BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Reading Humanists - ECPv6.17.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://reading.humanist.org.uk X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Reading Humanists REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20220327T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20221030T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20230326T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20231029T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20240331T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20241027T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20231003T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20231003T213000 DTSTAMP:20251128T184315Z CREATED:20230928T103759Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251128T184315Z UID:5986-1696361400-1696368600@reading.humanist.org.uk SUMMARY:Is Religion the Opium of the People? DESCRIPTION:Is Religion the Opium of the People?\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Karl Marx famously described religion as the “Opium of the People”. Was he right? Join us for a discussion of the nature of religion\, how did it come about\, and what role has it played in society. \nMarx asserted that: \n\nReligious distress is at the same time the expression of real distress and the protest against real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature\, the heart of a heartless world\, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people.\nThe abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusions about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions. The criticism of religion is therefore in embryo the criticism of the vale of woe\, the halo of which is religion.\n\nAlan Montgomery\, chair of Reading Humanists\, will lead a discission of whether this holds true\, or if there is another way to understand religion. \n  \n \n Register to attend on Meetup: Is Religion the Opium of the People?\n \n \n \n \n \n Tags: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \nReading Humanists Meetup Events \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Mar\n 17 \n \n \n \n From cancel culture to ‘non-crime hate incidents’: defending free speech \n Reading Quaker Meeting House\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Mar\n 25 \n \n \n \n Lunchtime Discussion Group – The Implications of Artificial Intelligence \n The Old Bell\, Grazeley\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Mar\n 26 \n \n \n \n Online Dinnertime Discussion Group: The Implications of Artificial Intelligence \n Online Event\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Apr\n 21 \n \n \n \n The Fairness Test: What would a fairer UK look like? \n Reading Quaker Meeting House - 2 Church Street RG1 2SB URL:https://reading.humanist.org.uk/event/is-religion-the-opium-of-the-people/ LOCATION:Reading Friends Meeting House\, 2 Church Street\, Reading\, RG1 2SB\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Speaker Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://reading.humanist.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Is-Religion-the-Opium-of-the-People.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Reading Humanists":MAILTO:reading@humanistgroups.org.uk END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20230919T193000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20230919T213000 DTSTAMP:20251128T184337Z CREATED:20230901T174151Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251128T184337Z UID:5782-1695151800-1695159000@reading.humanist.org.uk SUMMARY:Humanists UK - How It's Making a Difference for Humanists DESCRIPTION:Meeting Cancelled\nRichy Thompson has unfortunately come down with a fever overnight and is unable to join us in Reading. So\, our meeting tonight will not take place. We will try to rearrange the meeting. Apologies to those who had planned to attend tonight. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Is Religion the Opium of the People?\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Humanists UK works tirelessly to change UK public policy and laws where these adversely affect the non-religious. Richy Thompson is their Director of Public Affairs. He’s a member of the steering groups of Voice for Choice and the Assisted Dying Coalition\, the Accord Coalition for inclusive education\, and humanist representative and Vice Chair of Lambeth Standing Advisory Council on RE. \nRichy will discuss the lobbying and campaigning Humanists UK does on behalf of Humanists in the UK\, highlighting past successes and current challenges. \nCome along\, or Zoom in\, to: \n\nLearn the range of policy issues Humanists UK works on\nQuiz Richy about the chosen policy areas and campaigns\nFind out what Reading Humanists can do to help.\n\nRichy has proven himself a formidable campaigner\, achieving widespread media coverage and significant policy change. He’s a great champion of Humanism in action. \n \n Register to attend on Meetup: Humanists UK - How It's Making a Difference for Humanists\n \n \n \n \n \n Tags: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \nReading Humanists Meetup Events \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Mar\n 17 \n \n \n \n From cancel culture to ‘non-crime hate incidents’: defending free speech \n Reading Quaker Meeting House\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Mar\n 25 \n \n \n \n Lunchtime Discussion Group – The Implications of Artificial Intelligence \n The Old Bell\, Grazeley\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Mar\n 26 \n \n \n \n Online Dinnertime Discussion Group: The Implications of Artificial Intelligence \n Online Event\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Apr\n 21 \n \n \n \n The Fairness Test: What would a fairer UK look like? \n Reading Quaker Meeting House - 2 Church Street RG1 2SB URL:https://reading.humanist.org.uk/event/5782/ LOCATION:Reading Friends Meeting House\, 2 Church Street\, Reading\, RG1 2SB\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Speaker Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://reading.humanist.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-09-19-Richy-Thompson-Cancelled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Reading Humanists":MAILTO:reading@humanistgroups.org.uk END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR