Please join us on November 22, 10:30 am, to hear Lauren Camp, the Poet Laureate of New Mexico (2022-25). In addition to reading from her works, she’ll discuss her path to poetry, her experience as Poet Laureate and the projects she’s working on now.
The title of her talk: "Poetry and Geography—Mapping Emotions and Experience through Lines and Stanzas." Be sure to tell your poetry-loving friends! Download the flyer above here. Read more about Lauren here.
Meetings in November
Saturday, November 8: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, International District Library, 7601 Central Ave NE
“What’s On Your Mind?”-- A free-wheeling, open and respectful discussion. It's a great way to meet fellow humanists and discuss issues of the day.
Saturday, November 15: 10:30 am - noon, International District Library, 7601 Central Ave NE
Topical Discussion: "What Is Critical Thinking?" -- Topics are suggested and voted on by members.
Discussion meetings are free and open to the public. No RSVP is required.
Membership
Benefits of Membership
The opportunity to meet and socialize with other freethinking individuals.
Attendance at group meetings with the opportunity to hear challenging and informative speakers discuss a broad range of timely issues.
Be part of a progressive secular network taking action on important issues of the day.
Access to a wide selection of Humanist literature and publications.
Becoming a Member
Membership dues are $25 per year ($40 for couples), $5.00 per year for student memberships (18 and under).
Humanism is a nontheistic worldview with ethical values informed by scientific knowledge and driven by a desire to meet the needs of people in the here and now. At the foundation of those values is an affirmation of the dignity of every human being.
NOVEMBER 2025: PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Peter Dickinson
October was a full and eventful month. Thanks to everyone who attended our Annual Members’ Meeting. As our organization continues to grow, it’s important that everyone has an opportunity to be part of the decisions we make.
We had the honor of hosting Seth Andrews on October 25. Seth is the host of the popular podcast The Thinking Atheist. If you were unable to attend or just want to see his talk again, you can find it on our YouTube channel. (While you’re there, you can subscribe to our channel, and to Seth’s.
Seth used the well-known story of the spontaneous ceasefire that occurred on the front lines during the First World War on Christmas Eve 1914 to frame important questions about how we humans relate to each other in the face of our often significant differences and deeply rooted tribalistic tendencies.
Seth covers a lot of territory, and many ideas that I hope will be part of our ongoing conversations. One main idea I’d like to emphasize—and that I think captures the essence of humanism —is that we are all part of one human tribe. From that perspective, we can accept and celebrate our differences, even when they escalate into rivalries and conflicts. Perhaps our greatest challenge as humanists is to remember that even the people who demonize and dehumanize others to further their hateful agendas are human, and to strive to denounce their ideas and actions without losing sight of that fact.
Fish Stark: Today Is a Golden Opportunity for Humanists
On Saturday, May 24, American Humanist Association (AHA) Executive Director Fish Stark told a gathering at the Albuquerque Museum that humanism offers hope for a divided country. His talk attracted HSNM members and guests who wanted to learn more about humanism and its role in American society.
“Humanists have a golden opportunity right now, in an age of loneliness and dispossession, to reach out to people and say this: You are not alone. There are so many people who think the way you do,” Fish said.”
His definition of a humanist? “You’re a humanist if you believe in the Golden Rule, but not in God,” Fish explained. “It is my deep belief that there are 45 million humanists in America who don’t know it yet. The number of people who are broadly secular and broadly progressive is far greater than those who are involved in our community today.
“We must embrace, repeat, and popularize a simple truth—that humanism has been the driving force of American social innovation, not by mere accident but by design—because humanist beliefs shaped the revolutionaries, the innovators, the healers, and the artists who define the American spirit,” he continued.
In a Q&A session, Stark encouraged humanists to support their local chapters through membership, political action and donations. He also highlighted the impact of giving to the AHA and its advocacy and political arm, the Center for Freethought Equality and its political action committee, the Freethought Equality Fund.
Guild Cinema's Keif Henley draws big crowd to Albuquerque Museum
Did you miss Keif's talk? Watch it on our YouTube channel. And check out Keif's "10 Favorite Movies" of all time, unless it changes, which it does all the time.
Humanist Society of New Mexico, A Nonprofit Corporation * P.O. Box 27293, Albuquerque, NM 87125-7293 * Contact@HumanistsNM.org
