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36-686: Founded as the Twin Cities Chapter of American Atheists in 1984, Minnesota Atheists was founded in 1991 as a democratic organization of atheists. The Minnesota Atheists promote education and visibility in the community and responds to the push against atheism in the state of Minnesota. In 2013 the Foundation Beyond Belief awarded the "Humanist Communication Award" to the group for their work in 2012. Atheists Talk first aired January 13, 2008. The weekly program airs every Sunday Morning on AM 950 KTNF . Participants discuss areas of interest to

72-421: A Point of Inquiry podcast in 2012, she stated that "there isn't one emotion" affecting atheists "but anger is one of the emotions that many of us have ...[it] drives others to participate in the movement". She said that there are many goals for the atheist movement – more separation of church and state, ending "bigotry against atheism", and for some, persuading people "out of religion", and that it

108-461: A U.S. Constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Stating that the Minnesota Atheists support the religious making and following their own rules but against these becoming civil laws. In July 2011, Minnesota Atheists filed the only amicus brief in support of the appeal of Benson, et al. v. Alverson to support the couples in their effort to get rid of the law and argues the unconstitutionality of

144-601: A book out there that isn't a diatribe against religion, but just personal stories." A review from Lavender magazine called it an "intriguing exploration of atheism." A review from the Humanists of Minnesota called it "absorbing, unique, and compelling." Foundation Beyond Belief Noelle George, Executive Director (2015-2020) GO Humanity (Giving and Organizing for Humanity) was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 in Georgia by Dale McGowan , originally under

180-518: A full-time freelance writer and speaker since 2012. Her writing about atheism has appeared in print in Skeptical Inquirer and the anthology Everything You Know About God Is Wrong , as well as in her own books Coming Out Atheist: How to Do It, How to Help Each Other, and Why (2014) and Why Are You Atheists So Angry?: 99 Things that Piss Off the Godless (2012). Speaking to Chris Mooney for

216-714: A national team in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society , raising $ 300,000 in 2012 and nearly $ 1 million over three years to fund lymphoma research. Foundation Beyond Belief later sponsored the Reason Rally in both 2012 and 2016. In July 2014, Foundation Beyond Belief held its first Humanism At Work conference focused on humanist service. The organization held talks about nonreligious identity and humanist service programs, and recognized outstanding contributions by humanist volunteers and organizers with its ongoing annual Heart of Humanism awards. The Humanism At Work conference

252-449: A photo of Christina with her wife Ingrid and a piece about the photo by Christina was featured in the book A Better Life , by Christopher Johnson, which is a book with photos of 100 atheists and pieces by them about how their atheism has enabled them to have, in their view, a better life. In 2015, Christina received the first Secular Student Alliance Ambassador Award, which was the 2015 Secular Student Alliance Ambassador Award. Christina

288-456: Is a sex-positive , pro-choice feminist and that she supports same-sex marriage and group marriage . She is openly bisexual / pansexual as well as polyamorous , and has written about participating in BDSM . She wrote in 2010 that she and her wife Ingrid had been "happily married" for "six and a half years (or five years, or two and a half years, depending on which of our three weddings in

324-967: Is a "valid goal" to work towards a world without religion. As a speaker, she is a member of the Speakers Bureau for the Secular Student Alliance and the Center for Inquiry . She was a speaker on the Diversity in Skepticism panel at The Amaz!ng Meeting in July, 2011, the Reason Rally in 2012, and the 50th annual convention of American Atheists in 2013. Rebecca Hensler founded the social media and internet support group 'Grief Beyond Belief' for grieving people who do not believe in God or an afterlife in 2011; she

360-719: Is an Advisory Board member of the SSA and a donor at the Lifetime Membership level. Outside of her atheist work, she is the editor of Paying For It: A Guide by Sex Workers for Their Clients and of the Best Erotic Comic anthology series, and has written the erotic novella Bending and the erotic fiction collection Bending: Dirty Kinky Stories About Pain, Power, Religion, Unicorns, & More . Her writing has also appeared in three volumes of Best American Erotica . She has also written about cats for Catster , and has written for

396-643: Is made up of approximately 150 teams throughout the U.S. and the world. GO Humanity provides grants and other support to these teams, sponsoring events in local communities. As of 2022, teams have collectively donated over 227,000 hours of community service (valued at $ 6.1M). In 2014, the American Humanist Association (AHA) and GO Humanity merged their respective charitable programs Humanist Charities (established in 2005) and Humanist Crisis Response (established in 2011). Between 2014 and 2018, Humanist Disaster Recovery raised over $ 250,000 for victims of

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432-451: The Aints' record to 2 wins and 2 losses. The Aints won again in 2016, but lost in 2017 bringing their record to 3 games won and 3 games lost. In January 2016, FBB launched a Humanist Disaster Recovery program which deployed to South Carolina following Hurricane Juaquin . In 2019, Foundation Beyond Belief partnered with Atheist Community of Austin to expand Volunteers Beyond Belief, renamed

468-678: The Syrian Refugee Crisis , Refugee Children of the U.S. Border , Tropical Cyclone Sam , and the Nepal and Ecuadoran Earthquakes , Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, and Hurricanes Irma and Maria . In addition to grants for recovery efforts, volunteers have also helped to rebuild homes and schools in the following locations: Columbia, South Carolina after the effects of Hurricane Joaquin ; Denham Springs, Louisiana; and Houston, Texas after flooding from Hurricane Harvey . In 2013, GO Humanity launched

504-631: The Beyond Belief Network. Foundation Beyond Belief rebranded as GO Humanity in May 2022, updating its values to further emphasize radical inclusion and shared, local power. On October 1, 2023, Go Humanity dissolved. An email to donors stated "We have met with an insurmountable financial crisis combined with liabilities that have led us to this very hard decision." Since 2009, GO Humanity has raised more than $ 3.6 million for philanthropic causes worldwide. Through its original Humanist Grants program,

540-455: The CIG one quarter per year to various anti-poverty organizations that met high standards of innovation, inclusiveness, data, and cultural sensitivity. In 2020, the grant became an annual three-year grant of $ 150,000 to a worthy organization. The Minnesota Atheists partnered with Foundation Beyond Belief in 2014 and 2015 for the third and fourth atheist-themed St. Paul Saints charity games. They were

576-632: The Minnesota Defense of Marriage Act , noting the law's theological basis. Stating "By denying the Plaintiff couples the right to marry solely because they are of the same sex, Minnesota law violates the due process, equal protection, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful association provisions contained in Article I, Sections 7, 2, and 16 of the Minnesota Constitution." Representatives from

612-533: The Minnesota Atheists and Saint Paul Saints mutually agreed to end the annual sponsorship. Though not eliminating the option of St. Paul Saints sponsorship in the future, the Minnesota Atheists are looking into other means to provide visibility. In 2012 the Minnesota Atheists bought billboards one in St. Paul and one in Minneapolis to reach out the local atheists. Citing that similar types of billboards had been going up around

648-641: The Pathfinders Project, a project to determine the viability of a long term Humanist Service Corp (HSC). Over the course of a year, the team worked with several organizations across the world, including in Cambodia, Uganda, Ghana, Haiti, Ecuador, Colombia, and Guatemala. Upon returning to the United States, the members of the Pathfinders continued their work of promoting humanist service, including speaking about

684-494: The community including atheism, humanism, state/church separation, religion, ethics, science, and art. Guests include notable persons locally, nationally, and internationally including Ira Flatow , Neil DeGrasse Tyson , Richard Dawkins , and PZ Myers . In August 2012 the Minnesota Atheists partnered with the American Atheists to hold a regional conference and sponsor a St. Paul Saints game. The team changed their name to

720-483: The country, the billboards promote the idea that religious indoctrination should not happen to children. One critic called them "eye catching". another questioned one of the billboard placement near "religious centers". The billboards tied for second place in an "atheist billboard of the year" poll on the Friendly Atheist blog. In March 2004, the Minnesota Atheists spoke out against President Bush's speech supporting

756-400: The day." The Minnesota Atheists partnered with Foundation Beyond Belief in 2014 for the third atheist-themed St. Paul Saints game. It became the first game the secularized Mr. Paul Aints team won, which took 11 innings to do, and the last "Mr. Paul Aints" game to be played at Midway Stadium. On Saturday, August 8, 2015 the Minnesota Atheists teamed up with Foundation Beyond Belief to hold

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792-552: The first games the secularized Mr. Paul Aints team won, with the 2014 game taking 11 innings and being the last Aints game to be played at Midway Stadium . Rebranded player jerseys were auctioned off during the games and a shoe drive benefiting Soles4Souls was incorporated into 2015 the event (promoted as "Leave Your Soles at the Gate"). The team beat the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 2015 7–4 in front of 8,500 fans at CHS Field bringing

828-581: The fourth consecutive year of atheist-sponsored minor league baseball at the new home of the St. Paul Saints, CHS Field. A shoe drive benefiting Soles4Souls was incorporated into the event (promoted as "Leave Your Soles at the Gate"). The team beat the Winnipeg Goldeyes 7-4 in front of 8,500 fans at CHS Field which brought the record of the Mr. Paul Aints to 2 wins and 2 losses. The Mr. Paul Aints won again in 2016, but lost in 2017 bringing their record to 3 games won and 3 games lost. In 2018, after six years straight,

864-458: The group stated that when the case Baker v. Nelson was originally heard in 1971 they did not address the issue of religious freedom. A representative from the group also testified at the state senate hearings in March 2013. The Minnesota Atheists managed a compilation of stories from atheists throughout Minnesota with a foreword written by Greta Christina . The publisher states "I wanted there to be

900-703: The magazine Femme Feminism . In San Francisco, Christina has worked at the underground book publisher Last Gasp and the Lusty Lady peep show, and has performed in pornography . She has also co-organized and co-hosted the Godless Perverts Story Hour and the Godless Perverts Social Club. Christina's parents divorced when she was 12. She began living in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1984. Christina has written that she

936-443: The name Foundation Beyond Belief. The organization's mission was to "end poverty and hunger, promote good health and well-being, and foster employment opportunities and economic growth in ways that exemplify humanist values." Through giving and organizing a volunteer network, the organization served individuals and communities. Dale McGowan served as executive director from 2009 to 2015. In 2015, Noelle George took over leadership of

972-421: The organization awarded over $ 1.5 million to 177 nonprofits exemplifying humanist values over 11 years. Each fiscal quarter through 2020, FBB selected four organizations to support, in the categories of Poverty and Health, Human Rights, Education, and Natural World. GO Humanity's Service Team network GO Teams encourages and assists local organizations groups to give and organize in their communities. The network

1008-624: The organization responded to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami by launching a disaster response program, raising and distributing $ 20,000 for recovery. In August 2011, FBB merged with the Houston, Texas-based Secular Center USA to launch Volunteers Beyond Belief, a service network initially consisting of five volunteer teams. The American Cancer Society was criticized in 2011 for turning down participation from Foundation Beyond Belief in its Relay For Life "National Team" program. FBB subsequently partnered with philanthropist Todd Stiefel to create

1044-492: The organization. In 2020, Tiffany S. Ho replaced George. On October 1, 2023, Go Humanity dissolved and ceased operations. GO Humanity was founded in 2009, then under the name Foundation Beyond Belief (FBB). The organization's founder Dale McGowan originally envisioned it as a way for nonreligious people and humanists to give to charity by "passing the tithing plate." The organization was featured in an April 2010 New York Times article on secular philanthropy. In March 2011,

1080-694: The project to gain new members for future years. In 2015, the Humanist Service Corps officially launched, with the members serving in a camp for accused witches in Ghana. In 2015 and 2016, Humanist Service Corps provided free health screenings to the rural Ghanaian community of Kukuo. It created a bilingual medical records system to increase healthcare access. For the first time, 1,250 residents of Kukuo gained access to their health information in their native language. HSC also discovered and reported several child marriages during this time. Humanist Service Corps

1116-520: The secular-friendly "Mr. Paul Aints" as part of "A Night of Unbelievable Fun". The St. Paul Saints' general manager reported some complaints, mostly from out of state. A representative from the group stating that "sponsoring a baseball game seemed like a good way to show that apart from religion, atheists are like everybody else." A second game was sponsored by the Minnesota Atheists in 2013, "A Night of Unbelievable Fun, The Second Coming". The general manager states "We're looking forward to being an "Ain't" for

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1152-463: The shifting 'same- sex marriage' winds you're talking about)". Christina's mother died of cancer at the age of 45, when Christina was 17. In 2012, Christina was diagnosed with endometrial cancer . She had a surgical hysterectomy and oophorectomy to treat it. Christina writes that she has struggled with depression off and on throughout most of her adult life, and considers herself chronically depressed and expects to take antidepressants for

1188-559: Was encouraged to found it by Christina. In 2013 Christina was named the International Team Honored Hero of the Foundation Beyond Belief (FBB). The Foundation's teams raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society . She is a past member of the Foundation Beyond Belief 's Board of Directors. She received the 2013 LGBT Humanist Pride Award from the American Humanist Association . Also in 2013,

1224-583: Was held a second time in 2015 before the organization transitioned to integrating the Conference's programming into the American Humanist Association 's Annual Conference in 2018. In October 2014, FBB launched the competitive Compassionate Impact Grant (CIG), consolidating all donations to its Humanist Grants program for the quarter into one large capacity-building grant to the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative . Through 2020, FBB gave

1260-610: Was later incorporated in to the Freethought Blogs network. In 2016 she co-founded The Orbit , which she described as "the first atheist media site founded explicitly to work on all forms of social justice". In 2009, Hemant Mehta at The Friendly Atheist ranked Christina's blog in the Top Ten most popular atheist blogs. She also created the "Atheist Meme of the Day" on Facebook . She has been writing professionally since 1989, and has been

1296-643: Was renamed Humanist Action: Ghana in 2020, and in 2022 broke off from GO Humanity to become an independent, Ghanaian-run NGO. Greta Christina Greta Christina (born 1961) is an American atheist , blogger , speaker, and author. Christina was born in Chicago in 1961. She graduated from Reed College in 1983. She legally changed her name in her twenties, dropping her family name and taking her middle name as her last name. Christina has written for AlterNet , Free Inquiry , and The Humanist . She started writing her own "Greta Christina's blog" in 2005; it

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