Michigan Humanists

This month’s Skeptics in the Pub (Muskegon) will be held at Carlisle's Restaurant. By popular request we'll have suggested topics for discussion each month, to be posted here a few days before the event.

Skeptics in the Pub, “Critical Thinking with a Pint,” is an opportunity for non-theists to converse in a casual, fun atmosphere.

Living Without Religion is a support group for those who are recovering or have recovered from religion. These people know your struggles, and can offer support. We will share experiences, resources, and solidarity to help deal with all the problems related to leaving religion and moving onward in your life.

If you have left your religion, are thinking of leaving, or would like to support others in similar situations — this is the space for you. You are not alone in your search for a secular lifestyle. Questions and stories will be shared, friends will be made, and discussions will be had.
Living Without Religion is always free and open to anyone who meets the above criteria.

To access the choir room enter the building via the Fountain Street entrance. (There may be scaffolding in place due to construction, but you can walk under it). Take the elevator or stairs to the second floor, and follow the Michigan Humanist signs. Or ask directions from someone. The choir room is located on the left at the south end of a main hallway.

Parking information – Street parking, if you can find it, is free on Sunday. The nearby GRCC Parking structure is free until 3 PM on Sunday, although this is not advertised. You will need to take a ticket to enter the structure but the exit gate will be open if you leave before 3 PM. Parking is also available free for up to 2 hours in the Public Library lot for patrons. You will need to have your ticket validated in the library. If walking for any distance is a problem for you, please contact us and we’ll see what can be arranged.

Living Without Religion (Grand Rapids) meets each month on the second Sunday.
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Michigan Humanists values the participation of all guests — requests for reasonable accommodation may be made by contacting the event host at least three days prior to the event.

Join us Tuesday September 15, 2026 for our guest speaker, Fish Stark, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association. Afterward, come along to Palace of India for dinner and conversation: 138 East Fulton St. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

Humanism isn’t the opposite of faith – it’s the opposite of authoritarianism. Unitarian minister Curtis Reese, a co-founder of the American Humanist Association, referred to humanism as the “religion of democracy” for a reason – because of our radical belief that truth, morality, and power do not rightly reside in an external source, as theistic systems may claim, but in us. Fish Stark weaves together humanist history, philosophy, psychology, and theology to lay out a blueprint for how humanists can lean into the fight against authoritarianism feed our fire of commitment – and present a compelling vision for what we do believe rather than a negative vision of what we don’t. A rousing affirmation that we are not merely subjects of history, but its authors, the very higher power we have been searching for.


Fish’s other professional experiences include managing progressive political campaigns, leading a mentorship program in the West Virginia coalfields with the American Friends Service Committee, building a nationally recognized peer-to-peer bullying prevention program, and teaching students from pre-school to high school.

A self-proclaimed developmental psychology nerd who is passionate about giving everyone the tools to live lives of meaning, service, and self-determination, Fish holds a Master’s in Education with a concentration in child development and psychology from Harvard University, and a Bachelor’s from Yale University with a certificate in Education Studies. While at Yale, Fish served as a student board member of the Yale Humanist Community and received a Dean’s Prize for his work to build a stronger relationship between Yale and New Haven.
Fish lives in Annapolis, Maryland, where he is President of the Speaker Mike Busch District 30 Democratic Club, is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, and serves on several nonprofit boards. He moonlights as an award-winning stand-up comedian and has performed in 13 states.

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Michigan Humanists values the participation of all guests — requests for reasonable accommodation may be made by contacting the event host at least three days prior to the event.