"Generations" - Kathleen Cameron

Kathleen Cameron performs her original song, "Generations" on May 12, 2013 - Mother's Day - at West Hill United Church

Interview a What?

For many, the word "atheist" conjures all sorts of things from the killing fields of dictators to book burners to, well, almost anything. The scenes and images are harrowing and atheists are considered the worst of the worst.

Yet the reality is that every day in Canada, the number of atheists you're bumping into is growing and the trend is going to continue.  The truth, though, is that you likely haven't noticed.  Atheists look just like you and me.

In fact, at West Hill United, atheists very possibly are you and me.  We have worked hard over the years to create a gathering environment that welcomes and doesn't exclude and so our pews are filled with people whose beliefs (or lack of them) are very different from the ordinary United Church member's. Of course, we have many whose beliefs match traditional Christian doctrine and who, because of our non-exclusive language, are also encouraged to engage the message of compassion and justice they have come to understand as the challenge of their faith. It's not what you believe, it's how to choose to live.

This month, in The Observer, interviews Chris Stedman, author of Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious, considers the arguments the faithful and the religious use to discredit one another. "On the one hand, there are some atheists who say religion is a net negative force and that removing religion from the world would necessarily improve it. And on the other hand, you have religious believers saying religion is a force for good, or that without religion, there can be no good.  I think both of those are just not true.  They don't help advance a conversation about a shared set of ethics, a moral common ground."

On the Wednesday morning of this year's Hot Docs Film Festival, Gretta joined with Centre for Inquiry supporters to enjoy brunch with renowned atheists Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss. In response to Gretta's question about what might replace the moral ground religion has woven for communities, Dawkins called for an "intelligently designed" path forward for humanity, one built out of the best of our knowledge and reason, one that did not veer off to privilege any particular religious dogma.  It's an awesome challenge and one we at West Hill have been working on for a decade now.

On Sunday, May 5th, Gretta and Catherine Dunphy, Executive Director of The Clergy Project, will be interviewed as atheists during our Interview an Atheist at Church Day service. Arguing for the intelligently designed path forward, Gretta acknowledges that describing herself as an atheist may be a controversial and divisive choice but notes that doing so may make the distance between the religious and atheists even narrower.  Perhaps, if we are able to eliminate it altogether, that work of finding a shared set of ethics will become work both atheists and the religious can work on together.

Join us on May 5th at 10:30 for some engaging Perspective(s), and following for a light lunch.

Join Gretta at GOD LOVES UGANDA

from The Hollywood News - "We’ve all seen recent posters declaring the new EVIL DEAD to be the most terrifying film you will ever experience. I can assure you, that is not the case, as GOD LOVES UGANDA is by far the most frightening movie in recent memory. Sharing a similar premise to the hilarious BOOK OF MORMON (well-meaning Christians go to Africa to spread the gospel, insanity ensues), parallels may be drawn, but the real life scenarios presented in this film are so surreal that they stretch beyond parody. Williams gradually reveals that the stark raving mad rhetoric spewed by the Christian Right and the Ugandan pastors they influence is far from funny – in fact, it’s lethal.”

Join Gretta at the Canadian Premiere of God Loves Uganda at the Hot Docs Film Festival, May 2, 6:00, TIFF Bell Lightbox
and meet its extraordinary and brave producer,
Roger Ross Williams following the show.

Buy tickets online here.

Interview an Atheist at Church Sunday

For several years, the first Sunday in May has been focused on our pluralistic world, an opportunity to bring members and leaders of other faiths into the pulpits of our liberal congregations.  Well, Kile Jones of Claremont University came up with a "one better" idea and, with a strategic post here and a follow-up there, he's managed to kick off the first ever Interview an Atheist at Church Sunday.  We're signed up to participate and in an article found in this month's Interfaith Observer, he gives us a big Shout Out!  

Join us this May 5th as we continue to dismantle barriers to engaging in church and welcome the perspectives and insights atheists can bring us.

"'Interview and Atheist at Church' Takes Off"

Don't miss the latest Saltshaker

The April/May edition of our newsletter The Saltshaker is now available.  Check it out here.  

Dream Away

Gretta on Freethought Radio

Late in February, Gretta connected with Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor on Freethought Radio.  Here's the podcast of that interview.

Freethought Radio and Gretta Vosper

And the winner is....

Well, that should read "And the winners are!"  Over the course of six weeks, West Hill watched and shared perspective(s) on five of this year's cinematic offerings nominated in the Best Picture category for Academy Awards.  And, at the end of each Sunday morning, votes were cast!

After a long wait, the envelopes were opened, the votes tabulated, and the announcement is now made.  As you watch the red carpet prelude, feel confident in your choices, West Hill, for the sharing of two movies in the Best Picture Category by

Amour and Les Misérables!

Signed copies of Amen

Did you know that you can order signed copies of Gretta Vosper's book Amen direct from us?  Just follow the link for all the details

Our February/March newsletter is now available

The February/March edition of our newsletter, The Saltshaker, is now available.  Check out all the news and happenings in our community.