The Guild Cinema helps make Albuquerque Albuquerque. The theater at 3405 Central Ave. is a city institution, thanks in large part to Keif Henley. On September 27, Henley will discuss film, show clips from some of his favorite movies and describe what it’s like to operate “ALBUQUERQUE’S OLDEST STILL-RUNNING MOVIE THEATER, SINCE 1966.”
Download the above flyer to send to friends, family and other people you want to inform or annoy.
Discussion Meetings in September
Saturday, September 13: 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, September 20: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, International District Library, 7601 Central Ave NE
Topic: "What Is Patriotism?" -- Join us to discuss a topic chosen the month prior. You don't have to research the topic ahead of time, but some members like to stretch their awareness ahead of time. And feel free to suggest a topic for the following month.
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.
SEPTEMBER 2025: PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Peter Dickinson
Hello Humanists! This month marks two big milestones. The first is personal – two years ago, I moved to Albuquerque, and attended my first HSNM meeting. I was happy to find such a friendly, welcoming and thoughtful group of people so soon after arriving in this unfamiliar place.
The second milestone is statistical – HSNM is rapidly approaching 100 active members! The first time I attended an HSNM meeting, we were meeting in the Multigenerational Room at the International District Library. I don’t remember the exact numbers, but I think there were around 15 of us there that day. I really enjoyed the conversation, and felt included from the start.
These days, we are seeing 30 or more at our two monthly discussion meetings, and we’ve been close to the capacity of 80 at the Albuquerque Museum auditorium for some of our monthly speakers.
Growing means we need to find ways for members to contribute their time and talents to keeping things working effectively. With that in mind, the board of directors has formed three new committees to focus on the work needed to keep HSNM strong and growing, and to help us put our values and commitments into action in our communities.
Membership – In addition to taking responsibility for the membership roster, this committee will explore ways to help members connect with and support each other. This includes, for example, providing support for existing special interest groups and members who want to start new ones. The committee will collaborate with the Communications Committee to enhance communication between members, the board, and other leaders.
Communications – This committee will be responsible for our various online tools, including our website (HumanistsNM.org), and for finding ways to apply them to help members communicate with each other and HSNM leadership. The committee will publish the newsletter, news releases and other publications for members and the public.
Outreach – Many of you are involved with other organizations in our community, particularly those working to make our city, state and country a better place for everyone. This committee will help HSNM leadership and members connect and work with other organizations that share our humanist values, and to focus on projects where we can make a difference.
If you’d like to be part of any of these committees, please let me (pete@HumanistsNM.org) or any board member know. You’ll note that one of the key responsibilities of all the committees (and of the board, for that matter) is to “help members” – that is, to help you be a part of making HSNM a force for good in Albuquerque, New Mexico, America and the world. Whether you’re on a committee or not, you are the ones who make HSNM what it is, and that’s one thing that will remain constant through whatever changes the future holds for us.
“I, too, have my religion. It is this: Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy is now; the place to be happy is here; and the way to be happy is to make others happy. This is the religion of usefulness; this is the religion of reason.” -- Robert G. Ingersoll, 1899
March has been a busy month for me, which means this month’s message will be (blessedly?) brief. Picking up from our topical discussion meeting, and considering Mr. Ingersoll’s advice on the way to be happy, I’d like to direct your attention to some resources that may provide you opportunities to help make someone else’s life a little happier.
HSNM now has a new website (humanistsnm.org) which includes a page of “Humanist Allies”—groups and organizations that directly or indirectly support the basic principles of humanism and promote the dignity and happiness of all human beings.
April 5, 2025, the “Hands Off!” protests are happening in cities across the country to “to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history.” People will be gathering at the Civic Plaza in Albuquerque, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, to make their voices heard. More information is available at handsoff2025.com and at Indivisible: mobilize.us/indivisible/event/767065/.
I will be attending the annual American Humanist Association conference June 27–29 in Chicago. The title of the conference is “Humanists Move America”—a sentiment that is more than aspirational, given the growing resistance to the anti-human agenda of the current regime.
I’m looking forward to meeting humanists from around the US, and bringing back ideas we can use to build our communities here. If you’d like to join me, you can register here: www.conference.americanhumanist.org. I’m looking forward to hearing from AHA Executive Director Fish Stark at this month’s speaker meeting (May 24th at the Albuquerque Museum).
Fish and the rest of the AHA staff and board: (americanhumanist.org/about/staff) (americanhumanist.org/about/board-ofdirectors) are bringing some new energy to the fight to keep our government secular.
It’s nice to be reminded that we are part of a much bigger movement working to protect everyone’s freedom to believe or not. As an aside, I was very encouraged to see the diversity of the AHA staff and board members. To me it makes it clear that humanism is speaking to more people than ever.
At our topical discussion meeting on Resilience, I mentioned Timothy Snyder’s new book On Freedom. Between moving and getting settled into my new home—and keeping up with the book group and Great Decisions, I’m slowly working my way through it. I expect I’ll have more to say in a future message—and I’d be happy to discuss the book with anyone who’s interested. For now, I’ll leave you with a thought on Snyder’s discussion of the first type of freedom—sovereignty. He points out that in order to be free to be ourselves, we have to know, as much as we can, who we are, and that to do that, we need to see how other people see us. There’s a lot to this thought, but I leave it here as a reminder that we all need each other to be free.
As always, feel free to contact me at pete@HumanistsNM.org. And don’t forget to visit our new website: HumanistsNM.org.
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.
Humanist Society of New Mexico, A Nonprofit Corporation * P.O. Box 27293, Albuquerque, NM 87125-7293 * Contact@HumanistsNM.org
