Sunday August 31, 2008

Business Ethics
Craig Beam

Over the past year, Craig has written and developed a Business Ethics course for Distance Education at Laurier. In honour of Labour Day and the first offering of the course, he will reflect on some of the following questions. Is business ethics an oxymoron? Can virtue be taught? Do corporations undermine personal moral responsibility? Is lying ever justified? Can you afford to have high ethical standards when your competitors don't? What is the role and meaning of work in our lives?

Service Leader: Craig Beam. Music: Tracey Clarke-Rankine.

Sunday August 24, 2008

Evolution of Religion or We Are All Africans
Christopher diCarlo

Chris has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Waterloo and teaches at UOIT in Oshawa. He is the winner of TVO's Best Lecturer Competition and was named Humanist of the Year for 2008 by the Humanist Association of Canada. He will either speak on the topic of a book he is writing - The Evolution of Religion: Why Many Need to Believe in Deities, Demons, and the Unseen - or give a talk called We Are All African which he has presented across North America and has helped raised awareness of evolutionary theory.

Service Leader: Craig Beam. Music: Tom Nagy.

Sunday August 17, 2008

Our scheduled speaker for August 17, June Gilbertson, has cancelled due to health reasons.

Instead, Chattar Ahuja will be speaking on the Sikh religion and the subject of non-violence. Chatter is a member of the local Sikh temple and Interfaith Grand River.

Service Leader: John Green. Music Mag Horman.

Sunday August 10. 2008

Repairing the world
Bob Chodos

"Tikkun Olam," meaning repair of the world, is a Hebrew phrase that is often used to describe Jewish action for social justice. Bob Chodos will look at its biblical roots, its later development, and how it is being carried out today. Bob is a member of Temple Shalom, a Reformed Jewish congregation, and a member of Interfaith Grand River.

Service Leader: Jay Moore. Music: Boyd McDonald.

Sunday August 3, 2008

Using Nature and the Universe as a Spiritual Path

Words of Richard Miller

Nature is an awesome yet fascinating mystery. Humans respond to nature in three ways: as Mystery - something that is greater than human comprehension; with a sense of awesome overwhelming Power - the power to create and to sustain, but also the power to destroy; and with a sense of Beauty, so breathtaking that we have no choice but to love it. The place where humans first felt those three feelings was in the midst of nature, looking up at the galaxy we call home, the Milky Way. The talk by Richard Miller will be read by Rhoda Riemer. Its author is a retired meteorologist and one-time Guelph Unitarian, who had to cancel speaking plans with us when he moved to PEI.

Service Leader: Rhoda Riemer. Music: Stephen Preece.