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Happy New Year Twenty-Ten
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Humanists celebrate the season
Many people decorate trees this time of year, and the Halton Peel
Humanist Community didn't want to be left out of the fun.
The group, founded three years ago, hosted an event Monday night in
which its members decorated a tree with covers from some of their
favourite books read this past year.
Being humanists, there were plenty of books that focused on science and
logical thinking; Charles Darwin's Origin of Species made an appearance
as did Al Gore's The Assault on Reason and David Suzuki's The Sacred
Balance.
Kevin Saldanha, the group's president, said the event wasn't designed to
denigrate people's faith. Rather, it was a way for the group to
celebrate and enjoy the season in a way that's in line with their beliefs.
"It was our way of celebrating with a tree that we felt was appropriate
and, hopefully, would inspire people," said Saldanha. "It allows us to
celebrate the season in a positive way without being offensive."
About 15 people took part in the tree decorating, which was held on
Saldanha's property on Creditview Rd.
Saldanha said it seemed like a good idea because many people are
decorating Christmas trees this time of year. He pointed to the recently
erected Loving Memory Tree for grieving families outside City Hall as
another example.
"Our tree promotes knowledge, education and scientific literacy," said
Saldanha.
http://www.mississauga.com/community/article/246704--humanists-celebrate-the-season
SOURCE: Miguel Braganza
