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The Trouble with Stay

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The Trouble with Stay TOM FLYNN: The Trouble with Stay CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY April/May 2014 Vol. 34 No.3 EASTER: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? David K. Clark | The Vanishing of the Christ RONALD A. LINDSAY on the Hobby Lobby Case Why Is Creationism So Persistent? Lorraine Hansberry Appreciated The Faith I Left Behind, Part 2 Introductory Price $4.95 U.S. / $4.95 Can. Shadia B. Drury | Arthur L. Caplan Published by the Council Ophelia Benson | Greta Christina for Secular Humanism April/May 2014 Vol. 34 No. 3 CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY Easter: What Really Happened? 16 Introduction 28 Why I Am Not a Member . of Anything Robert F. Allen Tom Flynn 17 Betting on Jesus: 30 Leaving Unholy Mother Church The Vanishing of the Christ William F. Nolan David K. Clark 31 Why Is Creationism So Persistent? The Faith I Left Behind, Part 2 Lawrence Wood 24 Why I Am Not a 38 Faith: A Disappearing Concept Fundamentalist Christian Mark Rubinstein Celeste Rorem 60 New Laureates Elected to 26 Why I Am Not a Muslim The Academy of Humanism Kylie Sturgess EDITORIAL LETTERS REVIEWS 4 To What Extent Should We 12 56 Stay: A History of Suicide and Accommodate Religious Beliefs? the Philosophies Against It Ronald A. Lindsay DEPARTMENTS by Jennifer Michael Hecht Reviewed by Tom Flynn 46 Church-State Update OP-EDS School Rankings and Vouchers: 7 Dead Is Dead Connecting the Dots 61 Just Babies: The Origins of Arthur L. Caplan Edd Doerr Good and Evil by Paul Bloom 8 What Would Happen If 48 Great Minds Reviewed by Wayne L. Trotta We All Came Out? Lorraine Hansberry: Writing in Greta Christina the Light of Reason 63 The Public School Advantage: Becca Challman 9 Is Democracy a Threat to Liberty? Why Public Schools Outperform Private Schools Shadia B. Drury 50 Applied Ethics by Christopher A. Lubienski What’s the Appeal of Christian Ethics? and Sarah Theule Lubienski 11 Share, Yes; Force, No William R. Creasy Ophelia Benson Reviewed by Edd Doerr 54 Humanism at Large POEM My Invisible Friends by Katharine Merow OBITUARY Dennis E. Erickson 55 Joe Levee, Supporter and Former 64 Modern Mortuary Science Board Member Editor Thomas W. Flynn Associate Editor Lauren Becker Managing Editor Andrea Szalanski Ronald A Lindsay Editorial Columnists Ophelia Benson, Russell Blackford, Arthur L. Caplan, Greta Christina, Edd Doerr, Shadia B. Drury, Nat Hentoff, Tibor R. Machan, Mark Rubinstein Senior Editors Bill Cooke, Richard Dawkins, Edd Doerr, James A. Haught, Jim Herrick, Gerald A. Larue, Ronald A. Lindsay, Taslima Nasrin Contributing Editors Roy P. Fairfield, Charles Faulkner, Levi Fragell, Adolf Grünbaum, Marvin Kohl, Lee Nisbet To What Extent Should We Assistant Editors Julia Lavarnway Sean Lachut Accommodate Religious Beliefs? Permissions Editor Julia Lavarnway Art Director Christopher S. Fix Production Paul E. Loynes Sr. Chair Edward Tabash Board of Directors R. Elisabeth Cornwell ending before the Supreme Court den supposedly violates the Religious Kendrick Frazier at the time of this writing are two Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). RFRA, Barry A. Kosmin Hector Sierra cases that raise some fundamen- enacted in 1993, prohibits the federal Jonathan Tobert tal questions regarding the rela- government from substantially bur- Leonard Tramiel P tionship between the government and dening a person’s exercise of religion Judith Walker Lawrence Krauss (Honorary) religion in a secular state. The court’s absent a compelling interest.* decisions in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby One very interesting issue presented Chief Executive Officer Ronald A. Lindsay Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties by these cases is whether for-profit Executive Director Thomas W. Flynn v. Sebelius, which will likely be issued corporations can be regarded as pos- Associate Director Lauren Becker by the end of June, may indicate the sessing religious beliefs. The notion of Director, Campus and extent to which religious beliefs can be a for-profit corporation being entitled Community Programs (CFI) Debbie Goddard used as a basis for avoiding compliance to the free exercise of religion is a pecu- Director, Secular Organizations with government policy. liar one, to say the least. A corporation Jim Christopher for Sobriety In these two cases, for-profit cor- doesn’t engage in religious practices, Director, African Americans for Humanism Debbie Goddard porations are challenging the federal as these are usually understood. A cor- regulation that requires employers poration doesn’t pray, receive the sac- Director of Development (CFI) Alan Kinniburgh to provide contraceptive services to raments, or participate in worship ser- Director of Libraries (CFI) Timothy Binga their employees via their health-care vices. Does a commercial corporation even have a soul that can be saved? Communications Director Paul Fidalgo plans. The regulation in question was issued by the Department of Health Recognizing the right of a for-profit Database Manager (CFI) Jacalyn Mohr and Human Services (HHS) as part of corporation to claim a religious iden- Webmaster Matthew Licata its implementation of the Affordable tity would work a revolution in First Staff Pat Beauchamp, Ed Beck, Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare). The cor- Amendment jurisprudence. However, Melissa Braun, Shirley Brown, Eric Chinchón, porations allege that this regulation I’m actually more concerned about the Roe Giambrone, burdens their religious beliefs because Jason Gross, Paul Paulin, *Note that as originally enacted, RFRA also Anthony Santa Lucia, the individual corporate owners (in applied to state and local governments. Diane Tobin, both cases, the principal shareholders) However, in City of Boerne v. Flores, 521 U.S. Vance Vigrass 507 (1997), the Supreme Court ruled that object on religious grounds to at least Executive Director Emerita Jean Millholland RFRA was unconstitutional as applied to some forms of contraception. This bur- state and local governments. 4 FREE INQUIRY APRIL/MAY 2014 secularhumanism.org FREE INQUIRY (ISSN 0272-0701) is published bimonthly by other, underlying issue in these cases, invoke religion as grounds for declin- the Council for Secular Humanism, a nonprofit educational namely, whether any entity, includ- ing to assist gay clients? (These examples corporation, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664. Phone (716) 636-7571. Fax (716) 636-1733. Copyright ©2014 by ing religiously affiliated nonprofits, reflect actual cases.) the Council for Secular Humanism. All rights reserved. No part has a right to be exempt from pro- The classic example of a religious of this periodical may be reproduced without permission of the publisher. Periodicals postage paid at Buffalo, N.Y., and viding government-mandated insur- exemption—and for a long time the at additional mailing offices. National distribution by Disticor. ance coverage for its employees on only one recognized under federal FREE INQUIRY is indexed in Philosophers’ Index. Printed in the United States. Postmaster: Send address changes to FREE the ground that this burdens religious law—is the one for conscientious objec- INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664. Opinions beliefs. Whatever the religious status tors to combat roles in the military. expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or publisher. No one speaks on behalf of the Council for Secular of for-profit corporations, some non- The federal government has exempted Humanism unless expressly stated. profit organizations that are closely Quakers and others who have objected TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW associated with a religious body, such to participating in combat since the Call toll-free 800-458-1366 (have credit card handy). as parochial schools, have been recog- time of the Civil War, that is, since the Internet: www.secularhumanism.org. nized as possessing a religious identity. time the United States first instituted Mail: FREE INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664. Even if the Supreme Court concludes the draft. One very practical reason for Subscription rates: $35.00 for one year, $58.00 for two years, $84.00 for three years. Foreign orders add $12 per year that Hobby Lobby and other for-profit this exemption is that it seems point- for surface mail. 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