SPRING 2000 VOL. 20 No. 2 Introductory Price $5.95 U.S. / $6.95 Can. f free inquiry Celebrating Reason and Humanity THE AFFIRMATIONS OF HUMANISM: A STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES We are committed to the application of reason and science to the understanding of the universe and to the solving of human problems. We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, and to look outside nature for salvation. We believe that scientific discovery and technology can contribute to the betterment of human life. We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities. We are committed to the principle of the separation of church and state. We cultivate the arts of negotiation and compromise as a means of resolving differences and achieving mutual under- standing. We are concerned with securing justice and fairness in society and with eliminating discrimination and intolerance. We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the handicapped so that they will be able to help themselves. We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based on race, religion, gender, nationality, creed, class, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, and strive to work together for the common good of humanity. We want to protect and enhance the earth, to preserve it for future generations, and to avoid inflicting needless suf- fering on other species. We believe in enjoying life here and now and in developing our creative talents to their fullest. We believe in the cultivation of moral excellence. We respect the right to privacy. Mature adults should be allowed to fulfill their aspirations, to express their sexual pref- erences, to exercise reproductive freedom, to have access to comprehensive and informed health-care, and to die with dignity. We believe in the common moral decencies: altruism, integrity, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility. Humanist ethics is amenable to critical, rational guidance. There are normative standards that we discover together. Moral principles are tested by their consequences. We are deeply concerned with the moral education of our children. We want to nourish reason and compassion. We are engaged by the arts no less than by the sciences. We are citizens of the universe and are excited by discoveries still to be made in the cosmos. We are skeptical of untested claims to knowledge, and we are open to novel ideas and seek new departures in our thinking. We affirm humanism as a realistic alternative to theologies of despair and ideologies of violence and as a source of rich per sonal significance and genuine satisfaction in the service to others. We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of ignorance, joy rather than guilt or sin, tolerance in the place of fear, love instead of hatred, compassion over selfish- ness, beauty instead of ugliness, and reason rather than blind faith or irrationality. We believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest that we are capable of as human beings. For a parchment copy of this page, suitable for framing, please send $4.95 to FREE INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, New York 14226-0664 free inquiry OP-ED FEATURES 5 God at Work Christopher Hitchens BEST OF 6 Jesus and the HUMANISM Politicians 27 Introduction: Wendy Kaminer The Road to Humanism 8 Why Kids Need Lewis Vaughn Real Science SPRING 2000 VOL. 20, NO. 2 29 On Entering the Katha Pollitt ISSN 0272-0701 Third Decade: Personal 9 Stem Cells and Reminiscences Immortal Souls Paul Kurtz Peter Singer 39 Two Decades of FI: 10 When Vouchers A Retrospective Entangle Church Great Commentary, and State Analysis, and Quotes from Previous Issues Nat Hentoff 42 100 Humanist 11 Censorship Inc. Events That Mark Crispin Miller Changed the World FI Editors’ Picks from 12 The Wall Under the Last 1000 Years Siege Barry W. Lynn 47 Some of FI’s Best Ever Cartoons 15 When Creationism Goes to School 48 Happy 20th Anniversary, A Teacher’s perspective REE NQUIRY F I Thomas J. Geelan Greetings from the best 18 A Student’s View and the brightest Raina Lipsitz 52 Faith, Hope, and Clarity 20 The Opposite of Looking for Meaning in Love All the Right (and Wrong) Matt Cherry Places Lewis Vaughn 55 Mind, Morality, and REVIEWS Evolution An Interview with 68 Varieties of African Steven Pinker American Religious Experience 58 The ‘Miracle’ at by Anthony Pinn Knock The Anatomy of a Hoax Norm R. Allen, Jr. Melvin Harris 70 The Great Deception, And What Jesus Really Said and Did by Gerd Lüdemann Robert M. Price DEPARTMENTS 72 An Uppity Old Atheist Woman’s Dictionary Carol C. Faulkenberry 22 Frontlines Norm R. Allen, Jr. 26 Letters 73 Exodus to Humanism: Jewish Identity Without Religion 66 Church-State by David Ibry Update Norm R. Allen, Jr. Kentucky Passes Anti- 73 Violence in Nigeria: The Crisis of Religious Politics and Atheist Law Secular Ideologies Tom Flynn Toyin Falola 74 Humanism at Large Norm R. Allen, Jr. Matt Cherry FI Editorial Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Paul Kurtz Chairman Editor Lewis Vaughn Timothy J. Madigan Executive Editor Matt Cherry Robert Alley Managing Editor Andrea Szalanski Professor of Humanities Emeritus, Univ. of Richmond, Virginia Deputy Editor Norm R. Allen, Jr. Hector Avalos Senior Editors Vern L. Bullough, Richard Dawkins, Thomas W. Flynn, Martin Gardner, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Iowa State University James A. Haught, Gerald A. Larue, Taslima Nasrin Joe E. Barnhart Columnists Professor of Philosophy, Nat Hentoff, Christopher Hitchens, Wendy Kaminer, Mark Crispin Miller, North Texas State University Katha Pollitt, Peter Singer H. James Birx Professor of Anthropology, Associate Editors Molleen Matsumura, Wendy McElroy Canisius College Contributing Editors Jo Ann Boydston, Paul Edwards, Albert Ellis, Roy P. Fairfield, George Bishop Professor of Political Science, Charles Faulkner, Antony Flew, Levi Fragell, Adolf Grünbaum, Marvin Kohl, University of Cincinnati Thelma Lavine, Joe Nickell, Lee Nisbet, J. J. C. Smart, Svetozar Stojanovic, Rob Boston Author, Americans United for Thomas Szasz, Richard Taylor Separation of Church and State Barbara Forrest Editorial Associates Warren Allen Smith Associate Professor of Philosophy, Southeastern Louisiana Univ. Production Paul E. Loynes, Sr., Lisa A. Hutter, Janine Wythe Stewart Guthrie Cartoonist Don Addis Professor of Anthropology, Fordham University Webmaster Terese Rozelle William Harwood Author, Mythology’s Last Gods Cover Illustration Gerald Fried Stuart Jordan Senior Staff Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Council for Secular Humanism Alfred Kisubi Chairman Philosopher, Poet, Paul Kurtz University of Wisconsin Board of Directors Vern Bullough, Jan Loeb Eisler, Jonathan Kurtz, Joseph Levee, Lena Ksarjian Committee on the History of Culture, Kenneth Marsalek, Jean Millholland, Robert Worsfold University of Chicago Executive Director Matt Cherry Ronald A. Lindsay Lawyer, Philosopher Chief Operating Officer Thomas W. Flynn Michael Martin Professor of Philosophy, Coordinator, Alliance of Secular Boston University Humanist Societies Erika B. Hedberg John Novak Professor of Education, Brock University Coordinator, Campus Freethought Jean-Claude Pecker Astronomer, Educator, Author, Alliance Austin Dacey Professeur Honoraire, Collège de France Director, African Americans Anthony Pinn Associate Professor of Religious Studies, for Humanism Norm R. Allen, Jr. Macalester College Robert M. Price Chief Development Officer Anthony Battaglia Professor of Biblical Criticism, Center for Inquiry Institute Director of Libraries Timothy Binga Theodore Schick, Jr. Fulfillment Michael Cione, Michelle Keiper Professor of Philosophy, Muhlenberg College Staff Pat Beauchamp, Sandy Lesniak, Georgeia Locurcio, Jennifer Miller, Victor J. Stenger Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Anthony Santa Lucia, Ranjit Sandhu, John Sullivan, Kathy Vaughn, University of Hawaii Vance Vigrass Edward Tabash Civil Liberties Attorney, Honorary Chair, Executive Director Emeritus Jean Millholland Center for Inquiry West Visit Free Inquiry’s redesigned Web site at http://www.secularhumanism.org FREE INQUIRY (ISSN 0272-0701) is published quarterly by the Council for Secular Humanism, a nonprofit educational cor- poration, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226. Phone (716) 636-7571. Fax (716) 636-1733. Copyright ©l999 by the Council for Secular Humanism. Periodicals postage paid at Buffalo, N.Y., and at additional mailing offices. National distribution by International Periodicals Distributors, Solana Beach, California. FREE INQUIRY is available from University Microfilms and is indexed in Philosophers’ Index. Printed in the United States. Postmaster: Send address changes to FREE INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or pub- lisher. No one speaks on behalf of the Council for Secular Humanism unless expressly stated. OP-ED NEW CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS COLUMNIST we learn that: The Equal Employment Opportunity God at Work Commission reports a 29% spike since 1992 in the number of religious-based discrimination charges, making those the third fastest-growing claim, after n arguments over prayer in school, sexual harassment and disability. I used to take the line of “Why stop Ithere?” There are so many other It’s a fair bet that such figures rep- locations where a moment of spiritual resent an under-counting. On a recent reflection might be mandated. Prayer in edition of Warren Olney’s chat show the stock exchange, for example, or a “Which Way LA?,” I was paired with “moment of silence” while the commut- a lady from Atheists United against er plane waits, stranded on a runway, a panel of drivellers who cited things for the corporate jets to take off. Prayer Milwaukee law offices. And, as Business like the spiritual quality of Ben and on the trains or the buses could also be Week phrases it, getting nearer to the Jerry’s ice cream. My ally had been facilitated by the public-address sys- bottom line this time: fired from her job after refusing to tem.