Atheists in Foxholes News 15 Feb 2012
MAAF has listed below 50 recent articles of interest in the areas of atheism & humanism in the military, society, and government, both in the US and internationally. January included tributes to Christopher Hitchens, reports of nontheist gatherings in Idaho and Kansas, and encouraging reports from Egypt where a freethought blogger was released.
MAAF was also in the news seeking reform to religious preference identification including addition of humanist to the list of options, alongside the existing atheist option. Congress objected when the Air Force took MAAF’s suggestion to change a procurement agencies religious and irresponsible Opus Dei motto. Congress also put forth new bills in Congress to enshrine special privileges for Christianity in war memorials, also in response to challenges by MAAF to keep government neutral toward religion.
Also see more MAAF articles here at the MAAF blog and military posts on Friendly Atheist.
Christian Privilege in the Military
- People Are Mad at the Wrong Half of AF motto, Atlantic Wire
- Air Force unit secularizes patch
- Air Force Removes “God’s Work” from unit motto
- GOP lawmakers protest removal of ‘God’ from Air Force unit’s patch, The Hill
- Military blocks political sermonizing by Catholics, Media Matters [Video]
- House passes war memorial protection act
- Memorial honors fallen veterans, disputed cross
- Camp Pendleton cross letters to the editor
Secular culture
- ‘Atheism with a heart’
- Atheist candidate Cecil Bothwell comes to Franklin
- Atheism in America, Financial Times
- Atheist Group Pays for Imaginary Friend billboards
- Alain de Botton’s atheist temple may prove religion is more relevant than ever
- Atheist leader encourages non-believers to unite
- Atheist billboards turning heads in Denver
- ReasonFest set for weekend in Lawrence
- A conference for the open-minded
- Boston-area college humanists gather to fight hunger
- With No God, Where do Atheists Turn in Times of Crisis?
- Christopher Hitchens set a challenge for Catholics, Catholic Herald
- Loving Hitchens, 1 of 3
- Loving Hitchens, 2 of 3
- Loving Hitchens, 3 of 3
Freedom of Religion and Belief
- “Denigrating religious values” silencing critics, Forum 18
- Army major fights for humanism
- Group Targets Military’s ‘Religious Preference’, Military.com
- Bishops Join to repackage discrimination as ‘Religious Freedom’, Sarah Posner
- Cranston school ordered to remove prayer banner
- Wiccan Pentacles at Arlington, and Why Litigation Was Necessary
- Beyond Tribal Loyalties, Jewish Humanism
- America: Whose “Moral Enterprise?”
- OSU grads fight for troops’ religious freedom, Columbus Dispatch
- Humanists among those wanting military designation
- Army Won’t Allow ‘Humanist’ on Dog Tags, Ed Brayton
- Discussion of beliefs includes atheists at Vandy
- Elon U non-religious don’t feel accepted
International humanist news
- Maikel Nabil recounts ordeal of his military imprisonment
- Not state’s job to raise people according to religion
- France is still fractured by the Dreyfus Affair
- Climate of intolerance in West Bank, activists say, AP
- Atheist blogger released, Foreign Policy
- A non-violent struggle through humanism, Southern Africa
- Belgium swears in atheist Prime Minister
- Citizen Philosophers in Brazil
- Moral Awakening of an 11th-grader, Dissident Voice
- Watford (UK) Humanist Chaplain dies aged 73
- Council prayers are ruled illegal
- Councils speak over prayer ban
- Council is keen to carry on saying prayers
- Bishops fight to save NHS chaplains