Humanism on the Move

Sept. 1, 2010

American Atheists Decry Quran Burning

American Atheists spoke out against the Dove World Outreach Center, the Christian group in Gainesville, Fla., publicizing the "International Burn a Quran Day." Though denied a permit, the group still intends to burn Qurans on Sept. 11 to commemorate the World Trade Center attacks.

Dr. Ed Buckner, president of American Atheists, has encouraged pursuit of cultural knowledge in place of discrimination. "In addition to studying the Bible, the Quran and other ‘holy books,' we're recommending a brief reading list people may want to delve into," said Buckner. "And when you finish those, we can recommend many more. Read, don't burn. Think, don't swallow what anyone else is telling you."

Military Freedom From Religion Foundation Investigates Christian Army Concerts

In May, a number of U.S. soldiers were reportedly punished for refusing to attend a Spiritual Fitness Concert while completing a training course. After further research, the Military Freedom From Religion Foundation discovered that these concerts, headlined by largely Evangelical bands, are sponsored by the commanding general and are often expensive to fund. The MFFRF announced the launch of an investigation into how much the military is spending to promote religion. Shortly after, the Army launched their own investigation. 

Center For Inquiry Clarifies Islamic Center Statement

The Center For Inquiry has released a statement clarifying their position on the Islamic center located near Ground Zero. The original statement, released last week, was misinterpreted by some as an attack on freedom of religion. 

"CFI fully supports the free exercise of religion; protecting the rights of believers and nonbelievers is central to CFI's mission," the statement read. It further explained, "CFI's unequivocal support for the legal right of Muslims to place a community center near Ground Zero does not imply that CFI views the new center as an event to be celebrated. To the contrary, CFI is committed to the position that reason and science, not faith, are needed to address and resolve humanity's problems. All religions share a fundamental flaw: they reflect a mistaken understanding of reality. On balance, CFI does not consider houses of worship to be beneficial to humanity, whether they are built at Ground Zero or elsewhere."

Arkansas Freethinkers Reach Agreement with State

The Arkansas Society of Freethinkers and Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels have reportedly reached a proposed settlement after the state refused to allow the group to place a secular winter solstice display alongside Christmas displays at the Capitol. In the settlement, the state agreed to grant the group equal access to put up their display, as well as to pay more than $25,000 of the group's legal fees.