Norwich Skeptics in the Pub

The Need to Offend

Tuesday, June 4 2013 at 7:30pm.
     Nick Cohen speaks on freedom of speech, censorship and the need to offend. We are told that we live in age of unparalleled freedom ... yet you can write a book and end up dead. Nick is a columnist for the Observer, Time, Spectator, Standpoint and many other publications; the author of What's Left and Waiting for the Etonians. His latest book is You Can't Read This Book: Censorship in an age of freedom examines the threats to free speech in the 21st century.

I Know in my Heart There is no God

Tuesday, July 2 2013 at 7:30pm
     Many people claim to have personal relationship with God that allows them to know, 'in their hearts', that God is real. In this talk, Richard Firth-Godbehere will use psychology and the history of emotions to say that most people's understanding of what emotions are is wrong, and that the very idea of God being felt 'in the heart' is an overhang from history. Instead, these feelings are part of our tendency to project an 'essence' onto external objects and our deep, innate need to belong.

The Skeptics movement started with the aim to teach the scientific consensus on a range of issues and to prevent misunderstanding and abuse by pseudoscience and other interested parties. Not just limited to science: they look at any subject – the humanities, philosophy, politics etc, and see where rational inquiry leads them, over what authority figures, common sense or received wisdom would tell us.

Norwich Skeptics currently meet on the first Tuesday of the month and aim to promote critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning in an informal setting, ie
     The Garden House Pub, 1 Pembroke Road. NR2 3HD.
Join them if you agree, disagree or just fancy a drink and entertaining conversation. norwich.skepticsinthepub.org