The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.

The One Law for All campaign against Sharia law in Britain is to be launched at the House of Lords on International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2008 from 4:00 to 5:00pm. According to campaign organiser, Maryam Namazie, ‘Even in civil matters, Sharia law is discriminatory, unfair and unjust, particularly against women and children. Moreover, its voluntary nature is a sham; many women will be pressured into going to these courts and abiding by their decisions.

The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.

Ariane Sherine (of Atheist Bus Campaign fame) was on BBC Breakfast this morning (3rd December). She was discussing the Church’s new Christmas Ad campaign (Nativity in a bus shelter) and the Christian representative made the most glorious defence of faith in God by saying, “I don’t understand how TV works, but I believe it does.” As the kids say nowadays, I “LOL’D” all around the living room Tags: Atheist+bus, Belief, TV

Read the latest newsletter from the International Humanist & Ethical Union here. If you’d like the newsletter to arrive in your inbox every month, sign up on the IHEU site. The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) is the world umbrella organisation for Humanist, ethical culture, rationalist, secularist and freethought groups. Based in London, it is an international NGO with Special Consultative Status with the UN (New York, Geneva, Vienna), General Consultative Status at UNICEF (New York) and the Council of Europe (Strasbourg), and it maintains operational relations with UNESCO (Paris).

Hello Friends, Yes another cheap and pointless Xmas update email. Can it be 12 months since we last sat down and wrote? YES it’s in the diary every year for heaven’s sake! Well what a strange year; Betty is now 47 and Frank died in a hideous boating accident in Holland. It’s not easy getting a waterlogged body through customs at Heathrow. Julie was shot dead at point blank range and we had to buy a new fridge freezer in August … After the terrible news of losing the freezer we felt we should take a break … The long shop museum in Leiston is not what we expected as Betty would have preferred somewhere in the sun.

On 25 December a very special person was born, says New Humanist, offering thanks and praise to … Isaac Newton, born on 25th December 1642, and to many other scientists and thinkers in the NH daily series of Advent Podcasts. For a “daily blast of reason”, sign up for their email alerts. (Before anyone emails to complain, the date of Newton’s birth is disputed – some say he was born on 4th January.

With Christmas fast approaching, I couldn’t resist sharing this from the BBC website. It’s moments like this I’m glad I don’t “do” Christmas http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7767113.stm Enjoy!

A Humanist contribution to a Celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, at the Unitarian Meeting House, Ipswich, 10th December 2008, organised by the local UN Association. Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

This is from Terry Sanderson’s editorial on the NSS’s Newsline, the weekly e-news from the National Secular Society. To read more, go to the NSS website. To get Newsline in your inbox, sign up on the NSS site. Every person in Britain who values the secular nature of our society will be alarmed and, indeed, frightened, by a publication this week from the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR). Entitled Faith in the Nation, it is a collection of essays by “senior faith leaders” which begins with a foreword by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

If you have children aged between eight and seventeen, you may be interested in the first UK residential summer camp for the children of atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers and all those who embrace a naturalistic rather than supernatural world view. The camp will be at Bath for the week 27th July – 31st July 2009, for an all inclusive £275. They are looking for volunteers to help. To find out more, go to the Camp Quest website.

The seasons are determined by the time it takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun – just over 365 days – and the way the Earth tilts on its axis. The Summer Solstice is the longest day (Midsummer Day in June), and the two equinoxes (Spring and Autumn) are when night and day are the same length. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day (tomorrow, 21st December 2008), when the North Pole is furthest from the Sun because of the Earth’s orbit and its tilt.

Parking is available. If the front door is shut, press the buzzer to be admitted.

A Traditional Country Pub in the Coastal Town of Woodbridge. Parking, wheelchair access. On the corner of Old Barrack Road and Ipswich Road, Woodbridge. Entry to car park in Old Barrack Road. The Duke of York used to be The Seal, and has been given a make-over. It will be familiar to those who’ve been to previous pub lunches in Woodbridge.

If you’re interested in joining us, please email by 14 January at the latest, so we know how many to expect. We can’t book at The Seal, so need to get there early and grab a table or tables. Varied menu includes vegetarian options.

Charles Darwin was born on 12 February 1809 in Shrewsbury, England. He set sail on the Beagle on December 31, 1831 and published The Origin of Species in 1859. He died on 19 April 1882. This will be the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, a particularly special Darwin Day – Suffolk Humanists and Secularists are planning activities to commemorate this bicentenary… watch this space for more info as we have it.

Info and facilities

Further info – public car parking is available 5-10 minutes walk away at St Mary’s, Balkerne Hill.