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A Positive Humanist Sexual Morality the Growth of Fundamentalism

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A Positive Humanist Sexual Morality the Growth of Fundamentalism The New Inquisition in the Schools God and Morality Sidney Hook Naturalistic Humanism Corliss Lamont :. Don•t look,boy, WS a Secular humanistl.! A Positive Humanist Sexual Morality Robert Francoeur The Growth of Fundamentalism Worldwide How the Old Testament Was Written Gerald Larue Also: Founding the First Secular Humanist Center; More on Reincarnation; Update on Faith-Healing; Atheism in the Soviet N ...... Union; Anti-Abortion and Religion; Humanism in Mexico and Holland; and Polygamy and the Mormon Church Free In. u,r3% WINTER 1986/87, VOL. 7, NO. 1 ISSN 0272-0701 Contents 3 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 14 PERSPECTIVE 62 CLASSIFIED 12 ON THE BARRICADES 60 IN THE NAME OF GOD 4 EDITORIALS The New Inquisition Paul Kurtz / Naturalistic Humanism, Corliss Lamont / God and Morality, Sidney Hook / Secular Humanist Center Founded, Tom Flynn / FREE INQutRY's Fifth Annual Conference ARTICLES 15 A Positive Humanist Statement on Sexual Morality Robert T. Francoeur 18 The Growth of Fundamentalism Worldwide: A Humanist Response Paul Kurtz BELIEF AND UNBELIEF WORLDWIDE 25 Unbelief in the Netherlands Rob Tielman 26 Dutch Humanism G. C. Soeters 27 Belief and Unbelief in Mexico Mario Mendez-Acosta 30 How the Old Testament Was Written Gerald A. Larue 38 The Case Against Reincarnation (Part 2) Paul Edwards VIEWPOINTS 49 Justice Rehnquist vs. the Founders Robert Heard 50 FREE INQUIRY in Court: Half a Loaf 51 Atheism Is Not Humanism: Reflections on a Visit to the Soviet Union Howard B. Radest 52 Communism, Secular Humanism, and AIDS Vern L. Bullough BOOKS 53 The Emperor's New Pornography Report William F. Ryan 55 Polygamy in the Mormon Church George D. Smith, Valeen T. Avery CSER's FAITH-HEALING UPDATE 58 Nonhealing a Nonexistent Tumor Gary P. Posner 61 Subliminal Scriptural Messages F K. Donnelly Cover Illustration by Clay Bennett, Courtesy of the St. Petersburg Times. Editor: Paul Kurtz Associate Editors: Doris Doyle, Steven L. Mitchell, Lee Nisbet, Gordon Stein Managing Editor: Andrea Szalanski Contributing Editors.' Lionel Abel, author, critic; Robert S. Alley, professor of humanities, University of Richmond; Paul Beattie, president, Fellowship of Religious Humanists; Jo-Ann Boydston, director, Dewey Center; Vern Bullough, historian, State University of New York College at Buffalo; Paul Edwards, professor of philosophy, Brooklyn College; Albert Ellis, director, Institute for Rational Living; Roy P. Fairfield, social scientist, Union Graduate School; Joseph Fletcher, theologian, University of Virginia Medical School; Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading University, England; R. Joseph Hoffmann, chairman, Department of Philosophy and Religion, Hartwick College, Oneonta, N.Y.; Sidney Hook, professor emeritus of philosophy, NYU; Marvin Kohl, philosopher, State University of New York College at Fredonia; Jean Kotkin, executive director, American Ethical Union; Gerald Larue, professor emeritus of archaeology and biblical history, USC; Ronald A. Lindsay, attorney, Washington, D.C.; Howard Radest, director, Ethical Culture Schools; Robert Rimmer, author; Svetozar Stojanovic, professor of philosophy, University of Belgrade; Thomas Szasz, psychiatrist, Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse; V. M. Tarkunde, Supreme Court Judge, India; Richard Taylor, professor of philosophy, Union College; Sherwin Wine, founder, Society for Humanistic Judaism Editorial Associates: James Martin-Diaz, Thomas Flynn, Thomas Franczyk Executive Director of CODESH, Inc.: Jean Millholland Book Reviews: Victor Culotta Associate Director of Public Relations: Barry L. Karr Systems Manager: Richard Seymour Typesetting: Paul E. Loynes Layout: Alain Kugel Audio Technician: Vance Vigrass Staff: Norman Forney, Steven Karr, Jacqueline Livingston, Valerie Marvin, Alfreda Pidgeon FREE INQUIRY (ISSN 0272-0701) is published quarterly by the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (CODESH, Inc.), a nonprofit corporation, 3159 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14215. Phone (716) 834-2921. Copyright ©1986 by CODESH, Inc. Second-class postage paid at Buffalo, New York, and at additional mailing offices. National distribution by International Periodicals Distributors, San Diego, California. Subscription rates: $18.00 for one year, $32.00 for two years. $42.00 for three years, $3.75 for single copies. Address subscription orders, changes of address, and advertising to: FREE INQUIRY, Box 5, Buffalo, NY 14215-0005. Manuscripts, letters, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to: The Editor, FREE INQUIRY, Box 5, Buffalo, NY 14215-0005. All manuscripts should be accompanied by two additional copies and a stamped, addressed envelope. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or publisher. if humanists themselves declare (secular) humanism is a religion we are left with no LETTERS TO THE EDITOR defense. The creationists sift humanistic literature carefully, and they love to beat us with the bludgeons we leave about. If humanism is subclassified, logic re- quires that there be a mutually exclusive, nonsecular—i.e., religious—subset when the Secular Humanist Takeover individuals can be pluralistic. It can be made subset "secular" is defined, unless the latter of the Schools up of many individuals with varying points is not a proper subset. Paul Beattie places of view none of which in any way relate to himself in the former subclass, to no objec- Mark Spitzer wrote about the evils that the view of the organization. A nation can tion from secular humanists. would result from a takeover of the educa- most certainly be that sort of organization. The plurality of humanism is one of its tional system by secular humanists, even To remain consistent to that position, a more attractive features, to my thinking. I though Nick Pacino asserted in the same nation must not reflect any individual point can disagree with any humanist and still be issue that such a takeover was no threat of view in its public schools. Those schools "part of the fold." But, please, not about (Letters, FI, Fall 1986). Although many can attempt to provide everything the stu- something so simple as a standard, dic- readers of FREE INQUIRY would agree with dents need as mature citizens of our society, tionary definition. Mr. Pacino, I submit that it has in fact social as well as intellectual, including reli- already occurred. gious beliefs. They can be taught as beliefs Kent Harker My friends are surprised when I modestly in social science classes, in philosophy classes San Jose, Calif. tell them that I have taken over the school dealing with metaphysics. However, there is system at Mahwah High, a public school no relation between, for instance, personal located in the Ramapo foothills of northern beliefs and math. Newton was a believer, To Our Readers New Jersey. The most striking aspect of my but that has nothing to do with the validity insidious work was that no one noticed. In of his laws of motion. Other than empirical As FREE INQUIRY enters its seventh science classes can explore the possibility of fact I didn't even notice it myself. And yet year of publication, we are pleased to the logic of the situation is irrefutable. It a legislator of those laws. In this way public announce a new circulation record. had to be me, since I was the only card- schools must be secular and are philosoph- The press run of our Summer 1986 ically neutral. carrying, dues-paying humanist on the staff. issue was 26,000 copies. Thus far paid Looking back over the past three decades, 1 circulation for that issue was 22,011, realize now that all the time that I appeared Hal Klapman and the total distribution is 24,081. to be going about my duties as hall monitor, Los Angeles, Calif. Thank you for helping us grow. potty watcher, lunchroom supervisor, test- tube washer, classroom teacher, and paper- Defining Secular Humanism grader, I was quietly taking over. I fooled FREE INQUIRY's Faith-Healing them all. My principal and superintendent Paul Kurtz's article "On Definition- Investigation thought I was just another teacher. They Mongering" (FI, Fall 1986) was well taken did not realize that the curriculum was a and necessary. It is equally uncomfortable After reading about FREE INQUIRY'S investi- perfect example of secular humanism. Let for me to feel compelled to address a subject gation of faith-healing in the local paper, 1 the fundamentalists beware. At Mahwah as transparent as a definition. decided to inject my two-cents worth regard- High we teach only knowledge and skills, 1 am involved in debates with "scientific" ing the Reverend Pat Robertson. not religion or catechism. The curriculum is creationists and am active in efforts to halt A couple of years ago, my sister came to secular throughout. the growing specter of their religious dogma my home to watch "The 700 Club." Her being foisted upon the school curriculum. thirteen-year-old granddaughter was the Mitchell Modisett The creationists' attack on the teaching of subject of faith-healing on that day. Accord- Mahwah, N.J. evolution has many prongs. They do not ing to the program, she had been taken to a have a positive case for presentation to the doctor who stated she had curvature of the scientific body, so they carp away at evolu- spine. After her mother prayed for her for a Religious Neutrality in the tion. week, she was seen by another doctor who Public Schools Since the creationists have no scientific stated that she did not have curvature of case, they have turned to demagoguery. The the spine. 1 do not recall if the mother's Richard J. Burke's "Is Secularism Neutral?" political strategy of their agenda is twofold: church was involved in the prayer or not. (FI, Fall 1986) reaches the conclusion that (I) press for "fairness" in presenting alterna- I questioned my sister as to who had public schools, if "secular," are not and tive models of origin; (2) demonstrate that examined the girl the first time, what kind cannot be neutral. If an individual believes evolution is really a religious doctrine, and of doctor had seen her the second time, and that a god or gods exist, he is not neutral.
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