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SECULAR HUMANISM with a PULSE: the New Activism from Confrontation to Community Service, Finding Ways to Engage

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SECULAR HUMANISM with a PULSE: the New Activism from Confrontation to Community Service, Finding Ways to Engage FI AS C1_Layout 1 6/28/12 10:45 AM Page 1 RONALD A. LINDSAY: Humanism and Politics CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY August/September 2012 Vol. 32 No.5 SECULAR HUMANISM WITH A PULSE: The New Activism From Confrontation to Community Service, Finding Ways to Engage CHRIS MOONEY | ARTHUR CAPLAN | KATRINA VOSS P Z MYERS | SIKIVU HUTCHINSON 09 TOM FLYNN: Are LGBTs Saving Marriage? Published by the Council for Secular Humanism 7725274 74957 FI Aug Sept CUT_FI 6/27/12 4:54 PM Page 3 August/September 2012 Vol. 32 No. 5 CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY 20 Secular Humanism With A Pulse: 30 Grief Beyond Belief The New Activists Rebecca Hensler Introduction Lauren Becker 32 Humanists Care about Humans! Bob Stevenson 22 Sparking a Fire in the Humanist Heart James Croft 34 Not Enough Marthas Reba Boyd Wooden 24 Secular Service in Michigan Mindy Miner 35 The Making of an Angry Atheist Advocate EllenBeth Wachs 25 Campus Service Work Franklin Kramer and Derek Miller 37 Taking Care of Our Own Hemant Mehta 27 Diversity and Secular Activism Alix Jules 39 A Tale of Two Tomes Michael B. Paulkovich 29 Live Well and Help Others Live Well Bill Cooke EDITORIAL 15 Who Cares What Happens 56 The Atheist’s Guide to Reality: 4 Humanism and Politics to Dropouts? Enjoying Life without Illusions Ronald A. Lindsay Nat Hentoff by Alex Rosenberg Reviewed by Jean Kazez LEADING QUESTIONS 16 CFI Gives Women a Voice with 7 The Rise of Islamic Creationism, Part 1 ‘Women in Secularism’ Conference 58 What Jesus Didn’t Say A Conversation with Johan Braeckman Julia Lavarnway by Gerd Lüdemann Reviewed by Robert M. Price 18 Relaunching the International LETTERS Academy of Humanism 59 Letters from an Atheist Nation: Stephen Law 13 Godless Voices of America in 1903 edited by Thomas Lawson DEPARTMENTS Reviewed by Tom Flynn OP-EDS 50 Church-State Update 8 Are LGBTs Saving Marriage? Vaginas and Vouchers: 60 Hannah Arendt: Tom Flynn On to November Radical Conservative Edd Doerr edited by Irving Louis Horowitz 9 Gag Me with a Spoon Reviewed by Brooke Horvath Arthur L. Caplan 51 African American Humanism Slaves Like Us POEMS 11 Atheism’s Third Wave Sikivu Hutchinson 61 Sideshow P Z Myers by Philip Appleman REVIEWS 12 The State and the Marriage Business Passport Application Russell Blackford 53 Religion for Atheists: by Maryann Corbett A Non-believer’s Guide to the 14 Sloppy-Seconds Atheists Uses of Religion Katrina Voss by Alain de Botton Reviewed by John Shook FI Aug Sept CUT_FI 6/27/12 4:54 PM Page 4 Editorial Staff Editor Thomas W. Flynn Ronald A. Lindsay Associate Editors John R. Shook, Lauren Becker Editorial Managing Editor Andrea Szalanski Columnists Ophelia Benson, Russell Blackford, Arthur Caplan, Greta Christina, Edd Doerr, Shadia B. Drury, Nat Hentoff, Tibor R. Machan, P Z Myers, Tom Rees, Katrina Voss Senior Editors Bill Cooke, Richard Dawkins, Edd Doerr, James A. Haught, Jim Herrick, Gerald A. Larue, Humanism and Politics Ronald A. Lindsay, Taslima Nasrin Contributing Editors Roy P. Fairfield, Charles Faulkner, Levi Fragell, Adolf Grünbaum, Marvin Kohl, Thelma Lavine, Lee Nisbet, J.J.C. Smart, Thomas Szasz Literary Editor Austin MacRae n the United States, politics dominates Most humanists are atheists, but they Assistant Editors Julia Lavarnway Brittany Muscarella the news as we gear up for the fall elec- are not merely atheists. As the Council for Permissions Editor Julia Lavarnway Itions. Not only will we have to decide Secular Humanism proclaims, humanism Art Director Christopher S. Fix on a president, but there are contests for is “beyond atheism, beyond agnosti- Production Paul E. Loynes Sr. Congress and most state legislatures, as cism.” In other words, being a humanist well as state referenda on numerous implies not only rejection of deities and Council for Secular Humanism issues, some of which have important spirits but also acceptance of certain fun- Chair Dan Kelleher public policy implications. It’s at times like damental principles. Board of Directors Kendrick Frazier these when I often hear discussed the Prominent among these principles are Dan Kelleher question of whether being a humanist commitments to critical thinking, respect Barry Kosmin Angie McAllister commits one to certain political positions. for individual autonomy, and an ethics Richard K. Schroeder For example, given some of the positions that is broadly consequentialist in nature. Edward Tabash of the Republican Party on social issues, is Moreover, we humanists are firmly com- Jonathan Tobert Leonard Tramiel it inconsistent to be both a Republican mitted to a strict separation of church and Lawrence Krauss (Honorary) and a humanist? state; among other reasons, we value Chief Executive Officer Ronald A. Lindsay First, let me make clear that I am not individual liberty, and religious dogma Executive Director Thomas W. Flynn asking whether it is inconsistent to be an has proven harmful to human interests Director, Campus and Community Programs (CFI) Lauren Becker atheist and a Republican or a nontheist when it has been allowed to influence Director, Secular Organizations and a Republican. Those questions would public policy. for Sobriety Jim Christopher be easy to answer. There is no inconsis- For these reasons, it would be difficult Director, African Americans for Humanism Debbie Goddard tency. Atheism does not entail accept- to reconcile an embrace of humanism Director of ance of any political position. (Aside: this with opposition to, for example, contra- Development (CFI) Alan Kinniburgh Director of Libraries (CFI) Timothy Binga is one reason I find the existence of the ception, same-sex marriage, cohabitation Communications Director Paul Fidalgo National Atheist Party more than a little without marriage, laws and regulations Legal Director (CFI) Steven Fox curious.) One can even reject the separa- that protect and promote racial and gen- Database Manager (CFI) Jacalyn Mohr tion of church and state and be an athe- der equality, freedom of expression, and Webmaster Matthew Licata ist. As one (cynical) atheist once remarked universal suffrage. If we truly respect indi- Staff Pat Beauchamp, Ed Beck, Melissa Braun, Shirley to me, “Just because there is no God does- vidual autonomy, we must allow individu- Brown, Cheryl Catania, n’t mean people don’t need religion.” I als the freedom to give shape and direc- Eric Chinchón, Matt suspect many of the Wall Street financiers tion to their own lives, especially with Cravatta, Roe Giambrone, Jason Gross, Adam Isaak, who donate generously to presidential respect to critical, life-altering choices, Lisa Nolan, Paul Paulin, campaigns of candidates supported by such as whether and whom to marry and Anthony Santa Lucia, John Sullivan, Diane Tobin, the religious Right have an attitude simi- whether or not to bear children. We also Vance Vigrass lar to this: “Of course, religion is just must ensure that individuals have the Executive Director Emerita Jean Millholland mumbo-jumbo, but we need it to keep opportunity to pursue a livelihood with- the 99 percent under control.” out restrictions based on characteristics 4 FREE INQUIRY AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2012 secularhumanism.org FI Aug Sept CUT_FI 6/27/12 4:54 PM Page 5 such as race or sex. It is also important that enced by the religious Right and has every adult have the right to participate in adopted policies antithetical to human- political life and have a role in deciding ism. If we limited our examination of FREE INQUIRY (ISSN 0272-0701) is published bimonthly by who our legislators and chief executive Republican Party positions to its stance the Council for Secular Humanism, a nonprofit educational corporation, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664. Phone should be. on certain key social issues and the (716) 636-7571. Fax (716) 636-1733. Copyright ©2012 by There are also issues on which most extent to which government can support the Council for Secular Humanism. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without permission humanists agree and with respect to re ligious institutions, then we might be of the publisher. Periodicals postage paid at Buffalo, N.Y., and which there is at least a strong presump- tempted to conclude that there is a severe at additional mailing offices. National distribution by Disticor. FREE INQUIRY is indexed in Philosophers’ Index. Printed in tion in favor of a certain position. Legal - tension between being a Republican and the United States. Postmaster: Send address changes to FREE ization of physician assistance in dying for being a humanist. INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors the terminally ill, aka physician-assisted However, the Republican Party’s or publisher. No one speaks on behalf of the Council for suicide, is one such issue. Cer tainly, a position on social issues, such as abortion Secular Humanism unless expressly stated. humanist cannot oppose legalization and same-sex marriage, represent only a TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW based on a quasi-religious notion such as fraction of the entire Republican Party Call TOLL-FREE 800-458-1366 (have credit card handy). the sanctity of life. However, I have platform. The 2012 platform was not Internet: www.secularhumanism.org. known humanists who oppose legaliza- completed and approved as of the time Mail: FREE INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664. Subscription rates: $35.00 for one year, $58.00 for two tion based on speculation about the of this writing, but a review of the 2008 years, $84.00 for three years. Foreign orders add $10 per harms that might follow legalization, Republican platform (available online at year for surface mail. 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