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The Humanist Association of Las Vegas and Southern Nevada

A Chapter of the American Humanist Association

HALVASON, the Humanist Association of Las Vegas and Southern Nevada, is a nonprofit, educational organization whose main purpose is to promote humanism as a viable alternative to supernatural and theistic belief systems.  We serve as a forum for humanists, atheists, agnostics, freethinkers and other like-minded individuals in the Las Vegas area.  We promote the Jeffersonian principle of separation of religion and government, the rights of nonreligious people in our society, free inquiry and thought, a naturalistic view of the universe and a reason-based, secular ethical system.  Our membership is open to all like-minded people without regard to race, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, or political or other affiliations.

Regular Meetings and Events
(All HALVASON events are open to the public)

HALVASON Membership Meetings feature a speaker or moderator addressing a topic of interest to Humanists.  These are held the third Sunday of each month at 2:00 p.m. in the Las Vegas Library Program Room at 833 N. Las Vegas Blvd., between Washington and Bonanza opposite Cashman Field.  For a map, click here.   Many members make this their primary humanist-related event.  Often people gather for a social hour or two afterwards in the brew pub in Main Street Station.  These meetings are held jointly with the Las Vegas Freethought Society (LVFS).

HALVASON Forums will be held the fourth Sunday of each month, currently at 1:00 in the Las Vegas Library Program Room at 833 N. Las Vegas Blvd.  The forum will be an informal gathering to exchange thoughts about different aspects of humanism and our relationships to our communities. There is some sentiment that this be a more social affair that encourages more identity and participation.

Joint HALVASON/ UUCLV Forums are held the first Sunday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Las Vegas (UUCLV) facilities at 3616 E. Lake Mead Blvd., a block east of Pecos.

The Las Vegas Atheists Meetup is held the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at Jason's Deli, 3910 S. Maryland Parkway, just north of Flamingo.  Although not sponsored by HALVASON, the Atheist Meetups are fun, social events.

Scheduled events of interest to members

Meeting:  Sunday August 17, at 2:00 p.m. in the Las Vegas Library Program Room (joint with LVFS)

"Between Life and Death" This video explores the 'tunnel of light' phenomenon which has been reported by many people who have had near-death experiences, and which has been interpreted as a manifestation of God. A discussion will follow the video.

Please visit the events archives to see previously scheduled events.

What's Happening in Humanism

The AHA now provides an online-only membership to the AHA that is free.  Go here for details.

Thanks to all who attended the 17th World Humanist Congress at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington DC! Over 500 participants gathered in our nation’s capital for an exciting four-day conference filled with breakout sessions, plenaries, panel discussions, and award ceremonies honoring such Humanists as Rep. Pete Stark, Jamie Raskin, Matthew LaClair, Judge John E. Jones, Eleanor Smeal, Carolyn Porco, and Philip Pullman. Attendees were also treated to a surprise keynote speech by Christopher Hitchens on the final day of the conference.Our thanks go out to all of our international visitors from over twenty countries who traveled a great distance to participate in this year’s Congress. We’d also like to thank the numerous speakers, awardees, exhibitors, and volunteers from the Washington Area Secular Humanists for helping to make this conference a success. Special thanks to the International Humanist and Ethical Union, the International Humanist and Ethical Youth Organization, and the Secular Student Alliance for working with us to put together a great conference.  

On June 2, Rep. Fortney H. "Pete" Stark was named the American Humanist Association's 2008 Humanist of the Year at the 67th annual AHA conference. This year's conference was held in conjunction with the IHEU World Congress in Washington, DC.

(6/10/08) Washington, D.C. During an awards ceremony at the 67th annual conference of the American Humanist Association (AHA), humanists from across the United States witnessed a turning point for a movement which has been edging closer to "mainstream." Louis Appignani, a well-known entrepreneur and philanthropist from Miami, Florida, and current chairman and founder of Louja Realty Inc., awarded the AHA a check in the amount of $250,000 and indicated it was a down payment on his million dollar challenge grant. (See photos at: www.americanhumanist.org/press/appignani_press.php)

(6/13/08) The American Humanist Association denounced a document issued by the United States’ Roman Catholic bishops in which the bishops "warned" against the "moral dangers" of embryonic stem cell research. The document states that "no commitment to a hoped-for 'greater good' can erase or diminish the wrong of directly taking innocent human lives here and now."   

In response, the American Humanist Association warned against the harm to the common good that would result from any delays caused by the bishops' statement. "Once again the Roman Catholic Church has made medieval doctrine a stumbling block to medical and social progress," declared Fred Edwords, the organization's director of communications. “The Church routinely decries science in the name of life. But stem cell research is already on its way to developing breakthrough treatments for devastating diseases. And if we ever hope to see real progress against diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer's syndrome, we need to set aside the outdated condemnations of a faith that is becoming less relevant with each passing day. The position of the bishops is in fact anti-life when it impedes the search for real, here-and-now cures to terminal illnesses."   

(6/23/08) Washington, D.C. The American Humanist Association filed a legal brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case Pleasant Grove City, UT, et al. v. Summum. The amicus brief argued against allowing the Summum religious group to display its aphorisms in the same public park where a Ten Commandments monument appears. In addition, the American Humanist Association urged the Court to hold that permanent religious monuments in city parks constitute government endorsement of religion in violation of the Establishment Clause.

(7/10/08) Washington, D.C. The Appignani Humanist Legal Center (AHLC), legal arm of the American Humanist Association, expressed its satisfaction today with a settlement resulting from its academic freedom advocacy on behalf of humanist educator Steven C. Bitterman in his dispute with Southwestern Community College in Red Oak, Iowa

(8/7/08) Washington, D.C. The American Humanist Association expressed its support for the Thursday, July 31, decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court in Jason Cutler v. Theodore Dorn. The justices ruled 5-0 in favor of Cutler that jokes and comments about a person's religion, when they create a "humiliating and painful environment," can constitute a form of on-the-job discrimination. Moreover, those claiming religion-based harassment don't face a higher legal threshold than those claiming racial or sexual harassment. 

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HALVASON's recent newsletters (in pdf) are: October 2006, November 2006, (no December 2006 newsletter), January 2007, February 2007, March 2007, April 2007, May 2007, June 2007,  July 2007, (No August 2007 newsletter) and September 2007.   Older newsletters are available on request. 

The content of newsletters starting June 2007 may also be accessed in HTML format, which is more convenient for many.

Join HALVASON

Become a member of HALVASON (and the American Humanist Association) by going to the AHA website.  Be sure to list HALVASON as your local chapter. 

Subscribe to our announcements list or our newsletter distribution list, both hosted by Yahoo! Groups.  The announcements list is a low-volume list used only for announcements of meetings and national press releases.  The newsletter distribution list is used for our monthly newsletter.  For either list, clicking the link will create an empty email message window.  Simply hit the "Send" button for this message.  You will receive a response from Yahoo! Groups requesting verification of your request.  Simply hit "Reply" to this message.

Yahoo! Groups provides a number of services for registered members, including access to archives and search capabilities.  Register at Yahoo! Groups here.  Nothing more than a user name, a password, and an email address are required.

Yahoo! Groups provides an effective mechanism for managing things like announcements lists, and most people find that with a little use, they are quite comfortable with it.  Still, a few of our members have indicated they find Yahoo! Groups intimidating to use.  Your webmaster invites you to share any thoughts you have about Yahoo! Groups by emailing carl@halvason.org.

Other

Humanist weddings and other ceremonies may be performed by Mel Lipman, Humanist Minister, licensed in the state of Nevada.  Call 433-5210 or email mel@halvason.org.

Humanist weddings and other ceremonies may be performed by Paul LaCombe, Humanist Minister, licensed in the state of Nevada.  Call 437-9862 or email paul@halvason.org.

Contact Information
    * HALVASON, P.O. Box 363897, N. Las Vegas, NV 89030-9998
    * President:  Carl Kaun, 702-897-0337
    * Email webmaster@halvason.org to report any problems with this website.

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