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December 6, 2013 News

Massachussets Gov. Deval Patrick Declares Dec. 8 Humanist Community Day

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December 6, 2013 News

From the Humanist Community at Harvard website.

The Humanist Community at Harvard is delighted to announce that Governor Deval Patrick has issued an official Proclamation declaring Sunday, December 8 to be “Humanist Community Day” throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts! This is in conjunction with the opening of the Humanist Hub this Sunday.

Coverage of the Governor’s proclamation has begun to emerge already on the Huffington Post, as part of a story contrasting comments today by Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) suggesting that turning away from God damages America, with this probably historic act by Gov. Patrick.

We believe the Governor’s statement is probably the only proclamation ever issued by a governmental authority in the US recognizing “Humanists, atheists, agnostics and the nonreligious,” and if not, certainly the only one which does so, and then ends with “God Save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

On behalf of the Humanist Community at Harvard, the Secular Coalition of MA, and the Secular Coalition for America, we are thrilled that the Governor has made such an historic public recognition of the Humanist, atheist and nonreligious community. Humanists and nontheists are just as caring and compassionate citizens as anyone else, in Massachusetts and beyond. We are building positive communities to help society, and now we can say that the highest official in our state has honored our work and encouraged others to welcome us with open arms.

This is not only a victory for the nonreligious— it is a victory for all who value reason, diversity, and pluralism.

The text of the Proclamation is below.

***

Whereas December 8, 2013 marks the first-ever public event at the Humanist Hub, a center supporting community life for Humanists, atheists, agnostics and the nonreligious in Cambridge and beyond; and

Whereas the Humanist Hub of the Humanist Community at Harvard is the first such center for Humanist community life in the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and

Whereas this landmark event is part of a larger movement to build inclusive and inspiring, multi-cultural and multi-generational Humanist communities to serve the rapidly growing nonreligious population across the nation, while partnering with neighboring religious communities in acts of service to those in need; and

Whereas Humanists have made profound contributions to American history and society as a whole through their passionate promotion of universal human values such as reason, compassion, integrity, equality, and justice; and

Whereas the Humanist community may be viewed, from the perspective of the government and people of the Commonwealth, as one among the many ethical communities of conscience, striving together toward the common good;

Now, therefore, I, Deval L. Patrick, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim December 8, 2013 to be

HUMANIST COMMUNITY DAY

And urge all the citizens of the Commonwealth to welcome the Humanist Hub into the mosaic of our broader community, acknowledging, in the spirit of friendship and respect, that its members can contribute positively to the Commonwealth’s proud tradition of pluralism.

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