From the NY Times: Frank Bruni on "Between Godliness and Godlessness"

Many Humanists profess to be spiritual but not religious.  Here's some support for that position from, of all people, Sam Harris.


Frank Bruni: between Godliness and Godlessness

Rituals for secular humanists?

One of the topics of the September 7 meeting is whether humanists can benefit from rituals.  You can get a head start on forming your opinion by reading this article from The Atlantic


http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/08/burying-your-dead-without-religion/378711/?single_page=true

Does the Humanist mind fare any better than participants in this study?

It seems that most people can't stand to be alone with their own thoughts.  What a tragedy!  Here's hoping that the Humanist mind is the exception.  Think about it when you're alone in your own head, if you can find the time, that is.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/27/sunday-review/no-time-to-think.html?hpw&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpHedThumbWell&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

Yet another new TV channel - but this time it's Atheist TV

Here's another way to spend your TV viewing hours, a channel by and for atheists.  As they say, everyone else has a TV presence, so why not unbelievers?


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/02/arts/television/atheist-tv-has-its-premiere-on-roku-and-online.html?hpw&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpHedThumbWell&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

Obviously not a Dawkins fan

Here's someone who is not enamored of Richard Dawkins, erstwhile hero of the freethinking set.  Apply your humanist critical thinking here and make your own decision about the legitimacy of the attack.  Be sure to read the reader comments.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/30/richard-dawkins-what-on-earth-happened-to-you

Surprise! Atheists still don't get much acceptance

Here's an article from Slate that shows where non-believers stand in the who-would-you-want-your-kid-to-marry poll.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/06/13/pew_report_on_political_polarization_americans_will_accept_a_variety_of.html


A link within that article that you may have missed points to a longer, meatier article in Salon about the contemporary face of atheism and, spoiler alert, the author doesn't think it's the Hitchens/Dawkins group.

http://www.salon.com/2014/06/05/forget_christopher_hitchens_atheism_in_america_is_undergoing_a_radical_change_partner/

"Soft Atheism"

The Opinionator column from the New York Times has been running an interview series on religion.  Here's one that actually makes sense.   Some interesting back-and-forth on the subject of "transcendence".  Be sure to read down to the end where the interviewee makes the case for what he calls "refined religion" as a "half-way house" with secularism as the ultimate desired outcome.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/15/the-case-for-soft-atheism/?ref=opinion