First ethics, now values

Last month we explored the origins of morality. This month we'll take a finer point as we have a look at values--Christian values, and family values.
This is going to be tougher than you'd think because, dad-gum-it, there's no official list of what these values actually are. This means we'll have to employ perspective and look at values professed by a wide number of individuals and groups, all claiming to be Christian. And then we'll compare these values to other groups to see how much justification there is in calling them "Christian."
It'll be fun.
Please join us. And remember, superlative childcare is provided.

No Adult Forum on November 28th

The Adult Forum will not meet on November 28th.
Stay tuned for an update on December 5th.

Exploring the Stages of Moral Development

This coming Sunday, November 21, Sandy Westin will lead the discussion as we continue to explore from whence morality cometh.

In the past few weeks we’ve explored the sources of our species’ sense of morality. This week Sandy Westin will lead us in exploring how that sense develops – or doesn’t develop - within an individual as they grow into adulthood. Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget defined four stages of cognitive development during his remarkable life and career (1896-1980). Building on Piaget’s work, Harvard professor Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987) expanded that structure into six stages of moral development within three major phases of the development of reasoning ability. We will try out a few moral dilemmas to see how our own reasoning and experience do or do not fit into Kohlberg’s and Piaget’s stage theories.

Sandy Westin earned her Bachelor’s degree at Washington State University in the combined fields of Human Development and Psychology. She currently serves as the North American Regional Coordinator of United Religions Initiative, and lives in Johnson City.

Please join us. We'll be delighted to see you. And as ever, superior childcare is provided.

No Forum on Nov 14th

The Adult Forum will not meet on November 14th. We're making room for the 10,000 Villages sale.
On the 21st, Sandy Westin will continue our series on the origins of morality with a presentation on Jean Piaget. Details coming soon.

More on Morality: 95 Theses of Matthew Fox

First we heard Sam Harris propose that science could answer moral questions. He didn't convince us. Then we heard from Bonobo-watcher, Franz de Waal who showed us that, while science can't provide answers to moral questions, it can show us some of the evolutionary origins of our sense of morality, and how much we have in common with the animal kingdom. From biological observations, it's easy to see how we have a thirst for justice.
Leaping across the universe of disciplines, we find Matthew Fox, a former Roman Catholic priest (and now an Episcopalian priest) who was so disturbed by the injustices of his religion that he repeated Martin Luther's act of nailing 95 new theses to the door of the church in Wittenburg, Germany, where Luther's theses helped give rise to the Protestant Reformation. Fox begins a new reformation. Many of his 95 theses define a moral system that seems to be consistent with science, and with the resonant facets of biological justice.
Please join us for the discussion. We'll be happy to have you. And as always, loving, intelligent childcare is provided.