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Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

For discussions related to education and educational institutions.
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coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#21 Post by coffee » December 9th, 2019, 9:29 am

Latest post of the previous page:

Spiritual or atheist? More nonbelievers are saying ‘both.’

https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2 ... aying-both

WHY WE WROTE THIS
In a letter up for auction, Albert Einstein talked about admiring “in humility the beautiful harmony of the structure of the world.” More nonbelievers say they are seeking that sense of awe. What does spirituality look like when separated from faith?

March 11, 2019

TWO WAYS TO READ THE STORY
By Harry Bruinius Staff writer
@HarryBruinius

NEW YORK

In the summer of 1945, Albert Einstein typed a note to a young ensign stationed aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier out in the Pacific, responding to the passionate letter he’d received from him the month before.

A Jesuit priest had told the ensign he had convinced the famous physicist to believe in “a supreme intellect who governs the world.” The ensign was shocked, and he wrote to Einstein to offer a number of arguments against such an idea.

In his reply, a letter that is up for auction at Bonhams in New York, Einstein dismisses the tale, saying that from “the viewpoint of a Jesuit priest I am, of course, and have always been an atheist.” The “anthropomorphical concepts” in religion are “childish analogies,” he wrote.

As an artifact of America’s religious history, there is something familiar in the tone of these two atheists: the earnestness, the certainty, the near mocking tone toward “childish” religious beliefs.

But Einstein also closed his letter with a sentiment that is often overlooked in the complicated and, in fact, wildly diverse landscape of American nonbelief, including atheism and its less strident cousin, agnosticism. And many see his closing sentiment as really quite spiritual:


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“We have to admire in humility the beautiful harmony of the structure of the world – as far as we can grasp it. And that is all,” wrote the physicist who changed the course of human history.

Americans have long been uneasy with those who say they don’t believe in God. As a whole, Americans have consistently reported that they view atheists with more suspicion than any other group, whether ethnic, racial, or religious – including Muslims. Even as the country has become, overall, more tolerant and more accepting of other faith traditions, atheism has long remained the conspicuous exception.

A decade ago, the public face of atheism was dominated by a cadre of aggressive and media-savvy thinkers who were cheekily dubbed “the four horsemen” – the biologist Richard Dawkins, the philosopher Daniel Dennett, and the cultural critics Sam Harris and the late Christopher Hitchens – who railed against the “God delusion” and ridiculed traditional faith and piety as “childish analogies.”

But as with many religious communities – or in this case, areligious communities – the voices that often dominate the digital pulses of modern media often belie the steady hum of people’s daily lives and lived beliefs, and the wide range of historic institutions and moral commitments in which American nonbelievers have been more likely to express humility, compassion, and lovingkindness.

“Those who are theists tend to conflate nontheism, atheism, humanism – they don’t see that there is a spectrum of differing perspectives,” says Anne Klaeysen, a leader in the New York Society for Ethical Culture and the humanist chaplain at New York University. “And on the other hand, we have what I call fundamentalist atheists, who look at all theists as the same.”

“I am not a big fan of the so-called new atheists,” she continues. “They lack an intellectual and a moral humility about the world and about people’s beliefs.”

Platform address on the ‘God letters’
On Sunday, the “platform address,” aka “sermon,” at the Society for Ethical Culture, a nontheistic community founded in 1876, was a meditation on another of Einstein’s “God letters,” Ms. Klaeysen says. In this letter (which Christie’s recently auctioned for $2.9 million), the physicist explains his rejection of a supernatural God, but explains how he is deeply religious.

Indeed, whether it’s the humility and awe that many feel before “the beautiful harmony” of the universe, or perhaps even the feelings of fear and trembling before its sheer cosmic vastness, many among the estimated 30 million Americans who say they don’t believe in God have been exploring what could be called nontheistic forms of spirituality.

Rather than emphasizing centuries-old objections to supernaturalism or the idea of a personal and perhaps patriarchal God, an array of American atheists, agnostics, and humanists have turned toward what they describe as a deeply felt impulse to participate in communities that mark the rhythms of life and death, and work to build moral character and a better world.

This isn’t really anything new in the American religious landscape, notes Bart Campolo, the humanist chaplain at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio and a “community builder” for self-described religious humanists.

For him, “the awe and wonder that naturally arise from contemplating the universe” is just the starting point for humanist leaders like him. Today, he and others are seeking to “encourage such contemplation and then help people practically translate those noble emotions into lovingkindness,” says Mr. Campolo, a former Evangelical pastor.

“So the question is, hey, how do we translate that, or how do we manifest that in a group when the narrative at the center of it isn’t, we should pursue lovingkindness because God commands it, or because we’ll go to heaven if we do it, but rather, we should pursue lovingkindness because it’s the most sensible way of trying to flourish as a human being.”

Like Mr. Campolo, more Americans have begun to turn away from organized religion. The millennial generation, especially, has been at the center of one of the fastest-growing religious cohorts in the nation – the so-called nones, a culturally diverse group of Americans who no longer check a specific faith tradition as part of their identities. But even those who say there is no God have begun to reject easy labels, experts say.


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“So many labels try to define people by what they are not – spiritual-but-not-religious, non-believers, atheists, even religious ‘nones’,” says Douglas Hicks, dean and professor of religion at Oxford College of Emory University in Georgia, via email. “But everyone has a worldview and it is often incredibly profound. They often have layers of moral complexity that defy labels.”

‘I don’t want to be defined by what I’m not’
This has made the job of demographers and pollsters difficult. Today, the burgeoning number of “nones” has swelled to about 25 percent of the population, Pew Research Center reports. These include the growing number of Americans who call themselves “atheists,” about 3 percent of the population, and “agnostics,” or those who believe the existence of God cannot be known, and who make up about 4 percent of the population.

Surveys that try to gauge atheistic beliefs with more indirect questions estimate that the number of people who don’t believe in a supernatural God may be as high as 26 percent of the population.

“Do I make any decisions based on the possibility that God exists? I don’t,” says Mr. Campolo. “So technically, I guess, I’m agnostic. Practically, I’m an atheist, but I would never call myself either of those things, because those words in our society at this moment connote anti-religious or connote anti-anti-Christian perspectives, and I don’t want to be defined by what I’m not.”

Instead, he prefers to call himself a “humanist.” “But not because it’s a great name, but because it was kind of undefined. And so, like when I was the humanist chaplain at USC [in Los Angeles], the ‘humanists’ ended up being people who are committed to pursuing love as a way of life and who eat dinner with Bart on Sunday nights.”

As the number of “nones” and nonbelievers grow, there are signs that some of the antipathy Americans have had toward atheists have begun to thaw, recent surveys suggest.


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Last Monday, Portland, Oregon, became the second city in the U.S. to extend civil rights protections to atheists, agnostics, and other “non-religious” people, after Madison, Wisconsin, did the same in 2015. Nearly a third of the population in Oregon describe themselves as “nones” – the largest single cohort in the state, followed by evangelical Protestants, who make up 29 percent, and Catholics, who make up 12 percent, according to Pew.

As many critics note, the “new atheism” movement is overwhelmingly white and male, and even plagued by a “brazen sexism” and vehement intolerance that makes women and others prefer to distance themselves from the term. And of course, every group has its trolls – eager to cast derision and mockery on people who believe differently than they do.

That said, “I’ve seen plenty of evidence of folks in the nontheist movement moving away from the four-horsemen ‘new atheism,’ and moving away from antagonism toward religion,” says Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association.

Many nontheists have used terms such as “religious naturalism” or “religious humanism” or “humanistic spirituality” to describe the underlying beliefs that support their ethical and moral convictions without an appeal to divine revelation or a supernatural God.

“Do I believe in a personal God? No,” says Robert Strock, a therapist and counselor who heads The Global Bridge Foundation, a humanitarian group in Santa Monica, California. “Do I feel like humanistic spirituality is including people that do? Absolutely, yes. I feel like I’d be a bigot if I didn’t.”

Not all nontheists, especially those who embrace the identity “atheist,” are comfortable with terms like “religion” or “spirituality,” however. And many see their role as combating the dangers of supernatural beliefs and sectarian ideologies that they see as a major source of human discord and violence.

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“Spirituality is a term that I’m comfortable with, but not all of my colleagues are,” says Ms. Klaeysen, who has a doctorate in pastoral counseling and congregational development.

“How I look at it is, I think of transcendence not as an out-of-body or other worldly experience, but more of, how am I making a real connection, a connection not outside myself, but kind of a ‘super connection’ if you will, whether it is with another human, or a community, or with music, art, nature – a sense that I’m fully aware of myself in nature or as part of the universe.”

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#22 Post by coffee » December 9th, 2019, 9:43 am

A shorter version of the above post.



Americans have long been uneasy with those who say they don’t believe in God. As a whole, in fact, Americans have consistently reported that they view atheists with more suspicion than any other group.

A decade ago, the public face of atheism was dominated by a cadre of aggressive and media-savvy thinkers who were cheekily dubbed “the four horseman” – including Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens – who often ridiculed traditional faith as “childish.”

But as the number of atheists and religious “nones” continues to rise, they are in fact wildly diverse, observers say, and many who say they don’t believe in God also consider themselves spiritual, and in some cases, even religious.

Bart Campolo, the humanist chaplain at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, says the challenge now is to try to build communities for Americans who don’t believe in God, rooted in humility and compassion. “We should pursue lovingkindness not because God commands it, or because we’ll go to heaven if we do it, but rather, we should pursue lovingkindness because it’s the most sensible way of trying to flourish as a human being.”

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#23 Post by coffee » December 31st, 2019, 12:17 am

What is the meaning of life answer?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... QNdUlK5--Q


Popular views

"What is the meaning of life?" is a question many people ask themselves at some point during their lives, most in the context "What is the purpose of life?".[10] Some popular answers include:
To realize one's potential and ideals

To chase dreams.[143]
To live one's dreams.[144]
To spend it for something that will outlast it.[145]
To matter: to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.[145]
To expand one's potential in life.[144]
To become the person you've always wanted to be.[146]
To become the best version of yourself.[147]
To seek happiness[148][149] and flourish.[3]
To be a true authentic human being.[150]
To be able to put the whole of oneself into one's feelings, one's work, one's beliefs.[145]
To follow or submit to our destiny.[151][152][153]
To achieve eudaimonia,[154] a flourishing of human spirit.

To achieve biological perfection

To survive,[155] that is, to live as long as possible,[156] including pursuit of immortality (through scientific means).[157]
To live forever[157] or die trying.[158]
Existence: to keep existing, to keep being, to preserve one's own existence; not to cease to be, not to disappear; existence solely relying on itself; to overcome threats to one's existence; existential and ontological self-sufficiency.[citation needed]
To adapt. Often to improve one's chances of success in another purpose; sometimes, as a purpose in itself (adapting to adapt).
To evolve.[159]
To replicate, to reproduce.[143] "The 'dream' of every cell is to become two cells."[160][161][162][163]

To seek wisdom and knowledge

To expand one's perception of the world.[144]
To follow the clues and walk out the exit.[164]
To learn as many things as possible in life.[165]
To know as much as possible about as many things as possible.[166]
To seek wisdom and knowledge and to tame the mind, as to avoid suffering caused by ignorance and find happiness.[167]
To face our fears and accept the lessons life offers us.[151]
To find the meaning or purpose of life.[168][169]
To find a reason to live.[170]
To resolve the imbalance of the mind by understanding the nature of reality.[171]

To do good, to do the right thing

To leave the world as a better place than you found it.[143]
To do your best to leave every situation better than you found it.[143]
To benefit others.[6]
To give more than you take.[143]
To end suffering.[172][173][174]
To create equality.[175][176][177]
To challenge oppression.[178]
To distribute wealth.[179][180]
To be generous.[181][182]
To contribute to the well-being and spirit of others.[183][184]
To help others,[3][182] to help one another.[185]
To take every chance to help another while on your journey here.[143]
To be creative and innovative.[183]
To forgive.[143]
To accept and forgive human flaws.[186][187]
To be emotionally sincere.[145]
To be responsible.[145]
To be honorable.[145]
To seek peace.[145]

Dante and Beatrice see God as a point of light surrounded by angels; from Gustave Doré's illustrations for the Divine Comedy

Meanings relating to religion

To reach the highest heaven and be at the heart of the Divine.[188]
To have a pure soul and experience God.[145]
To understand the mystery of God.[151]
To know or attain union with God.[189][190]
To know oneself, know others, and know the will of heaven.[191]
To love something bigger, greater, and beyond ourselves, something we did not create or have the power to create, something intangible and made holy by our very belief in it.[143]
To love God[189] and all of his creations.[192]
To glorify God by enjoying him forever.[193]
To spread your religion and share it with others.[194] (Matthew 28:18-20)
To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.[195]
To be fruitful and multiply.[196] (Genesis 1:28)
To obtain freedom. (Romans 8:20-21)
To fill the Earth and subdue it.[196] (Genesis 1:28)
To serve humankind,[197] to prepare to meet[198] and become more like God,[199][200][201][202] to choose good over evil,[203] and have joy.[204][205]
[He] [God] who created death and life to test you [as to] who is best in deed and He is Exalted in Might, the Forgiving. (Quran 67:2)
To worship God and enter heaven in afterlife.[206]

To love, to feel, to enjoy the act of living

To love more.[143]
To love those who mean the most. Every life you touch will touch you back.[143]
To treasure every enjoyable sensation one has.[143]
To seek beauty in all its forms.[143]
To have fun or enjoy life.[151][183]
To seek pleasure[145] and avoid pain.[207]
To be compassionate.[145]
To be moved by the tears and pain of others, and try to help them out of love and compassion.[143]
To love others as best we possibly can.[143]
To eat, drink, and be merry.[208]

To have power, to be better

To strive for power[70] and superiority.[207]
To rule the world.[152]
To know and master the world.[194][209]
To know and master nature.[210]

Life has no meaning

Life or human existence has no real meaning or purpose because human existence occurred out of a random chance in nature, and anything that exists by chance has no intended purpose.[171]
Life has no meaning, but as humans we try to associate a meaning or purpose so we can justify our existence.[143]
There is no point in life, and that is exactly what makes it so special.[143]

One should not seek to know and understand the meaning of life

The answer to the meaning of life is too profound to be known and understood.[171]
You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.[143]
The meaning of life is to forget about the search for the meaning of life.[143]
Ultimately, a person should not ask what the meaning of their life is, but rather must recognize that it is they themselves who are asked. In a word, each person is questioned by life; and they can only answer to life by answering for their own life; to life they can only respond by being responsible.[211]

Antinatalism

Antinatalism is a philosophy which posits that people will always experience pain or harm which outweighs any pleasure.[212] Life is bad and therefore not coming into existence means people will not experience pain, nor will they be disadvantaged by not experiencing pleasure as they do not exist.[212] This is described as the asymmetry of pleasure and pain.[212]

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#24 Post by coffee » January 20th, 2020, 10:46 am

I stick this link here so that I know where to find it next time.

https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2004/ ... of-values/


coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#26 Post by coffee » April 4th, 2020, 5:14 pm

I stick this link here so that I know where to find it next time.

https://famleeoffour.com/wp-content/upl ... List-1.pdf

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#27 Post by coffee » April 20th, 2020, 10:09 pm

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/crossexam ... versities/


Yeah, but Christianity Built Universities!


April 20, 2020 by Bob Seidensticker

15 Comments

Atheist whiners like me are quick to point out the problems that religion causes within society—crimes become righteous acts when done in the name of God, believers attack the boundary between church and state, a believer who thinks that beliefs can be justified through faith rather than evidence opens their mind to parasitic mental baggage, and so on.

But let’s be fair. Christians will point out that their religion created universities and hospitals. Setting aside the negatives about religion, surely these institutions are a substantial addition to the Christian side of the ledger.

Now consider the pro-social motivations within Christianity versus those within the secular community. British author Malcolm Muggeridge said:

I’ve spent a number of years in India and Africa where I found much righteous endeavour undertaken by Christians of all denominations; but I never, as it happens, came across a hospital or orphanage run by the Fabian Society [a British socialist organization], or a humanist leper colony.

Original universities

We’ll look at universities in this post and hospitals next time.

Let’s consider the challenge that we have Christianity to thank for creating universities and nurturing them as they developed into the centers of education and research that they are today.

The oldest continuously operating university is the University of Bologna, Italy (1088), followed by universities at Oxford, England (1096), Salamanca, Spain (1134), and Cambridge, England (1209). Though there were institutions of higher learning in other old civilizations such as Greece, Byzantium, China, India, and the Muslim world, Wikipedia’s list excludes them because they are sufficiently different to make comparisons difficult, and evidence suggests that the seed that eventually grew into the modern university was the medieval European version, not similar institutions from other cultures.

Universities at Oxford and Paris began with the disciplines of theology, law, medicine, and the liberal arts. To see their unabashedly Christian environment, though, consider an example from several centuries later.
Cambridge in the time of Newton

The story of Isaac Newton illustrates how dissimilar medieval universities were from modern universities. Both Oxford and Cambridge in the seventeenth century required its fellows to be ordained Anglican priests. Newton was a Christian, but he didn’t accept the Trinity. This made him a heretic, which was no minor matter at that time. Only an exemption granted by the king in 1675 allowed Newton to accept the Lucasian chair at Cambridge without taking holy orders. Demanding that physics professors also be priests highlights the difference with universities today.

Don’t imagine that Christianity was a burden for Newton, however. Though he revolutionized science and has been called history’s greatest physicist (or even scientist), Newton devoted more time on theology than science and wrote more than two million words about religion. His Christian beliefs are proudly cited by many apologists.

What then was the result of all that theological work from such a great mind? Nothing. He might’ve spent that time playing solitaire for what it taught him about reality and the good it did for Humanity.

Christians also point to other important Christian scientists from the Renaissance through the Enlightenment and into the Industrial Revolution, but they can’t show that these scientists’ religious beliefs drove their discoveries in any way. As far as science goes, they were just conforming to their environment (like drinking wine, wearing clothes, or anything else that Europeans at the time did).
Early American universities

Harvard (1636) was the first university in the United States. It was founded by Christians to train clergy. Most of the first universities in this country were founded the same way.

106 of the first 108 colleges were started on the Christian faith. By the close of 1860 there were 246 colleges in America. Seventeen of these were state institutions; almost every other one was founded by Christian denominations or by individuals who avowed a religious purpose.

The universities that Christians point to with pride are today guided with a very different principle than this declaration by Rev. Jonathan Dickinson, the first president of Princeton: “Cursed be all that learning that is contrary to the cross of Christ.” Christian universities with a Christian purpose are no gift to humanity, and today’s prestigious universities have turned their back on their original focus of creating clergy.

Modern universities

Changed though modern universities are, we can get a glimpse at the environment in medieval universities by looking at modern Christian colleges. Just like Cambridge in Newton’s day, Biola University demands that each undergraduate student “be a believer in the Christian faith (the applicant’s statement of faith will be articulated in the personal essay section of the application).” The PhD application for one discipline at Liberty University asks for church membership, an essay documenting the applicant’s “personal salvation experience,” and agreement with the school’s doctrinal statement. These universities aren’t interested in honest inquiry if they must create a safe space that protects their pre-determined conclusions.

Here is rule #2 from Harvard College’s original student rulebook:

Let every Student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the maine end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life (John 17:3) and therefore to lay Christ in the bottome, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and Learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisedome, Let every one seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seeke it of him (Prov. 2:3).

That is the house that Christianity built. It wasn’t Christianity but secular thinking that created the modern university that we’re proud of.

To be continued with a discussion of Christianity’s impact on hospitals.


But since the devil’s bride, Reason, that pretty whore,
comes in and thinks she’s wise,
and what she says, what she thinks, is from the Holy Spirit,
who can help us, then?
Not judges, not doctors, no king or emperor,
because [reason] is the Devil’s greatest whore.
— Martin Luther

.

(This is an update of a post that originally appeared 1/22/16.)

Image from Pantelas, CC license

Tagged with: Christianity Universities

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Alan H
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Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#28 Post by Alan H » April 20th, 2020, 11:51 pm

Yes, religions had the power, the control and the money.
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?


coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#30 Post by coffee » June 17th, 2020, 11:49 am

This thread(the above) concern with practical humanism.
------------------------------------------------------------
The following website concern theretical humanism.
https://understandinghumanism.org.uk/

-------------------------------------------------------------

So the two can go hand in hand together well in my opinion.

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#31 Post by coffee » June 20th, 2020, 5:45 pm

This could be useful for some people.

Humanists Victoria Code of Conduct

https://vichumanist.org.au/about/humani ... f-conduct/

or this

https://vichumanist.org.au/wp-content/u ... _V1.01.pdf

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#32 Post by coffee » July 27th, 2020, 7:07 am

secular graces

https://justgottabe.org/Secular-Gratitude/


----------------------------------------------------
https://wanderlust.com/journal/11-beaut ... our-lunch/


Throughout history, people of all different cultures and religions have paused before a meal in order to express gratitude for the nourishment food provides. This practice not only leads to a more present and enjoyable eating experience, but also helps us appreciate the great communal effort that goes into growing, harvesting, and preparing each ingredient. Before your next meal, consider using one of these 11 ways to say “thank you”:

For the meal we are about to eat,
for those that made it possible,
and for those with whom we are about to share it,
we are thankful.
– From the humanist benediction

In this plate of food, I see the entire universe supporting my existence.
– Zen blessing from Thich Nhat Hanh

The food is brahma (creative energy). Its essence is vishnu (preservative energy). The eater is shiva (destructive energy). No sickness due to food can come to one who eats with this knowledge.
– Sanskrit blessing

We receive this food in gratitude to all beings
Who have helped to bring it to our table,
And vow to respond in turn to those in need
With wisdom and compassion.
– Buddhist Meal Gatha

We give thanks for the plants and animals who have given themselves so that we can enjoy this meal together.
We also give thanks for our friends and family who have traveled here today.
May this meal bring us strength and health.
– Variation on a Native American thanksgiving

Blessed be the Earth for providing us this food
Blessed be the Sun for helping it to grow
Blessed be the Wind and Birds for carrying its seed
Blessed be the Rain for the water’s loving flow.
Blessed be the hands that helped prepare this meal,
May those hands and our hands, bodies too, be well and quick to heal.
Blessed be our friends, our families, and all of our loved ones.
Blessed be our mother earth, our father sky and sun.
– Christian mealtime prayer

Dear earth who gives to us this food,
Dear sun who makes it ripe and good,
Sun above and earth below,
Our loving thanks to you we show.
Blessings on our meal.
– Secular mealtime prayer

This food is the gift of the whole universe – the earth, the sky, and much hard work. May we live in a way that makes us worthy to receive it. May we transform our unskillful states of mind, especially our greed. May we take only foods that nourish and prevent illness. We accept this food so that we may realize the path of our practice.
– Thich Nhat Hanh’s meal chant

Om, beloved mother nature, you are here on our table as food. You are endlessly bountiful, benefactress of all. Grant us
health and strength, wisdom and dispassion, and help us share this with one and all.
– Hindu mealtime prayer

Let us be together; let us eat together. Let us be vital together, let us be radiating truth, radiating the light of life. Never shall we denounce anyone, never entertain negativity.
– The Upanishads

As we come together at this special time, let us pause a moment to appreciate the opportunity for good company and to thank all those past and present whose efforts have made this event possible. We reap the fruits of our society, our country, and our civilization, and take joy in the bounties of nature on this happy occasion. Let us also wish that, some day, all people on Earth may enjoy the same good fortune that we share.
– Red Bank Humanists



Amanda Kohr is the editor at Wanderlust. You can find her exploring new highways, drinking diner coffee, and on Instagram.

-------------------

Judy Drummond McElfish

For food in a world where many walk in hunger;
For faith in a world where many walk in fear;
For friends in a world where many walk alone;
We give you thanks, O Lord. Amen.
God is great, God is good
Let us thank Him for our food. Amen

------------------------

Nitin Sodha
Dear Lord, We receive this food in gratitude, such that our thoughts are pure and wise, we speak with love and honesty, our actions contribute to the welfare of all, and the we find union with the OmniPresent inner inner and outer Self.
------------------------------
Laura Magpie Loignon
Goddess of the field, God of the harvest, be 38th is as we celebrate the bounty of the Earth. So mote it be.

-----------------------------------

=================================================

https://offbeathome.com/secular-grace/

———————–

We are so grateful for this food,
it restores our strength,
it heals our bodies,
it fuels our brains.

We are so grateful for this time,
to renew our spirit,
to share our trials,
to find new strength.

———————–

All that we have is a gift.
May we be thankful.
May we celebrate.
May we share.

———————–

For our friends,
for our families,
for our meal,
we are thankful.

For life,
for healing,
for joy,
we are thankful.

———————–

Thanks to the earth for the soil.
Thanks to the sky for the rains.
Thanks to the farmers for the harvest.
Thanks to our friends for the love.

———————–

May this meal we're about to share help our spirits shine brighter.
May this brightness send darkness away and
warm the hearts of strangers.

YO HO HO!

---------------------------

Emily 11:38 am on November 18, 2010

I love these! I'm the chaplain of our local Grange, and I'm always looking for ways to express thanks before a meal that don't feel exclusionary to any of our diverse members. Currently, we use this one:

For the bounty here before us,
The hands that brought it to our table,
And the company in which we share it,
We give thanks.
(All: We give thanks.)

---------------------------------------------
Tina 1:51 pm on November 18, 2010

One we like to use is:

For food and friendship always good,
we are truly thankful!
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SaraL 6:14 pm on November 18, 2010

The one I have to suggest is religious, but it is great when we are really hungry:

Good Veggies, Good Meat, Good God, Let's Eat!

Plus it doesn't work for vegetarians lol! However, whenever this one gets chosen it gets a giggle around the table.
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Eliza 12:05 pm on July 30, 2018

I once heard this prayer offered at a College Graduation :
Good Bread, Good Meat, Good Lord Let's Eat.
Be there more in the kitchen, then let us go fishing. Amen.
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mbirn 6:27 pm on November 18, 2010

For the Food Before Us
For the Friends Around Us
For the Love Between Us
We give thanks.

It embarrasses the snot out of my teenage daughter when she friends eating with us. But I like the ritual, better than just diving into the grub.
Emily 9:10 pm on November 18, 2010

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Caitlin 7:32 pm on November 19, 2010

I guess this one is a bit religious as well, but my Grandmother has gotten all of her grandchildren over the years to sing this song before big family meals. I'm not capital R Religious but it still resonates with me.

"Oh, the Lord's been good to me,
and so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need
The sun and the rain and the apple seed
The Lord's been good to me"

------------------------------------------------
tashamonster 9:22 pm on November 19, 2010

i work for a preschool and we say a very long winded prayer but i like the end the best and could work (i'm replacing the word God with earth)

Thank you for the world so sweet
Thank you for the food we eat
Thank you for the birds that sing
Thank you, Earth, for everything
Amen
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Kat 7:35 am on December 7, 2015

We sing a version of this at our preschool in a UU church:

We're thankful for the food we eat,
Thankful for the world so sweet,
Thankful for the birds that sing,
We're glad we're part of everything.

Followed by a hearty "Bon appetite!" which is the part my 3-year-old likes best. 🙂
------------------------------------------------

deirdrelarisa 10:09 pm on November 20, 2010

We were raised saying grace in Dutch, we weren't religious, but it was my mom's only connection to her country. It ends in "om jesus will.." (sounds like Ohm Yayzusville). When I was 4, my mom caught me telling my brother it meant "Uncle Jesus town" !!
ps: I really love this gatha:

"We receive this food in gratitude to all
Who have helped to bring it to our table,
And vow to respond in turn to those in need
With wisdom and compassion.

----------------------------------------------
Kate 7:18 pm on November 22, 2010

My parents taught this one to my son when he was visiting and now he enjoys leading grace at home. We usually hold hands and he says:

Earth, air, sun, rain
the work of many
bring this food to our table
so we are blessed, nourished, strengthened
to do good work in this world
for the good of all creation

AMEN!

I like it
----------------------------------------


===============================================
http://www.dishwasherrequired.com/secul ... blessings/



/God is great.
/God is good.
/Let us thank him for this food.
/Aaaaaaaayyyyyyy-men!

-----------------------------------
My 4-year-old twins singing the meal blessing they learned at preschool

(spoken)
/Hands together
/Hands apart
/Hands together
/Wide apart
/Hands together
/Now we start

(sung/chanted)
/Earth who gives us all this food,
/Sun who makes it ripe and good,
/Dearest earth and dearest sun
/We will remember what you have done.

(spoken)
/Blessings on our lunch.

----------------------------------------------
/We are thankful for the food before us
/We are thankful for the friends beside us
/We are thankful for the love among us
/We are thankful.

-------------------------------------

Kenna Covington, a humanist from Wake Forest, NC and mom of eight year old Jack, answers the question this way: To whom are we thankful? To the parents who work, the employers who employ, the growers, the animals who give their lives, the people who prepare our food, to the people who made the plates and utensils we use, to the people running the water treatment centers…we are thankful to everyone involved in nourishing or bodies.

---------------------------------------


Following are several more non religious meal blessings I’ve gleaned. I’ve not been able to attribute any of them to a particular person or book, and each has endless variations. Use these as a jumping off point for meal blessings for your own family.

/For the meal we are about to eat,
/For those who made it possible,
/And for those with whom we are about to share it,
/We are thankful.

/In this home all are one
/As are the earth, the stars and sun
/With head and heart and hands be blessed
/That each of us may do our best

/As we prepare to eat,
/Let us remember the plants and animals,
/The labor of those who harvested the food
/And the effort of the cook who prepared it for us.
/Thank you!

-------------------------------------------

Very simple meal blessings

Some families opt for an even simpler way to reflect before eating. Quakers traditionally share a moment of silence before meals, but total silence makes me super anxious, so I can’t manage that! If you want to keep it light but not silly, you can opt for a toast to the chef or even a “bon appétit!”

Do any of these secular meal blessings resonate with you? Do you have suggestions for other non religious meal blessings? I’d love to hear them!

--------------------------------------------


=======================================================

https://secularseasons.org/celebrations/graces.html

Secular Graces

Many religions say a short prayer before a meal, in which a blessing is asked and thanks are given. In Christianity this prayer is called "Grace." Non-religious people may still want to give thanks before a big meal, such as a Thanksgiving Dinner, or may be asked to do so at a formal event. Obviously people who don't believe in a god are not giving thanks to God but they can say more than just "Bon Appetit!"

In fact, a godless grace can be very moving: it allows time for reflection and thanks focused on this world, appreciating the value of nature and acknowledging the human effort which went into bringing food, family and friends together for a meal. Nor does a secular benediction need to be explicitly atheist, or exclude anyone because of their beliefs.

Giving thanks before a meal can be just a few words spoken from the heart and finished quickly before the food gets cold! Expressing gratitude for the food and appreciation of the company is all that is needed. Or this may be an opportunity to go around the table and have each person say what they are grateful for.

But there are also some longer or more formal wordings.

A classic humanist alternative to a Christian Grace is:

A Secular Grace:

For what we are about to receive
let us be truly thankful
…to those who planted the crops
…to those who cultivated the fields
…to those who gathered the harvest.

For what we are about to receive
let us be truly thankful
to those who prepared it and those who served it.

In this festivity let us remember too
those who have no festivity
those who cannot share this plenty
those whose lives are more affected than our own
by war, oppression and exploitation
those who are hungry, sick and cold

In sharing in this meal
let us be truly thankful
for the good things we have
for the warm hospitality
and for this good company.

There is also this from the humanist writer Nicolas Walter:

Let us think thrice while we are gathering here for this meal.
First, let us think of the people we are with today, and make the most of the pleasure of sharing food and drink together.
Then, let us think of the people who made the food and drink and brought it to us, who serve us and wait on us, and who clear up and clean up after us.
Finally, let us think of all the people all over the world, members with us in the human family, who will not have a meal today.



For those who find these humanist graces too long, or don’t want to be reminded of the suffering of others just before a celebratory meal, there are these simple words of secular thanks and good wishes:

We are thankful for the food on this table.
We are thankful for this time together.
Our thoughts go out to family and friends;
We hope that they are safe and well.

Or these words of humanist benediction:

For the meal we are about to eat,
for those that made it possible,
and for those with whom we are about to share it,
we are thankful.

George Rodger, of Aberdeen, Scotland, used this god-free grace at the start of a wedding meal:

Let us enjoy good food and good drink,
And let us thank all whose efforts have set them before us;
Let us enjoy good companionship,
And let us each one be good company to the others;
Let us enjoy ourselves, without guilt,
But let us not forget that many are less fortunate.

Here’s a beautiful Buddhist meal gatha that is entirely secular:

We receive this food in gratitude to all beings
Who have helped to bring it to our table,
And vow to respond in turn to those in need
With wisdom and compassion.

Or how about this variation on a Native American thanks giving:

We give thanks for the plants and animals who have given themselves so that we can enjoy this meal together.
We also give thanks for our friends and family who have traveled here today.
May this meal bring us strength and health.

A secular version of the famous “Serenity Prayer” can also work before a meal:

Grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

The Quaker tradition of "silent grace" before meals also works well for a dinner party with people of diverse religions and beliefs. All present join hands in a circle around the table, and are silent for half a minute or so as they collect their thoughts, meditate or pray. Then one person gently squeezes the hands of the people seated adjacent; this signal is quickly passed around the table and people then begin to eat and talk.

Sweet Reason, the humanist advice columnist, responds to a father's request for a "secular grace" for his daughter's wedding reception.

And finally there are these words of wisdom from William Shakespeare:

"…good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people"
Sir Henry Guildford: Henry VIII, I, iv


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https://secularseasons.org/celebrations/graces.html

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Christian Graces and Secular Graces

http://dnowicki123.tripod.com/id125.html

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Universal Human Needs

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/ ... /needs.pdf


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Universal Human Needs

https://embracinglifefully.com/wp-conte ... VALUES.pdf

https://embracinglifefully.com/wp-conte ... ELINGS.pdf

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#33 Post by coffee » July 29th, 2020, 12:27 am

Socialist Humanism

https://publicseminar.org/essays/socialist-humanism/

Integrating Psychology into a New Progressive Politics
September 26, 2019


https://publicseminar.org/essays/socialist-humanism/




Progressive Politics and Psychological Depth

The Alternative: Towards a New Progressive Politics is, perhaps, one of the most inspiring and forward-thinking texts to come out of UK progressive politics for several years. Edited by a Green MP (Caroline Lucas), a Labour MP (Lisa Nandy), and a Liberal Democrat candidate (Chris Bowers), the book lays out a collaborative — yet pluralist — progressive agenda; with contributions from such fields as economics, social policy, and environmental studies. What is missing from the book, however, is any input from psychological or psychotherapeutic perspectives, or any consideration of people’s psychological make-up and functioning in a new, progressive world. Jonathan Rowson, for instance, in one of the stand out chapters in the book, writes that, “A progressive is someone who wants to see society reorganized…so that ordinary men and women have a better chance to live a larger life.” But what is this “larger life”? What kind of existence do progressives strive for, and believe that we can have? These are questions that, amongst other things, are of a profoundly psychological nature.

This lack of psychological input and vision is pervasive across contemporary progressive discourses. While the 2017 manifesto of the Labour Party, for instance, advocates “richer lives” for all; as with Rowson, there is little consideration of what this means psychologically. Similarly, the political program of the Green Party (along the lines of the Human Development Index) holds that “wellbeing” should be a measure of progress and not just GDP, but there is little further analysis of what a “well” state of psychological being is. Is it, for instance, happiness, or the opportunity to fulfill one’s potential, or a sense of meaning — or all these things and many more? Certainly, these questions are not the sole prerogative of psychologists or psychotherapists but, perhaps more than any other fields, they have examined them in depth.

Undoubtedly, there are some very good reasons why progressive voices have, historically, been wary of psychology. Psychology, by its very nature, individualizes. By contrast, progressive politics — from Marx onwards — has wanted to focus on macro-level structures: in particular, the power dynamics between different classes of people. Marx and Engels, for instance, could never have discussed the oppression of the proletarian by the bourgeoisie if they had concentrated on the psychological make-up of Person A, then Person B, etcetera. More importantly, perhaps, the micro-level focus of psychology means that it tends to attribute human experiencing, behavior, and suffering to individual causes — such as genetics, personal upbringing, or personality traits — rather than macro-level political structures and oppression. At its worse, this can mean that psychological interventions are then used to address societal problems: such as the incorporation of psychological therapies into workfare scheme to tackle unemployment.
Socialist Humanism: An Introduction

Since the early days of psychoanalysis, however, there have been attempts to develop psychological and psychotherapeutic perspectives that can integrate with, and support, progressive political agendas (for a comprehensive review of such initiatives in the psychotherapeutic field, see Totton’s Psychotherapy and politics). Many of these remain closely aligned to a psychoanalytic framework — as can be seen, for instance, in several of the excellent essays in Public Seminar’s Psyche vertical.

However, one of the most comprehensive attempts to integrate psychological thinking into a progressive political perspective was socialist humanism (also known as “Marxist humanism”). This current emerged in the early twentieth century — primarily in reaction to the totalitarian, a-humanistic interpretation of Marx’s writings in Soviet Russia — and is associated with such thinkers as Erich Fromm, Herbert Marcuse, and Raya Dunayevskaya. Socialist humanists attempted to combine a progressive emphasis on social justice with a humanist understanding of psychological processes and needs. They referenced, in particular, Marx’s early writings, where he argued for the emancipation of each human being’s “essential nature:” his, her, or their potential for growth, creativity, and play. Here, as Fromm writes in Marx’s Concept of Man (still one of the best introductions to Marx’s humanism), Marx is not, “concerned primarily with the equalization of income. He is concerned with the liberation of human beings from a kind of work with destroys their individuality, which transforms them into a thing, and which make them into the slave of things.”

Consistent with the early Marx, socialist humanists emphasized the agentic, directional nature of human being. That is, they argued that people were not just passive elements of a greater whole or “blank sheets” (as “structural” Marxist approaches can tend to suggest), but striving organisms: actively working to achieve particular needs, wants, and goals.

A central theme of Fromm and Marcuse’s writings, however, was the distinction between “real” and “false” needs. Capitalism, they argued, imposed on people a striving for such false idols as money and power: estranging them from their more fundamental, intrinsically satisfying desires.

Today, psychological theory and evidence can tell us much about what those “real” needs might be (though caution and critique is still needed to avoid reification and cultural blindness). I have reviewed these in my recent book, Integrating counselling and psychotherapy: Directionality, synergy, and social change. First, people seem to want safety: to feel secure in their lives, well housed and fed, free from threat and anxiety. Second, pleasure: people want enjoyment, fun, and physical stimulation. Third, across numerous different models and findings, there is a recognition that people want relatedness, to feel connected and close to others; but also, contrasting with this, is a desire for autonomy and freedom. Fifth, self-worth: people want to feel competent in the world around them; and, sixth, to have meaning. Finally, growth: that people strive to evolve, change, and learn; that is, human beings seem to strive for striving, itself.
Why Now?

Socialist humanism fell into decline in the 1970s: a “victim” of the philosophical and political favorites of that time (e.g., Althusser, Foucault, postmodernism), who challenged the aggrandizement of the individual “I”; the privileging of human subjectivity and agency; and the notion of a real, essential self. However, Barbara Epstein, in her definitive review of the socialist humanist approach (in Alderson and Spencer’s edited collection, For humanism) suggests a possible revival today. For Epstein, socialist humanism promises the possibility of a move beyond a “politics of resistance” — which she sees as dominant on the Left — towards a politics that can clearly outline its vision for a better world. She writes, “A movement that knows what it is against but has no clear conception of what it is in favor of cannot be sustained for long.”

A revival of socialist humanist is also particularly timely because it complements, so well, the emerging progressive consensus in such contemporary movements as pro-Europeanism, Extinction Rebellion, and anti-Trumpism (as well as The Alternative, cited above). At the heart of each of these forces can be seen a fundamental humanism: defined by Edward Said as “the yearning to show regard for all that is human” (although, of course, this should also include other species and the environment). What unites progressive pro-Europeans, for instance, is a desire to welcome the Other — immigrants, fellow European — rather than a stance of hostility, discrimination, or fear. Socialist humanism, by its very nature, is aligned with this ethic; but, more than that, it can contribute to a deepened understanding of what this ethic means, and how it can be enacted. How can we be most welcoming, for instance, to immigrants coming into the UK: not just in terms of housing or employment, but in terms of providing opportunities for relatedness, self-worth, or growth? To show regard for the Other, we need to know what that other wants and needs.
Clinical Experience

The socialist humanist perspective is corroborated by my experiences as a psychotherapist. It is clear to me that, in many cases, clients suffer because of external circumstances: for instance, poverty, unemployment, or discrimination. At the same time, a client’s distress can also have much more personal roots: for instance, early experiences of neglect, or limited coping strategies. And, in most instances, a person’s difficulties can be located within a complex interaction of psychological and socio-political factors. A client, for instance, feels isolated in her life, because she does not trust others, because she had little attention or interest from her parents. But her working class parents’ neglect was, to some extent, due to their anxieties about “making ends meet.” Furthermore, the client’s distrust towards others is compounded by her present need to work in a “shitty” take away shop, where she faces regular abuse from customers.

What I also see as a clinician, day in day out, is that people need to be understood as striving beings, and not as passive or sponge-like entities. Clients, even the most psychologically distressed, fight: they strive to get somewhere, even if it is away from the horrible things around, and inside of, them. And what seems evident in this, as the socialist humanists have argued, is that human beings do have some fairly common things they strive for: at least, in a western sociocultural context. Some of this is about getting away from such emotional “pains” as anxiety, sadness, anger, or grief; and some of it is about getting closer to such good things as love, pleasure, and self-worth. And some of it, as humanistic psychologists like Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers have argued, is about growth and the development of potential: becoming, for instance, more creative, more specialized in a particular skill, or more fully rounded as a human being. Of course, there is no simple distinction between “real” and “false” needs — even the most externally-oriented wants must have some internal desires behind them — but, when psychotherapy goes well, there is nearly always some movement towards actualizing deeper, more fundamental, directions.

Of course, these are just my personal observations — biased, no doubt, by my psychological and political leanings — but they are supported by a wide body of evidence and theory. Indeed, in my recent book, I suggest that this socialist humanist understanding of human being — as a psycho-social, directional whole — can serve as an integrating framework for a wide variety of psychotherapeutic theories and practices.
Ways Forward

What are the implications of this socialist humanist perspective to progressive rhetoric and policies? Most basically, there is a need for progressive voices to become more informed about psychological knowledge and understandings. Today, you can not “do” progressive politics without some basic understanding in such fields as economics, history, or environmental studies. Psychology should be the same: if we are advocating a society in which people’s lives are “larger,” “richer,” or happier, we need to know what these terms mean. Socialist humanism offers us a way of developing such understandings that are deeply compatible with a progressive perspective. Here, progressive movements also need to be in communication with — and inclusive of — research at the cutting edges of developments in the psychology and psychotherapy fields, integrating these insights into their policies, practices, and visions. Not only will this help to ensure that any progressive society of the future is, genuinely, “better;” but it can enhance the appeal of progressive parties and movements, by speaking to people’s actual wants and needs.

A socialist humanist perspective also invites progressive parties and policy-makers to consider the role that psychological practices might have in creating a “better” society. For instance, investment in school-based emotional literacy program — teaching children about empathy, communication skills, and assertiveness — could do much to help foster a world in which relatedness is more accessible to all, along with care for others. There are also universal wellbeing programs, like Five Ways to Wellbeing (“connect,” “be active,” “take notice,” “keep learning,” “give”), that have the potential to support better living across all sectors of society. Such initiatives should not just be on progressive agendas, but distinguishing features of them: where the wellbeing of all, and not the superiority of some, is the overarching goal.
Conclusion

Socialist humanism is not the only answer, but it can contribute some badly needed pieces to an emerging jigsaw of progressive thinking and action. It is a progressive-aligned psychology that can help us develop an understanding of the kind of society that we want to create: not just one in which resources are equally shared, but one in which each human being has the potential to optimize their lives to their fullest extent.

Mick Cooper is a Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Roehampton, London, and a father of four. He is a practicing psychotherapist; author of over 100 books, chapters, and papers on counseling and psychotherapy; and a life-long social justice activist. Thanks to Lucas Ballestín for support and guidance on this essay. @mickcooper77


Keywords: Capitalism, History, Humanism, Politics, Progressive, Psychology, Socialism
Related Names: Karl Marx




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Manfred Max-Neef's Fundamental human needs Table/Matrix

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_M ... uman_needs

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Universal Values Lists

https://heathercarlile.com/pdf/HeatherC ... esList.pdf


https://www.freesites.com.au/login/memb ... Values.pdf

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#34 Post by coffee » August 4th, 2020, 4:56 pm

Atheists start an international community-building project: #oneATHEIST

https://religionnews.com/2020/08/03/ath ... neatheist/

Atheists start an international community-building project: #oneATHEIST

August 3, 2020
RNS Press Release Distribution Service


DURHAM, N.C.— On Saturday International Association of Atheists (IAA) announced their newest initiative, #oneATHEIST, an effort to build a positive, outspoken community under the label atheist and remove the stigma.

“Atheists have struggled with the stigma associated with being non-religious for far too long. It's time to prove to the world what I know to be true: atheists can be good, giving, joyful, and compassionate. That's why we are launching #oneATHEIST: to highlight all the positives coming from atheists and change how the world views us” said Courtney Heard, Board Vice-President at IAA.

People all over the world have benefitted from the atheist community that is filled with kind, non-attention seeking humanists.

“Community is one of our core values at IAA,” said Gail Miller, Board President of IAA. “One thing that religious people do well is provide community and while this concept is not the most important thing to some atheists, others miss it very much. At IAA, we wish to foster an environment that feels like a community, where new non-believers can feel welcomed and encouraged.”

So what is the #oneATHEIST Campaign and how can a person participate? The term atheist has, throughout history, carried with it visions of evil, immorality, and reckless hedonism. Bridget R. Gaudette, cofounder of IAA had this to say, “This campaign challenges that assumption and attempts to change minds #oneATHEIST at a time by empowering and highlighting the positive voices. An atheist community that does so serves as a thread used to bring us together to advocate and support each other in the fight against the stigma. As humans, we need a sense of belonging, and that sense of belonging is what many ex-believers miss the most when they leave their religion”.

IAA wants to change how people see atheists to save the lives of new apostates all over the world. They want to build an outspoken community of the good atheists, the generous atheists, the selfless and compassionate atheists and seek for them to be loud and drown out the voices of the angry ones. They see it as the best way to remove the stigma.

They want to create a welcoming place to land for all those ex-believers leaving their faith behind. They want to change how the world views atheists, #oneATHEIST at a time.

Here's how you can participate:

Take the pledge - pledge your commitment to changing how the world views atheists.
Share your story - tell IAA what the atheist community has done for you
Upload a selfie or video with the #oneATHEIST hashtag
Grab yourself some #oneATHEIST gear: tees, beanies, masks and more to act as a walking billboard!
Donate to the cause
Become a member of the fastest-growing international atheist organization in the world!

Founded in April of 2020, International Association of Atheists is the fastest growing non-profit of its kind. The organization offers a wide variety of services including fundraising to help smaller nonprofits raise money. In a little over 4 months they have raised over $30,000 to help orphans in DR Congo to go to a humanist school, to pay for social support for ex-Muslim atheists, and for legal aid for atheists accused of breaking blasphemy laws. All of these activities align with the organization’s mission to educate, protect, and assist atheists internationally. IAA envisions a future in which atheists have the opportunities and resources they need to participate openly and confidently in every aspect of society.

###
Contact

Bridget Gaudette
[email protected]
(919) 289-9885


Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Religion News Service or Religion News Foundation.

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#35 Post by coffee » September 30th, 2020, 3:18 pm

Humanist Community Music Therapy with Dorian Wallace


https://americanhumanistcenterforeducat ... n-wallace/

Community music therapy encourages musical participation and social inclusion, equitable access to resources, and collaborative efforts for health and wellbeing in contemporary societies. – Brynjulf Stige and Leif Edvard Aarø, ​Invitation to community music therapy

Music therapy is an evidence-based clinical use of musical interventions to improve an individual’s quality of life. Music therapy is built on the foundation that music has the ability to promote, stimulate, and empower the mind, body, and spirit. It can enhance our quality of life and promote healing. Community music-making is a foundational way to connect with others. Music transcends time and is present in all communities throughout the world. Given this universal nature of music, music therapy is uniquely able to reach individuals across all backgrounds and ages. No previous musical knowledge is required in order for an individual or group to be able to participate. Through creative experiences with music, one can connect with what cannot easily be expressed verbally and strengthen a sense of self. Built on a foundation of humanistic principles, this course will examine music therapy as a science-based method. Over four group sessions, participants will develop practical applications in building deeper empathy and compassion for our fellow humans through community
music-making.

Register Now

4 Group Sessions

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm ET

November 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd, 2020

Structure

Four group sessions (e.g., once weekly)
Two hours in length
All sessions take place over a password protected Zoom session

Through dynamic community music-making, groups will:

Communicate a sense of self
Develop coping skills
Build confidence
Foster a sense of connection

Sample Sessions

Virtual music making (no prior experience necessary!)
Reduce anxiety
Empowerment
Discovery of self
Unified strength and healing

Music listening
Analyze music significant to our lives
Lyric discussion and analysis

Storytelling
Find connections between projections, symbols, and metaphors
Three components of storytelling in community music making include
Musical score
Discuss how the story is told
The story itself. (e.g. pre-existing story or group-created story based on listening to music examples)

Improvisation
Create space for a person to express themselves freely
Empathic improvisation (i.e. improvising in response to others)
Listen and support one another through music (via Zoom breakout sessions)
Dual roles of soloist vs supporter (i.e. taking turns leading the group vs. supporting a leader)

Songwriting
Group bonding and creativity
Explore a defining life experience, a current mood, or future goals
Process the song’s deeper meaning

_________________________________________________________________

Dorian Wallace is a composer, pianist, podcaster, teacher, music therapist, and activist whose work explores the unconscious experience, and is an outspoken critic of authoritarian systems, dogmatism, censorship, and oppression. Together with violinist Hajnal Pivnick, Wallace co-founded Tenth Intervention, a progressive new music collective and concert series based in New York City. He is artistic director of improvisational septendectet The Free Sound Ahn-somble. Dorian is a founding member of Social Ecology Project, a politically driven new music trio. Alongside composer David Kulma, he co-hosts Trysteropod, a podcast about music and politics.

As a composer and performer, he has collaborated with artists such as Nicholas Finch, NouLou Chamber Players, Paul Pinto, Charlotte Mundy, Pamela Z, Frank London, Experiments In Opera, Ensemble Interactivo de La Habana – EIH, Composers Concordance, Periapsis Music and Dance, Robert Ashley, Seneca Black, Matt Marks, RIOULT Dance, Alison Cook Beatty Dance, Kensaku Shinohara, and John Sanborn.

His work has been presented at National Sawdust, NPR’s Science Friday, Rubin Museum of Art, The Greene Space at WNYC & WQXR, Pompidou Centre, Palais Jacques Coeur, The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, Casa de las Américas La Habana, Cuba, Americas Society, New Music USA, Lower Manhattan Community Council, the Earle Brown Music Foundation, the Johnstone Fund for New Music, the Puffin Foundation, Caveat, New Music Gathering, Universidad de Costa Rica, Interlochen Public Radio, New York University’s Precarious Sounds // Sounding Sanctuary conference, and the 2018-19 Composer-in-residence with Exploring the Metropolis.

Dorian works extensively as a dance accompanist at Martha Graham Dance Company, Barnard College of Columbia University, Juilliard, Doug Varone and Dancers, and Interlochen Center for the Arts. He is a teaching artist with The Mark Morris Dance Accompaniment Training Program. Having completed his coursework in music therapy at Montclair State University, Wallace is currently interning at Mount Sinai Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine.

He currently resides in Harlem, New York City.

coffee
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Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#36 Post by coffee » October 30th, 2020, 3:56 pm


coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#37 Post by coffee » January 25th, 2021, 9:22 pm


coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: Atheist/Humanist Values/Doctrine lists

#38 Post by coffee » January 28th, 2021, 7:58 am

Don't forget to add Humanist Expansion words to your core values lists :smile: :D :D :wink: :laughter: :hilarity:

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