Microsoft word - afh - what, why and how

Atheists for Humanity – What, Why and How Fact: There is a pervasive and unfounded negative stigma surrounding Atheists and Fact: There is a deep-seeded resentment of this stigma among atheists. One could argue that this stigma alone prevents progress in society, government, education, Opinion: The stigmatization of atheists has empowered and emboldened religions. There is no other active voice in the game. So how do we change it? How do we prove that we are, in fact, good, ethical, responsible people who do our part to make the world go round? Idea: Start with positive action. Below is our new vehicle for change. We are excited to announce Atheists for Humanity (http://www.atheistsforhumanity.org/)! AFH, a 501 c(3) nonprofit, was created to combat the longstanding idea that atheists are uncharitable loners (for a sample just google 'atheist charity'). Atheists have long needed a vehicle by which to prove this stigma is patently wrong. AFH was built for that purpose. Atheists for Humanity was first announced in September 2010. And as far as we've been able to tell ours is the only Atheist Charity website out there actively raising money for worthy charities. Additionally, AFH allows visitors to anonymously donate money to one or more charities with a single credit card transaction. The First, it gives atheists, agnostics, skeptics, humanists, and anyone else the opportunity to donate money anonymously. This means the donor's personal information is not passed along to the recipient charities. This is great because it keeps the donor's name off of solicitation and direct mail lists. And because AFH is a 501 c(3) nonprofit, the full donation is tax-deductible per IRS rules. Second, by donating money to charity via an atheist website, atheists demonstrate that a belief in a higher power is not a requirement for charitable feelings or Third, as the number of donations increases, along with the amount donated, religious organizations, news and media, bloggers, and other groups will begin to take notice. Atheists can point to AFH as an example of atheist morality, ethics, In addition to charitable donations, AFH will also begin to coordinate local community and volunteer activities. These may include blood drives, working with Habitat for Humanity, planting trees, working with youth groups, even visiting open-minded churches and religious organizations. All to provide atheists with the means to do good, raise awareness, actively work to destigmatize atheists and atheism, and build a long overdue atheist community. There are several things atheists can do to help. First and most obvious is to donate money. Even if it's only $10 or $20. Not only are you donating to a worthy charity and receiving a tax-deduction, but you can also see how the site works and let us know if you have any suggestions. At the very least please visit the site and have a Second, AFH has set up a Facebook and Twitter page (links are on the website). Please give us a Thumbs Up on Facebook and, if you’re a Twitter fan, sign up there as well. The more people we get onboard the stronger the message. Third, those with blogs and websites can help by linking to Atheists for Humanity. This helps with visibility as well as making it easier to find us in Google and other In the "About" section of the website you will find our three primary guidelines for selecting charities. If there is a good charity you believe meets the criteria, please email it to us at [email protected]. Finally, help spread the word! Please email the AFH link/info to any friends and family you think might be interested. The more people who see it, the better the exposure and ultimately the results. The better the results the more the media and society will get the message that being an Atheist really is a good thing! If you would like to help out with AFH please email us at: We hope you are all as excited as we are at the prospect of shifting a biased, unfounded, and antiquated notion that is long overdue for change. Atheists are intelligent, caring people who want the best for themselves, their families and their fellow man. Now is our chance to prove it. We hope you'll join us!

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