By HUGH KRAMER - LA ATHEISM EXAMINER
Added: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 UTC

http://www.examiner.com/x-8947-LA-Atheism-Examiner~y2010m1d19-LA-atheists-helping-with-Haitian-earthquake-relief?cid=examiner-email

Atheists have always donated to charities as individuals and, for that reason, have achieved little recognition for their contributions as a community. With the establishment of new secular charity funds like SHARE (Skeptics and Humanists Aid Relief Efforts) and Non-Believers Giving Aid though, that's begun to change. As part of its ongoing commitment to humanist ideals and to let the world know, for a change, that atheists have those ideals, the Los Angeles-based group Atheists United is asking its members to donate to Haitian earthquake relief through Non-Believers Giving Aid. Here's the text of the message sent on Jan. 19 to its membership by AU president Bobbie Kirkhart:

When tragedies such as the Haitian earthquake hit, the religious community is praised for its rush to help, but we freethinkers, giving as individuals, are assumed to be absent or unconcerned. Even when our relatively small groups collect donations, those pale by comparisons to the large, well-funded religious groups. Atheists United is pleased to be a part of an effort to change this. The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science has begun a donation web site, Non-believers Giving Aid: http://givingaid.richarddawkins.net/ and AU has joined the list of fourteen organizations that participate.

You can specify your donation as coming from any listed group, and 100% of your donation will go to the International Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders, as you specify. Richard Dawkins is personally paying the PayPal fees, and the Foundation is not taking a service fee.

This project will remain open after the emergency in Haiti is over, so that we freethinkers may give a quick response to other “Acts of God.”
Let us all show that we care!

Bobbie
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TAGGED: ATHEISM, COMMENTARY, HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS