CLIMATE CHANGE, SCIENCE, SPECULATION AND PROPAGANDA
We had an excellent session with our two speakers kicking off not they said as Climate Change deniers, but as questioning science driven voices. After their 40 min and 30 min talks, everyone who wishes spoke out their views and a vigorous discussion followed. I only gave bits of the paper I had prepared but here it is with responses from Greg and Iain to make of it what you will.
John Continue reading
letter for general useJoining us via ZOOM from Durham we had as our main proposer Dr Sarah Pearce who is a retired medical consultant currently working on a Graduate Diploma in Theology and Religious Studies at Durham. She gave what everyone found an excellent, clear and shocking paper based on the Marmot reports which analyses how Covid has laid bare the extent of poverty and inequality in Britain and how this has been getting worse. . Continue reading
I am very glad to support your (John Baxter’s) insistence that Jesus was a real historical parson. Continue reading
The Search for JESUS YESHUA
Reflections on David Warden’s paper for ANVIL April 2021 John Baxter 4-5-21
This essay, which has kept on expanding and being rewritten, is my reaction to David Warden’s carefully researched paper which argues that Jesus is no more an historical figure than Romulus or King Arthur. It is restricted to considering that question and is not an attempt to write yet another version of the historical Jesus. JESUS YESHUA
Please feel free to add your own comments to this discussion . To do so email johnbaxte119@nullgmail.com
ANVIL Associates and friends
This Wednesday 14th April 7pm Meeting on ZOOM we had our biggest turnout every, 35. This included Dorset Humanists.
Our subject was “The Historical Jesus.” and we were very glad to have as our main speaker David Warden, Chair of Dorset Humanists. Our first Responder was Alison Way, rector of Wincanton, followed by John Baxter. Continue reading
After an informal planning meeting on Zoom to discuss our future we agreed ANVIL will need to operate through ZOOM until we are all vaccinated. Continue reading
Sent the following email to ANVIL members and friends: If you have not received a copy feel free to click below to take part if you have registered with ZOOM.
Dear ANVIL Associate and other friends
Regular ANVIL member Greg Atkins who is an emeritus professor of virology is on our programme to speak about “The Danger Posed by Emerging Virus infections ” which we planned before Covid -19 broke upon us. We now would like him to speak on Wednesday 10th June at 3 p.m. on what will need to be a Zoom session. Greg also runs a U3A group in Martock and has been running it using ZOOM since the lock-down.
He has now kindly invited me to speak and introduce Buddhism to that group and you are all invited to sign up for Zoom which is free if you have not done so already and log on to the session next Tuesday 28th April at 3 p.m. This should then work as a good trial run for future ANVIL sessions which we could have on ZOOM. Below is Greg’s invitation.
Gregory Atkins is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: U3A Buddhism
Time: Apr 28, 2020 03:00 PM London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7083841537?pwd=U1A5WG1kWkprVHJUbUJ0VGs3YndCUT09
Meeting ID: 708 384 1537
Password: 049357
Topic: U3A continued
Time: Apr 28, 2020 04:00 PM London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7083841537?pwd=U1A5WG1kWkprVHJUbUJ0VGs3YndCUT09
Meeting ID: 708 384 1537
Password: 049357
You will notice there are two sessions, one at 3pm, one at 4pm. This is because ZOOM runs free for 45minutes. Longer sessions are quite expensive, so Greg has a break with a second session starting at 4 pm.
I do hope you will give it a try. All that should be needed is a single click on the long meeting code above. Zoom then comes up on your screen and you follow a few hopefully simple instructions (I have found they are simple so far.) Do not click earlier than one minute before the scheduled start please.
If Buddhism is new to you you might like to visit www.johnbaxter.org and on World Views read The Buddha Way. Its not long. Always happy to chat on the phone. 01963 34537 or mo 07403616145.
Best wishes,
John
Also had a good catch-up call with RH
Fat, Friend or Foe. Quaker Barn 5th February 7.30 p.m.
ANVIL is Wincanton’s structured discussion group which tackles controversial subjects and you are invited to our first meeting of 2020, Science teacher Dave Wrathall will be speaking about diet, in particular our attitude to eating fat. This is his introduction:
“What if we have been misled about what is healthy and what is not? What if the food we eat is poisoning us? What if cancer, heart disease and dementia are not diseases of aging, but simply the consequences of the food choices we make?” Continue reading
Title THE AFTER-LIFE
Wednesday Nov 13th. Our last session for the year will have as our Main Speaker Julie Arliss with myself as the Responder. Her topic is THE AFTER-LIFE and she introduces it by saying:
The reports of near death experiences, paranoral experiences, telepathy and the like, as well as the beliefs in many world religions, seem to point to some form of post-mortem existence, but the scientific and philosophical problems associated with these beliefs are considerable. This talk will outline the evidence and examine some of the crucial difficulties, such as what would make the person who died the SAME PERSON as the one who is resurrected. “
So we will be facing one of life’s great mysteries. Continue reading
With a good turnout of concerned and thoughtful members we had an excellent discussion . Here in PDF form is a revised version (simplified and I think strengthened) of the paper that I gave to initiate our discussion. REVISED CCPP