There seems to be no limit to how low the Republicans can sink. They seem to be trying to outdo each other in bigotry, thereby increasing their appeal. Donald Trump has stated that Muslims should be prevented from immigrating to the United States. Marco Rubio, the junior senator from Florida whose campaign is on life support as of this writing, has pushed for closing mosques in the country. Former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson has gone so far as to say that a Muslim should not be President.

Recently, the trials and tribulations of Ashley Madison have been in the news. That is the agency catering to those that want to cheat on their spouses. A hack list containing a whopping 32 million names has been released. The company’s CEO Noel Biderman resigned. Biderman had always claimed that he had no extramarital affairs behind his beloved wife’s back. However, there are reportedly emails showing that (surprise!) he has had several such affairs.

Any conception of the New Humanism will have to confront threats to secularism and religious liberty worldwide. Sadly, there are many, and one will always find work in trying to roll back the tide of theocratic reactionary forces on the global scene.