This is the weekly summary of the Humanist Network News (HNN). The Humanist Network News (HNN) is published every Wednesday via e-mail and the Institute for Humanist Studies (IHS) Web site. This diary is a slightly reformatted copy of the weekly email, posted every Thursday.
If these items interest you, you may also be interested in the recent diary I wrote: I am the Boogeyman on what it is like to be a Secular Humanist in today’s political climate.
Week of June 27, 2005
Humanist Network News
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- High Court rulings send mixed Commandments
- IHS in the News
- Humanist rites as a human right
- IHS protects reproductive freedom in New York
- The apologetics of religious vilification
- Humanism evolves on both sides of Irish border
- Humanists “descend” on Ottawa (or at least one did)
- Letters to the Editor
- Media Roundup
- Cathartic Comics
- Humanist Humor
- Poll of the Week
Summaries and links across the fold. As always, if any of these stories light your fire, feel free to do a more in depth diary of your own.
1. High Court rulings send mixed Commandments
The U.S. Supreme Court had a golden opportunity to clear up its own mess this Monday with two Ten Commandments cases. Instead, the justices added more confusion to an already muddled area of the law. Remarks by Dr. Tim Gordinier, public policy director of the Institute for Humanist Studies. MORE
2. IHS in the News
The Institute for Humanist Studies has been quite busy lately dealing with media queries on all sorts of issues, like the Ten Commandments rulings, Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential aspirations, the Secular Coalition for America and Intelligent Design in public schools. Here’s a radio interview with Dr. Tim Gordinier, public policy director of the Institute for Humanist Studies, in reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court rulings on the government posting of the Ten Commandments. MORE
3. Humanist rites as a human right
There’s a subtle form of discrimination in America when it comes to religious vs. nonreligious wedding ceremonies. British native Matt Cherry, executive director of the Institute for Humanist Studies, reacts to the first legal humanist wedding in Scotland and relates a story of his humanist wedding in the U.S. MORE
4. IHS protects reproductive freedom in New York
The religious right is waging war on the forces of secularism, and your body is a key battleground. Learn about how the Institute for Humanist Studies is fighting and winning this battle. MORE
5. The apologetics of religious vilification
Australian correspondent John Perkins relates the latest news of the religious vilification law in the land down under. MORE
6. Humanism evolves on both sides of Irish border
Humanists are committed to overcoming religious and national barriers. HNN was therefore delighted to hear that humanists from both sides of the Irish border were working together on a summer school. After we requested this article, we were further pleased when it arrived with two bylines, one from Northern Ireland and one from the Republic of Ireland. MORE
7. Humanists “descend” on Ottawa (or at least one did)
According to The Ottawa Citizen, Dr. Henry Morgentaler descended on Ottawa for the annual Humanist Association of Canada Convention. Canadian correspondent Doug Thomas reports on the annual Humanist Association of Canada Convention. MORE
8. Letters to the Editor
Heart warming praise and thanks from India to the humanist couple who blazed the way for humanists around the world by getting married in Scotland’s first legal humanist wedding. MORE
9. Media Roundup
“Summer Camp That’s a Piece of Heaven for the Children, but Please, No Worshiping”, “When the President Talks to God”, “The wages of fundamentalism”, “Same-Sex Marriage Advances In Canada”, “Most doctors believe in God”, “The Court Affirms Separation of Church and State …”, “Baptists Abandon Disney Boycott” “Richard J. Ellis and the Pledge of Allegiance.” These stories and more in HNN’s weekly roundup of news and stories of interest to humanists and freethinkers. MORE
10. Cathartic Comics
…an assortment of cartoons and comic strips about humanism, atheism, religion, science and freethought. MORE
11. Humanist Humor
A humanist’s hell. READ THE JOKE
12. Poll of the Week
Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on how inclusive we should be in defining who is — and who is not — a humanist? CAST YOUR VOTE
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About the IHS:
The IHS promotes nonreligious perspectives on social, political, and ethical issues and serves as a resource for and about the humanist community. Questions, comments, concerns, got a better joke or a story? Send a letter to the editor.