Across the world, there are individuals who are in prison for so-called blasphemy, who face murder for their skepticism, and who have been threatened with assassination for questioning religious and political leaders.

In 2014, a popular blogger in the Maldives, Yameen Rasheed wrote, "For all my tax money that goes to pay their salaries, the only service I can get in return from Maldives Police is baton charges, random threats, harassment, and rude anonymous comments on my blog – and being prevented from voting in elections."

Yameen was murdered this past April.

Humanists in wealthy, democratic countries have an opportunity to do something to help our peers around the world who are facing death threats for open expression and liberal values. Read more about Fight Theocracy: Share the Plate »

The UU Humanist Association's 2017 Annual Meeting was held on Friday, June 23 at UUA General Assembly in New Orleans, Louisiana. About eighty people made the trek from the Convention Center to the Hilton Riverside hotel, primarily drawn by the desire to congratulate and hear from our two awardees, the Rev. Dr. William R. Murry and Dr. Anthony B. Pinn. Read more about 2017 Annual Meeting: Celebrating Bill Murry and Tony Pinn (with Video) »

I write this four days after the March for Science, and three days after Yameen Rasheed, a human rights focused secular blogger in the Maldives, was murdered.

What to make of all this.

I happily participated in the March for Science with my local Sunday Assembly community, and was heartened to see several, well worn, yellow "Standing on the Side of Love" t-shirts throughout the crowd. The East Bay Atheists, the Kol Hadash Humanistic Jewish Community, the Center for Inquiry, and the Bay Area Humanists were also proud and present, as was a big contingent from San Francisco's Grace Cathedral - with big "Grace for All" signs.

While "listening" to speakers before the March (Can you ever really hear them?), one of our Sunday Assembly members recounted a story from the novel Catch 22- a bit macabre - involving the mix up of a catheter and an IV. "It's crazy!" he recounted, "and when I see what's going on, I just want to shout "This is crazy!" Read more about Keep the Resilience »

The UU Humanist Association is very proud that the Unitarian Universalist Association has signed on as a March for Science partner, and is also mobilizing UUs to participate in the People's Climate March which will be held a week later, on April 29. The March for Science is a international movement, planning the main march in Washington DC, for Earth Day, April 22, 2017, as well as over 300 satellite marches around the world. As the March for Science website states,

The March for Science demonstrates our passion for science and sounds a call to support and safeguard the scientific community.

It is time for people who support scientific research and evidence-based policies to take a public stand and be counted.

One of the six sources for Unitarian Universalism is, "Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science," and the UUA has never wavered in its support. Read more about The Unitarian Universalist Association Becomes a March for Science Partner »

“Ribbons” consists of twenty four fabric art panels from over 40 artists around the country. Some are based on themes or cover art from books by Hispanic authors; others directly represent aspects of the immigrant experience.  “Ribbons” was displayed at the UUA General Assemblies in Louisville, KY (2013), Providence, RI (2014), Portland, OR (2015) and Columbus, OH (2016).  In between, panels have traveled to over 60 venues (UU congregations, Humanist meetings, art galleries, etc), and have been viewed by over 14,000 people.  More than 200 individuals (mostly UUs and humanists) have been involved in the  fabrication, curation, display and financial sponsorship of the exhibit.

Following four years on the road, and the wear and tear of being repeatedly set up and taken down, “Ribbons” is transitioning to permanent sites around the country.  These four panels are now on display at the Brevard UU Church, 2185 Meadowlane Ave, West Melbourne, FL  32904: 

Read more about Dedication of “Ribbons Not Walls” display at Brevard UU Church, April 2, 2017 »

The Future of Humanism conference was held on October 15, 2016 at the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, MN, as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of calling John Dietrich, the "Father of Religious Humanism" as minister there. You can read all about the anniversary and the conference in the UU World article, Humanism at 100. Read more about Video now on-line, "The Future of Humanism: New Voices for the 21st Century" »

See the HumanistInstitute.org for details about this upcoming class and their Certified Humanist Professional program.

Read more about Upcoming Class from The Humanist Institute »

There is a new book on UU Humanism to be published by the UUA's Skinner House press this Fall, Humanist Voices in Unitarian Universalism. At General Assembly in Columbus, on Saturday, June 25th, there was a panel discussion about topics from the book. On the panel, seated left to right, were David Breeden, John Hooper, Maria Greene, Amanda Poppei, Kendyl Gibbons, and T. K.Barger.

This is the description of the session from the GA Program Book:

Authors from the new book, Humanist Voices in Unitarian Universalism (Skinner House, Ed. Kendyl Gibbons and Bill Murry), share their hopes for humanism. Can our humanist ancestry reach today’s “unaffiliated” and “spiritual but not religious?” What is the future of humanism in a spiritually pluralistic Unitarian Universalism?

Read more about Video: Listening to Humanist Voices »

Outgoing UU Humanist Association president John Hooper had the pleasure of awarding the 2016 Religious Humanists of the Year award to Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow at this year's UUHA Annual Meeting. The meeting was held at the UUA General Assembly, Friday, June 24, 2016. Below is the video of their address, titled "Evolutionary Eco-Humanism".

Read more about Video: Religious Humanists of the Year, Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow »

Read more about #Humanism #OrlandoUnited #LoveIsLove »