EthicalStL.org

Continuing our summer series on alternative families, this platform will look at the growing number of people choosing not to have children, some of the reasons behind that choice, and the variety of family arrangements that can result. We’ll also look at ethical issues such as community support for families with children, and how people without children make long-term ethical decisions. Note from Kate: This is a topic I can speak of from experience, but I also welcome input from others. If you are childfree by choice and would like to share your thoughts and feelings, please contact me.

Imagine your limbs replaced with technologies that make you far stronger and faster than you are now. Imagine your mind directly connected to a network giving you access to all of human knowledge, instantly. Imagine being uploaded into a computer, so that you can transcend entirely the limitations of your physical body. Imagine the death of death. All these things and more are promised by the devotees of "transhumanism," a movement that believes advances in technology will so change the nature of human life that we will become something different, beyond human. What are the ethical implications of the transhumanist view? How plausible is it? What might it mean for your life? Leader-in-training James Croft explores these questions and more.

More and more families are living outside of traditional religious identity and practice. But the children of those families are still likely to hear questions about “what they are,” and what their family "is." Dale McGowan looks at how Ethical Humanist parents can turn this challenge into a positive experience and healthy self-image for kids.

Dale McGowan is Ethical Education Director of the American Ethical Union. He edited and co-authored several books for nontheistic families, including Parenting Beyond Belief, Raising Freethinkers, and an upcoming book on marriages between secular and religious people. Dale also serves as executive director of Foundation Beyond Belief, a humanist charitable foundation based in Atlanta.

It is never too early and it is never too late! Talk about sexuality and sexual health to the people you love.

Have some fun absorbing skills, approaches, and tips to make you more approachable and competent. This presentation is neither threatening nor scary and can be of use to people of all ages. The list of topics we need to be able to discuss comfortably has burgeoned. Unless we want someone else to teach the people we care about, we all need a little help.

Allison M. Hile has a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Human Sexuality. She has worked in abortion care, family planning, and sex education for over 30 years and is AASECT certified as a Sexuality Educator (American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists). She is a wife, mother, and longtime member of the Ethical Society of St. Louis.

In 2003, Dr. Wolff, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Washington University’s School of Medicine, founded Meds amp; Food for Kids (lt;a href="http://mfkhaiti.org" target="_blank"gt;mfkhaiti.orglt;/agt;) in response to her frustration at watching malnourished Haitian children needlessly die. lt;brgt;lt;brgt;In August, 2013, MFK completed construction of their state-of-the art factory locat-ed in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. The completion of the factory in Haiti has enabled MFK to save more lives through increased production. In addition, MFK is impacting Haiti's economy by employing and training more Haitian workers and using even more Haitian raw materials. To date, MFK has saved the lives of more than 120,000 severely malnourished children. The MFK factory currently employs 48 local staff members and the MFK agriculture team has trained over 1,300 farmers, teaching them to grow more (and better) peanuts.

It is commonplace for politicians and pundits to declare America the "greatest nation on earth." No less authorities than presidents have said so, reinforcing the doctrine of "American Exceptionalism." But in what ways is America "exceptional," how far should patriotism extend, and what is the proper relationship between a citizen and their nation? James will offer an outsider's view on the claim of "American Exceptionalism," exploring how our perception of our countries affects our lives and ourselves.

This two-part talk will explore the now perhaps old-fashioned notion of duty in ethical living, and how we balance our individual needs with the needs of others. We will look at questions such as: How do we determine the difference between what is right and what is allowed? When and how should one make individual sacrifices for another person or group? What do we owe to other generations? Is the current focus on happiness the best way to live--Is it even making us happy?

Twenty-first century kids are exposed to media in forms that are still emerging and that can be challenging for parents. While the promise of media and the opportunity that available to kids through media seems limit-less, parents are all too aware of the access media can provide to inappropriate material and the dangers of social media, most notoriously cyberbullying. Find out what tools are available to parents and what techniques have proven most valuable to help parents raise ethical kids in a media-saturated world. lt;brgt;lt;brgt;Ken Haller, MD, F.A.A.P., is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine and SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. He appears frequently in local and national media discussing child health issues and has been an advocate for children living in underserved areas. His special interests include health literacy, the effects of media on children, and the special health needs of LGBT youth. He is the current Secretary/Treasurer of the Missouri State Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Home: it's not just where we live, it’s where we make our lives. But what about when we leave and move to a new place? How can we deal with the stress and upheaval leaving home brings? Leader in Training James Croft - who has just moved to St. Louis himself - will explore how we can endure leaving home, and how it can help you learn about yourself.

Several years ago the Society began officially describing itself as "A Welcoming Home for Humanists." This year we mark the 50th anniversary of the Society’s home on Clayton Road. One of the definitions of humanists is "people who feel at home in the natural world." This morning we’ll explore the concept of home: What do we mean by home? How does it feel to have or not have a home? How do we find a home? How can we help others feel more at home, in the world and in our community?