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A Secular Humanist Declaration Devoted Primarily to a Defense of Democratic Secular Humanism

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A Secular Humanist Declaration Devoted Primarily to a Defense of Democratic Secular Humanism WINTER 1980/81 PREMIER ISSUE VOL. 1 NO. 1 Announcing a A Secular Humanist New Magazine This is the premier issue of FREE INQUIRY. The task of this new Declaration magazine will be to define and defend the positions of freedom and secularism in the contemporary world. In recent years the world has witnessed a massive resurgence of Excerpts (for full text see page 3) fanatical dogmas and doctrines. The fundamental premises of the modern The first principle of democratic secular humanism is its world and the Enlightenment are either commitment to free inquiry.... This applies not only to science and to being forgotten or completely ignored. everyday life, but to politics, economics, morality and religion.. The commitment to scientific evidence and reason as a method of knowing, Countless millions of thoughtful persons have espoused secular belief in the value of individual humanist ideals ... and have contributed to the building of a more freedom and dignity, and the view that humane and democratic world... superstition can be eradicated by in- creased education and affluence — all Secular humanism is now under unwarranted and intemperate at- of these have been replaced by tack from various quarters.... We deplore the growth of intolerant sec- positions which are often blatantly tarian creeds that foster hatred... irrational. Evidence demonstrating the extent of The media ... are inordinately dominated by a pro-religious bias. this intellectual myopia can be found in The views of preachers, faith healers, and religious hucksters go largely the rapid growth and popularity of unchallenged... Christian fundamentalism, faith We do not believe that any one church should impose its views on healers, and charismatics in the United States, Islamic sects, the growth of moral virtue and sin, sexual conduct, marriage, divorce, birth control, or Asian cults, and the new fascination abortion, or legislate them for the rest of society... with bizarre paranormal beliefs. We deplore the efforts by fundamentalists ... to invade the science In addition to a resurgence of ex- classrooms, requiring that creationist theory be taught to students... tremism in theology there has been the prominence of virulent ideological It is possible for human beings to lead meaningful and wholesome movements in the 20th century: various lives ... without the need of religious commandments or the benefit of forms of Marxism-Leninism-Stalinism clergy... and Naziism, which function as state religions. Often these secular Secular humanism places trust in human intelligence rather than in movements defend authoritarian divine guidance... obedience and the use of terrorism to fulfill some utopian end. Unfortunately, there does not exist on the current intellectual scene a Endorsed by 58 leaders of thought, including Isaac Asimov, magazine devoted to the sophisticated Sir A.J. Ayer, Sir Francis Crick, Milovan Djilas, Albert analysis of religious inconsistencies and Ellis, Joseph Fletcher, Sidney Hook, Walter Kaufmann, their social consequences. Nor is there a magazine expressing a thoroughgoing Paul Kurtz, Robert Rimmer, B.F. Skinner, Barbara and consciously secular-humanist point Wootton, and others. (Continued on Back Cover) WINTER 1980/81 ISSN 0272-0701 VOL 1 NO. 1 About This Issue 1 Announcing A New Magazine This first issue of FREE INQUIRY is 3 A Secular Humanist Declaration devoted primarily to a defense of democratic secular humanism. ARTICLES The Fundamentalist Right is gain- 8 The Ground We Stand On: Democratic Humanism—Sidney Hook ing ground in the United States — 11 Humanism: Secular or Religious?—Paul Beattie which is symptomatic of the 13 Free Thought: Past & Present—Gordon Stein worldwide growth of fundamentalist 16 The Fundamentalist Right: Its Attack and doctrinaire thinking — and its On Secular Humanism—William Ryan scapegoat is secular humanism. 22 The Odd I See: The Moral Majority—Sol Gordon The fundamentalists have at- 24 The Creation/Evolution Controversy—H. James Birx tacked the basis of the democratic 26 Moral Education: Toward Consensus in state, the principle of separation of Public Policy—Robert Hall church and state, and humanist views 28 Morality Without Religion—Marvin Kohl on ethics, religion, science, evolution, Joseph Fletcher and education. 30 Freedom Is Frightening—Roy P. Fairfield Since there has not yet been an 32 There Is A Road To Freedom—Mihajlo Mihajlov adequate response, we are devoting 33 Renewed Repression in Yugoslavia—The Praxis Group virtually this entire issue of FREE IN- QUIRY to answer these attacks. We MEDIA & FILMS have invited some of the leading 35 TV Programming: Ungodly or Godly?—Cable Neuhaus secular humanists to deal with these 36 Inhumanists: Dressed to Kill—Hal Crowther questions. Future issues will be on diverse BOOK REVIEWS themes and will touch on a wide 38 Moral Fundamentals Humanized—Beryl Levy range of issues—Ed. Editorial Board Editor: Paul Kurtz Associate Editor: Gordon Stein FREE INQUIRY is published by the Council Contributing Editors: for Democratic and Secular Humanism, a Lionel Abel, author, critic, SUNY at Buffalo; Paul Beattie, president, Fellowship of Religious non-profit corporation, 1203 Kensington Humanists; Laurence Briskman, lecturer, Edinburgh University, Scotland; Edd Doerr, managing Ave., Buffalo, N.Y. 14215. editor, Church and State, Albert Ellis, director, Institute for Rational Living; Roy P. Fairfield, Copyright © 1980 by The Council for social scientist, Union Graduate School; Joseph Fletcher, theologian, University of Virginia Democratic and Secular Humanism. Medical School; Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading University, England; Sidney Hook, professor Subscription rates: $12.00 for one year, $20.00 emeritus of philosophy, NYU; Marvin Kohl, philosopher, State University College at Fredonia; for two years, $27.00 for three years, $3.00 Ernest Nagel, professor emeritus of philosophy, Columbia University; Cable Neuhaus, correspon- for single copies. Address subscription dent; Lee Nisbet, philosopher, Medaille College; Robert Rimmer, author; William Ryan, free lance orders, change of addresses and advertising reporter, novelist; Thomas Szasz, psychiatrist, Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse; V.M. Tarkunde, to: FREE INQUIRY, Box 5, Central Park Supreme Court Judge, India; Nicholas Walter, director, Rationalist Press Assn., England; Sherwin Station, Buffalo, N.Y. 14215. Wine, rabbi, founder, Society for Humanistic Judaism Manuscripts, letters, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to The Editor, FREE Editorial Associates: INQUIRY, Box 5, Central Park Station, H. James Birx, anthropologist, Canisius College; James Martin, SUNY at Buffalo; Steven L. Buffalo, N.Y. 14215. 0pinions expressed do Mitchell, SUNY at Buffalo; George Tomashevich, anthropologist, State University College at Buf- not necessarily reflect the views of the edi- falo; Marvin Zimmerman, philosopher, SUNY at Buffalo tors or publisher. Editorial Staff: POSTMASTER: FREE INQUIRY is Jean Millholland, executive secretary; Barbara Bergstrom, Doris Doyle, Patricia Kurtz, J. Quentin published quarterly. Application to mail at Koren, Lynette Nisbet second class postage is pending at Buffalo, N.Y. Send change of address to Free In- Art & Layout: quiry, Box 5, Central Park Station, Buffalo, Gregory Lyde Vigrass, director; Margaret Wells N.Y. 14215. 2 r~e °t A Secular Humanist Declaration Secular humanism is a vital force in the contemporary world. impetus for humans to solve their problems with intelligence It is now under unwarranted and intemperate attack from and perseverance, to conquer geographic and social frontiers, various quarters. This declaration defends only that form of and to extend the range of human exploration and adventure. secular humanism which is explicitly committed to democracy. Regrettably, we are today faced with a variety of anti- It is opposed to all varieties of belief that seek supernatural secularist trends: the reappearance of dogmatic authoritarian sanction for their values or espouse rule by dictatorship. religions; fundamentalist, literalist, and doctrinaire Christiani- Democratic secular humanism has been a powerful force in ty; a rapidly growing and uncompromising Moslem clericalism world culture. Its ideals can be traced to the philosophers, in the Middle East and Asia; the reassertion of orthodox scientists, and poets of classical Greece and Rome, to ancient authority by the Roman Catholic papal hierarchy; nationalistic Chinese Confucian society, to the Carvaka movement of India, religious Judaism; and the reversion to obscurantist religions in and to other distinguished intellectual and moral traditions. Asia. New cults of unreason as well as bizarre paranormal and Secularism and humanism were eclipsed in Europe during the occult beliefs, such as belief in astrology, reincarnation, and Dark Ages, when religious piety eroded humankind's con- the mysterious power of alleged psychics, are growing in many fidence in its own powers to solve human problems. They Western societies. These disturbing developments follow in the reappeared in force during the Renaissance with the reasser- wake of the emergence in the earlier part of the twentieth cen- tion of secular and humanist values in literature and the arts, tury of intolerant messianic and totalitarian quasi-religious again in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries with the movements, such as fascism and communism. These religious development of modern science and a naturalistic view of the activists not only are responsible for much of
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