WHICH
GODS DO NOT EXIST?
SELECTIVE ATHEISM
short description:
This series of discussions is for people
questioning traditional religious beliefs.
In 3 meetings, we will discuss 6 dimensions of
belief
in Gods:
(1) creation, (2) scripture,
(3) morality, (4) power,
(5) immortality, & (6) spirituality.
Participants will read two brief discussion-starters
(available free of charge on the Internet)
before each meeting.
Here is the index page for these 6 on-line essays:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/CY-GODS.html
one-page
course description:
WHICH
GODS DO NOT EXIST?
SELECTIVE ATHEISM
Atheism has become an important theme of public
discussion,
as seen in the publication of several books against religion.
If you question or reject traditional religious
beliefs,
this series of discussions might help you to focus the issues.
Were you raised in some form of religious faith
that affirmed the following beliefs?
(1) creation of the universe, (2) holy scripture,
(3) God-given
morality, (4) all-powerful God,
(5) life after death, & (6) spiritual
growth.
This series of discussions will enable you
to meet with a wide variety of other people
who are questioning their childhood religions.
Perhaps you will discover that you are really a
selective atheist:
You can more clearly articulate what you do NOT believe
than what forms of spirituality still remain meaningful for you.
Let's engage in an open-minded spiritual quest.
If we reject each traditional belief about God or Gods,
what spiritual possibilities still remain open for us?
We will discuss the following 6
themes, two each week:
Each subject is introduced in an on-line essay:
FIRST WEEK:
No
Gods Created the Universe.
No
Gods Wrote
Holy Books
.
SECOND WEEK:
No
Gods Are
Watching Our Behavior
.
No
Gods Are
All-Powerful.
THIRD WEEK:
No
Gods Can Save Us from Death .
God-Talk
Might
Be a Way of Expressing Our Spiritual Dynamics .
The 6 free on-line essays above
are also published as Chapters 1-6 of
Spirituality
without Gods:
Developing Our Capacities of Spirit.
FACILITATOR:
James Park is the author of these 6 chapters.
He used to be a Christian but no longer believes
in any of the powers or capacities of the Gods mentioned above.
Nevertheless, he has written 6 books on existential
spirituality.
DATE & TIME: (When would be
best for you?).
PLACE: (open to suggestions for
locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul).
FEE: Free of charge (unless something
must be paid for the meeting room).
This seminar (Which Gods Do Not Exist?)
might be offered in coordination with
Are
You a
Person of Spirit?
Six Capacities of Our Human Spirits.
In that case, participants in both seminars
might want to read the book that contains both halves:
Spirituality
without Gods:
Developing our Capacities of Spirit.
distant-learning option:
WHICH
GODS DO NOT EXIST?
SELECTIVE ATHEISM
For people who cannot attend a face-to-face
exploration
of which Gods do not exist,
it is still possible to read the on-line essays
and to communicate with the author.
And because all of the discussion-starters are
available on the Internet,
it is possible for other
facilitators to create classes
using these 6 essays as the basic resource.
The explanation of the series is found here:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/CY-GODS.html
And here are the 6 basic essays,
which can be read in any order:
WHICH GODS DO NOT EXIST?
No
Gods Created the Universe.
No
Gods Wrote
Holy Books
.
No
Gods Are
Watching Our Behavior
.
No
Gods Are
All-Powerful.
No
Gods Can Save Us from Death.
WHICH GODS MIGHT EXIST?
God-Talk
Might
Be a Way of Expressing Our Spiritual Dynamics .
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Distant learners might want to read other resources,
such as the books reviewed in the Atheism Bibliography:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/B-ATHE.html
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FACILITATOR:
James Park is an independent philosopher,
living and writing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
During his long career in alternative adult education,
he has led about 200 different discussion groups.
Most of these were in the Minnesota Free University.
See more information about his interest in adult education:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/JP-AL-ED.html
Created
October 16, 2008; Revised 10-17-2008; 12-4-2008; 12-6-2008; 2-7-2009;
3-27-2009; 7-16-2009;
8-30-2012; 9-15-2012; 1-25-2013; 12-5-2013; 8-6-2015; 12-8-2016;
3-30-2017;