Isaac Asimov L. Sprague De Camp Leo Pfeffer Antony Flew
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SPRING 1982 VOL. 2 NO. 2 $3.50 A Call for the Critical Examination of the Interview with Bible and Religion Isaac Asimov We are confronted today with a situa- tion of imbalance. Tens of millions of people are exposed daily to exhorta- On Science and the Bible tions about religion and the Bible. Fundamentalist preachers and mission- aries claim that the Bible's teachings are L. Sprague de Camp literally true, divinely inspired, and the ultimate source of human salvation. In this, the centenary year of the The Continuing death of Charles Darwin, the issue of whether scientific inquiry or biblical revelation should serve as the basis of Monkey War knowledge and of political and ethical conduct is as controversial and relevant as it was in Darwin's day. Countless millions of individuals in Leo Pfeffer modern society are largely indifferent to the claims of the fundamentalists. They reject the claims of biblical The Supreme Court religion as superstituous and irrelevant to their interests. They believe in the and Secular Humanism secularization of society and the use of scientific methods of inquiry. Commit- ted to tolerance, they hold that religion should be a private matter rather than a public one and that one can live an Antony Flew ethical life without being a devout believer. The Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish sects that abound in America The Erosion of Evolution have deep ethnic roots. Supported by ties of kinship and tradition, in- dividuals born into these religions often accept them without much thought. It is often a question of birth, Neo-Puritanism" by not conviction; of ceremony, not com- "Norman Podhoretz's mitment. Lee Nisbet, "Nativity Legends" by Randel Religious extremists are not con- tent to leave the rest of us alone. They Helms, and "Reds" reviewed by Hal Crow- feel compelled to save souls and they condemn unbelievers as "sinners." For- ther. Also Vern Bullough, Corliss Lamont, merly this message was heard only from Dora Russell, Tibor Machan, and Bette the pulpits of private churches. Today the situation is radically altered: Elec- Chambers. (continued on back cover) ISSN 0272-0701 SPRING 1982 VOL. 2 NO. 2 Contents About This Issue EDITORIAL This issue of FREE INQUIRY commemor- 1 A Call for the Critical Examination of the Bible and Religion ates the centennial of the death of Charles 3 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Darwin (April 19, 1882). Darwin was one On Creationism Bette Chambers, Bart Clennon of the world's greatest scientists and a major . figure in biology. He, more than ARTICLES anyone, advanced the universal recogni- 6 An Interview with Isaac Asimov on Science and the Bible tion of evolution. Although we can 12 The Continuing Monkey War L. Sprague de Camp disagree with Darwin about how evolu- 17 Three Cheers for the Creationists! A.J. Mattill, Jr. tion occurred—and science has gone 19 The Erosion of Evolution: A Treason beyond Darwin's explanation of the of the Intellectuals Amont' Flew mechanisms—this does not deny the 24 The Religion of Secular Humanism: A Judicial Myth .... Leo Pfeffer preponderance of evidence now available 27 Humanism as an American Heritage Nicholas F. Gier in favor of the evolutionary hypothesis. 30 The Nativity Legends Randel Helms To mark Darwin's death, FREE IN- 37 A Commentary on Norman Podhoretz's QUIRY will sponsor a symposium on Neo-Puritanism Lee Nisbet "Science, the Bible, and Darwin" at the POETRY State University of New York at Buffalo on April 16-17. The purpose of the 23 The Stranger, the Beloved M.L. Rosenthal conference is not only to discuss Darwin's COUNTERPOINT influence but also to stress the need for 42 Teen-age Pregnancy Vern Bullough wider dissemination of the results of 43 My Attitude Toward the Soviet Union Corliss Lamont scholarly and scientific examination of BOOKS biblical doctrine. The interview with 40 Marxist Humanism George V. Tomashevich Isaac Asimov in this issue and the articles FILM by L. Sprague de Camp, Antony Flew, 41 "Reds" Hal Crowther Rande! Helms, and A.J. Matill, Jr., are 45 CLASSIFIED related to this general theme. 46 ON THE BARRICADES Also of special interest in this issue is "The Religion of Secular Humanism: A Judicial Myth" by Leo Pfeffer, the noted attorney specializing in issues concerning the separation of church and state.—E D. FREE INQUIRY (ISSN 0272-0701) is pub- lished by The Council for Democratic Editor: Paul Kurtz and Secular Humanism (CODESH, Inc.), a non-profit corporation, 1203 Kensington Associate Editors: Gordon Stein; Lee Nisbet Avenue, Buffalo, N.Y. 14215. Phone (716) Contributing Editors: 834-2921. Lionel Abel, author, critic, SUNY at Buffalo; Paul Beattie, president, Fellowship of Religious Postmaster: Permission to mail at second- Humanists; Jo-Ann Boydston, director, Dewey Center; Laurence Briskman, lecturer, Edinburgh class postage rates is pending at Buffalo, University, Scotland; Hal Crowther, film reviewer; Albert Ellis, director, Institute for Rational N.Y. Copyright ® 1982 by The Council for Living; Roy P. Fairfield, social scientist, Union Graduate School; Joseph Fletcher, theologian, Democratic and Secular Humanism. University of Virginia Medical School; Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading University, England; Subscription rates: $14.00 for one year, Sally M. Gall, critic and independent scholar; Sidney Hook, professor emeritus of philosophy, NYU; $25.00 for two years, $32.00 for three Marvin Kohl, philosopher, State University College at Fredonia; Jean Kotkin, executive director, years, $3.50 for single copies. Address American Ethical Union; Ernest Nagel, professor emeritus of philosophy, Columbia University; subscription orders, change of addresses, Cable Neuhaus, correspondent; Howard Radest, director, Ethical Culture Schools; Robert Rimmer, and advertising to: FREE INQUIRY, Box author; M.L. Rosenthal, professor of English, New York University; William Ryan, free-lance 5, Central Park Station, Buffalo, N.Y. reporter, novelist; Svetozar Stojanovic, professor of philosophy, University of Belgrade; Thomas 14215. Szasz, psychiatrist, Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse; V.M. Tarkunde, Supreme Court Judge, Manuscripts, letters, and editorial inquiries India; Richard Taylor, professor of philosophy, University of Rochester; Sherwin Wine, founder, should be addressed to: The Editor, FREE Society for Humanistic Judaism INQUIRY, Box 5, Central Park Station, Buffalo, N.Y. 14215. All manuscripts Editorial Associates: H. James Birx; Marvin Bloom; Vern Bullough; James Martin; Steven L. should be accompanied by three additional Mitchell; George Tomashevich; Marvin Zimmerman copies and a SASE. (Poems should be submitted in duplicate to the Poetry Executive Director (CODESH): Jean Millholland; Managing Editor: Richard Seymour; Copy Editor, with a SASE for return). 0pinions Editor: Doris Doyle; Editorial Staff: Victor Gulotta; Barry Karr; Marianne Karr; J. Quentin Koren; expressed do not necessarily reflect the Lynette Nisbet; Art Director: Gregory Lyde Vigrass views of the editors or publisher. 1 2 Basic Humanist Beliefs LETTERS TO THE EDITOR There are many reasons for the fact that there are millions of Americans who hold humanist values while those who call themselves humanists can be numbered only in the thousands. But two of these reasons, I believe, are that humanists are often asso- A Message from Andrei Sakharov people like Quinsenberry and his "clients"? ciated with an indifference to fundamental moral principles and with a propensity for We are deeply grateful to everyone who Richard Taylor unthinking liberalism on all political issues. supported us in these hard times—to the University of Rochester You are therefore to be commended for statesmen, to the religious leaders and public Rochester, New York publishing the articles by Konstantin Ko- personalities, to the scientists and journal- lenda and Paul H. Beattie (Winter 1980-81). ists, to our dear ones and friends, to those Kolenda argues convincingly that "the whom we know and to those whom we do Dearth of Scholarly inherently problematic nature" of moral not know. There were so many—it is Bible Criticism questions does not mean that the answers impossible to name them all. are subjective or relative, but only that It was a struggle not only for the life and Let me first congratulate Randel Helms on moral decisions must take into account "all happiness of our children, not only for my his penetrating article on the doctrine of the existing moral claims." The weakness of honor and dignity, but also for the right of resurrection of Jesus (Fall 1981). A col- traditional moralists is not that their deci- every human being to be free and happy, for league of mine currently teaching a course sions are absolute but that they are partial, the right to live in accordance with one's on Western religions found it quite accurate insofar as the a priori rules often fail to take ideals and beliefs, and in the final count—it and scholarly (although a bit too polite into account all of the relevant conditons. was a struggle for all prisoners of conscience. about Matthew's motivation). To the extent that humanists do so, their It is quite a relief from the unscholarly, moral decisions are stronger—that is, their Andrei Sakharov narrow, and unimaginative ones winning the decisions can hold up in real situations— Gorky Hospital minds and hearts of the unwary, the than the dogmatic decisions that are based U.S. S. R. uneducated, and the gullible. Many modern on a priori rules and are often inadequate to Christian devotees long since have given up the complexities of human experience. "Truth" on the "700 Club" any attempt to justify their beliefs by Beattie's article is equally important recourse to the traditional arguments of because it distinguishes the basic humanist At first I could not believe that Larry theologians (the ontological, c9smological, beliefs from those about which humanists Quinsenberry's letter (Winter 1981-82) says and even the design arguments). Instead, will inevitably differ.