After religion, what's next?
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, [...]
It’s time to get the freethought movement moving. 2012 has been huge: The Reason Rally powerfully demonstrated the rise of a new political constituency, and the presidential election – with 70% of religious “nones” voting for Obama – showed the potential of freethinkers to shape American politics in the future. But it won’t be easy: activating our influence [...]
The seventh and last post in my “Countdown to 30″ series, looking forward to my 30th birthday (tomorrow!) and back to how I got here. Felix Adler Calling Throughout my time researching Humanism and working as a Humanist activist, Ethical Culture (a movement of Humanist congregations dedicated to ethical living and the improvement of society) had [...]
The American Humanist Association’s recent Kids Without God campaign (my thoughts here) has provoked a response from no less a sage than William Lane Craig, who charges that the site, while promoting critical thinking and questioning, “never encourages kids to think critically about the tough questions concerning the justification of humanism itself.” Humanists, he argues, [...]
I’ve been critical about major non-religious organizations’ publicity campaigns in the past, but the American Humanist Association has really hit it out of the park with Kids Without God. The site, launched today, provides valuable resources for kids and teens looking to grow up Humanist, and parents who want to help them – all wrapped [...]
On Sunday 10th the American Humanist Association’s 70th Annual Conference drew to a close. What did this convocation of American Humanists (and important visitors from around the world) reveal about the state of Humanism in America?
It showed that American Humanism is brimming with potential. And it showed that we must work hard to fulfill it. It is time for a full-throated Humanism with strong foundations. Prepare your voice, and prepare your hands: we have songs to sing, and communities to build.
I love Humanism and I love my Humanist Community. When I say I am a Humanist, I mean far more than that I do not believe in God. To me, Humanism is a visionary commitment to a better world, in which the emancipation of all humankind is not an abstraction but a reality.
And this is why I’m wary of Humanist conferences. Because too often they fail to live up to the ideal of Humanism that I have in my head. So I ask today, the day before this years AHA Annual Conference, who are we calling to, and how will we represent our movement to the world?
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