The weekly report on politics and secularism
by Edwina Rogers
New SPI Chat List for Secular Leaders
Every month, we host an international coordinating phone call for secular leaders, to drive the secular movement and coordinate. Now we want to take it to the next level!
SPI presents the Secular Leaders League, an email discussion list where we can:
- Trade group email on the secular movement’s future
- Announce your events and news, your fundraising projects and your successes,
- Discuss political and community problems needing attention,
- Announce coalition letters on political issues around the world, and
- Plan activities including:
- A global “business plan competition” to coach secular leaders,
- A donor conference where plans get presented, judged, and funded, and
- A┬á”Secular Donor Advice Fund” for investment firms like Fidelity where winners can get funding
- US Congressional briefings and other political meetings internationally
We’ll moderate discussion so you won’t get too many emails. You don’t need to run a group to join. It’s open to everyone who agrees with our goal of separation of church and state!
Join the US Secular Leaders League for United States issues and the Global Secular Leaders League for international issues.
Thank you! We’d love to hear your ideas and needs. Together┬áwe’re going to change the world in 2016.
US Presidential Candidate Says Only Prayer Can Save US
US presidential candidate Cruz asked supporters to pray “that the awakening, that the revival that is sweeping this country, that it continue and grow.”┬áOtherwise, he said, “the country every one of us loves will be lost.” according to an ABC News story,
Religion’s Opposition to Gay Rights Still Throws Up Roadblocks
The US Supreme Court legalized gay marriage throughout the nation in 2015, but religions continue to try to dictate morality for those outside their faith. The most common current tactic is to claim that discriminating against┬áLBGTA people is “religious freedom”. The coming battles in 2016 for gay rights are highlighted in an article in The Atlantic,┬áCan States Protect LGBT Rights Without Compromising Religious Freedom?
This Time, Atheist Bloggers Are More Secure
In 2015 we heard many stories about non-religious bloggers being fined, jailed, or even executed for apostasy — in other words, freedom of speech. Now Bangladesh has convicted the murderers of an atheist blogger. That’s the right direction.