AHA Works for Humanist Invocation in U.S. Congress
The American Humanist Association, as part of a coalition of 355 national, state, and local nontheist and secular organizations, has sent a letter to the Congressional chaplains urging them to allow a qualified humanist chaplain to open the Congressional day with an invocation. Typically, legislative days are opened with a prayer from either the House and Senate chaplains or from a guest chaplain. The coalition will follow up on this letter by meeting with the chaplains to discuss the logistics for a potential humanist invocation.
Read the letter below.
October 1, 2015
The Reverend Patrick J. Conroy
U.S. Capitol, Room HB25
Washington, DC 20515
The Reverend Dr. Barry C. Black
U.S. Capitol, Room S332
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Reverends Conroy and Black,
The 355 undersigned humanist, atheist, secularist, and nontheist organizations write to respectfully request that an accredited humanist chaplain be given the opportunity to offer an opening invocation at the start of a congressional day.
Humanism encompasses a variety of nontheistic views while adding the important elements of a comprehensive worldview and a set of positive ethical values—values that are grounded in reason, empathy, and driven by a desire to meet the needs of all people regardless of religious belief, gender, sexual orientation, race, or other factors. An accreditation organization, the Humanist Society, is recognized in all 50 states and maintains a rigorous endorsement process for all humanist chaplains and celebrants, all of whom are qualified to provide a humanist invocation. In addition, the humanist educational and advocacy organization Center for Inquiry sponsors a secular celebrant training program whose validity has been recognized by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
A humanist invocation is essentially a short speech that calls upon the audience’s shared human values for assistance and authority in their public discourse. Unlike a traditional invocation, a humanist invocation does not call upon a supernatural entity as a guide. Instead, these invocations emphasize our common human values and remind us of our responsibilities to each other and the world around us.
Our organizations are aware of the proud history of both the House and Senate chaplaincies regarding religious diversity in opening prayers and invocations, as both offices have invited Catholics, Protestants, Hindus, Buddhists, and other religious groups to open the congressional day with a prayer or message. We ask that this courtesy also be extended to a qualified humanist chaplain, especially given the rise in humanist invocations at local government meetings following the ruling in Town of Greece v. Galloway which requires that invocation practices for public meetings be inclusive.
We would be happy to send several representatives to meet with both of your offices so as to further discuss this issue and identify qualified candidates to give a humanist invocation. Further contact should be directed to Matthew Bulger, legislative associate at the American Humanist Association, who can be contacted by email at [email protected] or by phone at 202-238-9088.
We thank you for your consideration, and eagerly await your reply. Respectfully,
National Organizations
American Atheists
American Humanist Association
Atheist Nexus
Camp Quest
Center for Freethought Equality
Center for Inquiry
Ex-Muslims of North America Freethought Society Recovering from Religion
Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
Secular Coalition for America Secular Student Alliance Secular Woman
Stiefel Freethought Foundation
Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association
State and Local Organizations
Agnostic and Atheist Student Organization of the University of California, Davis
Alaskan Atheists
Albany Georgia Atheists
American University Humanist Community
Appalachian Humanist Association
Arkansas Society of Freethinkers
Ark-La-Tex Freethinkers, Atheists, Agnostics and Humanists
Asimov Humanists of Montgomery County
Association of Freethinkers and Humanists of Palm Coast
Ateístas de Puerto Rico
Atheist Advocates of San Francisco
Atheist Coalition of San Diego
Atheist Community of Austin
Atheist Community of Tulsa
Atheist Humanist Society of Connecticut and Rhode Island
Atheist Society of Kern, Inc.
Atheists at Oakland University
Atheists and Freethinkers of Denver
Atheists and Other Freethinkers Atheists for Human Rights
Atheists of Greater Lowell
Atheists of Rutland Vermont
Atheists of Utah
Atheists United
Atheists United for a Rational America
Atlanta Freethought Society
Auburn Atheists and Agnostics
Backyard Skeptics
Baltimore Ethical Society
Baltimore Secular Humanists
Bay Area Humanists
Beltway Atheists
Billings Association of Humanists
Birmingham Atheists Meetup
Black Freethinkers of Kansas City
Black Nonbelievers of Atlanta
Black Nonbelievers of Detroit
Black Skeptics Los Angeles
Boston Atheists
Boulder Atheists
Camden County Humanists
Campus Atheists Skeptics and Humanists
Capital District Humanist Society
Central Colorado Humanists
Central Florida Freethought Community
Central Florida Secular Alliance|
Central New York Humanist Association
Central Valley Alliance of Atheists and Skeptics
Center for Inquiry–Austin
Center for Inquiry–Ft. Lauderdale
Center for Inquiry–Indiana
Center for Inquiry–Long Island
Center for Inquiry–Los Angeles
Center for Inquiry–Michigan
Center for Inquiry–Ohio
Center for Inquiry–New York City
Center for Inquiry–Pittsburgh
Center for Inquiry–Portland
Center for Inquiry–San Francisco
Center for Inquiry–Tallahassee
Center for Inquiry–Tampa Bay
Center for Inquiry–Washington D.C.
Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics
Chicagoland Freethinkers Columbia Atheists
Community of Reason
Concord Area Humanists
Connecticut Valley Atheists
Contra Costa Atheists and Freethinkers
Corpus Christi Atheists
Corvallis Secular Society DC Region Atheists
Delaware Association for Humanism
Deltona Humanists
Denton Atheists
Downeast Humanists and Freethinkers
DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church
East Bay Atheists
East County Heathens
El Paso Atheists
End of the Line Humanists
Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville
Ethical Humanist Society of Greater Chicago
Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island
Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle
Ethical Society of Austin
Ethical Society of Boston
Ethical Society of Philadelphia
Fayette Freethought Society
Flagstaff Freethinkers
FLASH- Florida Atheists and Secular Humanists
Florida Atheists, Critical Thinkers and Skeptics
Frederick Douglas Humanist Society of Baltimore
Frederick Secular Humanists
Fredericksburg Secular Humanists
Free Inquiry Group of Greater Cincinnati
Free Inquiry Group of Southwest Florida
Free Inquiry Group of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
Free Thought Society of Jasper
Freethinkers Association of Central Texas
Freethinkers of Upstate New York
Freethinkers Union at McDaniel College
Freethought Arizona
Freethought Dayton
Freethought Fort Wayne
Freethought Oasis of Amarillo
Gator Freethought
Glouster County Humanists
Golden Triangle Freethinkers
Grand Traverse Humanists
Great Southern Humanist Society
Greater Boston Humanists
Greater Richmond Humanists
Greater Worcester Humanists
Gulf Coast Humanist Association
Hartford Area Humanists
Hickory Humanist Alliance
Houston Atheists
Hudson Valley Humanists
Humanism Applied
Humanist Action League
Humanist Affinity Group
Humanist Association of Connecticut
Humanist Association of Fort Worth
Humanist Association of Greater Philadelphia
Humanist Association of Los Angeles
Humanist Association of Middle Tennessee
Humanist Association of Orange County
Humanist Association of San Diego
Humanist Association of the Greater Sacramento Area
Humanist Association of the Monterey Bay Area
Humanist Association of Tulsa
Humanist Chaplaincy at American University
Humanist Chaplaincy at Rutgers University
Humanist Chaplaincy of Harvard University
Humanist Club at Barefoot Bay
Humanist Community of Central Ohio
Humanist Community of Pittsburgh
Humanist Community of the Space Coast
Humanist Ethical Atheist Rational Thought Society
Humanist Fellowship of San Diego
Humanist Forum of Central Kentucky
Humanist Prisoners Community
Humanist Rainbow Community
Humanist Round Table of South Illinois
Humanist Society of Gainesville
Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix
Humanist Society of Metropolitan New York
Humanist Society of New Mexico
Humanist Society of Redding
Humanist Society of Santa Barbara
Humanist Society of South Texas
Humanist Society of the Suncoast
Humanist Student Union
Humanist Union of Madison
Humanistas Seculares de Puerto Rico
Humanists and Freethinkers of Cape Fear
Humanists and Atheists of Las Vegas
Humanists and Freethinkers of New Bern
Humanists Doing Good
Humanists Helping Humans: Virginia Beach
Humanists of Buffalo
Humanists of Colorado
Humanists of Florida Association
Humanists of Georgia
Humanists of Greater Portland
Humanists of Hawaii
Humanists of Houston Humanists of Idaho
Humanists of Iowa
Humanists of Linn County Humanists of Metro Louisville
Humanists of Minnesota Humanists of North Alabama
Humanists of North Central Florida
Humanists of North Jersey
Humanists of North Puget Sound
Humanists of Rhode Island
Humanists of San Antonio Humanists of Sarasota Bay
Humanists of Sheridan
Humanists of Southeast Michigan
Humanists of Southern Delaware
Humanists of the Palouse
Humanists of the San Joaquin Valley
Humanists of the Shoals
Humanists of the Treasure Coast
Humanists of the Western Reserve
Humanists of Utah
Humanists of UUCF
Humanists of West Florida
Humanists of West Suburban Chicagoland
Stateline Atheists Society
Indian Hill Humanist Association
Inmate Humanist Association
Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers
IWU Atheist, Agnostics, and Non-Religious
Jefferson Humanists
Joplin Freethinkers
Kanawha Valley Atheists and Agnostics
Kansas City Atheist Coalition
Kingwood Humble Atascocita Atheists
KOL HADASH
LaGrange Humanists
Lake County Humanists
Last Frontier Freethinkers
Lehigh Valley Humanists
Leisure World Humanist Association
Lexington Atheists
LGBTQ Humanist Council of Baltimore
Lincoln Atheists
Lincoln Secular Humanists
Long Island Atheists
Long Island Secular Humanists
Louisville Atheists and Freethinkers
Lubbock Atheists
Macon Atheists and Secular Humanists
Maine Atheists and Humanists
Marshall County Atheists and Agnostics
MASH Fort Bragg
Memphis Atheists
Memphis Freethought Alliance
Metroplex Atheists
Mid-Michigan Atheists and Humanists
Mid-Ohio Atheists
Minnesota Atheists
Minority Atheists of Michigan
Mississippi Gulf Coast Humanists
Mississippi Humanist Association
Montgomery Area Freethought Association
Montgomery Humanists
Morgantown Atheists
Mountain State Freethinkers
MU Skeptics, Atheists, Secular Humanists and Agnostics
Myrtle Beach Humanists and Freethinkers
Nashville Secular Life
NEPA Freethought Society
New Jersey Humanist Network
New Orleans Secular Humanist Association
New York City Atheists
Newark Area Atheists
North Alabama Freethought Association
North Florida Atheists
North Kitsap Unitarians
Northeast Ohio Humanist Association
NOVA Atheists
NWA Humanists
Ocala Atheists
O’Fallon Freethinkers
Oklahoma Atheists
Omaha Metro Area Humanist Association
Omaha Atheists
Orange County Atheists
Orlando Humanist Association
Owensboro Humanists
Oxford Humanist Educational Association
Palm Beach Humanists
Panhandle Humanists
Pennsylvania Non-Believers
Pennyrile Area Humanists
Piedmont Humanists
Pikes Peak Atheists
Prescott Freethinkers
Pueblo Humanist Directions
Rationalist Society of St. Louis
Rationalists of East Tennessee
Rebirth of Reason
Red Bank Humanists
Red River Freethinkers
Reno Freethinkers
Riverside Atheists and Free Thinkers
Rosmoor Atheists
Roswatheists
San Francisco Atheists
Santa Cruz Atheists
Santa Fe Atheist Community
Sarasota-Manatee Atheists and Secular Humanists
Seattle Atheists
Secular Hub for Humanists, Atheists and Freethinkers
Secular Humanist Society of East Texas
Secular Humanist Society of New York
Secular Humanists in Prison
Secular Humanists of Santa Cruz County
Secular Humanists of the Low Country
Shenandoah Area Secular Humanists
Siouxland Freethinkers
Skeptics Freethinkers Agnostics and Atheists
South Alabama Humanist Association
South Jersey Humanists
South Plains Humanist Group
Southeast Wisconsin FreeThinkers
Southwest Arkansas Atheist Community
Springfield Freethinkers
Springfield Skeptics
St. Joseph Skeptics
St. Petersburg Atheists Freethought Group
Stanislaus Humanists
Sunday Assembly Los Angeles
SWiFT
Tallahassee Atheists
Tampa Humanist Association
Texas Secular Humanists
The Chicago Freethought Project
The Fellowship of Humanity
The Great Southern Humanist Society
The Humanist Association of Waco
The Humanist Chaplaincy at the University of Southern California
The Humanist Community of Central Ohio
The Humanist Community of Silicon Valley
The Humanist Community-Ventura County
The Humanist Fellowship of San Diego
The Jefferson Center
The Secular Segment
The Tallahassee Atheists Group
Treasure Coast Atheists
Tri County Secular Humanist Society of South Carolina
Triangle Freethought Society
Tri-City Freethinkers
Tri-State Freethinkers Tucson Atheists
UA Alabama Atheists and Agnostics
UAH Non-Theists
Unitarian Universalist Humanists of Springfield
United Assembly for Humanism
University of Kansas Society of Open-Minded Atheists and Agnostics
UNT Freethought Alliance
Upstate Atheists
UU Humanists of Clearwater
Washburn Freethinkers
Washington Area Secular Humanists
We Are Atheism
West Alabama Freethought Association
Westchester Atheists
Western Colorado Atheists and Freethinkers
William Paterson University Secular Student Alliance
Williston Atheists
Wise Free Thinkers and Skeptics
WNC Atheists
WNC Humanists
Yale Humanist Community
The American Humanist Association
The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of Humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of Humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
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