What we’re about
"The Humanist Society of Santa Barbara is an all volunteer non-profit educational organization that promotes the values of Humanism on the Central Coast of California. Humanists care about having this one precious life be the best that it can be for all people on the planet, and about preserving the Earth for future generations.
Most humanists are secular, many are atheists (having either been raised as atheists or having "thought their way out" of their religious upbringing).
Humanists stand in wonder at the magnificence and complexity of the universe, and are generally curious and interested in how things work, how things came to be the way they are, and how to impact where we are headed for the benefit of all humanity.
Humanists value reason and the scientific method as the most reliable method of discovering what is true. We value our 1st amendment rights, particularly freedom of speech and the separation of religion from government.
Interested? Please join us!
HSSB Website: [www.SBHumanists.org](http://www.sbhumanists.org/)"
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Belief in Belong: Atheist Community BuildingNeeds location
Simulcast on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88193881833
Our Program: Join us in person (or on Zoom) for a talk by Dr. Kristina Lee, a Communication Studies Professor at the University of South Dakota, as she explores how the history of the atheist movement and current research on atheist experiences can help us build stronger, more inclusive organizations and communities for atheists, Unitarians, agnostics, and humanists. Drawing on both historical insight and contemporary data, Dr. Lee will highlight key lessons and practical strategies for creating support systems that reflect the diverse needs of atheists today.
Our Speaker: Dr. Kristina M. Lee is a Communication Studies Professor at the University of South Dakota. Her research focuses on the intersection of religious and political rhetoric with a particular focus on the rhetoric of and about atheists and the rhetoric of Christian Nationalism.
Dr. Lee earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from Kent State University and an M.A and Ph.D. in Communication Studies at Colorado State University. She has been an Assistant Professor at the University of South Dakota since 2022. Her first academic article Theistnormativity and the Negation of American Atheists in Presidential Addresses received the National Communication Studies Stephen E. Lucas Debut Paper award and the Religious Communication Association's Article of the Year Award. In it she coined the phrase ‘theistnormativity’ to describe the way belief in a higher power gets normalized and associated with good citizenship. Other published articles include Playing Devil’s Advocate: The Satanic Temple’s Use of Direct and Indirect Blasphemy as a Form of Uncivil Obedience and Playing Devil’s Advocate: The Satanic Temple’s Use of Direct and Indirect Blasphemy as a Form of Uncivil Obedience. Dr. Lee has also written numerous articles for The Conversation on religion and politics.
