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Comment by Brian Magee on February 6, 2013 at 1:51pm

Richard Leakey to get 2013 Isaac Asimov Science Award!

On the 100th birthday of famed archaeologist Mary Leakey (she's today's Google Doodle), we're pleased to announce that Richard Leakey, her son and prominent paleoanthropologist, will accept the 2013 Isaac Asimov Science Award at the AHA Conference in San Diego this June!

Register now: http://conference.americanhumanist.org/

Comment by Brian Magee on February 1, 2013 at 12:52pm

Hey atheists: You've got a friend

While there is such a thing as atheists who prefer to antagonize the religious of every stripe-and that’s certainly their right-it’s not the position of the bulk of people who don’t believe in a god. This shouldn't be surprising because people who by their very definition avoid wishful thinking are pragmatic enough to realize that minorities like themselves need friendly allies in order to get things accomplished. And of course, people who highly value freedom of and from religion are also likely to respect people of differing opinions and don’t want to constantly offend those who otherwise share many values.

Most atheists and agnostics want to be clear about convictions regarding the existence of gods and other supernatural concepts. And being in the minority in the U.S., it also makes sense for those who don’t share the majority belief to advocate for strict separation of religion and government. And at times it’s appropriate to criticize religion since some religious ideas hold our society back, such as not yet embracing full LGBT rights and unnecessarily dividing humanity into the chosen and the damned. But in pursuit of respect, in seeking freedom from religion, and in challenging religious injustice, do atheists ever cross the line into activity that may be counterproductive and alienate religious allies?

To read the rest of this Washington Post On Faith article by American Humanist Association Executive Director Roy Speckhardt, click here.

Comment by James M. Martin on January 28, 2013 at 6:13pm

The Center's letter to the Festival is masterful.  Good luck!

Comment by Brian Magee on January 28, 2013 at 2:47pm

AHA Legal Center Demands Summerville, SC YMCA Include Humanist Group

The following is a statement from the AHA's Appignani Humanist Legal Center and can be found on their website here.

January 28, 2013 – The YMCA Flowertown Festival recently refused to allow a local humanist group (Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, “SHL”) a booth at its annual event in Summerville, SC. The Festival, which will be held in April, is open to the general public and expects to attract over 200,000 visitors this year.

The Festival’s policy permits all types of community groups, including non-profits and civic organizations, to apply for a booth, so long as the group has “inclusive membership” and supports “community building.” Although SHL meets both of these requirements, the YMCA Festival Coordinator told the SHL president not to apply, stating, “We are a Christian organization.”

The Festival’s refusal to do business with an atheist organization amounts to unlawful discrimination on the basis of religion in violation of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as South Carolina’s public accommodations statute.

The Legal Center demanded that the Festival allow SHL to participate in order to avoid litigation as well as criminal penalties under the nondiscrimination statues.

The letter sent to the Summerville Family YMCA can be found here.

Special thanks to the Louis J. Appignani Foundation and The Herb Block Foundation for their support of the Appignani Humanist Legal Center.

Comment by Paula W on January 24, 2013 at 10:36am

There is a petition on whitehouse.gov regarding bans on atheists in public office. Please sign! https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/look-state-constitutions-...

Comment by Brian Magee on January 23, 2013 at 11:53am

Support the Darwin Day Resolution: Contact Your Representative

The American Humanist Association proudly worked with Representative Rush Holt (NJ) to introduce House Resolution 41 “expressing support for designation of February 12, 2013, as Darwin Day and recognizing the importance of science in the betterment of humanity.” We are asking you to help win approval for the resolution by using this form to contact your Congressional representative asking for their co-sponsorship and support.

Visit www.darwinday.org to learn more about the Darwin Day resolution and join a Darwin Day event in your community. Thank you for standing up for science.

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 20, 2013 at 7:11pm

Alas, James, you state correctly that we already crossed the line and things are going to get worse. That said, what, then, are you I to do? 

Well, first I want to enjoy every moment of life I have, surrounded by people I love and who love me. I want to leave behind a legacy of peace coupled with justice. If our 21st century thoughts and behaviors mean the end of our great civilization, I want to leave behind a testimony of the ways greed and hubris worked together to bring down a society based on scientific achievement, that there is no god to pull us out of our own foolishness, and that those who worship gods are part of the fear and anger and jealousy that created the wars by those who desire to impose their beliefs on others. 

No, I didn't see the movie by P.D. James's Children of Men.  I will watch it. Thanks for the lead.

Comment by James M. Martin on January 20, 2013 at 6:00pm

Joan, I hate to sound so pessimistic, but I think we crossed the line of no return a while back.  It is just going to get worse.  Did you see the movie of P. D. James's Children of Men?  That futurist film envisions a dystopia where nations that are under water, suffering drought and climate-related famine, &c., are on the move, and the migrations are accompanied by a strange malady striking women, making them unable to conceive.  It is brilliantly done. And frightening.

Comment by Joan Denoo on January 20, 2013 at 12:15pm

"The global population is more than 7 billion now and headed to 9 billion by 2050. If world population continues its exponential growth, when we will hit planetary carrying capacity limits with our key resources? (or are we already exceeding them?) What are the just, humane, and rights-respecting options that are on the table for balancing the world's population with the ability of the earth to sustain it?"

Bill Ryerson: The Challenges Presented By Global Population Growth

Comment by Brian Magee on January 17, 2013 at 10:05am

Mary Anne Farah, author of the Humanist Press ebook Pepper's Special Wings - A Story About Natural Selection, was a recent guest on Canada's Rogers TV program "Daytime" to talk about the book, which was written to teach evolution to kids.

To find out more about the book, and read a sample, visit www.humanistpress.com. You can also get it from all the major online ebook retailers.

Click here to watch the interview!

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