freethought
US leaders gather to discuss rights of nonreligious people across the world
By Alejandra Molina — December 9, 2022
(RNS) — 'Discrimination against the non-religious is often caused, not by a desire to hurt atheists, but by the desire to help one or more religions,' according to a new report by Humanists International.
American Humanist leader Roy Speckhardt stepping down to make room for diverse leaders
By Emily McFarlan Miller — February 5, 2021
(RNS) — Speckhardt told Religion News Service his decision was prompted by a lot of 'humanistic soul searching, especially during the pandemic.'
Rep. Rashida Tlaib joins Congressional Freethought Caucus
By Aysha Khan — August 20, 2020
(RNS) — Rep. Rashida Tlaib, one of the first Muslim women in Congress, has joined the Congressional Freethought Caucus.
‘Nones’ get their first congressional caucus
By Emily McFarlan Miller — May 1, 2018
(RNS) — The new caucus comes as the religious 'nones' — those who claim no religious affiliation — jumped from about 16 percent of the U.S. population in 2007 to nearly 23 percent in 2014, according to the latest Pew data.
Meet the tireless women working to free Raif Badawi and Waleed Abu al-Khair
By Chris Stedman — January 20, 2015
Samar Badawi, Ensaf Haidar, and Elham Manea talk with RNS about their efforts to free Raif Badawi and Waleed Abu al-Khair—and explain what others can do to help.
Secular Solstice: Doing good for goodness’ sake
By Kimberly Winston — December 16, 2014
OAKLAND, Calif. (RNS) A newly minted observance called "Secular Solstice" takes religious ritual common to the holiday season and adds its own spin.
Atheist coalition wants you to know they are ‘Openly Secular’
By Kimberly Winston — September 24, 2014
DECATUR, Ga. (RNS) A coalition of nearly 30 atheists, humanists and other nonreligious groups is taking a page from the gay rights movement to encourage people to admit they are “openly secular.”
Atheists may not pray, Brevard (Fla.) county commissioners say
By Kimberly Winston — August 21, 2014
(RNS) Brevard County commissioners voted to ban atheists from opening public meetings, a direct challenge to a Supreme Court ruling.
Does the Air Force ‘encourage atheism’ and ‘prosecute Christianity’?
By Chris Stedman — March 24, 2014
Is the Air Force Academy creating an atmosphere that "encourage[s] atheism [and] prosecute[s] Christianity," as a commentator is claiming? No. Here's why.
Iraqi refugee works to make life safer for secular humanists
By Ken Chitwood — December 3, 2013
(RNS) Most people assume that because Faisal Saeed Al-Mutar is an Iraqi refugee, he is Muslim. This is not the case. Al-Mutar is a secular humanist, and an outspoken one at that.
Godless funerals thrive in ‘post-Catholic’ Ireland
By Paresh Dave — May 21, 2013
DUBLIN (RNS) After 32 years as an interior designer, Patricia Wojnar went back to school for a master's degree in bereavement studies, a hot commodity in Ireland's "post-Catholic'' economy that features growing markets for wedding and funeral officiants who aren't associated with the scandal-scarred Catholic Church.
Humanists slice and dice the world’s sacred texts
By Kimberly Winston — January 11, 2013
(RNS) "A Jefferson Bible For the 21st Century'' takes Thomas Jefferson’s slice-and-dice Bible one step further. By Kimberly Winston.
Campus atheists score big funding from Wisconsin university
By Kimberly Winston — November 30, 2012
(RNS) An atheist student group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has scored nearly $70,000 in funding, a national record for a campus atheist group. By Kimberly Winston.
Survey finds record 19 percent of religiously unaffiliated Americans
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — July 20, 2012
(RNS) Unbelief is on the uptick. People who check "None" for their religious affiliation are now nearly one in five Americans (19 percent), the highest ever documented, according to the Pew Center for the People and the Press. By Cathy Lynn Grossman.
Do atheists have a sexual harassment problem?
By Kimberly Winston — July 12, 2012
(RNS) Women's attendance at atheist conferences is down and sexual harassment accusations are rising, which leads to the question: Does the nontheist community have a sexual harassment problem? By Kimberly Winston.
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