Show Notes
After a stranger suggests that maybe two plus two equals five in another universe, Robert Affinis decides he is officially done debating God’s existence with anyone. Ever.
From telling Mormons “no thank you” with full chest to growing up in a deeply religious Black household that still made room for questions, Robert and Shay get into what it actually takes to say “I’m a humanist” out loud. They unpack churches as one-stop shops, religion as infrastructure, why humanists are oddly afraid to wear their own T-shirts, and why the better question is not “Does God exist?” but “Who gets hurt when belief shapes power?”
Enjoy this episode and be sure to monitor your volume as these two Jerseyans discover they share a home state in common. ABOUT ROBERT AFFINIS Robert Affinis is a writer and speaker who explores the deeply personal journey of religious deconstruction and what it means to build a meaningful life beyond belief. Through candid reflection and thoughtful analysis, he examines the emotional, intellectual, and social dimensions of questioning faith, offering insight for those navigating similar transitions. Website: https://robertaffinis.com Kwasi Wiredo: https://bit.ly/kwasipdf LEARN MORE Advocate With Us: https://americanhumanist.org/advocatewithus American Empathy Project: https://americanempathyproject.org For more on humanism: https://linktr.ee/americanhumanist
More from How to Humanist
If you're new to humanism, then you're probably also new to the American Humanist Association, a nonprofit that's been around for nearly 100 years. And we've been BUSY! In this episode you'll be inspired by the mentions of some important revolutionaries in our world's history, and then you'll learn about the ambitious and passionate work being done by the AHA with the help of supporters like you. There's way more to come! ABOUT FISH STARK: Fish Stark is an organizer, educator, social entrepreneur, and lifelong humanist. Prior to joining the AHA as Executive Director, Fish was the Head of Program + Curriculum at Legends, an educational technology startup helping children. Fish lives in Annapolis, Maryland, where he is President of the Speaker Mike Busch District 30 Democratic Club, is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, and serves on several nonprofit boards. He moonlights as an award-winning stand-up comedian and has performed in 13 states.
Today we return to the foundations, the brick laying of humanism, if you will. In this episode, Greg Epstein — Harvard and MIT's Humanist Chaplain and author of the NY Times bestseller Good Without God — joins us to break down what humanism actually is, where it came from, and why some of our biggest existential questions have been getting wrestled with for millennia, by regular people who just wanted to live a good life without being strong-armed into it. Welcome to humanism... we're glad to have you. ABOUT GREG EPSTEIN Greg M. Epstein serves as Humanist Chaplain at Harvard & MIT, where he advises students, faculty, and staff members on ethical and existential concerns from a humanist perspective. TechCrunch's first “ethicist in residence,” he has been called “a symbol of the transition in how Americans relate to organized religion” (The Conversation). He is author of the New York Times-bestseller Good Without God, and the multi-award-winning Tech Agnostic, and has written for TIME, CNN, and The Boston Globe. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregmepstein Good Without God: https://bit.ly/goodwithoutgodbook Tech Agnostic: https://bit.ly/techagnosticbook LEARN MORE For more on humanism: https://linktr.ee/americanhumanist
We're chatting with actor, director, writer (and humanist) Jon Huertas today, traveling down the memory lane of his iconic roles and learning some of our favorite tidbits from his career. Jon also shares how humanism has impacted his career and just how cuddly cows are. Enjoy this conversation with Jon as we continue to honor Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month. #meetyourheroes ABOUT JON HUERTAS
Why wait? We're still on a kick from celebrating AHA's 85th annual conference this past weekend which included honorees Jordan Klepper, Anthea Butler, and Hank Green. And although we sold out of tickets for it (not once, but) twice, we know that not everyone got a chance to attend all the wonderful sessions. So we figured, let's give the people what they want -- and what everyone wants -- is more Klepper. ABOUT JORDAN KLEPPER
It's a humanist crossover episode! "I've never heard of humanism, but is this what I've been all along?" What happens when you discover the word for what you've believed your whole life? Shay Leonia came to humanism only recently, and rather than hide the learning curve, she has made it the heart of her work. In this episode, James Hodgson talks with Shay about her journey into humanism, the art of admitting what you don't know, and how to bring humanist values to people who have never heard the term. We discuss growing up with everyday kindness as a lived value, letting go of the supernatural without losing what matters, the AHA Creator Program and building coalitions beyond the secular space, and why humanism needs to become more accessible and more representative if it is going to grow.