Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science

Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science
Founded 2006
Founder Richard Dawkins
Type Scientific education and advocacy organization
1119952 (UK) 98-0499347 (US EIN)
Location
  • 1012 14th Street NW, Suite 209, Washington, DC 20005, USA
Key people
 Richard Dawkins (founder)
J. Anderson Thomson (CFO)
Robyn Blumner (executive director)
Mission "To support scientific education, critical thinking and evidence-based understanding of the natural world in the quest to overcome religious fundamentalism, superstition, intolerance and suffering."[1]
Website richarddawkins.net

The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (RDFRS or RDF) is a non-profit science education organization founded by British biologist Richard Dawkins in 2006.

History

Dawkins complained of the difficulty he faced in gaining tax-free status, which he attributes to the secular nature of the organization. In contrast to the presumption by officials that religious organizations benefit humanity without evidence, he points to a letter he received from the British Charity Commission requesting evidence for the claim that the advancement of science is connected to the public good.[2]

Theist author Marion Ledwig suggests that the foundation may have been set up as an atheist counterpart to the John Templeton Foundation,[3] an organization which Dawkins has publicly criticized, especially in The God Delusion, for corrupting science. In a TED talk prior to writing The God Delusion, Dawkins had called for the need for an "anti-Templeton" to step up, saying that if his books sold better, he would take the initiative himself.[4]

Among its activities, RDFRS finances research into the psychology of belief and religion, finances scientific education programs and materials, and publicizes and supports secular charitable organisations.[5]

Activism

In March 2009, following proposed anti-evolution resolutions by Oklahoma State Representative Todd Thomsen, including condemning a visit by Dawkins to Oklahoma,[6] he instructed the U.S. branch of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science to donate $5,000 to Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education.[7][8]

In March 2011, the RDFRS along with the Freedom From Religion Foundation began The Clergy Project which is a confidential on-line community that supports members as they move from their faith.[9][10]

In 2014 RDFRS joined several similar organizations, including the Stiefel Freethought Foundation, the Secular Student Alliance, and the Secular Coalition for America, to form Openly Secular, an initiative which aims to combat and draw attention to anti-atheist discrimination and to encourage more people to openly self-identify as irreligious.[11][12][13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mission Statement for Both Charities - The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science". Richarddawkinsfoundation.org. 2011-12-21. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  2. ↑ Dawkins, Richard (2009). The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution. London: Bantam Press. ISBN 978-0-593-06173-2.
  3. ↑ Ledwig, Marion (2008). God's Rational Warriors. Ontos-Verlag. p. 76. ISBN 978-3-938793-87-9.
  4. ↑ Dawkins 2002 TED talk accessed 2010-04-14
  5. ↑ "Our Mission". richarddawkins.net. The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. Retrieved 2006-11-17.
  6. ↑ "Antievolution resolutions introduced in Oklahoma". National Center for Science Education. March 7, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  7. ↑ "Dawkins lecture draws thousands at OU". Norman Transcript. March 7, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  8. ↑ "Richard Dawkins at the University of Oklahoma - Introduction". Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. March 7, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  9. ↑ "The Clergy Project". Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  10. ↑ Winston, Kimberly (30 April 2012). "For clergy, lost faith can lead to lost family, jobs". The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  11. ↑ "Announcing the Openly Secular coalition". Richarddawkins.net. 29 April 2014.
  12. ↑ Winston, Kimberly (2 May 2014). "New 'Openly Secular' group seeks to combat anti-atheist discrimination". Washington Post.
  13. ↑ Kumar, Anugrah (3 May 2014). "Atheist Groups Form New Coalition to Fight 'Discrimination'". Christian Post.

External links