The Humanist Community Blog

Australian Humanists call for Establishment of a Charities Commission

armineh — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:30:58 +0000

Source: International Humanist and Ethical Union (http://www.iheu.org/trackback/3668)

7 July, 2009

The Council of Australian Humanists (CAHS) has joined a growing volume of voices calling for the establishment of a Charities Commission in Australia. CAHS said it is incomprehensible Australia does not have a Charities Commission to oversight the huge charity sector in Australia when (1) the Charities Definition Inquiry of 2001 recommended a Commission (2) the New Zealand government has recently established a Commission and (3) Britain has had a Commission for many years.

CAHS noted that without a Commission there have been striking examples of individuals and organisations, some of them religious, defrauding the public when a simple registration and reporting requirement would have prevented this fraud. Furthermore, CAHS argued tax exempt charitable organisations who receive very significant support from all Australian taxpayers are entitled to transparency and accountability concerning these organisations.

Spokesperson, Max Wallace, author of The Purple Economy, said: ‘Religious organisations, for example, are tax exempt and have no adequate public reporting requirements. While CAHS believes religion should not be a ground for charitable status, and thus tax exemption, the government could at least introduce a Commission to introduce some degree of accountability.’ He also noted that in a well-known case in Britain, an organisation that is tax-exempt in Australia, The Church of Scientology, was denied charitable status in Britain because the organisation did not satisfy the requirement for ‘public benefit.’

Max Wallace also said a similar test should be applied in Australia. In particular, if an organisation was found to have knowingly committed criminal acts it should not be eligible for tax-exempt charitable status. He said ‘In some disturbing cases it has been demonstrated that the hierarchy of certain churches and church-based private schools knew one or more of their staff was committing offences against children and concealed that information. But the question of whether they should lose their tax-exempt status because of this behaviour has never arisen. That is not good enough. Taxpayers should not be subsidising paedophilia and other crimes regardless of who causes them. The Charities Act needs to be reviewed and a Charities Commission should have powers of sanction.’

Atheist Billboard in Idaho

armineh — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:02:32 +0000

Christians Up in Arms Over Atheist Billboard

armineh — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:53:08 +0000

Published: July 06,2009
By Robert Paul Reyes

Controversial billboard reads: Being a good person doesn’t require God. Don’t believe in God? You’re not alone. www.FreeThoughtFlorida.com

“The recruitment billboard put up by the Florida Atheist and Secular Humanist Society stands just east of Interstate 95 on Sunrise Boulevard and 27th Avenue, next to a business owned by an African-American preacher.

The members of the community cite two main problems: born-again Christians own the business right next to the sign, and the billboard is located right in the middle of an African-American community.: http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI124870/?56

I take issue with the sign being referred to as a “recruitment billboard.” The billboard isn’t urging Christians, Jews and Muslims to become atheists, and stop believing in religious superstitions. The message is addressed to atheists and agnostics, letting them know that they are not alone.

It’s evangelicals who feel a compelling need to spread their Gospel to every corner of the world, atheists and agnostics have a “live and let live” attitude.

I am a freethinker and a strong believer in free speech, and the Florida Atheist and Secular Humanist Society has every right in the world to convey their message of enlightenment.

So what if born-again Christians own the business right next to the sign? The guy at the end of my block has a huge wooden cross on his front yard, and I don’t demand that he take it down. I don’t expect everyone to share my political and philosophical world view.

I fail to see the significance of the sign being located in the middle of an African-American community. Are the good folks in Fort Lauderdale implying that blacks are so weak in their faith that they might be influenced to forsake Christianity by a “godless” billboard?

We live in a democracy, and nobody should have any problems with a group that is exercising its free speech.

Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.

Comment on this story, by email comment@newsblaze.com

Source: http://newsblaze.com/story/20090706091618reye.nb/topstory.html

Woody Allen on Raising Secular Humanists

armineh — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:57:23 +0000

The director, 73, and wife Soon-Yi are parents to Manzie, nine, and Bechet, ten. Here he discusses his parenting attitude to religion, honesty, and the birds and the bees.

To read entire article, click here.

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 12:11 AM on 04th July 2009

Rediscovering Secular America

armineh — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:37:14 +0000

This Fourth of July those who identify themselves as non-believers have much cause for celebration.

To read entire article, click here

Source: www.thenation.com
posted by Katrina vanden Heuvel on 07/03/2009 @ 8:36pm

AMERICAN ATHEISTS ALERT

armineh — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:23:31 +0000

AMERICAN ATHEISTS ALERT
http://www.atheists.org

DAVE SILVERMAN ON CNN CAMPBELL BROWN SHOW FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 5:20 pm PT

DAVE SILVERMAN, Communications Director and Vice President of American Atheists will be the guest this Friday, June 26, at 5:20 pm PT (8:20 pm ET) on CNN Campbell Brown Show. Dave will be discussing the Atheist perspective on “death and dying.”

WHO & WHAT: Dave Silverman, Communications Director for American Atheists, on CNN’s Campbell Brown Show

WHEN: This Friday, June 26, 5:20 pm PT (8:20 pm ET)

TOPIC: The Atheist perspective on death and dying

MORE INFO: http://www.atheists.org or http://www.cnn.com

Check out Dave Silverman’s blog at http://www.nogodblog.com !

(AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists, Freethinkers and other nonbelievers; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.)

Dr. George Tiller – by Hilton Brown

armineh — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:53:09 +0000

Dr. George Tiller was murdered while participating in the Church in which he was participating in the worship service. According to some of the murderer’s supporters, not only did Tiller deserve to be murdered, but the congregation of the Reformed Lutheran Church in which Tiller was serving as an usher was “…properly indicted by your (the murder’s) actions.”
A few days earlier at the Notre Dame commencement, President Barack Obama asked, “As citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy, how do we engage in vigorous debate? How does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?”
The actual murderer in Dr. Tiller’s murder may well be a deranged person, but he only represented the fringe of organizations making no effort to come to debate in President Obama’s phrase. Dr. Tiller is only the most recent of a string of barbarous murders of Doctors, bombing of clinics, harassment of women, all in the name of protecting life.
Dr. Tiller’s alleged criminal acts were the performing of lawful late term abortions. I find it very hard to believe that many women will carry a pregnancy into the third trimester and then frivolously decide to end the pregnancy. I image that decision to be one of the most grievous possible. In my eyes, Dr Tiller is a hero who knowingly risked his life to relieve the suffering of many, many women, and avoid bringing into the world the horribly maimed and injured.

June 7 Humanist Forum: Two Same-Sex Couples Discuss Marriage

armineh — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:42:49 +0000

Bennet Marks and Kim Harris, and Elise Guidoux and Karen Koshgarian, two same-sex couples who were legally married in California last year, will discuss why being able to get legally married was important to them, what it was like to get married, and how being married has changed their lives. A Q & A period will follow their presentation.

The Humanist Community Forum meets at 11am at the Mitchell Park Community Center, 3800 Middlefield Rd. Palo Alto, between Meadow and Charleston.

May 31 Humanist Forum: Physics’ Effects on Our Lives and Morals

armineh — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:08:15 +0000

Physicists usually pursue their passion just because it’s interesting, but many of their discoveries have led to changes in society with great moral consequences. Jeff Justice will describe several physics discoveries and show how they have influenced our everyday lives and morals. Jeff developed a love of physics in his teenage years. He spent most of his life earning a living by making scientific instruments. In the last 10 years, he has had the time to catch up on modern physics and think about the real implications of physics in society.

The Humanist Community Forum meets at 11am at the Mitchell Park Community Center, 3800 Middlefield Rd. Palo Alto, between Meadow and Charleston.

May 24 Humanist Forum: Did Jesus Even Exist?

armineh — Sat, 23 May 2009 21:30:53 +0000

Humanist Community member and founder of Atheists of Silicon Valley (www.godlessgeeks.com), Mark Thomas, will talk about the fact that there is no reliable evidence for the existence of Jesus of Nazareth. All evidence points to the idea that he was a myth with a story that grew over time. If you can’t make the talk, most of the ideas are at http://www.godlessgeeks.com/WhyAtheism.htm#jesus

The Humanist Community Forum meets at 11am at the Mitchell Park Community Center,
3800 Middlefield Rd. Palo Alto, between Meadow and Charleston.