Atheistforums.com

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/11/03/3587801/district-court-declares-secular-humanism-a-religion/

QuoteA federal district court in Oregon has declared Secular Humanism a religion, paving the way for the non-theistic community to obtain the same legal rights as groups such as Christianity.
On Thursday, October 30, Senior District Judge Ancer Haggerty issued a ruling on American Humanist Association v. United States, a case that was brought by the American Humanist Association (AHA) and Jason Holden, a federal prisoner. Holden pushed for the lawsuit because he wanted Humanism â€" which the AHA defines as “an ethical and life-affirming philosophy free of belief in any gods and other supernatural forces” â€" recognized as a religion so that his prison would allow for the creation of a Humanist study group. Haggerty sided with the plaintiffs in his decision, citing existing legal precedent and arguing that denying Humanists the same rights as groups such as Christianity would be highly suspect under the Establishment Clause in the U.S. Constitution, which declares that Congress “shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
“The court finds that Secular Humanism is a religion for Establishment Clause purposes,” the ruling read.
The decision highlights the unusual position of the Humanist community, which has tried for years to obtain the same legal rights as more traditional religious groups while simultaneously rebuking the existence of a god or gods. But while some Humanists may chafe at being called a “religion,” others feel that the larger pursuit of equal rights trumps legal classifications.
“I really don’t care if Humanism is called a religion or not,” Greg Epstein, Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University and author of Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe, told ThinkProgress. “But if you’re going to give special rights to religions, then you have to give them to Humanism as well, and I think that’s what this case was about.”
Humanism has grown â€" at least in terms of organization â€" rapidly over the past few years, with members establishing official Humanist chaplaincies at Harvard University, American University, Columbia University, and Rutgers University. Atheists â€" one of the many titles for a diversity of nonreligious Americans, which includes Humanists â€" have also successfully fought for the right to offer invocations at government meetings: Kelly McCauley, a member of the North Alabama Freethought Association, opened a City Council meeting in Huntsville, Alabama in September with an invocation that did not mention God but extolled the virtues of “Wisdom, Courage, Justice, and Moderation.”
“Nonreligious people are just one of the large groups in American society today,” Epstein said. “Increasingly, we need to be recognized not just for our non-belief, but also as a community, and this decision affirms that.”
Despite these successes, the movement to obtain legal rights for Humanists has also encountered stiff resistance. Atheists and Humanists are disproportionately underrepresented in Congress, for instance, and the American Humanist Association is currently in a lengthy battle with the U.S. military to establish formal Humanist chaplains for nonreligious soldiers. In June, the U.S. Navy rejected the application of Jason Heap for a commission as a chaplain.

I do not personally identify as a secular humanist. Who knows, maybe if they come up with a snazzy ballcap I might sign up.

This is the Secular Humanist website.
https://www.secularhumanism.org/

Snazzy tshirt:

(http://rlv.zcache.com/secular_humanist_womens_shirt_tshirt-r34e5b197e5834076aa11f9374fa4162c_f0c69_512.jpg)

My idea of a fashion statement is a 2 pocket work shirt, nylon cargo pants and Redwing boots, so don't look for any trendy snapshots from this direction.

(Edit) Might work on some hymns;

Ain't I Amazin' Gracie

Onward Unbelievers

I Stand All Amazed (at how godless I am)

shit like that there.  :biggrin:

So, can I finally get non-tax church status?

I don't believe in unicorns because there is no evidence.  I guess a-unicornism is officially my religion now... along with a-fairyism, a-Satanism, a-Soul Cake Duckism and a potentially infinite number of other isms.  Bloody marvellous....  :toilet:

It is interesting because if the same rules apply, the same dodges do as well. Become whatever passes for a SH pastor and get the tax benefits. Hmmmmm.........

I am a secular humanist, and think it was about time.  :super: :biggrin: Solitary

I think I probably fall into a similar category by viewpoint, but the problem is what I have read about SH doesn't give me a clear enough picture of how it is different than just atheism. Somebody enlighten me.

Secular Humanism

The philosophy or life stance of secular humanism (alternatively known by some adherents as Humanism, specifically with a capital H to distinguish it from other forms of humanism) embraces human reason, ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma, super-naturalism, pseudoscience, and superstition as the basis of morality and decision making. Solitary

Start churches, raise obscene amounts of cash and take over congress..

Quote from: Solitary on November 04, 2014, 10:51:41 PM
Secular Humanism

The philosophy or life stance of secular humanism (alternatively known by some adherents as Humanism, specifically with a capital H to distinguish it from other forms of humanism) embraces human reason, ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma, super-naturalism, pseudoscience, and superstition as the basis of morality and decision making. Solitary

OK. Do they have hymns?

I stand all amazed at the love that I offer me
confused not by faith or false religiosity
I marvel to think that I truly am rational
not confused by false truths that are just hypothetical

So give me a break when you say I'm a sinner there
'cause sin is just BS and I don't really care
so take your religion because its irrational
and go away quietly because I've had a belly full

sorry but don't expect me in a church and pew
'cause really I've got better things to do
I've run out of words to rhyme any how
and that's all I'll say because it is over now
.

Quote from: stromboli on November 04, 2014, 11:58:43 PM
OK. Do they have hymns?

Yes.  Yes, we do.  I humbly offer Tom Smith (http://www.tomsmithonline.com/index.html)'s The Here And Now (http://filkertom-itom.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html).

I don't care if this is a moribund thread, this is a great song.  :D

Quote from: stromboli on November 04, 2014, 11:58:43 PM
OK. Do they have hymns?

I stand all amazed at the love that I offer me
confused not by faith or false religiosity
I marvel to think that I truly am rational
not confused by false truths that are just hypothetical

So give me a break when you say I'm a sinner there
'cause sin is just BS and I don't really care
so take your religion because its irrational
and go away quietly because I've had a belly full

sorry but don't expect me in a church and pew
'cause really I've got better things to do
I've run out of words to rhyme any how
and that's all I'll say because it is over now
.

You realize this makes you a liar saying you aren't a poet. Solitary

I'm not sure how I feel about this but seeing as it grants equal rights to humanism I'll consider it a half win. I'll be calling my self a secular humanist from now on in the hopes that people continue mistaking this as a religion and leave me alone. I hate being badgered by the religious once they find out you're an atheist.

When I did the thread I didn't identify as SH but I do now. I like it because it is fairly definitive. SH most people don't know how to critique, with atheist you are misunderstood from the beginning.

Being 'a religion for establishment clause purposes' is not the same thing as actually being a religion. In the USA, that is not something which courts decide.

Can I refuse to serve theistic customers in my Indiana and Arkansas businesses?

I( don't know, but they deserve it, the bastards! Solitary

Sounds like I'd better get to work organizing a Secular Humanist church, then!