The New Orleans Secular Humanist Association is dedicated to raising the awareness of people of the Gulf Coast region to the ideals and values of secular humanism.
What is Humanism?
Humanists reject superstitious beliefs. Instead, we can make sense of the world using reason, experience and shared values. We can make the best of life by creating meaning and purpose for ourselves, and choosing to take responsibility for our actions.
It is important to act morally towards others, not because of a divine imperative, but because people have inherent dignity. We have only one life, it is our responsibility to make it a good life, and to live it well.
Learn more…
Please see the NOSHA Meetup Calendar for all scheduled events.
By William Sierichs Jr. As early as 1437, conversos complained they were being discriminated against. Segregation increased in the 1440s in Castile. Despite critics who argued that a Christian was a Christian whatever his or her ancestry, the drive to keep society “pure” of “tainted” Jewish blood increased through the 1400s, leading to the general expulsion order of 1492. The Inquisition was a major force behind this. A 1483 papal edict required inquisitors to be “Old Christians.” The infamous 15th-century…
By William Sierichs Jr. Similarly, in 1092, the Hungarian King (St.) Laszlo prohibited marriages between Christians and Jews. At least through the 1880s, Hungary barred civil marriages (ferociously opposed by the Roman Catholic Church, a powerful lobby), and continued to prohibit an unconverted Jew from marrying a Christian. The Hungarian Parliament rejected an attempt to enact civil marriages in 1881. The theme that marriage with a non-Christian polluted a Christian was exemplified in a tale by the English writer…
By William Sierichs Jr. Despite Christianity’s routine claim that, at its heart, it’s all about some abstract concept of love, Christians historically were among the worst real-world enemies of that powerful, universal emotion. The struggle over gay marriage is simply one facet of an old, vicious, theocratic tyranny. Christians have always obsessed over controlling who should be allowed to love and/or marry whom. Driven by theological paranoia and authoritarianism, combined with an often-intense misogyny that is unfortunately not specific…
