Humanists Denied Advertising Space, File First Amendment Suit

(Washington D.C., June 1, 2011) Today the Appignani Humanist Legal Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of the United Coalition of Reason (UnitedCoR) in response to an Arkansas transit organization’s refusal to lease advertising space on account of the proposed ad’s atheist and humanist content, violating of the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.

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Supreme Court Refuses Hearing of “So Help Me God” Case

(May 17, 2011, Washington, DC)  Leadership at the American Humanist Association expressed disappointment today with the US Supreme Court’s refusal to hear a case challenging the inclusion of the phrase “So help me God” within the Presidential oath of office. The Appignani Humanist Legal Center was one of the co-plaintiffs along with atheist Michael Newdow in 2008.

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Humanists Advocate Alternative to National Day of Prayer

(Washington, D.C., May 4, 2011) “The continued government sponsorship of the National Day of Prayer threatens the foundation of church and state separation that this country thrives on,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association, "the President of the United States has no business recommending prayer to a diverse nation, many of whom do not rely on prayer."

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American Humanist Association Proudly Launches Redesigned Humanist Website

(May 3, 2011, Washington, DC) The American Humanist Association (AHA) is proud to announce the launch of the newly redesigned Humanist Magazine website. The launch marks the beginning of a more user-friendly interface, creating greater opportunity for humanists to exchange ideas and connect. The Humanist, which was introduced in 1941, recently transitioned to a full-color print format.

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Evangelical Chaplain Endorser Shows Ignorance, Hostility toward Military Humanists and Atheists

Leadership at the American Humanist Association expressed frustration with comments made by Paul Vicalvi, executive director of National Association of Evangelicals Chaplain Commission, who brusquely dismissed the need for atheists and humanists serving as military chaplains, believing that humanists don’t qualify to serve as chaplains in the military and atheists are a “militant minority … specifically against evangelical Christianity.” The remarks were made in response to a recent New York Times article reporting the growing non-believer chaplaincy movement within the military.

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Humanists Respond to National Day of Prayer Case Setback

(April 15, 2011, Washington, DC) Leadership at the American Humanist Association expressed  anger today over the decision by a federal appeals court to overturn last year’s ruling which declared the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional. 7^th Court of Appeals Chief Judge Frank H. Easterbrook overturned the ruling, saying that the plaintiff, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, lacked standing to bring the suit.

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Take Action: Say No to Evangelical Bias on Church Tax Commission!

Yesterday the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations, a commission created in the effort to examine the tax activity of religious organizations, announced the appointment of its members - all of whom come from the Evangelical Christian faith.

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Humanists Hold 70th Annual Conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts

(Cambridge, MA, April 8, 2010) On the evening of Friday, April 7, writer and professor of philosophy Rebecca Goldstein will be named the American Humanist Association's 2011 Humanist of the Year at the 70th Annual AHA Conference. Goldstein will be one of many luminaries awarded at the conference, which is being held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 7 through 10.

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Take Action: Call Your Senators and Oppose the DC School Voucher Program!

Yesterday, the Scholarships for Opportunities and Results Act (SOAR), a revival and expansion of the District of Columbia voucher program, was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. This program, which provides private school tuition stipends to qualifying students, funnels federal money into religious charter schools.

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American Humanist Association Unveils Richard Dawkins Ad

(Washington D.C., March 28, 2011) The American Humanist Association has unveiled its newest advertisement in light of the 70^th Anniversary National Conference, to be held April 7-10, 2011 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The ads, which feature 1996 Humanist of the Year Richard Dawkins, address a common fallacy of organized religion.

“We are all atheists about most of the gods that societies have ever believed in,” reads Dawkins’ quote in the ad. “Some of us just go one god further.”  The ads will be featured in the Harvard Crimson, the MIT Tech, and a billboard near Harvard Square.

The ads can be viewed here, and the billboard can be viewed here. 

“People don’t realize how common it is to reject the principles of other faiths,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “Dawkins illuminates this point, drawing attention to this universal truth that many choose to disregard out of ignorance or pure convenience.” 

The conference will feature guests Richard Dawkins, Rebecca Goldstein, Steve Wozniak, Bart Ehrman, Steven Pinker, Roy Zimmerman, Jeff Sharlet, Bill Baird, Judy Norsigian, and Candace Gingrich-Jones, as well as break-out sessions, plenaries, and awards banquets. For more information, please visit http://www.americanhumanist.org/conference. 

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The American Humanist Association (www.americanhumanist.org ) advocates for the rights and viewpoints of humanists. Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., its work is extended through more than 100 local chapters and affiliates across America.

Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism, affirms our responsibility to lead ethical lives of value to self and humanity.