Humanism: Creed of the 21st Century
The Ethical Culture Society of St Louis - a non-theistic congregation of impressive size and beauty - has just posted audio my recent talk: "Humanism: Creed of the 21st Century" (yes, I love overblown titles!). You can listen by clicking the link here. Here's the blurb: At the start of the 21st Century, non-belief is on the rise: the fastest growing “religious” group in America is “none.” Most of these “nones” are reasonably young and progressive in their political views, driven … [Read More...]
Dan Savage: I’m Not One to Judge
I like Dan Savage. I like him a lot. I think his podcast is extremely funny, his writing witty and deft, and I think the It Gets Better Project - despite its problems - was a stroke of genius. When he speaks to people during his podcast, or during a live show, there is so often the palpable sense of relief that people finally have someone to talk to about issues which were torturing them - and I think that's an extremely valuable service to offer. In all honesty, I think he's handsome and … [Read More...]
Sort of Like “Camp Quest” for Grownups – Adventures in Humanist Community!
Edit: I've been asked to make clear that the reference to "Camp Quest" in the title of this post was metaphorical - this retreat is sponsored by the American Humanist Association and the American Ethical Union, not Camp Quest. :) Ever wanted to spend a week in a mountain lodge, ziplining and hiking in-between rousing discussions of freethought, Humanism, and community? Now you can! This Summer the American Humanist Association and the American Ethical Union are joining forces to … [Read More...]
Boston’s First Atheist Community Center (I Believe In…)
This is a guest post by Sarah Chandonnet, the Outreach and Development Manager at the Humanist Community at Harvard. Sarah has, for the past few years, been a leader in the secular movement in the Boston area - a true unsung hero of atheism and Humanism - and now she tells her story. I believe in community. For nearly five years, I’ve worked at the Humanist Community at Harvard doing what many would call “atheist activism.” I’ve been behind the scenes supporting a lot of great … [Read More...]
Announcing “The Godless Congregation”
I'm so excited! Today I finally get to announce a project long in the works: Greg Epstein (Humanist Chaplain at Harvard and New York Times Bestselling author of Good Without God) and I just signed a book deal with Simon and Schuster to write The Godless Congregation, a passionate call to those who do not believe in God to get together and organize. We'll be working with editor Thomas LeBien, who has long experience of editing successful books and seems as excited about the book as we … [Read More...]
I.D.I.C., Find Out What it Means to Me: A Trekkie’s Search for Self Love
Since Star Trek: Into Darkness is launching this week, I thought I'd repost this article I wrote for In Our Words, a Queer collective Blog. It's not appropriate for kids! They told me not to visit the Eagle. They were wrong. *** Wednesday night in Vegas. The small string of gay bars – the “Fruit Loop” – is dead. The first bar I enter has less than five people in it, bartenders and I included. The second isn’t even open, and I’m left standing in the dry desert heat looking … [Read More...]
Responsible Religious Criticism: Part Two – What is a “Religion”?
Part of a Series on Responsible Religious Criticism Part One - Questions of Power Update: I edited the section on beliefs, values, and practices to be more (I hope) accurate to the great diversity of religions in the world When engaging in any sort of criticism, it is essential to know what one is criticizing. It is not clear to me that many of the discussants in the freethought community who disagree over the correct response to (for instance) “Islam” agree as to what the word in … [Read More...]
Responsible Religious Criticism: Part One – Questions of Power
Provoked, as so often, by adorably elfin blogger Vlad Chituc, I’ve decided to codify some of my thoughts regarding the responsible criticism of religion, and particularly responsible criticism of Islam. This is a topic which has sometimes divided the freethought community: some see Islamophobia in some of the criticism which prominent atheist writers direct toward aspects of Islam, while others see in these accusations of Islamophobia an attempt to silence legitimate criticism of a set of … [Read More...]
Why Would Atheists Want To Attend an Interfaith Service?
In the aftermath of the bombs which recently tore through Boston, the governor's office organized an interfaith service to attempt to begin the healing process of the city. In my last post I detailed how representation for Humanists and atheists in the service was denied - a fact which has generally been decried by the Humanist and atheist community of Boston. Not all commentators have understood our desire to be included in the service, however: some Christians have joined with some atheists … [Read More...]
After Boston Bombs, Atheists Denied Healing
After bombs which recently struck Boston (my adopted city, where I've lived for almost six years now), the community seeks to heal. Bombs like that cause more than physical wounds: they tear at the psychological fabric of society. I grew up in London during the tail-end of the IRA's campaign, and remember how my commute to school was disrupted more than once due to bomb threats against the bridge I crossed almost every day (one - the largest Semtex bomb ever discovered on mainland Britain … [Read More...]
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