In early December '09 a few of us discussed  forming a local society with the goal of sharing ideas, literature, and video presentations at meetings located in the former Nostalgia Hardware barn now remodeled and called The Freethought Lounge and Library.

To define Freethought, we defer to the Wikipedia page, coupled with a nice quote from the 19th century:

It seems important to clarify that we do espouse religious tolerance which, to be fair, includes the right to question and critique religious dogma.  This, however, is just a start, as it turns out, on the direction this endeavor seems to be taking.

In an age of reckless capitalism, corporate monetary influence on corrupt politicians, and biased media,  it is especially important to have places where open dialogue can take place, where questions can be raised, where information can be shared, and where one can think freely and hopefully develop strategies to enhance the dignity, safety and living conditions of all humankind.

One of our first meetings was about capitalism and its inherent weakness, and made a valid argument that a workers' cooperative, modeled after others like it elsewhere on the globe, may be a much better and sustainable economic policy.  We deeply appreciate the presentation made by retired professor Charles Sackrey and his colleagues on December 16th.  

The right-wing argument that private ownership of companies dealing in goods and services motivated by profit as "the only moral system" is not born out in reality.  The problem is the free competitive market is anything but free.  Or fair.  There are far too many corporate influences in government to truly benefit the workers.  The people that are creating those goods and services - creating the wealth - translate into more wealth for the wealthiest.

This, we feel, is of utmost importance, and is every bit as relevant as our concerns about the influence religion on individuals and society.

We intend to post links to good articles and videos that are relevant to topics as outlined above.  All upcoming meeting dates and events will be posted here.  You can add your input by clicking the links at the bottom of the contacts page.  We welcome ideas and would like to ascertain if there is an even larger interested community that could be served by this facility, and how it could be best used.

Additionally, The Freethought Lounge, being central to Lower Penns Valley, has opened dialogue with several organizations regarding the use of the space for public meetings.  Some valley organizations have already held meetings at the lounge and intend to continue doing so in the new year.