Humanist Magazine

THE INTERNATIONAL SECULAR HUMANIST MAGAZINE

VA411,15*

Neo Nazi:.

RICHARD RORTY on JOHN DEWEY & SIDNEY HOOK In Defense of Freedom Alternative of Conscience Lifestyles Evaluating the A COOPERATIVE U.N.'s Year For BAPTIST/HUMANIST Panhandlers Tolerance DECLARATION

FARRAKHAN AND THE MILLION MAN MARCH

54>

11 7 25274 7 957 7 WINTER 1995/96, VOL. 16, NO. 1 ISSN 0272-0701 Iftee Contents Editor: Paul Kurtz 3 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Executive Editor: Timothy J. Madigan Managing Editor: Andrea Szalanski 4 In Defense of Freedom of Conscience: Senior Editors: Vern Bullough, Thomas W. Flynn, A Cooperative Baptist/Secular Humanist Declaration R. Joseph Hoffmann, Gerald Larue, Gordon Stein Contributing Editors: 7 New Fundamentalist Intolerance and the Robert S. Alley, Joe E. Barnhart, David Berman, Southern Baptist Convention George H. Shriver H. James Birx, Jo Ann Boydston, Bonnie Bullough, Paul Edwards, Albert Ellis, Roy P. Fairfield, Charles 10 HUMANISM AND TOLERANCE W. Faulkner, Antony Flew, Levi Fragell, Adolf Grünbaum, Marvin Kohl, Jean Kotkin, Thelma 10 Introduction Timothy J. Madigan Lavine, Tibor Machan, Ronald A. Lindsay, Michael Martin, Delos B. McKown, Lee Nisbet, John Novak, 11 The United Nations' Year for Tolerance: An Interview with Robert Muller Skipp Porteous, Howard Radest, Robert Rimmer, 14 Humanism and Tolerance Jean-Claude Pecker Michael Rockier, Svetozar Stojanovic, Thomas Szasz, V. M. Tarkunde, Richard Taylor, Rob Tielman 16 The Limits of Tolerance Paul Kurtz Associate Editors: 19 Thought, Conscience, Religion, or Belief Michael Roan Molleen Matsumura, Lois Porter 21 Representing Freethought in London Margaret Downey Editorial Associates: 22 Freedom of and from Religion Matt Cherry Doris Doyle, Thomas Franczyk, Roger Greeley, James Martin-Diaz, Steven L. Mitchell, Warren 24 Dealing with Religious Beliefs: Allen Smith Some Suggestions from Anthropology Phillips Stevens, Jr. Cartoonist: Don Addis CODESH. Inc.: 27 THE CHALLENGE FROM THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT Chairman: Paul Kurtz 27 Farrakhan and the Million Man March Chief Operating Officer: Timothy J. Madigan Norm Allen, Jr. Executive Director: Matt Cherry 28 Mania in the Stadia: Chief Development Officer: James Kimberly The Origins and Goals of the Promise Keepers Public Relations Director: Norm R. Allen, Jr. Russ Bellant President, Academy of Humanism: Paul Kurtz 31 The Threat to the Atheists' Good Life Albert E. Lyngzeidetson Executive Director, Secular Organizations for 33 The Religious Right's Voice of Intolerance Skipp Porteous Sobriety: James Christopher 34 Yitzhak Rabin (1922-1995): Chief Data Officer: Richard Seymour Fulfillment Manager: Michael Cione Another Victim of Zealotry James A. Naught Typesetting: Paul E. Loynes, Sr. 35 NEWS AND VIEWS Graphic Designer: Jacqueline Cooke Audio Technician: Vance Vigrass 36 Humanist Potpourri Warren Allen Smith Staff. Georgeia Locurcio, Anthony Nigro, Etienne Ríos, AMERICAN NATURALISM Ranjit Sandhu Executive Director Emeritus: Jean Millholland 38 The American Naturalist Tradition Peter H. Hare FREE INQUIRY (ISSN 0272-0701) is published quarterly 40 Remembering John Dewey and Sidney Hook Richard Rorty by the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism 42 The Significance of American Philosophical Naturalism . Patrick Romanell (CODESH, Inc.), a nonprofit corporation, 3965 Rensch Road, Amherst, NY 14228-2713. Phone (716) 636-7571. Fax (716) 636-1733. Copyright ©1995 by CODESH, Inc. 45 Secularization in Turkey Joanna Kuçuradi Second-class postage paid at Amherst, N.Y., and at additional mailing offices. National distribution by MARKING LIFE'S MILESTONES: NEW DIRECTIONS FOR CODESH International Periodicals Distributors, Solana Beach, California. FREE INQUIRY is available from University 47 Humanist Celebrations Jane Wynne Willson Microfilms and is indexed in Philosophers' Index. Printed in the United States. 48 Center for Inquiry Hosts First Welcoming Ceremony Matt Cherry Subscription rates: $28.50 for one year, $47.50 for two 52 REVIEWS years, $64.50 for three years. $6.95 for single issues. Address subscription orders, changes of address, and Transatlantic Dewey, John M. Novak / A Failed Case Against Naturalism, advertising to FREE INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, Gilbert Fulmer / Standing Up to Scrutinize Islam, G. A. Wells \ Feminism's NY 14226-0664.

Flirtation with Censorship, Vern L. Bullough / Lucretius on the Nature of Manuscripts, letters, and editorial inquiries should be Things, Gordon Stein / Merciful Death, Gerald Larue / Books in Brief addressed to The Editor, FREE INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664. Editorial submissions must be on disk (PC: 3-1/2" or 5-1/4"; Mac: 3-1/2" only) and VIEWPOINTS accompanied by a double-spaced hardcopy and a 59 The NGO Conference on Women in Beijing Barbara Stocker stamped, self-addressed envelope. Acceptable file for- mats include any PC or Mac word processor, RTF, and 60 Philosophy and Feminist Politics Ellen Klein and Barry Smith ASCII. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or publisher. Postmaster: Send 65 IN THE NAME OF GOD address changes to FREE INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664. Cover art by Bruce Adams trasting effects of water temperatures on skin senses, an illusion with a ball and fin- Letters to the Editor gers); gave us four reasons why those who claim to prophesy by dreams are in error; and identified some of the major concrete interactions of events involved in sensing, Consciousness Revisited That does not mean that the study of reasoning, remembering, and others. I consciousness has become so esoteric that cannot but wonder whether Carley thinks Adam L. Carley's remarks in "Conscious- it is beyond the evaluation of the nonspe- New Age means "naturalism." ness, Math, and Aristotle" ("Conscious- cialist. The field is still so confused and Carley's method for understanding a ness Revisited," FI, Fall 1995) do not undefined, and the scientific evidence so construct without a referent—conscious- exhaust what can be said about the rela- vague that the study still abounds with lin- ness—is to go into the laboratory to look tionship between the true randomness said guistic obfuscation. That I found particu- for it and then mathematicize it. I am to characterize quantum mechanics and larly true of Daniel Dennett's labeling reminded of a newspaper article that the pseudo-randomness exhibited in many consciousness as an illusion ("A reported on an investigator who measured computer algorithms (and also, for exam- Conversation with Daniel Dennett, FI, a person's weight just before and just after ple, in the sequence of digits forming the Fall 1995). Is the illusion self-standing death. The investigator found a slight decimal expansion of i). Since both ran- without a source? It is rather difficult to reduction after death, which he concluded dom and pseudo-random sequences pass understand an illusion that can sense and was due to the flight of the soul. Having the mathematical tests for randomness, it evaluate the "real" world and still itself be gathered a bit of data myself, I have great is generally only by prior knowledge or an illusion. respect for data and for quantification but lucky insight that one can discern that a Dennett's book Consciousness Ex- only after investigators have first desig- given sequence is not truly random. plained does a superb job of indicating nated whether they are looking for some- So consider a sequence of quantum- what conscious is not, but at best gives a thing that can be consistent with what mechanical observations. We can really theory of what it is. they observe, a thing or event in nature only say that they seem to be random. rather than a construct. They might in fact be determined by a free Herbert, Tonne Carley continues to confuse the brain will, perhaps that of God, acting from out- Northvale, N.J. as a necessary condition with the brain as side the known physical universe. Then a sufficient condition: "Tens of billions of again they might not. We really cannot tell rapidly firing, complexly interconnected, which is the case, either now or in the I was a little surprised by Daniel intercommunicating neurons aren't there foreseeable future. Thus does science Dennett's confidence that the world of for the hell of it." Of course not. They remain neutral on the most basic religious religious convictions can be won over to make complex behavior possible. But that questions. humanism with scientific facts. I don't doesn't mean they determine or produce think celebrations are in order quite yet. the behavior. To my statement that not a John G. Fletcher At the moment the trend seems to be single psychological principle has ever Livermore, Calif. going in the opposite direction, with been discovered in the brain but only in politicians pandering to the Religious organism-object interactions, Carley Right and the public schools cranking out claims that "many psychological func- The better people understand the nature of a generation of dummies. There are many tions have been located and understood." what we once called the soul, the more reasons why people will not listen to If by "functions" he means necessary con- likely they are to be thoughtful humanists. logic. Underlying it all is the impulse to ditions, he is quite right. But if he means Early in the century William James and survive death. that neurons have been found to be the Ernst Haeckel among others gave serious sufficient conditions for psychological consideration to the nature of conscious- William R. Dunbar behavior (and I don't mean simple ness, but then interest turned to analytical Cerritos, Calif. reflexes), I challenge him to document a positivism, empiricism, and the philoso- single instance. phy of science. It is fortunate for human- In his examples of how astronomy, ism that such scholars as Daniel Dennett, I was quite surprised to learn from Adam physics, and computer science have used Patricia Churchland, W. G. Lycan, Wilder Carley that my discipline of psychology is mathematics and "hook or crook" to deal Penfield, Roger Penrose, and many others part of the humanities and that its source with matters that are otherwise too com- are now working on the "soul." It is unfor- of information is literary sources. I was plex for us to deal with, he seems to imply tunate that the word soul carries with it the also amazed to see Aristotle's no-non- that we can do the same with "conscious- concept of immortality and of the separa- sense psychology characterized as "new ness" and thereby continues to confuse tion of body and spirit of Cartesian think- age." He was the first person to provide constructs with events. Our perceiving, ing, thus making it undesirable to use the empirical demonstrations in psychology word as denoting our self-awareness. (necessity of the medium contact, con- (Letters, cont'd. on p. 62) Winter 1995/96 3 In Defense of Freedom of Conscience: A Cooperative Baptist/Secular Humanist Declaration

t an historic dialogue convened on October 6 and 7, tions are subjected to rigorous analysis and criticism. It is partly 1995, at the University of Richmond, Virginia, Baptist through critical inquiry that the interpretations and theories are A and secular humanist scholars came together to find tested, refined, improved, and sometimes exchanged for more some common ground. promising ones. Without the testing process, higher education is For many years both Baptists and humanists have been impossible. embroiled in heated controversy in the public square. Academic freedom entails (1) protection from all the external Fundamentalist Baptists in particular have leveled strong forces that threaten objective inquiry, and (2) access to the tools charges against humanists, especially secular humanists, accus- and resources that make the academic process a concrete reality ing them of undermining the moral and social fabric of America. rather than an abstraction. Various interests tempt scholars to And secular humanists have in turn accused some Baptists of sacrifice their objectivity of inquiry both in the classroom and in betraying democracy and working to establish a theocracy. research and publications. The academic life of searching for The Dialogue focused on the following areas of concern: (I) truth and of seeking to solve the problems raised in experience Academic Freedom; (2) Biblical Scholarship; (3) Separation of and research will not survive unless scholars, teachers, and the Church and State; (4) Pluralistic Democracy. This Declaration friends of education fight diligently against the temptations and presents a consensus statement. Although not necessarily agreeing threats. with every detail in the Declaration, those who endorse it accept Some professional schools have the responsibility of incul- its general terms and are committed to further cooperation. cating the students in a specific tradition or body of information, skills, interpretations, and doctrines. A theological seminary is a Academic Freedom professional school designed to equip students for the various branches of the ministry. There are two competing models of the irst, the principle of academic freedom is widely accepted in seminary. The first is designed to indoctrinate the students in a FAmerican higher education and at colleges and universities body of beliefs and to train them to serve and defend those doc- throughout the world. Recently, many Baptist schools and semi- trines. Within that model are varying degrees of latitude in pro- naries have undergone a major assault on the academic freedom viding students with the history and development of those of their faculties. As a result of this campaign by boards of beliefs. trustees and administrators, leading scholars and professors have According to the second model of seminary education, the been dismissed or forced out by intimidation and harassment. training of students for various avenues of the ministry includes A college or university is first and foremost a center dedicated in addition the goal of higher education; namely, the search for to the search for truth. A school of higher education belongs to a greater truth and understanding. The emphasis is on the search grand tradition that passes onto each new generation some of the and the adventure. On this model, much is expected of research. lessons and intellectual skills of its forebears. The search for Seminary training is viewed as analogous to the medical training greater understanding, wisdom, and truth thrives best in a set- that prepares students for medical practice. Good medical ting of academic challenge free of intimidation and repression. schools are also research centers where the medical students are To maintain its integrity, an institution of higher learning must expected to learn some of the results of the latest research. operate by the rules and regulations that enhance rather than hin- Research carries a certain risk, as does all objective inquiry. der the primary goal of inducting students into the joys and rig- Unlike indoctrination alone, objective research at the seminary ors of the learning process. Objectivity in inquiry is not con- level encourages students not only to learn and appreciate their ducted by a mind free of all biases but a community achievement heritage, but also to examine its doctrines and to try to test them whereby various biases, theories, views, doctrines, and interpre- by comparative, historical, and critical analyses. A denomina- tations are explicated and examined. Accuracy and fairness of tional seminary has the added responsibility of exposing its stu- presentation are high academic ideals. Without them, education dents to the denomination's rich and diverse history. becomes mere propaganda. While indoctrination may be the The trustees and administrators of a seminary have a moral necessary beginning point of education, it cannot be its goal. In duty to communicate clearly which of these two models they objective inquiry, the various relevant doctrines and interpreta- expect the newly appointed faculty to follow. There is also the

4 FREE INQUIRY moral duty not to shift from one model to another abruptly and and traditions producing the biblical texts harbored deep theo- without regard for the faculty's advice and counsel. logical, moral, aesthetic, and literary interests that permitted In each of the models of seminary training, instructors have a them to reshape and even invent putative historical events. professional and moral duty regarding rival views. If they choose Furthermore, the new literary criticism has taken a fresh look at to present those views, the instructors' duty is to represent them biblical myths to discover their power, value, and limitations. accurately and clearly. To misrepresent and distort is dishonest. Currently, biblical scholarship has exploded into a rich array To present a view or doctrine accurately, instructors must show of literary orbits—rhetoric criticism, narrative criticism, and why or how it is regarded as meaningful to those who embrace redaction or editor criticism. In addition, there has emerged the it. This practice does not prevent criticism, however; for criticism sociology and anthropology of the early communities in which without accuracy in presentation will always be superficial. the biblical texts possibly came into being. Added to this study is canon criticism, or stories of the selection and function of Biblical Scholarship religious texts in the centuries after their composition. Such Baptist scholars as Dan O. Via, Jr.; T. C. Smith; Edgar econd, we believe that it is essential that objective biblical McKnight, and R. Alan Culpepper have contributed to the thriv- Sscholarship be encouraged. There is already a rich tradition ing biblical scholarship of the second half of the twentieth cen- of scholarly work, one that uses rigorous standards of historical tury. Secular humanists like R. Joseph Hoffmann, Morton and scientific inquiry. Dogma is no substitute for rigorous Smith, and G. A. Wells have made notable contributions to New research and the integrity of inquiry must take precedence over Testament studies. demands for doctrinal conformity or censorship. The students in Contemporary humanists in particular—both secular and reli- schools and seminaries have a right to know and faculty to teach. gious—have explored in depth the humanness of the biblical They—as well as the public at large—should be made aware of texts. They have opened up new opportunities for modern read- the tradition and they also should be exposed to the intellectual ers to find profound kinship with the ancients and their human debates about the Old and New Testaments. Scholars should not struggles. Archaeologist and Old Testament scholar Gerald A. be compelled to adopt a simple literal or inerrant interpretation, Larue in particular has stressed the humanity of the ancients. but need to draw upon the best linguistic, literary, archaeological, They have explored new vistas enabling Christians, Jews, secu- and historical research that is available. They should be familiar lar humanists, Hindus, Muslims, and others to see that, while with the works of critics; for it is only by the free give-and-take they do not share the same views on God or gods, they as read- of ideas that truth can be more nearly achieved. ers of the various Scriptures can appreciate the human condi- The humanism of the Renaissance stressed the "return to tions, sufferings, and tragedies embodied in the texts. antiquity." The ancient texts were seen as sources of enlightenment and wisdom. Among these texts were Hebrew Scripture Separation of Church and State and Christian Scripture. Renaissance humanism generated a new sense of inquiry into the past, an inquiry that evolved eventually hird, the Baptist/Secular Humanist Dialogue made it abun- into historical criticism. As a part of this movement, the Dutch Tdantly clear that both traditions supported freedom of con- Christian humanist Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) brought science, and this enlists both religious liberty and the right of together what he regarded as the most reliable ancient manu- unbelief. This means that we are vigorously opposed to any effort scripts to produce his Novum Testamentum, a critical edition of by the state to establish a religion, legislate conviction, or erode the Greek New Testament. Thirty years later, Martin Luther the cherished principle of separation of church and state embod- translated the Bible into German. This, too, was a part of the ied in the U.S. Constitution. Renaissance drive to go back to the ancient sources for enlight- Humanism is a wide and deep river of certain ideals and val- enment. ues fed by numerous traditions. No one tradition can regard itself One result of the quest for the authentic sources was that of as the sole tributary. One of the more fascinating tributaries that exposing documentary falsification and false attribution. both secular writers and the Religious Right have yet to appreci- Humanism's fundamental concern for historical accuracy helped ate fully is the early seventeenth-century Baptist and Seeker bring about the Enlightenment, which sowed the seeds of a more Roger Williams. For over a half a century, this undaunted sophisticated historical criticism and source criticism in the defender of liberty of conscience and freedom of publication study of Scripture. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, bib- fought against those who insisted on using the state to propagate lical scholarship went in search of not only the most reliable religion. With characteristic boldness, he proclaimed that liberty texts of Scripture, but the prior sources that fed into the texts. of conscience must not only include freedom to believe in a Form criticism joined source criticism in enriching the field of given religion, but freedom to disbelieve. Against Massachusett's biblical scholarship. Governor John Winthrop and other theocrats, Williams argued The latter quarter of the twentieth century has spawned a ver- that a religion that depends on the state either to intimidate puta- sion of literary criticism that is becoming increasingly sensitive tive heretics or to give preferential treatment to religious believ- to the diversity of literary styles and genres in the Bible. ers and institutions will succeed not in building up faith and Historical criticism's drive to uncover, if possible, the actual righteousness but in increasing hypocrisy and deceit. events of biblical times is joined by a new and equally powerful As a religious humanist, Williams denounced the Puritans for drive. The new literary criticism boldly claims that the authors their claim that the Native Americans were the Canaanites of the

Winter 1995/96 5 New World. He charged that both the New England Puritans and reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign King Charles I of England had stolen the land that rightfully reverence that act of the whole American people which declared belonged to the natives. In addition, he not only protested the that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus enslavement of the defeated natives, but invited Anne building a wall of separation between Church and State. Hutchinson to live in Rhode Island when the Massachusetts Bay Colony banished her for expressing her unorthodox beliefs in her In Revolution within the Revolution, Baptist historian William own house. R. Estep has traced out the fruitful exchange between Madison Roger Williams contributed to the Enlightenment's later and some of the early Baptists, an exchange reflected in emphasis on individual human dignity. Immanuel Kant Madison's noted defense of the wall of separation between (1724-1804) gave perhaps the most succinct expression of this church and state entitled A Memorial and Remonstrance. Secular belief in dignity when he wrote that individuals everywhere humanists are strongly committed to religious liberty—for both ought to be treated as ends in themselves and never as means believers and unbelievers. The free mind is thus the cardinal only. Kant's contemporaries Thomas Paine, James Madison, and principle of humanism. It is embodied in the words of Thomas Thomas Jefferson spoke openly of human rights and believed Jefferson when he declares his opposition to "any tyranny over that no religion could call itself worthy of human commitment the mind of man"and in James Madison's defense of religious unless it paid more than lip service to the Golden Rule. liberty and the First Amendment. As Baptists and humanists we The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution reflects the share this devotion to freedom of conscience and separation of influence of both the early Baptists and deistic humanists. Thomas church and state. Jefferson was a natural ally of eighteenth-century Baptists. This is nowhere more evident than in correspondence between Jefferson Pluralistic Democracy and the Danbury Baptist Association. Those Connecticut Baptists wrote a letter to President Jefferson in 1801. They had little theo- ourth, we recognize the pluralistic character of American life logical common ground, but they shared a belief in the importance 11 and the fact that there are different conceptions of morality of human freedom. and different systems of faith and belief. We respect that men and The letter opened by expressing "our great satisfaction in your women may practice alternative styles of life and express differ- appointment to the chief Majestracy in the United States." They ent visions of the good life. In America there are often radically continued, "Our Sentiments are uniformly on the side of different religious eupraxophies and secular worldviews: Religious Liberty—That Religion is at all times and places a Christian and humanist, Muslim and Jew, Buddhist and Hindu; matter between God and individuals—That the legitimate Power and there are multiplicities of denominations and associations. of civil government extends no further than to punish the man We realize that theists may differ with humanists about the nature who works ill to his neighbor. . . ." With strong words they of ultimate reality; at the same time it is possible for both believ- affirmed, "Our hopes are strong that the sentiments of our ers and unbelievers to participate in American life in a responsi- beloved President, which have had such genial affect already, ble way. Moreover, Americans of different faiths and none may like the radiant beams of the Sun, will shine and prevail through believe in and practice the common moral decencies and basic all these States and all the world till Hierarchy and Tyranny be virtues, respect human rights, and share common values. destroyed from the Earth." As Christians and humanists, we call for tolerance and Jefferson replied, mutual respect for alternative religions and philosophies and we Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely pledge ourselves to rational dialogue and the negotiation and between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for settlement of differences. We share our commitment to our plu- his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government ralistic democratic American heritage. •

The Baptist/Secular Humanist Declaration was drafted by Paul Kurtz, Joe E. Barnhart, and Robert S. Alley. It is endorsed by the following individuals:

Norm Allen, executive director, African-Americans for Frank Eakin, chairman, department of religion, Humanism University of Richmond Robert Alley, professor emeritus of humanities, Bernard Farr, director of academic programmes and University of Richmond head of the school of theology, Westminster College, Joe Edward Barnhart, professor of philosophy, North Oxford University Texas State University Thomas W. Flynn, senior editor, FREE INQUIRY Vern Bullough, SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus James Hall, professor of philosophy, University of David Burhans, chaplain, University of Richmond Richmond Bernard Cochran, professor of religion, Meredith Stan Hastey, executive director, Alliance of Baptists

6 FREE INQUIRY Glenn Hinson, professor emeritus of church history, Lois Porter, associate editor, FREE INQUIRY Baptist Theological Seminary George Shriver, professor of history, Georgia Southern University R. Joseph Hoffmann, senior lecturer and research fellow, Westminster College, Oxford University Paul Simmons, former professor of Christian Ethics, Southern Baptist Seminary Paul Kurtz, editor, FREE INQUIRY; professor emeritus of George Smith, president, Signature Books philosophy, State University of New York at Buffalo Dan O. Via, professor emeritus of New Testament, Duke Gerald Larue, professor emeritus of biblical archaeology, Divinity School University of Southern California Edward O. Wilson, professor of entomology, Harvard Timothy J. Madigan, executive editor, FREE INQUIRY University

`Institutional affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.

New Fundamentalist Intolerance and the Southern Baptist Convention

George H. Shriver hyllis McGinley, the Pulitzer Prize- ones not tolerated by an intolerant moder- Pwinner, in her poem "The Angry ate leadership. The fact is, however, that Man," spoke of a man bearing a banner they were tolerated and even indulged. labeled "Tolerance" who scowled along Now they fit the picture intended by life's road championing total liberty and McGinley, for these neo-Fundamentalists answered, when questioned about his pur- have displayed an amazing and even pose, "Intolerance being, ma'am, a frightening intolerance of all those who state/No tolerant man can tolerate." disagree with them on any one item of Interestingly, neo-Fundamentalists in their major political, doctrinal, and ethical the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) agenda. At the same time they have pled have turned the intention of this poem 360 that they are tolerant of diversity (their degrees in the last twelve or more years, definition of diversity is a far cry from "To respect pluralism and to insisting that they have really been the actual and genuine diversity.) accept creative argument and Especially over the last few years, spe- dialogue is not at the same time George Shriver is professor of history at cific illustrations of this intolerance have to reject values and to Georgia Southern University in States- been reported on a national as well as an support moral anarchy as some boro and has a keen interest in academic international level. Such a pattern of neo-Fundamentalists seem freedom. He is the author of American extreme intolerance has emerged that can- to say." Religious Heretics and is working on a not be denied or explained away by the Dictionary of Heresy Trials in American perpetrators. Just a few examples are in Christianity. This paper was read at the order. Heavy, promised funding for the taken away from the school due to neo- Baptist/Secular Humanist Dialogue in international Baptist Theological Semi- Fundamentalist leadership on the Foreign Richmond, Virginia. nary in Rüschlikon, Switzerland, was Mission Board of the SBC. This leader-

Winter 1995/96 7 ship suggested that the school was too with Christian Century. "When Con- was the acceptance of pluralism. This has "liberal" and criticized the presence of servatism Is Liberalism" (August 6, 1969) now been rejected and there is really no Glenn Hinson from Southern Seminary in observed that the so-called conservative "place" in that convention for those who the United States on its faculty. Hinson's factions in the SBC were in actuality truly value a pluralism of experience label of "liberal" is due obviously to his kinds of "liberals" who had sold out to within a unified denominational tradition. criticism of the intolerance of these peo- culture, especially in relation to race rela- ple, for theologically he is definitely a tions—much like the theologically con- ince the late 1960s, evangelicalism has pietistic, conservative, evangelical—in servative "German Christians" of Hitler's Sprospered from the White House to the short, a very Christian man who also hap- Germany. One year later I wrestled in the Southern mill town. Ministering to the pens to be an excellent scholar. Century's columns with whether the SBC desire for wholeness and choice in society More lately, Hinson and Molly was a sect or denomination (September and church, evangelicals have intensely Marshall, also a conservative on the 16, 1970). I concluded that in many ways adapted themselves to the mechanics of Southern Seminary's faculty, have been the SBC was indeed a sect, as it was more modernity but not to the thought patterns warned of dismissal if "someone inter- interested in "separation" than anything of the modern world. Some of them have prets [emphasis mine] them to have else. In the conclusion I suggested that "a offered intense and hot understandings expressed (thoughts) in violation of the conversionist sect may, in search for from their infallible and unambiguous Seminary's Abstract of Principles." Paul greater insularity and separation, become Bible—cut-and-dried answers to very Simmons of the same faculty, professor of a hybrid conversionist-gnostic sect." hard questions. They gained much of the ethics, has also been labeled as guilty of Unfortunately, twenty-five years later, whole world while some of them lost "insubordination" because he has spoken this is exactly what is happening. Paul something of their own soul. The bulk of positively in relation to "pro-choice" in Pressler and his ideological cohorts have "some of them" were neo- academic settings. Hinson, Marshall, and learned well the lessons of secular poli- Fundamentalists. They were found in vir- Simmons are no longer on that faculty. tics, and have successfully "separated" tually all denominations, but more Over twenty years ago some of these same the SBC in more ways than one. A major recently ever so strongly in the SBC. neo-Fundamentalists brought such pres- part of the SBC that had benefitted in ear- Wherever they appeared they showed a sures on Midwestern Seminary that the lier years from the tolerant and pluralistic hostility to any and all kinds of plural- conservative scholar Ralph Elliott was attitudes of mainline, moderate conserva- ism—theological, political, and moral— fired for "insubordination" for he refused tive leadership has now taken over the thus, the "neo" part of "neo- to "freely" remove his own book from SBC politically and will not tolerate Fundamentalism." Like the political right, publication instead of being requested to those who had been tolerant of them for the neo-Fundamentalists pose a serious do so by the Board of Trustees of that decades. Indeed, tolerant people are at a threat to that part of the American way of institution. The academic logic of all this distinct political disadvantage when they life which has been long treasured— escapes the average person's mind. Some are forced to deal with intolerant people. namely, pluralism. These neo-Funda- neo-Fundamentalists have even suggested Regardless of the smoke screen of mentalists have actually departed from the (seriously) that if any of these or other rhetoric released by these neo- traditional understanding of the concept similar actions are not acceptable to Fundamentalists, they are a-historical, of the separation of church and state and accrediting agencies that they will simply anti-intellectual, and anti-pluralist. They have a vision of their own special kind of have to establish their own. have either distorted or rejected the Christian America evolving, out there, essence of Baptist history (for example, sometime in the near or distant future. A neo-Fundamentalism has certainly the priesthood of every believer and the Recently, Lloyd Averill in his excellent ppeared in the last fifteen years that autonomy of the local church); they have book, Religious Right, Religious Wrong, is unlike certain forms of Fundamentalism refashioned their intellectual centers into has perceptively described this kind of of earlier years. This neo-Fundamental- indoctrination centers (see the tragic and Fundamentalism as a "faith turned in ism, especially witnessed more recently in poignant story of Southeastern Seminary upon itself and consequently ungenerous the SBC, is not only insistent about its as reported by American Association of and unlovely in its religion, flawed in its belief system, but it is also extremely University Professors' (AAUP's) understanding of history, and dangerous political and absolutely rejects other posi- Academe, May-June 1989); and they have in its politics." tions. It has joined hands with the political now come to reject what made the SBC a Ethically, especially the neo- right of this country and is also using pop- truly miraculous denomination—namely, Fundamentalists in the SBC have allowed ulism to its own ends as well as employ- pluralism. their ends to justify their means—including whatever means deemed necessary. The SBC had been up to 1990 a micro- ing slurs, innuendoes, blurred language, Years ago when I taught in one of the cosm of the macrocosm of American reli- and severe political rhetoric (illustrated southeastern SBC seminaries, which at gious history. It was its own little ecu- most recently in the charges against that time took its place among the truly menical movement. Missions and Hinson, Marshall, and Simmons at fine higher institutions of religious educa- evangelism bound different groups Southern Seminary.) Their leadership has tion in this country, I sensed some storm together in majestic common causes, and become aggressive and in some cases, signals on the horizon and shared them the glue of the mutually cohering parts commonly mean. Yet they cloak their

8 FREE INQUIRY words and actions in the name of morality, ening but dangerous as well—dangerous stand between the public's being sold a God, the Bible, and the country. They have for American pluralism. false bill of goods by neo-Fundamentalists all the right clichés at their velvety and others. To respect pluralism and to tongue's tip, and they speak a populist ure and simple, neo-Fundamentalism accept creative argument and dialogue is kind of language par excellence. Martin Pis a real threat to the continued exis- not at the same time to reject values and to Marty in his book Religion and Republic is tence of American pluralism. As of now, support moral anarchy as some neo- absolutely correct when he describes them pluralism in the largest Protestant denomi- Fundamentalists seem to say. There is no as a "force of resentment against 'intellec- nation has been irreparably damaged. In heresy in a dead religion; there is no effec- tuals,' `elites,' `the media,' and the like." part, this article is intended as a "wake-up" tive dissent in a totally intolerant state. On It is problematic whether the neo- call to the dangers posed for pluralism in the other hand, where there is pluralism Fundamentalists who have caused so American religious life by neo- and variety of creative positioning, there is much schism in the largest Protestant Fundamentalism. One must search beyond democracy and an American culture true denomination in the United States under- their rhetoric to find out who they are. At to the essence of its history. stand fully and inwardly correct Baptist present, pure and simple, these neo- Phyllis McGinley has a strikingly history and true Baptist practice. It is cer- Fundamentalists are completely intolerant appropriate poem entitled "In Praise of tainly time now for the media and influen- persons. Part of their hypocrisy in the SBC Diversity." She observes in the early lines tial persons on a large scale to expose involved their acceptance of the moderate those who exactly what neo-Fundamentalists are conservative's tolerance for all those years doing. And, this must be done in populist prior to their political take-over; now when Confusing thus from beginning Unlikeness with original sinning. language so that the rank and file will lis- they have their majority vote each year, ten and then understand. The usually they refuse to give even the same kind of mild-mannered Bill Moyers (whose back- gentle tolerance. Their tactic has been that Unfortunately, this is the viewpoint of ground is Southern Baptist Texas) is to be of Vatican I Roman Catholicism vintage: neo-Fundamentalists. To such people, commended for his honesty as he has used when in the minority, favor toleration; continues McGinley, vivid language to talk about the intolerant when in the majority, oppose it. By some There's white, there's black; no tint little "Caesars" (his word) in the SBC means and in some way, neo- between. who have pranced about in delight at their Fundamentalists must be taught the lesson Truth is a plane that was a prism. political successes. It is certainly time to of tolerance in a pluralistic society—in move beyond the overly nice and schol- their own contextual society as well as the Ah! But let us praise diversity, urges arly presentations of Nancy Ammerman larger one. If this be done, then even they McGinley. and James Robison to crystal clear and will be well served, for they will enter populist exposures of these people and mainstream thinking at least in relation to Rejoice that under cloud or star their unethical styles. Moyers has been pluralism and tolerance. The planet's more than Maine or Texas. brave enough to expose the efforts to con- Marty's Religion and Republic suggests Bless the delightful fact there are trol and "make" their own news by firing that the "major religious event of the Twelve months, nine muses, and two honest reporters and hiring only those decade has been the transposition of sexes; who will report what they want to hear forces," and six examples are given.' The And infinite in earth's dominions Arts, climates, wonders, and opinions. and without any internal criticism. If some more important of Marty's observations is of my language sounds a bit harsh, please that mainline Protestantism lost out to be aware that it is based on facts of inci- evangelical moralists (and, might I add, Finally, her last stanza captures the dents which have already happened. For neo-Fundamentalists) by misreading three essence of that lesson Fundamentalists those who decry any harshness, I would spiritual energy resources—"a passionate must learn to remain in a pluralistic soci- gently remind them of Harry E. Fosdick's hunger for personal experience, a resort to ety and what a pluralistic society must remarks about Fundamentalism of the authority in the face of a relativism and teach them if it is to remain pluralistic: 1920s when he referred to Christ as being chaos, and the pull toward institutions and Praise what conforms and what is odd, crucified afresh in his own time by stupid- movements that provide personal identity Remembering, if the weather worsens ity! It is a grievous experience to see one's and social location." To tap these resources Along the way, that even God chosen denomination fragmented and so successfully, however, the evangelical- Is said to be three separate Persons. one's seminary alma mater (Southeastern) moralists have themselves sold out to Then upright or upon the knee, Praise Him that by His courtesy, decimated by these neo-Fundamentalists, materialism and modernity. They have For all our prejudice and pains, as I have. And, then to see these same per- become more world-affirming and success- Diverse His Creature still remains. sons (such as Paul Pressler of Texas) minded than those they earlier criticized as praised by political figures as high as the such. What the future will bring for moder- Note White House itself is depressing. The ates and mainliners is problematic. 1. Martin Marty, Religion and Republic: The courting of the extreme Religious Right One important part of their role, how- American Circumstance. (Boston: Beacon Press, by Reagan and Bush; and virtually all ever, is the abiding advocacy of tolerance 1987), Chapter "Transpositions: A Place for Republican candidates, is not only fright- in a still pluralistic society. Only they Everyone." ' Winter 1995/96 9 Humanism and Tolerance

mittee knows, most agreements are Introduction reached not through mutual satisfaction, but out of exhaustion. Great minds do not Timothy J. Madigan always think alike. Discussing the limits of toleration is an important corollary. Even John Locke, We the peoples of the United Nations marks the fiftieth anniversary of this orga- whose 1689 "A Letter Concerning determined ... to practice tolerance nization. Certainly the U.N. has not Toleration" is one of the most compelling and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors .. . achieved the lofty goal of eradicating pleas for freedom of conscience and reli- armed conflict or territorial aggression. gious expression ever written, felt that —United Nations Charter Still, its very existence remains a remark- some groups should be censured: able human achievement, and is a just ... those are not at all to be tolerated who n 1795 the philosopher Immanuel Kant cause for celebration. Through its disaster relief efforts, its emphasis on human deny the being of God. Promises, Iwrote his tract "Perpetual Peace: A covenants, and oaths, which are the bonds Philosophical Sketch." In it, he developed rights, its international conferences on of human society, can have no hold upon a plan for the abolition of warfare. If all environmental concerns, and its advocacy an atheist. The taking away of God, the nations of the world would send repre- of health and educational issues, the U.N. though but even in thought, dissolves all. Besides also, those that by their atheism sentatives to a central coordinating body, has helped to improve the lives of countless peoples of the world. undermine and destroy all religion, can these representatives could discuss their have no pretense of religion whereupon to problems in a nonconfrontational, calm It is appropriate that 1995, in addition challenge the privilege of a toleration.' and rational manner. There would be no to being its fiftieth anniversary, is also the need to resort to wars or other means of United Nations' "Year for Tolerance." Such a passage should give pause to intimidation. So high was his regard for Without tolerance the U.N. could not pos- humanists who might be inclined to curtail sibly exist. (One must especially admire intellect that he wrote: the freedom of groups they disagree with. the tolerance demonstrated by natives of In some ways, toleration goes against a nat- The problem of organizing a state, how- New York City, who must constantly put ural tendency to wish to silence differing ever hard it may seem, can be solved up with traffic jams caused by visiting even for a race of devils, if only they are opinions. Humanists, who by their very international dignitaries.) The following intelligent. The problem is: "Given a beliefs are in the minority in all societies, multitude of rational beings requiring articles describe the recent U.N. Non- should be in the forefront of defending free- universal laws for their preservation, but Governmental Organizations World dom of conscience. They should also con- each of whom is secretly inclined to Conference on Women (p. 59), and a continue to question and oppose totalitarian exempt himself from them, to establish ference organized to mark the U.N.'s Year systems of thought. Toleration implies a constitution in such a way that, for Tolerance, both of which were attended although their private intentions con- respect, but it does not imply agreement. flict, they check each other, with the by leaders of the humanist movement. The secular state has proven to be the one result their public conduct is the same as Tolerance is an ambiguous word. It most capable of allowing rival beliefs to if they had no such intentions." can mean "to respect the opinions of oth- function relatively harmoniously. The ers without sitting in judgment of them." ideals of the U.N. are in accord with the Kant was unsuccessful in convincing the It can also mean "to put up with or aspirations of humanism. While Kant may nations of his own time to implement such endure." When it comes to the variegated have thought too highly of humans' ability a plan (his native country of Prussia was beliefs, opinions and points-of-view to reach accord, his goal for universal peace particularly noted for its belligerent desire humans are capable of holding, it is per- is still worth pursuing, and there is no bet- to conquer all its sovereign neighbors). haps asking too much of one not to sit in ter way to do this than for nations—and But 150 years later the United Nations, judgment. And there are limits to what individuals—to sit down and reason following in the footsteps of the failed one can be asked to endure (in the immor- together. League of Nations, was established to tal words of Job, "How long, oh Lord, help prevent future world wars, and to how long?"). Kant, with his great admira- Notes encourage mutual cooperation and respect tion for reason, assumed that, if only peo- between all the nations of the world. 1995 ple could put their passions aside and 1.Immanuel Kant, Kant Selections, edited and think straight, all human problems could translated by Lewis White Beck (New York: Timothy J. Madigan is executive editor of Macmillan Publishing Company, 1988), p. 443. be solved, and mutual agreement could 2. John Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration FREE INQUIRY. be reached. But as any member of a com- (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1990), p. 64. •

10 FREE INQUIRY man into an optimistic elderly one, and it helped to make me a spiritual being who 1995: The United Nations' believes we know so much now of our planet and of the cosmos that we can become decent, orderly managers of our Year for Tolerance home. FI: Would you contrast the word spir- An Interview with Robert Muller itual with religion? How would you Robert Muller joined the United Nations in 1948 as an intern. He rose through the ranks to define it? become Assistant Secretary General to three Secretaries General. He was one of the main MULLER: I have been writing about architects of the U.N. institutional system in economics and social fields. He was awarded this for many years, because I was very the UNESCO Peace Education Prize in 1989 and is currently Chancellor Emeritus of The concerned about the divisions between University for Peace in Costa Rica, which was created by the U.N. in 198O. The University religions. Now the issue has come to the for Peace is an international institution dedicated to the search for peace through education, fore. Many world conflicts, even the in accordance with the principles set forth in the Charter of the U.N. Middle East conflict, are basically reli- The following interview was conducted by FREE INQUIRY executive editor Timothy J. gious conflicts. They are the most difficult Madigan on October 25, during Dr. Muller's visit to New York City to commemorate the to resolve, because all involve fundamen- fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the U.N.—EDS. talist believers. They have found the total and absolute truth, and you cannot even discuss any alternatives with them. REE INQUIRY: I'd like to get your But this tendency to search for total Freflections on this week. It must have truths also provides hope. Religions devel- been quite an experience for you. oped variations of a total view of life with- ROBERT MULLER: Yes. My main con- out knowing science. Science has also a clusion, after nearly forty-eight years at total view of the cosmos and of time, and, the United Nations and the University for in my opinion, it is this cosmic conscious- Peace, is that I have been transformed ness that we have today through science from a pessimistic young man, at the end which will finally permit us to have a con- of the Second World War, into an opti- vergence of science and religion. The trou- mistic old man. This is a very fundamen- ble is, as someone once said, God came tal change. Why did it happen? Because, down and told humans, "You must be spir- when I arrived in New York in 1948 as a itual people." Then the devil came up and young intern, I was convinced that in said, "I'm going to do it for you, I'm going twenty years we would have another to organize religions." world war. France and Germany had had Religions have not taken a global per- three wars during my grandparents' lives. spective, but business has. Business took They had to change their nationality five the whole world as a market, and, for times, without ever leaving their village. practical purposes, business now rules the I remember a British delegate at Lake world. My view is that what religions Success who asked me "What are you have in common is spirituality and they doing here, young man?" should work together on such concepts as I said, "I have come to work for peace, prayer, hope, forgiveness, faith, vision and because I do not want my children to see a universal worldview, and the meaning of all the horrors that I saw during the war. I insoluble for at least a century. Later on, life. These are the concepts they address was twice a refugee, imprisoned by the when the Cold War broke out, it was told in common, and this is why I have pro- Gestapo, and saw the most incredible of to me that it would never end. posed the creation of a U.N. International horrors, people burned alive." Now, on this fiftieth anniversary, look- Secretariat on Spirituality, where you The man said to me, "Well, I pity you, ing toward the future, I have the convic- would have people from the various reli- because you are going to lose your job. tion that the human species is going to gions working together every day, as we The United Nations will not survive more make it. There is a host of global efforts to do at the U.N. The leaders of religions are than five years." find a way in the next millennium to sur- like the leaders of nations—when the And now, the U.N. is fifty years old. vive. What is wonderful is that for the first pope goes home after making a nice When we arrived in Lake Success I was time in the entire evolution of the human speech at the U.N., he has to deal with told that a priority was decolonization, species, we are preparing for our entry problems of membership and promotion, and that it would take 100 to 150 years to into a new century and millennium. I and he forgets about larger religious ques- reach that objective. It was done in forty credit the U.N. for two things. First, it tions. The U.N. should hold a conference years. I was told that apartheid would be transformed me from a pessimistic young on religion every year to get the various Winter 1995/96 11 religions to work together. could never change it to the point where must say that the diversity of creation is FI: The International Humanist and there would be any danger. In the mean- incredible in the tropics. I'm a little bit Ethical Union is an Non-Governmental time, the world population explosion like Albert Schweitzer—I have developed Organization of the U.N., and many of its occurred. Until 1952, when the first a reverence for the miracle of life. members are atheists and naturalists who demographic surveys were conducted, we What I see all around is that everything find even the word spiritual to be off- didn't even have any idea how many peo- is recycled. A tree falls down, mushrooms putting. To what extent would this new ple lived on this planet. We discovered grow on it, and after a time it is reab- organization have room for the explicitly that the mortality rate had collapsed from sorbed by the earth. The indigenous peo- nonreligious? 34 per 1,000 to 14 per 1,000. In other ple knew this. I have come to the conclu- MULLER: Well, Buddhists are atheists. words, through improving sanitation and sion that I am earth, I am two-thirds water, Do not forget that, at the World Parliament health in the developing countries, we had everything I eat comes from the earth, and of Religions in 1993, a hundred years after prevented children from dying, but, since I will return to it. Why should I, when I the first World Parliament in Chicago in we did not know what the world popula- die, be put into a concrete vault? I have a 1893, one of the main outcomes was the tion was, we did not tell parents, "You do right to return to life in other forms, be it Declaration of Global Ethics by the not need to have six children in order to insects or be it worms, and now my Catholic priest Hans Kung. A few years have two left at the end of your life." instruction is that when I die I do not want ago there was very little talk about values At that time, I remember the first esti- to be put into a coffin. I want to be buried and ethics, and now it comes up every- mate of the world population in the year into the earth in order to be revived in where. Business ethics, medical ethics, 2000 was 8.3 billion people. Today the another form. environmental ethics. Such an organiza- estimate is 6.1 billion. So that means that The mass of people who are dying on tion could definitely look into this. the warning efforts of governments and this planet is very, very big, and maybe the FI: In a talk you delivered in 1982, you individuals have had positive effects. The burning method or returning to the earth said that, "Today, probably for the first latest statistics show that the average rate are the best ways of dealing with this. This time in human history, we see on a politi- of children per woman in the poor coun- is part of the reconsideration that is taking cal level serious efforts to give birth to a tries has gone down from 6 to 3.4. So the place in humanity about our role in the world ethics." Do you see the U.N. as humanistic phase, while not finished, environment. I have recommended that the being in the forefront of inspiring this helped to create new problems such as United Nations Education, Scientific, and approach? overpopulation, which we are just now Cultural Organization (UNESCO) hold a MULLER: First, from 1945 to 1968, the addressing. second conference on the biosphere in whole U.N. was geared toward the most Since 1980 we have entered a third 1998, thirty years after the first one. incredible humanistic efforts ever period, spurred by sudden warning from a Everything within the biosphere is con- attempted on this planet. The charter new profession called climatology. I will stantly recycled in rotation, and the more focused on eliminating wars, increasing never forget the day when we received the scientists tell us about its interdependen- human well-being, preventing the deaths message at the U.N. that the climate of cies, the more we will be careful to do the of children, giving literacy to the poor, this planet has been impaired, and, if we right thing. and improving human rights, and many continue on course, by the year 2025 the FI: You've also spoken about the initiatives have been successful. Longev- ocean currents will irreversibly change for importance of global consciousness. ity has increased from forty to sixty-two thousands of years. We have had already MULLER: What humans now have is a years in the poor countries and in the two world conferences on the climate and planetary, a global, and even a cosmic con- Western world to seventy-six years. the problem of the ozone layer. For all sciousness. We are able to perceive the infi- Then in 1968, there surfaced the first practical purposes, we have passed from nitely large to the infinitely small. We real concern about the biosphere. I was the humanity as being our sole concern to the know now for the first time all our planets, secretary of the U.N. Economic and Social survival of the Earth and of the biosphere. while five hundred years ago we didn't Council at that time, and representatives There is a new commission on world even know that the Earth was round. We from the Swedish government came to me population and the quality of life that has know much about humanity's past, through and said, "We have to warn the world found that each person in a developing paleontology. We are the only species on about increasing threats to the environ- country during his or her lifetime creates this planet that has a global consciousness. ment." We then had the first world confer- about 150 pounds of garbage, while an I've never seen a cow look at the stars. ence on the environment, in Stockholm in American leaves behind a mountain of UNESCO should bring together astro- 1972. And from that moment on, you had 14,000 pounds. So this is a new debate in physicists, paleontologists, biologists, and the second period, with a concern not only the U.N., namely overconsumption. cosmologists. They will probably say that for humanity but for the environment, FI: Speaking of the waste that people humans are an advanced form of evolution namely what is around us. leave behind, you are also concerned because we have this cosmic conscious- The U.N. Charter doesn't even once about what happens to human corpses. ness, but we are still in the kindergarten as mention the word earth or nature or MULLER: Yes. I live now in Costa far as managing our planet well. resources. Why? Because, in 1945, we Rica, in a wonderful place in the moun- FI: Percy Shelley poetically repre- thought the planet was unlimited, that we tains. I walk every day in nature, and I sented this in his poem "Prometheus

12 FREE INQUIRY Unbound," where he uses the myth to together is tremendous. by nonviolent means. Being above all a show how Prometheus gave the gift of MULLER: Exactly. But institutions are human being does not prevent me from reason and technology to humans, who also important. Individuals become con- liking the French language, and, within misused it to create wars and competing cerned about a problem and band together France, of liking Alsace-Lorraine, where groups. Then at the end, through the to tackle them. Then institutions, world we have a special dialect, a special cui- power of love, all the humans of the world conferences, or world commissions look sine, where we have our own villages, and are inspired to finally use this gift to bet- into them. Like kids, we have to first burn where the tourists come to see the diver- ter the planet. our fingers to react. Often my environ- sity. The border that I saw in my child- MULLER: Teilhard de Chardin said the mental colleagues at the University for hood has disappeared. On October 20 last same thing—when we find love we will Peace told me, "If only we could have a year I was able to go to Belgium, where I have discovered fire for the second time. big accident to unite us." was born, and without any passport cross This concern is now coming to the fore. I FI: Yes, or if we could be attacked by the border into Holland and into Germany. just received a "Declaration on Planetary space aliens. I couldn't believe my eyes. And each area Consciousness" from the Club of Buda- MULLER: This is childish thinking. has a different local culture, which is fine. pest. Discussion of this issue is popping And then we have so many antiquated There is a saying in Alsace-Lorraine that up everywhere, and awareness is reflected beliefs that take so much time to get out of we didn't want to have independence, but in the actions of world agencies. Busi- the way. We have to have the courage to that we have annexed both France and nesses are beginning to address the issue jump into a new era, but too many people Germany. We have the great advantage of since they don't want to be hit the way are hanging onto the past and we have to being able to eat delicious French food on they were during the environmental crisis. practically rethink everything. big German plates. FI: This also ties in to the marking of FI: One final question. You have been FI: I was in Strasbourg a few years ago 1995 as the Year for Tolerance—the called a world citizen. Can you reflect and had fine French cuisine and German whole notion of people from different upon what this means, and what the U.N. beer, which to me is the best of both worldviews and belief systems somehow might do to encourage this idea? worlds. working together. The danger is to force a MULLER: In my opinion, it is very MULLER: You see, that's exactly it. worldview on people, to compel them to simple. To be human is more important Because the whole biology on this act in ways they would otherwise not. than to be a member of a nationality or planet—as I see when walking in the MULLER: Absolutely. Our main goal religion or any group. To be human is woods of Costa Rica—is creation, repro- now should be to move toward a non- really what we fundamentally have in duction, and an incredible diversity that is violent civilization. While there are many common. If I lose my passport, I'm still part of the totality. Unity in diversity is the positive developments in the world, there alive. My life is more important than my role of evolution, which we understand as are also new negative elements like inter- nationality. humans, but we must not kill each other in nal ethnic and religious conflicts. Sixty- I'm also asking for the fundamental the name of diverse religions, diverse cus- nine of the current seventy-two conflicts human right not to kill in the name of a toms, and diverse languages. We must see are ethnic or religious. You have new nation or religion. This has to end. We the planet as our home, and this is another forms of violence like terrorism, the rapid have to build a society where, when we great change in our worldview that is now growth of poor populations, and of mega- have differences, they can be reconciled taking place. • cities that have street violence as a new phenomenon. My main proposal is to ask op for a world conference on nonviolence, and to look at all the causes of violence, Foster humanist growth for years to come. which we have never really dealt with. Provide for FREE INQUIRY in your will. FI: Last June I and several other FREE INQUIRY editors took part in a conference Please remember FREE INQUIRY (CODESH, Inc.) when planning your estate. in Delphi, Greece, on "Humanism and Your bequest will help to maintain the vitality of humanism in a society often Human Survivability." There were about hostile toward it. one hundred people there from different We would be happy to work with you and your attorney in the develop- organizations and specialties. There was ment of a will or estate plan that meets your wishes. A variety of arrangements an element of hubris for us to take on such are possible, including gifts of a fixed amount or a percentage of your estate; major issues, but it came out that one of living trusts or gift annuities, which provide you with lifetime income; a con- the great things about humans is that we tingent bequest that provides for FREE INQUIRY only if your primary beneficia- have hubris—we are willing to tackle ries do not survive you. massive problems. The easy solution is to For more information contact Paul Kurtz, Editor of FREE INQUIRY. All be a pessimist and say, "The problems are inquiries will be held in the strictest confidence. so great there is nothing we can do." But Write to: P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226. the synergy that can be created when you Or call 716-636-7571. get even a few creative problem-solvers

Winter 1995/96 13 briefly, let us present the positions of some of the main philosophers. John Locke (1632-1704), in England, Humanism and Tolerance was deeply impregnated by a very strict definition of State, the authority in charge of tolerating or excluding. Locke had a Jean-Claude Pecker systematic, juridical approach, and, because it was juridical, it was very prag- ntolerance and its corollary, the perse- matic. So Locke worked at demonstrating Icution of minorities, is not a modern that the function of the civil judges, of the phenomenon. Entire communities have official state power, was to allow to all the right to think for themselves, the right individuals in the country the free use of to live where they choose, and even the their properties, but it was certainly not to right to live. Being "different" was, for take care of their souls or of their eternal many, in essence, an a priori vice. "We" salvation. In other words, religion was not are better than "them." "They" are inferior a governmental affair (or should not be). It to "us." "We" want to be the only rulers, was a matter of conscience, and Locke the decision-markers, the survivors. fought for the freedom of conscience. "They" can go to hell, because, if "we" let But there were aspects (such as the "them" have the same rights as ourselves, education of children, the right to work or society is endangered. not to work, even the right to polygamy "We have to speak for a positive The list of intolerant treatments, often and to divorce) that must be ruled by the kind of tolerance, a tolerance that violent, is very long indeed. For dozens of law. One can forbid the publishing and considers, on equal footing, men centuries, the rule was, and still is, the propagating of some opinions, or worse, and women throughout the biblical "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a force someone to abandon an opinion or world as having the same right to tooth." Intolerance appeared to many as even to publicly abjurate. Still much be confident in their beliefs, and the only way to reply to intolerance, and worse, one could be forced to declare the same freedom to express violence was the only reply to violence. openly that he or she adopted the opposite them, without any exclusion." However, even in very ancient times, opinion. For example, a magistrate could some advocated another attitude, not that forbid the publication of an opinion when of tolerance perhaps, but that of submis- of the human species and the necessary he or she judged that this may harm the sion. Think of Socrates or Jesus. And solidarity of men and women against the government. According to Locke, the Saint Paul, as strange as it may appear, aggressiveness in the natural world and power of the Church in the juridical sys- went a step further. In his "Letter to the humanity. Humanism certainly did not tem should never go beyond excommuni- Romans," he considered that, even if claim that some faiths are better than oth- cation (worse punishments being of a pagans are abandoned by God himself to ers. After having said, "All men are equal civil nature and inflicted by the civil jus- passions of the vilest nature, ... ," it certainly will not add: "but some tice). But, as a consequence of the defini- are more equal than others," as wrote the tion of the items falling within the juris- it is a duty for us the strong men, to bear pigs of George Orwell's Animal Farm, diction of civil power, "Papists cannot the weaknesses of those who do not not very far from what Saint Paul said benefit of tolerance, because, whenever share our strength, and not to look only at what pleases us. It is necessary, for himself. they are in power, they feel obliged to each of us, to be friendly to his fellow It is clear that the roots of humanism deny this same tolerance to others." We beings—in view of their enlightenment and the beginning of mutual tolerance see here the opposition to the suprana- were simultaneous. From that period on, tional character of Catholicism, for which —of their conversion, to be clear (the many books for tolerance were written. the supreme authority is the pope, and emphasis being of course mine!). Some were energetic pleas that still force therefore the limitations of Locke's Humanism developed, during the admiration, not only for their stylistic notion of tolerance. To abstract Locke's Renaissance, with men such as Erasmus, qualities, but for their courage, their will- position in one sentence, we can see that Thomas More, Rabelais, Leonardo, and ingness to fight generally accepted ideas, he was for a complete freedom of con- many others. Humanism meant several their eagerness for justice, and their deep science, provided it did not disturb the things, of course; but, primarily, the unity love for humanity. public order. His idea of tolerance was Tolerance and intolerance were first essentially that of a civil tolerance pro- Jean-Claude Pecker is professor of mentioned only in the religious context tected by common law. astronomy at the Collège de France, and limited more or less to the Christian In France, the situation was quite dif- Paris, and one of France's leading intel- world. The fight for a minimum tolerance ferent. Bishop Bossuet, the grandiloquent lectuals. He represents the IHEU at was becoming the only response to vio- official minister of the French Court, was UNESCO and is a Humanist Laureate. lent manifestations of intolerance. Very proud to say that "Catholicism is the most

14 FREE INQUIRY severe and the least tolerant of all reli- Calas, who died on the wheel of torture, Tolerance. Of course we support that ini- gions." As a matter of fact, all French dic- had a tremendous influence on public tiative. But may I say that I am skeptical? tionaries published during the seventeenth opinion as well as government authorities. After all, the most intolerant groups in the century gave the idea of tolerance a pejor- The power of monarchy weakened. The world participate in this international ative connotation. law was not changed, but it was not actu- institution. What they understand by the Pierre Bayle (1647-1706) was proba- ally enforced any more. In 1787, Louis the word tolerance is perhaps somewhat dif- bly the first one to have openly fought Sixteenth decided to decree an "Edict of ferent than what we understand. against this very narrow conception of reli- Tolerance." Voltaire's Traité, although it When we hear the main churches or gion. A very strong attitude of Bayle was may now appear lacking in many points, the main ideologies preach to us on "tol- that he refused to make out of the adher- paved the way for a doctrine of universal erance" or "democracy" in the name of ence of the majority to a religion, to a tolerance. It was, indeed, the basis of a their God or of their principles, their belief, a valid criterion of truth; he refused treatise on complete freedom of con- basic feeling is similar to Saint Paul's. to consider as pertinent the criterion of the science. In Chapter XXII, Voltaire said How could anyone keep any faith without acceptance by the people to even prove the clearly: considering that he or she is basically very existence of God. He was actually right, hence, that all the others, those he more critical of idolatry than of atheism. We must consider all men as our broth- or she "tolerates," are in error? How Bayle's main argument was that intoler- ers. What? my brother that Turk? my could we not consider him or her as brother that Chinese? The Jew? The ance creates by itself the very problem that Siamese? ...Yes, of course! Are we not, preaching, in the depth of his or her heart, it is supposed to solve. It is only when they all of us, children of the same father, not a real tolerance but some condescend- are treated as suspect that religious dissi- creatures of the same God? ing attitude? dents are a danger to the State. Bayle, Therefore, humanists cannot limit their unlike Locke, gave priority to the individ- leven years after Voltaire's death, rev- battle for tolerance to the rather narrow ual conscience. Thus there was still reign- Eolution was exploding in Paris. The views of the religiously minded preachers. ing, at least in France, a strong confusion "Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme et We have to speak for a positive kind of tol- between the idea of a civil tolerance (that du Citoyen" said explicitly that, "All citi- erance, a tolerance that considers, on of John Locke) and the idea of an ecclesi- zens must be equally admissible to all dig- equal footing, men and women through- astical tolerance (that of Bayle, in nities, and public employs, with no other out the world over as having the same essence). distinction than that of their virtues and right to be confident in their beliefs, and Prominent figures of the Enlightenment their talents." And: "No one can be prose- the same freedom to express them, with- have argued about tolerance. But they are cuted for his opinions, even in religion, so out any exclusion. In no case should the rather attached to the ideological and reli- long as their manifestation does not per- color of skin, social origin, language, religious homogeneity of a society, to its turb public order." At least in principle, gion or beliefs, philosophical attitude, unity. In the Encyclopédie (around 1751), this is very close to our modern ideal of nationality, sex, etc. be the cause of any under the title "Tolérance," M. Romilli le tolerance. Remember, for example, the discrimination in any field of the human Fils defined his attitude to heretics, namely efforts of Abbé Henri Grégoire (1750- activity. non-Catholics: Respect the freedom of 1830?), who published in 1788 an "Essay But our position is not unambiguous. conscience, take error in pity, never give to on the Physical, Moral, Political, Regen- We went indeed from the purely religious truth other weapons than kindness, good eration of Jews." Later, in 1791, Grégoire field to all domains of human activities. example, and persuasion. But this means became Member of the National Conven- Should we tolerate everything? that the State, ideologically homogeneous tion, and, in 1794, he fought for the free- As Locke considers the Catholics intol- but tolerant, had to admit the multiplicity dom of religious groups, including, of erable, as Saint Paul found intolerable of religions. That type of tolerance is a tol- course, Christian ones, but also Jewish those who refused the true God, there are erance to individuals, but not to the ideas and others. Before a growing intolerance several behaviors that we do not tolerate they fight for. Ideas may be heretical, but and of a growing indignation at the stu- either. Where is the line? All that is crimi- heretics were tolerable. pidity of this intolerance, tolerance then nal is of course intolerable. All the preach- Typical was the attitude of Voltaire started to be universal, open, positive. ing for the superiority of any doctrine in (1694-1778). During several occasions, that it can lead to intolerable actions is most notably that of the Calas affair here are we now? Intolerance is intolerable. Xenophobia, nazism, funda- (1762), he was pushed into the battle by Wdeveloping more than perhaps at mentalism, etc. are intolerable. What is the intolerant attitude of the French peo- any other time in history. There is no need clearly needed is an international law ple, of the French justice system, of the to name the many examples. Intolerance instrument that would define where not to French power. In his Traité sur la is not limited to the different religions; it go too far in freedom of expression, and Tolérance (1762), Voltaire described many is extended to skin color, culture, and eco- what could be the penalties to apply. All abominations. He was already famous, nomic class. And it is very violent indeed, that pushes people to be intolerant of oth- widely read, and could be considered as a probably more than it has been. ers is not to be tolerated and is to be con- speaker for his century's intelligentsia. His The U.N. launched a campaign for tol- demned without weakness. public pleas for the rehabilitation of Jean erance culminating during the Year for Unlike local or regional cultures, which Winter 1995/96 15 take their value from their very diversity, science is a universal body of doctrines, a universal culture. We have now, therefore, The Limits of Tolerance to affirm firmly our confidence in human rationality, our wish to consider as primary the human being, our solidarity for all other human beings, to assert the capacity Paul Kurtz of humankind to ask the correct questions, and to find in due time the correct replies. umanists have consistently defended stated with caution. Let me suggest why. We believe that there is one single world, Htolerance, the free mind, free It is clear that tolerance does not apply to that of physical laws, of biophysical laws. inquiry, and the need for moral freedom all actions; we are tolerant of beliefs and We fear the "world of spirituality" that one in the great battles over the years for a the expression of beliefs, of thought and speaks about, as nothing but a dream, or a free society. There are certain limits, conscience, and speech. But where belief hope, as a recourse to misery and fears. We however, that a reflective humanist will or speech translate into action, a civilized have to affirm strongly the values of grant applies to the principle, for it is not society has the right to regulate conduct humanism, even without religion, of man an absolute. and to enact legislation to protect the even without God. Scientific lucidity must The principle of tolerance entails tol- public good. We cannot, for example, help us in that. eration of a wide range of beliefs and condone violence; nor can we allow peo- Followers of Locke should fight for a moral values, and it would allow individ- ple to do whatever they wish if this will normative view on these questions. An uals and groups the opportunity to harm others, or prevent them from exer- important point, and there are others, express fully their diverse beliefs, prac- cising their rights, as Mill has pointed could be the obligation to teach, through tices, and life-stances. This principle pre- out. all schools of member states of the U.N., supposes an open, pluralistic, and demo- The principle of tolerance, I reiterate, not only the spirit of positive tolerance, cratic society, which respects civil is not an absolute. In fact, it is difficult to but also the ways to lucidity, through bet- liberties and human rights. It also find any absolutes. Even the statement ter knowledge, a humanist knowledge of encourages intellectual, artistic, scien- that there are no absolutes is not an the biological and physical world. tific, religious, philosophical, and moral absolute statement. On the other hand, tol- These last words justify my attempts to freedom. erance is a prima facie general principle speak about humanism, tolerance, and What is the justification for the princi- that we are prepared to live by and defend. religion, perhaps in an excessive, preach- ple? John Locke, John Stuart Mill, and Under certain limited conditions we can ing way—although I am only a very ordi- other civil libertarians have argued that overrule it, but we have to have good rea- nary astronomer, a scientist in short. tolerance presupposes the value of the sons to do so. This may occur when there individual, his or her autonomy, and free- is a clash with other general principles to References dom of choice. And it recognizes that a which we are committed. There are many tolerant society will more likely tend to be values and virtues we believe in—truth, Dictionnaire rationaliste. 1981. Nouvelles Editions Rationalistes. Introduction by Ernest Kahane, a creative and innovative society, for it is for example. What do you do when toler- articles: Athéisme, by Georges Ory, Tolérance, open to new discoveries of truth and new ance conflicts with other viable virtues or by Robert Joly. insights, thus expanding the reservoir of goods that are at stake? Saint-Paul, 58 AD. Epitre aux Romains, from the Bible de Jérusalem, 1987, GF-Flammarion, human experience. A tolerant society is Let me focus this question on two areas Introduction by Guy Lafon. more likely to engender mutual trust and that are intensely debated today. The first Locke, John, 1686, Lettre sur la Tolérance, 1664, cooperation. It tends towards a more concerns individual liberty. This relates to Essai sur la Tolérance, 1674, Sur la différence entre pouvoir ecclésiastique and pouvoir civil, peaceful society; insofar as we are willing a great struggle between libertarians and 1992, GF-Flammarion, translated by LeClerc to learn from others, we are more able to conservatives. An unfortunate illustration and Spitz, introduction by J. F. Spitz. negotiate and compromise our differ- of this is the United States, where for Bayle, Pierre, 1727, Oeuvres diverses de M. Pierre Bayle, 4 vol., La Haye. ences. In a tolerant society there is thus thirty or forty years the libertarian ideal Bayle, Pierre, 1730, Dictionnaire historique et cri- apt to be less cruelty, hypocrisy, and had been expanding. A new conservative tique, 4 vol., Amsterdam, Leiden duplicity, less dogmatism, hatred, and Supreme Court, which disturbs us greatly, Bost, Hubert, 1994, Pierre Bayle et la religion, P.U.F., Paris. fanaticism. In short, the principle of toler- is now embarked upon an agenda to Labrousse, Elisabeth, 1987, Notes sur Bayle, Vrin, ance contributes to the common good and greatly restrict individual moral liberty in Paris. to a more humane society, and it is justi- the name of good. Voltaire, 1762, Traité sur la Tolérance, reprinted, 1989, GF-Flammarion, Introduction by René fied on pragmatic, consequential, and util- A second area for contention concerns Pomeau. itarian grounds. multiculturalism. These are clashes Voltaire, 1764-1765, Dictionnaire philosphique, Given the importance of tolerance to a between ethnic and national groups today article: Tolérance, reprinted, 1964, GF- Flammarion. humanistic democracy, are there limits to in the United Kingdom, France, Eastern Grégoire, Abbé Henri, 1788, Essai sur la be placed on it? Yes, though this must be Europe, the United States, Canada, and Régénération Physique, Morale, et Politique des around the globe. How shall we reconcile Juifs, 1788, reprinted 1988, Coll. Champs, Flammarion, préface de Rita Hermon-Belot. • Paul Kurtz is editor of FREE INQUIRY. their differences?

16 FREE INQUIRY Individual Liberty Civic and Moral Virtues expressions, intellectual, aesthetic, and moral appreciation. lerance is intimately related to indi- n a free society where racists abound, Teidual liberty, and especially to the where a drug culture runs rampant (I am Multiculturalism right of privacy. What does that entail? It in favor of the decriminalization of drugs), means that those things that concern an where promiscuity, violence in the media, second problem—multicultural- individual alone ought not to be regulated and wasted lives are everywhere in evi- 'sm—is a far more difficult one. by the state or society, but those things that dence, humanists need to defend moral Colleges and universities throughout are public can be regulated. The public excellence, noble deeds, and qualitative America have witnessed a battle during sphere includes the protection of individu- standards. Libertarianism will not work if the past decade over attempts to reform als from violence, the ensuring of public we do not at the same time develop moral and undermine the curriculum in Western health, and use of taxation to fulfill public responsibility. Conservatives wish to regu- civilization. Educators in the United services, such as education and transporta- late conduct under the aegis of the Church States have believed in general education tion. These are all within the sphere of or the State. We oppose this authoritarian courses; that is, they try to expose stu- public concern. What libertarian human- approach. But, if we are against the legis- dents to a whole range of Western writ- ists insist upon as part of the private sphere lation of morality, the only alternative is to ers—from Socrates to Montaigne, from are inner thoughts and conscience, reli- develop the civic and moral virtues by Keats to Kant. There has been a tremen- gious belief or unbelief, control over one's means of moral education. dous assault on this curriculum from crit- own body, sexual preference between con- Pure tolerance thus has its limits; it ics who maintain that we do not give suf- senting adults, abortion, reproductive free- cannot succeed unless it is accompanied ficient appreciation for literature by dom, euthanasia, the right to die with dig- at the same time by a commitment to rais- women and non-white populations. These nity, artistic expression, and so on. In the ing the level of appreciation. Media- critics say that if you are going to have moral domain individuals have the right to driven, consumer-oriented societies are all something by Aristotle you should have choose how they wish to live, the values too often vulgar and banal, and they lack something by a Nigerian poet or a femi- that they wish to cherish, even the mis- standards of taste or decency. We have a nist in order to develop an appreciation takes that they may freely choose to make, hard task and a double battle—for moral for the multiplicities of civilization. They without any interference by society or the freedom and for improving moral stan- demand that diverse points of view state. dards. Although we do not wish to legis- should be represented in the curriculum. It is clear that tolerance and the right late morality, this does not mean that we Why should Western scholars impose to privacy cannot be appealed to in order should not criticize the vulgar excesses of their values on others? Why not hear from to condone any and every course of modern consumer-oriented culture. This Africa, Asia, and Latin America? Multi- action. To function smoothly certain should not be left to the conservatives rail- culturalists appeal to our sense of toler- other social conditions must be present. ing from the pulpits. We have an obliga- ance arguing that all points of view ought Those of us who have been on the barri- tion to encourage the finest cultural to be represented in the curriculum. cades defending moral freedom recognize that we have another battle to elevate the level of taste and appreciation in society. We have been open to the criticism I'm Jo5T AS that merely to be free is not enough. For To1,ERANT AS íM VER`í 5OMEoFMk( you cannot have genuine moral freedom ToLERM T.... THE NEXT 6uY unless you have moral education for the BEST FRIEND u?To A young. We thus need to focus upon moral I ARE CURSED, growth and development. We need to cul- Poi NT / LOATHEOME tivate the best within the young: to guide INFIDELS them so that they are morally compassionate and empathetic, and have developed some sort of reflective moral wis- • dom. The idea that "anything goes" is o o something that we ought to criticize. In the United States the secular humanists are blamed for everything. Our critics maintain that we've corrupted the young. Perhaps I have done my share of that in the universities where I have taught by undermining students' religiosity, and /077 developing the capacity for moral reflection and moral growth.

Winter 1995/96 17 I submit that this approach is mistaken. obviously are opposed to this. distinct school system seems to me to be Surely students should be exposed to a We favor liberation and tolerance, but a profoundly mistaken. Humanists ought to wide range of cultural values. They should new planetary society is emerging. This object to the kind of educational curricu- learn about Pakistan and Brazil, the Watutsi global culture is authentically humanistic; lum offered in church schools. and the Inuit, and their literature and cul- it goes beyond chauvinistic ethnicity; it Parents have no right to impose their tural outlooks. But this does not mean one opens the door to a new, more inclusive religion on their children or to prevent should abandon what I consider humanist ethnicity where we are all members of the them from being exposed to other points culture to be and the values of the scien- world community. What does that entail? of view. A Fundamentalist Protestant, an tific, rationalist, and democratic outlook First, a basic democratic principle that Orthodox Jewish, Roman Catholic, or implicit in Western civilization and intrin- the state should be secular. Namely, no Muslim parent has no right to expect the sic to world culture. I do not think that all one religious denomination should be state to support his own narrow concep- ideas and values are equal in merit and established over others. The secular state tion of education, particularly since we all authenticity. Teaching the great literature is important because it defends the rights share the same world culture. of the past does not mean that we are of minorities. The secular state does not There are other essential aspects to unfairly imposing our views on everyone. exist in the Islamic world. It still does not humanist morality. Thus, no one has the This is only one illustration of the con- exist in Ireland. It would not exist in right to destroy the environment and to flicts caused by multiculturalism in the Poland if nationalistic, ethnic, and reli- exploit it for his or her own purposes. The sphere of higher education. There is a far gious forces have their way. growing world population is a problem more violent illustration—the view that in that should concern everyone on the a pluralist society all ethnic outlooks and planet: does anyone have the right to pro- "Humanists need to defend values ought to be equally expressed hibit contraception or to block family and/or supported. How far should this tol- tolerance provided it is planning, as the Roman Catholic church is erance go? Many regions are faced with accompanied by moral attempting in many parts of the world? cultural and ethnic clashes. How far do we responsibility.... We need to Does anyone have the moral right to flout go in our principles of tolerance? encourage the development of a excessive affluence, impervious to the humanist culture in which no impoverishment of others? The point is: we have now reached a Ethnicity ethnic, racial, or religious pockets new plane of moral awareness. We ought believe we need in the current context exist and in which we reach a new to appreciate cultural differences, the Ito criticize the divisive ethnocentrism planetary culture:' wide variety of languages, customs, artis- that has emerged in the world. I consider tic expressions, and culinary delights. ethnocentricism comparable to the old Second, we need to make it clear that Let's not destroy diversity, let us savor it. nationalism of fifty years ago that domi- there are concepts and methodologies On the other hand, we have to reach a nated Europe between the wars. What that transcend specific cultural bound- higher ground, to defend travel and inter- was once a battle between England, aries. Central to this is the growth of sci- communication, so there are no barriers Germany, and France is now a struggle ence, which goes beyond ethnicity and is anywhere on the planet. I realize the diffi- between ethnic groups. the common heritage of all humankind. culties in this, and that we are talking At this point we ought to recognize that There is also a vast literature of philoso- about ideals for the future. The highest there is a humanist outlook now emerg- phy that is beyond narrow frontiers, and good, as I see it, is intermarriage between ing, which is transcultural. It cuts across is not nationalistic. Similarly for the arts, people of different ethnicities, races, reli- frontiers and the cultural divide. If you which can be appreciated by the entire gions, and cultures. People who inter- tolerate all ethnic differences equally you human family. marry are contributing to the new human are going to conflict. We have to move Third, there is a set of humanist values species that is emerging on this planet. beyond that. Ethnic groupings are acci- that is an essential part of a new world You can see it clearly in the United States: dental, based on geographical isolation, morality. This begins with a recognition in fifty years we will have a non-white with cultures and languages developing of universal human rights. You cannot majority. This frightens many people. We over a relatively short period of time in find a defense of human rights in the can see the same changes in Western human history. We are reaching a stage Bible or the Koran. They have emerged Europe. I was first in London in 1944 at where ethnicity can be reactionary, regres- only with the democratic and humanist the height of the war at the invitation of sive, and divisive. Let me qualify that: we revolutions of the modern era. Included in the U.S. Army. What a change racially and are opposed to the oppression by the this are the rights of the child. The belief culturally has taken place in the great majority of a minority. In the Soviet that parents can dominate their children is cities of Europe. In due course, the major- Union, for instance, the Russians had archaic. They surely have no right to ity may no longer be white. I think this is repressed the Estonians, Lithuanians, and abuse their children, to beat or starve wholesome and good. It is difficult for Latvians, and in the United States there is them, or to deprive them of cultural many people's nervous systems to have a long-standing repression of black cul- enrichment. Accordingly, the idea that this clash of cultures and races, but we ture by the dominant white majority. We every group has the right to its own and ought to encourage the widespread inter-

18 FREE INQUIRY mingling of people as we reach a civiliza- which no ethnic, racial, or religious pock- ate the multiplicities of cultural expres- tion that is beyond ethnic differences. ets exist and in which we reach a new sions, there are nevertheless basic decen- In summary, humanists need to defend planetary culture. In order to eliminate cies and values, intellectual and moral tolerance provided it is accompanied by the intolerance and chauvinism that has standards that cut across ethnic differ- moral responsibility, which should be existed until now, we ought to take the ences. The humanist outlook, I submit, achieved by education rather than legisla- lead in defining a non-ethnic global ethic best expresses this morality. tion. Similarly, we need to encourage the in which we are all part of the human fam- This essay is taken from Toward A New Enlighten- development of a humanist culture in ily. Although we can and should appreci- ment by Paul Kurtz (Transaction Books, 1994). •

tatives of secular humanist organizations Thought, Conscience, to dialogue with representatives of religious organizations. Among the humanists attending the conference were: Religion, or Belief Professor Rob Tielman, co-president, International Humanist and Ethical Union, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Lars Gunnar Lingas, general secretary, Michael Roan Human-Etisk Forbund, Oslo, Norway; Matt Cherry, executive director, Council major conference entitled "Free- for Democratic and Secular Humanism, dom of Religion or Belief and the Amherst, New York; Harry Stopes-Roe, U.N. Year for Tolerance" was held vice president, British Humanist Asso- September 18-20, 1995, in London, ciation, Birmingham, United Kingdom; England. The conference was sponsored Professor Fred Whitehead, editor, Free- by the Human Rights Centre at the thought History, University of Kansas, University of Essex, United Kingdom, Kansas City; and Margaret Downey, pres- and the Tandem Project in Minneapolis, ident, Freethought Society of Greater Minnesota. The conference was held as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. part of the process of preparing a world report on freedom of thought, con- Religion or Belief— science, and religion or belief that is A United Nations Phrase being funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. It will be published by Routledge nternational human rights standards, in late 1996. 'such as the United Nations "Universal The "World Report" looks in particu- Declaration of Human Rights," seek to lar at how international standards on free- protect the human being's unique capacity dom of religion or belief are interpreted to believe. Article 18 reads "Everyone has and implemented in representative coun- the right to freedom of thought, con- tries from all regions of the world. that has been done to combat intolerance science and religion; this right includes Drawing on sixty country studies under- based on religion or belief and forward to freedom to change his religion or belief taken for the "World Report," the confer- the work that remains to be done as the and freedom either alone or in community ence looked both backward to the work millennium approaches. Accordingly, the with others and in public or private, to conference constituted one of the most manifest his religion or belief in teaching Michael Roan is director of the Tandem recent and also one of the most signifi- practice, worship and observance." In Project, a non-sectarian, nonprofit inter- cant meetings of experts on issues of free- 1994 a General Comment on Article 18 national human rights organization dom of religion or belief. passed by the General Assembly states the founded in 1985 to promote, implement, phrase "religion or belief' in Article 18 and monitor the 1981 U.N. Declaration Secular Humanist Involvement includes all "theistic, non-theistic and on the Elimination of All Forms of atheistic beliefs." Intolerance and Discrimination Based on he conference in London was Religion or Belief In addition to the 1995 I attended by approximately 150 Deepening Problems London conference and numerous other experts on freedom of religion or belief of Intolerance programs, the Tandem Project has spon- from around the world. To underscore the sored three international conferences on universality of tolerance for all beliefs the lenary speakers included Abdelfattah this subject. conference invited a number of represen- PAmor, the U.N. special rapporteur on

Winter 1995/96 19 the 1981 U.N. "Declaration on Freedom does not become the chattel of the state. major touchstone should be the absence of Religion or Belief"; Dr. David Little, In addition, Amor cautioned, it is neces- of compulsion. senior fellow, United States Institute of sary to prevent militant secularism from Peace; Ulrich Bunjes, director, Council obtaining an overwhelming influence in Humanists Look to of Europe Youth Campaign Against the state. Anti-clericalism and clericalism the Future Racism, Xenophobia, Anti-Semitism and both undermine religion or belief and Intolerance Based on Religion or Belief; politics. Politics needs to be autonomous; D egarding education, the U.N. special Mari Fitzduff, director, Northern Ireland religion must maintain its independence. apporteur reported to the conference Community Relations Council; Bertram Any of the extreme positions can result in that he has commissioned a survey of all Ramcharan, special advisor, U.N. loss of religious freedom. Religion, to United Nations member states on what Secretary-General's Office in Geneva; Amor, is part of human culture and soci- role education should play in the field of Sir Sigmund Sternberg, chair, ety. It would not be natural for religions religion or belief and public policy. He International Council for Christians and to be excluded from public life, nor will reveal the results of the survey in his Jews; Karen Armstrong, a former Roman would it be natural for religion to become annual report to the U.N. Commission on Catholic nun and author of A History of wholly identified with politics. In the Human Rights in February 1996. Pro- God. Professor Rob Tielman spoke on interaction of religion and state, extremes fessor Amor was especially interested in secular humanism and the system of edu- should be avoided. The wise way, to the form of education taking place in The cation in The Netherlands that provides Amor, is the moderate way. The basic Netherlands that recognizes the impor- students with options to receive religious question is how to obtain the right equi- tance of ontological beliefs to personal or humanist instruction of their own librium—how to recognize the reality of development, be they theistic, nontheistic, choice. religion without promoting domination or or atheistic. He made a point of saying he One of the sad refrains of the London subjection. wants to study this model before his final conference was that in many parts of the Professor Kevin Boyle, director of the report to the U.N. world patterns of intolerance and persecu- University of Essex Human Rights In support of the U.N. special rappor- tion based on religion or belief seem Centre and co-editor of the "World teur's call for increased efforts in the field increasingly evident. These are often Report," added that state neutrality is not of education, the Tandem Project made a linked to resurgent nationalism and ethnic the same as indifference to beliefs, or to recommendation at the London confer- conflict. Professor Abdelfattah Amor, the importance of belief systems for ence for a series of dialogues between U.N. special rapporteur, drew special social life and culture. In this regard, he representatives of theistic, nontheistic, attention to problems of religious extrem- emphasized that the core duty imposed on and atheistic beliefs, using existing U.N. ism, noting that acts of religious extrem- states and individuals (and on faith and human rights instruments as a focus, to ism could threaten peace and international humanist communities) is to practice tol- promote greater tolerance, understanding, security as well as concrete human rights. erance toward each other. Significantly, and respect between people of diverse Religious extremism may well keep up international standards impose obliga- beliefs. Such dialogues would recognize levels of tension that will create situations tions that extend across the public-private freedom of thought, conscience, religion, that are difficult to control. divide. Sensitive everywhere, according or belief as a basic underlying foundation It is vital, in Professor Amor's view, to to Boyle, is the problem of religion and principle for all human rights and call for make certain both that the state does not education. There is an extraordinary vari- an alliance of humanist and religious become subservient to particular reli- ety of solutions and tensions in this area, organizations to protect freedom of religious groups and to ensure that religion particularly in multi-faith societies. A gion or belief in the twenty-first century. •

20 FREE INQUIRY The conference also provided an opportunity to build understanding be- Representing Freethought tween theists and nontheists. Religions from all over the world were represented. Respect for diversity was the overwhelm- in London ing theme during the conference. Work- shops and private conversations allowed for opinions to be heard. I found opportunities to explain why separation of church Margaret Downey and state is important to us, what type of life stance we adhere to, how freedom of he "Freedom of Religion and Belief conscience should be considered non- Tand the U.N. Year for Tolerance threatening, and why we do not want Conference" was held in London, organized prayers in the public schools. England, September 18-20, 1995. The I attended the conference well supplied conference was organized so that organi- with information. During one workshop I zations working for tolerance at all levels, distributed the Freedom From Religion from local initiatives to inter-governmen- Foundation's booklets Is America a tal programs, could consult. The chal- Christian Nation? and Ten Common lenge faced by these individuals, groups, Myths About Atheists and Other Free- governments, and international organiza- thinkers. I also gratefully accepted litera- tions to eliminate the sources of intoler- ture from religious folks. The goal was to ance based on religion and belief was learn and appreciate everyone's belief sys- examined prior to the conference. Efforts tem and life-stance. to create social and political conditions in Conference organizers were careful to which diversity can flourish were of pri- include the terms nonbelief life-stance, mary interest. Only 150 people from and nonreligious equally with the term around the world were invited to attend religious beliefs. The respectful acknowl- and submit reports. edgment of nontheists was encouraging. The Anti-Discrimination Support Net- The literature and discussion groups gave work (a committee of the Freethought Margaret Downey (left) and Matt Cherry (right). great promise to the future of freedom of Society of Greater Philadelphia) submit- belief and to the protection of freedom of ted a report dealing with discrimination mentioning when discussing an end to conscience and expression. against nontheists, particularly in the Boy bigotry and intolerance. All of the conference speakers were Scouts of America (BSA). The report Shining a light on the BSA policy will, inspirational. I was particularly moved by highlighted various legal cases, govern- no doubt, prove to be an embarrassment to the speech delivered by Dr. Mari Fitzduff, ment entanglement with the BSA, protest the BSA. The fact that the issue will the director of the Northern Ireland efforts, and responses to our endeavors. receive world recognition could even Community Relations Council. Dr. All reports submitted to the sponsors of inspire the BSA to change its policy. Fitzduff 's presentation charted efforts the conference were reviewed for possible Unfortunately, those who know the BSA made by the Community Relations inclusion in a book entitled Freedom of organization well are not confident that Council to end the religiously motivated Religion and Belief—The World Report even international adverse publicity will violence that has plagued Northern Project, due to be published in 1996. Many convince the BSA. Ireland for generations. The grass-roots important issues of discrimination will be The conference provided an opportu- initiatives used to build trust between highlighted in the book in an effort to bring nity for me to discuss the BSA issue with Northern Ireland's divided communities attention to world tolerance problems. many people. Only one person indicated provided a glimpse into what one can do Co-editor Professor Kevin Boyle con- that he would rather see the BSA lose to circumvent hostilities. The first step is firmed that the BSA discriminatory mem- public gratuities, their congressional char- communication. bership policy will be given attention in ter, and United Way funding in order to Setting up dialogue, even though no the book. Professor Boyle indicated that maintain their discriminatory membership one wants to talk, reminded me of what the Anti-Discrimination Support Network policy. Many conference participants of- the Anti-Discrimination Support Network report was well done and that the issue fered to help by making contact with the is attempting to do via the BSA Executive was "infuriating." It certainly merited BSA's policy makers and supporters. Outreach Campaign. The similarity of tac- United Nations representatives were tics was also noticed by a man who had Margaret Downey is president and appalled at the thought of the world's patiently listened to stories of my activist founder of the Freethought Society of largest youth group identifying, separat- endeavors. He commented that I should Greater Philadelphia. ing from, and demeaning nontheists. be very proud to have started the cam- Winter 1995/96 21 paign even though I was meeting with a lished in 1993, is an examination of my son with religion nor have I insisted great deal of hostility. Dr. Fitzduff's pre- Western society's fidelity to the idea of one that he study atheist material. Now that my sentation rejuvenated me and gave me God and conflicting convictions it engen- son is seventeen he is looking into various confidence that I was on the proper road ders in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. beliefs. One night I awoke to find him still to finding a solution to the BSA discrimi- Karen and I chatted after her speech awake and reading at 2:00 A.M. He had nation problem. and I related an amusing story. I told Karen's book A History of God in one Another powerful speech was given by Karen that I have raised my son to be a hand and a dictionary in the other. He had Karen Armstrong, a former Roman freethinker. He knows that he has the free- purchased the book with his own money Catholic nun. Karen Armstrong is the dom of choice to decide if he wants to be and he was so sincere in learning that he author of A History of God. The book, pub- religious or not. I have not indoctrinated felt compelled to look up words that were

Freedom of and from Religion Matt Cherry

reedom of religion and belief' nation based on Religion or Belief." In Vienna. As a result, the mandate of requires states to show equal 1986 the U.N. Commission on Human the Rapporteur is extremely F restricted. respect for all beliefs—whether reli- Rights appointed a special rapporteur gious or nonreligious, theistic or non- to investigate actions inconsistent with theistic. It is therefore the only human the 1981 Declaration and to recom- Moreover, governments and even right that protects humanists as mend remedial measures. some human rights organizations humanists: it guarantees the freedom Along with these positive develop- misinterpret "freedom of religion and to follow and advocate humanist ments there have been some steps belief' so as to deny the rights of the beliefs and prohibits states from dis- backward. A report on the 1994 U.N. nonreligious. It is often falsely argued criminating against humanists and the Human Rights Commission by the that "freedom of religion" does not nonreligious. "International Service for Human include the right to "freedom from Michael Roan, the organizer of the Rights" highlighted freedom of reli- religion," or the meaning of "belief' conference on "Freedom of Religion gion and belief as perhaps the most is misunderstood or even mistrans- or Belief and the U. N. Year for seriously weakened area of U.N. lated. For example, the new Slo- Tolerance" (see p. 19), described free- human rights: vakian constitution was widely dom of religion or belief as the most admired because it incorporated the controversial of all the human rights The subject of freedom of religion main international human rights doc- recognized by the United Nations. Its offers another example of erosion uments, but in translating "freedom contentious nature has been reflected of international standards: Article of religion or belief' into Slovak the in the history of the international 18 of the 1948 Universal Declara- word for belief was changed to refer tion recognized the right to change instruments protecting it. There has one's religion. The 1967 Inter- solely to "religious creed." As a been progress—although it has been national Covenant on Civil and result, humanists are denied the rights slower and more difficult than for Political Rights clarified this right and protection given to religious almost any other right—but there has in a restrictive sense, since it recog- believers in Slovakia. In other also been neglect and some weaken- nized the right to have or adopt a instances, instead of dropping the ref- religion or belief. The International ing of the right. Declaration adopted in 1981 intro- erence to "belief," it is argued that The right to freedom of religion or duced additional restrictions, since freedom of belief does not cover belief was first stated by the U.N. in it merely affirmed the right to have "nonbelievers" (one good reason to the "Universal Declaration of Human a religion. Finally the [U.N. World avoid this negative designation). Rights" in 1948. Nineteen years later it Conference on Human Rights in The conference on "Freedom of Vienna in 1993] made the exercise was made legally binding (for sig- of religious freedom subject to Religion or Belief and the U.N. Year natories) by its inclusion in the 1967 compliance with national legisla- of Tolerance" was the first such con- "Covenant on Civil and Political tion. Obviously, the States conference to include significant repre- Rights," and, after nearly twenty years demned in the [U.N. Rapporteur's] sentation of secular humanists. I of drafting, the U.N. finally gave it 1994 report on religious intolerance gained the impression that without made every effort throughout the detailed expression in the 1981 [1994] session of the Commission our involvement the meeting would "Declaration on the Elimination of All to ensure that the latter confirmed have focused on freedom of religion Forms of Intolerance and Discrimi- the iniquitous consensus reached in alone (unfortunately, this truncated

22 FREE INQUIRY foreign to him. Karen was overjoyed with U.N. special rapporteur, monitoring the Day-three workshops sought to the story and said that knowing her book implementation of the 1981 Declaration, strengthen international and national legal was valuable to even one young person's development of tolerance programs, and standards against intolerance, the devel- decision-making was very gratifying. researching issues of intolerance. Day-two opment of a universal educational curricu- Conference workshops concentrated on discussion groups paid particular attention lum on religion or belief, and call-to- ways to implement the 1981 U.N. to intolerance against women, secularism, action initiatives. The conference closed "Declaration on the Elimination of All and new religious movements. Regional with participants agreeing on the need to Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination overviews of intolerance concentrated on build respect and understanding between Based on Religion or Belief." Future ini- Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, all religious and nonreligious people. Our tiatives include education, supporting the Europe, and the Middle East. goal is to convince individuals and goy-

description is the most common refer- to proselytize (Even by "brainwash- sectarian goal pursued by humanists in ence to the right). Indeed a number of ing cults"? Even in the workplace?); order to undermine religion. The criti- speakers spoke exclusively of the the right to determine the education of cism of "militant secularism" made at need to protect religion and faith in a one's children (versus the right of the the London conference by U.N. manner I found implicitly derogatory child to an objective, fair, and bal- Special Rapporteur on Freedom of of the nonreligious. This was particu- anced education); the land rights of Religion or Belief Abdelfattah Amor is larly striking since their talks were indigenous people whose religion is an indication that humanists need to otherwise admirable attempts at inclu- based on a spiritual relationship to the work more closely with religious siveness and tolerance. Several other land (Should these claims override believers to develop the concept of the speakers seemed to revise their talks other claims to the land?); the right to open society so that it can be posi- at the last moment in order to include determine one's own health care tively embraced by all belief groups. reference to nonreligious believers. (Even if one has a "self-destructive This will be an important task for the Of course, freedom of religion is and irrational" religious objection to a international dialogues that CODESH also the only human right that protects life-saving treatment?) or the medical and Project Tandem are currently religious believers as religious believ- treatment of one's children (What if a planning. The conferences will pro- ers. Since many religious believers child refuses a life-saving blood trans- mote greater understanding between throughout the world feel that their fusion on religious grounds: can the theistic and nontheistic life-stances most cherished beliefs are threatened state overrule the principled choice of and seek to build a common agenda and negated by secularization, it may the child and/or the parents?). for advancing freedom of religion and be difficult for them to accept that in The American approach to the issues belief. working to protect the right to religion of religion, public policy, and individ- The London conference has begun they should also ensure the right to ual conscience is shaped by the Bill of the task of educating human rights freedom from religion. The state athe- Rights and the constitutional separa- activists about the concerns of nonre- ism and religious intolerance of com- tion of church and state. But most ligious people and it has educated munist regimes has reinforced the other countries do not have such a humanists in the value and challenges view that "godless secularism is the strong tradition of separation, and of an often overlooked instrument for enemy." The interest and welcome even in secular states it is essential their protection. The need for both shown for humanists by the many that the ideals of liberal democracy religious believers and humanists to devoutly religious people at the and secularism are strongly supported defend and strengthen the interna- London conference was in itself a by the public and politicians as well tional mechanisms protecting their tribute to the ideal of tolerance. as by the law. right to believe is also clear. But Some of the issues surrounding free- Humanists have always championed above all, the conference has empha- dom of belief may also be challenging these ideals and worked for what Karl sized that religious and nonreligious for secularists. The distinction Popper called the "open society": a believers must work together—at between a neutral state—treating reli- vibrant, pluralist society in which dif- local, national, and international lev- gions and beliefs with equal respect— ferences of belief are respected and the els—to make freedom of religion and and an atheistic or anti-religious state state is not biased towards any partic- belief a reality. can often be blurred or controversial; ular life-stance. Indeed, the open soci- for example, should state schools ban ety is a product of Enlightenment Matt Cherry is executive director of religious expressions by pupils or thought and humanistic culture, and it the Council for Democratic and merely ensure equal treatment and is reasonable to say that humanists Secular Humanism and the Inter- opportunity for expressions of belief? have a particular affinity and responsi- national Secretariat for Growth and Other issues on which humanists may bility for it. But it is essential that the Development of the International have mixed feelings include: the right open society should not be seen as a Humanist and Ethical Union.

Winter 1995/96 23 ernments that respect for diversity should You DIRTY, ROTTEN,VILE, not stop with the end of this U.N. Year for THE TRovl3(.E tNITN scum-OF-INC-EARTH ATNEVSTs 15, Tolerance. You HAVE In order to promote, implement, and Uo RESPEcT FOR MY CoNVICTION5 monitor compliance with the 1981 U.N. I Declaration, Michael Roan, director of the Tandem Project, has created an information network (R.O.B.I.N.). Anyone want- ing to become affiliated with R.O.B.I.N. or looking for more information, can contact: him c/o The Tandem Project, 2000 South Fifth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55454; phone and fax: (612) 825-2842; Email:[email protected]. It was a tremendous honor to represent the Freethought community at the London conference. This is the beginning of a new level of communication and understanding among people from all over the world. We have new friends that understand the importance of finding common ground to build a better society •

Dealing with Religious Beliefs: Some Suggestions from Anthropology

Phillips Stevens, Jr. umanists and skeptics who express a scoff at them, but to understand them and Hsupercilious attitude toward religious work within them while at the same time beliefs ought to consider three important offering alternatives, so that the believers findings from world anthropology. First, and practitioners themselves can begin to beliefs identified as religious are see flaws in their own systems and accept absolutely universal to human cultures the alternatives as superior. and are as old as human history. This con- The first premise combines two find- clusion leads to the suggestion that bases ings by anthropologists. The conclusion for human projections that take form as regarding the universality of religion is cultural beliefs in extra-human powers now more than a century old, and as may be innately human, deeply rooted in anthropological knowledge of world cul- "Religion is a cultural system, the evolutionary biology of the species. tures has expanded it has only been con- and, as in any system, effective Second, religious belief is an extremely firmed; but unfortunately it has not been change must be systemic." powerful motivator of human behavior. uniformly accepted outside the discipline Third, the most effective way to change of anthropology. Some nineteenth-century people's beliefs and/or practices is not to ethnologists took their definition of reli- systems, concluded that many "primitive" gion as the structure of beliefs represented peoples lacked religion entirely. This Phillips Stevens, Jr., is associate professor by the Judeo-Christian tradition and, notion fit well with the evolutionists' of anthropology at the State University of unable to find parallels in second- or assumption of European cultural superior- New York at Buffalo. third-hand reports of certain other belief ity, and it proved surprisingly durable. 24 FREE INQUIRY One popular proponent of this argument ber of "true believers" in any society is there is a wonderful afterlife awaiting the was John Lubbock (Lord Avebury, 1834- relatively small is rendered moot when faithful, and that there are supernatural 1913) whose writings are today regarded we consider the number of religiously agencies that are regularly active in as exemplary of Victorian ethnocentrism, motivated migrations, persecutory move- human affairs. People have grown up racism, and shamefully sloppy science; ments, and wars throughout history; and from childhood with such convictions but the New York Times of December 5, how many contemporary social problems that have been unequivocally supported 1993, published a letter from an American have religious bases. Consider arguments by all others in their social networks. college professor in the social sciences over abortion and homosexuality. Con- Their sensory perceptual systems have citing Lubbock's 1870 work, The Origin sider the political effects of conservative been modified by the expectations gener- of Civilization and the Primitive Con- religious movements, in Christianity, in ated by such cultural knowledge of the dition of Man, as evidence for the absence Islam, and even in Judaism, which many mechanisms of the world, so that some of of religion among many early societies. had thought immune from radical vio- them from time to time actually experi- The apparent universality of religion, the lence. Consider murder and suicide by ence the supernatural in their lives. Such letter-writer said, is a result of diffusion. religiously motivated zealots, not just in experiences serve to bolster individual In the 1950s and the 1960s anthropolo- North Africa and the Middle East, but in and societal certainty of the existence of gists began to operate under another sig- America. We err seriously if we dismiss the supernatural. nificant premise: that, if a cultural trait is Paul Hill, the former Presbyterian minis- Such ideas of the way the world works found to be universal, or very nearly so, ter who murdered an abortion doctor and are not going to be changed by scoffing at we are justified in looking below the cul- his escort in Pensacola in 1994, or his them. Religion is a deeply rooted and tural level, perhaps into neurobiology, for counterparts around the world, as "fanat- powerful cultural system, interrelated explanations. This new view of the behav- ics" or "religious extremists," both terms with other institutions in culture. Certain ior of our species was stimulated by implying radically aberrant behavior. In forms of supernatural beliefs, such as expansions in mammalian ethology, espe- any case, it is well established that the magic, operate according to universally cially primatology, which revealed funda- intensity of religious belief rises with similar principles of cognitive reasoning mental behavioral similarities among all social stress and anxiety; we can be cer- that are, in fact, not irrational; moreover, primates and many higher mammals. tain that religious fervor, and likely reli- religious beliefs answer some questions Today's emergent area of "evolutionary gion-inspired violence, will spread and that science cannot answer, such as "Why psychology" is reconsidering many tenta- intensify as we approach the third millen- me?" and "Why just then?" tive conclusions reached by anthropolo- nium, especially if economic conditions If our aim is to change the way people gists over thirty years ago. Religion is a deteriorate. think about their world, we should keep Western designation for a complex mix of In trying to understand the power of these things in mind. Religion is a cultural beliefs and behaviors, and any search for a religious belief, we might do well to system, and as in any system, effective "biology of religion" is misdirected; but reconsider the term belief a weak term change must be systemic. Bringing about understanding of many of the fundamen- that implies an alternative, and perhaps systemic change, replacing faulty mecha- tal sentiments and behaviors that lie at the substitute "conviction" or "certainty." We nisms with superior alternatives at the key bases of religious belief and ritual systems should recognize that the vast majority of structure points, is possible only when the can, indeed, be sought at the level of evo- the world's people know that there is a nature of the system is understood. And lutionary biology. high god who supervises the world and understanding a system requires patience The very weak argument that the num- who judges human behavior, and that and tolerance.

Winter 1995/96 25 FUND FOR THE FUTURE CODESH at the Center for Inquiry

With the completion of its headquarters campus, the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism is poised for an explosion of growth. Already, branch Centers for Inquiry have opened their doors in Los Angeles (Center for Inquiry—West) and Kansas City, Missouri, (Center for Inquiry—Midwest).We appeal for your help in assuring adequate funding—now and in the future—for the bold initiatives that will shape the outreach of secular humanism in the years to come. To carry out its objectives in the second half of this decade, CODESH has formulated specific program and project goals. 1. MORAL EDUCATION AND CRITICAL THINKING - FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN CODESH proposes to develop new materials—ranging from publications to audio and video cassettes and instructional course material—to teach moral education and foster critical thinking in areas such as religious doctrine, moral values and philosophy. 2. THE INSTITUTE FOR INQUIRY CODESH proposes to complete the development of its Institute for Inquiry adult education program. The Institute is already the nation's foremost provider of education in the subjects of secular humanism, skepticism and the scientific evaluation of religion. Our long-term goal is to establish the Institute for Inquiry as a bona fide degree-granting institution. 3. MEDIA OUTREACH/RAPID RESPONSE We propose to equip the Center for Inquiry to monitor major media on a continuing basis, and to respond to news stories in a timely fashion. This will entail additional staffing for media monitoring, establishment of an e-mail network to permit rapid for- mulation of responses by qualified experts, and development of e-mail, FAX broadcast, and other capabilities to assure instanta- neous dissemination of responses to local, national and/or world media. In addition, CODESH plans to step up its production of audio and video materials through Inquiry Media Productions. Targets include a new public education video on secular humanism, talking books, a radio op-ed series, and a new public affairs series for public radio. 4. THE LIBRARIES The Center for Inquiry has in place a permanent repository to house and maintain the world's largest collection of freethought, humanist and skeptical literature. Expanded funding is needed to provide for: journal subscriptions, continual updating of the reference collection, acquisition of new and historic volumes in our areas of specialty, and technical library staff to catalog and maintain volumes. CODESH has many exciting projects it wishes to develop. With your help, these will become a reality. Please fill out and return the attached card for further details. All requests will be held in strictest confidence. CODESH at the Center for Inquiry Box 664, Amherst, N.Y. 14226 - (716) 636-7571 The Challenge from the Religious Right

Farrakhan and the Million Man March Norm R. Allen, Jr.

he October 16, 1995, Million Man people together—on a Monday in October, will gladly support any effort to TMarch has come and gone. According at that. Those who believe that their atten- strengthen them. Women presented with to wildly conflicting reports, it was one of dance at the march did not promote the false alternative between a weak or the biggest marches in U.S. history Farrakhan as the leading spokesperson for criminally inclined man and a take- (march organizers put the figure at one blacks in America are fooling themselves. charge, God-fearing patriarch will often million, the National Park Service Many—if not most—black women choose the latter. reported 400,000, and Boston University strongly supported the march, even The Promise Keepers movement also experts estimated 837,000). though they were requested to "stay has strong support from many women. So far, the march has yielded some pos- home" with the children while the men This men-only phenomenon is taking itive results. USA Today reported that took on the starring roles. But black America by storm. Hundreds of thousands numerous organizations such as the female support of male-dominated affairs of men are filling professional sports sta- National Association for the Advancement and organizations is nothing new or dia throughout the nation to worship of Colored People (NAACP); the Southern unique. Throughout history, many women Jesus. And—as was the case with the Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC); have willingly held subordinate and sub- Million Man March—many women claim Peopled United to Save Humanity missive roles in patriarchal churches, that the men in their lives appear to be bet- (PUSH); mentoring groups; fraternities; mosques, temples, and synagogues. ter husbands and fathers as a result of this and so forth have seen a tremendous Furthermore, many black women regard male-bonding ritual. For example, Wendy increase in requests for membership appli- black men as an "endangered species" and Sheldon, a former nurse and teacher who cations. Evidently, despite the strong spirituality that permeated the march and Farrakhan's claim that it was divinely DEMAND A REcouNT,

r es es

inspired, human thought and activism must r BECAUSE 1,000,000 HAS A always be at the center of any struggle for hts ONE STANDING THERE, WHICH ig

human improvement. A deity did not r Al

inspire the atheist A. Philip Randolph, who MEANS SOMETHING In BE uNFoLDED, te.

FouR, dica

called for the first march on Washington WHEREAS 400,00o HAS A n Sy for jobs and freedom as early as 1941. And WHICH IS A CI A,R UPSIDE-DOWN, s like the civil rights march of 1963, no reli- WHICH YOU CAN'T SIT ON, AND Pres l gious miracles occurred, and there were no

FIVE ZEROS WHICH ARE FIVE EGGS, ersa iv

angels from heaven on hand for the festiv- BUT 1,000,000 NAS S EGGS f Un f ities. Simply put, human beings are clearly A HALF Do7EN, WHICH o

WHICH is ion responsible for all marches and any of the CAN BE FOLDED IN TO THE iss

accomplishments that result from them. erm

,WHICH IS UNFOLDING,.. p

ONE h

It has been said repeatedly that the it

Million Man March was "bigger than w d

te in

Farrakhan," the man who called for it. But r Rep

it would probably be more accurate to say s. s.

that the march was as big as Farrakhan, for New

this was Farrakhan's defining moment in lo ffa

history. It is highly unlikely that any other Quit.' iJ ile yotire ahead dept. Bu The The

person could have drawn so many black

95 95 ©19 Norm R. Allen, Jr., is executive director of LooSE FARRACANNON.— les African Americans for Humanism. To Winter 1995/96 27 works part-time, told the Toronto Star that they are not particularly bothered by them. acknowledged that in many other coun- her husband has become more sensitive as 3. They secretly agree with most of tries, he would not be allowed to speak a result of his involvement in the Promise what he says and represents, but are out so candidly or forcefully (and ironi- Keepers. "He looks after me. I feel like unable or unwilling to say so. cally, these countries include some of porcelain. It's a nice feeling not being 4. They disagree with much of what he those he supports, such as Iran and totally responsible for myself," she said. stands for, but they do not want to Sudan). Indeed, there is a message here As was done at the Million Man threaten the widespread operational unity for everyone. March, the men who attend Promise among black individuals and organiza- Freedom is useful mainly to those who Keepers rallies pray, listen to preachers, tions that has taken so long to come to have the courage to use it. Just as and promise to be better men. And not fruition. Farrakhan has the right to criticize his surprisingly, in 1997, the Promise Keepers If the NOI had been a secular organiza- detractors, his detractors have the right— plan to have a million-man march of their tion rather than a bizarre and authoritarian indeed, the moral obligation—to criticize own, also to be held in Washington, D.C. religious sect, it is probable that its mem- him. More black thinkers, writers, schol- Today more than ever, Farrakhan has bership would have been larger than that of ars, spokespersons, and grass-roots lead- firmly and successfully—and perhaps per- the Universal Negro Improvement Asso- ers must come forward to challenge Far- manently—in the minds of millions of ciation (UNIA) under Marcus Garvey dur- rakhan's sexism, homophobia, bigotry, blacks, equated a reluctance to criticize ing his heyday in the 1920s. (The UNIA irrationality, and so forth. He must not be him and the Nation of Islam (NOI) with was one of the largest black activist orga- given carte blanche to be as outrageous as loyalty to black people. Indeed, many nizations of all time.) But that point may he chooses. And those who support him blacks were critical of Colin Powell for be irrelevant. NOI's influence will con- must realize that he is neither perfect nor acknowledging Farrakhan's bigotry. tinue to grow well beyond its actual num- above criticism. The right kinds of criti- Farrakhan, in the minds of many, is the bers. This means that more people will cism create better individuals and strong standard by which courageous black man- become acquainted with and influenced by institutions. As Eleanor Roosevelt wisely hood is measured. His boldness tends to its positive and negative ideas and actions. remarked: "Never fear criticism when make his followers very tolerant of his During his speech on the Mall, the you're right. Never ignore it when you're many irrational statements. Even many of theocratic Farrakhan said that America's wrong." This is advice that everyone his sharpest black critics who point out his saving grace is her ideal of freedom. He should mind. weaknesses to predominantly white audiences wouldn't dare do the same before predominantly black audiences out of fear of censure. On the contrary, some of these Mania in the Stadia: same critics even applaud Farrakhan's virtues in such circumstances. The Origins and Goals of Farrakhan might not have exaggerated when he boasted, "I am to black people what the Pope is to white people." Indeed, Promise Keepers some blacks believe that Farrakhan—in his own words—is their "last chance" to attain freedom, justice, and equality. Russ Bellant It must be acknowledged that many whites make it difficult for some blacks to 66Dromise Keepers" is a rapidly trolled by a national hierarchy. Most take the moral high ground on this issue r growing Christian men's move- important, women are to submit abso- by patronizingly demanding that main- ment that last year rallied about three lutely to their husbands or fathers. stream black leaders "repudiate Far- hundred thousand men, filling six football Promise Keepers may be the rakhan." And it is true that some of stadia in colorful displays of male "spiri- strongest, most organized effort to capi- Farrakhan's critics are correctly identified tual renewal." The group plans to double talize on male backlash in the country as sellouts for only attacking him to gain the number of participants and stadium today. Conceived by University of favor with whites, or to advance their own events in 1996. While projecting an image Colorado football coach Bill McCartney careers. of spirituality, leaders of the Promise in 1990, Promise Keepers says men But even most Afrocentrists and black Keepers seem to be bent on gaining social should "reclaim" authority from their militants outside the NOI seem unwilling and political power. In the world of wives—to whom they have supposedly to criticize Farrakhan for the following Promise Keepers, men are to submit to a ceded too much. reasons: cell group that in turn is closely con- Bill McCartney's goal in 1990 was to 1. They agree with most of what he fill a sports stadium with Christian men to says and represents. Russ Bellant is a Detroit, Michigan free- exhort them into his philosophy. The fol- 2. They do not accept many of his irra- lance researcher and writer. He has lowing year, he attracted 4,200 men to a tional beliefs or hateful statements, but authored two books on the right wing. basketball arena; 22,000 men came to

28 FREE INQUIRY Boulder's Folsom Stadium in 1992, fol- Members who questioned authority, or Amendment 2 ballot initiative as a mem- lowed by 50,000 men in 1993.' women who question their extreme sub- ber of the board of Colorado for Family Promoted by powerful elements of the mission to men, were subject to often Values, the sponsor of the initiative.15 Religious Right, Promise Keepers filled traumatic "exorcisms." WOG members His rally addresses have been uncom- six stadia in 1994; the largest event was in were trained to see the world with suspi- promising. "Take the nation for Jesus the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, which cion and contempt—as an enemy. They Christ," he directed in 1992.16 The follow- drew 62,000 men. The only women pre- believed that they were specially chosen ing year he said, "What you are about to sent were custodians and concession by God to fight the Antichrist.' hear is God's word to the men of this workers? When McCartney was hired by the nation. We are going to war as of tonight. In 1995, Promise Keepers events in University of Colorado, WOG introduced We have divine power; that is our weapon. Detroit and Los Angeles drew over 72,000 him to the WOG-linked "Vineyard" We will not compromise. Wherever truth each' church, which has a parish in Boulder. is at risk, in the schools or legislature, we Vineyard churches emphasize "signs and are going to contend for it. We will win."" Don't Ask, Take wonders" and "prophecy." Vineyard No less militant is Promise Keepers co- leader John Wimber calls their work founder Dave Wardell,' who told the he manifesto of the movement is "power evangelism" and describes his fol- Denver Post, "We want our nation to TSeven Promises of a Promise Keeper, lowers as "self-conscious members of return to God. We're drawing a line in the a book published for the group by James God's army, sent to do battle against the sand here.... There has already been con- Dobson's organization, Focus on the forces of the kingdom of darkness... . troversy about abortion and homosexual- Family.' Evangelist Tony Brown, in his One is either in God's Kingdom," Wimber ity. I hope there won't be any physical contributing essay, explains how to deal insists, "or Satan's."8 confrontations...:'" with women. "I can hear you saying, `I want to be a spiritually pure man. Where 'The Purpose of War' Something Like Punching do I start?' The first thing you do," Brown Your Lights Out writes, "is sit down with your wife and cCartney's pastor at the Boulder say something like this: `Honey, I've MValley Vineyard, the Reverend romise Keepers's national staff has made a terrible mistake. I've given you James Ryle, whom McCartney says is the Pgrown rapidly from a handful to 250, my role. I gave up leading this family, and other major influence in his life,' conducts with a $64 million budget." But its signif- I forced you to take my place. Now I must a "prophetic" ministry and participates in icance is primarily at the local and church reclaim that role.' Don't misunderstand conferences with men who claim to be levels. what I'm saying here. I'm not suggesting prophets in the first-century sense of the Promise Keepers urges men to form that you ask for your role back, I'm urging term.'° "accountability" groups of no more than you to take it back" (emphasis in the orig- Ryle believes Promise Keepers, of five members, within which they are inal).5 While insisting to male readers that which he is a board member," is the ful- expected to submit all aspects of their there is to be "no compromise" on author- fillment of the biblically prophesied end- lives to review and rebuke. Each member ity, he suggests that women readers sub- time army described in the Book of Joel— must answer any probes concerning his mit for the "survival of our culture." a terrifying army from which there is no marriage, family, finances, sexuality, or escape. "Never have 300,000 men come business activity.' Total Submission together through human history," he Such cells, usually operating within a declared, "except for the purpose of war." church or parachurch group, are led by a hile serving as an assistant coach at He says he has a vision of Promise "Point Man" who answers to an Wthe University of Michigan in Ann Keepers purging America of secularism, "Ambassador" who reports to headquar- Arbor, Bill McCartney encountered and which he considers "an abortion" of god- ters in Boulder. Decisions about local or was deeply influenced by the Word of liness." state activity are ultimately made in God (WOG) community. McCartney has Ryle spoke last year at a secret Boulder." said that WOG leader Jim Berlucci is one Colorado conclave to plan anti-gay/les- "All of our success here is contingent of the two men who most influenced his bian electoral strategies. He said, upon men taking part in small groups life.' WOG, a select and insular group of "America is in the midst of a cultural rev- when they return home," Promise Keepers about 1,600 adults, practiced "shepherd- olution, which has poised our nation pre- spokesman Steve Chavis told Christianity ing/discipleship," which required total cariously on the brink of moral chaos, Today. Less elegantly, Dave Wardell, the submission to a person called the "head." which is caused by what I am referring to national coordinator for local leaders, Members were required to submit their as the crisis of homosexuality." explains, "I can go home and maybe still schedules in advance and account for While Promise Keepers is not currently be the same guy after a conference. But if every hour of every day. Marriage part- a political force in its own right, I have another guy calling up, holding me ners, movie choices; jobs, and other deci- McCartney leads by example. He has accountable, asking, 'How are you treat- sions also had to be approved by this repeatedly attacked reproductive rights," ing your wife? Are you still cheating on leader. and he campaigned for the 1992 anti-gay your income taxes? Are you looking at

Winter 1995/96 29 your secretaries with lust?' it makes a dif- revivalism. Indicative of this is its use of WOG members and internal WOG documents. ference. I don't think a woman would get 8. Ibid., John Wimber, speech at Charismatic Strang Communications to publish New Renewal conference, audiotape, August 1990; John in my face, go toe to toe with a guy, Man magazine. Strang's Charisma maga- Wimber, "Power Evangelism: An Encounter of whereas a guy could tell me, `I don't like zine is contemptuous of traditional People of God," First Fruits, March/April 1986. reports that it. And if you don't listen to me, I'll punch Also the May 1995 Charisma magazine denominations. The senior editor of Promise Keepers' top leaders are affiliated with your lights out.' Something like that."n Strang's New Ministries magazine, Jack Vineyard churches but they seek to draw partici- These principles and structures, which Hayford, is also on the board of Promise pants from all denominational backgrounds. are similar to the shepherding disciple- Keepers. 9. McCartney interview, op. cit. 10. A "prophet" claims to receive messages ship model of the Word of God, would Promise Keepers has scheduled more directly from God. To many believers, a prophecy take years to implement and produce a than a dozen rallies for purity, fidelity, can have as much or more validity than the Bible highly disciplined group. Most men and possibly social and political domin- itself. 11. Promise Keepers data sheet. See also, drawn to Promise Keepers have probably ion for 1996. Promise Keepers had Charisma, May 1995, p. 45. never heard of shepherding/discipleship planned for over a year to draw one mil- 12. Author's interview with James Ryle, (which is still not widely known even lion men to march in Washington, D.C., October 1994. 13. Tim Kingston, "Blueprint for Hate: Contents within the evangelical community)` and just prior to the November 1996 elec- of Secret Colorado Anti-Gay Election Kit may be deeply offended if they experi- tions. Now postponed, the plans were Revealed," San Francisco Bay Times, May 19, 1994. ence the degree of manipulation and con- 14. Michael Romano, "Keeping the Promise of evidently modeled after the Christian God," Rocky Mountain News, July 17, 1994. trol (to which they may be "submitting" Right rallies called "Washington for 15. Michael Mills, "Promise Keepers Send an themselves and their families) as has Jesus," which had similar backing and Alarming Message," Boulder Daily Camera, July occurred in many shepherding/disciple were held during the presidential elec- 28, 1994. 16. Michael Romano, "Coach's Comments on situations. tions in 1980 and 1988.27 Gays, Religion Draw Ire of Many," Rocky Mountain Considering the high-level backing by News, July 17, 1994. the leadership of the Christian Right, and 17. Boulder Daily Camera, op. cit. Trojan Horses? 18. Promise Keepers Fact Sheet. the anti-democratic views of Promise 19. Johnette Howard, "At Colorado, a Coach Christian Right leaders in the past Keepers's leaders, this movement ought and a Christian," Washington Post, October 25, Lar have joined Dobson in promot- 1994. not be underestimated. 20. "Promise Keepers' Update," Charisma, Oct. ing Promise Keepers. These have notably 95, p. 38. included Pat Robertson of the Christian Notes 21. John Maxwell, speech at Promise Keepers Coalition and "700 Club," D. James 1. James Dobson, Bill Bright, Edwin Cole, Tony Indianapolis rally, June 6, 1994, p. 4. Evans, Bill McCartney, Luis Palau, Randy Phillips, 22. Promise Keepers, "Ambassador," training Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries, and Gary Smalley, Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper, manual. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ. Focus on the Family, 1994, p. 6. See also, Promise 23. Washington Post, op. cit. Dobson who along with Robertson, Keepers Fact Sheet, October 1994. 24. Bellant, op. cit. See also, Sara Diamond, 2. Author's observation at the event. "Spiritual Warfare: The Politics of the Christian Kennedy, and Bright, is a member of the 3. National and International Religion Report, Right," South End Press, 1988. secretive, radical-right Council for May 15, 1995. 25. See Russ Bellant, "The Council for National National Policy,u is a central figure in 4. Dobson, et al., op. cit. Policy: Stealth Leadership of the Radical Right," 5. Ibid., p. 79. This passage appears under the Front Lines Research, August 1994. Promise Keepers. Not only is he the pub- sub-heading "Reclaiming Your Manhood." 26. Community Impact Handbook, Focus on the lisher of the main text of the movement, 6. Author's interview with McCartney, October Family, 1993; Community Impact Seminar, Detroit, he is a featured speaker at Promise Keeper 1994. Michigan, August 1993. 7. Russ Bellant, "When Right Goes Wrong," 27. Fred Clarkson, "The Second Coming: The events, which in turn sell tapes of his National Catholic Reporter, November 18, 1988. Politics of Washington for Jesus '88," City Paper, speeches. Also author's extensive interviews with former April 29, 1988. • Focus on the Family's network of political action groups, called Community Subscribe to the SOS National Newsletter today! Impact Committees, function much like SOS is an alternative recovery method for those alcoholics or drug addicts who are uncomfortable Promise Keepers' cell groups within con- with the spiritual content of widely-available 12-step programs. It takes a reasonable, secular servative churches. Largely invisible to approach to recovery and maintains that sobriety is a separate issue from religion or spirituality. SOS individuals outside these churches, these credits the individual for achieving and maintaining his or her own sobriety, thus rebuilding self- committees are organized at the state and esteem. regional levels and controlled from In each quarterly 8-page issue of the SOS National Newsletter, you'll find articles by, for, and Colorado 26 about recovering alcoholics and addicts; essays about sobriety from a secular perspective; new research into alcoholism and addiction; and much more. Both Dobson's Community Impact Subscription rates are noted below, and extra donations are always gratefully welcome: Committees and the Promise Keepers ❑ ❑ cells are potential Trojan horses within El lyear: $15 El 2 years: $29.00 3 years: $43.00 Donation $ churches and denominations, creating _ MasterCard _ VISA _ Check enclosed conflicting loyalties and lines of authority. Leaders of Promise Keepers, in particular, Exp. Sig. come out of a movement that sees denom- Send along with name and address to: SOS, Bos 5, Buffalo, NY 14215-0005 inations as inhibiting evangelism and

30 FREE INQUIRY litany of charges against religion but has failed to accommodate the individual with any meaningful purpose or direction. The Threat to the Atheists' This last charge is significant because we seldom notice the serious existential Good Life challenge posed by humanism; indeed, the very message we view as positive— that individuals are free to make their own life choices and define who they are, thus Albert E. Lyngzeidetson realizing their potential for human growth—is seen as a thoroughly unap- e atheists, secular humanists, and pealing, amorphous, and nebulous mas- Wfreethinkers are an isolated and sage by many who yearn for a far more secluded lot. So convinced are we of the directed life-style. (See, for instance, Eric truths of secular humanism that little do Fromm, Escape From Freedom, on this we realize that we are being scapegoated, point.) In sum, freedom to many is exis- attacked, and undermined in the public's tential vacuity, and humanism is seen as eye. This well-organized and orchestrated having failed to deliver when a good, critique is being marshalled by the directed approach to life is sought. Christian right. Suffering from something And here lies the problem, at foundation akin to an ideological humanist myopia, psychological: whereas we humanists are we little realize that the average person on comfortable with the complexities of life, the street is being indoctrinated by with the tenuous uncertainty of values and Christian propaganda to take a hostile what it means to be in the human condi- view of our cause. tion, the Christian right has very astutely This article aims at rectifying some of seized upon the obvious: that most people the misconceptions this Christian propa- prefer a sense of direction to their lives ganda has so successfully fostered. First, based upon (what they believe to be) I will address the alleged failings of absolute ends, purposes, and values. This humanism that have been so skillfully makes life simpler, more secure, and pro- exploited by the Christian right's dema- ently correct solution. vides one the emotional luxury of believing gogues in an effort to undermine the For instance, it is pointed out that the that being the best in what it means to be legitimacy of humanism. Second, I will deterioration of the American family as human requires no independent thought or offer some putative countermeasures to exemplified by child abuse, runaways, the reflection upon one's existential position. these criticisms. teenage suicide rate, drug abuse, and How can we as humanists, atheists, and To begin with, the Christian right crime—in sum, moral decay—is due to an freethinkers counter this challenge? First claims that humanism promised a utopia, atmosphere of humanistic value-neutral- and foremost we must stop being on the but has instead failed miserably in provid- ism, and that this causes moral decay defensive. To put it bluntly, we are just too ing even the minimums of a decent and since the individual is without moral nice and timid—wary of offending reli- secure life. The important thing to keep in foundation. It is argued that crime is due gious sensibilities. What we need to keep mind is that each problem is very real and to a diffusion of moral responsibility and in mind, though, is that the humanist the solution offered is simplistic. Perhaps accountability since humanism excuses agenda is in the interest of all religions of the common thread in each criticism is criminal behavior via psychological acceptance and tolerance, and if promot- that humanism is the cause of the prob- pseudoscience. Furthermore, it is con- ing it and defending it from attack means lem, and a theocratic return to traditional tended that the steady decline in SAT offending a small minority of religious values is made to seem as the only solu- scores is due to the politicization of the fascists, then so be it. tion. This is a very successful propaganda public schools in an effort to instill secu- So how shall we proceed? Directly, I tactic since, like fascist demagogues, the lar humanist attitudes in youngsters recommend, and striking at the heart of Christian fundamentalist manipulates the instead of educating them; notably, it is the matter. We must first point out that the public's fears of the very real problems further claimed that family home-life is Religious Right's obsession with abso- threatening society, and attempts to decaying due to a diffusion of parental lutistic values and ideas is thoroughly un- seduce it with a simple, clear, and appar- roles as a result of a humanist-inspired American; their absolutism, provincial- agenda that defines masculine and femi- ism, and ethnocentrism go against the Albert E. Lyngzeidetson is chairman of nine roles out of existence. But perhaps grain of American values of tolerance, Atheists of Florida, Inc., and professor of most significantly, the Christian right acceptance, and pluralism. Their views of psychology and religion at Florida argues that secular humanism's message a theocratic autocracy (or oligarchy) is Atlantic University. is entirely negative, in that it has leveled a completely antithetical to liberal democ- Winter 1995/96 31 racy. Their view of environmental domin- equals of men and marriage between two of supernaturalism, because we accept ion, wherein nature is seen as created for equals is superior. only knowledge and facts that can be man's benefit, is completely opposed to 2. Humanist ethics of acceptance, free- objectively observed and verified by the ecological conscientiousness. Their view dom, fallibilism, and compassion are "scientific method." Our secular consti- of dogmatism in morals has historically morally superior to the dogmatism, eth- tution and form of government promotes been responsible for more human atrocity, nocentrism, and provincialism of the and protects freedom of religion, the massacre, bloodshed, and agony than all Christian right. right of each person to believe in any of anarchy, subversion, and lawlessness 3. The humanist political agenda of an endless variety of gods and religions combined. Indeed, more injustice has democracy, secularism, pluralism, and created by the fertile imagination of been perpetrated in the name of absolute tolerance of differences is truly American humans. But equally protected is free- morals than most of us can imagine. and accurately represents what the secu- dom from religion. Our philosophy has Hence, it is moral fallibilism that has the lar-atheistic founders of the United States equal legal standing, and we are moral high ground. It is also important to aspired to; whereas, the right-wing Chris- absolutely determined to protect our recognize that the Christian right is a fun- tian political ideology of intolerance, eth- freedom. damentally (pun intended) un-Christian nocentrism, autocracy, and theocracy is In closing, we must repeatedly stress organization. Indeed, it is ludicrous and fundamentally un-American and fascist. that a humanist life view is a thoroughly ironic that such a movement dares to use 4. Stress that Christian fundamental- liberating experience, whereas the Chris- "Christ" in its name. In sum, we should ism threatens the political, religious, and tian obsession with a fixed system of val- unabashedly point out that so-called spiritual freedom of not only the atheist ues and a fixed direction in life leads to a Christians of the Christian right distort but of any person of a persuasion in dis- rigid, stagnating, and psychologically sti- and misrepresent real Christians as well cord with the Christian right's ideology. fling existence. This is so, because theirs as humanists. In fact, their routine bas- This would include not only minority is an existence that promotes an outlook tardization and perversion of the Bible is religions like Jews, Buddhists, and the that is unhealthy and self-defeating, by nothing less than sacrilegious. like, but also Christian denominations depriving the individual of the very things Last but not least, we need to challenge that are non-fundamentalist. necessary for a full and worthwhile life: the Christian fundamentalist's presupposi- 5. In keeping with the above point, it is the ability to adapt to dynamic and chang- tions about the need for a fixed, imperative that we emphatically declare ing conditions; the willingness to re- immutable, and objective life direction. A that so-called fundamentalist Christians define and re-evaluate what one is and good argument can be made to the effect are some of the most un-Christian crea- ought to be, in the light of changing cir- that the obsession with such static ideals tures to have ever appeared on this planet. cumstances; and the capacity for accept- is fundamentally life-negating and leads This is a charge that can easily be vindi- ing the complexity and uncertainties of to psychological atrophy, stagnation, and cated by appeal to none other than the life as a positive antidote to tedium, bore- a stifling of creativity. Indeed, it is anti- Gospels; i.e., if Christ were alive today, dom, and stagnation. thetical to everything psychologists have he would be a humanist and deplore the In sum, by stressing that it is human- told us is necessary for the healthy, fully outrageous distortion of his creed by the ism that allows individuals to realize their human individual: i.e., an acceptance of so-called Christian fundamentalist. full potential and that Christian dogma- change, a willingness to grow, and an abil- 6. Humanists, atheists, and other free- tism only serves to undermine human ity to function and adapt in a changing thinkers challenge all theists whose reli- potential and creativity by stifling it, we dynamic environment. gions assume the existence of a super- can effectively neutralize the Christian natural god who allegedly created the right's criticisms. We must remember that n conclusion, we must have a focused universe and has since controlled it and the religious sensibilities of those we may Iand specific message to counter the all humans on Earth. We reject all aspects offend are neither religious nor sensible.• Christian fundamentalists' charge that humanism is an existential vacuum that is void of direction. In keeping with this, the DONATE TO THE six most important points that we need to assiduously reiterate are: Center for Inquiry Libraries 1. We reject the Judeo-Christian Bible as a guide to human conduct, because The newly opened Center for Inquiry will house the Freethought and objective scholarship has conclusively Secular Humanist Collection—books, journals, and reference works in demonstrated that its text was originally philosophy (naturalism and pragmatism), the history of freethought, written by many ancient men and has and biblical criticism. The 3,000-square-foot library will have state-of- since been altered in translation by other the-art computer cataloguing and scanning-and-retrieval equipment men. We reject the Bible-based concept and be available to scholars, students, and the lay public. that men are superior to women and lb support the library with donations of funds or materials call should rule women in marriage, because 716-636-7571, or write P. O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226. we believe that women are basically the L. 32 FREE INQUIRY vatism which works. There is no reality apart from God. The real enemy is the secular The Religious Right's humanist mindset which seeks to destroy everything that is good in this society. The fight that we are fighting, Voice of Intolerance the battle we have joined, is one that encompasses our entire life span. We can't put our faith in political saviors. This is one of the biggest mis- takes that was made in the previous Skipp Porteous incarnation of the Religious Right. We are in a war, and when you are in aul Weyrich, resembling a humorless revealed will of God. Recently, he even a war you must have trained armies to Laughton, is one of the radi- chastised a Christian right audience at the fight a war. We are killed when we go PCharles into the political process and get cal Religious Right's most effective Road to Victory conference. elected, then have no idea what to do behind-the-scenes schemers. A top right- "Amid all the glitter, we forget the once we are elected; when we have no wing strategist, he is credited with per- essence of what this fight is all about," idea of who it is that is opposed to us; suading the Reverend Jerry Falwell to Weyrich told them, referring to the media what their tactics are going to be; how become politically active through the attention the Christian Coalition receives you handle these people; how you seize the moral high ground; how you frame now-defunct Moral Majority, and then today. the issues in such a way to put them on convincing the Reverend Pat Robertson to Weyrich believes in absolute absolutes. the defensive instead of us on the defen- enter politics. Those two conversions There is no middle ground, no room for sive; and all the sorts of things you need alone have forever changed the face of compromise. to understand if you are going to be American politics. involved in the political process. We are in an internal battle. The battle is The secular humanist state is very Weyrich and his friend Richard between right and wrong, between truth similar to the Soviet state, in the sense Viguerie were probably the first to realize and lies, between life and death. And if that it is based on lies, therefore it is the political potential of the abortion issue, we ever forget what it is about, if we internally weaker than it appears to be the energy that would be unleashed if con- think we are in a battle for electing peo- outwardly. servative Christians could be convinced to ple to hold office, simply controlling Just as the communists are clinging political parties ... then we will not to power wherever they can do it, even view abortion as murder. Abortion, more accomplish what we are to achieve. We though communism has collapsed, so than any other issue, pushed conservative need to hold our principles, and stick to also will the secular humanists cling to Christians into right-wing politics. Today, them regardless. power, because, for them, that's all there it is the single most controversial issue We need to confront head-on the ter- is. Remember, you have God. You have within the Republic Party. rible, destructive policies that govern- your families; you have your commu- ment has wrought, that the secular nity, your church community, your An ardent and compelling speaker, humanist establishment has foisted neighborhood, and all the things you are Weyrich imparts to the careful listener the upon this country against the will of the concerned about. They only have power. real nature of the radical Religious majority of the people. That's all that matters to them. They Right—intolerance. I spoke to Weyrich at I know that not everyone at this con- will fight with everything that's in them the Christian Coalition's annual Road to ference agrees with a theological inter- to keep that power. pretation of things. However, that is the Victory conference in Washington last perspective of the majority of us here. Weyrich is the radical Religious September. I asked him what he thought Conservatism based upon the Scriptural Right's true voice—the voice of intoler- that the Religious Right must do to keep tradition is the only kind of conser- ance. the movement on course. Don WrISM alln Goode Poet "Never compromise," he said. mm As the leader of the Christian Coalition, Ralph Reed has compromised Viliat Aar/ PRECISECOlk 1111S WNW v4105 MEN MOM on issues dear to many of the Coalition's GAMIN AMU REFtemsi SM1967 MN AS members. While he hopes to bring in WAS (VI 15WAS5aP! more members through "casting a wider net," in doing so, he risks losing the very backbone of the Coalition. Weyrich is a different story. Steady as a !NAYS HU BETWED rock, he doesn't waver from the course he wipe ros lit STAND Cf 1146 GRI51161,1¡AMON AND has set. He is totally intolerant of anything 10.5A WANK$i KA DIVEErAtrEt MENT? LEADER /6WM other than what he considers is the

Stripp Porteous is national director of the Institute for First Amendment Studies. Winter 1995/96 33 human rights groups, welfare offices, abortion clinics, and gay bars. At his Yitzhak Rabin (1922-1995): arraignment, Lampley was asked the name of his lawyer, and he declared: "Jesus Christ." Another Victim of Zealotry • Muslim terrorists who want to turn Egypt into a theocracy sent a suicide bomber to ram an explosives-packed truck into the Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad, James A. Haught Pakistan, killing seventeen and wounding sixty. ivilized people around the globe were kill the enemy," he testified at his arraign- Fanaticism is essentially the same in all sickened by the November 4, 1995, ment before a magistrate. When asked if cultures. It is the extreme fringe of funda- murder of Yitzhak Rabin, Israel's Nobel he had accomplices, he replied: "It was mentalism—the few who overdose on Peace Prize-winning prime minister, by a God" self-righteous rhetoric until they kill for it. Jewish fanatic. Soon after the arraignment, Israeli Often, they kill their own. Anwar Such zealot crimes hurt the human police charged seven other men—five of Sadat, Muslim president of Egypt, was spirit. They damage the majority hope that them Orthodox religious students—with killed by Muslim zealots who thought he reason can prevail over hate and tribalism. conspiring to kill Rabin. The New York was "soft" on Jews. Mahatma Gandhi was The killer, a law student at a religious Times said they were part of a secretive, killed by a fellow Hindu who thought university, told police he "acted alone and lethal, "deeply religious underground Gandhi favored Muslims. The Buddhist on orders from God." But he wasn't movement"—and the murder may have president of Sri Lanka was killed by a alone—he was part of a movement blindly been mandated by a holy order from a Buddhist monk who thought he was sell- preaching violence: Israel's right-wing right-wing rabbi. ing out to the Hindu minority. Now Rabin fringe. Israeli writer Amos Oz commented in joins the list. These extremists mostly are Orthodox Newsweek that "a loose conglomerate of Ironically, minutes before his murder, Jews who think God gave them the mad-dog fundamentalists has declared Rabin attended a peace rally, where he Promised Land forever. They abound war on the rest of Israel." He observed: joined non-belligerent Israelis in singing among armed West Bank settlers who vow "Those fanatics have the crazy dream of the "Song of Peace." He folded the music never to yield an inch of ground to turning Israel into an Iran-like theocracy, and stuck it in his breast pocket—where it Muslims. They were symbolized by the controlled by Jewish ayatollahs. It is typi- soon was soaked with his blood. bitter Orthodox physician who machine- cal of religious fanatics, Christian, The Song of Peace mustn't die with gunned praying Muslims in a mosque at Muslim or Jew, that the `orders' they get him. Conscientious people and leaders Hebron. Meanwhile, the Muslims have from God are always essentially one must redouble their commitment to a non- abundant killers on their side, many of order: Thou shalt kill." violent solution in the Middle East, and to them willing to die in suicide attacks on But fanatical Jews weren't the only resisting madness everywhere. Jews. religious killers in the news in November. There's no way to prevent extreme Rabin's peace plan, which would Immediately after Rabin's assassination, believers from committing murder, in return much of the captured West Bank to these events occurred: Israel or any other nation. Even the Palestinians, made him an enemy in the • Terrorists, presumably Muslims try- strictest security measures can't isolate eyes of Jewish militants. They grew ing to drive Westerners out of Saudi every public figure and every government increasingly vehement, holding stormy Arabia's holy cities, detonated a car bomb building. All that can be done is for decent protests with posters of Rabin in a Nazi outside a U.S. center in Riyadh, killing people to press on, unswerving in their uniform—the most despicable image pos- five Americans and two others. Credit was search for peaceful solutions, no matter sible to Jews. claimed by three Islamic groups, includ- how many fanatics wreak horror. Far-right rabbis told their followers it ing one calling itself the Fighting While November's holy lunacy was would be religiously proper to murder the Organization of the Partisans of God. ensuing, President Bill Clinton announced prime minister. The twenty-seven-year- • In Tokyo, a leader of the Supreme plans to send U.S. peacekeeping troops to old student who did so claims that his Truth cult, which is accused of the nerve Bosnia, to curb that nation's "war of eth- assault was based on the legal code of the gas attack that killed twelve subway pas- nic and religious hatred." Isn't it odd that Jewish faith. sengers and sickened 5,500 others, an American president speaks of "reli- "According to the Halacha, you can pleaded guilty to lesser charges. gious hatred" and the term doesn't seem • In Oklahoma, the Reverend Ray incongruous? It simply describes a reality James A. Haught is editor of the Charles- Lampley, head of the Universal Church of of the world. ton Gazette in West Virginia and author of God, and three of his followers were Holy Hatred (Prometheus Books). charged with preparing fertilizer bombs Reprinted with the permission of the Charleston with which they planned to blow up Gazette. 34 FREE INQUIRY

will re-open on May 24, 1996. CODESH is grateful for the continued support it has News and Views received from admirers of Ingersoll (1833-1899), one of America's greatest orators and freethinkers.

Oxford Center Opens CODESH to Initiate Center for Inquiry—West At Westminster College Secular Celebrations The Center for Inquiry—West, CODESH's "The Center for Inquiry: Critical As detailed elsewhere in the issue (p. 47), shared branch office in Los Angeles, Studies in Religion, Ethics, and the Council for Democratic and Secular helped to sponsor two recent events: FREE Society" was officially launched on Humanism is interested in training indi- INQUIRY Senior Editor Thomas Flynn November 3, 1995, with a ceremony in viduals who wish to perform secular cele- gave a talk in October entitled Oxford, England. The Center is a joint brations and services. If you would like to "Secularism at the Crossroads: Wins and venture of Westminster College, participate, please contact CODESH Losses in the Newt Age." And on Oxford, and the International Academy Executive Director Matt Cherry, P.O. Box Saturday, November 4, 1995, there was a of Humanism. The new center is affili- 664, Amherst, N.Y. 14226, 716-636-7571. special seminar held on the Queen Mary ated with the Center for Inquiry in in Long Beach, on "Defending Church- Amherst, New York, headquarters of State Separation." Utah high school stu- FREE INQUIRY. It is an accredited Ingersoll Museum Ends dent Rachel Bauchman, who fought research institute of Westminster Successful Third Season unsuccessfully to bar a Christian hymn College, associated with Oxford from her graduation ceremony, was the University. The director is Dr. R. Joseph The Robert G. Ingersoll birthplace featured speaker. Other participants Hoffmann, a specialist in the history of museum in Dresden, New York, held its included FREE INQUIRY editors Flynn, Christianity and heretical movements, third annual summer conference on August Vern Bullough, and Robert Alley. and a fellow and lecturer of Westminster 18-20. The theme was "Ingersoll and the College. The Center's first symposium, Civil War." Among the highlights of the Humanist Association of "Issues in the Dialogue Between event were presentations by three cos- Humanism and Religion" was held in tumed Civil War re-enactors on the experi- Canada Opens New Office conjunction with the launch of the ences Ingersoll and other veterans would FREE INQUIRY editors Tim Madigan, Tom Center on November 3-4, 1995. Paul have undergone while serving in the War Flynn, Matt Cherry, and Norm Allen were Kurtz, editor of FREE INQUIRY and pres- Between the States (Ingersoll was on hand to commemorate the opening of ident of the Academy of Humanism, a colonel in the Union Army). The museum the first national headquarters of the gave the keynote address. was closed for the season on October 29. It Humanist Association of Canada, in Ottawa, Ontario. The event took place on Saturday, October 21, 1995, and featured comments by the HAC's honorary president, Dr. Henry Morgentaler, the long- time leader of Canada's abortion rights movement, and HAC's current president, Ernie Schreiber.

Kansas City Eupraxophy Center Moves to New Location

To mark its becoming a midwest regional center for CODESH, the Kansas City Eupraxophy Center has moved to a new location. It is now located in the United Labor Building, in a prominent spot in downtown Kansas City. It will disseminate information about CODESH and secular humanism throughout the midwest. Congratulations are due to Verle Muhrer, the Center's founder, for his unstinting 11m Madigan, Tom Flynn, Henry Morgentaler, Ernie Schreiber, Matt Cherry, Norm Allen. work on behalf of humanism.

Winter 1995/96 35 May Swenson (1917-1990), yet another member of the American Humanist Potpourri Academy of Arts and Letters, wrote Other Words, New Poems (1987) and was a fre- quent contributor to the New Yorker. An eminent poet, one who regretted that there Warren Allen Smith were not more females in the Academy, Swenson was asked in 1989 about the var- o secular humanist hopes, of course, how silly the book was." ious adjectives accompanying the word Ito be demoted to Heaven. But Cesar Continuing, she said, "In our village humanism. She replied, "I subscribe to Pelli, the New Haven, Connecticut, archi- church in England, for I live there much of Secular Humanism." tect and teacher who was born in the time, my husband and I took our older William Styron, winner in 1968 of a Argentina, is presently headed for the daughter who was very religious and Pulitzer Prize for his Confessions of Nat heavens. He is the eminent member of the wanted to go to some Christmas or holiday Turner, has gone on record as being a American Academy of Arts and Letters service. And the vicar said, `Hello, Major Camus-like humanist. In "A Case of the who recently has written that "Secular Boxer [he had been in charge of British Great Pox," an essay of personal history in Humanism defines our moment." Pelli has Intelligence in the Far East and was the New Yorker (September 18, 1995), he the Kuala Lumpur commission to build imprisoned for two years in the 1940s by relates that while in the Marines he was the tallest tower in the world. Make that the Japanese, during which time his wife misdiagnosed with syphilis, whereas his towers. The Petronas Towers 1 and 2 are pretended to be Eurasian in order to avoid malady actually was Vincent's disease scheduled to be completed in 1996 and internment by the Japanese], we don't see (trench mouth). He also describes dis- will be 1,476 feet or 86 stories each. The much of you.' And my husband said, 'No, agreements with his stepmother, "an two will both be taller than the Sears you don't. My wife is an agnostic, and I ungainly, humorless, pleasure-shunning Tower in Chicago (1,454 feet, 100 sto- am an atheist. We came for the child.'" middle-aged spinster" who was "an obser- ries); the Jin Mao Building in Shanghai Laughing, she noted that only a small vant Christian, curiously illiberal for an (1,379 feet, 88 stories, to be completed in percentage of the English attend church Episcopalian." Styron joyfully announced 1998); New York City's World Trade any more. to her "my skepticism and my fealty to Center towers (1,368 feet, 110 stories and "Might this be an argument for dises- Camus, whose Le Mythe de Sisyphe I'd 1,362 feet, 110 stories); and the Empire tablishmentarianism?" the ninety-year-old read laboriously but with happiness in State Building in New York (1,250 feet, author was asked. French at Duke, and whose principles, 102 stories). "Yes," she retorted, "they should 'dis' a when I outlined them to her, she deemed David Diamond, the American com- lot of stuff!" `diabolical.' I thought her a prig, she con- poser best-known for his Rounds (1944) Hahn, best known for her collection of sidered me a libertine. She was a teeto- and for his use of the 12-tone technique in stories, Times and Places (1971), has a taler, I drank—a lot." Styron is yet another the late 1950s, has recently written, "The new story, "I Say This" (the New Yorker, member of the American Academy of Arts new Religious Right has me angry—it's July 31, 1995), about the plight of a and Letters, "a backslid Presbyterian," the same crap fifty years later, and on and Congolese woman she once met. Told she who describes in detail how the doctrine on. The majority of irrational humans are might be able to improve her lot, the of original sin hurt him and how he was dumb-dumbs, non-thinking simpletons. woman had replied with the Kingwana "saved" by poetry and Camus. But Cummings said it all much better." word denoting skepticism, "Wapi," or Sally Jessy Raphael, the television The reference is to E. E. Cummings, his "Sez You!" Someday, Hahn had tried to talk-show host, is reported in the popular friend and an inspiration for the convince the woman, females in Africa press as having announced, "I don't Cummings ballet and the snow scene of will be much better off and they should believe in God. I believe this is all there is. "The Enormous Room." Diamond, now work toward that goal. No heaven. No reincarnation. Once it's eighty, has long been a member of the "Someday, you will have power to over, it's over. Once you believe that, it American Academy of Arts and Letters. decide for yourself about everything," causes you to live everyday of your life to Emily Hahn, another member of the Hahn had advised. the fullest. Every morning I wake up and Academy, is an agnostic whose father was The woman had listened, of course, but say, `If this is the only day I have left, an atheist and an admirer of Robert G. her reaction was, "WapiP' what can I do to make it mean the most?' Ingersoll. "Daddy," she said recently in Meanwhile, Hahn is not optimistic that ... If you believe in an afterlife, I think it New Yorker office, "took Ingersoll's gorillas—her favorite animal—will fare makes living a lot easier. Unfortunately, agnosticism hard. He really took it hard. well in the years to come. The Africa she I've had to find another way to define my He read to us out of the Bible to show us knew and loved has changed radically, and existence. Immortality for me comes from her response to those who claim that wild trying to do the most you can for your fel- Warren Allen Smith is a FREE INQUIRY edi- animals will successfully be protected in low man. I do extensive charity work to torial associate. the various developing countries of Africa make an impact with my life. My form of is laconically to the point: "Wapi" prayer is meditation. It's been a part of my

36 FREE INQUIRY

life for thirty years. I meditate for ten min- Church of the Exquisite Panic, Inc., on Pentecostal church. However, after study- utes to half an hour every day, morning 13th Street in New York City's Greenwich ing Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Akkadian, and night. Meditation focuses you so you Village. Robert Delford Brown could Near Eastern History, philosophy, and can come out relaxed and with an enor- have called his artist's studio something theology and obtaining his degree from mous amount of energy." else but, instead, "conceived" it in 1964 as Harvard, he concluded that he was no Hayden Carruth, the poet whose first a spoof of organized religion. Brown, a longer a Christian. Now a nontheist and of many honors was the Vachel Lindsay secular humanist, dadaist, teacher, and secular humanist, Avalos is an admirer of Prize in 1954 and who was editor of iconoclast, is the saint, prophet, president, Spinoza and Hume. His Illness and Poetry (1949-1950), is also a nontheist. founder, and leader of the "church." Health Care in the Ancient Near East: The "My writing contains many explanations Unlike other divines, Brown dissuades his Role of the Temple in Greece, Meso- of my position," he has written, "though I disciples from aspiring to Nirvana. potamia, and Israel (Harvard 1995) is a have never written expressly on this topic. Instead, he guarantees—guarantees!— scholarly and important work in medical Perhaps the best explanation is my essay, that he can get them into Nevada. This he anthropology. 'The Nature of Art,' Ohio Review (#49). facilitates by supplying a road map, one Anita Weschler, whose statue called The essay will be included in my forth- that appropriately contains space-age "The Humanist" graces the new Center coming Selected Essays and Reviews hieroglyphics, zircons, and mysterious, for Inquiry, cares little for labels, although (1995)." unidentified fleeting objects. "The artist's she has created works that are representa- The Red Hot Chili Peppers, a cool responsibility," states His Secular tional as well as abstract. Now in her musical combo, have a new album, "One Holiness's entry in Who's Who, "is to tell nineties, she spends much time reading Hot Minute." Its lyrics include, "I was not the truth as he sees it, not to enhance his poetry and once wrote a book of poems, created / In the likeness of a fraud," a clear own self importance as an expert, thereby Nightshade. She has read many of the rejection of biblical fundamentalism. perverting his responsibility as a moral major philosophers, has shown an interest Pagan and hedonistic, the group calls for force in society." in deism as well as atheism, and is listed honesty, equality, and peace while prais- Hector Avalos, a professor of religion both in Women Artists in America and ing the joys of sex. At the same time it and philosophy at Iowa State University, Who's Who in American Art, 1995-1996. rejects "homophobic rednecks" who think was a child preacher who at the age of In addition to forty solo shows nation- they are "big and tough and macho." nine gave the keynote sermon before hun- wide, she has exhibited her work at the You've never heard of Saint Ben dreds at the Territorial Convention of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and, in New Turpin? You thought he was just a cross- Church of God in Glendale, Arizona. The York, the Whitney Museum of Art, the eyed star in the silent movies? Well, your Mexican-born Avalos railed against rock National Institute of Arts and Letters, the eyes will cross when you see his face fea- music, long hair on men, miniskirts, and Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the ured on the front of the First National other ideas that were anathema to his Museum of Modern Art. The Gift of FREE INQUIRY. To mark special occasions for friends and family, or as a donation to your local library. A gift card will be sent to the recipient in your name. j One year $28.50 ❑ Two years $47.50 ❑ Three years $64.50

Send subscription to: Name

Address

City State Zip p Check or money order enclosed p Charge my MasterCard p Visa

# Exp Signature

Name

Address Daytime Phone #

City State Zip

Send to: FREE INQUIRY, PO Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226, or call toll-free 800-458-1366.

Winter 1995/96 37 American Naturalism Jo Ann Boydston, director emeritus of the Center for Dewey Studies at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and her husband Don, have endowed a Library of Philosophical Naturalism as part of the Center for Inquiry libraries. Such important figures as John Dewey, George Santayana, Sidney Hook and Richard Rorty have defended the philosophical view that all events can be explained using a natural framework without resorting to mystical or supernatural definitions. The following articles describe the relevance of naturalism in its historic and present-day contexts.—EDS.

The American Naturalist Tradition Peter H. Hare

or American naturalists, nature con- son, and others was enriched in the nine- sists of everything there is. Nothing is teenth century by German and British "outside" nature. Whatever exists is no idealism—the concept of experience in more or less an aspect of nature than any- American naturalism was much broad- thing else. Furthermore, nature is, to one ened by wrestling with idealism; the degree or another, objective, which same sources contributed process logic to means that it has characteristics the con- American naturalism. As is widely recog- tent of which is not determined by our nized, Darwinian biology also enriched opinions of them—nature may be studied American naturalism; to mention still and known. Crucially, human beings are another example, medieval logic enriched part of that knowable nature. American Peirce's naturalism. In the twentieth cen- naturalists reject any dichotomy between tury, the close study of Aristotle enriched nature and human beings. Human life, the naturalism of John Herman Randall, including its purposes, goals, meanings, Jr., C. I. Lewis's naturalism was enriched values, and ideals, is wholly natural. by lifelong study of Kant. Marxism Naturalism in the American tradition enriched the naturalisms of Roy Wood is not reductive or mechanical material- Sellars and Marvin Farber. W. V. O. ism or physicalism. Nor is it a scientism Quine's naturalism has been enriched by that holds that anything real is describ- Rudolf Carnap's linguistic philosophy, able in the language of the natural sci- Alfred Tarski's philosophy of logic, and "American naturalists reject any ences. Though it is a philosophy of Pierre Duhem's philosophy of science. dichotomy between nature and experience, its processive concept of Finally, let me mention the work of human beings. Human life, experience is broader and richer than that Murray Murphey. The version of natural- found in British empiricism. American including its purposes, goals, ism found in his most recent book would meanings, values, and ideals, is naturalism also rejects empiricism's sepa- not have been possible without detailed ration of facts and values; values are wholly natural." and painstaking examination of diverse regarded by naturalists as fully aspects of types of recent analytic philosophy. nature. my view, the history of American thought Where, you may ask, does pragmatism Having characterized American natu- can best be understood as the progressive fit in this picture of ever more enriched ralism, let me next sketch my conception and cumulative development of natural- naturalism as the spirit of American phi- of the entire sweep of American philoso- ism. In other words, this ever-evolving losophy? I suggest that "pragmatism" is a phy from Colonial times to the present. In naturalism is the "spirit" of American helpful way of calling attention to various philosophy. Obviously, in these brief interconnected features that have super- Peter H. Hare is professor of philosophy comments I cannot present a convincing vened on American naturalism in the late at the State University of New York at case for this conception of our philosoph- nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Buffalo. This paper was read at the grand ical history, but let me give a few exam- But I believe that it is seriously misleading opening of the Jo Ann and Don Boydston ples of what I have in mind. to suggest that pragmatism is the chief Library of Philosophical Naturalism on The Enlightenment naturalism found American claim to importance and distinc- November 1O, 1995. in Cadwallader Colden, Franklin, Jeffer- tiveness in world philosophical history.

38 FREE INQUIRY Instead our claim should be to have devel- foreign influences so as to enrich natural- oped over many generations the most ism. That naturalistic genius does not enriched naturalism—and what is usually depend on superstars. called "American pragmatism" is a signif- An important part of nurturing social icant aspect of that enriched naturalism. intelligence in the philosophical commu- Now, if the conception of the American nity should be encouraging philosophers philosophical tradition that I have to explore developments in the empirical sketched is roughly correct, it has impor- sciences that have philosophical rele- tant implications for how we should go vance. For example, work in the cognitive about fostering further development of sciences should be encouraged. Often American naturalism. It implies, I sug- American naturalists dismiss cognitive gest, that we should not get uptight about science—protesting that it is based on an what appear to be alien types of philoso- erroneous metaphysics. To be sure, cog- phy in our midst. We should encourage The Boydstons nitive scientists often make foolish meta- the most thorough discussion of "foreign" physical pronouncements, but that does ideas that for one reason or another attract back at this period in American philoso- not rob their empirical work of philo- the attention of our American colleagues. phy they will consider that Rorty played a sophical significance. Recall that Peirce, We should do this confident in our belief significant role only because the discus- James Dewey, and Mead eagerly that the temper of American culture has sion of his charming prose stimulated explored the empirical inquiry of their always been such that immigrant ideas useful clarification of the character of day, however philosophically inadequate sooner or later enrich American natural- American naturalism. The American nat- that scientific work was. Wouldn't they ism. "Hang loose!" is my advice. Don't uralist tradition is too resilient and advise us not to be intimidated by legions spend a lot of time fretting about the pos- resourceful to be seriously threatened by of clever and well-funded scientists who sible demise of American naturalism. I'm Rorty. In the long run, Rorty is enriching enjoy from time to time jeering at profes- not suggesting that we not scrutinize the tradition he is laboring to discredit. sional philosophers while propounding imported ideas. The most significant Let me explore another possible reason their own philosophical views disguised enrichment emerges from dialogue for the unproductive breast-beating as empirical science? between imported and domestic ideas. among American naturalists. Many Lots of other work needs to be done by I recognize that my advice will be diffi- American naturalists today seem deeply naturalists, and the Department of cult for some naturalists to accept. During disappointed that we have no giants on the Philosophy at the State University of New the quarter century in which various forms contemporary scene of the magnitude of York at Buffalo has often been central to of imported eliminitivist analytic philoso- Aristotle, Spinoza, Peirce, or Dewey. that work. As the members of my gradu- phy had much institutional power in They take that lack to indicate that the tra- ate seminar in contemporary naturalism American academe, many naturalists were dition is in crisis—in danger of being know, there are diverse frontiers of natu- unfairly treated. This unjust treatment superseded. It strikes me as especially ralism. For example, exciting things are caused understandable bitterness and ironic when Deweyan naturalists bemoan going on in the philosophy of mind. resentment. Although these feelings are the lack of such giants. Recall that no one Michael Tye has worked out with impres- understandable, hypersensitivity to any better explained the resources and sive analytic rigor a naturalistic theory of philosophy deeply critical of American promise of "social intelligence" than mind. Hilary Kornblith is well known for naturalism has unfortunate consequences. Dewey. Deweyans should recognize that his pathbreaking work in naturalized Year after year of intense preoccupation since World War II philosophical epistemology. James Gouinlock has ad- with Richard Rorty, for example, is—at advances have usually been accomplished vanced naturalism in moral philosophy. the very least—distracting. Shortly after by legions of philosophers working more Arnold Berleant and Peter Manicas are Rorty's book Philosophy and the Mirror of or less connectedly on a problem. What contributing importantly to naturalism in Nature was published in 1979, it was quite could be more appropriate for an aesthetics and the philosophy of science, adequately shown that Rorty's so-called American naturalist than to recognize that respectively. And I hardly need to men- pragmatism was radically inconsistent philosophy is a social product? Instead of tion all the things that Paul Kurtz is doing with the pragmatism of American natural- decrying the absence of "great" philoso- and has done to further the cause of natu- ism and not a genuine threat. But today phers, American naturalists should do ralism. Indeed, I like to think that since hypersensitive naturalists continue refut- everything they can to nurture the lively Marvin Farber taught Wilfrid Sellars at ing Rorty. Rorty, who enjoys cleverly bait- exercise of "social intelligence" in the Buffalo in the early 1930s no institution ing his critics, encourages this pointless widest and most diverse intellectual com- has contributed as much to the American activity. Neglect is what Rorty's philoso- munity—confident that sooner or later the naturalist tradition as the State University phy now calls for, in my view. upshot will be the further enrichment of of New York at Buffalo. In the decades to I urge that we take the "long view" of naturalism. The "genius" of the American come the Center for Inquiry Libraries the Rorty phenomenon. I predict that fifty philosophical temper is, and has always will, I'm confident, add much to years from now when historians look been, its capacity to respond creatively to Buffalo's contribution to the tradition. •

Winter 1995/96 39 under Kant's spell. In the last fifty years, the analytic Remembering John Dewey philosophers (who make up the vast majority of teachers of philosophy in the English-speaking world) have repudiated and Sidney Hook most of the Kantian notions to which Hook and Dewey objected.' They no longer talk much about "sensory given- ness," nor about "conceptual truths" But Richard Rorty they have also remained rather suspicious of Dewey and of pragmatism—and, even ostalgia is unbecoming to pragma- more, of Hegel. One reason for this is that Ntists, who are supposed to look for- Dewey's conception of philosophy as ward. Nonetheless, it is hard to reread social criticism is remote from theirs. The John Dewey and Sidney Hook without hyper-professionalism that has become feeling that there were giants in those characteristic of analytic philosophy has days. The scope of both men's reading created a very different philosophical cli- and writing, as well as the sheer vitality of mate than the one that Dewey and Hook their minds, are hard to match among pre- hoped to bring about. sent-day American philosophers—or, for Kant is the archetypal philosophical that matter, American intellectuals. Both professional—the man who established men resemble such heroic nineteenth-cen- philosophy as an autonomous academic tury figures as John Stuart Mill in the discipline. In contrast, Hegel's and Marx's sheer quantity of work they managed to willingness to think of everything as up get done, in the range of their curiosity, for historical grabs make them inappro- and in their ability to switch back and priate models for philosophy professors forth between abstract philosophy and who think of "enduring problems" as their concrete social issues with no sense of primary topic. Dewey and Hook, by con- strain, and no diminution in intensity. trast, thought that, even though Hegel and Hook's 1939 book on Dewey (John Marx had bitten off more than they could Dewey: An Intellectual Portrait) remains chew, these two critics of Kant had had the best short introduction to the latter's "Were they living today, I suspect the right idea about what philosophers thought.' Fifty-five years after publica- that Dewey and Hook would split should do. Philosophers should try, as tion, its only drawbacks are those that their time between making fun of Hegel put it, to hold their time in thought. Hook himself would have predicted. It the few remaining neo-Marxist Dewey hoped that his colleagues would was written with an eye to the philosoph- radicals who still assume that come to agree that "the task of future phi- ical and political scene of the 1930s, and nothing can really change until losophy is to clarify men's ideas as to the things have changed. Logical empiricism capitalism is overthrown, and social and moral strifes of their own day."' (the thirties and forties version of what is excoriating the so-called Some philosophers of our own day— now called "analytic philosophy") is no neo-conservatives." notably Juergen Habermas and Charles longer taken very seriously. Neither is Taylor—do think of the task of philosophy Marxism. Hook had, as this book shows, do. He had put Marx and Marxism, on in this way. But even Habermas and immersed himself in both movements. both of which he had written brilliantly, Taylor, who take Hegel seriously, and who By 1939 Hook was convinced that behind him. But he saw logical empiri- find Dewey and Hook more plausible than pragmatism and social democratic politics cism—the movement represented by do most analytic philosophers, share with could do everything that Marxism could Russell, Carnap, and Ayer—as promising, the latter a suspicion that pragmatism goes and as having a lot in common with too far in the direction of historicism, sub- Richard Rorty is a professor at the Deweyan pragmatism. Like his friend jectivism, and relativism. Furthermore, in University of Virginia at Charlottesville. Ernest Nagel, he hoped that a shared countries such as Germany and Italy, Considered by many to be the leading respect for natural science might permit where philosophy did not go "analytic," philosopher in America today, he is some sort of alliance between the two pragmatism still looks a bit naïve, a bit sci- responsible in large measure for the philosophical movements. But he thought entistic and reductionist. recent revival of naturalism and pragma- that the logical empiricists needed to get Admirers of Dewey and Hook, how- tism. The article is the preface for a re- rid of the idea of "sense data." Further, he ever, feel that Taylor and Habermas are still issue of Sidney Hook's 1939 boob John agreed, as did Dewey, with many of reluctant to make what Hook, in the open- Dewey: An Intellectual Portrait (Pro- Hegel's criticisms of Kant, and thought of ing paragraph of this book, calls "the final metheus Books). Fregeans like Carnap as still too much break with the ancient and medieval out- 40 FREE INQUIRY look on the world." That break is made, situation. So Hook thought, only when we stop trying Dewey's or Hook's either to reduce specifically human abili- most fundamental ties and achievements to something lower criticism of Haber- or to explain these abilities and achieve- mas's universalism ments by reference to something higher. To and of Taylor's no- attempt the former is to remain in the grip tion of "hypergoods" of the Greek distinction between appear- (human goods that ance and reality by insisting that the sim- are not historical pler and smaller (atoms, sub-atomic parti- products, not just for cles, neural processes) is somehow "realer" a time and a place) than the larger and more complex (moral would not be that decisions, works of art, political arrange- these notions are ments). To attempt the latter is to remain in "unscientific" or the grip of the Greek and medieval idea "metaphysical" but that human beings can save themselves rather that they do no from despair only by envisaging a realm useful work—that beyond time and chance—a realm of uni- they distract us from versal truth, absolute values, unconditional the concrete social necessities. tasks at hand. Breaking with these older distinctions and ideas means taking Darwin seriously: hen we turn refusing to attribute any ability to human from changes beings that cannot be understood natural- in philosophical fash- istically, as a product of evolution. But it ions to changes on also means avoiding reductionism— the American politi- avoiding the idea that biology can some- cal scene, two loom how overrule culture. For Hook and largest. The first is Dewey, cultural evolution is biological that the American left evolution continued by other means. The is no longer split, as enormous differences between past and it was in 1939, present human communities illustrate the between the Com- Sidney Hook extraordinary flexibility of our species. munists and the Social Democrats. There Although both men distrusted Franklin This flexibility makes it pointless to argue are no Communists any more. This is not Delano Roosevelt because he seemed to that "human nature" dooms some pro- just because Gorbachev dismantled Stalin's them not to go far enough, not to be suffi- posed social experiment. There is nothing empire, but because the whole idea of state ciently radical and experimental, they had that biology, or any other natural science, ownership of the means of production has no doubt that the alliance between the or (for that matter) philosophy, can tell us been discredited, even in the eyes of those labor unions and the Democratic Party about ourselves that should make us hesi- who think that market economies eventu- had helped to turn the country in the right tate to try such experiments. ally produce unjust inequalities and think direction. Dewey's experimentalism is not scien- the welfare state a necessary remedy for The second big change in the tistic. On the contrary, it treats the natural such injustice. American political scene is the emer- sciences as exemplary in their procedures, As is evident in Chapter 8 of this book gence, among the intellectuals, of doubts but as no more or less "in touch with real- ("The Good Society"), Dewey and Hook about whether that was the right direction. ity" than politics or poetry.' The charge of were anti-Communist social democrats. In 1939, the intellectuals were, almost being out of touch with reality is not one They split their time between fighting the unanimously, on the left. In 1995 there is that a pragmatist can make, for that charge Stalinists (who, in the late thirties, had a significant, influential, body of intellec- suggests that some aspect of human life corrupted large sectors of American intel- tuals who agree with the Republicans that could, per impossible, be shielded from lectual and cultural life) and fighting anti- liberal is a dirty word. These people idol- continual causal interaction with the envi- New Deal conservatives (who believed ize the market, urge the repeal of the wel- ronment. So a pragmatist will not criticize that the state must not be permitted to fare state, and are silent about the situa- an opponent's position by saying that it is meddle with the market, or to conduct tion of the poor. Were they living today, I "merely subjective" but rather by saying "rash social experiments"). Both loathed suspect that Dewey and Hook would split that it is insufficiently useful, inappropri- the Communists' willingness to use "anti- their time between making fun of the few ate to our present needs. The pragmatists' fascism" as an excuse for turning a blind remaining neo-Marxist radicals who still touchstone is never the intrinsic nature of eye toward the crimes of the bloodsoaked assume that nothing can really change reality, but always our current historical tyrant who then ruled Soviet Russia. until capitalism is overthrown, and excori- Winter 1995/96 41 ating the so-called neo-conservatives. treated this as Aesopian language, as a Notes These radicals, however, are a very minor disingenuous way of saying: don't think 1. Those who wish to consult more recent treat- concern, at least when compared with the about how to diminish unnecessary ments of Dewey should look at three books that tes- clear and present dangers presented by the human suffering, don't worry about how tify to a recent rebirth of interest in his thought and American Communist Party in 1939. So to change things so as to make people influence: Robert Westbrook's magisterial intellectual biography, John Dewey and American Democ- the vast bulk of both men's energies might happier and freer, don't try to experiment. racy (1991); Steven Rockefeller's John Dewey: have gone into reminding their fellow-cit- They would have seen the rhetoric of "tra- Religious Faith and Democratic Humanism (1991); izens of how bad things were in America ditional values" as a disguise for selfish Alan Ryan's John Dewey and the High Tide of American Liberalism (1995). before the Progressive Movement and the unconcern. 2. See Morton White's Toward Reunion in New Deal—before the beginnings of what It may be that Dewey and Hook wit- Philosophy (1956) for what is still the best account we are now being asked to anathematize nessed, as Alan Ryan suggests in the title of the gradual reconciliation of Deweyan naturalism with logical empiricism, a reconciliation facilitated as "big government." of his recent book, "the high tide of by Quine's criticism of the analytic-synthetic dis- Hook and Dewey would have viewed American liberalism." But if this is so, tinction, and by Wittgenstein's scorn for his earlier the intellectuals who are urging us to take then America has lost its soul. Dewey and conviction that logic is "something sublime." 3. Dewey, Reconstruction in Philosophy (in The the United States back to where it was in Hook were important philosophers, but Middle Works of John Dewey, vol. 12), p. 94. 1900 with the same contempt with which their greatest importance was as exem- 4. Here I am adopting an interpretation of Dewey they viewed the apologists for Stalin. plary Americans: Americans who, in the that would be contested by other commentators. I argue the issue in exchanges with James Gouinlock, Both men were intensely patriotic final words of this book, "still had hope Thelma Lavine, and others in Rorty and the Americans—caught up in the romance of for what America may yet be." Pragmatists, ed. Herman Saatkamp (1995). • the American democratic experiment, intensely aware of themselves as the heirs of Jefferson and Emerson, Lincoln and Whitman, Eugene Debs and Jane Addams. Today's "neo-conservatives" The Significance of American would seem to them to be betraying everything that once made America an example to the world. Philosophical Naturalism Pragmatism, considered as a set of philosophical doctrines about truth, knowledge, and value, is neutral between Patrick Romanell democratic and anti-democratic politics: no inferential links run from these doc- ull-length critical study of the natu- trines to a concern with human suffering, Nalistic movement in the United or to a hope for greater social and political States of America, from John Fiske to tolerance. But inference is one thing and John Dewey and since, remains to be writ- motivation another. Dewey would never ten. Meanwhile, the current renewal of have bothered to formulate his philosoph- interest in naturalism as a general philos- ical doctrines had he not thought that their ophy with metaphysical import represents effect might be to break the grip of older a radical shift from the protean analytic ways of thinking upon his fellow-citizens movement that dominated our academic and to encourage them to undertake ever- philosophic scene until recently and that more radical social experiments. Hook should have been exactly called "glosso- would not have called Dewey "The analytic" (from glossa, meaning "lan- Philosopher of American Democracy" guage" in Greek), on the ground that it (the title of the last chapter of this book, deliberately reduces its whole anti-meta- an allusion to Dewey's use of that phrase physical function of philosophy to the to describe Emerson) had he not been analysis of language, its uses and abuses. convinced that Dewey's pragmatism Whether openly acknowledged or not, could be used as a tool to expand human the guiding principle implicit at least in "Everything so far lends weight to freedom. contemporary American naturalism is our overall assessment of The affinity between pragmatism and what Morris R. Cohen explicitly termed American naturalism as a tenable political liberalism can be seen most philosophy, except for one clearly, perhaps, in the insistence, by Patrick Romanell is a visiting scholar in important matter, namely, its those who now use liberal as a term of the Department of Philosophy at the incomplete analysis of life's scorn, that we need to "return to tradi- University of Arizona. He is one of the conflicts, the very stuff that tional values" and that we need "moral leading exponents of philosophical natu- human life is made of, basically absolutes." Dewey and Hook would have ralism. and ultimately:' 42 FREE INQUIRY (after Schelling) "the principle of polar- God) is no respecter of persons and makes itly) that all conflict situations are ulti- ity." The naturalistic principle of polarity no odious comparisons between people, mately reducible in form to the good-ver- may be succinctly defined as the general be they male or female, black or white, sus-bad (or, right-versus-wrong) type con- method of analysis that reinterprets mutu- Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, high or low stituting the customary Problem of Evil ally exclusive concepts in philosophical on the totem pole. Such offensive compar- (in the broadest sense, including obstacles discussions as distinguishable yet insepa- isons are not the product of that unique and difficulties of all sorts). Even when rable poles (aspects or phases) of their part of nature called human nature, but the ethical primacy in typology shifts to particular subject matters that comple- rather the outgrowth of one's particular the better-versus-worse (or its equivalent) ment each other. To illustrate, once the culture, which fortunately is subject to type of conflict constituting the harder polarity principle is applied to the Grand human control in that one can ultimately comparative Problem of Better, as evident Debate between British empiricism and choose to behave otherwise, socially and in the melioristic systems of ethics (e.g., Continental rationalism, it necessarily fol- morally. Aristotle's "golden mean" theory of the lows that their respective methodological The humanistic and social implications virtues, British utilitarianism, American concepts of sense experience and reason of a thoroughly naturalistic theory of pragmatism), the conflicts themselves are are no longer to be treated partially as sep- nature should be quite obvious from what logically reducible in polar form to the arate cognitive criteria at interminable war we have just said, but what is not so obvi- good-versus-bad type. For, in a conflict with each other, but, instead, as comple- ous is their significant relevance to some situation between better and worse involv- mentary phases of the same basic method of the current divisive problems in ing choosing between a greater and a of natural science, without which no reli- American life. To appreciate the relevance lesser good, that is between goods of able knowledge of nature is possible. of those implications to such problems, unequal value, such as John Stuart Mill's In other words, the flagrant flaw in the we must return to the naturalist's comple- comparison "better to be a Socrates dis- empiricism-rationalism controversy from mentary principle of polarity and apply it, satisfied than a fool satisfied," the former Descartes to the early Kant is that both by way of illustration, to the important becomes the good thing to be, while the parties involved were barking up the issue of educational multiculturalism at latter the bad one. In any event, what is wrong tree by reducing the pivotal prob- the present time. Applied thereto, the con- missing expressly in traditional and lem of scientific methodology in early sidered response of the American philo- melioristic systems of ethics is a third and modern European philosophy to simplis- sophical naturalist to the dispute over the final type of conflict: good-versus-good tic alternatives. On closer examination, place of multiculturalism in education (that is, one good versus another good of the American naturalist's anti-reductionis- may be put concisely as follows: Cultural equal value) constituting the tragic tic principle of polarity turns out to be an unity without multicultural diversity suf- Problem of Good. It is precisely the unfor- instrumental principle of complementar- fers from barrenness, the latter without the tunate omission of this irreducible type of ity, strictly speaking. former suffers from narrowness. Signifi- conflict and problem, the analysis of Turning from the methodological to cantly, our national motto a pluribus unum which is almost always absent in ethical the metaphysical and social significance ("one out of many") expresses the same discussions, that is responsible for the of American philosophical naturalism, its thing, politically. Thus, American culture incompleteness already alluded to in leaders and followers are committed to a today needs to satisfy the complementary American naturalistic philosophy. functionalistic and possibilistic theory of demands of both unity and diversity in From Aristotle on, there has been much nature: Nature is as nature does and order to develop to its fullest extent. confusion over the meaning of tragedy in undoes. However, as should be expected, Everything so far lends weight to our the life of drama and, by extension, in the there are many variations on the general overall assessment of American natural- drama of life. Apart from the ever-popular theme of nature among the American nat- ism as a tenable philosophy, except for confusion of tragedy with natural disas- uralists themselves, but this is not the one important matter, namely, its incom- ters and fatal accidents, authors on occasion to go into such details. Suffice it plete analysis of life's conflicts, the very tragedy have virtually confused the tragic to state briefly what nature in relation to stuff that human life is made of, basically with the pathetic, the Sophoclean human beings is and is not from a natural- and ultimately. Actually, the incomplete- Antigones with the Shakespearean istic standpoint. ness in question is not solely an omission Othellos, respectively. As a consequence, Positively stated, nature may be con- on the part of contemporary American tragedy is confused with the problem of ceived as the tantalizing power that, on the naturalism as a whole, but is traceable to evil in aesthetics and, by extension, gets one hand, keeps prompting us, as striving the entire history of Western philosophy. identified with the problem of evil in animals by birth, to pursue all kinds of As the present writer elaborated else- metaphysics. interests (harmonious or clashing), only to where on the reason for a formal tripartite An influential source of the identifica- disappoint us sooner or later by interfer- typology of moral conflicts, human con- tion of tragedy with the metaphysical ing somehow, ironically enough, with our flicts are countless in content, but tradi- problem of evil is found in a most telling perfectly natural goal to succeed in actu- tional morality and standard works in paragraph from John Dewey's Experience ally fulfilling them as desirable objects of ethics, as a rule, have oversimplified the and Nature (1925, p. 45) on the precari- value whenever possible and justifiable. very concept of moral conflict itself by ousness of existence. Tacitly assuming Negatively stated, nature (like the Petrine wrongly assuming (explicitly or implic- there that the traditional identification of

Winter 1995/96 43 tragedy with the problem of evil in aes- trying antinomic situation opts for the politically. All in all, the epic approach to thetics holds for its more general counter- Hippocratic alternative by lying to his or life dominant in this country, thriving in part in metaphysics, Dewey concludes: her patient re diagnosis, he or she does so most of the past on one success story "The problem of evil is a well-recognized for moral reasons dictated by the medical after another, leaves no room for the ago- problem, while we rarely or never hear of profession. Needless to add, there is still a nizing type of suffering and failure that a problem of good." Now, despite the fact huge moral difference, of course, between results in the Problem of Good and con- that Dewey himself was, of practically all a conscientious liar and an unconscien- stitutes the complexity and tragedy of the American naturalists, the most keenly tious one. Incidentally, Mill's utilitarian human life. aware of the complexity of life, his own recourse to a "common umpire" to reach a The ancient Greek materialists used to focus on the metaphysical problem of evil compromise, when there are conflicting speculate on the collision of the atoms, had the regrettable effect of depriving him obligations at stake, is of political and but it does not take any speculation to of seeing that the proper domain of legal significance, not strictly moral. realize that the tragic collision of interests tragedy is not the problem of evil in meta- With the notable exception of Miguel is a fact of life in the dramatic episodes of physics, but the intrinsically precarious de Unamuno, the perceptive Spanish pre- persons and peoples throughout a consid- and not so rare problem of good in ethics. existentialist who, however, went over- erable part of human history. The problem of evil in ethics mani- board by reducing the multidimensional- fests itself in two opposite conflict situa- ity of life to the tragic sense of life, a o sum up, historically viewed, philo- tions in life. Whereas a pathetic situation plausible explanation for the undue Tsophical naturalism from its pre- is one where evil overpowers good, an neglect of its tragic side in Western philo- Socratic to its American varieties in the epic situation is one where good over- sophical thought might be that people as a twentieth century belongs to the oldest comes evil. By contrast, a tragic situation whole hate to admit the uncomfortable tradition in Western philosophy. (to restate at greater length) is a conflict- possibility of there being any problems in Inasmuch as this venerable tradition of-value situation where the type of con- life incapable of solution. At any rate, if would have much more relevance and flict, being one between (at least) two we may then take an educated guess as to strength if it were to develop an adequate objects of value (goods, rights, duties, why American philosophy in general and analysis of the tragic side of life, the most ideals, claims, interests) that are equally American naturalism in particular have, significant contribution that a thorough- valuable but mutually exclusive, is on the whole, paid little serious attention going critical naturalism can make, at unavoidable, irreconcilable, and hence to the tragic dimension of life and to the present, may well consist precisely in irresolvable, because the choice of one of Problem of Good that goes with it, per- teaching the success-oriented people of the incompatible objects of value at issue haps the reason lies in the historical fact America in particular that the disconcert- is made at the expense of the other. In a that, except for the more and more ques- ing clash of life's equally good things word, the logic of tragedy inexorably tionable Vietnam War, Americans as a brings unavoidable failure in its train spells the inevitability of sacrifice and people have been living in an epic world from time to time, as a consequence of failure but, even so, a tragic failure is of continual successes for more than three which there is no real solution to the entirely different in worth and conse- centuries: from the supposed landing of tragic choices at stake, let alone a quick quence from an ordinary one in daily life, the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock in 1620 to or happy one. To be sure, one can appeal let alone from a pathetic one. the actual landing of our astronauts on the to Aristotle's medico-naturalistic concept To get a better grasp of what makes a moon in 1969. of catharsis as an immediate emotional situation really tragic, let us consider as a The epic spirit of the American people outlet for the spectators of a tragic story. test case the plight of a conscientious is clearly evident from their overall And yet, the ultimate lesson to be learned physician who is obliged by circum- approach to problems of evil as obstacles from such a story is that the tragic fate of stances beyond his or her control to to overcome successfully. Their spirit is its protagonists in the artistic world could become a conscientious liar. According to embodied perfectly not only in the char- eventually be our own fate in the real Kant, telling a lie is always uncondition- acteristically epic slogan "We Shall world. In the final analysis, paradoxi- ally wrong, and a conscientious liar would Overcome" of the Black Revolution a cally, the touted consolation of tragedy is be a contradiction in terms for him. generation ago, but also in the accompa- truly no consolation. Nevertheless, Kant's absolute prohibition nying epic vision of the Great Society In conclusion, since problems of evil of lying takes into account only one alter- reflected in President Lyndon B. and problems of better are resolvable in native of the tragic predicament of the Johnson's domestic policy involving the theory at least, it is indeed fortunate that physician who, in treating an apprehen- Four Wars: war on poverty (economic the tragic problems of good are the only sive patient suffering (say) from a termi- evil); war on crime (social and moral type in human existence that have no solu- nal illness, is unavoidably torn between evil); war on ignorance (educational tion in principle. The sooner American two mutually exclusive but equally justifi- evil); war on disease (medical evil). As is philosophical naturalism recognizes them able choices: to follow either the Kantian well known, his foreign policy during the candidly as insoluble by nature, the injunction against lying to any person or Vietnam crisis did not include a fifth sooner it can address them appropriately the Hippocratic one against doing harm to war: war on war (military evil), for for the benefit of humanity's endless pur- any patient. When a physician in such a which reason, in retrospect, he suffered suit of wisdom. •

44 FREE INQUIRY aimed at introducing the Enlightenment in Turkey and carried out through the mod- ernization of the legal system. Secularization in Turkey The laws related to education, which were enforced by the Parliament in the twenties, can show us Atatürk's aims and Ioanna Kuçuradi how he set them. These laws and relevant debates in Parliament are testimony to o speak about secularization in totally different views and conceptions in Atatürk's most penetrating insight, which TTurkey today amounts to showing Turkey. "If we saved ourselves within five we don't see at present in Turkey nor in what Atatürk's revolution tried to achieve, or six years, this happened because we the world as a whole. This insight was into by means of actions taken in the twenties changed our mentality,"' he said in a the necessity of avoiding making valid, and thirties by the parliament of the newly speech he delivered in Kastamonu in simultaneously incompatible or contradic- established Republic of Turkey. 1925, and in his opening address to the tory norms on the same issue. If no differ- According to Albert Camus, "revolu- Parliament on November 1, 1937, he entiation between ideas, principles, norms tion" denotes "an injection of new ideas spoke of "the great Turkish nation, which is made from the viewpoint of their value, into historical reality,"' an injection of has accomplished a revolution not only in or, if all ideas and norms are considered to ideas that change the "natural" course of its institutions but in its thinking as well." be equal in value, as certain fashionable history. If we look at Atatürk's revolution Compared with, for example, the views claim at present, then people can in the light of such a concept, it is possi- French revolution, Atatürk's revolution very easily establish incompatible norms, ble to see that (1) it was a cultural revolu- shows the following striking specificity: which exclude each other in practice. That tion carried out politically; (2) that the the French revolution was an attempt to leads to chaos and makes possible to main ideas and principles that Atatürk introduce into European social reality a inject into the histori^_I'.raaiity of a coun- wanted to inject into the historical reality historically new worldview—a concept of try ideas and norms that prevent the flour- of Turkey show a specificity that, I am man and of what is valuable, which was ishing of human beings. The enforcement afraid, even many people in Turkey are created by the Enlightenment. In other of the Tevhid-i Tedrisat Kanunu (the Law still not sufficiently aware of, i.e., they are words, it tried to introduce into the social for the Unification of Education in ideas and principles deduced from the order changes that had already occurred in Turkey) in 1924 constitutes an example of knowledge of the value of certain human the intellectual world, but which had had this insight. In a speech Atatürk delivered potentialities; and (3) that the way those no impact on the social order. It was an in Bursa in 1922, i.e., before the establish- ideas and principles were injected appears attempt to "modernize" or "secularize" ment of the Republic, he says: "Nations to be different from the way followed in society in the etymological sense of the which want to preserve logically unjustifi- rare similar attempts. The changes made term secular (saecularis), which has able traditions and beliefs can scarcely in Atatürk's time in education constitute among its meanings "belonging to the develop, if they can develop at all." the core of this revolution. age." This historical background of secu- The main places where such traditions In connection with the first point: if larization in Europe is perhaps the reason and beliefs were transmitted in Turkey from "culture" in this context we under- secularization or laïcité is now very often were the traditional schools and stand the worldview and the conceptions defined as a mere separation of the State medresses, in which the great majority of of man and of what is considered valu- from the Church or from religion. This the children was trained. In addition to able, including norms, which prevail for a definition loses sight of the specificity of these schools a few modern schools and time in a given group and determine all the principles on which was based the colleges were established in a few cities, the expressions of life in that group,' it is social secularization in Europe, and which starting in Selim III's time (at the end of not difficult to see that, on the one hand, at present causes difficulties in under- eighteenth century) and continuing in the radical changes in social institutions standing the importance of secularization. Mahmut II's time (in the middle of the made in Atatürk's time are based on a Atatürk's revolution was also an attempt nineteenth century). These incompatible totally different worldview and concep- to modernize Turkish society. Still, what educational institutions run parallel to tion of what is valuable from those pre- distinguishes this attempt is, among other each other. Atatürk saw the problem. In a vailing until his time; and, on the other things, that its aim was to introduce ideas speech he delivered in Ïzmir in 1923 he hand, that the purpose of these social and and concepts, that were developed not in mentioned, for the first time publicly, the legal changes was to introduce those Turkey, but elsewhere and that proved to be necessity of the unification of education: more conducive to developing certain "We have a problem," he said "which, Joanna Kuçuradi is head of the Depart- human potentialities. Atatürk and his col- though obvious, everybody avoids to ment of Philosophy at Hacettepe laborators first tried to reshape the social touch. What will become of the University in Ankara, Turkey, and secre- order according to those ideas and con- Medresses? ... The educational institu- tary general of the International Federa- cepts, so that they could also develop in tions in our country must be unified. All tion of Philosophical Societies. Turkey's intellectual world. Thus consid- children, young boys and girls, must be ered, Atatürk's was a cultural revolution, educated in the same way." The expres-

Winter 1995/96 45 sion "in the same way" means obviously attempt to secularize thinking in Turkey, rant or very conscious of what they are here, "only in the modern schools." through the secularization of social insti- trying to do—will gain more and more Immediately after this speech Atatürk tutions and law. The main ideas and con- ground. started paving the way for such a unifica- cepts that Atatürk tried to inject into the Thus, at the turn of the millennium we tion. In another speech he made in Parlia- historical reality of Turkey were those of stand, as humankind, before a crucial ment on March 1, 1923, Atatürk spoke of the Enlightenment, rather than the "posi- choice: either to put Enlightenment as one the necessity "to think of unifying the tivistic worldview" as is often assumed. of the main objectives of education, which Ministry of Ser'iye and Evkaf (for Religious And the basic principles on which he tried amounts to giving due place to the teaching Law and Pious Foundations) with the to base the new republic are of the kind of of philosophy as a cognitive field of human Ministry of Education and carrying it out" principles we call today human rights. endeavor, or, amid "the winds of freedom" A hundred years of experience had shown We should be aware that any ideas and to let the natural course of events lead that it is impossible to bring together the old norms—old or new—can be injected into where it runs: to new Middle Ages. institutions and the new ones and to synthe- a historical reality in the same way. What size medieval and modern mentalities. we observe at present almost all over the Notes Atatürk waited for the collaboration of world, and also in some circles in Turkey, 1. L'homme révolté, Editions de la Pléiade, 1965, these ministries for a whole year. But is a desecularization of thinking, which is p. 516. when this did not happen, he put the mat- not only supported in many countries by 2. "Culture" in the plural sense, as I call it. For ter in Parliament, on March 1, 1924, as religious fundamentalisms, but is also further distinctions, see my "Cultures and World Culture," in: Philosophy and Culture TV, Montreal follows: "We see that the public opinion promoted by the demand to respect 1988, pp. 457-460. favors an immediate application of the equally all cultures. As long as we are 3. For all quotations from Atatürk's speeches, principle of unification of education. The unable to see the epistemological and axi- see "Atatürk," in: Islam Ansiklopedisi (The Encyclopaedia of Islam). danger of a postponement and the advan- ological differences of worldviews and 4. "Was ist Afklärung?" Kants Werke, tages of rapid action must lead to a quick norms, so long as we do not evaluate them Akademieausgabe, Berlin 1968, p. 35. decision." The next day the Law for the philosophically before we attempt to pro- This article is a shortened version of a paper pre- Unification of Education was submitted to mote them, the enemies of Enlighten- sented at the "Ibn Rushd and Enlightenment" con- Parliament by the Deputy of Samsun, ment—be they well-minded or not, igno- ference in Cairo in December 1994. • Vasif Bey, who justified his proposal by the harm that the parallel functioning of the incompatible educational systems had You are cordially invited to attend the caused. The following day, March 3, 1924, the Parliament voted for the abol- International Humanist and Ethical ishment of the Ministry of Ser'iye and Evkaf, as well as for the Law for the Union World Congress in Mexico Unification of Education. With the latter "Humanism for the Developing World: all schools and medresses, which were administered by the above mentioned Everybody's Concern" Ministry or by private foundations, Co-hosted by the Mexican Ethical Rationalist Association, A.C. (AMER) together with all other schools under the Ministry of Health and the Army, were November 15-20, 1996 attached to the Ministry of Education. Laws like those for "mixed education" There will be: • Speakers from different countries • Simultaneous (according to which boys and girls should translation • Guided tours to historical places and other attractions be trained in the same schools), for the The following issues will be analyzed: • Human Rights • Ecology change of script and alphabet, and the reorganization of Istanbul University in • Science • Education • Mass Media • Human Sexuality ... and others 1933 were further steps in carrying out the educational revolution in Turkey—a revo- Humanism for the Developing World: Everybody's Concern lution aiming at Enlightenment in the Registration fee per person $125 U.S. Kantian sense; at "man's leaving his self- Accommodation in the Westin Galeria Plaza Hotel (Double or single mom per day caused immaturity" which is the "inca- $85.00 U.S. tax and gratuities not included) pacity to use one's intelligence without Optional: Scheduled Lunch $30 u.S.;Gala Dinner $35 U.S.; City Tour (museums and the guidance of another" and which is sights) $27 U.S.; Teotihuacan Pyramids Tour $30 U.S.; Xochimilco Lake and Folkloric "self-caused if it is not caused by lack of Ballet $66 u.S. intelligence, but by lack of determination Write to: AMER, Apdo, Postal 19-546, Mexico D.R 03900 and courage to use one's own intelligence Phone or send Fax to: (525) 651 65 04. without being guided by another."' Thus, Atatürk's revolution was an

46 FREE INQUIRY Marking Life's Milestones: A New Direction for CODESH With the completion of its new headquarters at the Center for Inquiry, the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (CODESH) is entering a new phase of growth and development. An important part of this will be the expansion of grass-roots activities with a particular focus on the provision of support and services for nonreligious people. Many nonreligious people—although by no means all—feel the need for celebrations or ceremonies at important moments in their lives: rites of passage such as birth, graduation, marriage, and death. CODESH will aim to meet this need by providing advice and assistance for secular celebrations and commemorations. Below we publish the reflections of a key figure in the development of secular celebrations in the United Kingdom, Jane Wynne Willson. We are also pleased to publish extracts from the first celebration conducted at the Center for Inquiry—EDS.

Humanist Celebrations Jane Wynne Willson

Tanning and conducting celebrations Without God) as a resource. It may sound Pis certainly one the areas where a bit arrogant but I feel it fair to suggest humanists and religionists are working in that we in the humanist movement have parallel. To a large extent we are working shamed some members of the church into towards the same goals, though by some- personalizing and humanizing their what different routes. funeral services, perhaps for the first Two examples of this come from per- time. sonal experience; I have recently conducted two wedding ceremonies with a Ritual and Ceremony Unitarian minister, which worked very well. I conducted the humanist wedding umanist ceremonies certainly con- ceremony while the minister took a back Htain elements of ritual—and some seat; then I took a back seat while he reg- humanists tend to shy away from that istered the marriage. Of course, this sort word, which for them conjures up pictures of thing will not be necessary when the of irrationality and superstition and both law changes—as it will—and humanists pagan and religious practices to which are entrusted to conduct their own wed- they do not subscribe. But the word ritual dings. My second example happened a is merely the technical term that describes few years ago, speaking at a seminar on those formal occasions that are held by liturgy at King's College, Cambridge, to a many people at times of importance in group of university chaplains and post- their lives—most commonly at birth, mar- graduate theology students, when I found riage, and at death. gious people there is an extra dimension to my gratification that several chaplains Ceremony is the word humanists tend that we cannot share. Harold Blackham, actually use my booklet (Funerals to use. A ceremony is an opportunity to the first director of the British Humanist stand back and consider a personal com- Association, has written: Jane Wynne Willson is co-president of the mitment, to celebrate a life or an event, to International Humanist and Ethical Union share feelings, and to strengthen ties with If in a broad sense "religion" is taken to mean an inner world of personal belief and former chair of the British Humanist family and friends. At times of emotion or and response and "political" as outer Association. This article is based on a talk distress the set framework and a familiar world of regulated conditions of a com- delivered at the opening of CODESH's series of actions can be a comfort. mon life, "ritual" is an intersection Center for Inquiry project at Westminster Many nonreligious people wish to par- where a personal event takes place in a College, Oxford (see page 35). ticipate in ceremonies, though for reli- social context. Birth, marriage, and

Winter 1995/96 47 death are private events of moment States than the United Kingdom. What do porting each other in our grief. which have this public face. They call we have to celebrate? When we bring a For humanists, and those who hold no for publicity, solemnity, celebration, child into the world, if it is born or adopted public participation. . . . Humanists religious beliefs, the traditional church would like to see whatever social rituals into a living family to parents who wanted service, which is wholly right and appro- are needed dissociated from particular the baby, there is much to celebrate. A priate for members of a church, can be a religious rites, so that they may be uni- welcoming ceremony also gives the distressing experience. It feels almost as versally shared. opportunity for the parents and others to though the memory of the dead person is express formally their commitment to car- being betrayed and his or her values and Is Ritual a Human Need? ing for that child through the long years to ideals forgotten. adulthood, and sometimes beyond. The only immortality for humanists o, is ritual a human need? I think it is In a wedding ceremony we celebrate lies in the memories of those who knew us a basic human instinct. As a child of the joining of two lives and give the cou- and any influence we have left behind. So seven or eight, together with my sister of ple the opportunity to state publicly, it is doubly important for us to remember the same age, I used to hold ceremonies among family and friends, their commit- and to celebrate in an honest and appro- for the birds and mice that our cat brought ment and love for each other and their priate way. • in regularly. We would go to the back of aspirations for their future together. In a the garden to a particular spot under a sil- humanist ceremony they do this in their Jane Wynne Willson's practical guide- ver birch tree and bury the poor creature. own words and in their own way. books on how to arrange and conduct Then together, in unison, we would repeat And at a funeral ceremony we are cel- secular celebrations are now available a few words to express our grief. Neither ebrating too, though our celebration is from CODESH. New Arrivals and To Love and to Cherish (on baby welcom- of us had ever attended a funeral, and our almost always tinged with sadness. We are ings and weddings respectively) cost home was in no way religious. celebrating in a dignified and rather for- $7.5O each, and Funerals without God mal way a life that is now over, remem- In general I would prefer to say that rit- costs $9.95. Please add $2.OO (within bering with others the character and the uals or ceremonies can be helpful, though the U.S.) for postage. Mail to Box 664, this in no way implies that all people need actions of someone who has been part of Amherst, NY 14226-O664.—EDs. this help. It is largely, in my view, a mat- our family or our circle. And we are sup- ter of personal taste. Certainly there are some "no-fuss" humanists who stipulate that they want no ceremony at all. I know; I am married to one. Center for Inquiry Hosts First I used to think I was one of these people myself, until, in 1976, I had to arrange the funeral of an aunt of whom I was very Welcoming Celebration fond. Following her wishes as a lifelong agnostic, there was to be no ceremony, Matt Cherry merely the disposal of her body. The funeral director was unsympathetic to the n September 23, 1995, a secular 1995, and is now ten weeks old. idea, and left me feeling both hard-hearted Ohumanist Welcoming Celebration This is an historic occasion. It is the and mean. The experience of organizing a was held for CODESH Chairman Paul first official event in this Center for non-event was extraordinarily distress- Kurtz's grandson, Jonathan Kurtz, Jr., in Inquiry since its dedication in June. It is ing—there was all the misery with none the Center for Inquiry Library. The cele- also the first celebration sponsored by the of the mutual support and shared grieving. bration was largely composed by Center for Inquiry. The Council for Soon after that I became involved in con- Gretchen and Jonathan Kurtz, using the Democratic and Secular Humanism has ducting humanist funeral ceremonies, and humanist guide book New Arrivals, with decided to make available secular celebra- am convinced of their importance. additions by Matt Cherry, who also acted tions to mark the passages of time—cele- This point leads me to ask the question, as the Celebrant, or Master of Cere- brations of weddings, graduations, rites of Whose needs are ceremonies designed to monies. The celebration was arranged to puberty, funerals, and welcomings. And meet? Funerals are not held to help the maximize the participation of family this is the most joyful—for it introduces a person who has died. They are held to help members, who contributed through songs, new baby to the relatives and friends of those have been hurt by the death—to a poems, and dedications. Gretchen and Jonathan Kurtz, Sr. The cel- larger or lesser degree. Who are we to say The guest of honor, Jonathan Kurtz, Jr., ebration has several purposes: to affirm that they have no need for a ceremony? slept soundly throughout the celebration. our commitment to the good life; to Below we publish some of the remarks: express our love for Jonathan, Jr.; to have Celebration PAUL KUR'rz: May I say how pleased Gretchen and Jon publicly declare their we are to see everyone here today to par- responsibility and devotion to Little ow to the matter of celebration—a ticipate in this welcoming celebration for Jonnie; and to have a good time. Nword more widely used in the United Jonathan Kurtz, Jr., who was born July 12, This is a humanist celebration, avail-

48 FREE INQUIRY able to all people. Its symbol is the Happy Human. Jonnie is not being baptized or circumcised—he is simply being wel- comed into the human family. MATT CHERRY: We are here today to celebrate the birth of Jonathan Robert Paul Kurtz and to welcome him into the world. Gretchen and Jon have chosen his middle names, Robert and Paul, in honor of his two most remarkable grandfathers and in the hope that he may someday emulate their great character and achievements. They have also expressed this hope for Jonathan with regard to his exceptional grandmothers, Maria and Claudine. Little Jonathan may be too young to remember today, but it is still a very special day for him, because today his family and friends affirm their commitment to his Welcoming Jonathan, Jr.: ( from left to right) Aunt Annie; Grandmother Claudine Kurtz; Grandmother future; a commitment to help him live a Maria Curley; Mother Gretchen with Jonathan, Jr.; Father Jonathan Kurtz; Grandfather Robert Curley; fully and happy life. It is also a very spe- and Grandfather Paul Kurtz. cial day for Jonathan's parents, who are celebrating the birth of their first child. So potential in life. We hope he will acquire PAUL Kuwrz: This is dedicated to Little I am delighted that Gretchen and Jon have the basic human values of kindness, toler- Jon. There are three humanist virtues taken the lead in composing this celebra- ance, and honesty. We hope that he will among the treasury of virtues that I would tion and chosen to take the main role take his place as a useful, caring member encourage you to develop. I hope that themselves. of society, and that he will appreciate all your parents will nourish them within GRETCHEN and JONATHAN: We are glad that is good in the world. We wish him you. that you are able to be here this afternoon good health and a happy, fulfilled and First, may you have the determination to make this a special day for us, a special contented life. to realize your talents and potentialities to time when we can all celebrate the safe We are delighted to have Gretchen's the fullest, the motivation to achieve your arrival of a new member of our family into sister, Ria, sing a song for us which she dreams and ideals, the courage to become the world. And although he will have no has written, "Let the Children Dream." whatever you wish in order to actualize a direct memory of this occasion, we hope MATT CHERRY: As members and life of creative excellence. you will help us to provide a small friends of Jonathan's family, we all have a Second, may you develop your powers memento of today by writing a note to part to play in his growth and develop- of rationality and intelligence, testing him in our welcoming book, before you ment. The Sponsor Parents each accepts your beliefs and values by the light of rea- leave. their share of responsibility and, in each son, as the highest capacity of the human- [Gretchen and Jon present Jonathan, relationship, will provide the respect, hon- ity personality. Jr., with a rose.] The flower represents the esty and warmth which will enhance And third, may you develop a genuine, beauty of life. It also symbolizes the Jonathan's personality. His Sponsor compassionate moral concern for the meaning of our dedication. Whether a Parents are Gretchen's sister, Laura, her needs of other human beings, the ability flower is beautiful or not, whether it brother, Bobby, and Jon's sister, Annie. not only to receive love and affection, but comes into full bloom or not—depends The birth of a child is a cause of cele- to bestow it. upon the nurture it receives. No flower bration and reflection for the parents and And may good will, benevolence, tol- grows alone, apart from the sunshine and for all friends and family. But it is an erance, empathy and generosity for all rain, apart from the soil in which it lives. especially poignant occasion for the new members of the human community So, too, no child grows alone. grandparents, who can remember when always be present within your heart and May the flower then be a reminder of their children, who are now the proud par- mind. the beauty of fulfillment, and of the ents, were themselves babes in arms. It is GRETCHEN and JoN: We would like to reward which comes from love and under- a time for both memories of the past and thank you for joining us in this memorable standing. hopes for the future as they welcome the celebration of Jonathan's birth. He is We as parents to Jonathan, commit newest member of their family and cele- everything we had dreamed of and more— ourselves to endeavor, as best we are able, brate the growth of a new generation. I am thank you for sharing this day with us. We to provide him with a loving and caring pleased to invite Paul Kurtz to read a piece have asked Jonathan's grandmothers to cut home, and to help him determine his true in honor of his new grandson. the cake to begin the reception. •

Winter 1995/96 49 CATCH UP ON WHAT CONSCIOUSNESS 'THE SOUL' as YOU'VE MISSED IN ARTIFICIAL INTELIIGENCE !s There a Need for ,44yre/? ..x, 0.7t PI Ornnelt TRAPA RUSSELL REMEMBERED BACK ISSUES

Fall 1995, Vol. 15, No. 4-Consciousness Plural Marriage; Communicating with the Dead: Secular Priesthood; Are Humanists Optimists? Revisited: Interviews with Daniel Dennett, Patricia William James and Mrs. Piper (Part 2); Was Reflections on the Democratic Revolutions of Our Smith Churchland; Bertrand Russell Remem- Emmanuel Kant a Humanist? Time. bered; Humanism and Medical Ethics. Spring 1992, Vol. 12, no. 2-Communicating Winter 1989/90, Vol. 10 no. 1-Interviews with Summer 1995, Vol. 15, No. 3-Interview with with the Dead: William James and Mrs. Piper (Part Steve Allen and Paul MacCready; Moral Edu- Peter Ustinov; Humanism in the 21st Century; 1); The Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower cation; Eupraxophy: The Need to Build Secular Remembering World War H; Is There a Need for Society; An Interview with Sir Hermann Bondi; Humanist Centers; Religion in the Public Schools. Fantasy? The Jesus Phenomenon in Korea; Humanism in Fall 1989, Vol. 9, no. 4-In Defense of Liber- Spring 1995, Vol. 15, no. 2-The Many Faces of Nigeria; Sexual Archetypes in Transition; Mary tarianism; Humanism and Socialism; Militant Feminism; Secularism and Enlightenment in Wollstonecraft and Women's Rights. Atheism; The Pseudo-Problem of Creation in Islamic Countries; Poland Today; The Bicen- Winter 1991/92, Vol. 12, no. 1-The Hospice Physical Cosmology. tennial of The Age of Reason. Way of Dying; Crisis in the Southern Baptist Summer 1989, Vol. 9, no. 3-Interview with Winter 1994/95, VoL 15, no. 1-Opus Dei and Convention, FI Interview: Church and State in Sidney Hook on the Future of Marxism; The Case Other Secret Societies; Exoevolution; Harold Poland and Hungary Reopening the American of 'Ivan the Terrible'; Humanism in the Black Camping's Apocalypse; Secular Humanism in Mind: Alternatives to Relativism and Positivism. Community: The Marriage of Church and State in Romania, the Slovak Republic; Reason and Fall 1991, Vol. 11, no. 4- Medicide: The Ireland; Separation of Church and State in Western Rationality. Goodness of Planned Death (An Interview with Europe; Abortion or Adoption? Fall 1994, Vol. 14, no. 4-Defending Prometheus: Dr. Jack Kevorkian); The Critical Need for Organ Spring 1989, Vol. 9, no. 2-Can We Achieve On Consciousness; Becoming Posthuman; Albert Donations; The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf Immortality? The Inseparability of Logic and Camus; Secularism in Australia; Religion as a War; Is Santa Claus Corrupting Our Children's Ethics; Glossolalia; Abortion in Historical Human Science. Morals? The Continuing Abortion Battle in Perspective. Summer 1994, Vol. 14, no. 3-Do Children Need Canada; What Does the Bible Say About Winter 1988/89, Vol. 9, no. 1-Active Voluntary Religion? Humanism in Ghana and Mexico; Was Abortion? New Directions in Sex Therapy; Cyrano Euthanasia; The Struggle for Abortion Rights in Ayn Rand a Humanist? Biblical Contradictions on de Bergerac; Secular Humanism in Turkey. Canada; AIDS In the Twenty-First Century; Tim Salvation. Summer 1991, Vol. 11, no. 3-Saint Paul's Madigan Interviews Steve Allen and Jayne Spring 1994, Vol. 14 no. 2-In Defense of Conversion: An Epileptic Hallucination? Bruno Meadows. Secularism; Symposium on Overpopulation and Galileo and the Power to Define; The Biological Fall 1988, Vol. 8, no. 4-A Declaration of Contraception; Waldorf Schools; Medjugorje: A Relationship Between Love and Sex; Should Sex Interdependence: A New Global Ethics; Belief and Critical Inquiry. Have a Different Meaning for Humanists? Love Unbelief; Worldwide Misconceptions About Winter 1993/94, Vol. 14, no. 1-Faith Healing: and Mate Selection in the 1990s; The Creationist Secular Humanism; Woody Allen Interviews the Miracle or Mirage? The End of the Age of Books; Revival; Pandas Attack Science Education; The Reverend Billy Graham. State and Church in Modern Germany; Who Was Creationist Theory of Abrupt Appearances; The Summer 1988, Vol. 8, no. 3-Humanism in the Jesus?; Tai Solarin Interview; John Demjanjuk; Case for a New American Pragmatism; Freedom Twenty-First Century. Matilda Joslyn Gage. of Thought and Religion in Bangladesh. Spring 1988, Vol. 8, no. 2-The First Easter; Is Fall 1993 VoL 13, no 4-More on the 'Incredible Spring 1991, Vol. 11, no. 2-The Unitarian Religiosity Pathological? Israel's Orthodox Jews; Discovery of Noah's Ark'; Should Secular Universalist Association; Upholding the Wall of The Alabama Textbook Case; The Resurrection Humanists Celebrate the Rites of Passage? The Separation; Scientific Humanism and Religion; Debate. Causes of Homosexuality; Jane Addams. Christianity: The Cultural Chameleon; Tolerance Winter 1987/88, Vol. 8, no. 1-Voices of Dissent Summer 1993, Vol. 13, no. 3-Is Religion a Form of Homosexuality; Was Karl Marx a Social within the Catholic Church; Eupraxophy; The of Insanity? Viruses of the Mind, 'The Incredible Scientist? Why I Am Not a Mormon. Humanist Identity; God and the Holocaust; Discovery of Noah's Ark'-An Archaeological Winter 1990/91 Vol. 11, no. 1-The Bertrand Psychic Astronomy. Quest? Islamic Intolerance. Russell Case, Europe 92: Secularization and Fall 1987, Vol. 7 no. 4-Fundamentalist Christian Spring 1993, Vol. 13 no. 2-Does Humanism Religion in Conflict; The Irish Republic; The Schools; Peter Popoff's Broken Window. Encourage Human Chauvinism? 0n Bio- Vatican's Pact with Italy; Religion and Summer 1987, Vol. 7, no. 3-Japan and Biblical diversity-An Exclusive Interview with E. O. Secularization Under Perestroika in the USSR; Religion: Was the Universe Created? Science- Wilson; Is the U.S.A. a Christian Nation? Homo- Levi Fragell on Humanism in Norway (interview); Fantasy Religious Cults; The Relativity of Biblical sexuality: Right or Wrong? Who Was John the Why I Am Not a Fundamentalist; The Natural Ethics; The Case Against Reincarnation (Part 4); Baptist? Confucius: The First 'Teacher' of History of Altruism. Personal Paths to Humanism. Humanism? Fall 1990, Vol. 10, no. 4-Fulfilling Feminist Spring 1987, Vol. 7 no. 2-Personal Paths to Winter 1992/93, Vol. 13, no. 1-Does the Big Ideals; Freedom and Censorship Today; Neutrality Humanism; Psychology of the Bible-Believer; Bang Prove the Existence of God? Remembering Between Religion and Irreligion; Why I Am Not a Biblical Arguments for Slavery; The Case Against John Dewey: America's Leading Humanist Philos- Presbyterian; The Fundamentalist Absolute and Reincarnation (Part 3). opher; Toward a New Enlightenment: A Response Secularization in the Middle East. Winter 1986/87, Vol. 7, no. 1-The New to Postmodernist Critiques of Humanism; Human- Summer 1990, Vol. 10, no. 3-Dying Without Inquisition in the Schools; Naturalistic Humanism; ism's Thorn: The Case of the Bright Believers; The Religion; Why I Am Not a Methodist; The God and Morality Anti-Abortion and Religion; A Satanic Scare. Dangerous Folklore of Satanism; Thomas Positive Humanist Statement on Sexual Morality; Fall 1992, Vol. 12, no. 4-Secular Humanism and Aquinas's Complete Guide to Heaven and Hell; Unbelief in The Netherlands; Dated Humanism; 'Traditional Family Values'; In Defense of Secular Moral Repression m the United States. Belief and Unbelief in Mexico; The Case Against Humanism; Why I Am Not a Muslim; 'Star Trek': Spring 1990, VoL 10, no. 2-Rethinking the War Reincarnation (Part 2). Humanism of the Future. on Drugs; An African-American Humanist Fall 1986, Vol. 6, no. 4-New Secular Humanist Summer 1992 Vol. 12, no. 3-Will Secularism Declaration; How Much Influence Can Humanism Centers; The Case Against Reincarnation (Part 1); Survive? The Israeli Law of Return; Mormon Have on Blacks? The American Judiciary as a Protestantism, Catholicism, and Unbelief in Present-Day France; More on Faith-Healing. Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls; Health Super- Fall 1982, Vol. 2, no. 4-An Interview with Summer 1986, Vol. 6, no. 3-The Shocking Truth stition; Humanism in Africa and Illusion. Sidney Hook at Eighty; The Religion and Biblical About Faith-Healing; Belief and Unbelief World- Summer 1984, Vol 4. no. 3-School Prayer; Criticism Research Project; Boswell Confronts wide. Science vs. Religion in Future Constitutional Hume; Humanism and Politics. Spring 1986, Vol. 6, no. 2-Faith-Healing- Conflicts; Armageddon and Biblical Apocalyptic; Summer 1982, Vol. 2, no. 3-A Symposium on Miracle or Fraud? The Effect of Intelligence on Is the U. S. Humanist Movement in a State of Science the Bible and Darwin Ethics and Religion; U.S. Religious Faith. Collapse? Science and Religion. Winter 1985/86, Vol. 6, no. 1-Is Secular Spring 1984, Vol. 4, no. 2-Christian Science Spring 1982, VoL 2, no. 2-Interview with Isaac Humanism a Religion? An interview with Adolf Practitioners and Legal Protection for Children; Asimov on Science and the Bible; Humanism as Grünbaum; Homer Duncan's Crusade Against Biblical Views of Sex; A Naturalistic Basis for an American Heritage; The Nativity Legends; Secular Humanism; Should a Humanist Celebrate Morality; Humanist Self-Portraits. Norman Podhoretz's Neo Puritanism. Christmas? Winter 1983/84, Vol. 4, no. 1-Interview with Winter 1981/82 VoL 2, no. 1-The Importance of Fall 1985, Vol. 5, no. 4-Two Forms of B. F. Skinner; Was George Orwell a Humanist? Critical Discussion; Freedom and Civilization; Humanistic Psychology, Philosophy of Science Population Control vs. Freedom in China; Humanism: The Conscience of Humanity; Secu- and Psychoanalysis; The Death Knell of Psycho- Academic Freedom at Liberty Baptist College; larism in Islam; Humanism in the 1980s; The analysis; New Testament Scholarship and Chris- Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon; Who Effect of Education on Religious Faith. tian Belief; The Winter Solstice and the Origins of Really Killed Goliath? Humanism in Norway. Fall 1981,VoL 1 no. 4-Secular Humanists- Christmas. Fall 1983, Vol. 3, no. 4-The Future of Threat or Menace? Financing of the Repressive Summer 1985, Vol. 5. no. 3-Finding Common Humanism; Humanist Self-Portraits; Interview Right; Communism and American Intellectuals; Ground Between Believers and Unbelievers; Inter- with Paul MacCready; A Personal Humanist The Future of Religion; Resurrection Fictions. view with Sidney Hook on China Marxism and Manifesto; The Enduring Humanist Legacy of Summer 1981, Vol. 1, no. 3-Sex Education; The Human Freedom, Evangelical Agnosticism; The Greece; On the Sesquintennial of Robert Ingersoll; New Book-Burners; New Evidence on the Shroud Legacy of Voltaire (Part 2). The Historicity of Jesus. of Turin; Agnosticism; Science and Religion; Spring 1985, Vol. 5. no. 2-Update on the Shroud Summer 1983, Vol. 3, no. 3-Religion in Amer- Secular Humanism in Israel. of Turin; The Vatican's View of Sex; An interview ican Politics; Bibliography for Biblical Study. Spring 1981, Vol. 1, no. 2-The Secular with E. O. Wilson; Parapsychology; The Legacy of Spring 1983, Vol. 3, no. 2-The Founding Fathers Humanist Declaration; New England Puritans and Voltaire (Part I); The Origins of Christianity. and Religious Liberty; The Murder of Hypatia of the Moral Majority; On the Way to Mecca; The Winter 1984/85 Vol. 5. no. 1-Are American Alexandria; Hannah Arendt; Was Karl Marx a Blasphemy Laws, Does God Exist? Prophets of Educational Reforms Doomed? The Apocalyp- Humanist? the Procrustean Collective; The Madrid Con- ticism of the Jehovah s Witnesses; Animal Rights Winter 1982/83, Vol. 3, no. 1-Academic ference Natural Aristocracy. Re-evaluated; Elmina Slenker. Freedom Under Assault in California; Interview Winter 1980/81, Vol. 1, no. 1-Secular Humanist Fall 1984, VoL 4, no. 4-Humanists vs.Christians with Corliss Lamont; Was Jesus a Magician? Declaration; The Creation/Evolution Controversy; in Milledgeville; Suppression and Censorship in Astronomy and the Star of Bethlehem; The Moral Education; Morality Without Religion; The the Seventh-Day Adventist Church; Keeping the Strange Case of Paul Feyerabend. Road to Freedom. FREE INQUIRY Six-Year Index (Volumes 1-6, 1980-1986) 39 pp. $10.00 (includes postage).

FREE INQUIRY Back Issues $6.95 each. A 20% discount will be given on orders of 10 or more issues.

Fall 1995 D Summer 1993 ❑ Spring 1991 D Winter 1988-89 ❑ Winter 1986-87 Winter 1984-85 ❑ Winter 1982-83 ❑ Summer 1995 ❑ Spring 1993 ❑ Winter 1990-91 ❑ Fall 1988 ❑ Fall 1986 ❑ Fall 1984 D Fall 1982 ❑ Spring 1995 D Winter 1992-93 ❑ Fall 1990 D Summer 1988 ❑ Summer 1986 ❑ Summer 1984 D Summer 1982 ❑ Winter 1994-95 ❑ Fall 1992 ❑ Summer 1990 ❑ Spring 1988 ❑ Spring 1986 ❑ Spring 1984 ❑ Spring 1982 ❑ Fall 1994 ❑ Summer 1992 ❑ Spring 1990 ❑ Winter 1987-88 ❑ Winter 1985-86 D Winter 1983-84 ❑ Winter 1981-82 ❑ Summer 1994 D Spring 1992 ❑ Winter 1989-90 ❑ Fall 1987 ❑ Fall 1985 ❑ Fall 1983 ❑ Fall 1981 ❑ Spring 1994 ❑ Winter 1991-92 ❑ Fall 1989 D Summer 1987 ❑ Summer 1985 ❑ Summer 1983 ❑ Summer 1981 Winter 1993-94 ❑ Fall 1991 ❑ Summer 1989 ❑ Spring 1987 ❑ Spring 1985 Spring 1983 ❑ Spring 1981 ❑ Fall 1993 ❑ Summer 1991 ❑ Spring 1989

FREE INQUIRY Six-Year index-$10.00

Total $ Check or money enclosed ❑ subscriber account no.

❑ VISA ❑ MasterCard # Exp. Sig.

Name

Street Phone

City State Zip

Return to: FREE INQUIRY, Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664 Use Visa or MC and call toll-free 800-458-1366. Fax charges to: 716-636-1733. mons for the enhancement of these life- affirming experiences. Ryan also uses his own British origins Reviews as a strength in analyzing the background of Dewey's thinking. Told by Sidney Hook that no Englishman could make sense of America, Ryan, who had already Transatlantic Dewey written biographies of John Stuart Mill and Bertrand Russell, shows that this transatlantic experience is vital in making John M. Novak better sense of Dewey and his philosophical and political connections. As Ryan John Dewey and the High Tide of politically as Westbrook claims nor as shows, Dewey is a peculiar type of American Liberalism, by Alan Ryan supernaturally indebted as Rockefeller American liberal and his liberalism is (New York: Norton, 1995) 416 pp., assumes. Ryan's Dewey is to the radical more than American in origins and impli- $30.00 cloth. center-left and is a naturalistic, secular cations. Using his broad background liberal through and through, albeit an understanding of Mill, Russell, and T. H. n attempting to write an authoritative imaginatively democratic and religiously Green, Ryan interrogates Dewey's liberal- Ipolitical biography of John Dewey it reconstructed one. Ryan, a self-acknowl- ism and reveals important strengths and would seem that Alan Ryan had three edged aggressive atheist of the Bertrand shortcomings. Sidney Hook, who is dealt strikes against him. First, two high-qual- Russell vein, understands Dewey's philo- with throughout Ryan's book, would have ity, seemingly exhaustive biographies had sophic project and use of the adjective enjoyed being proven wrong by this already been written. Second, Dewey is "religious." Princeton professor of politics. very much an American philosopher and Dewey often put new wine in old Finally, as Ryan notes, there probably the English Ryan "isn't from these parts." skins. His philosophic style was to take will never be "John Dewey: The Movie." And finally, the usually shy and unassum- the ever-ambiguous institutions and lin- Dewey was a very private person who ing Dewey did not lead a particularly guistic habits we have grown up with and spent a great deal of his adult life in front exciting personal life. Undaunted, Ryan reconstruct them when they were inade- of a typewriter constructing thirty-seven kept a stiff upper lip and transformed quate for dealing with our changing volumes of work on philosophy, educa- these obstacles into the stuff of a well- social predicaments. In the last two-thirds tion, and politics. This is not the stuff of crafted, engaging conversation about of his ninety-two years he was highly Hollywood. However, if there is a "John Dewey's humanistic liberal project and critical of knowledge claims of religion Dewey: The BBC Documentary," Alan our current political predicament. and the supernatural; these he consis- Ryan would make an excellent commen- Ryan's biography of Dewey follows tently argued were unfounded and pro- tator and his book would provide the basis Robert Westbrook's magisterial John vided an escape from the experiences of for an engaging script. It would behoove Dewey and American Democracy and daily life. He did not seek to trade humanists on both sides of The Pond to Steven Rockefeller's uplifting John upwards and wanted people to mind, watch it. Better yet, they should read and Dewey: Religious Faith and Democratic mend, and mine the experiences of every- discuss the book. • Humanism. Timing is everything in com- day life; this is the only home we can edy and probably counts for a lot in biog- know and dependably build on. raphy. These are not liberal times. A third For Dewey, the philosopher of connec- MOVING? Make sure biography in less than five years about tion, "religious" applies to experiences in FREE INQUIRY follows you! America's premier liberal from the first which we feel emotionally and morally half of the century would, on the political connected to progressive causes—worth- Name surface, seem like much too much of a while growth experiences that enable peo- Subscriber #

not-so-good-thing. What more could be ple to have richer and more varied con- New address said? Now? nections in their everyday living. This While respectfully acknowledging "religious" experience predates religions, City both of these books, Ryan argues in John which to varying degrees can negate the State Zp Dewey and the High Tide of American possibilities of such experiences. Dewey's Old address

Liberalism, that Dewey was not as far left intention was to save the religious from City religions. It might be that the term itself is John M. Novak is professor of education beyond repair; however, the binding qual- State Zip

at Brock University in St. Catharines, ities of natural experience it points to are Mail to: Ontario, Canada, and editor of Insights, certainly important to living a meaningful FREE INQUIRY a publication of the John Dewey Society. life. Dewey, as Ryan points out, provides Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226 needed philosophical thinking and lay ser- 52 FREE INQUIRY istically based ethics, have solutions to all problems; yet no argument is ever given A Failed Case for such assumption. It is a large leap from pointing out flaws in a naturalistic account to proving Against Naturalism intelligent design; it is another to proving theism. Reason in the Balance adds little Gilbert Fulmer of consequence to the current intellectual dispute between naturalism and theism. Reason in the Balance: The Case against mind at the center, for it holds that the cre- Naturalism in Science, Law and Educa- ative mind of God is the ultimate explana- Note tion, by Philip Johnson (Downers tion. For this reason I call theism "ani- 1. Cf. Gilbert Fulmer, "The Concept of the Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1995) mistic," from the Latin anima, meaning Supernatural," Analysis, v. 37, no. 2 (1977). This 238 pp., $19.95 cloth. "mind" Animistic views are characteristic point is conceded, implicitly and unintentionally, by of pre-scientific peoples; and, until quite the distinguished Christian theist philosopher Richard Swinburne. In The Existence of God hough much ballyhooed by the recently in history, advanced ones as well. (Oxford, OUP, 1991) he claims that theism provides TChristian Right, this book falls far Naturalism, in its purest form, denies an ultimately personal explanation for all that is; yet short of its stated purpose: to present the the existence of any creative mind outside his analysis notes that God's creative activity depends on a principle of nature. E.g., "His [i.e., "case against naturalism." Neither scien- nature. Earlier natural science was still God's] intentions are immediately operative— tist nor philosopher, lawyer Phillip animistic, holding to divine purposive because that is how things ultimately are" (p. 105; Johnson believes "metaphysical natural- explanations when natural ones ran out. emphasis added]; and "There is a natural connection between the factors cited in this explanation and ism ... is the metaphysical position that Many contemporary naturalists see no what they effect"—i.e., between God's intentions underlies not only contemporary science need for this. and their results (ibid.; emphasis added). Thus but the humanities and the so-called social Throughout his book, Johnson seems Swinburne in effect agrees that God's power is dependent on natural principles—and is not, there- sciences as well" (p. 16). He recognizes not to understand that theism has lost fore, truly supernatural at all. I believe this point is that Christian theism must be defended much of its former prestige precisely inescapable, and that the concept of a supernatural rationally; for, he says, "... Christian the- because it is not adequately supported by creative agent is thus logically untenable. ists need to consider whether a policy of reason. To defend theism, and particularly STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, following truth wherever it may lead truly Christian theism, at this late date requires AND CIRCULATION Date of filing: September 29, 1995 does end in naturalism. If so, they should much careful philosophical argument. Title: FREE INQUIRY accept the inevitable" (p. 201). He seems Moreover, a contemporary defense of Frequency of issue: Quarterly Complete mailing address of known office of to feel safe in this offer, since he is appar- theism needs to address arguments publisher: P.O. Box 664, Amherst NY 14226- ently convinced that rational inquiry sup- against theism. For example, a substantial 0664 Complete mailing address of headquarters of ports Christian theism. But his book offers literature on the problem 6f evil purports publisher: P.O. Box 664, Amherst NY 14226- 0664 no argument whatever to support this. to show a rationally conclusive case Publisher: CODESH, Inc., 3965 Rensch Road, Johnson states his position strongly: against the existence of an infinitely pow- Amherst, NY 14228-0664 Owner: CODESH, Inc., 3965 Rensch Road, "`In the beginning was the word, and the erful and infinitely good God. There are Amherst, NY 14228-0664 Editor: Paul Kurtz, 3965 Rensch Road, Amherst, Word was with God, and the word was other arguments that theists need to NY 14228-0664 God.... For God so loved the world that answer. I myself have long argued that the Managing Editor: Andrea Szalanski, 3965 Rensch Road, Amherst, NY 14228-0664 he gave his only Son, so that everyone who concept of a supernatural creating agent is Known bondholders, mortgagees and other believes in him may not perish but may logically incoherent: the power of any security holders: None have eternal life' (p. 204). In a book sub- being whatever to act must reflect some Aver. no. Actual no. copies copies titled The Case against Naturalism and natural fact that was not created by that each issue single issue during published claiming to pursue truth to its conclusion, being's power; for no being could create preceding nearest one might expect at least some minimal its own power to create.' 12 months filing date Instead of addressing relevant philo- Total no. copies printed argument supporting such a ringing decla- (Net Press Run) 22,994 23,602 ration of Christian doctrine. There is none. sophical issues, Johnson launches a scat- Paid and/or Requested circulation Johnson correctly identifies theism and tershot attack on what he sees as the ill 1.Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and naturalism as the two major worldviews effects of naturalism—apparently, pretty counter sales 1,774 1,867 much everything he does not like about 2. Mail subscription 17,075 16,348 available to educated Westerners. Theism Total Paid and/or Requested circulation 18,849 18,215 has been dominant throughout much of the the modern world. He denounces not only Free Distribution by Mail 514 542 Free Distribution Outside the Mail 995 1,260 history of Western culture. Theism places Darwinian evolution but abortion (pp. Total Free Distribution 1,509 1,802 135-138); "modernist lawmaking" (pp. Total Distribution 20,358 20,017 Copies not distributed 995 1,260 Gilbert Fulmer is in the Department of 138-143); drug and sex education (pp. 1. Office use, left-over, 159ff); and modern universities as "cen- spoiled after printing 2,636 3,585 Philosophy at Southwest Texas State TOTAL 22,994 23,602 University in San Marcos. ters of unreason" (p. 130). There is the Percent paid and/or constant assumption that theism, and the- requested circulation 93% 91% Winter 1995/96 53 state recognition. Also, the Koran looks much more authentic than the Gospels, in Standing Up to that its author works no miracles and makes no claim to divinity. Only in later traditions do his features become implau- Scrutinize Islam sibly magnified. Ibn Warraq's chapter on "The Problem of the Sources" must give G. A. Wells us pause here. There is not only disparate material in the Koran, but also repetition Why I Am Not a Muslim, by Ibn Warraq essay on man's metaphysical needs, that he of whole passages in variant versions; and (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, could not find a single valuable idea in the this looks more like belated and imperfect 1995) 402 pp., $25.95 cloth. whole of the Koran.) The uncompromising editing of materials from a plurality of monotheism of Islam has been particularly traditions than a collection of a single hy I Am Not a Muslim certainly admired. It is true that Christianity is author's sayings. Also, there are so many wdeserves the epithet "courageous" monotheistic only in virtue of an unintelli- variant readings that it is misleading to with which R. J. Hoffmann introduces it gible fiction (the Trinity), and that speak of the Koran: "The definitive text in his Foreword, not so much because of Judaism's allegiance to one god was not still had not been achieved as late as the its thesis that Islamic civilization often the same as belief in only one god. But Ibn ninth century" (p. 154). As with the New reached magnificent heights despite the Warraq reminds us that monotheism can Testament, the faithful are familiar with a religion of Islam, as because almost all the readily join with exclusive intolerance. uniform text and know little or nothing of fundamental tenets of Islam are here scru- The religion of one day is largely a the variants given in any apparatus criti- tinized uncompromisingly. Moreover, Ibn reshuffling of ideas of a yesterday, and to cus. (To take but one New Testament Warraq's criticisms are no idiosyncrasies, this Islam is no exception. It has taken a example, whether Luke has a doctrine of but supported with very extensive refer- great deal from both Jewish and Christian atonement depends on which manuscripts ences to scholarly works. His book is par- traditions, but I doubt whether many of his account of the Last Supper are to be ticularly valuable as a means of acquaint- Christians are aware of in what strange taken as giving the original reading). ing oneself with this scholarship. guise Christianity figures in the Koran. As for the Koran's contradictions, Not surprisingly, he devotes a chapter According to Sura 4, Jesus was not cruci- some are quite normal in a single, individ- to the inferior position of women in Islam, fied: the Jews "Killed him not, they did ual religious writer and need not be put and another to the undemocratic pressures not crucify him, but it was made to appear down to multiple authorship. An instance applied by Islamic immigrants in the West that way to them." This strikes at the heart is the alternation between predestination today. He is appalled by the willingness of of what is now established as Christian passages ("God misleads whom He will, British authorities to allow incitement to doctrine. If there was no atoning death, and whom He will he guides") and others murder a British citizen (Salman Rushdie) there is no redemption, through such a that give mankind some kind of free will. from a public platform in Britain; and he death. But this was the kind of Christian If what happens has been predetermined, finds the French authorities refreshingly teaching that reached Muhammad; for a it is futile to urge people to change their less permissive on such matters. number of second-century Christians had ways. Yet Muhammad and his followers Warraq begins by showing how often regarded suffering, which implies change have always done this, as did St. Paul, politeness to less-civilized countries has and imperfection, as foreign to the divine who combined the idea that God blinds been a whip with which to lash the short- nature. As our author says, "what is in the people with the doctrine that their errors comings of one's own society. It was on Koran about Christianity derives from are all their own fault. Similarly, Marxists this basis that Tacitus boosted the Germans heretical sects" (p. 62). believe that persons in a certain economic and that eighteenth-century Europeans Something else made clear in this book condition will inevitably behave in a cer- looked up to "the noble savage." In the pre- that will probably surprise many is how tain way, but nevertheless abuse them for sent century, European malaise about colo- much of what has long passed for the doing so. nialism and imperialism has prompted early history of Islam has been put in Another striking contradiction quite belief in the superior virtue of subject question by serious scholars. I had always normal in religious writing is that the God nations. Attitudes to Islam and to its history believed that the swift rise of Muham- of the Koran is merciful and compassion- have been affected by such sentiments, mad's religion to power—overrunning the ate, yet consigns those who do not believe although there have of course been dissent- whole of Arabia in his lifetime and defeat- in him to everlasting torment. Our author ing voices. (Schopenhauer declared, in an ing Christian armies in Syria soon after notes that "Muhammad really lets his oth- his death—meant that the evidence for its erwise limited imagination go wild when G. A. Wells is professor of German at the origin will have been critically sifted at a describing, in revolting detail, the tor- University of London, a member of the far-earlier stage than could have occurred ments of hell" (p. 125). Academy of Humanism, and the author of in the case of Christianity, which long Muslim commentators deal with some Did Jesus Exist? (Prometheus Books). remained a jumble of insignificant sects of the contradictions by claiming that later and took three hundred years to attain verses in the Koran may cancel earlier 54 FREE INQUIRY ones. What is early or late is, however, tal nonsense about the `spiritual East,' "Mohammedanism" in the series Home largely conjecture, as the Suras are which, we are constantly told, is so much University Library of Modern Knowledge arranged in order of length, not chrono- superior to the decadent and atheistic is still a useful introduction. Warraq's logically. West" (p. 161). recent authorities include of course The biographies of the prophet have Islam certainly keeps a firm grip on its Bernard Lewis, and also W. Montgomery always been known to be relatively late; people by making apostasy a capital Watt, whom he calls "by common consent and the traditions about the early history offense, as is also blasphemy towards God the greatest and one of the most influential of Islam grow, in characteristic legendary and the Prophet. "In modern times blas- living Islamic scholars in Britain." Like fashion, from one writer to the next: "If phemy has simply become a tool for Warraq, I have found Watt informative, yet one storyteller should happen to mention Muslim governments to silence opposi- infuriating, in that he repeatedly recast tra- a raid, the next one would tell its exact tion, or for individuals to settle personal ditional doctrines—Christian as well as date, and the third one would furnish even scores" (p. 176). It is of course quite gen- Muslim—into impressive-sounding for- more details" (p. 84). Ibn Warraq sums erally the case that religions that inculcate mulas that are really no more than solemn- this up with: either we conclude with a obedience and submission to established faced nonsense. For instance, his version number of recent scholars that we do not authority tend to be supported by estab- of "O Lamb of God that takes away the know a great deal about Muhammad, or lished governments. Bernard Lewis him- sins of the world" is that "Jesus was delib- we make do with the traditional sources. self has noted, in a recent essay, how erately living out an archetypal synthesis." He adds: "Muslims would perhaps be bet- Khomeini dealt with groups and individu- The then Bishop of Edinburgh quoted this ter off accepting the former alternative," als opposing the Islamic revolution: for in his Foreword to Watt's 1959 book (pre- since the picture that emerges of the him, insistence on open trials, defense tentiously entitled The Cure for Human Prophet from the latter is "not at all flat- lawyers, and proper procedures was no Troubles) and opined that it may "be diffi- tering. Furthermore, Muslims cannot more than a reflection of "the Western cult to think and express ourselves in these complain that this is a portrait drawn by sickness among us." Those on trial, he new terms" There is in fact no difficulty at an enemy" (p. 86). insisted, were criminals, and criminals all in thus "expressing ourselves." Whether There are of course morally acceptable should be executed, not tried. Warraq we are thereby thinking of anything other teachings in the Koran, but there is also notes that it was this hatred and loathing than the words is another matter. much intolerance. One of its worst lega- of the West that led Arab countries to One truth that Warraq's book brings cies is the notion of a Holy War, devel- sympathize in the Gulf War even with home very forcibly is that religion has so oped "with the help of the idea of rewards Saddam Hussein: He is a tyrant, but he often been made the basis for perpetuating in paradise for for the holy martyrs who "stood up to the West." social injustices. Napoleon was but voicing died fighting for Islam" (p. 156). Ibn When Warraq speaks of science, he an almost universal attitude when he saw in Warraq deplores the fact that, although allows that it is in this domain that "we Christianity "not the mystery of the imperialism is now discredited, "hardly come at last to the true greatness of Incarnation, but the mystery of social anyone bothers to criticize the Islamic Islamic civilization" (p. 272). I have order," in that inequality of property can be variety that resulted in such death and recently come across an illustration of this maintained only by convincing the poor destruction" (p. 346). Bernard Lewis, an in the 1984 Princeton University Press that it is God's will and that they will be Islamic scholar whom our author rightly edition of Galen: On Respiration and the better off in kingdom-come. Warraq allows treats with respect, has argued that, there Arteries by British scholars David J. that it may well be inhumane to tell an indi- were indeed "exaltation and dogmatism Furley and J. S. Wilkie, who offer a vidual who is suffering irredeemably that on both sides," yet "greater tolerance on greatly improved Greek text by utilizing his belief in God and in an after-life when the Turkish." Spanish Jews after the an Arab translation better than any of the all will be righted is sheer delusion; but he Inquisition found refuge in Turkey, and surviving Greek manuscripts. But Warraq sees that the systematic inculcation of "when Ottoman rule in Europe came to an argues that it was despite Islam that highly suspect doctrine is quite another end, the Christian nations they had ruled Islamic science developed. He quotes matter, and certainly not to be made an for centuries were still there, with their Ernest Renan's verdict: excuse for storing nothing to ameliorate languages, their cultures, their religions, man's lot (p. 162). He remains "convinced To give Islam the credit of Averroes and even to some extent their institutions, so many other illustrious thinkers, who that despite all the shortcomings of intact," whereas "there are no Muslims passed half their life in prison, in forced Western liberal democracy, it is far prefer- today in Spain or Sicily and no speakers hiding, in disgrace, whose books were able to the authoritarian, mind-numbing of Arabic" (See Lewis's chapter in the burned and whose writings almost sup- certitudes of Islamic theocracy" (p. 359). pressed by theological authority, is as if symposium The Legacy of Islam, Oxford Scriptures and creeds make a religion one were to ascribe to the Inquisition University Press, 1974). Ibn Warraq finds the discoveries of Galileo, and a whole vulnerable, in that they supply the critic this stress on Islamic pluralism and toler- scientific development which it was not and the skeptic with a hold. Nevertheless, ance quite misplaced: Turkey was "no able to prevent. many Christians have managed to tran- inter-faith utopia" (p. 187). He empha- scend elements in their sacred books that sizes atrocities (including recent ones) in The older scholars on whom Warraq have been impugned. Can we not expect Muslim history "as a counter to sentimen- draws include D. S. Margoliouth, whose the same of Muslims? Liberal Christians

Winter 1995/96 55 will say, for instance, that God's revela- development is the hated of the West that democracies, it is the appeal to moral tion is presented in the Bible through Muslim leaders inculcate. Leaders get principles that gives rise to most of the miracle stories because miracles were the support of followers by persuading heat, and it would be much better to talk believed in at that time, whereas we who them that they are threatened by a com- frankly about interests. One who resists a do not believe in them are free to inter- mon enemy. Their argument is not moral principle must necessarily be pret the miracle stories in a different way. "Support me, because I wish for power," immoral, and therefore not to be argued Can we not expect Muslims to say, but "Support me to save yourselves from with but coerced. On the other hand, sooner or later, that persecution of "infi- these hated imperialists." Without such a when an opposition of interests is frankly dels" is enjoined in the Koran because in basis of hatred, the support for a leader is faced, there is a possibility of reaching Islam's early days only an aggressive apt to become lukewarm; and so he must some kind of compromise and under- attitude to outsiders ensured its survival, be continually striking at the supposed standing, without abuse and anger. whereas modern believers can be open to enemy. This it is that militates so Warraq's book shows that the world divine counsel of moderation and toler- strongly against any compromise. today is very far from such a situation and ance? A serious obstacle to any such Altogether, in political argument even in is not moving towards it.

Sex, and the Fight for Women's Rights. Feminism's Flirtation She is president of the American Civil Liberties Union, and she believes that free speech and thought is essential to with Censorship achieving ultimate equality. This is important to say because militant feminists such as Catharine MacKinnon and Vern L. Bullough Andrea Dworkin see free speech as the enemy. Anything that leads males to think Defending Pornography: Free Speech, the writing of a whole series of special about women as sexual objects is danger- Sex, and the Fight for Women's Rights, laws, regulating the hours women could ous. MacKinnon goes further and views by Nadine Strossen (New York: Scrib- work and in general protecting them from even nonviolent, consensual sex as inher- ner, 1995) 320 pp., $22.00 cloth. the dangers of the male world. Women ently degrading to women. This is could not be drafted because lawmakers because if there is "no inequality, no vio- hough the struggle of women to believed women had a higher calling lation, no dominance, no force, there is Tachieve equality is probably as old as (motherhood), although they could serve no sexual arousal." Women, according to history, in the United States there have in the military in a subordinate capacity. Andrea Dworkin, who believes they been two major periods of activity. The In a way, women remained second-class involuntarily engage in and enjoy hetero- first, beginning in 1848, led ultimately to citizens, made of finer stuff but so vulner- sexual sex, are victims of "false con- the franchise, while the second, beginning able to the real world that they had to be sciousness." They are not free sexual in the 1960s, led to greater opportunities in treated almost as if they were children. In agents but dupes of men. The only way to employment. During both periods there the second phase of feminism, most of the solve this problem is to re-educate men was often a division of opinion about how legal protections that handicapped by denying them access to Playboy and to to proceed. Generally, in the early stages, women's entry into the job market were anything that in her view degrades those who fought for simple equality were initially removed, but soon new ones were women. But women also can be the dominant, but since neither effort achieved put on the books dealing with sexual enemy, and so women who do not con- full equality, there were second phases in harassment and rape. form to what MacKinnon and Dworkin which women, perhaps disillusioned with Some feminist militants concluded that see as proper conduct and attire should the hurdles still remaining, fell back on the basic issue concerned power. Women also be attacked or criticized, including regarding themselves as special creatures could not achieve equality until all ves- those who defend free speech. In who needed special protection. tiges of masculine influence were elimi- Dworkin's view everything men do tends Both sides can claim some truth. nated. Men had to be retrained to over- to degrade women since the penis is the Women should, at least in my opinion, come their "biological" proclivities, and embodiment of male violence, which she have full equality, but women's and men's the nature of the relationship between the summarizes as "Violence is male; the needs are not always necessarily the same. sexes had to be redefined through new male is the penis." The first women's movement resulted in rules of speech and expression, since the It is this movement in "feminism" with old rules and forms were carry-overs from which Strossen is concerned. While she Vern L. Bullough is professor of history at a male-dominated society. holds that sexual harassment can be real, California State University at Northridge It is this question to which Nadine the essential point behind harassment is and senior editor of FI. Strossen has addressed herself in not so much sex but power. She criticizes Defending Pornography: Free Speech, those who believe harassment is part of

56 FREE INQUIRY every male-female relationship and try to shopping list of the women's movement." equality for women in any case. purge all forms of speech and expression Strossen feels there are no easy solutions Perhaps this period in feminism is a of "degrading" elements. She explains to eliminating the remaining vestiges of passing phase, and if enough women that a censorship movement such as female inequality, but holds that the sup- speak up against the silliness of the so- Feminists Against Pornography has con- port for censorship among some feminists called militant, reactionary feminists, we siderable appeal since it appears to offer a today is a detour or dead end, since, with- can get on with the real battle of achieving simple, inexpensive solution to complex, out free speech, progress is not possible. greater equality. Strossen has written a troubling social problems. She quotes an She points out that the allies of the femi- tract for those of us who believe that such anti-censorship feminist as stating that nists who argue for censorship are the a goal is still possible without making all "Censorship is the cheapest item on the arch reactionaries who never wanted males a new kind of victim. •

means, at least for the reader familiar with Lucretius on the Nature Lucretius' work, is that one can read the present version almost as if it was an entirely new work. of Things The importance of Lucretius to freethinkers today should be addressed. This Gordon Stein is probably the earliest surviving work in which the idea of atoms and of the scien- On the Nature of Things, by Lucretius. posthumously issued work (Lucretius tific outlook are promulgated. At the same Translated and edited by Anthony M. died in 55 C.E.), edited by Cicero. The time, Lucretius' attitude is deeply opposed Esolen. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins tone of the work is distinctly materialistic. to religion and its speculations as to the University Press, 1995) 296 pp., $35.95 It is an interesting exercise to compare origins and structure of the universe. He cloth, $14.95 paper. another verse translation of this work. I also puts forth a different sort of ethical expected only minor differences, but they philosophy, giving his feeling about how hat, another translation of are extensive. Here is a sample of the same humans ought to live. WLucretius' On the Nature of verse in two translations, the other being Lucretius dealt with a number of Things? The dust jacket of the book Alban Dewes Winspear's 1956 version: issues that are still with us. For example, claims (anonymously) that until now there he strongly opposed the idea of special has not been an "adequate" English verse For all the gods enjoy eternal life in creation, before the theory of evolution translation of the book. The problem does everlasting peace was formulated, of course. Lucretius also Far, far away from all the troubles of attacked the idea of design in nature. His not seem to be in the poetry but in the our world. accuracy of what the poet, as scientist, is Free from danger, free from grief, is truly a nontheistic perspective and will saying. strong through their strength alone ring true with today's nontheists. He I have long held that to translate poetry The godhead need us not, thought that everything could be from one language to another requires two Nor is it won by our deserts nor moved explained with the concepts of atoms and by wrath. different skills. Sometimes these skills are space, at least for the physical world— found together in a single individual, and [Winspear] and there was nothing beside the material sometimes a collaboration is required. universe. There was no need for a super- The skills are near-native fluency in both For by necessity the gods above natural or for gods. Of course, to the languages and ability as an actual poet. Enjoy eternity in highest peace, sophisticated modern reader, especially Withdrawn and far removed from our one with a background in physical sci- Translator/editor Anthony Esolen is an affairs, English professor at Providence College Free of all sorrow, free of peril, the ence, Lucretius sounds simplistic and in Rhode Island. One assumes he has a gods naïve. Granting his lack of equipment to mastery of Latin from some previous Thrive in their own works and need measure things of an atomic (or even training. His skills as a composer of nothing from us, galactic) size, we must still marvel at how Not won with virtuous deeds nor close his speculations came to the find- poetry are not mentioned. touched by rage. On the Nature of Things has been an ings of modern science. atheist classic since its composition in the [Esolen, Book 1, lines 44-49] Esolen's verse reads quite well, and first century C.E. Supposedly, it is a will largely hold readers' interest. It will From this example one can see that, fill in a gap in most modern people's edu- Gordon Stein is director of the Center for although the general meaning is the same cation, and provide an interesting and Inquiry Libraries and a senior editor of FI. in the two versions, the words used are much neglected perspective on the almost entirely different. What this development of our present world-view. •

Winter 1995/96 57 niques were employed, why the initiatives failed and by what percentages. He Merciful Death suggests ways to improve the laws, and finally he produces "A Model Death With Dignity Act." This important and readable little book Gerald Larue is written in clear precise terms and is loaded with examples, including ethical Lawful Exit: The Limits of Freedom for law on medical assistance in dying for the guidelines for the prevention of abuse Help in Dying, by Derek Humphry terminally ill. drawn from the Dutch experience. Indeed, (Junction City, Oregon: The Norris "Individual freedom," Humphry as- the legal guidelines set up by the Lane Press, 1993) 166 pp., paper serts, "requires that all persons be Parliament in the Netherlands are $9.95. allowed to control their own destiny, reprinted in full. especially at life's end. Existing law does Surveys have demonstrated that a erek Humphry, the doyen of the not permit this basic right" (p. 19). His majority of American people today Deuthanasia movement and author of concern is to produce "thoughtfully believe that, should their dying be best-sellers Jean's Way and Final Exit, framed laws that will make physician aid- painfully prolonged, they should be able has written another powerful book deal- in-dying possible without fear of abuse or to ask a physician to bring their lives to a ing with the most controversial issue in prosecution or stigma." To this end, dignified close. Humphry anticipates the present day medical ethics: changing the Humphry examines the history of day when such requests will be honored attempts to enact laws in the states of legally and compassionately. This cutting- Gerald Larue heads CODESH's Commit- Washington and California. He critically edge book is required reading for those tee for the Scientific Examination of examines and evaluates these efforts with wishing to be up-to date and prepared for Religion and is a senior editor of FI. regard to the ways in which the initiatives the time when this important issue is were worded, what promotional tech- placed on the ballot. •

Books in Brief have come into contact with such entities. A Celebration of Humanism and Freethought, by David Allen Williams American Philosophic Naturalism in the and rational thought, Without Miracles is (Amherst: Prometheus Books, 1995) Twentieth Century, edited by John a strictly Darwinian presentation that bal- 302 pp., cloth $29.95. Williams, a Utah Ryder (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus ances the current attack on evolution. writer and world-traveler, combines sev- Books, 1995) 566 pp., cloth $34.95. The eral hundred artistic illustrations with richness of this philosophical tradition is —H. James Birx appropriate observations from humanist amply displayed in this collection of sem- sources. Under authoritarian or dogmatic inal articles by such stalwarts as John Entities: Angels, Spirits, Demons, and regimes, he shows, such humanistic cre- Dewey, George Santayana, W. V. Quine, Other Alien Beings, by Joe Nickell ations could never have been possible. Thelma Lavine, Paul Kurtz, and Roy (Amherst: Prometheus Books, 1995) 297 Included are some rare steel engravings in Wood Sellars. Editor Ryder has a fine pp., cloth $24.95. Nickell, whose 1978 de- what admittedly is an unusual collection. introduction on the many meanings of shrouding of the Turin cloth made history, "naturalism" and the role it has played in now takes up the controversial claims of Conversations on Mind, Matter, and American thought. Timothy J. Madigan people who report having experienced Mathematics, by Jean-Pierre Changeux guardian angels, demonic spirits, and and Main Connes (Princeton, N.J.: Without Miracles: Universal Selection extraterrestrial visitors. Like a detective, Princeton University Press, 1995) 260 Theory and the Second Darwinian he looks into ghostly habitations, polter- pp., cloth $24.95. Changeux, the cele- Revolution, by Gary Cziko (Cambridge, geist disturbances, attacks by devils or brated French neuroscientist and molecular Mass.: MIT Press, 1995) 385 pp., cloth demons or witches, Marian apparitions, biologist who is a Humanist Laureate in the $30.00. Gary Cziko, an educational psy- spiritualism, séances, near-death experi- Academy of Humanism, converses on a chologist, critically examines different ences, alien creatures, ancient astronauts, variety of subjects in this book with Main interpretations of evolution. His own crashed saucers, wee folk, and all such Connes, a distinguished French mathe- mechanistic and naturalistic perspective subjects that intrigue makers of horror matician. Both come across as "natural rejects outright miracles, innatism, teleol- movies. It is not surprising that Nickell philosophers," emphasizing natural science ogy, and natural theology. For the philo- was unable to substantiate any of the vari- rather than discussing mental or moral sophical naturalist committed to material- ous claims, but he does provide lucid philosophy. ism supported by the empirical sciences explanations as to why people claim they —Warren Allen Smith

58 FREE INQUIRY Chinese were afraid that they had let some really wild feminists into their country who were going to take their clothes off Viewpoints and dance naked in Tiananmen Square. We even heard that the police had been issued blankets to throw over us just in case. Nevertheless, I had watched the students The NGO Conference on and their freedom demonstrations on television. I had watched the troops open fire, Women in Beijing and I didn't want to be so close to this historical place without going there. The next day seemed as good a time as Barbara Stocker any to go to Beijing by ourselves. But we couldn't find a bus running and all the first heard about the Non-Govern- a patchwork quilt to make an effective taxis were in use. It seemed that we Imental Organizations (NGO) World whole. The purpose of the Forum was to weren't going to be able to get there when Conference on Women in Beijing late last conduct workshops and draw up docu- someone said that a bus rented by a winter when I read about it in the paper. I ments and ideas for the second conference, Cypriot delegation was going to Beijing. thought, "Boy, wouldn't it be great to go the Fourth United Nations Conference on Since we agreed to pay (about $6.00, U.S.) along?" and began to make a few Women. There were from 25,000 to and there was room they decided to take inquiries. I got the name of a professor at 35,000 attendees at the NGO Forum from us. We got to Beijing and arranged to rent Webster University, who said, "It would August 31 to September 8 and about 5,000 two taxis for the afternoon, and went to be great to have you." I sent in a deposit delegates at the U.N. Conference, which Tiananmen Square. It had just rained. I felt and began to attend planning meetings. It started later and lasted longer. the symbolism of the flags and passersby was a matter of filling out forms and Our first day was devoted to sightsee- reflected in the wet pavement, washed applications, sending in those awful passing. We went to the Ming Tombs and the clean, but which would always hold the port-style photos, and waiting for process- Great Wall, where I got a T-shirt with the stain of blood spilled for freedom. ing. Actually, I was never quite sure message, "I climbed the Great Wall." The The taxis we had couldn't go to whether I was going or not and would tell second day we arranged for more sight- Huairou, but we found others that agreed people, maybe I was going to Beijing. My seeing. When our guide asked, "Where do to take us. When we got near Huairou, the attendance application was approved, but you want to go?" several of us answered, drivers drove around a while, stopped, and I didn't have a room reservation or plane "Tiananmen Square." said, "Get out." They didn't have permits tickets until much later. In fact, I got my "You can't go there," he replied. We to go into Huairou. So there we were on visa the day before leaving. got to go to the Forbidden City and the country road. We began to walk into town, There were eleven of us in the Webster Temple of Heaven, but not Tiananmen hoping to find taxis to take us to the hotel. group including one professor, a few stu- Square, even though it was only a block By then it was dark and the shuttles were dents, and several hangers-on like me away from the Forbidden City. no longer running. We found two women when we took off on August 24. The Then we began to hear the rumors. The who spoke fair English and said they Chinese had moved the NGO Forum from Beijing to Huairou, about ninety minutes away, perhaps in an attempt to discourage participation. Our hotel was another 20 minutes outside of Huairou in a very rural area. There were actually two conferences going on. The first was the NGO Forum, THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE consisting of representatives from non- ON WOMEN OF THE UNITED NATIONS governmental organizations. There are thousands of these around the world from 1995.1r many countries. They have different purposes and agendas but come together like

Barbara Stocker is active in the Ration- alist Society of St. Louis, Missouri, and is Business Manager of the American Rationalist. Barbara Stocker at the Beijing Olympic Stadium. Winter 1995/96 59 would find us some taxis. It turned out than men on the city council of Stock- heavy black cloth in 90° heat is "liber- they were undercover police officers and holm. We heard about the Swedish law ated." We must remember, however, that the taxis were brand new Mazdas with allowing a year's family leave, at least a these women are indoctrinated with these white-gloved drivers, but they did drive us month of it to be taken by the husband. ideas from early childhood. back and they did collect a fare. We heard about the peace activists in Very few of the women at the confer- The next day was the opening cere- Japan working to clear the world of ence seem to recognize the fundamental mony, which was held in the Olympic nuclear weapons. role that religion plays in patriarchies and Stadium in Beijing. Tickets had been Religion plays a very prominent role in the degradation of women. Many of the issued and security was tight. Guards patriarchal cultures. Often culture and workshops of the Christian women were inspected purses and confiscated, of all religion are so intertwined that it is diffi- intent on changing the religion from things, bottles of drinking water. The cer- cult if not impossible to tell where one within: defining God as mother and father, emonies were quite impressive, with stops and the other begins. Religions that eliminating sexist language from hymns dancing and marching by many groups. began as an effort to preserve the ethnicity and scriptures, and advocating more Balloons and birds were released. of a group or clan employ control of power for women. On Thursday, the Forum opened. There women and their sexuality to achieve this Many women were ready to embrace were women from all over the world, end. Judaism, Hinduism, and Confucian- "New Age" ideas or return to ancient god- many in their own dress. Most spoke at ism are examples of these ethnic religions. dess religions in an attempt to circumvent least some English so communication Women were dominated to ensure the patriarchy. They stressed spirituality and wasn't too much of a problem. There were purity of the bloodlines. Two other major rituals. some 5,000 workshops on a site of over 30 world religions, Christianity and Islam, The conclusions developed by the acres. Many were set up in tents, some are derived from and expand upon NGO groups were sent to the U.N. had classroom space, and some were in Judaism and retain many of its ideas and Conference. They will be issuing a report nearby hotel conference rooms. They fol- customs. to world governments on ways to advance lowed thirteen themes, including eco- The Muslim women present at the con- the cause of women. While nonbinding, it nomic development, women in politics, ference were intent on explaining that is, nevertheless, a good set of goals and education, human rights, religion and their religion was "misunderstood" and strategies, and progress can be measured. spirituality, violence against women, the that they were very happy with their freely It becomes a lever for change, and I media, etc. There were also cultural chosen lot. It is still difficult for me to believe we will see positive changes over events and art displays. Various groups believe that a woman wrapped up in the coming years. distributed literature. There was a market- place featuring goods from various countries, a bookstore, and a computer center for sending and receiving E-mail. It was impossible to participate in more than a Philosophy and Feminist Politics: sampling of the offerings. There were workshops on grassroots A Brief Guide efforts for clean water and equal education Below, Ellen Klein and Barry Smith continue a debate began in FI 's Spring 1995 feature, for girls. One woman from China told the "The Many Faces of Feminism."—EDs. story about how her grandmother had cut her mother's hair and dressed her as a boy Ellen Klein and Barry Smith to send her to school. She, herself, had benefited by having a mother who also hilosophy" in its most uncontroversial life (ethics or theory of value)."' "Analytic believed in education. We heard about the Pdefinition is "rationally critically Philosophy," at least broadly conceived, trafficking in young girls that takes place thinking, of a more or less systematic kind meets this definition exactly. in many parts of the world. We heard about about the general nature of the world "Continental philosophy," in that child brides. We heard about how, when (metaphysics or theory of existence), the aspect that has been adopted by American the Ayatollah came into power in Iran and justification of belief (epistemology or universities, takes its inspiration from a mandated the wearing of veils, 30,000 theory of knowledge), and the conduct of variety of sources, including existential- Iranian women took to the streets and shed ism, phenomenology, structuralism, post- their veils and had to leave Iran. We heard Ellen Klein is professor of philosophy at structuralism, and deconstruction. Yet about how the Archbishop and the Mullah the University of Florida and Barry Smith both continental and analytic philosophy got together in Nairobi, Kenya, a country is professor of philosophy at the State have common roots in the work of where population is skyrocketing out of University of New York at Buffalo. She is Brentano, Husserl, and Frege, and control and AIDS is running rampant, and the author of Feminism Under Fire (Pro- younger philosophers in Europe and else- burned the sex education books. metheus Books) and he is editor of The where are increasingly turning to these We heard some positive stories too. We Monist. common roots and to varieties of conti- heard about women having more seats nental philosophy, which can be called

60 FREE INQUIRY "analytic." What we wish to stress here is God's-eye view—from which to judge the Nomadism/Relativism: that, whether under the rubric of the ana- epistemic or moral goodness of any partic- Not Good for Women lytic or the continental school, philosophy ular standpoint? No. Philosophers, like all just is not politics. human beings, possess no perfect knowl- mbracing relativism would mean edge and they are subject, in their search Ethat one could support the claim: Philosophy Is Not Politics for truth, to all sorts of blinkers and biases "Women ought not be oppressed" as at which they must seek to eliminate, in stum- best only relatively true. But then the his does not mean that there is not an bling fashion, by continued mutual criti- contradictory claim, "Women ought to be Timportant branch of philosophy— cism and testing of arguments and theories. oppressed," could be relatively true also. political philosophy—that attends to the Yet this does not mean that the search for But if every claim is only relatively true, evaluation of forms of social organization, truth is itself misconceived and that some then adjudication will be in the interest especially government, from a critical form of relativism (or of "anything goes") of the stronger. And given that men, in perspective. Nor does it mean that the must be embraced. most segments of society, are in power, methods of philosophical analysis and What is really at issue, then, is rela- there will then be a good chance that argument cannot be applied to any area of tivism. women will remain in a subordinate contemporary politics—from questions position. about the role of Supreme Court Justices Relativism Refuted? to the need for laws pertaining to abortion. Conclusions To say that philosophy is not politics is, lifford Goertz's claim to the effect most fundamentally, to reaffirm the Cthat the alternative to relativism, herefore, what looked to Braidotti to is/ought distinction, i.e., to reaffirm that absolute dogmatism, is worse than rela- Tbe our "hostile-patronizing-corpo- there is a distinction between the way the tivism itself, is a blatant caricature of non- ratist-rightwing-intolerant-fundamental- world is and the way it ought to be. relativistic positions. What he and ist-contemptuous-facile-unrigorous-disre- Philosophers may engage in political Braidotti both miss is that one can be spectful-ignorant-irrelevant-privileged-pa activism. But—and this is the primary les- open-minded towards the beliefs of others thetic-militant-masculinist-simplistic- son of the recognition that no "ought" can and yet not be so wide-minded as to accept bourgeois-authoritarian-universalistic- be derived from any mere statement of what every belief as if it were as cogent as every nostalgic"' approach to philosophy was "is"—such activism is independent of any other. One need not believe that every nothing more than a commitment to the philosophy. Philosophers may strive to position is as right as every other in order distinction between feminism qua politics change the world; but this is not their task as to believe that there is a right to be had. and feminism qua philosophy. The former philosophers. It is, rather, one of analyzing Furthermore, Braidotti herself is not a we wholeheartedly support; the latter, we proposed justifications for such change, of real relativist. In her article it is clear that believe wholeheartedly, is both insupport- testing and criticizing theories of how the there are certain beliefs, e.g., the belief able and ultimately harmful to women. world might be changed, of pointing out the that "women ought to be oppressed," that likely positive and negative consequences Braidotti would claim are false. Does she Notes of such change, and so on. mean only false for her, i.e., relatively false? Or does she mean false simpliciter? 1. The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, (ed.) Have feminists, analytic or continental, Ted Honderich, New York: Oxford University Press, taken this distinction seriously? Not if It seems that Braidotti, to avoid cognitive 1995, p. 666. Rosi Braidotti's work is any indication.' dissonance, would have to give up the 2. Rosi Braidotti, "Feminism and Modernity," political goal of empowering women if FREE INQUIRY, Vol. 15 No. 2, Spring, 1995, pp. 23-29. Braidotti Again she were truly to embrace the philosophi- 3. See Rosi Braidotti, "The Nostalgic Trip," FREE cal goal of maintaining relativism. INQUIRY, Letters, Fall 1995. • eminist" philosophy is at best a con- Ftradictio in adjecto and at worst a monstrosity along the lines of "Aryan FREE INQUIRY Holders philosophy" or "Jewish chemistry." It Storing your issues of FREE INQUIRY on your bookshelves will be easier with the purchase of should not be embraced for at least two a vinyl holder. Each holder has gold-colored ornamentation, a slot for labeling, and can important reasons. The first is logical: accommodate four years of FREE INQUIRY and the Secular Humanist Bulletin. philosophy and politics are, as we have $11.95 each, postage and handling Included Total for holder (s) argued, distinct activities. The second is pragmatic: to confuse philosophy and CI Check or money order enclosed O Charge my Visa or MasterCard Name politics in the suggested fashion is not Street good for women. Does the thesis that philosophy and pol- Exp. Date City/State/Zip Code itics are different mean that the philosopher Signature Daytime phone must defend the existence of an Mail to: Free Inquiry, Box 664, Amherst, N.Y. 14226, or call toll-free 1-800-458-1366 Archimedian point—a completely neutral,

Winter 1995/96 (Letters, cont'd. from p. 3) "Consciousness Revisited" is an interest- parsimonious to view my mind as a sin- ing follow-up of the articles of Fall 1994 gle, solipsistic exception to the general knowing, calculating, and writing letters under the heading "New Conceptions of order of things, or should I assume that to the editor are events (which may be the Mind." other minds exist, each associated with amenable to various methodologies and to In reading the 1994 articles I felt there another human being? If the latter, then quantification), while consciousness, was a need to maintain a distinction there may also be additional minds: what mind, soul, and spirit are constructs origi- between the "mind-body problem" and about the more advanced species of ani- nating in theology that get imposed on the the "problem of self." These are separate mals and possible future computers pro- actual events. The latter is where the epi- questions, I think, and need to be dealt grammed so as to pass Turing's test? The thet "new age" could be applied more with separately. The 1995 interview with answers seem to be beyond the reach of appropriately. Patricia Smith Churchland seems to me to the scientific method, since I have no way Let us move on with data collecting stay pretty consistently with the needed to run direct experiments on minds other and applications of mathematics, as distinction, though the other authors do than my own, and observed behavior nei- Carley recommends; let us determine not do as well, I think. ther requires nor precludes their existence. what biological factors (as well as stimu- The key word is experiences. I would lus objects and stimulus functions, history like to point out that, even with an intact John G. Fletcher of interactions, media of contact, and intralaminar nucleus of my thalamus and Livermore, Calif. other concrete conditions—the contextual with everything else essentially intact, I can interactions that Carley disdains) enable still be in a vegetative state—I can be psychological behaviors to occur; but let asleep. I don't believe anyone would want Daniel Dennett stated that only the us not confuse necessary with sufficient to say I can have consciousness or aware- human brain is equipped with what might conditions or constructs with events. Let ness when I'm asleep, but I can sure have be called the "I-illusion." This statement us make sure our postulates match our experiences: I can have dreams, including is simply not true. Many people, even operations; and let us avoid altogether some that are quite vivid and full of colors people of genius, have trouble accepting new age/old age constructs that can only and lots of emotion. Any solution to the the fact, now supported by mountains of impede scientific advancement. Only then "mind-body problem," if one is ever forth- data, that the human species isn't unique. will data analysis be consistent with the coming, will have to include an explanation This is identical to denial of the actual events. of dreaming in the same terms as an expla- Copernican hypothesis by the Catholic nation of experiencing when we're awake; church and the theory of evolution by the Noel W. Smith both depend on some kind of functioning of Creationists. The fact that the chim- Professor of Psychology that "three pounds of neural tissue." panzee and the gorilla have sign language State University of New York capability although incapable of speech at Plattsburgh Victor Means because of an odd placement of the lar- Plattsburgh, N.Y. Phoenix, Ariz. ynx will never be accepted by numerous cognitive scientists, no matter how overwhelming the evidence. Likewise, the Adam L. Carley replies to Noel Smith: As I see it, the consciousness question theory of relativity was never accepted by concerns an ambiguity in the application some physicists despite the controvertible I did not say psychology was part of the of Occam's razor. Although many details evidence in its favor. Even some promi- humanities. I did not disparage all of remain to be worked out, I find that the nent surgeons as late as the 1890s refused Aristotle, only, "The psyche is the first behavior of human beings is fully explic- to accept the necessity for sterile operat- grade of actuality of a natural body hav- able as a consequence of the same mind- ing conditions. ing life potentiality in it." I did not call it less physical laws that govern the rest of It would seem that the issue of why "new age," but rather "gobbledygook," a the universe. So the most parsimonious even very bright knowledgeable people much broader term. I did not say we have explanation of that behavior would at first believe only what pleases them despite all two kinds of memory with one outside our glance seem to be that we are simply (as it evidence is by far the most important heads (Smith, FI, Fall 1995, p. 31, col. 3). has been crudely put) advanced comput- question facing cognitive science. I did not use the term humanities as a put ing machines made of meat. down. Rather, I used the term prescientific However, I directly experience a Michael Wales for that purpose. It is not a confusion but "Cartesian theatre" associated with just Kula, Ha. rather a disagreement as to whether the one of those machines, through which my information-processing activity of the conscious mind observes and thinks that it brain is sufficient, as well as necessary, controls part of what goes on. That such a Words of the Founding Fathers for consciousness. phenomenon exists cannot be inferred I do indeed believe it is sufficient. This from physical laws, and it appears super- There was a glaring, distorted quote in is a testable hypothesis to be settled by fluous to the operation of the physical uni- "The Founding Fathers Were Not future lab, math, and computer work. verse. So the dilemma is this: is it more Christian" by Steven Morris (FI, Fall

62 FREE INQUIRY 1995), a hoary phony that has been used pure doctrines and divine truths of the of mere metaphysical ramblings. time and again by freethinkers: gospel of Jesus Christ. Moreover, Braidotti's insinuation that Immediately after the phrase, "best of all modern science and technology has possible Worlds; if there were no Religion According to Professor Morris "the worked against women is simply in it !!!," John Adams repudiates these Founding Fathers [were not] devout wrong—so wrong in fact that it staggers words by saying, "but in this exclamation Christians who envisioned a Christian the imagination. Empirical science has I should have been as fanatical as Bryant nation," but "were generally deists or challenged and eliminated many of the or Cleverly. Without religion, this world Unitarians." I guess it was just an over- myths that have held women down for would be something not fit to be men- sight that the House Judiciary Committee centuries. tioned in public company—I mean hell." forgot that great host of deists and Furthermore, the assertion by Ms. Though a deist, Adams found religion a Unitarians. Braidotti that science and technology are socially useful institution. sources of atrocity is again very wrong. Everette Hatcher, III What we call "crimes against humanity" John George Little Rock, Ark. were here long before the dawn of modern Professor of Political Science science. There have many human atroci- and Sociology ties in the modern era—such as war and University of Central Oklahoma Though I lay claim to being a thorough- destruction of the environment. But none Edmond, Okla. going secular humanist, honesty demands of these maladies stem from scientific that I point out the failure of Steven thought. They may stem from greed or Morris to prove that "The Founding naked power, but not from the civic values Steven Morris's article was an excellent, Fathers Were Not Christians." While many of freedom, toleration, and respect that concise presentation of the facts, particu- of the founders have in the past been give science rise. larly because it—unlike the propaganda falsely characterized as Christians, one circulated by the extreme Religious cannot make a general case against their John L. Indo Right—gave precise citations to the views being Christian by singling out only seven Houston, Tex. of the Founding Fathers. Now, I hope FI persons, while disregarding all others will take the next logical step, and com- without comment. Surely it would have mission an article from an expert on the been expected that the case would be Professor Rosi Braidotti claims to be Religious Right's tactics of politics (and made upon a study that included as many defending "... a feminist, postmodernist, particularly, the tactics of demagogues of the Founding Fathers as possible, leav- anti-relativist standpoint" that she calls and authoritarians). ing the conclusion unassailable. It is not "nomadic subjectivity." In that same nearly as important to make a case against issue were critiques of the article by Howard A. Karten the Christian Founders and the Christian Barry Smith and Ellen R. Klein. Now, in Randolph, Mass. Right as to present the whole truth, which the Fall 1995 FI, the professor complains can stand without shading. that the criticism was based on a "simplistic reading of poststructuralist philos- Professor Morris claims that the Founding Walter S. Boone ophy. . . ." Then she explains, Fathers "rejected the divinity of Jesus and Terrell, N.C. "Poststructuralism is about the decon- the absurdities of the Old and New struction of essentialized notions of the Testaments." In 1854 a small group peti- subject." Well, I'm certainly glad she tioned the U.S. Congress to take Christian Feminist Nomadism cleared that up. principles out of government. The House Braidotti must grasp the idea that Judiciary Committee responded on March "Feminist nomadism" ("Feminism and "nomadic subjectivity" is her thesis and it 27, 1854: Modernity," FI, Spring 1995) as inter- is up to her to make it understandable to Had the people, during the Revolution, preted by Rosi Braidotti is simply a mod- others. Postmodern philosophers claim had any suspicion of any attempt to war ernized version of the "contentious that the author cannot convey her meaning against Christianity that Revolution knowledge" of medieval scholastics. That to the reader but that the reader provides would have been strangled in its cradle. is to say, it explains nothing and accom- her (or his) own interpretation. As a result At the time of the adoption of the plishes nothing except, of course, a false those philosophers write undecipherable Constitution and the amendments the universal sentiment was that Chris- sense of intellectual importance on the jargon then complain when someone pro- tianity should be encouraged, not any part of those sufficiently sophomoric to duces an interpretation that they don't one sect ... in this age there can be no indulge in it. On the contrary, lasting like, claiming that "that isn't what I mean substitute for Christianity. That was the change in society such that feminism must at all!" religion of the founders of the republic attain can only come about through prac- I went back to re-read both the original and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants. The Great tical action guided by sound theoretical article and the criticisms and the profes- vital and conservative element in our knowledge. In short, it will come about sor's response and I discovered that I still system is the belief of our people in the through the ways of science, not the ways couldn't finish the original article. It is a

Winter 1995/96 63 mishmash of disconnected, stereotyped only wanted them to act always in accord He just claims that all these persons lie phrases, a sort of literary "musak," with with the highest moral standards, what- and that the group is open, tolerant, and no structure or central theme that is dis- ever their occupation. concerned only with religious matters. cernible. Or discernible only with prodi- Blessed Josemaría did not write exclu- This just isn't so. gious effort and the outcome is not worth sively for members of Opus Dei; in fact, Schmitt misrepresents the issue by that effort. many people, even non-Christians, have pointing out that Opus Dei's address may admired the high ideals he writes about. easily be found in the phone boolç or that David J. Simmons One such book, The Way, has appeared in today its statutes are supposedly available Ridgecrest, Calif. many languages. I do not think any person to anyone. It wasn't this way for many has asked to be admitted to Opus Dei years. The fact is, as witnessed by many of without having read this book, and even its estranged members, that Opus Dei's More on Opus Dei meditated upon it. If you read it your- only real concern is obtaining power, both self—although you may disagree with political and over people's lives. In order I learned indirectly of your Winter it—I am certain you will find highly to secure this aim, it uses veiled threats or 1994/95 issue concerning Opus Dei improbable the thought that someone inspires fear in the hearts of those that ("Opus Dei and Other Secret Societies"). could come to Opus Dei and not be chal- dare to say no to the power of a cult that It occurred to me that you might do well lenged. What's more, no one coming to tries to steal their lives away. to ask whether—at least as reflected in Opus Dei will find it to be a stepping Against the authoritarian and self these articles—the Council for Demo- stone toward worldly influence. deprecatory maxims of Escrivá's book cratic and Secular Humanism is not itself I would conclude this brief response by The Road, a Catalonian Catholic priest, a "smaller closed society," especially quoting a phrase from The Way: Josep Dalmau, has written an authentic when seen in contrast to the Roman humanistic rebuttal: his Counterpoints to Let us be slow to judge. Each one sees Catholic church. Timothy Madigan things from his or her own point of view 'The Road' of the Opus Dei, where each asserts that "one of the central tenets of and with his own mind, with all its lim- of Escrivá's maxims is rewritten with gen- humanism is the freedom to inquire," but itations, through eyes that are often erosity and concern for human dignity. your section on Opus Dei reflects a closed dimmed and clouded by passion. More- Dalmau answers maxim no. 451, about attitude toward any information provided over, some people have an outlook that judgment, with his own phrase: is so subjective and so unhealthy that by the institution itself, or by the Catholic they make a few random strokes and church, of which it is a part. assure us that these represent our por- We cannot do more than what we are Hoping to call your attention to the trait, our conduct. Of what little worth capable to do. Our reasoning judges are the judgments of men!" things and the conduct of men. It has need for further inquiry (and, I would add, been created for that purpose. Let us for rectification), I will point out several judge, then, without hypocrisy, but egregious errors found in your presenta- Although you may reject the conclud- always with a measure of transientness. tion. First, Opus Dei came into being in ing phrase, I add it anyway: "Don't judge Our judgements are subjective, but 1928, and it has grown with the knowledge without sifting your judgment in prayer." since we don't have others, they are the best we have. It's more worthwhile to Your series of articles does no credit to and support of the authorities of the risk our opinion than to withhold it for- Catholic church. Its telephone number is any presumed objectivity, rationality, or ever in suspense. Up to a point to err is listed in directories around the country. To ethical spirit in your publication. a normal thing; only a simpleton makes refer to it as a "secret society" is ludicrous. no judgement of any kind, even if it's Opus Dei's statutes (a published docu- William Schmitt only a provisional one. ment available to anyone) make clear that Communications Director the Prelature's aims are strictly religious. Prelate of Opus Dei Cults abhor criticism. They never A hallmark of the founder, Blessed New Rochelle, N.Y. acknowledge it in any measure; they Josemaría Escrivá, was his insistent always consider it as an unfair and emphasis on personal freedom and on the uncalled-for attack. Maybe Schmitt defense of pluralism. He warned others Mario Mendez Acosta, author of "Opus should heed Escrivá's maxim no. 596, of earnestly of the danger of totalitarianism Dei: A Threat to Liberty" (FI, Winter The Road: "Don't be pained in that they (in its many different guises) when it was 1994/95), replies: point out your shortcomings. It's the unfashionable to do so in Spain. offense against God and the destruction Years later, when offered congratula- Nowhere in his letter does William Schmitt you may cause that should hurt you." tions on the appointment of several mem- try to answer, explain, or refute some of To which Dalmau comments: bers of Opus Dei to Franco's cabinet by a the testimonies of hundreds of people from Roman prelate, he replied firmly that no within and outside Opus Dei that describe It isn't good to disguise your shortcomings or to hide your qualities. If people congratulations were in order, and that he this organization as an authoritarian and know you as you really are, they will was not interested in the apparent worldly manipulative cult. Nowhere, for instance, never despise you, they will truly appre- success of the members of Opus Dei, and does he deny that Opus Dei endorses ciate you as they want to be held in good much less in their political orientation. He physical self-torture for all its members. esteem, in spite of everything else.

64 FREE INQUIRY iced the "miracle" to surface tension, saying molecules of milk were pulled from the In the Name of God spoon by the texture of the statues. The federal minister for welfare, Sitaram Kensari, accused two right-wing groups of starting the rumor to capitalize on Of All the Nerve heaven on their arms and chests: Hindu nationalism and win next year's "State workers, a state trooper, teach- general elections. (AP) Tokyo—Two women confessed in court to ers, nurses, phone operators, a lot of peo- making nerve gas that a doomsday cult ple in health care," he says. He offers the Roe vs. Roe allegedly used in a deadly trial run for the full crucifixion scene, complete with March attack that killed 12 in the Tokyo Roman soldiers if you want, but Parker Dallas—After a series of highly publi- subways. Yoshiko Moriwaki, 3O, and and other tattoo business owners say most cized setbacks, the anti-abortion move- Kayoko Sasaki, 29, faces up to two years people are choosing angels and crosses ment pulled off an unlikely victory: it wel- in prison if convicted on charges of mak- instead. (Charleston Daily Mail) comed to the fold Norma McCorvey, the ing preparations for murder. The women plaintiff known as "Jane Roe" in the case produced part of the 66 pounds of sarin that led to the 1973 Supreme Court ruling used in a June 1994 attack that killed Milking a Miracle that legalized abortion. Ms. McCorvey, seven people in the northern city of baptized in a swimming pool, quit her job Matsumoto, prosecutors said. The attack New Delhi—Millions rushed to Hindu at a Dallas abortion clinic and announced allegedly was a rehearsal for the Aum temples across India after reports of a that she would join Operation Rescue to Shinri Kyo cult's March 2O subway miracle—the statues of one of their gods "save babies." Still, she says she contin- gassing in Tokyo, which killed 12 and were drinking milk. The faithful—bearing ues to believe in a woman's right to an sickened 5,5OO. (AP) milk in everything from earthen and steel abortion in the first trimester; Operation pots to tumblers and jugs—converged on Rescue, on the other hand, is opposed to temples that had reproductions of the ele- any abortion. To be sure, Ms. McCorvey is Tattoos Not Taboo phant-headed Lord Ganesha. So wide- hardly a poster-girl for the religious right: spread were the reports of a miracle that an ex-substance abuser, she is also an Charleston, WV —Tattoos have gone to the federal Department of Science and acknowledged lesbian. (New York Times) church, or close, anyway. More people are Technology was asked to investigate. Its getting spiritual tattoos, if not the outright scientists offered milk mixed with colored Nasrin Speaks Out religious ones. David Parker, who runs pigment to a idol in a New Delhi temple. Body Art Tattoo in Market, ticks off the Although it disappeared from the spoon, it Vienna—"Fundamentalism is the misuse kind of people who want a little bit of soon coated the idol. The scientists cred- of religion for political ends." Funda- mentalism is also the reason why Taslima Nasrin, the noted Bangladesh author, had to flee her homeland. Nasrin described her political ordeals during a recent visit MORE REQUESTS FROM EXTREMISTS to Vienna. A medical doctor by training, ,e NAT You ORDERED FoR YOU TO TEsT1F the 32-year-old author must fear being THEM To KILL SOMEBODY ON YOUR BEHALF. killed because of her active engagement for women's rights and her outspoken cOD criticism of religious fundamentalism. Islamic fundamentalists pronounced a "death sentence" on the forthright feminist in September 1994. The author now 11 lives in Sweden under strictest security precautions. Nasrin used her speech in Vienna to underline her principle demands: a separation of Church and State and the implementation of a secular constitution which guarantees the equal treatment of men and women. A self-declared Juck Mail atheist, she warns that fundamentalist God's tendencies—whatever the particular reli- SEND THEM My EREE 8ÔO1(LET gion—invariably oppress women. I/ÉÑ99f TMF BwEFa 0 /,Ewl THE 7rN coMMANOMENrf Ïo~~S , (Worker's Education)

Winter 1995/96 65 The Academy of Humanism The Academy of Humanism was established to recognize distinguished humanists and to disseminate humanistic ideals and beliefs. The members of the academy, listed below, (1) are devoted to free inquiry in all fields of human endeavor, (2) are committed to a scientific outlook and the use of the scientific method in acquiring knowledge, and (3) uphold humanist ethical values and principles. The academy's goals include furthering respect for human rights, freedom, and the dignity of the individual; tolerance of various viewpoints and willingness to compromise; commitment to social justice; a universalistic perspective that tran- scends national, ethnic, religious, sexual, and racial barriers; and belief in a free and open pluralistic and democratic society. Hunurnisl Laureates: Pieter Admiraal, medical doctor, The Netherlands; Steve Allen, author, humorist; Shulamit Aloni, Education Minister, Israel; Ruben Ardila, professor of psychology, Universidad de Colombia; Kurt Baier, professor of philosophy, Univ. of Pittsburgh; R. Nita Barrow, ambassador to the United Nations from Barbados; Sir Isaiah Berlin, professor of philosophy, Oxford Univ.; Sir Hermann Bondi, Fellow of the Royal Society, Past Master of Churchill College, London; Bonnie Bullough, professor of nursing, Univ. of Southern California; Yelena Bonner, human rights defender, Commonwealth of Independent States; Mario Bunge, professor of philosophy of science, McGill Univ.; Jean-Pierre Changeux, Collège de France and Institut Pasteur; Patricia Smith Churchiand, professor of philosophy, Univ. of California at San Diego; Arthur C. Clarke, novelist, Sri Lanka; Bernard Crick, professor of politics, Univ. of London; Francis Crick, Nobel Laureate in Physiology, Salk Inst.; Richard Dawkins, New College Fellow, Oxford University; José Delgado, chairperson of the Dept. of Neuropsychiatry, Univ. of Madrid; Jean Dommanget, Royal Observatory, Belgium; Paul Edwards, professor of philosophy, New School for Social Research; Luc Ferry, professor of philosophy, Sorbonne and Univ. of Caen; Sir Raymond Firth, professor emeritus of anthropology, Univ. of London; Betty Friedan, author and founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW); Yves Galifret, professor of physiology at the Sorbonne and director of l'Union Rationaliste; John Galtung, professor of sociology, Univ. of Oslo; Stephen Jay Gould, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard; Adolf Grünbaum, professor of philosophy, Univ. of Pittsburgh; Murray Gell-Mann, Nobel Laureate in physics, California Institute of Technology; Jurgen Habermas, professor of philosophy, University of Frankfurt, Germany; Herbert Hauptman, Nobel Laureate and professor of biophysical science, SUNY at Buffalo; Donald Johanson, Inst. of Human 0rigins; Sergei Kapitza, physicist, Insitute of Physics and Technology; George Klein, cancer researcher, Sweden; Gyorgy Konrad, novelist, Hungary; Thelma Lavine, Clarence J. Robinson Professor of Philosophy, George Mason Univ.; Mario Vargas Llosa, novelist, Peru; Jolé Lombardi, organizer of the New Univ. for the Third Age; Jose Leite Lopes, director, Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas; Paul MacCready, Chairman, AeroVironment, Inc.; Adam Michnik, historian and writer, Poland; Conor Cruise O'Brien, author, statesman, Ireland; Indumati Parikh, president, Radical Humanist Association of India; John Passmore, professor of philosophy, Australian National Univ.; Octavio Paz, Nobel Laureate in Literature, Mexico; Wardell Baxter Pomeroy, psychotherapist and author; W. V. Quine, professor of philosophy, Harvard; Marcel Roche, permanent delegate to UNESCO from Venezuela; Max Rood, professor of law and former Minister of Justice in Holland; Richard Rorty, professor of philosophy, University of Virginia; Carl Sagan, astronomer, Cornell; Leopold Sedar Senghor, former president, Senegal; J. J. C. Smart, professor of philosophy, University of Adelaide, Australia; Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate in Literature, Nigeria; Svetozar Stojanovic, professor of philosophy, Univ. of Belgrade; Thomas Szasz, professor of psychiatry, SUNY Medical School; V. M. Tarkunde, chairman, Indian Radical Humanist Association; Richard Taylor, professor of philosophy, Union College; Sir Keith Thomas, president, The British Academy; Rob Tielman, copresident, International Humanist and Ethical Union; Alberto Hidalgo Tutíón, president of the Sociedad Asturiana de Filosofía, 0viedo, Spain; Peter Ustinov, actor and director; Simone Veil, former president, European Parliament, France; Gore Vidal, novelist; Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., novelist; Mourad Wahba, professor of education, University of Ain Shams, Cairo; G. A. Wells, professor of German, Univ. of London; Edward O. Wilson, professor of entomology, Harvard. Deceased: George O. Abell, Isaac Asimov, Sir Alfred J. Ayer, Brand Blanshard, Milovan Djilas, Joseph Fletcher, Sidney Hook, Lawrence Kohlberg, Franco Lombardi, André Lwoff, Ernest Nagel, George Olincy, Chaim Perelman, Sir Karl Popper, Andrei Sakharov, Lady Barbara Wooton. Secretariat: Vern Bullough, professor of history, California State Univ., Northridge; Antony Flew, professor emeritus of philosophy, Reading Univ.; Paul Kurtz, professor emeritus of philosophy, SUNY at Buffalo editor of FREE INQUIRY; Gerald Larue, professor emeritus of archaeology and biblical studies, Univ. of Southern California at Los Angeles; Jean-Claude Pecker, professor of astrophysics, Collège de France, Académie des Sciences. President: Paul Kurtz. 12/95

12/95 YES, I wish to become an Associate Member of CODESH Become a CODESH Associate Member today. Associate Members will receive (exclusively) the redesigned, expanded Secular Humanist Bulletin (which incorporates the CODESH Chronicle), and a 10 percent discount on registration fees for conferences and seminars, audiotapes and videotapes, and a select list of books. Enclosed are my dues for: ❑Annual single membership, $18 ❑Annual family membership, $29 ❑Two-year single membership, $33 ❑Two-year family membership, $49 ❑Three-year single membership, $45 ❑Three-year family membership, $72

❑ Check or money order enclosed

Charge my ❑VISA ❑MasterCard # Exp

Signature

Name

Address Daytime Phone #

City State Zip

Return to: CODESH Memberships, Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664 Or call toll-free 800-458-1366. FAX charges to: (716) 636-1733. The Center for Inquiry The Center for Inquiry is adjacent to the State University of New York Amherst campus. It includes: Council for Democratic and Secular Inquiry Media Productions Humanism (CODESH, Inc.) Thomas Flynn, Executive Director Paul Kurtz, Chairman; Timothy J. Madigan, Chief Produces radio and television programs presenting skeptical and sec- Operating Officer; Matt Cherry, Executive Director ular humanist viewpoints on a variety of topics. The Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (C0DESH) is a Institute for Inquiry not-for-profit, tax-exempt educational organization dedicated to fos- Vern Bullough, Dean tering the growth of the traditions of democracy and secular human- Offers courses in humanism and skepticism; sponsors an annual ism and the principles of free inquiry in contemporary society. In summer session and periodic workshops. addition to publishing FREE INQUIRY magazine, CODESH sponsors many organizations and activities. It is also open to Associate International Secretariat for Growth Membership. Members receive the Secular Humanist Bulletin. and Development The Academy of Humanism Matt Cherry, Executive Director Paul Kurtz, President Works closely with individuals and groups in various parts of the The Academy of Humanism was established to recognize distin- world, especially in developing countries, and assists them in spread- guished humanists and to disseminate humanistic ideals and beliefs. ing the humanist point of view. African Americans for Humanism Robert G. Ingersoll Memorial Committee Norm Allen, Jr., Executive Director Roger Greeley, Honorary Chairman Dedicated to running the Robert G. Ingersoll birthplace museum in Brings the ideals of humanism to the African-American community. Dresden, N.Y., and to keeping his memory alive. Center for Inquiry Libraries James Madison Memorial Committee Gordon Stein, Director Robert Alley, Chairman Collects works on secular humanism, freethought, and philosophical Keeps alive James Madison's commitment to the First Amendment naturalism. and to liberty of thought and conscience. Committee for the Scientific Examination of Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS) Religion (CSER) James Christopher, Executive Director Gerald A. Larue, President A secular alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous with more than 1,000 Examines the claims of Eastern and Western religions and of well- local groups throughout North America. Publishes a newsletter avail- established and newer sects and denominations in the light of scien- able by subscription. tific inquiry. The committee is interdisciplinary, including specialists in biblical scholarship, archaeology, linguistics, anthropology, the Society of Humanist Philosophers social sciences, and philosophy who represent differing secular and Timothy J. Madigan, Executive Director religious traditions. Promotes and defends the study of humanist philosophy. Alliance of Secular Humanist Societies (ASHS) H. James Birx, Executive Director The Alliance of Secular Humanist Societies is a network created for mutual support among local and/or regional societies of secular humanists. If you are interested in starting or joining a group in your area, please contact PO 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664, (716) 636-7571, FAX (716) 636-1733. ARIZONA: Arizona Secular Humanists PO Box 3738, Scottsdale, AZ 85271 (602) 230-5328 / CALIFORNIA: Secular Humanists of the East Bay, P0 Box 5313, Berkeley, CA 94705 (415) 486-0553; Secular Humanists of Los Angeles, PO Box 661496, Los Angeles, CA 90066 (310) 305-8135; Atheists and 0ther Freethinkers, PO Box 15182, Sacramento, CA 95851-0182 (916) 920-7834; San Diego Association of Secular Humanists, PO 927365 San Diego, CA 92122 (619) 272-7719; Humanist Community of San Francisco, PO Box 31172 San Francisco, CA 94131 (415) 342-0910; Secular Humanists of Marin County, P0 Box 6022, San Rafael, CA 94903 (415) 892-5243; Santa Barbara Humanist Society, PO Box 30804, Santa Barbara, CA 93130 (805) 682-6606; Siskiyou Humanists, PO Box 223 Weed, CA 96091 (916) 938-2938 / CONNECTICUT: Northeast Atheist Association, PO Box 63, Simsbury, CT 06070 / FLORI- DA: Secular Humanists of South Florida, 3067 Harwood E., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 (305) 428-7861; Atheists of Florida, Inc., PO Box 530102, Miami, FL 33153-0102 (305) 936-0210; Humanists of The Palm Beaches, 860 Lakeside Dr., N. Palm Beach, FL 33408 (407) 626-6556; Freethinkers, Inc., PO Box 724, Winter Park, FL 32790 (407) 628-2729 / HAWAII: Hawaii Rationalists, 508 Pepeekeo Pl., Honolulu, HI 96822 (808) 235-0206 / ILLINOIS: Peoria Secular Humanists, PO Box 994, Normal, IL 61761 (309) 452-8907; Free Inquiry Network, P0 Box 3696, Oak Park, IL 60303 (708) 386-9100 / KEN- TUCKY: Louisville Assoc. of Secular Humanists, PO Box 91453, Louisville, KY 40291 (502) 491-6693 / LOUISIANA: New Orleans Secular Humanists, 180 Willow Dr., Gretna, LA 70053 (504) 366-7498; New Orleans, LA 70122 (504) 283-2830; Shreveport Humanists, 9476 Boxwood Dr., Shreveport, LA 71118-4003 (318) 687-8175 / MARYLAND: Baltimore Secular Humanists, PO Box 24115, Baltimore, MD 21227 (410) 467-3225 / MICHIGAN: Secular Humanists of Detroit, P. 0. Box 432191, Pontiac, Ml 48343-2191 (313) 962-1777 / MINNESOTA: Minnesota Atheists, PO Box 6261 Minneapolis, MN 55406 (612) 484-9277; University of Minnesota Atheists and Unbelievers, 300 Washington Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 731-1543 / MISSOURI: Kansas City Eupraxophy Center, 6301 Rockhill Rd., Kansas City, MO 64131 (816) 822-9840; Rationalist Society of St. Louis, P0 Box 2931, St. Louis, M0 63130 (314) 772-5131 / NEW HAMPSHIRE: Secular Humanists of Merrimack Valley, P0 Box 368, Londonderry, NH 03053 (603) 434-4195 / NEW JER- SEY: New Jersey Humanist Network, PO Box 51, Washington, NJ 07882 (908) 689-2813 / NEW YORK: Western New York Secular Humanists, PO Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226 (716) 636-7571; Capital District Humanist Society, PO Box 2148, Scotia, NY 12302 (518) 381-6239; Secular Humanist Society of New York, PO Box 7661, New York, NY 10150 (212) 861-6003 / NEVADA: Secular Humanist Society of Las Vegas, 240 N. Jones Blvd, Suite 106, Las Vegas, NV 89107 (702) 594-1125 / OHIO: Free Inquirers of Northeast Ohio, P0 Box 2637, Akron, OH 44309-2137 (216) 869-2025; Free Inquiry Group, Inc., PO Box 8128 Cincinnati, 0H 45208 (513) 557-3836 / OREGON: Corvallis Secular Society, 126 N.W. 21st St., Corvallis, OR 97330 (503) 754-2557 / PENNSYLVANIA: Pittsburgh Secular Humanists, 405 Nike Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15235 (412) 823-3629 / SOUTH CAROLINA: Secular Humanists of the Low Country, PO Box 32256, Charleston, SC 29417 (803) 577-0637, Secular Humanists of Greenville, Suite 168, Box 3000, Taylors, SC 29687 (803) 244- 3708 / TEXAS: Agnostic and Atheist Student Group, M.S., 4237 Philosophy, Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX 77843; Secular Humanist Association of San Antonio, PO Box 160881, San Antonio, TX 78280 (512) 696-8537; WASHINGTON, DC: Central Virginia Secular Humanists, PO Box 15319, Washington, DC 20003 (804) 979-2508; Washington Area Secular Humanists, PO Box 15319, Washington, DC 20003 (202) 298-0921 / WISCONSIN: Milwaukee Freethought Society, 1908 E. Edgewood, Shorewood, WI 53211 (414) 964-5271. The Affirmations of Humanism: A Statement of Principles

• We are committed to the application of reason and science to the understanding of the universe and to the solving of human problems. • We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, and to look outside nature for salvation. • We believe that scientific discovery and technology can contribute to the betterment of human life. • We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities. • We are committed to the principle of the separation of church and state. • We cultivate the arts of negotiation and compromise as a means of resolving differences and achieving mutual understanding. • We are concerned with securing justice and fairness in society and with eliminating discrimination and intolerance. • We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the handicapped so that they will be able to help themselves. • We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based on race, religion, gender, nationality, creed, class, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, and strive to work together for the common good of humanity. • We want to protect and enhance the earth, to preserve it for future generations, and to avoid inflicting needless suffering on other species. • We believe in enjoying life here and now and in developing our creative talents to their fullest. • We believe in the cultivation of moral excellence. • We respect the right to privacy. Mature adults should be allowed to fulfill their aspirations, to express their sexual preferences, to exercise reproductive freedom, to have access to comprehensive and informed health-care, and to die with dignity. • We believe in the common moral decencies: altruism, integrity, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility. Humanist ethics is amenable to critical, rational guidance. There are normative standards that we discover together. Moral principles are tested by their consequences. • We are deeply concerned with the moral education of our children. We want to nourish reason and compassion. • We are engaged by the arts no less than by the sciences. • We are citizens of the universe and are excited by discoveries still to be made in the cosmos. • We are skeptical of untested claims to knowledge, and we are open to novel ideas and seek new departures in our thinking. • We affirm humanism as a realistic alternative to theologies of despair and ideologies of violence and as a source of rich personal significance and genuine satisfaction in the service to others. • We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of ignorance, joy rather than guilt or sin, tolerance in the place of fear, love instead of hatred, compassion over selfishness, beauty instead of ugliness, and reason rather than blind faith or irrationality. • We believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest that we are capable of as human beings.

For a parchment copy of this page, suitable for framing, please send $4.95 to FREE INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, New York 14226-0664.