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EDITORIAL FI Editorial Staff PAUL KURTZ Editor in Chief Paul Kurtz Editor Thomas W. Flynn Associate Editors Nathan Bupp, Austin Dacey, David Koepsell Managing Editor Deputy Editor Andrea Szalanski Norm R. Allen Jr. Columnists Vern Bullough, Arthur Caplan, Richard Dawkins, Shadia B. Drury, Sam Harris, Nat Hentoff, Christopher Hitchens, Wendy Kaminer, Tibor R. Machan, Peter Singer Ethics Editor Elliot D. Cohen Literary Editor Jennifer Michael Hecht Senior Editors Vern L. Bullough, Bill Cooke, Hurrah for Richard Dawkins, Martin Gardner, James A. Haught, Jim Herrick, Gerald A. Larue, Taslima Nasrin Freedom of Inquiry: Contributing Editors Jo Ann Boydston, Albert Ellis, Roy P. Fairfield, Charles Faulkner, Antony Flew, Levi Fragell, Adolf Grünbaum, Marvin Kohl, Thelma Lavine, Lee Nisbet, J.J.C. Smart, Vital Issues for Svetozar Stojanovi´c, Thomas Szasz Editorial Associate DJ Grothe Secular Humanists Editorial Assistant David Park Musella Art Director Lisa A. Hutter here is an ongoing debate among secular humanists as to Production what our priorities should be, and in particular, what Christopher Fix, Paul E. Loynes Sr. should be the primary focus of FREE INQUIRY. Two subjects Cartoonist Webmaster Don Addis Kevin Christopher have been among the most hotly debated. First is the burn- Contributing Illustrators T ing desire of many secular humanists that we engage in political Brad Marshall, Todd Julie activism. Many secularists, naturalists, and humanists believe that Cover Illustration Todd Julie the United States faces so many critical problems that we need to focus far more intensely on the political battles of today, especially Council for Secular Humanism the culture wars with the Religious Right. Many insist that we come Chair Paul Kurtz Board of Directors Vern Bullough, Thomas Casten, Jan Loeb Eisler, Kendrick Frazier, David Henehan, Jonathan Kurtz, “I surely do not define myself by what I am against, Edward Tabash Executive Director but rather by my positive stance. David Koepsell It’s what I believe in deeply—what I am for— Director, Educational Programs (CFI) Austin Dacey that matters more.” Director, Campus and Community Programs (CFI) DJ Grothe Director, African Americans for Humanism Norm R. Allen Jr. out strongly against the Bush administration on certain issues, the Development Officer (CFI) war in Iraq, recent appointments to the Supreme Court, and other Sherry Rook Director of Communications (CFI) hot-button issues of the day. Some also wish us to enter into the fray Nathan Bupp between libertarian advocates of the free market and social democ- Assistant Communications Director (CFI) rats who worry about the loss of American jobs and wish to restore Lauren Becker principles of equity and fairness. Director of Libraries (CFI) Timothy Binga In answer to the political activists, we have indeed dealt with all Fulfillment (CFI) of these issues but as ethical, not simply political, concerns. I have Michael Cione, Darlene Banks argued in these pages that we are not a political movement, for we Staff recognize that secular humanists may differ about concrete politi- Pat Beauchamp, Cheryl Catania, Eric Chinchón, Sarah Jordan, Sandy Lesniak, Georgeia Locurcio, Jackie Mohr, Lisa Nolan, Denise Riley, Sherry Rook, Anthony Santa Lucia, John Sullivan, Vance Vigrass Paul Kurtz is the editor in chief of FREE INQUIRY, a professor Executive Director Emeritus emeritus of philosophy at the State University of New York at Jean Millholland Buffalo, and the chair of the Center for Inquiry.

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cal and economic issues. Our 501(c)(3) nonprofit exemption pre- cludes us from endorsing candidates or parties. However, we have FREE INQUIRY (ISSN 0272-0701) is published bimonthly by and will continue to deal with political issues, but only when the the Council for Secular Humanism, a nonprofit educational corporation, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664. Phone basic principles and ethical values of secular humanism are direct- (716) 636-7571. Fax (716) 636-1733. Copyright ©2006 by the ly threatened, as they so often are. Council for Secular Humanism. All rights reserved. No part of Second, many desire FREE INQUIRY to focus primarily on the cri- this periodical may be reproduced without permission of the tique of religion, to deal with questions such as the existence of God publisher. Periodicals postage paid at Buffalo, N.Y., and at additional mailing offices. National distribution by and the human soul, and to defend atheism outright. Some of our International Periodicals Distributors, Solana Beach, critics constantly bash FREE INQUIRY for that. I have been identified California. FREE INQUIRY is indexed in Philosophers’ Index. as an “atheist poobah,” whatever that means! Although I am non- Printed in the United States. Postmaster: Send address religious and skeptical of theistic religious claims, I surely do not changes to FREE INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226- 0664. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views wish to be known primarily as an atheist, for our secular humanist of the editors or publisher. No one speaks on behalf of the agenda is broader than that. I have often said that, although I do Council for Secular Humanism unless expressly stated. not believe in God because I think there is insufficient evidence for the claim, I surely do not define myself by what I am against, but TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW rather by my positive stance. It’s what I believe in deeply—what I • CALL TOLL-FREE 800-458-1366 (have credit card handy). am for—that matters more: we are naturalists, not supernatural- • Fax credit-card order to 716-636-1733. ists; secularists, not theocrats; but beyond that, we wish to focus on • Internet: www.secularhumanism.org. free inquiry and humanistic ethics, and we have some confidence in • Mail: FREE INQUIRY, P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664. a progressive future for humankind. • Subscription rates: $35.00 for one year, $58.00 for two years, As the editor in chief of FREE INQUIRY for twenty-five years, I sure- $84.00 for three years. Foreign orders add $10 per year for surface ly recognize the importance of the above two issues—political con- mail. Foreign orders send U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank; Visa, troversies as they emerge on the national and international scene MasterCard, or American Express are preferred. and the need for basic criticisms of theological claims—and this • Single issues: $5.95 each. Shipping is by surface mail in U.S. magazine will continue to deal with these questions. But there is (included). Canadian and foreign orders include $1.56 for 1–3 issues and $3.00 for 4–6 issues. By air mail, $3.00 for 1–3 issues another approach in the culture war, which has become increasing- and $7.20 for 4–6 issues. ly vital today and has emerged in the pages of this magazine. Thus, CHANGE OF ADDRESS I submit that we need to focus on the positive and affirmative • Mail changes to FREE INQUIRY, ATTN: Change of Address, aspects of the naturalistic, secular, and humanistic outlook, not its P.O. Box 664, Amherst, NY 14226-0664. negative critiques. • Call Customer Service: 716-636-7571. For many of us, it is important today that we define and defend • E-mail: [email protected]. constructive alternatives to the reigning religious moralities. Thus, BACK ISSUES we have argued: • Back issues through Vol. 23, No. 3 are $6.95 each. Back issues • that we need to defend free inquiry, critical thinking, reason, and Vol. 23, No. 4 and later are $5.95 each. 20% discount on orders the methods of science; of 10 or more. Call 800-458-1366 to order or to ask for a com- plete listing of back issues. • that a person can be good without belief in God; • that the lives of nontheists can overflow with meaning and enrich- REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS • To order reprints of articles or to request permission to use any ment; part of FREE INQUIRY, write to FREE INQUIRY, ATTN: • that secular humanism and scientific naturalism can contribute Permissions Editor, P.O. 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These The Council for Secular Humanism cultivates rational inquiry, ethical values, and human development through the advance- goals are far more profound than simply focusing on the political ment of secular humanism. To vicissitudes of the day. Focusing on the need for free inquiry in all carry out these objectives, the areas of human endeavor—including religion—seems to us to be a Council sponsors publications and programs, and organizes meetings first step in this direction. And this is a goal that has inspired the and other group activities. growth of our Centers and Communities worldwide.

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THE BEST ANTIDOTE FOR RELIGIOUS FANATICISM “. . . the Qur’an . . . was

e are confronted today by recent student riots and car burnings in influenced by writings from the continued challenge of France by disillusioned young Muslims. traditions other than those religious fundamentalism. The growing Islamic minorities in The explosive growth of Europe have aroused xenophobic fears extant in Arab cultures. . . .” W among extreme nationalists such as Islamic fundamentalism in the last half of the twentieth century has ignited confla- France’s Jean-Marie Le Pen. Liberal grations worldwide, as have the fearful majorities in Western Europe are com- one. Scientific, scholarly, and historical responses to it. First and foremost among ing to question their earlier multicultur- investigations of how the Qur’an was our concerns, of course, is the brutal war al assumption that all cultures are compiled may weaken Muslim convic- of attrition in Iraq and the continuing toll equal in value—the code of Sharia, tions as to its inerrancy; perhaps this it exacts both on American soldiers and which assigns women a lesser station in will lead to a rise in metaphorical (not Iraqi civilians. American forces have suf- society, is surely not morally equivalent literal) interpretations of those scrip- fered some 2,100 dead, 15,500 wounded to the ethics of contemporary democra- tures. Current research into the origins (many seriously), and tens of thousands cy, which defends all human rights, of the Qur’an indicate that what is taken more who suffer possible long-range psy- including those of women. as the revealed word of Allah was influ- chological impairment—this according to I submit that one reason for this mis- enced by writings from traditions other Representative John Murtha (D–Pa.), taken multiculturalist view is the belief than those extant in Arab cultures, who recommends the immediate with- that Islam is a “peaceful religion” or that including extensive borrowings from drawal and redeployment of American the followers of Egyptian philosopher Christian, Judaic, and Syriac sources. forces in the Middle East. Recently, all Sayyid Qutb and Osama bin Laden are The Protestant Reformation was able three factions in Iraq—the Shiites, simply misguided radicals who miscon- to tame the medieval churches of the Sunnis, and Kurds—have asked U.S. mil- strue the “real” meaning of Islam. Most West. The Renaissance in the West, as itary forces to leave. The mounting death Muslims take their religion as nominal well as the development of biblical criti- toll among innocent Iraqi civilians is and perhaps have not understood the cism and science, further weakened rarely discussed in the United States. implications of violence in the Qur’an authoritarian forms of Christianity and Although President George W. Bush and Hadith. On the contrary, there is Judaism. It is clear that there needs to recently admitted to an estimate of thirty considerable contextual support for vio- be an Islamic Renaissance and Refor- thousand casualties, we think that the lence and mayhem within these “sacred mation, a flowering of Qur’anic criticism, number is probably higher. texts”; through history, this has fre- and broad growth in appreciation for sci- Many people hope that the new Iraqi quently motivated passionate hatred ence. Only these can help to moderate constitution will enable democratic against those who resist Islam. This is the Qur’an and weaken its use by funda- institutions to develop, permit Iraqi quite similar to the literal reading of the mentalists as a club to bludgeon dissent. forces to police their own nation, and ancient Hebrew Bible and the New A similar fundamentalist mindset, of allow American troops to come home. Testament that was used centuries ago course, obtains among Christian believ- Unfortunately, insurgent attacks, far to justify the Inquisition and the ers in the Rapture in the United States from abating, have increased, and sui- Crusades. We reiterate what we have today, who insist that the Bible is cide bombers continue to proliferate. We said countless times in these pages: inerrant. We are faced in the United hope that democracy can be realized in there needs to be public discussion of States with fundamentalist extremists the Middle East one day—and we hope the convictions of fundamentalist reli- who are convinced that only a relatively that this is not simply a pious hope. gions, including Islam, which teach that small number of devout Christian believ- We at this magazine have opposed they alone possess the absolute truth ers will go to heaven while all the rest of the Iraqi war because we thought that it and the only guaranteed road to salva- humankind will be condemned to hell- would only exacerbate the conflicts tion and that they can impose their will fire. This is similar to the view held by between Islam and the rest of the world. on all others by violence and slaughter. devout disciples of jihad, who abandon We thought it would likely inflame What Islam urgently needs today is a any empathy for those they might kill hatred against the United States and critical reading of the Qur’an and and, in their view, will be cast into hell. recruit new terrorists—which it has Hadith, both by independent scholars Terrorism of course needs to be root- tragically done. It surely has intensified and by educated Muslims. Careful scien- ed out and resisted wherever it appears. hatred between Sunnis and Shiites and tific examination carried out under the But long-range, an important antidote expanded their fratricidal warfare impetus of Ibn Warraq of the Institute for all such nonsense is the pen, not the against one another. for the Secularization of Islamic Society sword; the power of ideas, not blind Outside of Iraq, too, the conflict goes (ISIS) at the Center for Inquiry indicates faith; the willingness to engage in free on as terrorist bombings continue that, contrary to the Muslim conviction inquiry, not the effort to suppress it by a worldwide—in Madrid and London, Tel that the Qur’an is the most unitary and fatwa or censorship. Most of all, sacred Aviv and Indonesia, Jordan and Saudi consistent of all scriptures, there are texts should not be held immune to Arabia. Added to this unrest are the many versions of the Qur’an, not just intelligent examination.

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