Humanist Hub Director to Serve Tech Leaders of Tomorrow
New university chaplain inspires students to consider ramifications of innovations
BOSTON, April 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- While the world questions the tech industry's moral compass, the Humanist Hub today announced the appointment of its executive director Greg Epstein as the first humanist chaplain to support a technology-focused university. The Humanist Hub is dedicated to serving the next generation of leaders and guiding students in leading ethical lives of personal fulfillment.
"Our next generation of leaders are creating unprecedented technology impacting billions of lives. They also have a radically different relationship with traditional religion than previous generations, so we need to change the way we educate them about ethics and moral values in science, technology and business," said Epstein. "The Humanist Hub is committed to building positive beliefs in community, justice and pluralism for the atheist and agnostic students we serve – and for everyone."
Epstein will serve as the first Humanist Chaplain of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), joining the Institute's Office of Religious Life to officially serve a growing humanist constituency. Epstein will support his fellow chaplains in working together for the well-being of the entire campus. "I am pleased to welcome Greg Epstein to our team. I admire his work and respect the care with which he has approached thinking collaboratively about the needs of our humanist and secular students. As we work to shape and mold tomorrow's leaders and innovators amidst a changing religious climate, he is well suited to support the MIT community," said Reverend Kirstin Boswell-Ford, Chaplain to the Institute and Director of The Office of Religious Life.
According to a 2017 Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) report, the "American religious landscape is undergoing dramatic transformation." For the first time, the largest religious group in America is "none," with nearly one in four Americans identifying as religiously unaffiliated. Additionally, the percentage of teens who identify as atheist has doubled.
The Humanist Hub is uniquely positioned to train future technologists and policymakers to consider the ramifications of innovation. As students grow into professionals and leaders, Epstein's vision is to empower them with humanist values in order to best contribute to a more ethical society.
Epstein also serves as humanist chaplain at Harvard University, with the mission of building an inclusive secular community and creating a new model for how people celebrate life, promote compassion and better the world for all. Founded in 1974 as the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard, the Harvard-Square-based Humanist Hub started as a small organization serving humanists, atheists and agnostics. In recent years, the Humanist Hub has evolved into a national model for humanist community programs on campus and beyond.
About Humanist Hub
Founded in 1974, the Humanist Hub is an independent 501(c)3 charitable organization dedicated to creating an inclusive community for the religiously unaffiliated. Drawing on the structures and best practices of religious communities, The Humanist Hub works to create a new model for how humanists celebrate life, promote reason and compassion, and a better world for all. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. To get involved, please visit www.humanisthub.org.
SOURCE Humanist Hub
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