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FI AM 16.Indd NEW CEO ROBYN E. BLUMNER: Openly Secular Is Our Secret Sauce CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY April/May 2016 Vol. 36 No.3 HOW DO WE SUSTAIN THE GROWTH OF UNBELIEF? Phil Zuckerman | Barry A. Kosmin | Ryan T. Cragun Christel J. Manning | Juhem Navarro-Rivera | Jesse Max Smith RONALD A. LINDSAY on Scalia and Originalism TOM FLYNN Critiques The Evolution of Atheism GRETA CHRISTINA | RUSSELL BLACKFORD OPHELIA BENSON | SHADIA B. DRURY | ANDY NORMAN Published by the Center for Inquiry in association with the Council for Secular Humanism FI June July cut_FI 5/2/12 4:39 PM Page 67 We are committed to the application of reason and science We believe in the cultivation of moral excellence. to the understanding of the universe and to the solving We respect the right to privacy. Mature adults should be of human problems. allowed to fulfill their aspirations, to express their sexual We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, preferences, to exercise reproductive freedom, to have to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, access to comprehensive and informed health care, and to look outside nature for salvation. and to die with dignity. We believe that scientific discovery and technology We believe in the common moral decencies: altruism, can contribute to the betterment of human life. integrity, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility. Humanist ethics is amenable to critical, rational guidance. There are normative We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that standards that we discover together. Moral principles are democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights tested by their consequences. from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities. We are deeply concerned with the moral education We are committed to the principle of the of our children. We want to nourish reason and compassion. separation of church and state. We are engaged by the arts no less than by the sciences. We cultivate the arts of negotiation and compromise as a means of resolving differences and achieving mutual We are citizens of the universe and are excited by understanding. discoveries still to be made in the cosmos. We are concerned with securing justice and fairness We are skeptical of untested claims to knowledge, in society and with eliminating discrimination and we are open to novel ideas and seek new and intolerance. departures in our thinking. We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the We affirm humanism as a realistic alternative to disabled so that they will be able to help themselves. theologies of despair and ideologies of violence and as a source of rich per sonal significance and genuine satisfaction We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based in the service to others. on race, religion, gender, nationality, creed, class, sexual orientation, or ethnicity and strive to work together for We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather the common good of humanity. than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of ignorance, joy rather than guilt or sin, tolerance in the place We want to protect and enhance Earth, to preserve of fear, love instead of hatred, compassion over selfishness, it for future generations, and to avoid inflicting needless beauty instead of ugliness, and reason rather than blind suffering on other species. faith or irrationality. We believe in enjoying life here and now and in We believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest developing our creative talents to their fullest. that we are capable of as human beings. *by Paul Kurtz 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 FI June July cut_FI 5/2/12 4:39 PM Page 67 April/May 2016 Vol. 36 No.3 CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY HOW DO WE SUSTAIN THE GROWTH OF UNBELIEF? 30 Raising Our Children to Introduction 18 Choose for Themselves Tom Flynn Christel J. Manning 21 Secularism and Social Progress 33 Does It Matter Which Way We Go? We are committed to the application of reason and science We believe in the cultivation of moral excellence. Phil Zuckerman to the understanding of the universe and to the solving Ryan T. Cragun We respect the right to privacy. Mature adults should be of human problems. 25 Whither American Freethinking? allowed to fulfill their aspirations, to express their sexual 38 An Evidence-Based Strategy for Sustaining Jesse Max Smith We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, preferences, to exercise reproductive freedom, to have the Growth of Unbelief to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, access to comprehensive and informed health care, 28 Racial Diversity and the Future Barry A. Kosmin and to look outside nature for salvation. and to die with dignity. of the Secular Movement We believe that scientific discovery and technology We believe in the common moral decencies: altruism, Juhem Navarro-Rivera can contribute to the betterment of human life. integrity, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility. Humanist ethics is amenable to critical, rational guidance. There are normative We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that standards that we discover together. Moral principles are democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights tested by their consequences. from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities. We are deeply concerned with the moral education We are committed to the principle of the of our children. We want to nourish reason and compassion. separation of church and state. We are engaged by the arts no less than by the sciences. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 14 The Christian Moral Code, 56 Faith and Reason We cultivate the arts of negotiation and compromise 4 CFI to Merge with the Part 1: Sin Faith Ideology, and the Seeds as a means of resolving differences and achieving mutual We are citizens of the universe and are excited by Richard Dawkins Foundation Mark Rubinstein of Moral Derangement understanding. discoveries still to be made in the cosmos. for Reason & Science Andy Norman Paul Fidalgo 15 Foreign Affairs and the We are concerned with securing justice and fairness We are skeptical of untested claims to knowledge, Culture of Shame 57 Humanism at Large in society and with eliminating discrimination and we are open to novel ideas and seek new EDITORIAL Shadia B. Drury Humanism and Politics: and intolerance. departures in our thinking. Are They Separable? 6 Openly Secular Is Our Secret Sauce David Koepsell Robyn E. Blumner We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the We affirm humanism as a realistic alternative to LOOKING BACK disabled so that they will be able to help themselves. theologies of despair and ideologies of violence and as a 16 REVIEWS source of rich per sonal significance and genuine satisfaction OP-EDS We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based in the service to others. 59 The Evolution of Atheism: on race, religion, gender, nationality, creed, class, sexual 8 Justice Scalia and Originalism: LETTERS The Politics of a Modern Movement We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather May They Rest in Peace 17 orientation, or ethnicity and strive to work together for by Stephen LeDrew Ronald A. Lindsay the common good of humanity. than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of Reviewed by Tom Flynn ignorance, joy rather than guilt or sin, tolerance in the place DEPARTMENTS We want to protect and enhance Earth, to preserve 11 How Selfish Is It Okay to Be? of fear, love instead of hatred, compassion over selfishness, Greta Christina 50 Doerr's Way 64 Freedom Regained: The it for future generations, and to avoid inflicting needless beauty instead of ugliness, and reason rather than blind This Crucial Election Year Posibility of Free Will suffering on other species. faith or irrationality. 12 Islamophobia or Anti-Muslim Edd Doerr by Julian Baggini Prejudice? Reviewed by Wayne L. Trotta We believe in enjoying life here and now and in in the fullest realization of the best and noblest We believe Russell Blackford 52 Great Minds developing our creative talents to their fullest. that we are capable of as human beings. The People’s Deist: 13 Shared Values Thomas Paine POEM *by Paul Kurtz Ophelia Benson Dale DeBakcsy 66 Adaptation by Dave Fischer 54 The Age of Reason, Part II Thomas Paine 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 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Editor Thomas W. Flynn Managing Editor Andrea Szalanski Columnists Ophelia Benson, Russell Blackford, Greta Christina, Edd Doerr, Shadia B. Drury, Nat Hentoff, Faisal Saeed Al Mutar, Mark Rubinstein CFI to Merge with the Richard Dawkins Senior Editors Bill Cooke, Richard Dawkins, Edd Doerr, James A. Haught, Jim Herrick, Ronald A. Foundation for Reason & Science Lindsay, Taslima Nasrin Contributing Editors Roy P. Fairfield, Charles Paul Fidalgo Faulkner, Levi Fragell, Adolf Grünbaum, Marvin Kohl, Lee Nisbet Assistant Editors Julia Lavarnway Nicole Scott Literary Editor Cheryl Quimba Permissions Editor Julia Lavarnway Art Director Christopher S. Fix Production Paul E. Loynes Sr. Center for Inquiry Inc. Chair Edward Tabash Board of Directors R. Elisabeth Cornwell Brian Engler Kendrick Frazier Barry A. Kosmin Leonard Tramiel Honorary: Rebecca Newberger he Center for Inquiry (CFI) has announced its merger with the Richard Goldstein Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science (RDFRS). RDFRS’s chief executive Susan Jacoby officer and president, Robyn E. Blumner, became chief executive officer of CFI Lawrence Krauss T on January 25, 2016. Robyn E. Blumner Chief Executive Officer In March 2015, then–CFI President and CEO Ronald A. Lindsay announced that President Ronald A. Lindsay he aimed to step down by the end of the year. Having led CFI since 2008, Lindsay Director, Campus and explained that he sought to ensure that no one figure would come to represent all Community Programs Debbie Goddard that CFI stands for.
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