Exploring Hot Topics with a
Cool Head and
an Open Heart

Christ United
Methodist Church

633 Linwood Avenue
Olean, NY

 716/372-3495

 www.oleancumc.org

 

www.houghton.edu

Christ United Methodist Church and Houghton College join together to offer Conversations That Matter.

In an age of sound-bytes and polarized sides, these Conversations That Matter offer an opportunity to explore “hot topics” with a cool head and an open heart. Each conversation will feature a reasoned Christian approach by a current scholar, followed by time for reflection and discussion.

January 27 – Life in an Age of Global Rage: Culture & Conflict in the Post-9/11 World

Presenter: Dr. Meic Pearse
The events of 9/11 brought into our national awareness the brewing conflict between the Western world and some other cultures. What is stoking this clash?

March 9 – Perspectives on Homosexuality: Psychology, Scripture, and the Church

Presenters: Dr. Rich Eckley, Dr. Paul Young, Dr. Mike Walters
What can we learn from both historic and current thinking about this issue? What has been the understanding of what the Bible says?

April 20 – Gods of War: Is Religion the Primary Cause of Violent Conflict?

Presenter: Dr. Meic Pearse
We will take a brief but insightful look at political, military and religious history, and disentangle the many reasons nations go to war—from economic to geographic to egotistical to religious.

May 18 – Stem Cell Research: Navigating the Moral Maze

Presenter: Dr. Ben Lipscomb
How do we view promising research that may involve the destruction of days-old human embryos? We’ll consider the moral dilemmas, and how much agreement on these matters we can hope for between what often seem like opposing sides.

Free of charge and open to the public!

Time: 7:00 pm

Coffee and dessert will be served.

Place: Christ United Methodist Church
633 Linwood Ave, Olean, NY

 716/372-3495

www.oleancumc.org