The end of the year is a traditional time for charitable giving and volunteering. Atheist and secular humanist groups have made great strides in the last few years on providing their members with opportunities to give both money and time as part of a community. Local community groups develop long-term relationships with community service organizations. Others choose organizations that meet specific needs at specific times. On top of that, Foundation Beyond Belief was formed in 2010 to channel and encourage humanist giving and volunteering.
However, because we are atheists, our help is not always wanted. Sometimes our checks are refused. Sometimes our helping hands are turned away. We’re not always told why, but “faith” groups find themselves welcome where we’re not.
Recently, Hemant Mehta of the Friendly Atheist blog found himself on the receiving end of two of these rejections. Funds raised by his readers were declined by a park board and library board. The library chair went so far as to call Hemant’s blog “a hate group”. Hemant is also familiar with this problem as part of the board of Foundation Beyond Belief. Join us this Sunday as Hemant talks to us about atheist giving, or at least attempted atheist giving.
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