http://blog.thehumanist.com Humanist Perspectives on Breaking News and Political Activities Mon, 12 May 2008 15:10:15 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister and founder of Médecins Sans Frontières has brought up the radical (to some) idea, of having the United Nations bring in food and other relief aid, to the Burmese people, even if the generals in the military junta object. Of course, as Nick Cohen ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/05/12/please-whatever-we-do-do-not-help-burma/ Today, I circulated a press release with information about the Star Hill controversy. This concerns the Village of Holmen, Wisconsin, which decided to sell to the local Lion's Club a small patch of public land on which a cross and a star are erected. The Lion’s Club will pay $600--despite ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/05/09/media-response-to-holmens-star-hill-controversy/ Manifestos have been popping up on varying modern movements for dozens of years now. Even Humanists created one in 1933. Now, Evangelicals have one, too. An Evangelical Manifesto, established by a committee led by Samford University (not to be mistaken for Stanford University in California) theology professor Timothy George, was released ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/05/08/an-evangelical-manifesto/ Major General Robert L. Caslen Jr---one of the seven military officers who caused a minor stir (though it should have been a major one) when he improperly appeared in a Christian Embassy promotional video in uniform---is getting a promotion. The change-of-command date is yet to be set, but at some ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/05/05/chain-of-divine-command/ The California State University system has fired another instructor over a 1952 pledge that was created to root out communists. This issue first came to the media's attention back in February, when a Quaker math teacher, Marianne Kearney-Brown, was fired because she inserted the word "nonviolently" into the oath swearing ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/05/02/witchhunt-continues-in-cal-state-university-system/ It's a pleasure to join the Rant & Reason bloggers, especially on this National Day of Reason. For a blogger, that's where it's all at---REASON. Everybody else just has opinions! If you're from the Dark Ages, today is also the National Day of Prayer. Personally, and as church-state lawyer, I think that ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/05/01/258/ Rocky Twyman, a choir director from Washington, is doing his part to help decrease the cost of gas---with a little help from God. Last weekend, he stopped at a Chevron gas station in San Francisco---where gas is now over $4---to stage a pray-in, "calling on churchgoers to ask for God's intervention ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/05/01/god-please-bring-down-the-cost-of-gas/ The Secular Coalition for America is really excited to be part of this year’s American Humanist Association (AHA) 67th annual national conference this June. One of the great opportunities that will be offered at the AHA conference is a coordinated lobbying day on June 9th. Attendees have the chance to ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/04/30/needed-citizen-activists/ I read an interesting article on Townhall.com by Zachary Gappa this weekend titled "'Secular' Discrimination Against Religion." It made me realize just how easy it is for people to see one story and come away with very different versions of what happened. The actual article is about a lawsuit against Google. ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/04/28/distorting-secularism/ Today is the National Day of Silence, which calls to attention the bullying and harassment in schools directed at gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders by encouraging students to remain silent all day (unless called upon to speak in class). The event, with over 6,000 middle and high school students ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/04/25/national-day-of-silence/ King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia adheres to a hardline Wahhabi version of Sunni Islam, and yet he has announced plans to launch a dialogue between Islam, Christianity and Judaism. The king states the purpose "to agree on something that would maintain humanity against those who tamper [with] religions, ethics and ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/04/17/interfaith-unity-should-not-be-built-on-the-backs-of-atheists/ Watch out, Floridians. Local resident Buzz Kelly wrote in yesterday's Tampa Tribune about an upcoming November ballot proposal by the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission that would change the state constitution so your tax dollars can be given to religious-based programs. Coded 'CP0020,' it would be the first state that ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/04/11/florida-wants-tax-dollars-to-support-religion/ A recent media advisory from Tikkun noted the submission of House Resolution 1078, sponsored by Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN), Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) and Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MI). It basically calls for a Global Marshall Plan, which has been outlined by the Network of Spiritual Progressives. This plan offers Americans ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/04/10/global-marshall-plan/ I had the pleasure of attending a 2008 Perspectives Series at McLean Community Center last night that featured Marjane Satrapi, who is the artist behind the amazing Persepolis comic books. For those of you who aren't familiar, the books are autobiographical, recounting Satrapi's struggles growing up in Iran during the ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/04/07/marjane-satrapi-on-religion/ Stephen Colbert hasn’t called me! Ever since he started his 35,000 part series way back in early 2008, "Better Know a Lobbyist," he has featured the gay lobby and the marijuana lobby, but there is a deadly silence in terms of the nontheist lobby. What’s up with ... http://blog.thehumanist.com/index.php/2008/04/07/better-get-to-know-this-lobby/