NJHN June Program with Kate Cohen: Why America Needs Atheists Now More Than Ever

This month we’re hosting a talk by journalist and author Kate Cohen titled Why America Needs Atheists Now More Than Ever. Kate will speak about her decision to stop pretending to believe in God, and about the personal benefits that came from choosing honesty. But she will also discuss the political responsibility she came to feel as an atheist, and how today, as Donald Trump and his allies attack the very notion of verifiable reality, we must fight to hold the line not just between church and state but between fact and fiction.

This is a hybrid meeting, in person at the Franklin Township Public Library in Somerset and via Zoom. Kate’s talk will be via Zoom, starting at 2:00 PM.

Preceding Kate’s talk, at 1:30 PM we’ll hold a brief Annual Membership Meeting to give a report on our activities over the last year for our humanist community. We’ll share our future plans and invite feedback and ideas from our members. We’ll also announce the results of our 2025 Board of Directors election. All members are encouraged to attend.

This meeting via Zoom requires advance registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ZNm0boWKSxmJIDFFjsn-6Q
After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email with the link to join the meeting.

You don’t have to be a dues-paying member to attend the meeting, but you are certainly welcome to become an NJHN member at any time before, during, or after the meeting. We have an Introductory membership level for new members, as well as membership levels for individuals, family/household, college students and limited means, and we also have Sustaining levels. Visit our Membership page to join NJHN and support our educational, social and political goals. NJHN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization and donations and dues are fully tax-deductible.

After the program, everyone is invited to join us for an early dinner at Ruby Tuesday, 250 Davidson Ave in Somerset.

Kate Cohen is a former Washington Post columnist and author of We of Little Faith: Why I Stopped Pretending to Believe (And Maybe You Should Too), which chronicles Kate’s journey to outspoken atheism and argues that nonbelievers should be more vocal, for the good of the country. For this work and for her columns inspecting America’s outsized deference to religion, the Freedom from Religion Foundation honored her with its “Freethought Heroine” award in 2023. She has spoken to groups large and small around the country, and gave the keynote address for the inaugural Congressional Reason Reception (starting at 29:20) in Washington, D.C. in 2024. Kate is the author of two previous books and the mother of three children. She lives with her husband on a hay farm in Albany, New York.

Disclaimer: The views, information, and opinions expressed by our program speakers are solely their own and are not expressly shared or endorsed by New Jersey Humanist Network. The primary purpose of our speaker programs is to educate, inform and stimulate conversation.