NOSHA Notes..
..and SECULAR SKETCHES …
The Humanist Advocate
Just One Thing for Christmas
Here’s an idea for a new Christmas Twilight Zone episode were the program to be revived, if you will indulge me: imagine, during this season of giving, what might be the best gift the non-theist secular community could receive from the conservative Christian community. To be sure, spending much time ranking a wishlist like that would be time wasted, since offering an olive branch of peace, much less anything like a gift from the latter is an adventure into the…
BOOK REVIEW: American Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom By Andrew Seidel
Review by William Gautreaux, November 2022 In his excellent new book, Andrew Seidel reviews some of the most important Supreme Court cases of the last 30 years that justices have used to hand down decisions involving religion. He discusses in detail how “religious freedom” has been turned into a weapon to advance Christian religious privilege, and not religious freedom, and to impose the Christian religion on others. Seidel points out how “the Constitution envisioned religious freedom as a protection for…
Three Ways to Make Your Gift Count
The route back through the historical turns that eventually led to the corruption of the Chrisian message of charity would surely be staked with signposts marked Exit Here>Hubris, Greed, and Folly. I’m not going there, but promise to honk when I pass. Old-time Faith, sans Hope, Charity First, then, The Great Depression, when millions in the United States and elsewhere were out of work in an economic system that was supposed to award hard-working citizens a stable and comfortable…
Only Free Speech Can Stop Islamic Fundamentalism
What happened in Chautauqua, New York on the 12th of August was disturbing yet predictable. Salman Rushdie, who wrote the controversial book The Satanic Verses, became a primary target of the former Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, who issued a fatwa that would legitimize the execution of Rushdie. To no one’s surprise, such fatwas were regularly issued by the Iranian totalitarian theocratic regime that has been actively causing socio-political turmoil in the Middle East. …
Secular White Christian Nationalism?
To get the most recent and thorough understanding of this thing we call white Christian nationalism, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to America, published in April this year should be just such a book, especially if you are interested in a smattering of academic sociology research surveys used to inform a deeper dive into the mindset of citizens participating in the surveys. Over a dozen graphed surveys using their “christian nationalist scale” are documented …
What’s Awesome about an Atheist Conference
What’s Awesome about an Atheist Conference A report on AACon 2022 by Beth Deitch “What’s the point of a conference for nonbelievers? Do you just sit around and talk about how there’s no god for an entire weekend?” I’ve heard that bit of confused criticism expressed more than once, when I’ve mentioned attending a secular conference. And the answer is, “Of course not—that would be a rather brief convention: Is there a god? Nope! Let’s all go home now.”…
You Can Help Right An Injustice – The Brandon Woodruff Case
Recently NOSHA members had the rare opportunity to screen a documentary (seen for the first time outside of Texas) and show support for a young man who appears to have been wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit: Texas Justice: Brandon Woodruff. This film takes a hard-hitting look at the case of a 19-year-old college kid who was accused of, tried, and convicted of the execution style murder of both of his parents. The Innocence Project of Texas is…
Religious Law is Not So “Natural” Anymore
The Roe decision Friday should not have come as much of a surprise to those following the case and the sneak peek leak of the final decision in early May. But the reality of the court’s official ruling was as shocking as the news of a missing family member’s body is discovered to the distraught family. “Say it ain’t so!” –you just cannot prepare, even with the grimmest of warnings. The fact is, the warning signs have been coming…
Support NOSHA and your secular community
Greetings NOSHA Friends! The time has rolled around (finally) when we can send out our annual thanks to all who have helped the New Orleans Secular Humanist Association over the years by supporting our unique position in this area with your interest, participation, and membership support. We hope the health and well being of you, your family, and friends has not been adversely affected by the pandemic over the past couple of years, but we know that everyone has been…