The Washington Area Secular Humanist (WASH) is an all-organization non-profit, 501 (c) (3) volunteer incorporated in Maryland, USA. Serving Washington D.C. Metropolitan and the surrounding areas of Maryland and Virginia. The founders of WASH aims to promote literacy of science and critical thinking, to provide a forum for thoughtful humanists and individuals to explore humanist principles, to discuss and explore how humanist principles relate to all aspects of human experience, and to study the significance of humanism throughout history. Most of its members identify themselves as secular humanists, atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and free thinkers.
WASH is one of the first groups in the Washington DC Metro area for atheists, agnostics, free thinkers and other secular people. Since then it has been a co-founder or major participant in several historic events at local and national level.
Video Washington Area Secular Humanists
Popular actions and events
In 2003, WASH worked with the American Humanist Association (AHA) to create National Day of Reason and continue to sponsor the event every year. This holiday takes place on the first Thursday in May each year. National Day of Reason is different from the National Day of Prayer that took place on the same day. On April 25, 2013, Congressman Michael Honda California issued a proclamation in the US House of Representatives to be recognized as National Day of Reason. Congresswomen Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia also issued a statement that the National Day of Reason is recognized.
In November 2008 WASH Participated with the AHA for the launch of the first launch of the first Atheist Bus Campaign in the United States. It follows behind the first Atheist Bus Camp launched in October 2008 in London, England. The success and high amount of press coverage generated from this media campaign allows similar ad campaigns to spread throughout the United States.
WASH founded the speech contest Robert G. Ingersoll in partnership with AHA and Washington D.C. Center for Inquiry. The first contest was held on October 9, 2009 at Dupont Circle. Participants choose and present an essay or speech from Robert G. Ingersoll known as "The Great Agnostic".
In December 2009, WASH participated with another group from Baltimore Coalition of Reason in Maryland to put up a billboard of Good without God near M & T Bank. This is part of another Atheist billboard campaign going on across the country to reach secular individuals who feel isolated and tell them that there is a larger non-theist community they can follow.
WASH is the sponsor of the Reason Rally which took place on March 24, 2012 in Washington DC. This event is advertised as the largest collection of Secular People in the world with the aim of empowering secular individuals nationwide and demonstrating the size of secular demographics to government leaders.. Celebrities such as Adam Savage, co-host of Discovery Channel Mythbusters and Oxford professor Richard Dawkins are among the famous speakers. WASH organizes local volunteer corps for much preparation ahead of the event and during the event itself.
In January 2012, the Fredericksburg Virginia Chapter of WASH can participate in the Freedom of Religion march in Fredericksburg, Virginia that honors the Thomas Jefferson Religious Freedom Statement in Virginia. The parade has been held by the Knights of Columbus since 1974 and has no representation by non-theistic groups up to that point.
The humanist view created and sponsored by the SASH chapter was damaged on two occasions during December 2012. The display is located on the Warren County Courthouse courtyard in Front Royal, Virginia as part of a larger holiday show for the winter holiday season. This is the first holiday display to be included in this location for secular humanists, atheists, and free thinkers.
Lynchburg, VA and Roanoke, VA chapters from WASH working with secular groups in their area as part of the Blue Ridge Coalition with the excuse of placing four bulletin boards stating Do Not Believe in God? Join the club . The campaign began on December 19, 2012. Two billboards were damaged before the end of December. This billboard is the first billboard to call attention to non-religious people in Christian-dominated evangelicals.
WASH was founded in 1989 as an educational organization. Lois Porter (1919-2018) was the first president and co-founder, along with George Porter (1919-2015), Howard Caulk, Pete Lins, and Kenneth Marsalek. Initially assisted by professor Paul Kurtz, founder of the Center of Inquiry, who advises on how to organize local humanist groups and who are able to provide a list of his magazine subscribers, Free Inquiries living in DC, Maryland, and the Virginia area. WASH began as a group meeting in Silver Spring, MD and later developed into chapters as membership increased. The early chapters are located in the Metro D.C area. immediately before expanding to further locations in central and southern Virginia and western Maryland. WASH currently consists of ten chapters. They are Baltimore Secular Humanists (BSH) based in Baltimore, Maryland; Maryland District of Columbia chapter (MDC), based in Rockville, Maryland; D.C. Regional Atheists (DCRA), based in Washington, DC; Frederick Secular Humanists (FRESH), based in Frederick, Maryland; The Southern Maryland Secular Humanists (SoMdSH), based in Leonardtown, Maryland; Northern Virginia Chapter (NVC), based in Fairfax, Virginia; Fredericksburg Secular Humanists (FSH), based in Fredericksburg, Virginia; Secular Humanist Roanoke (SHOR), based in Roanoke, Virginia; The Lynchburg Area Secular Humanists (LASH) based in Lynchburg, Virginia; and Shenandoah Area Secular Humanists (SASH) based in Front Royal, Virginia. A chapter coordinator leads each of the local chapters. The local chapters of WASH usually hold regular meetings and plan other events for local members. In 2009, the local chapters of WASH began participating with skeptical groups, free thinkers, atheists and other humanists under the United Coalition of Reason. Under this arrangement various groups remain independent of each other; however, the efforts of these groups are coordinated to serve their local communities better.
WASH is governed by an elected Board of Directors that speaks for the organization as a whole. At the national level WASH is an affiliate of the American Atheist, AHA, American Atheist Alliance, and Council for Secular Humanism. WASH is also a support organization of the Secular Coalition for America.
Maps Washington Area Secular Humanists
Publications
WASH publishes a monthly bulletin for its members called WASHLine . WASH also sponsors the Secular Perspective blog. In 1999 WASH published a work of humanist essay from its members called Blue Book followed by another collection of essays called Humanist Perspective II, "The Green Book" . WASH has also published a tour guide for a walking tour of the famous Washington D.C. related to the life of Robert G. Ingersoll.
References
External links
- The Washington Area's Humanist Homepage Homepage
- WBC-sponsored Secular Blog Perspective
- United Coalition of Reason
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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