultivate a minimalist spirituality. AUGUST 1 – NON-THEISTIC SPIRITUALITY / 7pm CSTNot going to church, no longer believing in hell and having a kinder, gentler and more progressive theology is doable for most people. But shit gets real when you realize you no longer hold a theistic view of God, and not quite sure if there even is one. Now what? AUGUST 8 – THE EXISTENTIAL DILEMMA / 7pm CST There are questions for which humans would like definitive answers. What’s the meaning of life? What happens after we die? Do I have a purpose? Do we have a soul? Is there a god? What is true? Who am I? Where did I come from? What is my true nature or essence? How should I live my life? It doesn’t take long for a person to notice that there are many different and conflicting answers to these questions. So, who is right? OR are we barking up the wrong tree by trying to resolve these questions with certainty? Do we need definitive answers to these questions? Maybe we don’t. AUGUST 15 – THE SPIRITUALITY OF BEING HUMAN / 7pm CST People are accustomed to determining their spiritual path based on the authority of a source outside themselves – God, the supernatural, divine communication, special teachings, spiritual gurus, sacred books, religious organizations, etc. But is being human enough, and is everything we need to know for living a meaningful, fulfilling, and purposeful life found in our humanity? AUGUST 22 – GIVING UP "SPIRITUALITY" / 7pm CST You do realize there really is actually nothing called “spirituality.” It’s not a thing. We made it up. That’s not to say it is not a useful term or that what it indicates isn’t meaningful. But it’s not necessary to keep dragging it around everywhere you go. What is or isn’t “spiritual” anyway? The term “religion” has fallen out of favor, and was replaced with “spirituality.” Then we created a religion out of “spirituality.”The Fireside calls will be limited to 5 participants per call. Participants for the Fireside chats will be chosen on a first-come first-serve basis. The minimum requested donation is $35 per person. If you are interested in participating in all 5 Firesides, you may secure your spot with a one-time minimum requested donation of $175. You can also gift these calls to someone if you’re inclined. Please include an email address at registration so I can send you preliminary details and instructions before the call.Registration is now open for Life After Religion Firesides, and you can secure your spot at this link.