SUNDAY AUGUST 9, 1-3 PM

GREAT AMERICAN ORATORS
HOBBY BUILDING EVENTS ROOM

 

 

Professor and Freethinker Dr. Glenn Cohen will present Great American Orators. Come join us as Glenn gives us a look at American history through the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and Dwight Eisenhower. Learn how a single speech can change the direction of the country. American orators and their speeches are important because they often crystallize big ideas like freedom, equality, and democracy in language that moves people to act. Think of Lincoln at Gettysburg, Frederick Douglass demanding justice, or suffragettes insisting on equality become cultural touchstones, shaping how later generations argue, protest, or hope. Rhetoric in the United States isn’t just talk, it is a catalyst that can reframe what is possible. Join us as Glenn provides the seeds for a robust discussion.

 

 

MONDAY AUGUST 10, 6:30-8 PM
BANNED AND WOKE BOOK CLUB
HOBBY BUILDING EVENTS ROOM

 

 

Our Banned & Woke Book Club’s selection for the August 10 meeting is Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. This brand new book, already a New York Times #1 Best Seller having sold more than 500,000 copies since June 23, is sure to rankle feathers. The authors’ source material features verbatim conversations of the powers that be, some of which apparently occurred in the White House Situation Room. Haberman and Swan are, of course, not naming their sources. This “woke” book will make for a very interesting book club discussion!

 

SUNDAY AUGUST, 1-3 PM
JESUS IN TEXT AND CONTEXT:

WOLL THE REAL JESUS PLEASE (RISE) STAND UP?
HOBBY BUILDING EVENTS ROOM

 

We are excited to present Dr. Ron Cooper, Professor of Philosophy at the College of Central Florida, to our group. When not teaching, Dr. Cooper indulges a favorite pastime: picking apart theology and religious dogma through an atheist's lens. Join us for Jesus in Text and Context, Or Will the Real Jesus Please Stand (Rise?) Up? as we look at Christianity through the lens of reason. He received a BA in philosophy from the College of Charleston, an MA from the University of South Carolina, and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University. Since 1995, he has taught at the College of Central Florida in Ocala. Ron's fiction, poetry, and essays have appeared in publications such as Chattahoochee Review, Yalobusha Review, Apostrophe, Timber Creek Review, Deep South Magazine, and The Blotter. His novels The Gospel of the Twin, Hume's Fork, and Purple Jesus are available from Bancroft Press.

    One student reviewer put it simply: "This professor is hilarious in his descriptions and makes the subject truly fun and interesting." Freethinkers, take note — this promises to be an entertaining learning experience.

 

A Life Well Lived:

Remembering Freethinker Bill Sullivan

1944-2026

Bill Sullivan was a beloved member of our Freethinker Florida community, and his absence will be felt at every gathering. Cheerful and endlessly optimistic, Bill brought a warmth to our discussions that made everyone feel welcome. If you were lucky enough to land at his table during Open Forum, you knew the conversation would be lively, generous, and genuinely fun. He was well liked by us all. Bill, we will miss you.

 

DOING GOOD FOR GOOD’S SAKE

 

Freethinkers Florida has been supporting two of our members, Debby Levy and Roland Campbell, in their work with Ocala’s homeless population, especially those living rough on the streets or in the forest. They, along with some other dedicated folks, provide a hot meal to anyone who needs it on Monday nights, rain or shine, outdoors in a space downtown which a business allows them to use.

 

Donations of the following are welcome at any Sunday meeting:

1)  Used camping gear, clothing, shoes, towels and blankets for the homeless downtown and in the forest. Text/call Debby Levy 561-346-7401 for info.

2)  Brown paper for mailing packages and new/used bubble wrap for Freedom Library's EBay book sales,  proceeds support children's programs. Text/call Pat MacMurray 352-807-5664 for questions and info.

 

And if you have some time and inclination:  On Wednesdays August 5 and 19, you can learn how to crochet water resistant sleeping mats for the homeless using recycled grocery bags. Or you can support the crocheters by cutting bags into strips that are used in the process. Both the crocheting and the cutting can easily be done at home as well. Join Karen Henkel-Reeves at 9:30 am in the Art Room in the Hobby Building for a lesson.  For more info call  Karen at 352-854-9954 (no text).

 

LOOKING AHEAD TO SEPTEMBER

 

FLORIDA END OF LIFE OPTIONS

 

September 13, 1-3pm in the Hobby Building Event Room—Florida End of Life Options.  Executive Director Tony Roy will discuss the organization’s goal:  that every Floridian deserves a compassionate choice at the end of life.  Florida End-of-Life Options is a nonprofit, grassroots movement dedicated to changing the legal status of medical aid in dying (MAiD) in Florida. Supporters believe that Floridians facing a terminal illness deserve the same autonomy and individual freedom at the end of life that they enjoyed while healthy—and the group is working to make that possible. Through education, outreach, and advocacy, they raise awareness about all end-of-life options across individuals, organizations, and communities. Tony will also discuss the status of current legislative efforts in Florida.

 

PROTEST MUSIC OF THE 50’s AND 60’s

September 27, 1-3 pm, Hobby Building Event Room—Protest Music of the 50's and 60’s. Our friend Dr. Rod Broker will be back for an informative and entertaining look at how protest music shaped our formative years. During the 1950s, the United States was marked by the early Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, and concerns about nuclear weapons. Folk music became the primary genre for protest songs because its simple melodies made it easy for audiences to join in. The 1960s saw protest music become much more widespread as movements grew around civil rights, the Vietnam War, women's rights, and social change. Do you remember listening to Pete Seeger? Peter, Paul, and Mary? Bob Dylan? Joan Baez? There are so many more. Overall, protest music from the 1950s and 1960s showed how songs could become a powerful form of expression and activism, helping shape public opinion and support major social movements.  See you there!

 

 

 

 

The Freethinkers Florida Club at On Top of the World meets twice a month in the Hobby Building Event Room for presentations, discussions, and social time. If you are coming from outside On Top of the World, please email  FreethinkersFlorida@gmail.com for information on entry through the gate.

 

 

 

LOOKING BACK AT JUNE

On June 14, we had 42 Freethinkers break into five small groups and brainstorm about what is next for our growing Freethought Community. We evaluated presentations, programs, social events and activities, and then discussed ideas for possible speakers and topics. Freethinker Roger Mack has compiled the data, and we will be publishing results in a special edition of our newsletter in the coming weeks. Thank you to all who participated. Our Donut Day was a success! We are especially grateful to Freethinker John Dziembowski who shared his magic coffee machine and special Ugandan gourmet coffee to go with the donuts.

And on June 28, Pacita Rudder, Executive Director of Wikimedia NYC, took us on an eyeopening behind the scenes tour of the world’s most referenced online resource, Wikipedia. With 130–200 million visits every day, Wikipedia is the largest and most-read reference work in human history: a free, multilingual encyclopedia featuring over 67 million articles in more than 300 languages, available to everyone at no cost.

 

 

 

 

SUGGESTIONS FOR JUNE: Though there were none in the suggestion box, we received dozens and dozens of ideas for consideration on Donut Day. Keep an eye out for our Special Edition newsletter on this topic. And if you have any other thoughts, we’d be glad to hear them. Email FreethinkersFlorida@gmail.com or write your ideas on a card at any Sunday meeting and deposit it in the suggestion box.he Suggestion Box for May:  1). Bring Merrill Shapiro back for an examination of religion in the U.S. Yes!  Merrill has agreed to visit with us again, and we will be working on a date and the topic.  2). Play a video and discuss the work of Dr. Herb Silverman, mathematician and secular activist, who is the author of Candidate Without A Prayer. Yes! We are working on this program. We learned that Dr. Silverman was a determined atheist: In 1990, a colleague pointed out that atheists were ineligible to hold public office in South Carolina. After an eight-year battle, Herb won a unanimous decision in the South Carolina Supreme Court, which struck down this religious test requirement.

 

 

 

LOOKING AHEAD TO AUGUST

 

 

GREAT AMERICAN ORATORS

 

AUGUST 9—Professor and Freethinker Glenn Cohen will present Great American Orators. Come join us as Glenn gives us a look at American history through the speeches of Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and Dwight Eisenhower. Learn how a single speech can change the direction of the country.

 

BANNED AND WOKE BOOK CLUB

 

AUGUST 10—Our Banned & Woke Book Club’s selection for the August 10 meeting is Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. This brand new book already a New York Times Best Seller, is sure to rankle feathers. The authors’ source material features verbatim conversations of the powers that be, some of which apparently occurred in the White House Situation Room. Haberman and Swan are, of course, not naming their sources. While the hardcover is about $35, the kindle version is available for $16.99. This “woke” book will make for a very interesting book club discussion!

 

 

 

WILL THE REAL JESUS PLEASE (RISE?) STAND UP?

 

AUGUST 23—We will welcome Dr. Ron Cooper, Professor of Philosophy at the College of Central Florida. Dr. Cooper’s hobby is the study of theology and religious dogma from his atheist point of view. Join us for Jesus in Text and Context, Or Will the Real Jesus Please Stand (Rise?) Up? as we look at Christianity through the lens of reason.

 

 

 

The Freethinkers Florida Club at On Top of the World meets twice a month in the Hobby Building Event Room for presentations, discussions, and social time. If you are coming from outside On Top of the World, please email  FreethinkersFlorida@gmail.com for information on entry through the gate.