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Comment by Brian Magee on May 2, 2013 at 11:49am

Watch Fox News try and tie the National Day of Reason to the Holocaust.

Read details from Raw Story here.

Comment by Brian Magee on February 12, 2013 at 1:32pm

Congressman Rush Holt to Read Darwin Day Resolution on House Floor

Humanists around the globe to celebrate science and humanity on the anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth

(Washington, DC—Feb 12, 2013)—Today supporters of science and reason are marking the 204th birthday of Charles Darwin as part of International Darwin Day, a project of the American Humanist Association, with hundreds of events around the world. In the United States, Congressman Rush Holt (NJ) is scheduled to formally introduce House Resolution 41 “expressing support for the designation of February 12, 2013 as Darwin Day” on the House floor.

“The passage of Rep. Rush Holt’s proposed resolution in Congress would send a strong message to the world that the United States supports science education,” said American Humanist Association Executive Director Roy Speckhardt. “Charles Darwin’s significant contributions to the advancement of science and our understanding of the world deserve recognition.”

The American Humanist Association worked with Rep. Holt and his staff on the bill and lobbied support from fellow House members. To date, the effort has garnered the support of seven co-sponsors: Rep. Michael Capuano (MA), Rep. Mike Honda (CA), Rep. Ed Markey (MA), Del. Eleanor Norton (DC), Rep. Jared Polis (CO), Rep. Charles Rangel (NY), and Rep. Louise Slaughter (NY) and was referred to the House Science, Space and Technology committee.

The first attempt at getting recognition for Darwin Day in the U.S. Congress occurred in 2011 and was submitted by former Rep. Pete Stark of California.

“There is no valid excuse for failing to recognize the person behind one of the top scientific discoveries of all time. This worldwide annual event was developed to make sure Charles Darwin and his contributions to science are honored,” Speckhardt continued.

The Canadian cities of Vancouver and Regina have issued Darwin Day proclamations, and Asheville, North Carolina City Council Member Cecil Bothwell will be introducing one at the council’s regular meeting this evening.

Charles Darwin’s evolutionary discovery of natural selection as the basis for biological transformations responsible for the diversity of life on earth is the foundation of modern biology, genetics, and medicine. Other areas of science and the humanities can also trace advancements to Darwin’s ideas. Since his publication On the Origin of Species in 1859, additional advances in knowledge have fine-tuned and repeatedly verified his insights.

Comment by Brian Magee on February 6, 2013 at 2:52pm

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 1:52pm

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 Brian Magee on January 28, 2013 at 3:47pm

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 Brian Magee on January 23, 2013 at 12:54pm

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 Brian Magee on January 17, 2013 at 11:05am

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!

Comment by Brian Magee on January 10, 2013 at 4:33pm

THH Web Special: Cecil Bothwell

In the latest Humanist Hour podcast, Todd and Jes speak with Cecil Bothwell about his experience as an atheist politician in Asheville, North Carolina.

You can also catch the program on our Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UFDjmKrBCY) or Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/57081134) channels.

Comment by Brian Magee on January 8, 2013 at 11:46am

Rebecca Hale Elected as American Humanist Association President

(Washington, DC, January 7, 2013)—The American Humanist Association (AHA) is pleased to announce the recent election of Rebecca Hale, co-owner of EvolveFISH.com in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as president. In addition to Hale's new role, she will also serve as a member on the AHA board of directors.

Hale is the 20^th president, and the 4^th woman, to serve in the organization’s history. She will preside over the current AHA board of directors, which is comprised of six women and six men. The last female president of the AHA was Suzanne Paul of Farmington, Michigan, whose term completed in 1992.

Hale has been an advocate for secularism and humanism for many years as co-owner of EvolveFISH.com, the largest online store of freethought merchandise. She is also the co-founder of the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs, a local affiliate of the American Humanist Association, and serves on its board of directors. She is a Humanist Celebrant certified by the Humanist Society of the American Humanist Association.

“I am proud to continue the American Humanist Association’s long tradition of representing humanists, atheists and the non-religious in the United States,” said Hale.

As AHA president, Hale hopes to help raise public awareness and acceptance of humanism, advancing the AHA's agenda of supporting public policy based on reason and science.

To read the complete announcement, click here.

Comment by Brian Magee on January 3, 2013 at 10:46am

What Thomas Jefferson did for the Bible, the American Humanist Association did for the world’s other major religious texts—in Jefferson’s words, separated “the gold from the dross.”

A Jefferson Bible for the Twenty-First Century includes Jefferson’s famously edited version of Christianity’s holy text, but this updated offering also includes similarly edited versions of the Hebrew Bible, the Qur’an, the Bhagavadgîtâ, the Buddhist Sutras, and the Book of Mormon. In addition, selections of the “dross” have been included alongside the “gold” for each.

 

Visit: http://shop.humanistpress.com/searchresults?keyword=jefferson+bible...

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