Atheist Group Launches Media Outlet; Calls It the 'New Godless Hub' for News

By Katherine Weber, Christian Post Reporter Friday, February 14, 2014

An atheist group has launched a secular-themed media outlet as their latest communications endeavor, describing the new website as the go-to place for all things "godless."

The American Humanist Association launched their new "TheHumanist.com" media outlet on Wednesday, the same day that celebrates the birth of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin. A press release announcing "TheHumanist.com" says the media outlet "is giving humanists and other nontheists a fresh place to get daily original reporting and commentary on issues important to a growing godless worldview. The new media hub will also be seen as a vital resource for others who recognize the increasing cultural need for discourse free from the constraints of theology."

Headlines already gracing the atheist-themed webpage include "Do Creationist Textbook Writers Have Borderline Personality Disorder?" and "How to Teach Toddlers About Evolution," among many others.

Jennifer Bardi, editor of the already-existing Humanist magazine and senior editor of TheHumanist.com, said in a statement that the media outlet will be "a new opportunity for humanists to reach the general public with original reporting and high-quality articles."

Maggie Ardiente, also a senior editor for TheHumanist.com, added that more and more humanists and atheists are turning to the Internet for their information and discussion, and the new media outlet will "serve as an online hub for this growing community."

The Blaze notes that in addition to the media outlet, TheHumanist.com will also serve as a location to access the organization's The Humanist magazine, podcast, and email newsletter. TheHumanist.com also totes itself as being mobile friendly, adding that it plans to expand into multimedia such as videos in the future.

Atheists have been trying to expand their global outreach in a variety of ways in the past few years, including ads and "atheist churches" in both the U.K. and the U.S. that involve groups of atheists meeting on Sundays for a community gathering. Although the structure seems similar to church, those participating in the Sunday meet-ups argue it gives atheists an opportunity to socialize, sing and talk without relying on religion for inspiration.

Kris Tyrrell, who organized an atheist church in Tennessee, previously said the purpose of the Sunday gathering was to provide a "support system" for those who don't attend church. When Sanderson Jones, a comedian, hatched the idea of an atheist church in London, he said, "We thought it would be a shame not to enjoy the good stuff about religion, like the sense of community, just because of a theological disagreement."