Latest SGI Newsletter | Secular Global Institute

“Under God” in the US Pledge of Allegiance

Many of you are aware, the Knights of Columbus submitted to congress that the words “Under God” should be added to USA pledge of allegiance.
Both Houses of Congress passed the law and it was signed by President Eisenhower in 1954.

Official versions
(changes in bold italics)
1892
“I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”

1892 to 1923
“I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”

1923 to 1924
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States and to the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”

1924 to 1954
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,and to the republic for which it stands; one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”

1954 to Present
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America , and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Republicans’ new birth control platform not finding any fans among the “religious right”

The religious right is not happy, not one bit, with the growing list of Republicans who are trying to blunt the edges of their War on Women with their embrace of an over-the-counter Pill. While these candidates recognize that they have to live in the 21st century to win a general election, their formerly staunch supporters feel betrayed, and pissed.

Watching Republican candidates push over-the-counter birth control has left some social conservatives fuming.

Some on the Religious Right see the plan as backtracking on conservative ideals, and they worry the ambiguity of the proposal would make pills too easy to access. […]

The strategy is also resulting in political fracturing, with some on the Religious Right feeling they have been marginalized more broadly by their party.

“Republicans have historically had an uncanny knack for doing whatever it takes to lose their numbers in the polls; this would be the latest,” said [Connie Mackie, president of the Family Research Council Action Pact]. “It’s a political strategy. They should stop shopping around for things that appeal to liberals and stick to their core beliefs of life, courage, religious liberty, defense, and economic reform…. [But] they get these political advisers or contractors that come in and give the wrong advice.”

It’s an interesting world in which they live. One where the 64 percent of sexually active women who use prescription birth control are perfectly willing to give it up. Where these women will all care a lot more about religious liberty, defense, and economic reform than the ability to actually decide when to have children. What an inconvenience for the religious right that women who prioritize self-determination vote, and so candidates—even Republican ones—have to at least recognize that fact.

By Joan McCarter at http://www.dailykos.com/blog/Joan McCarter/

Hershey Bars, Global Warming and Deforestation: a Sweet New Policy

30 Sep 2014/in Council Blog, Latest SGI Newsletter /by SGI Staff

Politicians are still discussing ‘Global Climate Change’ . . Lately.

As I rode on the train back to Washington today, The Hershey Company announced its strengthened commitment to zero deforestation for all the palm oil it uses. This is another of the welcome corporate statements, over the last several months and indeed the last few days, that have recognized business’ responsibilities to reduce the damage that they cause to the climate. I’m particularly glad to see this one, for several reasons: because it’s a strong policy by almost every criterion; because UCS has been working with The Hershey Company for nearly a year, urging energetic and scientifically rigorous action; and because I’ve liked their chocolate bars for an awfully long time.

The policy that The Hershey Company announced puts it among the leaders in the industry in terms of eliminating deforestation, peat clearing and other kinds of climate damage from its supply chain. It applies to all its products in all its markets worldwide. It includes a commitment to tracing its raw materials back to their sources. It uses the High Carbon Stock (HCS) terminology, which clearly differentiates degraded land from forests that need to be preserved. It provides for monitoring of its progress by TFT, an independent third-party verifier. And it has specific target dates, in the relatively short term, for achieving these goals.

A Hershey bar — today, even better tasting. Source: Hershey.com

UCS—particular our Palm Oil Outreach Coordinator, Miriam Swaffer—has been talking with The Hershey Company for nearly a full year about this policy. We urged them to follow the science and the lead of the most advanced consumer goods companies, including competitors of theirs like Nestle and Unilever. And they have.

This has been another exciting week of important commitments by companies to end deforestation and protect the climate, including zero deforestation commitments from two major fast food brands, Dunkin and Krispy Kreme. Forty corporations (as well as UCS) are among the 150 signatories of yesterday’s New York Declaration on Forests, committing to cutting deforestation in half by 2020 and ending it by 2030.

There are fewer than 200 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. Deforestation is killing many endangered species.

With 10% of global warming pollution coming from tropical deforestation, decoupling the production of commodities like palm oil from tropical forest destruction is one of the most efficient ways to address climate change. We’ve said before that the tide is turning against deforestation in corporate supply chains, and today that’s even more evident.

The Hershey Company can still improve its policy by committing to tracing all its palm oil, from all its suppliers, to the plantation where it was grown (the current statement goes most of the way there, tracing palm oil considered most at risk to this level). But it has taken an important step forward, leading consumer goods companies toward a new relationship with our climate. Now it’s time for companies that are still lagging—for example, McDonald’s, Burger King and Yum! Brands—to move quickly to catch up. Tell McDonald’s, that for the sake of our atmosphere, tropical forests and endangered species – the time to act is now.

About the author: Doug Boucher is an expert in preserving tropical forests to curtail global warming emissions. He has been participating in United Nations international climate negotiations since 2007 and his expertise has helped shape U.S. and U.N. policies. He holds a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Michigan.

British humanists enlist Virginia Woolf and A.C. Grayling to answer life’s big questions

30 Sep 2014/in Council Blog, Latest SGI Newsletter /by SGI Staff

CANTERBURY, England (RNS) A campaign to persuade millions of people to understand humanist ways of answering life’s big questions without religion has been launched at 100 of London’s 270 underground subway stations. Posters will encourage Tube commuters to think about the meaning of life under the question “What’s it all for?” while presenting views from four famous humanists: novelists George Eliot and Virginia Woolf and philosophers Bertrand Russell and A.C. Grayling.

While going to and from work, London’s 3.5 million commuters will be encouraged by the British Humanist Association (BHA) to tweet their own answers to life’s big questions, along with selfies from their favorite posters.

“Despite over half the population in the U.K. describing themselves as nonreligious, humanist perspectives on life’s big questions are still far less available to the public than religious ones,” said BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson.

“Most nonreligious people are happy and secure living ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. To them, hopefully, we are just providing something interesting to think about amid the daily grind.”

Copson said the Thought for the Commute campaign was partly a retort to the BBC’s Radio Four “Thought for the Day” program, which also talks about life’s big issues but always from a religious point of view.

“Given the BBC’s funding, we are a bit of a David against their Goliath, but hopefully people will be inspired to realize that the religious views often broadcast at them are not the only ones.”

By Trevor Grundy

Mike Huckabee speaking at the 2014 Values Voters Summit

Christians Must Register And Vote Against Those Who Do Not Listen To ‘God’s Heart’

30 Sep 2014/in Council Blog, Latest SGI Newsletter /by SGI Staff

Mike Huckabee speaking at the 2014 Values Voters Summit

Dreams of Theocracy: Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee is urging Christian conservatives to vote so that those who “refuse to hear God’s heart” can be replaced by the faithful.

Speaking at the 2014 Values Voter Summit this past weekend Huckabee said:

“Some of you are frustrated and even upset and angry about America, and I get it. And I say to you, the answer is as simple as it is that the answer to the phones in our hearts that God is ringing. When we register people to vote, when we get them to the polls to vote, when we hire the people that will take our values to this city, and when we fire the ones who refuse to hear not only our hearts, but God’s heart.”

Huckabee, the host of Fox News’ “Huckabee,” and former governor of Arkansas, ran for president in 2008 and is considering running for president again in 2016.

In a press conference before his speech, Huckabee said he will likely decide on whether or not to run in the early Spring of next year.

The suggestion that federal employees who “refuse to hear God’s heart” should be replaced by those that do “hear God’s heart” is deeply disturbing, and contrary to the secular values upon which this nation was founded.

Indeed, the US Constitution stipulates that no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. The “No Religious Test Clause” of the United States Constitution is found in Article VI, paragraph 3, and states that:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

In his speech, Huckabee also railed against the courts. Angry about marriage equality for gays and lesbians, Huckabee said that the Supreme Court and judicial system don’t have any more authority and power than the legislative and the executive branches of government:

“This nonsense that has happened where individual judges around the country have decided that they can upend the duly passed laws and constitutional limits in states that affirm natural marriage — we need to say no: judges don’t get to legislate.”

Huckabee concluded his speech by saying:

“That’s how we change America, my friend. Let’s make this a nation once again that unapologetically bows its knee before a holy God.”

Huckabee’s good-natured manner masks a dangerous yearning for an America that never was, but could be: a Christian theocracy built on ignorance and religious superstition. It is incumbent upon those that respect the secular values upon which this nation was founded to reject and oppose Christian extremists like Huckabee and others appearing at the 2014 Values Voter Summit this past weekend.

By Michael Stone as published on Patheos.com

There's no room for God, but there's a whole lot of spirit at the Sunday Assembly

Sunday Assembly More Than Doubles In Size In One Day

30 Sep 2014/in Council Blog, Latest SGI Newsletter /by SGI Staff

There’s no room for God, but there’s a whole lot of spirit at the Sunday Assembly

September 28th was a very a special day. On September 28th 35 towns across the world launched new Sunday Assemblies. What’s amazing is that the figure stood at 33 on Monday, but then we heard Budapest and Utrecht were starting too. Nearly three dozen towns around the world, including in the U.S. and France, launched their first “Sunday Assembly,” also known as the atheist church, on Sunday.

Assemblies are kicking off in the UK (7), the US (16), Belgium (1), Netherlands (4), New Zealand (1), Canada (2), France (1), Hungary (1) and Germany (2). Our 28 existing Assemblies welcome these new congregations to the Sunday Assembly family. Thanks for joining our mission to build radically inclusive communities that help everyone find and fulfil their full potential.

The Guardian reported on Sunday that the meeting in France had a “festive atmosphere” and featured a message of joy to about 130 Parisians who gathered. The hour-long event, modeled not unlike religious church gatherings, included sing-alongs, a party game, and a moment of silent reflection before coffee was served.

And the world certainly needs more community: social isolation and loneliness are on the rise with 40% of US adults say they are lonely compared to 20% in the 80s and 1 in 10 UK adults say they have no close friends. This has massive effects on society, and on the health of society with studies showing that loneliness has comparable impacts on your health as smoking and obesity, it impairs immune function and boosts inflammation and can contribute to arthritis, type II diabetes and heart disease.

The Sunday Assembly is proud to fight this decline in sociability with communities powered by karaoke, kindness and cake. If you want to come along to your local Assembly, you can find them below.

Belgium: Brussels; Canada: Toronto, Ottawa; France: Paris; Germany: Berlin, Hamburg; Hungary: Budapest; Netherlands: Amsterdam, Apeldoorn, Rotterdam, Utrecht; New Zealand: Christchurch; UK Bournemouth, Glasgow, Lancaster, Norwich, Southampton, Swansea

US: Baltimore & Howard County, Bellingham, Bloomington, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus OH, Denver, Detroit,Madison, Minneapolis/St.Paul, Phoenix. Pittsburgh, Rochester, Sacramento, Tulsa, Washington DC.

If you can’t find them here, then sign up on our Expression of Interest Form, on our website and we’ll help you start one, like we helped these folk. Thanks to everyone who is involved in the Sunday Assembly, whether you have started one yourself, attend regularly, support us online or just say nice things about us behind our backs. Thank you all. Together we are building something that will help an awful lot of people, for a very long time.

By Sanderson Jones from http://sundayassembly.com/