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Humanist Canada

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Promoting the separation of religion from public policy and fostering the development of reason, compassion and critical thinking for all Canadians through secular education and community support.

Website: http://humanistcanada.com
Location: Canada
Members: 50
Latest Activity: Apr 15

1 member likes this

Welcome to Humanist Canada on Atheist Nexus

What is Humanism?

Humanism is a dynamic and religion-free way of life that affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical and meaningful lives, aspiring to the greater good of humanity. Humanists are guided by reason and scientific inquiry, inspired by music and art, and motivated by ethics, compassion and fairness.

Twelve Principles of Humanism

1. Humanism aims at the full development of every human being.
2. Humanists uphold the broadest application of democratic principles in all human relationships.
3. Humanists advocate the use of the scientific method, both as a guide to distinguish fact from fiction and to help develop beneficial and creative uses of science and technology.
4. Humanists affirm the dignity of every person and the right of the individual to maximum possible freedom compatible with the rights of others.
5. Humanists acknowledge human interdependence, the need for mutual respect and the kinship of all humanity.
6. Humanists call for the continued improvement of society so that no one may be deprived of the basic necessities of life, and for institutions and conditions to provide every person with opportunities for developing their full potential.
7. Humanists support the development and extension of fundamental human freedoms, as expressed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and supplemented by UN International Covenants comprising the United Nations Bill of Human Rights.
8. Humanists advocate peaceful resolution of conflicts between individuals, groups, and nations.
9. The humanist ethic encourages development of the positive potentialities in human nature, and approves conduct based on a sense of responsibility to oneself and to all other persons.
10. Humanists reject beliefs held in absence of verifiable evidence, such as beliefs based solely on dogma, revelation, mysticism or appeals to the supernatural.
11. Humanists affirm that individual and social problems can only be resolved by means of human reason, intelligent effort, critical thinking joined with compassion and a spirit of empathy for all living beings.
12. Humanists affirm that human beings are completely a part of nature, and that our survival is dependent upon a healthy planet that provides us and all other forms of life with a life-supporting environment.

Discussion Forum

Sex & Secularism, Humanist Canada 2012 Conference

Started by Kevin Saldanha Jun 4, 2012. 0 Replies 0 Likes

http://humanistconference.ca/Humanists are ready to address one of the most intriguing but controversial topics in the history of humanity - SEX!Join us on…Continue

Tags: sex, secularism, 2012, conference, canada

Humanist Canada 2011 AGM and Conference

Started by Kevin Saldanha Aug 17, 2011. 0 Replies 0 Likes

Humanist Canada members and everyone who hopes their descendants will inherit Planet Earth, mark your calendars…Continue

Tags: Environment, Population, 2011, Planet, Toronto

AAI-HC Conference, Montreal, Oct 1-3, 2010

Started by Kevin Saldanha. Last reply by Kevin Saldanha Oct 12, 2010. 3 Replies 0 Likes

The website for the upcoming Atheist Alliance International / Humanist Canada joint Conference with the theme 'Atheists without Borders' is up at…Continue

Nisga'a ancestral chief challenges treaty

Started by Sarah Walton. Last reply by Sarah Walton Oct 4, 2010. 1 Reply 0 Likes

Should be interesting to see where this goes. I was 17 years old at the time the treaty was signed, so i didn't pay much attention to it. I'm going to go look into it and see what exactly what…Continue

Tags: constitution, treaty, nisga'a

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Comment Wall

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Comment by Patricia on February 20, 2013 at 6:34pm

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Ride & Canadian Tenors performing for Queen Elizabeth!

Doesn't get any better than this....our very own Canadian Tenors along with our incredible Royal Canadian Mounted Police...can't get any more Canadian! EH?
Watch for a close up of the Queen; the expression on her face is priceless!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=e_m4Fjl...

Comment by Godless Poutine on September 14, 2012 at 5:52pm: Rene appeared on the most recent episode of Freethought Radio:

http://www.mysecretatheistblog.com/2012/09/canadian-separation-of-s...

Comment by Patricia on September 14, 2012 at 5:20pm: _{Science vs. Religion
Photo: Jupiterimages / Getty}

Rene and Anna Chouinard, a humanist couple in Grimsby, Ontario, want to distribute an book on atheism among students in Niagara -- just like the Bible is already being distributed. The District School Board of Niagara has refused, but the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has agreed to hear their case.

Rene and Anna Chouinard have three children who attend school in Niagara and they've already been fighting for two years to have the books Just Pretend: A Free Thought Book for Children or Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheistdistributed among students in the fifth grade.

The School Board has been rejecting the books on the grounds that they contain "inappropriate" material. In principle, that can be a reasonable objection, but it has to be viewed in the larger context of years of distributing Bibles. What in those books is more "inappropriate" than the sex and violence in the Bible?

"This is a solid decision by the tribunal that is good for society," Rene said after being granted a hearing. "We would like to see religion completely removed from the classroom." ...

"If they allow Gideon Bibles in the schools, then why can't other groups distribute their material as well," he said on Tuesday. "This is not fair for people who may believe in other religions." ...

"This case involves important issues of (Human Rights) Code interpretation, and could have consequences for school boards, students and parents across Ontario," the tribunal said in its decision.

Source: CNews

I think that this will come out as an obvious case of discrimination against non-Christians. There's nothing in the books that the Chouinards want to distribute which comes anywhere close to the sex and violence in the Bible. There's no way that any school board would be able to defend this sort of policy with these books.

So it will be interesting to watch what happens and see when, exactly, the school board lawyers recognize that they don't have a case based on these arguments and start shifting gears so they can argue something else entirely.

Comment by Sarah Walton on May 11, 2012 at 2:28pm: Oh, hey look. My old account is down there. Disregard the woman kissing her husband on the way to MoMA. ;)

Comment by Russell Pangborn on April 3, 2012 at 3:59pm: Joined Atheist Nexus a while ago and then forgot about it. Got passionate about the Reason Rally and attended it and got more active posting stuff with nexus. I just joined this Humanist group doing an independent google search. Now it appears there is a nexus connection as well. I've never attended a meetup of like minded people (missed the conference the day after the rally). So attending this group's meetup in the Oakville area is high on my list.

Comment by Sarah Walton on October 8, 2010 at 1:00pm: The Council for Secular Humanism's sold-out 30th Anniversary Conference is this weekend. If you didn't get your tickets in time, don't fret! You can still experience the conference—some of the talks are going to be streamed live online. http://secularhumanism.org/laconference/live.html

Comment by Sarah Walton on September 24, 2010 at 3:33pm: Ex-pat from Vancouver living in California here. I'm trying to keep in touch with what is going on back home--I may be gone but I haven't forgotten!

Comment by Kevin Saldanha on April 27, 2010 at 3:09pm: Welcome chaotic! The more the merrier.. until we sink below the 49th :)

Comment by chaotic_interference_processor on April 27, 2010 at 12:31am: New, improved, Humanist Canada group, now 6.7% larger! LoL
Hi folks, just thought I'd pop in and swell your ranks. Is this the place where we can fantasize about chiselling tiny bits off of the gargantuan foundations of our glorious plutocratic state as well? Hope so. 16 down, 30 something million and change to go. And then there is the rest of the world.

Cheers!

Comment by Billy Warhol on April 21, 2010 at 10:21pm: I had an Interesting Chat with a Girl today + Why she told her Friendz in Stratford to Vote Liberal even tho she's a semi staunch NDP - she wanted to make sure this Country doesn't Fall into the Fundamentalist hands of the Conservatives - the way thee Dumbest (sad + pathetic) country America (of all goddam places) has. It's Frightening - I'll be Breathing Easier for all Humanity to see a New Supreme Court Judge in place to Keep that John Roberts sh!t the he!! outta the Continent!!