TheEthicalHumanistSocietyofLongIsland

C r e a t e a C a r i n g W o r l d

MemberEthicalCultureMovementFoundedin1876

©2009ThisbookletiscopyrightedmaterialofTheEthicalHumanistSocietyofLongIsland.Allrightsreserved.

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ThePurposeofLife

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AboutEHSLongIsland

EthicalHumanismisdedicatedtotheideathatthesupremeaimoflifeistocreateaworldofrespect,justice,andlove.Weplaceourfaithinthedemonstratedcapacityofpeopletodowonderfulthings.Weareawedbythemysteriesofthenaturalworldandsupporttheuseofsciencetorevealthosemysteries.Webelievethatactingmorallydoesnotrequirebeliefinagod.Wefeelconnectedtotheuniversethroughourconnectionswithotherpeople,nature,andthearts.Wearenotconcernedwithwhetherthereislifeafterdeath,aswebelievethatwhatwedointhislifeisthemostimportantgoal.

ThefirstEthicalSocietywasfoundedinNewYorkCityin1876byDr.FelixAdler.TheEthicalHumanistSocietyofLongIsland(EHSLI)wasestablishedin1950inHempsteadandmovedtoitspresentlocationin1957.EHSLIholdsmanyactivitiesformembersandvisitors,includingamoviediscussiongroup,anoperadiscussiongroup,"lunchandlearn"seminars,meditationandcolloquy,communitysinging,andfunget‐togethersformembers.Wehavesponsoredconcerts,artfestivalsforteenagers,environmentalworkshopsforadults,and"DarwinDay,"acelebrationofscienceforallages.Joinusforarangeofstimulatingandfunactivities!

FelixAdler1851‐1933

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IsEthicalHumanismareligion?

Tocareforanyoneelseenoughtomaketheirproblemsone'sown,iseverthebeginningofone'srealethicaldevelopment.

FelixAdlerFounderofEthicalCulture

Emphasisonpersonalresponsibilityanddeeplyheldvalues

EthicalHumanismisasetofdeeplyheldvaluesthatsomepeopleconsidertobetheirreligionandothersconsideraphilosophy.Eitherway,itplacesethicalactionsandethicalrelationshipsatthecenterofitsconcern.Wearenontheistic,meaningthattheSocietytakesnopositionontheexistenceofGod.Ourprimaryconcernisto"getitrightwitheachother"onthisearthratherthanto"getitright"withasupremebeing.Wearerespectfulofpeopleofallfaithsandwelcomethem,focusingonthethingswehaveincommoninsteadofourdifferences.Liketraditionalreligiouscommunities,wecelebratebirths,conductweddingceremonies,hostmemorialservices,andprovideforthecaring,ethicaleducationofourchildrenandyouth.

EthicalHumanismissometimesthoughtofasareligionforfreethinkers,agnostics,andatheists.Forwhateverreason,traditionalreligiousparticipationdoesnotappealtoeveryone.EthicalHumanismappealsto"goodpeople"whotakepersonalresponsibilityfortheirvalues,enjoythefellowshipofothers,andwanttoworktomaketheworldabetterplaceforall.Ifyou'renotpracticinganyreligion,maybeyou'repracticingours!

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EthicalFriendsofChildren

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DoesEthicalHumanismhaveacreed?

Ashumanists,wearededicatedtomakingtheworldabetterplace.Weparticipateinandsupportactivitiestomeetthatgoal.In1985wefoundedEthicalFriendsofChildren,whichassistshomelessandneedyfamiliesthroughgiftsofclothing,infantfurniture,andsocialservices.EFCislocatedinourbuildingandstaffedentirelybyvolunteers.Wewelcomedonationsofgentlyusedclothing,furniture,andbabyneeds.

EthicalHumanismhasnoformalstatementofcreed.Ourmotto,"DeedBeforeCreed,"reflectsourbeliefthataperson'sactionsaremoreimportantthanhisorherbeliefsystem.Anethicalhumanistwillstrive

tocreateamorehumaneworld.Insteadofhavingaholytextasanauthoritytoinformusastohowtolive,ourstudyandpracticeofethics–standardsofconductandmoraljudgment–giveusguidingprinciplesformoralrelationships.Ethicsemergedovertimeaspeoplelearnedtolivetogetherincommunities.Thus,forethicalhumanists,theauthorityandthemotivationforagoodlifeiswithinourselves.Thepursuitofethicalwisdomisalife‐longgoal.Thiswisdomguidesouractions,andouractionispivotalinourstrivingtocreateaworldofrespect,justice,andlove.

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TheSundayPlatform

Ourcentralweeklyeventisourone‐hourmeetingcalledtheSundayplatform.Platformsbothinformandinspireus.Ataplatform,wehearmusic,poetry,andhaveamomentofsilentreflectionforgratitudeaswerememberpeoplewhoenrichedourlives.Aspeaker,eitheraSocietymemberoraguest,willtalkaboutcurrentorenduringethicalissues.Wehaverecentlyheardplatformsaddressingmedicalethics,thearts,theUnitedNations,thehomeless,democracyandtheappointmentofjudges,streetgangs,poverty,theroleofthemediainelections,theenvironment,internationalrelations,andotherinterestingtopics.Wemeetat11:00a.m.fromSeptemberthroughJune.Followingtheplatform(atapproximatelynoon),wehaveacoffeehourwherewereconnectwitholdfriendsandmakenewones.Visitorsarealwayswelcomed.Joinus!

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OtherEHSLIProjects

ChildrenareanintegralandcherishedpartofourSociety.Anethicallifebeginswithjudgmentandchoice,andweknowthathowwechoosetotreatothersisthefoundationofanethicallife.Weencourageindependent,rationalthinkingandsocialaction.

Sundayactivitiesbeginwiththechildreninthemainauditoriumwiththeadults.Afterabriefchildren'smessage,thechildrengototheirclassroom.There,theydiscussavarietyoftopicsincludingcomparativereligion,goodcharacter(trustworthiness,respect,responsibility,fairness,caring,andcitizenship),andethicaldilemmas.Socialactionshaveincludedorganizingavoterregistrationdrive,atoydrive,andwalkingforbreastcancerresearch.Anotherimportantaspectisfriendship:socialoutingsareplannedjustforfun.

TheKenyaFundofEHSLIhasraisednearly$100,000forSemaAcademy,whichprovideselementaryeducationfornearly400childreninanareaofKenyawherefreeeducationisafalsepromise.

Since1976,theSocietyhassponsoredachapterofAmnestyInternationalUSA,the74thchapterformedintheUnitedStates.MembersofGroup74meetmonthlytoplanstrategiesforthereleaseofprisonersofconsciencethroughouttheworld.

Children'sEthicsProgram(ages5to13)

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YouthofEthicalSocieties(ages14to18)

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LongIslandYouthofEthicalSocieties(YES)isagroupofhighschoolstudentsdeterminedtomaketheworldabetterplace.YESparticipatesinvariousactivistandcommunityserviceactivitieseachyear.Topicsarebased

ontheinterestsofgroupmembers,andinthepasthave

includedtheIraqwar,presidentialelections,andgayrights.ThegroupcreatesaplatformannuallyfortheSocietyandhostsapastadinnerwithentertainmenttobenefitacharitablecause.EachNovember,membersoftheYESgroupmeetupwithmembersofothersocietiesforaweekendofthemeddiscussionsandactivitiesattheNationalYESConference.Otherrecentactivitieshaveincludedanti‐warprotestsandavoterregistrationdrive.Weeklymeetingsallowspaceforopendiscussionsinasafeenvironment.YESfosterspersonalgrowthbyinspiringself‐drivengoalsandactions.ThegroupmeetsmostSundaysat11:00a.m.duringtheplatform.

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TwelveCoreValuesofEthicalHumanism

Ethicsismyreligion.

Everypersonisimportantandunique.

Everypersondeservestobetreatedfairlyandkindly.

Icanlearnfromeveryone.

Iampartofthisearth;Icherishitandallthelifeuponit.

Ilearnfromtheworldaroundmebyusingsenses,mind,andfeelings.

Iamamemberoftheworldcommunity,whichdependsonthecooperationofallpeopleforpeaceandjustice.

Icanlearnfromthepasttobuildforthefuture.

Iamfreetoquestion.

IamfreetochoosewhatIbelieve.

Iacceptresponsibilityformychoicesandactions.

Istrivetolivemyvalues.

TheEthicalHumanistSocietyofLongIsland38OldCountryRoadGardenCity,NY11530

516‐741‐7304www.ehsli.org

EHSLIfoundedin

1950