Evolution Weekend 2018

Michael Zimmerman of the Clergy Letter Project reminds us that Evolution Weekend is Friday, February 9, through Sunday, February 11. Charles Darwin’s birthday is February 12.

The Clergy Letter Project has designated (or recommended) a theme, Our Shared Humanity, for any clergy who choose to use it. They say,

...Clergy Letter Project participants demonstrate that when some define religion so narrowly that it is categorically opposed to evolutionary ideas, or any of the findings of science, it both demeans and diminishes religion. As members of The Clergy Letter Project have stated so often and so clearly, this narrow perspective is at odds with the broader conception of religion held by thousands upon thousands of relgious leaders.

This year, those congregations opting to embrace our theme, Our Shared Humanity, will demonstrate how religion and science, each working through their specific lens, have come to the same conclusion: racial divisions are neither meaningful nor productive. Religion teaches us that we are of one familly and that we need to care for each other while evolutionary biology and genetics teaches us that race is a human rather than a natural construct. As members of a single species, we can move past the superficial differences that have divided us and create a healthier, more equitable environment for all.

176 Congregations representing 41 States and the District of Columbia, as well as 3 countries are scheduled to participate in Evolution Weekend 2018 with sermons, discussion groups, and seminars. You may see a very long list of participants organized by state and then foreign country on their website. Not all of the events will occur precisely during Evolution Weekend, so it will be wise to check.

For International Darwin Day activities near you look here. Or, better yet, add an activity. So far, there are many fewer activities than last year.