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Salon: Past Events

Salon Information

Salon Program
Jefferson Center Salons present topics of interest to our community, and provide a forum for lively discussion afterward. Topics are selected by a committee of members. We serve refreshments contributed by volunteers and have a brief social time before the start of the program. Salons are typically held on the second Sunday of each month at 4pm at The Jefferson Center, 208 Oak Street, Suite 101 in Ashland. Guests of members and interested visitors are always welcome to join us. NOTE: Due to the Covid epidemic, Salons are being held via zoom. See the Future Salons list for information about upcoming events.

11/11/2018 - 4:00pm What is Good—and What Deserves Smiting?

Rev. Byron Carrier will explore the nature of good at Pioneer Hall, 73 Winburn Way, Ashland, 4-6 PM on Sunday November 11th. Most people try to live up to their answers of what is good or not, often informed and pressured by their culture's norms. Surprising answers can be discovered in the opening chapters of the Bible — Genesis One, and Genesis Two/Three — the Garden of Eden myth. While Reverend Byron does not believe "the Bible is the Word of God," or that we have to believe in God to be good, he will use these short scriptures to affirm our humanistic and naturalistic place in the world. To him, Eden isn't merely a mythical haven, it is a symbol of the evolved natural reality that we are born of and into.

10/14/2018 - 4:00pm It's Vital to VOTE. Or is it?

Join Noreen Hulteen on October 14th, 4 PM at the Community Center, 59 Winburn Way, Ashland, for a roundtable discussion of voting in America today. President Obama, in his recent speech to the country, focused on the vital importance of the upcoming November Mid-Term election. He stressed the need for every Citizen to VOTE. Do you agree? If you do, what can we, as individuals, do to encourage this to happen? OR do you disagree? Do you have other issues regarding the state of Democracy today; is it healthy? What could we do to maintain/Improve the political health of the nation? Please come and share your thoughts in a safe and open environment.

09/09/2018 - 4:00pm Anti-Aging Interventions: What do we know and how do we know it?

Dr Carolina Livi will address aging at the Community Center, 59 Winburn Way, Ashland, 4-6 PM on September 9th. We are bombarded with advertisements for special diets and supplements to improve our health with promises of extending our lives. Humans have been in search of the fountain of youth for centuries. In our modern society the search is for a youth pill. With so many health claims in the media, how does one separate the hype from fact?

08/12/2018 - 4:00pm Salon Summer Break

The Salon Program will resume on Sunday, September 9th. Have a happy summer!

07/08/2018 - 4:00pm Salon Summer Break

The Salon Program will resume on Sunday, September 9th. Have a happy summer!

06/10/2018 - 5:00pm The Jefferson Center's Summer Solstice Party Sunday, June 10th

The Jefferson Center's Summer Solstice Pot Luck Dinner Party will take place on Sunday, June 10th, 5pm at the Community Center. Please bring one of your special dishes to be shared by all. Pick either a main dish, a vegetable dish, a salad or desert (enough to serve 6-8). Wine, beer and water will be provided by the Jefferson Center. Please bring your own tableware and drinking cup, preferably non disposable, as there is a sink with running water to clean these items before returning home. This is a time to get to know your fellow Jefferson Center Members/Friends of the Jefferson Center. Please invite friends and family to join us as well. Please note time as this is one hour later than our usual Jefferson Center Salon time. The Community Center is located at 59 Winburn Way, Ashland.

05/06/2018 - 4:00pm Street Epistemology: Socratic Dialogue in Casual Conversation

Join Roy Kindell on May 6th, 4-6 PM, at the Community Center, 59 Winburn Way, Ashland for a discussion of street epistemology. Roy will present a fun and engaging way to talk to people about their core beliefs. The technique makes use of informal Socratic questioning to explore what people believe and why. It can be used in casual conversation to foster a dialogue which is a more productive and positive alternative to debates and arguments. The goal is to guide people into engaging their critical thinking skills and applying them to their own beliefs about the world. (Note: date is first Sunday due to Mother's day.)

04/08/2018 - 4:00pm The United States Is Not A Christian Nation – And I Have The Proof!

Guest speaker Rob Boston will share his thoughts on our secular nation at Pioneer Hall, 4-6 PM, Sunday April 8th, at 73 Winburn Way in Ashland. Religious Right activists often claim that the United States was founded to be a "Christian nation," and a surprisingly high number of Americans believe them. In this talk, Rob will pull together several strands of evidence from history and the law to show why the people who make this assertion don't have a leg to stand on. He'll also discuss why the "Christian nation" myth persists and the role it plays in contemporary debates over church-state separation.

03/11/2018 - 4:00pm Do Atheists Feel Awe? Experiencing Wonder without Religion

Do non-believers experience a rich sense of awe? Some studies show that feelings of awe and wonder are associated with religious belief. In contrast, we think that awe is accessible to all people, as attested by research and the testimony of freethinkers. Join Richard LeVitt and Roy Kindell at the Community Center, 59 Winburn Way, Ashland, for an introduction to the topic and an opportunity to share personal experiences. Awe is diverse and rewarding, so please come and share your epiphanies and stories of things in nature, art, thought, or life that have moved you.

02/11/2018 - 4:00pm Israel and Palestine - One, Two or Three States?

Join Len Eisenberg at the Ashland Community Center, 59 Winburn Way, for a discussion about Israel and Palestine. The recent declaration by the Trump administration on moving the US embassy to Jerusalem has refocused attention on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the debate on how to solve it. A two-state solution has been the most favored, but a one- or three-state solution are also possible. The civil war in Syria, the rise and fall of ISIS, and the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran make the picture vastly more complicated. We look at a short history of the conflict and new developments, and discuss possible solutions.

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