Humanism on the Move

STAFF REPORT

Paul Kurtz Resigns

Paul Kurtz, founder of the Center for Inquiry, Committee for Secular Inquiry and the Council for Secular Humanism, recently announced his resignation from the boards of each group. Kurtz also stepped down from his position as editor-in-chief of Free Inquiry magazine, as well as from the editorial board of the Skeptical Inquirer. An influential member of the humanist movement for over 30 years, Kurtz has had enormous impact worldwide, authoring over 40 books and winning the International Humanist and Ethical Union's Humanist of the Year award in 1999 and the American Humanist Association's Humanist Lifetime Acheivement Award in 2007. The Center for Inquiry board has officially accepted his resignation, but has yet to name his successor. 

Secular Coalition for America Responds to Kagan's Church-State Record

The Secular Coalition for America (SCA) has expressed its disappointment regarding Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan's "weak view" of church and state separation. A 1987 dissent authored by Kagan revealed her assertion that religious organizations should not receive any form of federal funding. However, when recently questioned about the dissent, Kagan dismissed it as the "dumbest thing I ever read" and "deeply mistaken." The SCA hopes that Kagan's views on church and state will be thoroughly questioned during her upcoming senate hearing. 

Fundraising for Foundation Beyond Belief

Foundation Beyond Belief, a humanist and atheist global charity, is kicking its fundraising into high gear in hopes of reaching its summer goal. The foundation, which recently received considerable attention from the New York Times, has succeeded in raising $25,000, but remains $4,000 short of the funds it will need to survive through the remaining quarter. Health, education, poverty and human rights are examples of the various causes Foundation Beyond Belief works to support.