Godless Spellchecker's Blog

I recently wrote about the hysteria emanating from a number of American atheist, secular and humanist organisations in response to some words tweeted by Richard Dawkins on the topic of self-identification. This circus culminated in the American Humanist Association withdrawing their 1996 Humanist of The Year Award from Richard Dawkins.

Roy Speckhardt, the executive director of American Humanists appeared to explain the decision by stating that ‘Dawkins pattern of insensitivity to groups who experience prejudice are holding our movement back from attracting diverse populations we should be seeing in droves..’.

Which got me thinking. Are Jews welcome in the American Humanist Association? You see, I only ask this question because a year after Richard Dawkins was awarded Humanist of the Year in 1996, the 1997 honour went to American activist Alice Walker.

In the intervening years Alice Walker has earned a reputation as someone that promotes anti-Semitism. It seems even after her promotion of anti-Semitism was well known and documented, American Humanists were still celebrating her on their social media.

So, if Dawkins is to be publicly condemned and have his award withdrawn on the grounds of ‘insensitivity to groups who experience prejudice’, I fully expect Roy Speckhardt and the American Humanists will be announcing their withdrawal of Humanist of The Year from Alice Walker any moment now. Unless of course Jews don’t count in the model of intersectionality they are pushing. I await a response.

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