Although humanity is experiencing a disaster of global proportions during the Covid-19 pandemic, we have no choice but to look to the future and work to ensure that things get better on many fronts, says Leader Joe Chuman in his May 3 platform.Full Platform Address
Platform (Gathering) Meetings
Everyone is welcome to attend our Sunday morning gatherings!
They are held at 11 AM (10 am in summer) in our building and also on Zoom. Non-members may obtain the Zoom link by emailing [email protected]. Our thought-provoking platform addresses cover a wide range of subjects relating to ethics in modern life.
Our speakers offer thoughts related to the philosophy of humanism or share their experiences and commitments in the struggle to foster peace, justice, economic fairness and racial and religious harmony.
The Ethical Culture Leader of Bergen County speaks on the first Sunday of each month, occasionally on the differences between Ethical Culture and other religious movements. Sometimes our meetings take the form of interviews or group discussions. Three times a year, special celebrations are held in conjunction with the children of the Sunday School.
Music, small discussions, coffee and socializing are also important elements of our Sunday morning experience.
If you would like to sample our programs before visiting (or if you are too far to visit) you may also choose from a large selection of our content on YouTube.com/EthicalFocus.
The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County welcomes people of all races, ethnic origins, religious backgrounds, and sexual orientations. The Society has a barrier-free front entrance.
Selected Addresses by Guest Speakers
When the Political Becomes Personal: Despair and Hope in Trying Times
For some, the erosion of traditional moorings that have sustained our political environment is manifested in personal anger, anxiety, and despair. But despair cannot be an end point. In the Jan. 5 platform address, Joe Chuman will discuss prescriptive actions.Read More
The Thinker Who Inspired Me Most and His Relevance Today
Humanist psychologist Erich Fromm’s philosophy of human potential and flourishing, including his fundamental view that human fulfillment is not an achievement but a process, greatly influenced Joe Chuman, starting at a young age. He discusses Fromm’s continuing relevance, personally and politically.
Read More
As a Humanist, Should I Seek to Escape This World?
The great religions, despite their tremendous diversity, are all based on the assumption that the human condition is in some sense problematic. As humanists, we don’t need to seek invulnerability from life’s hardships.Read More
The Thinker Who Inspired Me Most and His Relevance for Today
Humanist psychologist Erich Fromm’s philosophy of human potential and flourishing, including his fundamental view that human fulfillment is not an achievement but a process, greatly influenced our Leader Joe Chuman starting at a young age. In this column, he discusses Fromm’s relevance today, both personally and politically.
Read More
The Enduring Relevance of Ethical Culture
Today, our world is much different than when Felix Adler founded Ethical Culture in 1876. Yet, of all the “religions of humanity” created in the 19th century, it alone has survived into the 21st. In this platform address, leader Joseph Chuman discusses why Ethical Culture has endured.Read More