A Jesus statue is at the center of a lawsuit in Montana. A National Atheist group demand the removal of a Jesus statue that sits on top of a mountain at a Montana ski resort. A local member of the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation group claims that he is offended by seeing the statue when he visits the resort.

A decorated tree with ornaments depicting brightly colored book dust jackets representing great works of human civilization, especially the humanist tradition, will deck the lobby of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia on Rittenhouse Square as its holiday display with a different message – the gift of knowledge. The tree will be decorated at 12 noon Dec 2, and can be viewed by the public Tues-Thurs, 10 am-4 pm, and on Sundays from 10:30-2:00 pm through Dec 23.

This Thanksgiving, before digging in to the holiday feast, many Americans will bow their heads in prayer. They’ll thank their god for providing them and their loved ones with the good fortune received over the year, perhaps specifically showing appreciation for the health of those gathered, the well-being of the nation, and the food before them. At the same time humanists, atheists, and other nontheists will be thanking a different source for the abundance they and their loved ones enjoy.

As the assistant humanist chaplain at Harvard University, Chris Stedman coordinates its “Values in Action” program. In his recent book, “Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious,” he tells how he went from a closeted gay evangelical Christian to an “out” atheist, and, eventually, a Humanist.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is taking the Internal Revenue Service to court over its failure to enforce electioneering restrictions against churches and religious organizations, calling it a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and of FFRF’s equal protection rights. FFRF filed the lawsuit today in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.

After last night's election, secular Americans can do things they haven't done in years: They can celebrate. They can feel a smidgen optimistic about the future of their country. And they can stop prattling on about repatriating to Canada.

For a while there, house-hunting expeditions in Manitoba seemed like a plausible course of action. After all, "secularism" in 2012 was the dastardly -ism whose name could not be spoken. Across nearly 18 months of garrulous campaigning, I counted fewer than a dozen references to the S-word by presidential candidates. Even less was said about secularism's preferred policy variant: separationism. The concept of a "wall of separation" was hardly ever mentioned, except by Rick Santorum, who reported that it turned his stomach.

In the 2008 campaign, both candidates for president called for comprehensive action on climate change through a declining cap on carbon. This time around, the economy has taken center stage; while Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have presented different visions on energy policy, climate change has largely been relegated to the sidelines. Nonetheless, the magnitude and urgency of the challenge have not diminished. If we needed any reminder of that fact, Hurricane Sandy should have provided it—especially coming on the heels of devastating drought, record-breaking temperatures through the spring and summer, and a record low in the extent of Arctic sea ice.

Schools and districts nationwide continue to invest in mobile technologies. The EdTechTeacher iPad Summit hopes to provide educators in this country and overseas with a forum to discuss how to leverage these devices in order to further empower teachers and students as creators of their own learning. "While there are some technical sessions," explains the EdTechTeacher team, "the focus is on creating effective pedagogy, enriching curriculum, and leveraging the device in order to support students and teachers as innovators."

Following the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy, Chris Matthews laid into individuals—including politicians and major funders—who deny climate change theories.

Matthews spoke to Professor Michael Oppenheimer of Princeton University and Rep. Ed Markey about Republican politicians who do not take environmental reform issues seriously. Markey said that Hurricane Sandy "frames the election next Tuesday," which comes down to "Mother Nature vs. the Koch brothers."