NOSHA was formed to provide an opportunity for like-minded people to meet and exchange ideas and to promote awareness of Secular Humanist viewpoints in the community. We strive to make the public aware of the importance of separation of church and state, to oppose the teaching of creationism and other religious exercises in public schools, and to provide a voice of reason when superstition is presented in the media.
We are affiliates of the Council for Secular Humanism and American Atheists, an associate of the American Humanist Association, and a member of the Atheist Alliance International.
Statement of Principles
- We reject efforts to denigrate human intelligence, to explain the world in supernatural terms, and to look outside nature for salvation.
- We believe in enjoying life here and now and in developing our creative talents to their fullest.
- We believe in the common moral decencies: altruism, integrity, honesty, truthfulness and responsibility. Humanist ethics are amenable to critical, rational guidance and normative standards exist that we discover together. Moral principles are tested by their consequences.
- We affirm humanism as both a realistic alternative to theologies of despair and ideologies of violence and as a source of rich personal significance and genuine satisfaction in service to others.
- We believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest that we are capable of as human beings.
Learn more about The Affirmations of Humanism: A Statement of Principles.
NOSHA has a diverse volunteer board of directors who are elected to three year terms each December. Read more about them here, and find out who’s who.
NOSHA Guidelines
The NOSHA Board of Directors decided in early 2015 that we needed to develop some guidelines for any issues that may come up between our participants at our events or in our online communities. As an organization, we have been very fortunate that our group seems to interact without many negative situations, if any at all. Of course, one of the purposes of this kind of endeavor is that it only comes in handy when you least expect it and that you hope you never have to use it. So, it was time to take action.
We didn’t reinvent the wheel. Hardly! We considered the guidelines from several other organizations and the advice of board members who have experience with this topic. Many thanks to the effort of board member and membership coordinator, Beth Deitch. Her academic background was perfect for guiding us down this path and we’re proud of the result.
Should you have any questions about the organization’s Code of Conduct, please click here. And if you’d like to know more about our Facebook and Social Media Policy, please click here. If you have any further questions, please send your inquiry to charlotte@nosha.info.
Getting our message out to the community
NOSHA would like to get our message out to our community. Anyone interested in finding out more about us and secular humanism can attend our regular meetings. See our Calendar for a schedule of meeting dates and events.
If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact Board President Charlotte Klasson. Klasson is available for presentations to the media and area organizations about the separation of church and state and other humanist issues.
Charlotte Klasson
charlotte@nosha.info
