Secular Coalition for R.I. Successfully Urges Gov. to Sign National Day of Reason Proclamation

[cleanhippie]

The Humanists of RI and The Secular Coalition for RI are pleased to announce pursuant to their request, that on April 30, 2013 Governor Lincoln D. Chafee issued a State of Rhode Island Gubernatoral Proclamation officially declaring May 2 the Day of Reason in Rhode Island. In doing this, Governor Chafee helps raise awareness thoroughout the State of Rhode Island of the importance of Reason as a guiding prinicipal of our secular demoracy.

Humanists of RI and the Secular Coaltion of RI join with The National Day of Reason, a consortium of leaders from within the community of reason endorsing the idea of a National Day of Reason. This observance is held in parallel with the National Day of Prayer, on the first Thursday in May each year. The goal of this effort is to celebrate reason—a concept all Americans can support—and to raise public awareness about the persistent threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the private sphere of worship.

Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity. Humanists of Rhode Island are dedicated to good works and service
projects that will best demonstrate our ideals.

The Secular Coalition for Rhode Island and the Secular Coalition for America share the common mission to increase the visibility of and respect for nontheistic viewpoints in the United States, and to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of
freedom for all.

http://secular.org/news/secular-coalition-rhode-island-successfully-urges-gov-sign-national-day-reason-proclamation

[hrmjustin]

1. I think it is a good idea.

[rug]

2. Text of Proclamation below:

http://secularnewsdaily.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/2013ProclamationDayofReasonReady.pdf

I see a Jazz Day Proclamation and a Siblings Day Proclamation on his website but not the Day of Reason Proclamation. I wonder if that's deliberate, inadverdent or if it's elsewhere.

http://www.governor.ri.gov/newsroom/proclamations/

[Phillip McCleod]

4. thx for pointing that out..

..i'm not from rhode island but i think i'll send a query anyhow.

[Phillip McCleod]

3. now there's a 'national day' that everyone can get behind..

..believer or none. for me, the *problem* with the 'national day 'o prayer' has always been its exclusivity. some religions don't even *have* prayer.. just meditations, ritual, etc. prayer in and of itself is divisive even within the greater world community of believers. toss in a few nones of any sort and the constitutional problems with a 'national day' of it should be clear.. if our courts would be honest.