Podcasts Culture American Freethought Podcast 206 - Humanist and Secular Celebrants

206 - Humanist and Secular Celebrants

Published: Nov. 1, 2018, 4 a.m.

Original release August 8, 2014.

Encore release November 1, 2018.

Encore release July 25, 2017.

We interview\xa0Rachael Berman, Grassroots and Celebrant Program Coordinator for the American Humanist Association (AHA). AHA's Humanist Celebrant program is coordinated by the\xa0Humanist Society, an adjunct of AHA.

We discuss the difficulty nonbelievers have had when it comes to finding someone to officate at weddings, funerals, baby naming ceremonies, etc. They're usually faced with the choice of finding a random judge or county clerk, or of enduring a wedding infused with prayer and religious bromides. A number of organizations, including the Center For Inquiry and the AHA are challenging religion's monopoly on private weddings. There is still the occasional bump in the road:\xa0CFI recently won an appeal in Indiana\xa0against a state law that privileged SOME religions over others, and over secular groups. And in Georgia, a\xa0Humanist Celebrant encountered difficulty\xa0when a judge balked at her credentials.

And for what it's worth... John Snider is now a\xa0Humanist Celebrant, endorsed by the Humanist Society to officiate at weddings and other major life events! If you need help finding an officiant, or just want John to do the deed,\xa0give him a call.

Finally, check out\xa0this blog entry\xa0by John's niece, in which she discusses the difficulty of finding marital advice that doesn't have a religious tinge.

Plus:

American Freethought will be at DragonCon yet again, presenting a live show at 10PM, Friday, August 29th, at the\xa0Skeptrack. David won't be able to make this year, but Allison has generously offered to pinch hit for him so AF can keep our DragonCon streak going.

Also, if you're in town for DragonCon, you might as well include annual\xa0Star Party\xa0in your plans. This year it's on Thursday, August 28th, at the Emory Math and Science Center. This annual event features celebrity skeptics and astronomers, with the proceeds benefiting the Alzheimer's Foundation of American and CosmoQuest.