MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: James Croft

James Croft is a candidate for an Ed.D in Human Development and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), where he works with Howard Gardner, world-renowned creator of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI). He is a Humanist, one of the editors of The New Humanism, and works closely with Greg Epstein at the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard. As a gay man, he is also passionate about gay rights and is engaged in LGBT activism.

How did you first hear about the Foundation? I first heard about the Foundation through an email alert, and I signed up right away!

Why are you a member? There are many things I appreciate about the Foundation. I love its Humanistic and secular focus, which makes me feel at home. I like how you can select the amount of your donation which goes to different causes, and how you can make decisions based on the particular charities supported each month. For example, right now I’m giving my whole donation to Marriage Equality USA, fighting for equal marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples, because this is an issue that profoundly concerns me. I’m impressed by the openness with which decisions about which causes to support are made, and the clear criteria by which those decisions are made. In total, the Foundation Beyond Belief seems like an organization with integrity and clear humanitarian principles. That’s worthy of anyone’s support.
 
Favorite cause categories: I tend to focus on the Education and Human Rights categories, since these are the areas which mirror my own work and concerns. As a former high school teacher, current doctoral candidate in education, and a gay rights activist, I’m excited most by these categories.

Any beneficiaries so far that particularly moved or interested you? I was particularly impressed by the Uganda Humanist Schools Trust, especially since great hatred toward gay people in Uganda is stirred up by religious groups, including religious groups themselves incited by US evangelicals. The vision of a secular, sceptical and non-discriminatory education being kept alive despite such widespread attempts to legislate hatred (a proposed bill in Uganda would have reintroduced the death penalty for homosexual activity) was deeply inspiring.