2014.05 News: Spring Family Picnic June 1

The Humanist Union of Madison invites you to the Nonbelievers of Greater Madison Spring Family Picnic 2014 June 1 (Sunday), noon to 2 pm. Bring your own beverage, and food to share potluck style. If the current weather holds we'll meet at the picnic shelter at Marlborough Park in southwest Madison. Here's how to get there. If the weather is threatening or wet, we'll say so here. The rainy-day indoor location is the nearby Prairie UU Society Meeting House at the corner of Crawford and Whenona Drives.

2014.03 News: Humanism at Work Coming Closer

Foundation Beyond Belief, the nation's largest humanist charitable organization, is holding its first national conference, "Humanism at Work", 2014 July 18-20 at the Hilton Rosemont in Chicago, Illinois.

This conference, the first of its kind in the freethought community, centers on how nontheists can put their compassionate humanism to work for a better world. It will include TED-style presentations on philanthropy, volunteering, and community building, as well as practical workshops, panels, and hands-on volunteer opportunities.

Speakers include:

• Evidence-based giving expert CAROLINE FIENNES
• Nigerian humanist and human rights activist LEO IGWE
• Atheist homelessness activist SERAH BLAIN
• HEMLEY GONZALEZ, a humanist at work with the poor in Calcutta
• Atheist authors HEMANT MEHTA and GRETA CHRISTINA
• Social psychologist DR. BRITTANY SHOOTS-REINHARD
• THE PATHFINDERS, four humanists just returned from a year of global service

To register, go to the Humanism at Work website. The organizers have tried to keep the conference affordable at $129 before April 15 and $149 after that date. Included in that price is a formal dinner at which Heart of Humanism awards will go to those who have put humanism into action in their local communities and around the world.

2014.03 News: Depends on What the Meaning of "Know" Is

Republican presidential aspirant, former Arkansas governor, right-wing TV personality, and ordained evangelical minister Mike Huckabee assured CPAC that he "knows" there is a God. He also "knows" many similar things (like, say, "Benghazi!") thru the assistance of similar levels of evidence, reason, and his diamond-bright intellectuality.

2014.03 News: "Nones" Now a Plurality among Young Adults

America continues its long, arduous struggle at freeing itself from the irrationalities of religion. As in so many other ways, young people are taking the lead, according to the latest survey of religiosity, spun of course to political ends by The Daily Kos.

2014.02 News: Freethot Festival 3 Open for Business

As of today, the website for Freethought Festival 3, on the University of Wisconsin Madison campus April 11-12, is in operation.

If you've never been, it's an amazingly good time.

Oh, and it's free. They do ask that you register, tho, to aid in planning.

2014.02 News: Atheists Disinvited from Conservative Shindig

American Atheists wanted to reach out to political conservatives and so reserved a table at the upcoming Conservative Political Action Conference. Then the CPACkies had 2nd thots: "Not so fast there, you heathens!"

2014.02 Quiz: Is Your Religious Liberty under Threat?

Thanks to the Huffington Post and essayist Rev. Emily C. Heath, this simple 10-question multiple-choice test will tell you in under 2 minutes whether your religious liberty as an American citizen is in danger.