‘Royal wedding’ of atheist group, Richard Dawkins Foundation launches woman to top post

[rug]

Kimberly Winston | January 21, 2016

(RNS) It’s like a royal wedding in the small world of atheist organizations: The Center for Inquiry and the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science are merging to form the largest reason-based organization in the U.S.

The new organization will retain the Center for Inquiry name, while giving a seat on its board to Richard Dawkins, the British evolutionary biologist who is a superstar in the atheist community for his best-selling books on atheism and science and his outspoken talks against religion.

As part of the merger, Ron Lindsay, a lawyer who has headed CFI since 2008 — and shepherded the Amherst, N.Y.-based organization through a difficult and controversial transition from its founder, humanist philosopher Paul Kurtz — will step down. Taking his spot will be Robyn Blumner, the Dawkins Foundation’s executive director for the past two years.

“I hope and I believe that this merger will significantly enhance the impact of CFI’s work, and, as a result, will also further some of the common goals of the secular movement, such as keeping religion out of public policy and reducing the stigma associated with being an atheist or humanist, which is still all too prevalent in the United States,” Lindsay said in an email interview.

http://www.religionnews.com/2016/01/21/royal-wedding-atheist-group-richard-dawkins-foundation-launches-woman-top-post/

[MisterP]

1. should've been the Richard Dawkins Inquiry--great prog-rock name

[edhopper]

2. I would go

to that concert.

[goldent]

6. Concerts can be termed "Inquisitions"

[edhopper]

3. to make a clarification

Lindsay had announced his retirement for some time. This development joined the two groups AND found a new person for his post.

He did not step down because of this merger.

[rug]

4. Thanks .

[goldent]

5. Anglican denominations are splitting up and atheists ones are joining up.

[Promethean]

7. Its easy to work together

when you have simple goals and you don't have hundreds of pages of confusing and conflicting dogma that you MUST adhere to.

[goldent]

8. You might think that (hundreds of pages of confusing and conflicting dogma)

but it was actually about the much simpler issue of gay marriage.

[Promethean]

9. riiiiiiiiiiiiight

and which pages of the dogma were the cause for the conflict over this single simple issue that caused them to split into another denomination? Which pages of the dogma were the cause for the catholic protestant split? Which pages of the dogma splits the baptists and the episcopals?