What is forgiveness? How should humanists approach forgiveness so that it elevates our quality of life and strengthens our commitment to ethical living? Felix Adler wrote that “to forgive is not to forget – quite the contrary. To forgive is to remember the past action, but to remember it as belonging to the past, as the act of one who has since undergone the great change.” Is he right? Hugh Taft-Morales explores the process of seeking and giving forgiveness in interpersonal relationships.

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Born and raised in Connecticut, Hugh Taft-Morales graduated from Yale University in 1979 and earned a Masters in Philosophy from University of Kent at Canterbury.  He taught philosophy and history for twenty-five years in Washington, D. C., after which he transitioned into Ethical Culture Leadership. He got involved in Ethical Culture in 1993, and served on the Board of the Washington Ethical Society from 2002-2006, the last year as president. In April of 2009 he graduated from the Humanist Institute leadership certification program and was certified as an Ethical Culture Leader by the American Ethical Union in 2010.

He currently is leader of the Philadelphia Ethical Society and the Baltimore Ethical Society, and is a consulting Leader with the Ethical Society Without Walls. He serves as Secretary of the National Leaders Council of the American Ethical Union.

Hugh lives in Takoma Park with his wife, Maureen, a Latin American analyst for the Congressional Research Service. They have three wonderful children – Sean (24), Maya (18), and Justin (16). Hugh’s hobbies include yoga, squash, singing and playing guitar, and “watching way too much sports.”

His vision for Ethical Culture is that it flourish as a clearly defined and re-energized movement inspired by Ethical Humanism and effective in collective ethical action and social justice campaigns. He is humbled and grateful for the challenge of working in Ethical Culture as a leader.