Alive Mind's new "Secular Philosophy" site

The following notice comes to us through the Boston Atheists email account:

Alive Mind has launched "Secular Philosophy," a site dedicated to the exchange of ideas and debate relating to all things secular with an emphasis on philosophy. You will find exclusive films, books and blogs by Daniel Dennett, Colin McGinn, Massimo Pigliucci and Mark Rowlands, as well as the Center for Inquiry’s Point of Inquiry podcast every Friday evening. In addition, we have acquired the exclusive rights to release on DVD The Atheism Tapes, the source material companion series to Jonathan Miller’s ground breaking A Rough History of Disbelief, which aired on PBS. The Atheism Tapes, produced and hosted by Jonathan Miller with the BBC, compiles off -the-record interviews with six of today’s leading men of science and letters: Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Colin McGinn, Arthur Miller, Denys Turner and Steven Weinberg, who discuss their personal intellectual relationship to non theism from a wide range of perspectives.

If you have any questions, contact Elizabeth Sheldon via email: elizabeth [at] lorberhtdigital [dot][com].

Make a Call For Bill 1031

I've gotten a message from Greg Epstein, and thought it would be good to pass this along. The MA State Senate is voting TODAY at noon on Bill 1031, which would allow Humanist celebrants to officiate at weddings in MA, without the very cumbersome and non-equal special pre-approval process currently required. Just a handful of quick phone calls could help influence the MA State Legislature to provide marriage equality...for the non-religious! But you'd need to call TODAY by noon.

As is not often the case when dealing with government -- five minutes of your time could make a real difference.

The members of the Judiciary Committee can be found at the Massachusetts legislator directory. Each of their links leads to their contact information; the first group of members is Senators, and the second group of members is Representatives. When you call, you may simply say:

I'm calling for [Sen X or Rep Y]; I support Senate Bill 1031, regarding Humanist wedding officiants. It is important to the very significant percentage of the population in Massachusetts who identify as Humanist, secular or otherwise non-religious are able to have a wedding that meets their family's needs, with equality and dignity."

If you intend to contact one or more Committee members, it is important that you do so ASAP, so that the contact has been made before the hearing.