The HSSB Secular Circular – September 2021 1

Newsletter of the Humanist Society of Santa Barbara

www.SBHumanists.org SEPTEMBER 2021

Please join us for our featured speaker event…

The Nonordinary Experiences of Non-Believers

We know quite a bit about how religious people think about experiences they describe as mystical, religious, or paranormal, but what about Humanists and others who are neither religious nor spiritual?

Do they have these unusual sorts of experiences? And, if they do, what do they make of them?

Ann Taves is professor emerita of Religious Studies at U.C. Santa Barbara and Principal Investigator of the Inventory of Nonordinary Experiences Project. For almost thirty years, she has been studying unusual Dr. Ann Taves experiences that some people consider mystical, religious, and/or paranormal.

Her books include: Fits, Trances, and Visions (Princeton, 1999), Religious Experience Reconsidered (Princeton, 2009), and Revelatory Events (Princeton, 2016).

When: Saturday, September 18, via Zoom. Program begins at 3pm. Where: Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84740760019.

COVID-19 Pandemic Models Update

Dave Flattery will present an update on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic. All are welcome to attend. When: Sunday October 3 at 3pm Pacific/6pm Eastern. Where: Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82598900099 .

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The HSSB Secular Circular – September 2021

American Conspiracy Theories: Uscinski started by saying that conspiracy Professor Joseph Uscinski - 8-21-21 theories are a controversial topic. We all believe some, but we disagree about which ones are true By Robert Bernstein and which ones are crazy.

Joseph Uscinski is a political science professor at We are stuck in a strange place since you can't the University of Miami who specializes in the remove such a basic part of human nature. He study of conspiracy theories. He wrote the book said that we would not want to live in a world American without any. Conspiracy Theories with Joseph Parent, Some conspiracy theories are true. If we did not published in 2014. have the ability to form such theories, it would let the powerful get away with bad behavior with no accountability. This was also the title of his August We should wonder what powerful people are talk to the doing when no one is watching. Humanist Society of Santa Barbara. The ability to believe conspiracy theories is a Humanist Society matter of individual personality. Some are more President Judy susceptible than others. Some are so resistant Flattery noted that that they won't believe real conspiracies. the issue of Dr. Joe Uscinski conspiracies Uscinski noted "I am not one of them". Whatever directly relates to the Affirmations of Humanism "them" may be. For example, he is not part of the written by . "deep state". He gets emails every day with such accusations. “Humanists are committed to the application of reason and science. Humanists are skeptical of His mother warned him that religion and politics untested claims, while being open to novel are issues to avoid in conversation. He would ideas.” add conspiracy theories to that list.

Uscinski wrote an article entitled Clear Thinking He defines a conspiracy as happening when a About Conspiracy Theories in Troubled Times small group of powerful people works in secret in the January/February 2021 issue of Skeptical against the common good. He is not talking Inquirer. That brought a lively exchange of about people conspiring to rob a convenience letters in the May/June issue which you can read store or to kill a lover of a spouse. here (pp 63-64). He gave the example of Watergate as a real conspiracy. Data wwere collected. Evidence was presented in open court with witness testimony. We learned exactly who was involved and why they did it.

When we hear a conspiracy theory, we should ask what evidence supports it. At first there may The HSSB Secular Circular – September 2021 3

be very little. If the evidence accumulates over There is a lot of misinformation out there, but time, there is reason to investigate further. If not, not everyone believes it or is influenced by it. it makes no sense to waste time on it. Why do people believe conspiracy theories? He He claimed that the Kennedy assassination said the correct question is: why do people conspiracy believe anything? For lots of reasons. theories never Group attachments explain many beliefs. Our passed this group is upright and honest. The other guys are test. There bad and conspiring. They say the same about us. were many such The most obvious examples of such groups are theories, and political parties and religions. many were inconsistent with each other. Some said it was We need to consider the information the CIA or the FBI. Others said it was Castro. environment: this includes social media, legacy Others said it was anti-Castro Cubans and/or the media (print, radio, TV), trusted government Mafia. leaders, friends, family, and social groups.

Uscinski said that none of these theories were The same information can be presented in ways established with evidence. that selectively slant the meaning. When Obama left office, unemployment was at 4.8%, far lower Conspiracy Theories can fill an infinitely sized than when he took office. Yet Republicans found bucket, constantly expanding. You can accuse ways to claim those numbers were not real and anyone of anything. All events and they asked why so many were still unemployed. circumstances attract conspiracy theorists, but only a few get polled on, attract attention, and Beyond individual conspiracy theories is the have movies made about them. concept of conspiratorial thinking. Some people are quick to decide that the media is in on the What is not included? Supernatural claims like conspiracy under consideration. demons, ghosts, paranormal claims, ESP and alien visitations. He also excludes Some conspiracies are partisan. Examples cryptozoological claims like Bigfoot, Nessie, and include birtherism against Obama, "the other Chupacabra. side cheated" used by Trump (but also used at times by Democrats). Misinformation is a bit different. It can include conspiracy theories. Misinformation is false or Others are not partisan. Examples include misleading information that is shared, whether claims about the secret power of the Rothschilds it is designed to mislead or not. or the Freemasons, scary claims about vaccines or GMOs. Uscinski includes Holocaust denial in In contrast, disinformation is intentionally this category. spread, often for political reasons. Fake news is designed to imitate real news, but it lacks fact These examples occur across the political checking and is designed to mislead. spectrum, but he noted that the anti-vaccine theories are now dominated by Republicans. He said that it is important to separate misinformation from beliefs in misinformation. The HSSB Secular Circular – September 2021 4

Uscinski did a research poll in March 2020 on 23 Republicans claimed that mail in voting would conspiracy theories. 91% of those polled be fraudulent. Democrats claimed that the U.S. believed at least one. There is no ‘us’ vs. ‘them’. postal service was trying to suppress mail in We are all likely to believe one or more. ballots.

• 15% believe the Holocaust was exaggerated. One thing he claims about conspiracy theories is • 17% believe the shootings at Heartland and that they are stable over time. Sandy Hook had been faked as a "false flag" operation to take away guns The biggest surprise for me in his talk was his • 22% think Climate Change is a hoax claim that there is no more conspiratorial • 25% think 5G has hidden dangers that are thinking now than in the past. He said that the being covered up Internet can actually reduce this because it has • 33% think the government has made contact allowed people to check things. with aliens and is covering it up • 42% think there is a Deep State controlling We hear about how scary the QAnon ideas are. the government But he said that only 5% believe them. He • 43% think JFK was killed by a conspiracy. He surprisingly claimed that QAnon ideas are not noted that in 1963 that figure was 50% and especially politically left or right. rose to 80% for decades. • 45% think GMOs have hidden dangers being He said that mostly people use the Internet to covered up seek out what they already believe. • 50% think Jeffrey Epstein was murdered. If you want to find out who is responsible for the There are many wacky conspiracy theories spread of conspiracy theories, don't look to the involving COVID. These involve Bill Gates and new technology. It is better to look at the same George Soros, microchip tracking, a scam by Big reasons that go back 50 or 100 years. Pharma, doctors faking patients, and that 5G is spreading COVID. There is even an elaborate The biggest driver of COVID misinformation was QAnon theory that Trump deliberately Trump. Blame leaders. And blame partisan engineered COVID to root out the Deep State in corporate media. order to liberate secretly held children. At this point he took questions. The good news is that most of these have few followers. He gave another example of a real conspiracy. The Iran-Contra scandal was a real conspiracy What about election conspiracies? He said that where Reagan approved selling weapons to going into typical elections, about 40% of the terrorists in Iran, illegally diverting those funds people think that if the other side wins it will be from the U.S. Treasury and sending them to fund due to election fraud. He claims this kind of terrorists and death squads in Central America. thinking was not new in either the 2016 or the That really happened. There were hearings, 2020 elections. evidence, and people were prosecuted.

This thinking tends to dissipate afterwards When asked about echo chambers of people among those on the winning side. The 2020 being fed what they already believe, he said that election did have more such thinking than usual. is not really true. He said that most people are not even paying much attention to politics.

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He made a surprising claim that advertising on What the rise of humanism reveals about a Facebook or anywhere else doesn't seem to have university founded by Puritans. much influence at all. “The motto of Harvard University, which might We hear reports that more people are believing as well be tattooed on aspirants to the American nonsense now than in the past. It is due to more upper class, is "veritas." For those who never coverage of such belief rather than an actual learned the Latin that was once part of the increase in such belief. standard curriculum, that means "truth." It seems like an obvious fit for the nation's most Tricia asked if certain personality traits go with prominent institution of higher learning. Isn't conspiracy thinking. He said there is nothing pursuing truth what a university is all about? special about JFK conspiracy people. Holocaust and Sandy Hook deniers tend to have anti-social “But the motto's history isn't so simple. personality traits. Although it appeared in several versions following Harvard's establishment in 1643, Marian and I both asked how to combat people most stressed the theological character of the believing nonsense things. truth to which the college was devoted. "Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae" — truth for Christ and Uscinski answered that there is no magic tool to Church — read one version. "In Christam change peoples' views. All you can do is wish Gloriam" — to the glory of Christ — went them a good day and get on with life. another. The one-word version was adopted in the late 19th century, partly at the urging of poet He went on to say that we really should not ask Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. for such a magic tool, anyway. It would be dangerous to have a tool that could reliably get “A surprising announcement on Thursday people to agree with you; invariably it would be revived tensions between Harvard's original used for nefarious purposes. mission and its more recent secular orientation. The association of more than 30 Harvard I said I was not asking for people to agree with chaplains representing a wide range of religious me. I might be wrong. I am asking for a way to communities elected Greg Epstein as their new have people take the time to get their facts right leader. The surprise isn't that Epstein is not a and improve their reasoning. Some things like Christian, an element of Harvard's heritage that the Climate Crisis and COVID really matter. the university hasn't stressed for decades. It's that he doesn't believe in God at all. He agreed that those things really matter. He said it is a game of whack-a-mole. You might get “An atheist chaplain seems like a contradiction them to get one thing right, but then they will in terms. Epstein's life work is to convince adopt another nonsense belief. people that it's not. An ordained "humanist rabbi," Epstein doesn't oppose religious texts, The following is reprinted from Samuel ideas, or practices. But he argues that people Goldman’s article in The Week Magazine, who doubt the existence of supernatural forces published August 27, 2021. need their own ways of inculcating virtues, exploring the meaning of life, and sustaining Harvard's New Chaplain is an communities that can extend through Atheist. Is that a Contradiction? generations.

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“In his 2009 book Good Without God, Epstein more subtle. What Epstein calls contrasts this approach to two rival forms of "reconstructionism" doesn't try to refute non-belief. One is "antagonistic " religion. Rather, it seeks to reinterpret religious associated with figures like Marx, Nietzsche, and sources and doctrines in ways that dispense the so-called New Atheists of the early 2000s. with appeals to miraculous events or The antagonistic project tries to expose supernatural beings. religious teachings as primitive myths at best and, at worst, intentional lies used to justify “Epstein has some respect for exploitation. Its goal is the liberation of reconstructionism, which can be traced back to humanity from superstition. ancient philosophy. Yet he sees it as dishonest, at least in recent versions. Unlike antagonistic “One problem with this approach is that it hasn't atheists, religious reconstructionists continue to delivered on the promise to replace ignorance talk about God and may even identify with with truth. Modern natural science undermined, traditional creeds and communities. What they or at least complicated, many traditional mean by God, though, is so different from the religious beliefs. Yet it doesn't answer questions personal deity of Biblical monotheism that it's a about the origin of the material world, the basis kind of pious fraud to suggest they're the same of human consciousness, or the meaning of thing. "uncanny" experiences that gave rise to those beliefs in the first place. “Epstein's humanism avoids this deception. As the book's title proclaims, he wants to be good “Another issue is that antagonistic atheism can without God. Even as he rejects theology, be counterproductive. Rather than persuading though, Epstein argues that religious practices believers, polemics against religion are most such as ritual, meditation, or textual study meet effective in polarizing the whole subject. In the irreducible human needs which conventional 19th century, antagonistic atheism helped atheists neglect. At Harvard and in his previous legitimize the public expression of non-belief. position as leader of the Humanist Community But it also encouraged fundamentalist reactions Project, Epstein organized interfaith dialogues, that was more hostile to ideals of reason and weekly services including sermons, musical freedom than the orthodoxies that the skeptics performances and other activities that resemble attacked. traditional worship without appealing to a personal deity. He also provides counseling to “Finally, antagonistic atheists have a way of students facing personal or ethical problems, swapping one dogma for another. The most much like a rabbi, minister, or imam. dramatic example is Marxism, which rejected any appeal to divine redemption while “It's an intriguing proposal at a time when the promulgating a philosophy of history leading to unaffiliated are the fastest growing religious the ultimate triumph of justice on earth. group. The trend is even more pronounced Scholars dispute whether such movements are among the highly educated. At Harvard, nearly properly described as "political religions," a 50 percent of the class of 2019 described term coined in the 1930s by the German political themselves as "atheist," "agnostic," or "other." In theorist Eric Voegelin, but there is at least an 2005, Epstein was hired as the university's first analogy between religious movements and chaplain devoted specifically to this group. By all modern ideologies. reports, he's had some success, both as a mentor to other humanists and as a participant in “For these reasons, antagonistic atheism is Harvard's broader religious community. probably a dead end. The main alternative is The HSSB Secular Circular – September 2021 7

“Yet the prospects for Epstein's humanism are and debate as a matter of temperament. They'll dimmer than he might admit. pursue the truth as they understand it without further encouragement. But it is a problem for “One reason is that it seems most appealing to justifying institutions. Why should students, people who were brought up in demanding their families, and taxpayers devote billions of religious communities but no longer accept all of dollars to what is, in essence, an unusual hobby? their teachings or lifestyle prescriptions. The Too often, the answer is simply to acquire New York Times reports that many of the advantages in the scramble for social and students who seek Epstein's counsel are such economic advantage. "religious refugees." “Epstein and humanism aren't to blame for the “Individuals in this position may find genuine challenges of secularization in originally comfort in humanism, but will they pass on that religious institutions. But they aren't the disposition to their children, who will lack the solution, either. Despite their apparent same rigorous formation? Given the difficulty opposition, Harvard's Puritan founders and even conventionally devout parents have in antagonistic atheists agreed that the truth will transmitting their beliefs, they probably won't set you free. We can't replace that faith with a be successful. Yet one of the central goals of good-natured shrug.” organized humanism is creating communities that can be sustained across generations. Meet New Board Member, Hugh Smart

“The implications of Epstein's selection as head We welcomed three new members to our HSSB chaplain are also dubious. On the one hand, Board of Directors for the 2021-2022 fiscal term: there's nothing wrong with him occupying an Jules Bender, Hugh Smart, and Judy Fontana. administrative position for which he's demonstrated ability over many years of Here is how Hugh Smart describes himself: service. On the other, the decision implies that there's nothing special about theistic religion or “I was born in Pasadena and educated at UCSB appeals to transcendent authority that justify a (Riviera campus) ’54. I completed Post-graduate distinctive status. study at the Art Center College of Design. “I worked as an Architectural Designer, “That may seem uncontroversial in the 21st specializing in hotels and restaurants, then later, in century. But it raises uncomfortable questions residential and kitchen remodels. I am a lifetime about the very purpose of a university. member of Mensa and I love problem solving. Harvard's motto presumes that truth is important and worth pursuing. Yet its shortened “My interests include writing letters and essays to modern version makes no argument about why the LA Times and SB News Press. I enjoy reading that's the case. For Harvard's founders, truth non-fiction and following politics. I am a serious was worth pursuing because it set man in the cycler (still at it at the age of 91). My interests also right relationship with God. Harvard's present include photography, philosophy, and history. leadership can only claim, like the “I married Helen in 1998. We have traveled administration of Faber College in Animal extensively and are now living at Valle Verde House, that "knowledge is good." Retirement community.

“As with humanist practice, the absence of “I joined HSSB in 2004 and have previously served justification isn't a problem on the individual on the Board as Secretary. level. Some people are inclined toward inquiry The HSSB Secular Circular – September 2021 8

“In order to grow membership, I would like to see HSSB be more accepting of those who are beginning to question their religious training and upbringing, play down the atheist aspects, and focus on Humanism. I am an agnostic.”

In Memoriam We lost 2 prominent participants in the atheist, humanist, and agnostic community last month: Tom Flynn and Ed Asner. Dan Barker, Annie Laurie Gaylor & Ed Asner Tom Flynn was the on Matters in 2020. director of the Robert series on the history of secularism and censorship Green Ingersoll in the United States. birthplace museum and Executive Director of Ed Asner, an agnostic Emmy award winning actor, the Council for Secular progressive social activist, and past president of Humanism. He was also SAG was interviewed by Dan Barker and Annie editor of Laurie Gaylor in an episode of Freethought Matters Magazine. He is the (sponsored by the Freedom From Religion author of The Trouble Foundation, 2/13/2020). He spoke about his role in with Christmas and The the political satire “God Help Us” where he played New Encyclopedia of the role of god. He spoke of being raised as an Unbelief. Flynn is also Tom Flynn Orthodox Jew and his appreciation of his cultural executive producer heritage. for American Freethought, a TV documentary The HSSB Secular Circular – September 2021 9

Upcoming Events of Interest to Humanists HSSB Contact Information All these events are online: Officers:

President: Judy Flattery, [email protected] • September 23: Speaking of Secretary: Sondra Wikman, [email protected] Humanism: Creating a Caring Treasurer: David Flattery, Economy. American Humanist event. [email protected] Creating a Caring Economy

• October 10: California’s 20th Annual Freethought Day. Note: This event is both Board Members at Large: live, at the California State Capitol Building Wayne Beckman, Robert Bernstein, Mary Wilk, Nan in Sacramento; and live-streamed. Cisney, Jules Bender, Judith Fontana, Hugh Smart California's 20th Annual Freethought Day • October 27: Speaking of Humanism: Newsletter Editor & Submission Deadline Representation Matters: Secular Elected Judy Flattery, [email protected] Officials Speak Out. American Humanist Deadline for submissions to the Secular Circular is event. Secular Elected Officials Speak Out midnight, the last day of each month. Our web site, www.SBHumanists.org, archives current and past • November 16: Critical Minds: Debunking issues of the Secular Circular. Myths About Poverty in America. American Humanist event. Debunking Myths About Annual HSSB membership dues: $36 for an individual, Poverty in America $60 for a couple, $100 for a Society Supporter, and $300 (or more) for a Society Patron. Non-members may Update on Mubarek Bala subscribe to hardcopy of this newsletter for an annual From Atheist Republic fee of $20. E-mail copies provided to members and interested non-members at no charge. On August 3, 2021, the High Court of Kano State in Nigeria formally charged Mubarak Bala, an To join HSSB: Send your contact information and a check for your membership dues made out to Humanist atheist and president of the Humanist Society of Santa Barbara, to Mary Wilk, P.O. Box 30232, Association of Nigeria, with causing a public Santa Barbara, CA 93130. For further membership disturbance. The High Court's charges revolve information contact Mary Wilk at [email protected]. around Bala's Facebook posts. As the president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, Bala For more information about HSSB, contact any of the used his public social media account to express officers at the email or P.O. Box addresses shown his above. sentiments against Like our page on Facebook. Join our Facebook Group. religion. On Watch our videos on YouTube. April 25, 2020, Bala three days later and was not seen again by his declared on family. Bala was imprisoned without charges Facebook being filed for nearly sixteen months. Several that the international organizations have been Prophet monitoring Bala's situation. They have reported Muhammad multiple violations against his rights, including was a the court's denial to give Bala an expedient and terrorist. He fair trial. was arrested 10

The HSSB Secular Circular – September 2021 Humanist Society of Santa Barbara P.O. Box 30232 Santa Barbara, CA 93130

HSSB Calendar

Tuesday September 14th, 5:00 pm. HSSB Board Meeting. Join as early as 4:45pm for dinner & socializing. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83592300667. Members always welcome to attend.

Saturday September 18th, 3:00 pm. Professor (Emerita), Ann Taves. The Nonordinary Experiences of Nonbelievers. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84740760019.

Sunday October 3, 3:00pm. Dave Flattery. COVID-19 Pandemic Models Update. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82598900099.

Tuesday October 12th, 5:00 pm. HSSB Board Meeting. Join as early as 4:45pm for dinner & socializing. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83592300667. Members always welcome to attend.

Saturday October 16th, 3:00 pm. Dr. John Wathey, author of The Illusion of God’s Presence, speaking on personality cults, narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), and the potential benefits of rank choice voting.

Tuesday August 17th, 5:00 pm. HSSB Board Meeting. Join as early as 4:45pm for dinner & socializing. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83592300667. Members always welcome to attend.