Presentation at Friendly House by Laurent Beauregard. Laurent traces some of the interaction between science and religion over the centuries focusing on key philosophical differences. Laurent was born the same year that Cheerios was invented. He was raised Roman Catholic but abandoned the faith early in life as a result of reading Bertrand Russell. He holds a Ph.D. in the history and philosophy of science. He has taught at U.C.L.A. and at Reed College. He is a member of the HGP Web Committee and he edits the videos that you find on our website.
Video of Programs (search and sort)
Science and Religion
01/26/2025
Laurent Beauregard
The Reality of Child Marriage in Oregon
01/19/2025
Fraidy Reiss
Presentation over Zoom by Fraidy Reiss, a forced-marriage survivor and founder of “Unchained At Last”, an organization seeking to end child marriage. Outdated laws have allowed child marriage at an alarming rate: Thousads of minors were entered into marriage in Oregon over the last two decades -- mostly girls wed to adult men, with an age difference that would be considered a sex crime outside of marriage. Fraidy Reiss was 19 when she was forced to marry a stranger who turned out to be violent. Her research and writing on forced marriage and child marriage have been published extensively.
The Evolution of Religion
01/12/2025
Sarah Strand
Presentation over Zoom by Dr. Sarah Strand. Why has religion existed in human society since the dawn of mankind? Natural Selection provides a way to describe and explain the evolution of ideas, culture, and religion. Sarah Strand is an Associate Lecturer in the Psychology Department at California State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of Massachusetts.
Learning to Live after Loss
01/05/2025
Jeremy Knowles
Presentation at Friendly House by Jeremy Knowles. There is live music, a group game, and a discussion about one humanist’s attempt to go from grief to hope. Jeremy Knowles has an MBA from Washington State University and works as a Risk Analyst for Oregon State Treasury. He is also a member of Humanists of Greater Portland.