"Consider Humanism": the largest atheist ad campaign in history

[Alex]

http://www.considerhumanism.org

Today, the American Humanist Association is launching the largest
atheist ad campaign in history. It challenges Biblical morality and
fundamentalist Christianity and it’s bound to get a lot of attention.

There will be a TV commercial during Dateline NBC this Friday night.

There will be billboards in Idaho and Philadelphia and bus ads in
Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

There will be ads on cable TV, ads in magazines like Reason and The
Progressive, and ads in newspapers in places like USA Today, the Seattle
Times, and the Village Voice, all "demonstrating that secular humanist
values are consistent with mainstream America and that fundamentalist
religion has no right to claim the moral high ground."

It's called "Consider Humanism" and you'll be hearing a lot about this
campaign in the coming weeks.

According to the AHA's press release:

"Humanist values are mainstream American values, and this campaign will
help many people realize that they are already humanists and just did
not know the term," said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the
American Humanist Association. "Humanists believe in and value love,
equality, peace, freedom and reason — values that are comparable to
those of moderate and liberal religious people."

"It's important that people recognize that a literal reading of
religious texts is completely out of touch with mainstream America,"
Speckhardt added. "Although religious texts can teach good lessons, they
also advocate fear, intolerance, hate and ignorance. It's time for all
moderate people to stand up against conservative religion's claim on a
moral monopoly."



Alex's comment:  
Our Humanist Group may consider joining this campaign by, say, translating some materials into Chinese language and holding some activities.
這個「考慮人文主義」，是美國人文協會推廣人文主義的重要運動。我們的「人文組」可考慮參與，例如把一些內容翻譯成華語，及舉辦一些活動。

[Alex]

I know Raul Martinez, a member of the AHA board, and have been
discussing this campaign with him.  I hated myself for doing so, but
found myself substantially in agreement with positions espoused more, as
represented by their previous communications, by Edd and Francis.  Raul
asked me how I felt about the campaign.  My response was that it was
better than doing nothing, so I supported it on that basis.  I felt that
the leading out with Biblical scripture framed the arguments in terms
tending to favor the opponents, and that we would have done better to
frame the arguments from the perspective of "what is goodness", and what
do humanists consider.  I think we would have attracted more sympathy
from liberal and process theologists, whereas framing it as a response
to scripture invites scorn from the fundies, and a feeling of betrayal
from people we really are allied with, the liberal and process
theologists.  State the goodness first, follow it up with sample
scripture as appropriate.  But start with the good part.  "Goodness
without God" should push the goodness part most of all, in a way that
sticks in peoples minds.  I think that's where we need to go to
reestablish some of the fervor of an earlier era, where nontheists like
Robert Ingersoll were public heroes.

Carl Kaun to "A forum for friends of religious humanism" <[e-mail]>
Nov 10, 2010

[XOX]

I'm in. What next? What need to be done?

[XOX]

Related article: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/opinions/view/opinion/Humanist-Groups-Aim-to-Push-Back-at-Bible-Derived-Morality-5785 

[Alex]

Atheist Groups Promote a Holiday Message: Join Us
November 9, 2010
NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/us/10atheist.html

[Alex]

Thank you!  Check email.