Sunday afternoon discussion is free and open to all

A discussion on how people describe themselves from a religious perspective will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at the Jefferson Center, 208 Oak St., No. 101, in the Historic Ashland Armory, organizers have announced.

The event is free and open to everyone. Light refreshments will be served.

“More than ever, Americans describe themselves as atheists, agnostics, or ‘nothing in particular’ when surveyed about their religious identity (about three in 10, according to the Pew Research Center),” the release states. “But what do these terms mean? The Jefferson Center invites members and guests to discuss their ideas on the subject.”

Stereotypes and discrimination against non-religious people, especially atheists, remains strong in our society, event organizers say, adding that “Atheists, for example, may be assumed to have no morals because they have no god, or to be incapable of deep feelings such as awe and reverence. (Atheists themselves disagree.) What do non-religious (or anti-religious) people think about faith, belief, and the source of goodness? Should non-religious people keep quiet about their ideas in order to avoid offending the religious? Or to avoid being stigmatized by some religious?”

Program committee members will provide brief opening remarks and facilitate the event.

The talk is part of a series of speakers hosted by The Jefferson Center, a Rogue Valley nonprofit focused on critical thinking using humanist values to understand and engage with issues important to our community in the spirit of Jeffersonian ideals of rational inquiry and disciplined thought.

Visit thejeffcenter.org for more information.