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Science's Campaign to Prove Prayer Works (1988–2006)

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Science's Campaign to Prove Prayer Works (1988–2006) ROBYN BLUMNER Rediscovers a Forgotten Feminist CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY December 2018/January 2019 Vol. 39 No. 1 SCIENCE'S CAMPAIGN TO PROVE PRAYER WORKS (1988–2006) D/J 18 $5.95 CDN O/N $5.95 17 US $5.95 CDN $5.95 US Shadia B. Drury | Mark Cagnetta | Ophelia Benson 1101 Russell Blackford | Tom Flynn | Virginia Woolf 0 74470 74957 8 Published by the Center for Inquiry in association 0 74470 74957 8 with the Council for Secular Humanism Get F I into your favorite library. All of it. nnouncing a new way to help your favorite Now we’ve combined our ve-year library gift sub- public library shelve America’s foremost secu- scription with the deepest discount we’ve ever oered lar humanist magazine: on the full run of back issues. It’s never been more AFor many years, we’ve oered a special, deep-dis- aordable to oer your favorite library the complete count, ve-year gift subscription for donors who gift run, 1980 to present—more than 160 issues, in all a the permanence and dignity of print—plus guaran- library. Libraries sometimes balk at accepting gift teed delivery of new issues for ve years! subscriptions out of concern about ending up with a Whether you’d like to gift a five-year subscrip- short run of the title if the gift is not renewed. Being tion or the full run plus five years, now is the time able to guarantee that the magazine will keep coming for ve full years addresses that concern. its magazine holdings! To order, see form on page 43. Personal check/AmEx/Discover/MasterCard/Visa accepted. CFICFI Mission:Mission: TheThe Center Center for for Inquiry Inquiry strives strives to to foster foster a asecular secular society society based based on on reason, reason, science, science, freedom freedom of ofinquiry, inquiry, and and humanist humanist values. values. OurOur Vision:Vision: AA world world where where people people value value evidence evidence and and critical critical thinking, thinking, where where superstition superstition and and prejudice prejudice subside, subside, and and where where science science and and compassion compassion guide guide public public policy. policy. OurOur Values:Values: Integrity,Integrity, Courage, Courage, Innovation, Innovation, Empathy, Empathy, Learning, Learning, and and Wonder. Wonder. 2 F REE I NQUIRY D ECEMBER 16 / J ANUARY 17 secularhumanism.org Get F I into your favorite library. All of it. DECEMBER 2018 | JANUARY 2019 nnouncing a new way to help your favorite Now we’ve combined our ve-year library gift sub- Volume 39 No. 1 public library shelve America’s foremost secu- scription with the deepest discount we’ve ever oered CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY lar humanist magazine: on the full run of back issues. It’s never been more AFor many years, we’ve oered a special, deep-dis- aordable to oer your favorite library the complete count, ve-year gift subscription for donors who gift run, 1980 to present—more than 160 issues, in all a the permanence and dignity of print—plus guaran- 20 Have Christians Accepted the 31 Add This to Reason! library. Libraries sometimes balk at accepting gift teed delivery of new issues for ve years! Scientific Conclusion that God Does Not George Wolff Answer Intercessory Prayer? subscriptions out of concern about ending up with a Whether you’d like to gift a five-year subscrip- Social Science Research Supports Brian Bolton 35 short run of the title if the gift is not renewed. Being tion or the full run plus five years, now is the time Free Speech Take on ‘Offensive’ Humor able to guarantee that the magazine will keep coming 26 An Evolution of Lies Bernard Schweizer Mark Cagnetta for ve full years addresses that concern. its magazine holdings! 38 Raspberry Pretzel Salad Logic Tom Flynn EDITORIAL DEPARTMENTS REVIEWS 4 Resurrecting Matilda Joslyn Gage: 42 DOERR'S WAY 60 Jesus Before the Gospels “The Woman Who Was Ahead of Cool It by Bart Ehrman the Women Who Were Ahead of Edd Doerr Reviewed by Hector Avalos Their Time” Robyn E. Blumner 46 CUNO’S CORNER 62 Fear: Trump in the White House Jesus vs. Santa: by Bob Woodward OP-EDS The Evidence Speaks Steve Cuno Reviewed by Edd Doerr 7 Truth, Once Again Well-Sought Tom Flynn 47 GREAT MINDS 63 Bertrand Russell: Public Intellectual The Sweet Tyranny of Other edited by Tim Madigan 9 No Platforms for Bannon? People: Virginia Woolf, and Peter Stone Russell Blackford Bloomsbury, and the World Reviewed by Tom Flynn Beyond Belief 11 The Iron Law of Oligarchy? Dale DeBakcsy Shadia B. Drury 64 Free Will Explained: How Science and Philosophy Converge to Create To order, see form on page 43. 49 Excerpt from Mrs. Dalloway a Beautiful Illusion 12 Medical Advice of the Stars Virgina Woolf Personal check/AmEx/Discover/MasterCard/Visa accepted. Ophelia Benson by Dan Barker 51 GOD ON TRIAL Reviewed by Tom Flynn 13 Forkosch Awards Announced The Riddle of the Sphinx Adrian Ashwah POEMS APPRECIATION 14 Show It to Them 7 Times 14 Deo Ssekitoleko, African Humanist, 54 THE FAITH I LEFT BEHIND Audrey Collins Dies at Forty-Eight My Journey to Unbelief Ross Blythe Fantasy Reality LOOKING BACK Audrey Collins 56 THE HUMANIST SOAPBOX 15 Tom Malthus, King Hubbert, LETTERS and Me Ron Gibson 17 57 HUMANISM AT LARGE Is God No Longer Willing to Give Tim Tebow a Hand? Craig A. Foster CFI Mission: The CenterCenter forfor InquiryInquiry strivesstrives to to foster foster a a secular secular society society based based on on reason, reason, science, science, freedom freedom of of inquiry, inquiry, and and humanist humanist values. values. Our Vision: A world where peoplepeople valuevalue evidence evidence and and critical critical thinking, thinking, where where superstition superstition and and prejudice prejudice subside, subside, and and where where science science and and compassion compassion guide guide public public policy. policy. Our Values: Integrity, Courage,Courage, Innovation,Innovation, Empathy, Empathy, Learning, Learning, and and Wonder. Wonder. 2 F REE I NQUIRY D ECEMBER 16 / J ANUARY 17 secularhumanism.org ROBYN E. BLUMNER Lucy Stone, Victoria Woodhull, and perhaps a few others if my memory Editor Thomas W. Flynn EDITORIAL had been jogged. But one name I Managing Editor Nicole Scott would not have known is Gage’s. Columnists Ophelia Benson, Russell Yet by any measure, Gage is as Blackford, Greta Christina, significant as those famed crusaders Edd Doerr, Shadia B. Drury, Sarah Haider, Faisal Saeed whose names come straight to mind. Al Mutar, Gregory S. Paul Resurrecting Gage, along with Anthony and Senior Editors Bill Cooke, Richard Dawkins, Stanton, founded the National Woman Edd Doerr, James A. Haught, Suffrage Association (NWSA). She pub- Jim Herrick, Ronald A. Lindsay, Matilda Joslyn lished the National Citizen and Ballot Taslima Nasrin Box, the NWSA’s official newspaper. Contributing Editors Levi Fragell, Adolf Grünbaum, Gage: Gage also coedited the first volumes Marvin Kohl, Lee Nisbet of The History of Woman Suffrage Assistant Editor Julia Lavarnway “The Woman Who with Anthony and Stanton. The three Literary Editor Ted Richer were known as “the triumvirate” of the Permissions Editor Julia Lavarnway Was Ahead of the woman’s suffrage movement. Art Director Christopher S. Fix But Gage, who died in 1898, well Women Who Were before her goal of suffrage was ob- Center for Inquiry Inc. tained in 1920, has been effectively Chair Edward Tabash Ahead of Their Time” Board of Directors David Cowan, Richard Dawkins, written out of history. Undoubtedly Brian Engler, Kendrick Frazier, this happened because she was adept Barry A. Kosmin, Y. Sherry Sheng, J. Anderson Thomson Jr., at uncloaking the crimes of organized Leonard Tramiel religion against women. Her book Honorary: Rebecca Newberger Woman, Church and State (1893) is Goldstein a withering takedown of Christianity.1 Susan Jacoby hat pithy subtitle comes from Its sweep of church history is so full the website of the Matilda CEO and President Robyn E. Blumner of priestly licentiousness, hierarchical Senior Research Fellow Ronald A. Lindsay Joslyn Gage Foundation (matil- greed, and Handmaids Tale–like sub- dajoslyngage.org). It’s too Corporate Counsel Nicholas J. Little ordination of women that it’s a wonder Tgood not to share. If Robert Green Director, Government Affairs Jason Lemieux Gage wasn’t burned at the stake. Ingersoll is the most remarkable Executive Director, RDFRS Robyn E. Blumner Okay, maybe by Gage’s time Chris- American most people never heard tian churches were a century or two Chief Financial Officer Barry Karr of, Matilda Joslyn Gage is his female past burning people. But she was Coordinator, Secular Rescue Matthew Cravatta equivalent. certainly punished for her outspoken Director of Public Had you asked me just two years truth-telling by being consigned to Engagement Stephanie Guttormson ago for a recitation of the most influ- historical obscurity, lest schoolchildren Vice President for Philanthropy Martina Fern ential American women in the fight dig a little deeper into the suffragist Director, Campus and for woman’s suffrage, I would have in- heroine’s other compelling writings. Community Programs Debbie Goddard stantly named Susan B. Anthony, Eliz- By laying bare the hypocrisy of Director of Libraries Timothy Binga abeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, church leaders through history—who Communications Director Paul Fidalgo were happy to provide concubines for Database Manager Jacalyn Mohr “celibate” clergy as long as no mar- System Administrator Cody Hashman riages or legitimate offspring could lay Director of Digital claim to priestly property—Gage built Product and Strategy Marc Kriedler a case against the church as provoca- Director, Teacher Institute for “If Robert Green tive as it was true.2 Evolutionary Science Bertha Vazquez Ingersoll is the most Staff Pat Beauchamp, Melissa 1.
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