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'''David Niose''' (born August 20, 1962) is an attorney, author, and activist who has served as president of two Washington-based national organizations, the [[American Humanist Association]] and the [[Secular Coalition for America]]. In these positions he has initiated and pursued various advocacy efforts—legal, political, and public communications—on behalf of [[secularism]].<ref>[https://worldreligionnews.wordpress.com/2014/12/16/massachusetts-pledge-of-allegiance-supreme-court-case/]</ref><ref>[http://joemiller.us/2015/02/atheists-say-congressional-prayer-caucus-a-threat-to-us-constitution/]</ref><ref>[http://americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2011-08-victory-for-free-speech-aha-wins-case-over-atheist-b]</ref> The American Humanist Association promotes [[humanism]] and defends the rights of humanists and other non-theistic Americans, and the [[Secular Coalition for America]] is a lobbying and advocacy group for non-theistic Americans.<ref>[http://www.americanhumanist.org/Who_We_Are/About_the_AHA American Humanist Association "About the AHA" page]</ref><ref name="rawstory.com">"Humanists in Massachusetts Superior Court argue against reciting pledge", ''Raw Story'',[http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/14/humanists-in-massachusetts-superior-court-argue-against-reciting-pledge/]</ref><ref>"Pledge of Allegiance wording causes controversy in Acton", ''WHDH TV'', |
'''David Niose''' (born August 20, 1962) is an attorney, author, and activist who has served as president of two Washington-based national organizations, the [[American Humanist Association]] and the [[Secular Coalition for America]]. In these positions he has initiated and pursued various advocacy efforts—legal, political, and public communications—on behalf of [[secularism]].<ref>[https://worldreligionnews.wordpress.com/2014/12/16/massachusetts-pledge-of-allegiance-supreme-court-case/]</ref><ref>[http://joemiller.us/2015/02/atheists-say-congressional-prayer-caucus-a-threat-to-us-constitution/]</ref><ref>[http://americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2011-08-victory-for-free-speech-aha-wins-case-over-atheist-b]</ref> The American Humanist Association promotes [[humanism]] and defends the rights of humanists and other non-theistic Americans, and the [[Secular Coalition for America]] is a lobbying and advocacy group for non-theistic Americans.<ref>[http://www.americanhumanist.org/Who_We_Are/About_the_AHA American Humanist Association "About the AHA" page]</ref><ref name="rawstory.com">"Humanists in Massachusetts Superior Court argue against reciting pledge", ''Raw Story'',[http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/14/humanists-in-massachusetts-superior-court-argue-against-reciting-pledge/]</ref><ref>"Pledge of Allegiance wording causes controversy in Acton", ''WHDH TV'',{{cite web |url=http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/12006687048380/pledge-of-allegiance-wording-causes-controversy-in-acton/ |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2012-02-16 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://archive.is/20130209195849/http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/12006687048380/pledge-of-allegiance-wording-causes-controversy-in-acton/ |archivedate=2013-02-09 |df= }}</ref> |
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==Biography== |
==Biography== |
Revision as of 08:30, 6 September 2017
David Niose | |
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![]() David Niose speaking at the 2012 American Humanist Association conference. | |
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Occupation(s) | Attorney, Author, former President of the American Humanist Association and Secular Coalition for America |
David Niose (born August 20, 1962) is an attorney, author, and activist who has served as president of two Washington-based national organizations, the American Humanist Association and the Secular Coalition for America. In these positions he has initiated and pursued various advocacy efforts—legal, political, and public communications—on behalf of secularism.[1][2][3] The American Humanist Association promotes humanism and defends the rights of humanists and other non-theistic Americans, and the Secular Coalition for America is a lobbying and advocacy group for non-theistic Americans.[4][5][6]
Biography
Niose was born in Concord, Massachusetts. He majored in journalism at Boston University, where he graduated with a B.S. in 1984. He graduated cum laude from Suffolk University Law School in 1990. Admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1990, he opened his own law office in 1993.[7]
AHA and SCA activity
Niose joined the American Humanist Association board of directors in 2005. He served two terms as president of the AHA, before becoming president of the Secular Coalition. In January 2014 he left the presidency of the Secular Coalition for America to become legal director of the American Humanist Association.[8]
Upon joining the AHA board in 2005, Niose helped develop and launch a national advertising campaign promoting humanism in 2005, one of the first national ad campaigns by a secular group in America.[9][10] The campaign included a series of full-page ads in several national magazines.[11] As AHA president Niose oversaw several more major advertising campaigns which have included national television, radio, billboards, and public transit.[12] These efforts have since been replicated by other secular groups.[13] In late 2011 the AHA launched a $200,000 holiday billboard campaign, placing advertisements in 7 different cities, which included a billboard reading "Yes, Virginia, there is no god.".[14]
In 2007 Niose initiated a contest sponsored by the Secular Coalition for America that resulted in Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) becoming the first member of Congress to openly identify as an atheist.[15] As AHA president Niose urged President Obama to decline the honorary presidency of the Boy Scouts until their policy to exclude atheists is changed. Mormon, United Methodist and Roman Catholic churches are the largest sponsors of scout units across the country.[16] He also has been highly critical of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, initiating letters from the AHA to incoming members of Congress in 2013 and 2015 discouraging them from joining the caucus.[17] Responding to the first of the two letters in an interview on Fox News, Prayer Caucus founder Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) called the AHA letter "unprecedented" and accused the AHA of being among "extremist groups" that "want to make sure they censor and shut down anything related to faith."[18] After the first letter was sent, CPC membership declined from 104 to 89.[17]
Niose developed a legal strategy arguing the concept of equal rights and nondiscrimination rather than the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause in cases protecting religious minorities.[5] In 2014 the AHA brought suit against a New Jersey school district taking the approach that the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance was discriminatory against atheists.[19] In February 2015 a New Jersey Superior Court Judge dismissed the suit ruling that "...the Pledge of Allegiance does not violate the rights of those who don't believe in God and does not have to be removed from the patriotic message."[20] This followed a ruling of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in May 2014, where in a unanimous decision ruled the court declared that the daily recitation of the phrase “under god” in the US Pledge of Allegiance does not violate the plaintiffs' equal protection rights under the Massachusetts Constitution.[20]
Critical of the Religious Right, Niose argues that progressive policy goals will be difficult or impossible to attain in America without the secular demographic visibly asserting itself in politics and policymaking.[21][22][23]
Niose has appeared on national and local media outlets speaking on secularism, humanism, law, and public policy. His television appearances include MSNBC,[24] Fox News,[25] and The Daily Buzz. National radio programs guest appearances include The Thom Hartmann Show,[26] the BBC, The Alan Colmes Show,[27] The David Boze Show with Michael Medved[28] and The Jeff Farias Show.[29] Niose has also appeared on numerous local media outlets all across the United States and has been interviewed by the National Journal.[30]
Niose has written for media outlets including Salon,[31] the Washington Post,[32] Newsday,[33] The Huffington Post,[34] Lawyer’s Weekly publications,[35] Humanist magazine,[36] AlterNet,[37] and Progressive Populist.[38] He has interviewed figures such as Gore Vidal,[39] Noam Chomsky,[40] and Howard Zinn.[41]
Niose is the author of Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans, released in 2012 by Palgrave Macmillan.[42] His next book, Fighting Back the Right: Reclaiming America from the Attack on Reason, was released in 2014.[43] Since 2011, Niose has written a blog on humanist and secular issues for Psychology Today.[44]
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ American Humanist Association "About the AHA" page
- ^ a b "Humanists in Massachusetts Superior Court argue against reciting pledge", Raw Story,[4]
- ^ "Pledge of Allegiance wording causes controversy in Acton", WHDH TV,"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Law Offices of David Niose" biography
- ^ [5]
- ^ [6]
- ^ [7]
- ^ [8]
- ^ http://americanhumanist.org/news/details/2010-11-humanists-launch-largest-national-advertising-campai
- ^ [9]
- ^ "Ad Campaign Promoting Atheism Across U.S. Draws Ire and Protest - ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. 2010-12-05. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
- ^ [10]
- ^ "As organization turns 100, Boy Scouts say they're still essential", Associated Press, December 20, 2009
- ^ a b [11]
- ^ [12]
- ^ "Why New Jersey atheists don't want Pledge of Allegiance in school", Associated Press, April 22, 2014
- ^ a b Spoto, Maryanne. "'Under God' is not discriminatory and will stay in pledge, judge says", NJ.com, February 6, 2015
- ^ American Humanist Association biography page
- ^ Freeline Media, "The American Humanist Association is working on improving its public image, its president says"
- ^ "Humanism and the gay community" Humanist magazine
- ^ Appearance on The Cycle
- ^ [13]
- ^ Appearance on The Thom Hartmann Show
- ^ [14]
- ^ Appearance on the "David Boze Show, November 24, 2009
- ^ Appearance on The Jeff Farias Show [dead link]
- ^ National Journal magazine, "Betting Against the Rapture, Godless Gather in D.C. to Lobby Against Religion," May 18, 2011
- ^ Salon: David Niose
- ^ Washington Post: Americans are leaving religion, why are we still subsidizing it?
- ^ Newsday, "Niose: Atheists making political inroads," July 20, 2012
- ^ The Huffington Post, "9 Great Nonbelievers In U.S. History," July 17, 2012
- ^ Lawyers Weekly, "Is Establishment Clause a distraction?," Nov. 2010
- ^ Humanist magazine, "The Post-Theological Umbrella," Feb. 2008 Archived July 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [15]
- ^ Progressive Populist, "Are We More Secular than the Conservatives Would Have Us Believe?," March 15, 2009
- ^ [16]
- ^ [17]
- ^ [18]
- ^ Niose, David. ''Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans, Palgrave Macmillan, 2012 ISBN 978-0230338951
- ^ Niose, David. Fighting Back the Right, Palgrave Macmillan ISBN 978-1137279248
- ^ http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-humanity-naturally Our Humanity, Naturally