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Humanism's Roots in the Enlightenment

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Humanism's Roots in the Enlightenment FI A-M C1_Layout 1 2/28/12 5:08 PM Page 1 An interview with DANIEL C. DENNETT CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY April/May 2012 Vol. 32 No.3 Humanism’s Roots in the Enlightenment ALAN CHARLES KORS New Columnists GRETA CHRISTINA | RUSSELL BLACKFORD | OPHELIA BENSON NAT HENTOFF | KATRINA VOSS | TOM REES | SHADIA DRURY ARTHUR CAPLAN | GEORGE A. WELLS | ROBERT M. PRICE Introductory Price $4.95 U.S. / $4.95 Can. 05 Published by the Council for Secular Humanism 7725274 74957 FI April May 12 cut2_FI 3/1/12 2:33 PM Page 2 CENTERS FOR INQUIRY | www.centerforinquiry.net/about/branches CFI–ORANGE COUNTY CFI IN JAPAN (TOKYO) United States 4773 Hollywood Blvd. Ex. Dir.: Erick Eck Hollywood, CA 90027 CFI–TRANSNATIONAL CFI IN KENYA (NAIROBI) Tel.: (323) 666-9797 Ex. Dir.: George Ongere President and CEO: Ronald A. 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Dir.: Dr. Jugal Kishore PO Box 2379 46 Masih Garh Akron, OH 44309 New Friends Colony Email: [email protected] New Delhi, India 110025 The mission of the Center for Inquiry is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values. The Center for Inquiry is a supporting organization of the Council for Secular Humanism, publisher of FREE INQUIRY. FI April May 12 cut2_FI 2/29/12 10:04 AM Page 3 April/May 2012 Vol. 32 No. 3 23 The History of Humanism Introduction Gordon Gamm CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY 24 The Enlightenment, Naturalism, and the Secularization of Values Alan Charles Kors 34 The Basis of Paul’s Ideas of Christ George A. Wells 37 Grog and Zog A Parable for Secular Humanists (and Everyone Else) Dan Carsen EDITORIAL 17 Ready for Prime-Time 55 It’s Only Natural 4 An Unprecedented Time in Katrina Voss Celebrating Science Human History John Shook Ronald A. Lindsay 18 What’s So Smart About Unbelief? Tom Rees REVIEWS LEADING QUESTIONS 56 Arguably: Essays 19 Is Freedom of Religion a Mistake? 7 The Science of Free Will by Christopher Hitchens Shadia B. Drury and Other Matters Reviewed by Brooke Horvath A Conversation with Daniel C. Dennett 20 Let’s Be Mean to Deen 58 The Good News Club: The Christian Arthur L. Caplan LETTERS Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children 13 21 CFI’s Celebration of Daniel Dennett’s by Katherine Stewart Breaking the Spell Reviewed by Edd Doerr OP-EDS Andy Norman 60 John Emerson Roberts: Kansas 22 We Grieve for His Silenced Voice; 11 Why Seculars Don’t Sing City’s “Up-to-date” Freethought We Rejoice in His Memory: Honoring Tom Flynn Preacher Christopher Hitchens by Ellen Roberts Young Edward Tabash 12 Why Atheism Demands Social Justice Reviewed by Tom Flynn Greta Christina DEPARTMENTS 14 Who’s Afraid of Scientism 48 Church-State Update POETRY Russell Blackford Whose Freedom of Religion 61 Literary Changes at FREE INQUIRY and Conscience? 15 The Trouble with Gods Edd Doerr 61 Rill Ophelia Benson by Austin MacRae 50 God on Trial 16 Schools Show ‘Zero Tolerance’ . of The Problem of the Parables the Constitution Robert M. Price Nat Hentoff 52 Faith and Reason Watching Intelligent Design Alexander Nussbaum FI April May 12 cut2_FI 2/29/12 9:36 AM Page 4 Editorial Staff Editor Thomas W. Flynn Associate Editors John R. Shook, Lauren Becker Ronald A. Lindsay Editorial Managing Editor Andrea Szalanski Columnists Ophelia Benson, Russell Blackford, Arthur Caplan, Greta Christina, Richard Dawkins, Edd Doerr, Shadia B. Drury, Nat Hentoff, An Unprecedented Time in Tibor R. Machan, P Z Myers, Tom Rees, Katrina Voss Senior Editors Bill Cooke, Richard Dawkins, Human History Edd Doerr, James A. Haught, Jim Herrick, Gerald A. Larue, Ronald A. Lindsay, Taslima Nasrin Contributing Editors Roy P. Fairfield, Charles Faulkner, Levi Fragell, on’t look now, but we’re in the munist nations and by the continuing (if Adolf Grünbaum, Marvin middle of a revolution in human atti- not in creasing) strength of religious/spiritual Kohl, Thelma Lavine, tudes and belief. In Europe and beliefs and practices in China. Lee Nisbet, J.J.C. Smart, D Thomas Szasz North America, large portions of the popu- The contemporary embrace of reli- Ethics Editor Elliot D. Cohen lation are nonreligious; that is, they reject gious skepticism by large numbers of indi- Literary Editor Austin MacRae belief in God and transcendent spiritual viduals in Europe and North America is the Assistant Editors Julia Lavarnway entities of any sort. This is an unprece- result of wholly voluntary decisions. It’s a Julia Burke dented phenomenon in the history of popular movement, and this widespread Permissions Editor Julia Lavarnway Art Director Christopher S. Fix humanity. Wide spread religious skepticism voluntary rejection of God and gods is Production Paul E. Loynes Sr. was largely unknown until modern times; something new in human history. indeed, it’s principally a phenomenon of How widespread is it? Estimates vary, in Council for Secular Humanism just the last few decades. Not that there part because until recently surveys did not were not doubters in the past, but, as far focus on measuring unbelief (the nonreli- Chair Richard K. Schroeder Board of Directors Kendrick Frazier as we can tell, they were few and far gious category was what was left over after Dan Kelleher between. (Of course, given that open athe- the different varieties of religious belief were Barry Kosmin ism often meant either a social or a very catalogued), and different surveys have Angie McAllister Richard K. Schroeder real death, there were, admittedly, signifi- used different criteria for determining Edward Tabash cant disincentives to going public with whether someone is nonreligious (see last Jonathan Tobert issue’s cover feature, “Bridging the Gulf: At Leonard Tramiel one’s doubts.) Lawrence Krauss (Honorary) Granted, there were some freethought Last, Social Science Measures Secularity” Chief Executive Officer Ronald A. Lindsay organizations in the United States and some with articles by Frank L. Pasquale and Tom Executive Director Thomas W. Flynn European countries in the nineteenth cen- Flynn). Let’s begin abroad.
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