Washington Area Secular Humanists

11/05/2026

The election is over, but our work is not.

Join the American Atheists leadership team for an interactive, virtual town hall to talk about what comes next. They'll answer your questions and dive into what the election results mean for atheists, state-church separation, and the future of our secular democracy.

Thursday, November 12 at 8pm ET, register **for free** here: http://atheists.org/townhall

11/05/2026

The latest episode of FFRF’s “Secular Spotlight” has as a special guest Drew McCoy for a discussion on how to better build community in nonreligious spaces.The Genetically Modified Skeptic explains

11/05/2026

https://atheists.org/weekly-update/the-voters-have-spoken/

Will religious extremists listen?

11/04/2026

Paul Offit took to his Substack to describe how “RFK Jr.’s keynote address at a recent meeting of anti-vaccine activists revealed the depths of his paranoia.”

"At the Children’s Health Defense conference, RFK Jr. embraced two prominent conspiracy theories. This could easily be dismissed save for one thing—RFK Jr. IS THE NATION’S NUMBER ONE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIAL. HE IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING PUBLIC POLICY AND ASSIGNING RESEARCH PRIORITIES. What will it take for Congress to realize the depth of this man’s paranoia? Maybe they’ll act when he requires all members of the Public Health Service to wear tin foil hats to work for protection. Maybe not."

RFK Jr.’s keynote address at a recent meeting of anti-vaccine activists revealed the depths of his paranoia.

11/04/2026

Yesterday, SCOTUS heard arguments in the latest ‘religious liberty’ case from Colorado. The initial read is ... not great.

"Conservative US Supreme Court justices appeared sympathetic on Tuesday toward a challenge by Catholic groups to a Colorado law barring anti-LGBT discrimination at publicly funded preschools in a case ​that could further bolster the rights of religious people and institutions."

"The conservative justices on Tuesday seemed inclined to view the Free Exercise Clause as protecting not only against explicit discrimination against religious groups but also against conditions placed on certain government benefits that ​have the same effect."

Conservative US Supreme Court justices appeared sympathetic on Tuesday toward a challenge by Catholic groups to a Colorado law barring anti-LGBT discrimination at publicly funded preschools in a case ​that could further bolster the rights of religious people and institutions.

11/04/2026

The U.S. Department of State says we're a Christian nation — American Atheists is fighting back on every front.

11/02/2026

"The consequences could be prison, torture, or worse," said one human rights defender.

11/01/2026

Join us this month for our second WASH field trip to the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia!

Come with us through a stroll through the history of aviation, including the Space Shuttle Discovery, the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, the Concorde and the Lockheed Martin SR-71 Blackbird (as seen in the X-Men ;).

Because parking is expensive, we'll be meeting for brunch at the Moda Cafe and Restaurant, a Turkish restaurant with fantastic breakfast and brunch options (menu here: https://modacafe.com/menu/). Then, we'll carpool over to the museum to reduce parking fees.

There will be an option to stay at the museum and see an Imax film -- details regarding that will be available closer to the date once ticket information is available.

Those who'd prefer to join us directly at the museum, please comment below and I'll give you contact information on how to find us.

Please RSVP so we can make reservations!

https://www.meetup.com/wash-202/events/316979096/?eventOrigin=group_upcoming_events

Our second WASH field trip takes us to the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia! Join us through a stroll through the history of aviation,

11/01/2026

Humanists UK offered a lovely tribute to Sir Patrick Stewart, who died Wednesday at the age of 86.

Chief Executive of Humanists UK Andrew Copson said:

"As a committed humanist and a cherished patron of Humanists UK, he championed reason, empathy, and social progress both on and off the stage. His warmth, intellect, and profound sense of decency shone through in every aspect of his life. In his best-known role as a Starfleet captain, his portrayal of a hopeful, rational future resonated because it genuinely reflected the humanist convictions by which he lived his life."

Humanists UK is deeply saddened to learn of the death of distinguished actor, campaigner, and long-standing patron Sir Patrick Stewart OBE at the age of 86. Born on 13 July 1940 in Mirfield in West Yorkshire, Stewart went on to build a remarkable career spanning six decades across stage, television,...

11/01/2026

This is the second FOIA lawsuit filed by American Atheists in as many weeks to force the Trump Administration to release records.