Transformation of Scientific Atheism in the Late USSR and Post- Soviet
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On Faith-Healing New Secular Humanist Centers?
New Secular More on Humanist Faith-Healing Centers? James Randi Paul Kurtz Gerald Larue Vern Bullough Henry Gordon Bob Wisne David Alexander Faith-healer Robert Roberts Also: Is Goldilocks Dangerous? • Pornography • The Supreme Court • Southern Baptists • Protestantism, Catholicism, and Unbelief in France 1n Its Tree _I FALL 1986, VOL. 6, NO. 4 ISSN 0272-0701 Contents 3 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 17 BIBLICAL SCORECARD 62 CLASSIFIED 12 ON THE BARRICADES 60 IN THE NAME OF GOD 6 EDITORIALS Is Goldilocks Dangerous? Paul Kurtz / Pornography, Censorship, and Freedom, Paul Kurtz I Reagan's Judiciary, Ronald A. Lindsay / Is Secularism Neutral? Richard J. Burke / Southern Baptists Betray Heritage, Robert S. Alley / The Holy-Rolling of America, Frank Johnson 14 HUMANIST CENTERS New Secular Humanist Centers, Paul Kurtz / The Need for Friendship Centers, Vern L. Bullough / Toward New Humanist Organizations, Bob Wisne THE EVIDENCE AGAINST REINCARNATION 18 Are Past-Life Regressions Evidence for Reincarnation? Melvin Harris 24 The Case Against Reincarnation (Part 1) Paul Edwards BELIEF AND UNBELIEF WORLDWIDE 35 Protestantism, Catholicism, and Unbelief in Present-Day France Jean Boussinesq MORE ON FAITH-HEALING 46 CS ER's Investigation Gerald A. Larue 46 An Answer to Peter Popoff James Randi 48 Popoff's TV Empire Declines .. David Alexander 49 Richard Roberts's Healing Crusade Henry Gordon IS SECULAR HUMANISM A RELIGION? 52 A Response to My Critics Paul Beattie 53 Diminishing Returns Joseph Fletcher 54 On Definition-Mongering Paul Kurtz BOOKS 55 The Other World of Shirley MacLaine Ring Lardner, Jr. 57 Saintly Starvation Bonnie Bullough VIEWPOINTS 58 Papal Pronouncements Delos B. McKown 59 Yahweh: A Morally Retarded God William Harwood Editor: Paul Kurtz Associate Editors: Doris Doyle, Steven L. -
NON-RELIGIOUS IDENTIFICATIONS 1 Non-Religious Identity in Three Western European Countries: a Closer Look at Nonbelievers' Se
NON-RELIGIOUS IDENTIFICATIONS 1 Non-religious Identity in Three Western European Countries: A Closer Look at Nonbelievers’ Self-identifications and Attitudes Towards Religion Marjaana Lindemana, Pinja Marina, Uffe Schjoedtb and Michiel van Elkc Author Note aMarjaana Lindeman (ORCID 0000-0003-4176-3736), and Pinja Marin: Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Finland; bUffe Schjoedt, Department of the Study of Religion, Aarhus University, Denmark; cMichiel van Elk (ORCID 0000-0002-7631-3551), Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. This publication was made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation (JTF grant 60624) managed by the University of Kent. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation or the University of Kent. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Marjaana Lindeman, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, P.O. Box 21, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. E-mail: [email protected]. NON-RELIGIOUS IDENTIFICATIONS 2 Non-religious Identity in Three Western European Countries: A Closer Look at Nonbelievers’ Self-identifications and Attitudes Towards Religion Abstract The growing secularism generates considerable interest in the manifestations of religious unbelief. In this study, conducted in Finland, Denmark, and the Netherland (N = 4404), we asked participants which of the following terms best describes their religious/spiritual identity: religious believer, spiritual but not religious, spiritual seeker, atheist, anti-religious, agnostic, nonbeliever, secular, or other. We also examined the participants’ God beliefs and their attitudes towards religion. -
Diversity Calendar
The University’s Calendar has been developed to celebrate the diverse nature of its community, promoting respect and understanding between different groups. “Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day.” Author Unknown By understanding and embracing difference we can help to create an environment based on the principles of dignity, fairness, equality and respect. INTRODUCTION The University’s award winning diversity calendar is a practical we do not recognise that there are many more faiths equally resource that includes details of all the main religious festivals as important. We also recognise that a large proportion of our and major national and international days of celebration or University community may have no religion or belief. memorial. It can help us to ensure that meetings and events are not planned when key sections of the workforce, student We are continually trying to improve the information we provide, population or customer base may not be able to participate. therefore if you have any constructive feedback or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We have focused on the six major world faiths currently represented within our community - Buddhism, Christianity, Thank you. Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. This does not mean NOMINATED CHARITY: GREATER MANCHESTER IMMIGRATION AID UNIT This year we asked people to nominate a charity for our Diversity Calendar. From all the entries chosen we have selected the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit. This is a voluntary organisation committed to challenging inequality and promoting the rights of refugees, migrants and other minority communities within the region. -
Apatheism: Engaging the Western Pantheon Of
APATHEISM: ENGAGING THE WESTERN PANTHEON OF SPIRITUAL INDIFFERENCE By K. Robert Beshears Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky [email protected] April 2016 Beshears 1 Introduction A few years ago, while living in Cambridge, England, I made a habit of meandering through the narrow, winding streets of the revered university town to soak in its rich heritage and architecture. On one such occasion, passing through the Market Square, I took notice of a Muslim missionary passing out some material. Most of his pamphlets made it into the hands of passers-by, but quickly ended their journey in the trash bin. Week after week, I watched the dejected man try in vain to spark any meaningful conversation about spirituality. After a few months, on one particularly soggy afternoon, I felt compelled to buy him a cup of coffee. I offered him the drink, to which he happily accepted. He asked me why he had received my kindness. I replied that Jesus would have done the same thing. “So, you’re a Christian?” he asked. I confirmed his suspicion. “Well, then, you know my pain,” he replied. Not believing that we had much in common when it came to converting people to Islam, I was a bit confused by his response. I asked him what he meant. “These people,” he said with a sigh, “they care nothing of God or spirituality. They are spiritually apathetic, totally indifferent to the biggest questions of life. They simply do not care. How can that be?” He was right; I had experienced the same thing. -
FREEMASONRY and the VATICAN
FREEMASONRY and the VATICAN A STRUGGLE FOR RECOGNITION Translated from the French of VICOMTE LEON DE PONCINS by Timothy Tindal-Robertson WHEREAS before the war it was little known or discussed, Freemasonry today commands an ever-growing and informed audience which has called forth much serious literature and has even provoked television documentary films which have aroused widespread interest. Freemasonry and the Vatican is the latest book dealing with an entirely new phase in the orientation of Masonry in the modern world. There is at present in Catholic circles a constant, subtle and determined campaign in favour of Freemasonry. It is directed by the progressive element which is currently enjoying a great influence in French and American Church circles and beginning to show its hand in England too. Its avowed object is to obtain from the Vatican the revision or even annulment of the various condemnations pronounced by the Popes upon the Craft since 1738. This element consists of a number of priests, including a Jesuit, Editors of Catholic newspapers and several writers of note. In this new work, Vicomte de Poncins emphatically reinforces the Church's condemnations of Freemasonry, which, as he shows, have been renewed more than six times since the Second World War and he quotes from authoritative Masonic documents, hitherto unknown to the English reader. Although the author is mainly concerned with Grand Orient Freemasonry, he treats in some detail the question of Masonic Regularity and Irregularity and the oft-disputed relationship of the Anglo-Saxon with the Grand Orient Obediences, and brings to light startling and valuable new evidence on the origins of Anderson's Constitutions and the Grand Lodge of England. -
Is the Scientific Study of Religious Activity Compatible with a “Religious Epistemology”?
Scientific Models for Religious Knowledge: Is the Scientific Study of Religious Activity Compatible With a “Religious Epistemology”? by Andrew Ralls Woodward A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Divinity of the University of Trinity College and the Theological Department of the Toronto School of Theology In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Theology awarded by the University of Trinity College and the University of Toronto © Copyright by Andrew Ralls Woodward 2016 Scientific Models for Religious Knowledge: Is the Scientific Study of Religious Activity Compatible With a “Religious Epistemology”? Andrew Ralls Woodward Doctor of Theology The University of Trinity College and the University of Toronto 2016 Abstract Epistemologies of tested beliefs (knowledge claims) in scientific practice and non-tested yet faith-imbued beliefs (belief claims) in religious life are compared and contrasted. A study of models of rationality in contemporary philosophy of science and religion is completed with the purpose to assess possible compatibility systems in “science and religion” literature. Myths are re-contextualized in the modern scientific cosmos via the igmythicist conception of myths—myths are neither mere delusions nor reflections of an ontological reality for the gods, but myths are the application of meaning-enclaves enclosed in the world of natural human experience. It is argued that, if a compatibility system is successful in mapping shared epistemic territory between knowledge claims and belief claims, the compatibility system will be based on a theory of rationality which consistently tests knowledge claims and belief claims. While the cognitive values of a scientific epistemology provide an epistemic benchmark for testing many beliefs, the problem of constructing a “religious epistemology” in a modern, Western university is analyzed. -
Gami, Loran 2009: Beckett's Conception of God and Religion
Gami, Loran 2009: Beckett’s Conception of God and Religion Article 13 in LCPJ Beckett’s Conception of God and Religion Abstract This article aims at discussing about a very controversial issue in the scholarship of Anglo-Irish writer Samuel Beckett – the possibility of the religious interpretations of Beckett’s plays. Critics have been divided over this topic. Since one group maintains that in most of his plays there are many religious undercurrents and that Samuel Beckett was greatly concerned about theological questions that deal with the relationship of God with mankind, and the other group of critics repudiates that stance and align Samuel Beckett with the sceptical thought of the previous century claiming that the author rejects the traditional concepts of God and divinity, the purpose of this article is not to give an exhaustive view on this topic. Rather, its main aim is to juxtapose these views showing some of the advantages and disadvantages of each perspective, always trying to provide evidence from the oeuvre of the great writer. Key words: Samuel Beckett, the absurd, God and man, agnosticism, ignosticism. Introduction In Beckett’s dramatic oeuvre different currents of his manifold cultural background flow in. Part of that background comes from different religious sources, from Zen Buddhism to theism and modern atheism. Can we say that Beckett didn’t have a definite, clear stand on this topic? Probably he is simply – as always – reluctant to reveal himself. However, in spite of stratagems used, he gives us some vague clues. Vague as they are, they, consciously or not, leave a trace in the readers’ mind. -
Ignosticism from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
Log in / create account Article Discussion Read Edit Search Ignosticism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ignosticism, or igtheism, is the theological position that every other theological position Main page Part of a series on Contents (including agnosticism) assumes too much about the concept of God and many other Irreligion Featured content theological concepts. The word "ignosticism" was coined by Sherwin Wine, a rabbi and a Current events founding figure in Humanistic Judaism. Random article It can be defined as encompassing two related views about the existence of God: Donate to Wikipedia 1. The view that a coherent definition of God must be presented before the question of the Interaction existence of god can be meaningfully discussed. Furthermore, if that definition is Irreligion unfalsifiable, the ignostic takes the theological noncognitivist position that the question of Secular Humanism · Post-theism Help Freethought · Secularism About Wikipedia the existence of God (per that definition) is meaningless. In this case, the concept of Secularity · Criticism of religion Community portal God is not considered meaningless; the term "God" is considered meaningless. Anti-clericalism · Antireligion Recent changes 2. The second view is synonymous with theological noncognitivism, and skips the step of Parody religion Contact Wikipedia first asking "What is meant by 'God'?" before proclaiming the original question "Does Atheism God exist?" as meaningless. Demographics · History Toolbox Some philosophers have seen ignosticism as a variation of agnosticism or atheism,[1] while State · Militant · New Print/export Implicit and explicit others have considered it to be distinct. An ignostic maintains that they cannot even say Negative and positive Languages whether he/she is a theist or an atheist until a sufficient definition of theism is put forth. -
HUMANISTIC and JEWISH: WHY BOTH? Rabbi Adam Chalom Joseph Chuman Rabbi Jeffrey L
HUMANISTIC JUDAISM Volume XLII Number 3-4 Summer/Autumn 2014 HUMANISTIC and JEWISH: WHY BOTH? Rabbi Adam Chalom Joseph Chuman Rabbi Jeffrey L. Falick Cantor Jonathan L. Friedmann Rabbi Denise Handlarski Rabbi Miriam Jerris Michael J. Prival Wisdom from Wine: Thoughts on Humanism & Humanistic Judaism Rational Judaism: It’s Not New Secularism, Atheism, Humor & Jewish Identity and more Humanistic Judaism is a voice for Jews who value their Jewish identity and who seek an alternative to conventional Judaism. Humanistic Judaism affirms the right of individuals to shape their own lives independent Humanistic Judaism is published quarterly by the of supernatural authority. Society for Humanistic Judaism, a non-profit orga- nization, 28611 West Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334, (248) 478-7610, Fax (248) 478-3159, [email protected], www.shj.org. This is a combined issue: Vol. XLII Number 3 - 4, Summer/Autumn 2014. Signed articles do not necessarily represent the viewpoints or policies of the Society for Humanistic Judaism. Transliterations used in articles reflect the author’s preferences. All material © Copyright 2014 by the Society for Humanistic Judaism. No portion of this work may be reprinted or copied without written permission of the publisher. Subscription Rates: $21.00 per year. Canadian Subscriptions $31.00. Overseas Subscriptions $43.00 per year (U.S. Dollars). No refunds. Sample copies available at single issue price plus postage. Addi- tional copies of a single issue are available from the Society for Humanistic Judaism at the cover price plus postage. Address all inquiries and subscriptions to Humanistic Judaism, 28611 West Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334. -
Apatheism from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
Apatheism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Apatheism (a portmanteau of apathy and theism/atheism), also known as pragmatic atheism or (critically) as practical atheism, is acting with apathy, disregard, or lack of interest towards belief, or lack of belief in a deity. Apatheism describes the manner of acting towards a belief or lack of a belief in a deity; so applies to both theism and atheism. An apatheist is also someone who is not interested in accepting or denying any claims that gods exist or do not exist. In other words, an apatheist is someone who considers the question of the existence of gods as neither meaningful nor relevant to his or her life. Apathetic agnosticism (also called pragmatic agnosticism) is the view that thousands of years of debate have neither proven, nor dis-proven, the existence of one or more deities (gods). This view concludes that even if one or more deities exist, they do not appear to be concerned about the fate of humans. Therefore, their existence has little impact on personal human affairs and should be of little theological interest.[1] History Historically, practical atheism was considered by some people to be associated with moral failure, willful ignorance, and impiety. Those considered practical atheists were said to behave as though God, ethics, and social responsibility did not exist; they abandoned duty and embraced hedonism. According to the French Catholic philosopher Étienne Borne, "Practical atheism is not the denial of the existence of God, but complete godlessness of action; it is a moral evil, implying not the denial of the absolute validity of the moral law but simply rebellion against that law."[2] In recent history (2000s onward), pragmatic atheism has been seen in a more positive light. -
Faithful Exiles Reading the Exilic Theology of Isaiah 40-55 in the Context of Post-Church Australia
Faithful Exiles Reading the Exilic theology of Isaiah 40-55 in the context of post-church Australia by Angela Sawyer BA (SocSc), Grad Dip Ed, MDiv A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Divinity 2016 Abstract Deutero-Isaiah’s theology of exile is contextualised in this thesis in the light of post- Christendom Australia, with a focus on post-church people. The secular, post-modern environment of broader Australian society is experiencing a decreasing of the ‘church-in- power’ model. To suggest that the church is in crisis in this era is an understatement, but the interpretation of that crisis as ‘end’ rather than opportunity may be false. An exploration of the reframing of faith that is observed in a study of Deutero-Isaiah, via the lens of exilic theology, is pertinent to Australian evangelical Christians who are leaving the church, but generally retaining faith. The methodological approaches to Deutero-Isaiah that I utilise include: historical-criticism, rhetorical criticism, and sociological insights, particularly trauma studies. Feminist and postcolonial studies provide useful conversation partners to the topic. After establishing the literary and social context of Deutero-Isaiah in general, the key chapter for the thesis is Isaiah 49:14-26, focussing on personified Zion’s accusations to YHWH regarding her abandonment (forsaken/ forgotten terminology). I explore the concepts of hope, doubt, the nature of the salvation offered by redeemer God, gathering and return in contrast to exile and dispersal. This chapter is followed by shorter comparative chapters looking at Isaiah 50:1-3 (imagery of divorce, reconciliation and forgiveness); 51:17-52:6 (a polyphonic text imaging Zion’s rape, comfort and consolation); and, 54:1-17 (barren woman imagery, confession of abandonment by YHWH). -
How Non-Religious Persons Are Labeled As Deviant in a Religious Society
San Jose State University SJSU ScholarWorks Master's Theses Master's Theses and Graduate Research Fall 2012 Godless Americans: How Non-Religious Persons are Labeled as Deviant in a Religious Society Damian M. Bramlett San Jose State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses Recommended Citation Bramlett, Damian M., "Godless Americans: How Non-Religious Persons are Labeled as Deviant in a Religious Society" (2012). Master's Theses. 4224. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.73ed-qsxu https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/4224 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Master's Theses and Graduate Research at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GODLESS AMERICANS: HOW NON-RELIGIOUS PERSONS ARE LABELED AS DEVIANT IN A RELIGIOUS SOCIETY A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Justice Studies San José State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science by Damian Bramlett December 2012 © 2012 Damian Bramlett ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Designated Thesis Committee Approves the Thesis Titled GODLESS AMERICANS: HOW NON-RELIGIOUS PERSONS ARE LABELED AS DEVIANT IN A RELIGIOUS SOCIETY by Damian Bramlett APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE STUDIES SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY December 2012 Dr. William T. Armaline Department of Justice Studies Dr. James Lee Department of Sociology Dr. Mark Correia Department of Justice Studies ABSTRACT GODLESS AMERICANS: HOW NON-RELIGIOUS PERSONS ARE LABELED AS DEVIANT IN A RELIGIOUS SOCIETY by Damian Bramlett This research examined Atheism, Agnosticism, and secularism as forms of deviance within American society.