News Archive

After Terrorist Attack on Charlie Hebdo: Abolish the Blasphemy Paragraph 166 of the Criminal Code! [2]

The state should protect artistic freedom - not the feelings of religious fanatics

2015/01/08

"Public peace is not disturbed by artists who satirize religions, but by fanatics who cannot react to criticism appropriately," declared Michael Schmidt-Salomon [3], gbs spokesman, after the attack on the French satirical magazine "Charlie Hebdo". Worldwide expressions of solidarity after the assassination were encouraging, but not sufficient by any means. In Germany, for example, the so-called "blasphemy paragraph" (§ 166 of the German Criminal Code, StGB), which gives the ominous impression that "religious feelings" are more important than the freedom of art, must be abolished.

Against Islamism AND Xenophobia [4]

Islamists and "patriots" are more similar in their basic beliefs than they suspect

2014/12/15

In the past several weeks, thousands of people have responded to the calls of "Patriotische Europäer gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes" (Pegida - "Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident"). This was followed by a broad social debate, in which it was unfortunately all too rarely discussed how much the thought patterns of the "patriots" resemble the basic premises of those Islamists they criticise. The Giordano Bruno Stiftung has taken this opportunity to publish a brochure to raise awareness of this issue.

Effective Altruism [5]

How can we improve the lives of as many sentient beings as possible?

2014/08/14

Effective Altruism (EA) is a philosophy and a social movement that aims to make the best use of the limited resources both time and money to improve the lives of as many sentient beings as possible. Together with gbs Switzerland, the Giordano Bruno Stiftung Germany has now launched a project on Effective Altruism.

"Life's Unfair, but Beautiful" [6]

Humanist and gbs adviser Fiona Lorenz died at age 51 in Potsdam, Germany

2014/07/31

She fought for more than thirteen years against recurring tumours in her body. On Tuesday morning, social scientist and author Fiona Lorenz died in Potsdam at age 51. A eulogy by Michael Schmidt-Salomon.

Constitutional Goal Speciesism? [7]

The rejection of the petition "Basic rights for great apes" by the Petitions Committee of the German Bundestag is perplexing

2014/06/03

The "ZEIT" newspaper considered the initiative "Grundrechte für Menschenaffen" ("Basic Rights for Great Apes") worth a cover story, but the Petitions Committee of the German Bundestag rejects the publication of the corresponding petition. Main petitioner Michael Schmidt-Salomon filed an objection against this and dismantled the Petitions Committee's peculiar reasoning.

"Thou shalt pay for thy Church Days thyself!" [8]

Art campaign "11th Commandment" criticizes subsidization of major religious events at Kirchentag in Regensburg

2014/05/29

The art action campaign "11th Commandment" drew attention to the constitutionally problematic subsidization of major Church events on the fringes of the Katholikentag ("Catholics Day", a bi-annual religious festival) in Regensburg. It featured a "tablet of stone" almost three metres high, alongside an equally large Moses stretching his forefinger warningly up to the sky.

Catastrophic Conditions in German Zoos [9]

Animal rights activists aim to include basic rights for great apes in the German constitution

2014/05/08

60 percent of German zoos keeping apes do not meet the minimum requirements set out in the new mammal expert opinion issued by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. This was explained by Colin Goldner, head of the "Great Ape Project Germany" (GAP), at a press conference in Berlin on Thursday morning. Many chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orang-utans show, as Goldner documents in his recently published book "Lebenslänglich hinter Gittern" ("Life behind bars"), symptoms of massive psychological disturbances and can only survive the equally dull as stressful everyday life at the zoo with the help of psychopharmaceuticals.

Press Conference "Basic Rights for Great Apes – Life Behind Bars" [10]

Presentation of the basic rights initiative and the GAP study on great apes in German zoos on May 8 in the House of the Federal Press Conference

2014/04/28

The right of the great apes to personal freedom, life and non-torture is to be enshrined in the German Basic Law. This is the aim of a basic rights initiative which will start on Thursday, May 8, with a press conference in the House of the Federal Press Conference. A current study on the living conditions of great apes in German zoos, which will also be presented at the press conference, shows how urgent the need for action is.

A Jewel of Enlightenment [11]

Eulogy for Karlheinz Deschner

2014/04/10

Karlheinz Deschner is dead. The "greatest church critic of all times" (Dieter Birnbacher) died last Tuesday at the age of 89 in his hometown of Hassfurt. An eulogy by Michael Schmidt-Salomon.

"Assistance to Self-Determined Dying Must Remain Unpunished" [12]

Guidelines on suicide assistance introduced in Haus der Bundespressekonferenz

2014/03/12

Over two-thirds of the population, should they have a severe illness, would like to be able to shorten their suffering with the help of a doctor. In reality, however, there is hardly any physician today who is prepared to even talk about this. This situation, extremely problematic for many people, is to be further exacerbated in the future. German Federal Health Minister Hermann Gröhe (Christian Democratic Party, CDU) demanded a ban on any form of "organised" suicide assistance. A draft law announced in February by CDU/CSU (Christian Social Union in Bavaria) intends to even make suicide assistance by singular doctors punishable.

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