Foundation Beyond Belief
This is cool.
So it turns out secular folks maybe don’t give as much to charity as religious folks. And maybe it’s not because we aren’t generous. It’s just that there’s not a systematic way to give. So Dale McGowan, author of Parenting Beyond Belief is starting Foundation Beyond Belief, along with Friendly Atheist Hemant Mehta (who has linked to us a whole lot, which is damn nice), and some other folks.
Foundation Beyond Belief is a new 501c3 charitable and educational foundation created (1) to focus, encourage and demonstrate humanistic generosity, and (2) to support a nationwide nonreligious parent education program.
Right now the Foundation isn’t quite up and running, but I just joined the cause on Facebook, and you can too by clicking here!
Or you can get on an email list and receive updates by clicking here.
I really love the idea that there will be a secular charitable organization. The way atheists are coming out now reminds me a lot of high school, when all my gay friends (and I was in theater, folks, so there were a LOT of ‘em) started coming out. I lived in Georgia. I remember thinking that it was no big deal to be gay, and once I truly understood that, I somehow knew in my heart that it would become more and more accepted. Even though Prop 8 didn’t go over here in California, I honestly can’t believe how much progress there’s been in terms of gays in news, entertainment, and just openness in general. I knew there would be progress, but I didn’t think I’d see Ellen and her wife in celebrity mags in my lifetime, you know?
Now, my dad being an atheist–that was a different story. I didn’t think there’d be a lot of change on that one in my lifetime. But when I fully realized I was a non-believer, I guess it was because there’s such an upsurge of non-believing coolness going on lately. I was brought up atheist, but I never labeled myself an atheist until all the brouhaha began. Then I “came out.” I mean, I was never really “in.” But I’m way out now.
Could it be that atheism will become more accepted in the US, and my own son will not have to be embarrassed about his atheist parents?
Dale McGowan Said,
June 2, 2009 @ 5:45 am
Thanks so much for spreading the word, Julie!
molly Said,
June 2, 2009 @ 7:37 am
I am not really active as I’d like to be with Kiva, though it is totally neat concept, but one of the biggest “groups” on there is the Atheist group, which is cool too.
Foundation Beyond Belief « SCIENCE-BASED PARENTING Said,
June 2, 2009 @ 5:50 pm
[...] Word up to the babes at Rational Moms who scooped me on this. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)The atheists’ storyDoes Religion Make You Nice? Does Atheism Make You Mean?Religious Atheism?Charities Reap Benefits of Contests on Internet [...]