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I Spring 1992 Vol. 12, No. 2 Communicating with the Dead by Martin Gardner

The Vatican's Opposition The Jehovah's Witnesses to Family Planning and the Tom Flynn Watchtower Society Roland Van Liew Hector Avalos Stephen D. Mumford

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Mar

In N n Interview with Sir Hermann Bondi •exual Archetypes in Transition, Robert SPRING 1992, VOL. 12, NO. 2 ISSN 0272-0701

an international Contents secular humanist magazine Editor: Paul Kurtz Senior Editors: Vern Bullough, Gerald Larne Executive Editor: Timothy J. Madigan 3 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Managing Editor: Andrea Szalanski Contributing Editors: 4 EDITORIALS Robert S. Alley, Joe E. Barnhart, H. James Birx, Jo Ann Boydston, Bonnie Bullough, Paul Edwards, Beyond Multiculturalism: Toward a Humanist Universalism, Paul Albert Ellis, Roy P. Fairfield, Joseph Fletcher, Antony Flew, Levi Fragell, Adolf Grünbaum, R. Kurtz / Do We Have a Judeo-Christian Heritage? Vern L. Joseph Hoffmann, Marvin Kohl, Jean Kotkin, Bullough / The Vatican's Alliance with Reagan, Tom Flynn I Ronald A. Lindsay, Delos B. McKown, Howard Radest, Robert Rimmer, Svetozar Stojanovic, Pronatalist Zealotry and Reproductive Rights: How Catholic Thomas Szasz, V. M. Tarkunde, Richard Taylor, Militants Seized Control of U.S. Family Planning Programs, Rob Tielman, Sherwin Wine Roland Van Liew / Concerning the Right to Persecute Heretics, Associate Editors: Stephen D. Mumford I On Religiosity, Isaac Asimov / Christian Doris Doyle, Thomas Flynn, Steven L. Mitchell, Lee Coalition Update, Skipp Porteous Nisbet, Gordon Stein Editorial Associates: 18 ON THE BARRICADES Robert Basil, James Christopher, Thomas Franczyk, James Martin-Diaz, Molleen Matsumura

ARTICLES Chairman, CODESH, Inc.: Paul Kurtz

20 Communicating with the Dead: William James Director of Public Relations, Steve Karr and Mrs. Piper (Part 1) Martin Gardner Executive Director, African-Americans for 28 The Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower Humanism: Norm Allen Jr. Society Hector Avalos Chief Data Officer: Richard Seymour

35 An Interview with Sir Hermann Bondi Typesetting: Paul E. Loynes 38 The Jesus Phenomenon in Korea Sang J. Kim Audio Technician: Vance Vigrass 39 Humanism in Nigeria Tai Solarin Staff. 40 Sexual Archetypes in Transition Robert T Francoeur Georgeia Locurcio, Anthony Nigro, Ranjit Sandhu

45 Mary Wollstonecraft and Women's Rights Elizabeth Larson FREE INQUIRY (ISSN 0272-0701) is published quarterly by the Council for Democratic and Secular 49 Caring Love and Liberty: Humanism (CODESH, Inc.), a nonprofit corpora- Some Questions Marvin Kohl tion, 3965 Rensch Road, Buffalo, NY 14228-2713. Phone (716) 636-7571. Copyright ©1992 by CODESH, Inc. Second-class postage paid at Buffalo, 52 VIEWPOINTS N.Y., and at additional mailing offices. National distribution by International Periodicals Distribu- 'No Virginia, There Is No Santa Claus. Someone's Been Lying tors, Solana Beach, California. FREE INQUIRY is available from University Microfilms and is indexed to You.' Judith Boss / God's Influence and the Super Bowl, James in Philosophers' Index. Gill Subscription rates: $25.00 for one year, $43.00 for two years, $59.00 for three years, $6.25 for single issues. Address subscription orders, changes of 55 BOOKS address, and advertising to: FREE INQUIRY, Box 664, Buffalo, NY 14226-0664. The Varieties of Humanism, Konstantin Kolenda I `Religious' Manuscripts, letters, and editorial inquiries should Humanism as Christian Humanism, Paul Kurtz / Books in Brief be addressed to: The Editor, FREE INQUIRY, Box 664, Buffalo, NY 14226-0664. All manuscripts must be typed double-spaced and should be accompanied by 61 IN THE NAME OF GOD a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or publisher. Postmaster: Send address changes to FREE INQUIRY, Box 664, Buffalo, NY 14226-0664. Death" (FI, Fall 1991), and also for sharing with readers the two thoughtful letters from Fred Condo and Ira Pilgrim Letters to the Editor (FI, Winter 1991/ 92) regarding Dr. Kevorkian's efforts to make the choice of suicide more acceptable in our nation as an alternative to becoming a mere guinea pig in organized medicine's Santa Claus a Villain? In most of North America, arguments extremely lucrative high-tech business of against a "real Santa" are more taboo, extending nonfunctional and meaning- Judith Boss's article "Is Santa Claus and more intimately involving for every less life far beyond reasonable limits. Corrupting Our Children's Morals?"(FI, family member and neighbor than Do not those who seek to spare others Winter 1991/92) does a disservice to arguments against God. Because chil- the burden of extremely expensive and humanist thinking. While I concur dren may be the ones most confused and often fruitless high-tech medical and wholeheartedly that religion is a com- caught in the middle, it seems right to surgical measures have as much funda- pletely inappropriate term to describe ask whether we must consider balancing mental right to do so as do those who secular humanism, and that we— several moral values. seek to spend the last ten or twenty years through vehicles such as the Committee Alice Miller, in the opening chapter of their lives dependent upon such for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of Banished Knowledge, shows how devices as respirators, feeding tubes, and of the Paranormal—should make every subtly and doggedly parents in Western artificial organs? effort to combat psychic and supernat- cultures have manipulated children. ural claims, I think it is simply silly (there Almost a century before, Italian educa- Cyrus J. Stow, D.D.S. really is no other word) that, by exten- tor Maria Montessori would have Conyers, Ga. sion, we include all elements of fantasy, agreed. We should respect children's own imagination, wonder, romance, reverie, fantasies (which Santa is not), as their Euthanasia, passive or active, should be and childhood magic. Fairy characters— way of working through worries and my decision alone. I will not accept any of which Santa Claus is one—connote practicing for life. Our job should be to ethicist, religious guru, lawyer, or doctor and denote all that is marvelous, respect the child's integrity within a in a position to dictate the decision. Of imaginative, and creative; they do not, realm of inexperience and extreme course, I do believe in legal safeguards: in any normal sense, refer to unques- vulnerability, by helping her/ him to a process of legal oversight to assure that tioned and unquestionable belief. The become oriented in the real world. it is my wishes that are being carried claim that fairyland is an ogre hindering In Sweden, at Jul (Yule), Jultomtar out, and not the machinations of some the development of "rational" human (several Santas) can be seen side by side overzealous heir or enemy. It is cruel to beings borders on paranoia. in many places, as decor or as real limit euthanasia by law to those who If parents want to lie and victimize persons very unconvincingly dressed experience unbearable pain and have no their kids, they will do it in ways far with a thin cotton beard and sometimes more than X months to live. more malevolently ingenious, far more a red cap only. Like all jolly trolls, traumatic than with the nontoxic Santa children can see that their purpose is fun W. Rae Young myth (all one has to do is read the daily and glädje. As young as three, children Middleton, N.J. paper to get the gory details). Ought we may dress as a Tomte themselves and not concentrate, as humanists, on the help pass out gifts. education of parents who routinely listen In Sweden, it is easier to see and Sexual Harassment to holistic herbalists, who invoke biblical celebrate the goodness and joy all around canons to whip their children, who, in their real world, where no child is Regarding Vern and Bonnie Bullough's indeed, are only children themselves at poor, and everyone has equal time off. editorial "Sexual Harassment," (FI, sixteen or seventeen? Worldwide over Might more choices and hopes tell why Winter 1991/92): First, operating room eighty million female children are Scandinavians generally have little need gowns are (or were) open at the back surgically traumatized through infibula- for either God or Santa Claus or other and tied at the neck and waist. Thus, tion and we're to be worried about macho dudes and big daddies? the surgeon's hand would have to enter Santa? from the rear and move under the arm Daylene Lumis to the front. Why didn't the nurse's arm Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Walt Michalsky, President come down tight against the thoracic Humanist Association of cage to block the advancing hand? Hamilton-Burlington On Beneficent Death Second, if the surgeon did not back off, Canada why didn't the nurse take her sterile hand I would like to praise you for publishing and slap the surgeon's masked face? See Judith Boss's comments on page 52 Dr. Jack Kevorkian's comments in on the furor caused by her article.—EDs. "Medicide: The Goodness of Planned (Letters, continued on p. 58) Spring 1992 3 national origin, race, gender, or creed. All human beings are equal in dignity and value. All possess the same rights, including the right to exist. Editorials There are diverse national heritages in the family of humankind, each of which is entitled to some place in the Beyond Multiculturalism: sun. These represent a wide range of cultural expressions, in language and Toward A Humanist Universalism literature, music and the arts, culinary and social customs. No one group is entitled to dominate or deny cultural freedom to others. Many people find their own ethnic Paul Kurtz networks gratifying—they live in a Polish neighborhood, frequent an Irish wo powerful, often contradictory recent immigrants and demands that pub, or visit a Jewish synagogue. People Tforces are at work in the world they be expelled. cherish belonging to some close-knit today: On the one hand, there is the The term ethnicity encompasses a community. But at the same time there continuing movement for national wide range of meanings. It is derived is an urgent need to transcend parochial liberation and the demand of ethnic from the Greek term ethnikos, or ethnos, differences and recognize shared values minorities for the right to determine their meaning "nation" or "people." It refers and interests with all human beings. This own destinies. On the other hand, there to a collective group within a society or is the distinctive humanist message in the are many countervailing tendencies region perceived by its members as contemporary world, for it seeks to take emerging, contributing to the building having a common ancestry and sharing us beyond narrow, chauvinistic, and of a world community. As we search for an historic past or cultural tradition. This intolerant prejudices to a new ethical common ethical values a genuine may be based on kinship and race, plateau. humanist universalism may prevail. religion, or geographical location. It Homo sapiens is descended from a The movement for self-determination includes a consciousness of ethnic common genotype. The division into may be viewed in some contexts as identity. separate ethnic, racial, religious, and progressive, especially where it seeks to There are various destructive forms national enclaves is recent in the history liberate minorities from oppression and that ethnicity has historically taken. The of the species. It is a function of isolated provides some basis for democratic self- most horrible expressions have occurred breeding populations and the influence government. But it also can foment in wars of invasion and genocide—the of particular social, economic, political, intense conflict. The turmoil in various battle to the death over racial, national, cultural, and geographical conditions. parts of the world illustrates the powerful and religious differences. Rome's oblit- Relatively few peoples in the past have attraction of ethnic loyalties. Witness the eration of Carthage graphically illus- lived in isolation; there have always been breakup of the former Soviet Union and trates this. Historically, blacks were incursions from "outsiders." If the Yugoslavia into separate national repub- enslaved by their colonial masters, and Eskimos of Alaska and the aborigines Jews were persecuted by anti-Semites. lics; the split in Belgium between the of Australia lived relatively cut off for Nazism was the most vulgar expression Flemish- and French-speaking popula- centuries, in other parts of the world of racial hatred. Hitler glorified the tions; and in Canada between the there were constant periods of intermin- Aryan race as "superior" to other racial gling and assimilation. China was able Quebecois and Anglo Canadians. One stocks, in order to justify his extermi- to absorb its invading hordes, and Rome may feel that the movement for auton- nation of those he considered to be built an empire from Britain to Palestine. omy has some justice; but at the same "inferior." There seems to be a powerful The world today is in rapid transition. time, it may engender extreme hatred impulse in human behavior to identify Human civilization for the first time in and even bloodshed—as between Croa- with one's own kind, a longing for history has become truly global. Thus, tians and Serbs, Afrikaners and black "roots," and an all-too-easy abhorrence sharp distinctions between Western and South Africans, Palestinians and Jews, of aliens. No nation is immune to racial, Eastern, Asian and African civilization Armenians and Azerbaijanis. In Europe religious, or ethnic fervor, and any are no longer tenable. We all participate there is an outcry, particularly in nation can be overcome by ethnic in a world civilization. We all are heirs Germany, Austria, and France, against animosities. to a common scientific, philosophical, economic, and artistic heritage. Travel Paul Kurtz is the editor of FREE umanism is committed to the and intercommunication are so wide- INQUIRY and chairman of the Council Hpreservation and realization of all spread that we are becoming, though for Democratic and Secular Humanism. human beings. It allows for no dis- some may protest, co-citizens of the crimination because of ethnicity, newly emerging global society—if not

4 FREE INQUIRY directly, then at least symbolically. For must be made to build bridges beyond whatever happens in one corner of the narrow, nationalistic hatreds. This is "The distinctive humanist message globe is of significance everywhere. humanism in practice. in the contemporary world seeks The real heroes of this new global to take us beyond narrow, chauv- society are those who identify with the n the United States, one movement world community. So-called pure racial, that is particularly puzzling is the inistic, and intolerant prejudices to national, or ethnic stocks are diminishing demand for multicultural curricula in a new ethical plateau." everywhere. New societies of people of schools and colleges. There is both a mixed blood are being created overnight, positive and negative aspect to this effort. and "racist" labels on great literary particularly in the "New World." In It is positive in the sense that children figures such as William Shakespeare and North and South America especially new and young adults should be exposed to John Stuart Mill. Does this mean that ethnicities are developing from the a rich diversity of cultures and have the their great works ought to be excluded intermarriage of Hispanics and Anglos, opportunity to learn something about from the curriculum because they are too blacks and whites, Europeans and world history, literature, and the arts "Western-oriented" and not balanced by Asians. America for over 350 years has outside of their own national heritages, African, Asian, or feminist writers? How been open to waves of immigration. On and this enables them to overcome ethnic ludicrous this is can be seen by reference the frontier there was a constant blending prejudice. to science, philosophy, literature, and the of Scotch-Irish, German-Polish, But an extreme form of multicultural arts, where divisive boundaries are Norwegian-Spanish, Indian-Anglo, education has an unfortunate dimension, irrelevant. Western civilization is an Italian-British, etc. for it can easily degenerate into tribal indelible part of world civilization, and People of mixed blood, in one sense, chauvinism of a destructive sort. Some it has played an important role that must are the harbingers of a new planetary militant multiculturalists have sought to be appreciated. Teaching the great ethnicity. Racists and nationalists hate water down curricula by imposing "sexist" classics of Western civilization and intermarriage and have condemned it bitterly as "mongrelization." They seek to forbid it—witness historically the strict religious prohibitions against the Interracial Marriages on the Rise marriage of Gentile and Jew, Protestant and Catholic, and Muslim and Hindu. In another era, Tom and Yvette nages has more than tripled since Laws against miscegenation in the past Weatherly might never have known 1970, according to the U.S. Census had been applied with a vengeance. But each other. They grew up in opposite Bureau. And while interracial mar- a strong case can be made that inter- worlds in Atlanta, his white and riage is far more common between marriage contributes immeasurably to affluent, hers black and working- whites and members of other minor- the diversity and richness of the human class. But as the children of integra- ities, no pairing hits as raw a nerve family, as does interracial and inter- tion, they met when she was bused as unions between blacks and whites. ethnic adoption. to his virtually all-white high school "We are a segregationist's worst What are we to say of the children and sat behind him in English class. nightmare," said Mr. Weatherly, of mixed ethnicity? Is an Afro-Anglo They helped each other with class thirty, a systems analyst. "But to other child black, or white, or both? How work and goaded each other to raise people, we're the perfect example." define a Jewish-Catholic person, or a their hands. As the nation confronts persistent Euro-Asian? The point is that a new Eight years ago they were married. racial bigotry, fanned by a stagnant identity is being created, which goes They have survived their families' economy and politicians like David beyond any narrow chauvinistic defini- shock and disapproval and the stares Duke, these couples are quietly trying tion of personhood. We are all, in the and unwelcome comments of to bridge two increasingly alienated last analysis, members of the same strangers. They know not to stop in worlds... . human race and co-citizens of the world small towns or rural areas when they Marriages between blacks and community. travel. whites make up a tiny fraction of all In Europe, particularly since World They are part of a small but rapidly married couples in the country— War II, many Caucasians are opposed growing corps of interracial couples about 4 of every 1,000. But the to the presence in their midst of signif- who, wittingly or not, have put numbers are rising, as well as the ratio, icant Muslim, Hindu, Arab, and African themselves on the front lines of which was 1.5 out of 1,000 in 1970. minorities. There are now vituperative American race relations, staring into There were 65,00O black-white mar- demands for an end to immigration. the face of age-old stereotypes and riages in 1970 and 211,000 in 1990 Skinheads threaten innocent immi- painfully aware that their public according to census figures... . grants. Granted that an open-door embraces can unsettle all but the most immigration policy places strains on tolerant Americans... . (Isabel Wilkerson, in the December social services, especially in a recession- The number of black-white mar- 3, 1991, International Herald Tribune) ary climate; nonetheless, every effort

Spring 1992 5 appreciating the multicultural character of century is the growth of the repressive human civilization are not incompatible. power of the state, which attempts to I pledge allegiance to the world Humanism is precisely meaningful at this suppress dissident minorities. Democracy community, of which we are all a point, for it encourages the quest for is on the move world-wide. And the test part. universal values and truths that transcend of a free, democratic, open society is I recognize that all persons are the limits of parochial interests. whether it avoids imposing a particular equal in dignity and value. religious or ethnic ideology on all. Given I defend human rights and n the current scene, where competing the multicultural character of the contem- cherish human freedom. ethnic minorities are calling for porary world, it is the ethical system of I vow to honor and protect the autonomy, it is all the more important humanism—which advocates human global ecology for ourselves and that the state be neutral, that it not favor rights, freedom of thought, tolerance, and for generations yet unborn. one group nor seek to limit the rights of respect for all—that provides the basic others. The separation of church and state moral framework for harmonious social Excerpted from the "Declara- is vital, for ethnicity is interrelated in many interaction. It is humanism that offers the tion of Interdependence," (FREE parts of the world with religion. One of world a universalistic ground for the INQUIRY, Fall 1988). the most destructive forces in the twentieth world community. •

because the ancients believed there were Do We Have a seven heavenly spheres circling the earth: the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Judeo-Christian Heritage? Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Part of the names of our days still keep this belief alive, while others are named after Vern L. Bullough German gods in which we no longer believe. ecently Irving Kristol, a prominent believe in order to establish a new faith With only a thin veneer of Christian- RJewish author and editor of Com- as a basis to attack anyone with whom ity, we still manage to celebrate and mentary, editorialized that the United they disagree. All ills of the modern observe ancient festivals such as the States was a Christian nation and that world are blamed on secularism, and a Winter Solstice, which we call Christ- Jews should recognize this and work past that never existed is looked back mas, or the coming of spring, which we within that framework. Similarly, to for answers. In the true sense of the call Easter. About the only thing Richard John Neuhaus, a Protestant word these people are not really con- Christian about Christmas is the name, theological convert to Catholicism, has servatives, or neo-conservatives as they since all other aspects, from Christmas claimed that atheists cannot make good prefer to call themselves, but radicals trees to crèches, are pre-Christian citizens in a Christian country like the intent on establishing a new mythology customs. Easter, the spring celebration, United States. Both statements represent under the banner of conservatism. is named after a German goddess, and a new onslaught on secular humanism Though there is undoubtedly a traditions ranging from the basket of and mark a shift in attacks from right- Western tradition loosely called the eggs to the bunny have nothing at all wing fringe fundamentalists. Key to all Judeo-Christian tradition during the to do with Christianity. the attacks is the belief that our "com- twentieth century, it has never been We believe a circle has 360 degrees mon" Judeo-Christian tradition is restricted to such. Many of our assump- because the ancient residents of Meso- threatened by modern secularism. tions are based upon those of the pagan potamia said so, although we have Both the fringe groups and the neo- Greeks and Romans. In turn their beliefs abandoned 12 as a base number and fundamentalists share a kind of decon- were influenced by astrological, mathe- replaced it by 10. We got 0 and our structionist belief that history is what we matical, and other discoveries of the decimal system from the Muslims, who say it is, and they ignore everything that ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, Persians, took it from India. Much of our Hebrew seems to be contrary to their own beliefs. Hindus, Chinese, and others. We all are scriptures are based on beliefs common They create a history that they want to a product of our past, and in some areas in the Babylonia, while the Christian this past was Christianized in the Middle scriptures themselves picked up not only Vern L. Bullough is a distinguished Ages, but mostly it was not. We have from Judaism but from Zoroastrianism, professor at the State University College twelve months of the year because the from the religions of Isis and Osiris, and at Buffalo and a senior editor of FREE Romans did, and the months still bear from the pagan Greek philosophical INQUIRY. Roman names. We have seven days of tradition. Stoicism and neo-Platonism the week not because of the Bible, but both exerted tremendous influence upon

6 FREE INQUIRY the Church fathers, as did other aspects by Christian churches, and their attempts of the Greek and Roman belief patterns. "We have an eclectic tradition in to speak out and better their position Augustine, probably the most influential have traditionally been opposed. Chris- the United States, one that gener- of the early Christian thinkers, was a tianity was interpreted to condone Manichean before he converted to ally has been tolerant and non- slavery. In fact many religious conserv- Christianity, bringing over with him dogmatic." ative radical movements such as the many of the ideas that came from that Southern Baptists are fueled by Bible- offshoot of the Persian Zoroastrianism, for examples but to ancient Rome and believing literalist Christians determined as well as the Stoic and neo-Platonic Greece. They named one of their legis- to keep women and minorities in their views he had learned in school. Later, lative bodies after the Roman senate, and place. Many of them also oppose all of in the Middle Ages, as the Islamic were influenced by the Greek leagues to the theories behind modern science. version of Aristotle reached Christian come up with a second house. Even our This is not to deny that Christianity Western Europe, Aristotle became more law is based upon Roman law, although (as have other religions) often expressed a part of the Christian tradition. In it was more modified than continental high ideals and helped motivate large popular texts this scholastic movement law by the influence of English common numbers of people to aspire to look is sometimes called the Aristotelianiza- law. Undoubtedly our Founding Fathers outside themselves and to help others, tion of Christianity. were religious, but a good many of them but so have all kinds of non-believing Monasticism, which was so much a were influenced by the deism of the day, traditions, going back at least to Sto- part of the Western Christian tradition, and they certainly were determined to icism. Undoubtedly, also, people who seemed to have been influenced by avoid the rampant sectarianism of the called themselves Christians have been Buddhism, and a series of Chinese time. Many of our early leaders were a majority in the United States for much discoveries from paper-making to silk Unitarians who denied the divinity of of its history, but the various sects and manufacturing to gun powder eventually Jesus. Agnostics and freethinkers from denominations could not agree among made their way west, changing the nature Thomas Paine to Robert Ingersoll also themselves (nor should they) about what of Western culture. The list could go on, played significant roles in the develop- that meant, and often those in disagree- but the point to emphasize is that our ment of the United States. ment have been extremely intolerant of Western tradition is a mixture of what others who believed differently. has gone before with a thin veneer of n recent years we have had a growing In short, we have an eclectic tradition Christianity overlaid on it. Just how thin Ivariety of non-Western traditions, in the United States, one that generally the veneer is, is emphasized by the from Sikhism to Hinduism to Islam to has been tolerant and nondogmatic. diversity of the "Christian" religions. Buddhism, gain and establish strong- Christians of various stripes are part of From the very beginning there were holds in the United States. We have this, as are humanists and agnostics, but hundreds of interpretations, and the spawned or tolerated new religions such this does not make the United States a Emperor Constantine, after formally as Bahaism and a variety of Hare Christian nation or even a Judeo- incorporating Christianity into the Krishna not usually found in India. We Christian one. We are a mixed accu- Roman pantheon of religions, found he even have followers of L. Ron Hubbard. mulation of our past, and it is the had to call a council to decide what it Many traditional churches deny that the Christian dogmatists, not the secularists, was. Though officially the Council of Mormons are Christians, although in who are the major threat to our plu- Nicaea established a version of trinitar- recent years the Mormons have tended ralistic democratic tradition. • ian Christianity, most Christians never to emphasize a more Christian aspect formally adopted it, and Constantine of their tradition. Judaism has also made Is your library a hotbed of himself later refused to accept it. a strong impact in the United States if secular humanism? Hundreds of "heresies" developed, and only because it stood outside the If not, make it so. many of them still survive today in Christian belief system. If your local library does not carry FREE various parts of the world. In the West, Even our Christianity as such is INQUIRY, the world's largest secular hu- Catholicism for a time was dominant, radically different from the Christianity manist magazine, request that it subscribe. but only for a brief period, as it was of the past. Capitalism would have been Make FREE INQUIRY available in your soon challenged by a number of different condemned by the medieval Church, and community: Lobby your library to add interpretations. Two of these interpre- it was by modern popes. Usury and it to its periodical budget, or enter a gift tations, Calvinism and Angelicanism, interest-taking was regarded as a sin until subscription on the library's behalf. Put were particularly influential in establish- the fourteenth century. The early Church reason on the shelves. Put FREE INQUIRY in your library. was pacifistic, and early Christians ing colonies in the United States, but For your convenience order by Master- dissenters such as the Society of Friends refused military service, a far cry from Card or Visa with our toll-free telephone and the Baptists did the same, as did the militant Christianity of the Crusades number, 800-458-1366, or FAX to 716-636- traditional Catholics. or of the nineteenth and twentieth 1733. When our Founding Fathers were centuries, for that matter. In spite of the Our mailing address is P.O. Box 664, hunting for a basis for their new country, example of the two Marys in Christian Buffalo, NY 14226-0664. 3/92 they did not turn to the Christian church stories, women were given short shrift

Spring 1992 7 You are cordially invited to attend the inaugural conference of the 3/92 Coalition for Secular Humanism and Freethought "Secularism and Multiculturalism: A Humanist View // Co-Hosted by the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism and the Humanist Association of Canada Thursday, June 18, to Sunday, June 21, 1992 at the Skyline Airport Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Thursday, June 18 7:00 P.M.-MIDNIGHT: Welcoming Reception Friday, June 19 9:00 A.M.-NOON: Plenary Session—"In Defense of Secularism" Paul Kurtz, Editor, FREE INQUIRY Philip Jones, President, Humanist Association of Canada Gordon Stein, Editor, American Rationalist Wendell Walters, Professor of Psychiatry, McMaster University Patricia Lopez Zaragoza, Asociacion Mexicana Etica Rationalista Skipp Porteous and Barbara Simon, Institute for First Amendment Studies Michael Rockier, President, Bertrand Russell Society Jacques G. Ruelland, Director, La Libre Pensée Québécoise NOON-2:00 P.M.: Luncheon: Humanist Poetry Speakers: Ian Hutton, Editor, The Truth Seeker, and Philip Appleman, Poet 2:00-5:00 P.M.: Concurrent Sessions 1. "Religious Concepts of Multiculturalism" (Sponsored by the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion) Chair: Gerald Larue, Professor Emeritus, University of Southern California Joe Barnhart, Professor of Philosophy, University of North Texas Robert Alley, Professor of Humanities, University of Virginia Frank Miosi, Executive Director, Toronto Learning Centre 2. "Overpopulation and Reproductive Rights" Chair: Thomas Flynn, Associate Editor, FREE INQUIRY Jan Narveson, Professor of Philosophy, University of Waterloo Bonnie Johnson, Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada Digby McLaren, Former President, The Royal Society of Canada Bonnie Bullough, Professor of Nursing, SUNY-Buffalo Friday, June 19, continued 5:00-11:00 P.M.: Toronto by Night Tour A visit to the multicultural Caravan Festival, the CN Tower, and other sites. (Optional) Saturday, June 20 9:00 A.M.-NOON: Plenary Session—"Humanist Concepts of Multiculturalism" Paul Kurtz, Editor, FREE INQUIRY Levi Fragell, Former Co-President, International Humanist and Ethical Union Molleen Matsumura, President, Secular Humanists of the Bay Area Gregori Titarenko, Moscow State University Vern Bullough, Distinguished Professor, SUNY College at Buffalo NOON-2:00 P.M.: Lunch (on your own) 2:00-5:00 P.M.: Concurrent Sessions 1. "Defending the Enlightenment" Chair: Tim Madigan, Executive Editor, FREE INQUIRY Mario Bunge, Professor of Philosophy, McGill University Werner Kriegistein, Professor of Humanities, College of DuPage 2. "Education and Pluralism" Chair: Walt Michalsky, President, Humanist Association of Hamilton Daylene Lumis, Administrator, Family of Children Montessori School John Novak, Professor of Education, Brock University Patricia Hutcheon, Sociologist and Educator Goldwin Emerson, Professor of Education, University of Western Ontario 7:00-10:00 P.M.: Banquet Entertainment: Don Stevens, Comedian Henry Gordon) Professional Magician: "Secular Sorcery" Speaker: Henry Morgentaler, Former President, Humanist Association of Canada Sunday, June 21 9:00-11:00 A.M.: Concurrent Sessions 1. "Russell vs. Russell on Education" Michael Rockier, President, Bertrand Russell Society Marvin Kohl, Professor of Philosophy, SUNY/ Fredonia 2. Workshops on Conference Topics 11:00 A.M.- NOON: Conference Summation 1:00-5:00 P.M.: Board Meetings and H.A.C. General Meeting 9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.: Special Session: Fourth Annual Secular Organizations for Sobriety Conference Leader: James Christopher, Founder and Executive Director, SOS

El YES, I (we) plan to attend "Secularism and Multiculturalism: A Humanist View." ❑ Early Registration for person(s) $99.00 u.s./$109.00 Canadian each ($109/$119 after May 1) $ ❑ Friday Luncheon for person(s) $20.00 u.s./$22.00 Canadian each $ ❑ Friday Night Tour of Toronto for person(s) $45.00 u.s./ $50.00 Canadian each $ ❑ Saturday Banquet for person(s) $30.00 u.s./$33.00 Canadian each $ For accommodations at the Skyline Airport Hotel, please call 1-800-668-3656. Mention "Coalition for Secular Humanism and Freethought" to receive the conference discount rate of $69 single/double room. Check enclosed _ MasterCard — Visa # Exp Signature Name Address Daytime phone City State/ Province Zip/ Postal Code Residents of the United States please make checks payable to CODESH, Box 664, Buffalo, NY 14226-0664. To charge by phone call 8411-458-1366, or FAX to 716-636-1733. For residents of Canada, please make checks payable to the Humanist Association of Canada (Conference '92), 116 Raveescrat Drive, Etobicoke, Ontario M9B 5N3. Registration fee is tax-creditable for Canadians. For further details, call Tim Madigan at 716-636-7571. organizations. However reluctantly, the State Department had no choice but to accede. This is the background of The Vatican's Alliance with Reagan Reagan's 1984 bombshell that rocked the World Conference on Population in Mexico City—and led to America's Tom Flynn defunding of the U.N. Fund for Pop- ulation Activities and the International e note with concern recent media intermediary to Reagan. Planned Parenthood Federation. Wallegations that former President Within Poland, American spies and During the 1980s, the unfolding Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II Catholic priests worked hand in hand drama of Polish resistance galvanized the formed a secret alliance to help topple to distribute millions of dollars worth world. To the degree that developments communist rule in Poland. If true, the of fax machines, video recorders, two- in Poland laid the groundwork for the stories help to explain certain elements way radios, mimeographs, cash, and collapse of Soviet communism, we must of the Solidarity saga that always seemed more—all the accoutrements of a prop- endorse them. Yet we must ask what incredibly fortuitous. But they also mark aganda "war from below" against a price America paid when it allied itself a papal return to geopolitics on a scale repressive communist regime. We read with "the church that thinks it's a nation unmatched in more than a century. And that Casey himself coordinated efforts ... the nation that thinks it's a church." they raise serious questions about to build the remnants of the Socialist That alliance altered American policy in church-state separation: How can a International within Poland into a force the direction of Catholic dogma, to the secular democracy order its relations like the Christian Democratic parties in detriment of millions in the third world. with an entity that is both a sovereign many Western European countries. And it caused the frequent repetition of foreign power and a religious commu- All of this reflected a vision that a spectacle we have long been encour- nity? And what is implied when the Reagan and the pope shared: a vision aged to dismiss as an anti-Catholic Vatican makes United States compliance that the post-World War II division of delusion: namely, the spectacle of with its moral program a quid pro quo Europe, ceding Eastern Europe to the Catholic prelates like Laghi and Krol to secure the church's political Soviets, could be overturned. In the acting incontestably as agents of a cooperation? fifteenth century, the Borgia pope sovereign foreign power while within the Writing in Time, Carl Bernstein Alexander VI had imposed a similar borders of the United States. reported that Reagan and the pope partition, dividing the known world At the highest level, these disclosures forged a secret alliance to preserve between Spain and Portugal. With little would suggest that Vatican leaders have Solidarity, whose leaders had gone less audacity a twentieth-century pope enjoyed broad access to Washington underground in Poland after General joined forces with the president of United policymaking. At the local level, during States to dissolve the partition of Yalta. the abortion debate numerous conser- Wolciech Jaruzelski imposed martial law "This," said Reagan national security on December 13, 1981. They acted vative prelates have dared to remind adviser Richard Allen without a trace Catholic judges, politicians, journalists, swiftly: United States' sanctions were of irony, "was one of the greatest secret and others that their church demands imposed upon Poland and the then alliances of all time." of them a loyalty higher than their oath U.S.S.R. Top-security intelligence data But the alliance was not without its of office, their professional code, or the was funnelled to the pope on the author- cost to the United States. Secularists duty they perceive as American citizens. ity of Reagan and then-CIA Director cannot help but be concerned at the Perhaps it is time to look more favorably William Casey. If the United States spectacle of an American spymaster on calls that high-ranking Catholic enjoyed superior military intelligence, laying clandestine foundations for a churchmen register officially as agents the Vatican had more timely, better- "Christian Democratic" anything in a of a foreign power. • quality intelligence regarding social and foreign land. Equally dubious, in our political matters as the crisis unfolded. view, was the Administration decision On at least one occasion in 1984, Reagan to grant the Vatican full diplomatic Eupraxophy Defined relaxed certain sanctions against Poland recognition as a sovereign state. Perhaps Secular humanism is a euprax- when Archbishop (now Cardinal) Pio most disturbing was the quid pro quo ophy (you-prax-sophie). Laghi flew to the western White House on birth control policy that Rome is said A short form is EPS. It means to warn that the pope felt the sanctions to have exacted from Washington as the "good practice and wisdom." had grown counterproductive. At other price of alliance. William Wilson, times, Philadelphia's John Cardinal Krol Eupraxophy is ethical, philo- Reagan's first ambassador to the Vat- sophical, and scientific. It de- is said to have served as a papal ican, told Time that the Vatican scribes a nonreligious way of life demanded an outright ban on the use and cosmic outlook. Tom Flynn is a FREE INQUIRY associate of American funds for the promotion editor. of birth control or abortion, whether by —Paul Kurtz foreign countries or international health

10 FREE INQUIRY Plan," which outlines a comprehensive and coordinated national program of political action. (An extensive investiga- tion of the Pastoral Plan and its Pronatalist Zealotry and implementation is available in several books, including American Democracy Reproductive Rights: & The Vatican: Population Growth & National Security, by Dr. Stephen D. How Catholic Militants Seized Control Mumford.) The purpose of the Pastoral Plan is to outlaw birth control and of U.S. Family Planning Programs abortion, to "shape our laws so as to protect the life of all persons, including the unborn." Immediately after the Roland Van Liew Pastoral Plan was adopted, parish, diocesan, and state coordinating pro-life hy is Depo-Provera, the world's Dr. Ravenholt details how Catholic committees began organizing all 435 Wsafest, most reliable contracep- bishops and Catholic presidential Congressional districts in the fifty states. tive, banned in the United States? Why appointees planned—and largely Dr. Ravenholt reveals that the begin- does the United States have a so-called achieved—the sabotage of U.S. family ning of Catholic domination of U.S. Mexico City Policy restricting family planning programs. government-assisted family planning planning assistance to the third world? Dr. Ravenholt was the first director programs began shortly thereafter, Why is RU-486, the "abortion pill," of the Agency for International Devel- during the Carter administration. prohibited from even being tested in the opment's Office of Population, serving Catholic influence was greatly strength- United States? from 1966 through 1979. In 1973 he was ened under former President Ronald The primary foe of reproductive awarded AID's Distinguished Honor Reagan and is now firmly entrenched rights for over a century has been the Award, "in recognition of his distin- under President George Bush. In his Roman Catholic church. During the last guished leadership in development of report, Dr. Ravenholt states, "Following decade in particular, the Vatican has had worldwide assistance programs to deal a meeting of Presidential candidate staggering success in stifling family with the challenge of excessive popula- Jimmy Carter and his campaign staff with fifteen Catholic leaders at the planning programs worldwide and tion growth." Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. especially in the United States. The Dr. Ravenholt writes that, in addition on August 31 of 1976, on which occasion Church's role in dismantling U.S. to dismantling international aid, Catholic interference has deprived they pressed Carter to de-emphasize government support for family planning American women of important new federal support for family planning in and rational population policies has been fertility control products. Two such exchange for a modicum of Catholic shrouded in secrecy and protected by a products are Depo-Provera, a most support for his Presidential race, code of silence in the press. But there promising contraceptive, and RU-486, President-Elect Carter proceeded to put are clear indications of a frontal assault the French early abortion pill. Both the two federal agencies with family on our political system. products have been found safe and planning programs under Catholic There is startling new evidence that effective and are being marketed abroad. control." The two agencies were the the Church wields highly effective and Depo-Provera has been approved for Department of Health, Education, and illicit political influence. Saying he has marketing in more than ninety countries, Welfare and AID. "begun speaking out more frankly," a according to Ravenholt, and has been Joseph Califano became Secretary of former top federal official has blown the used safely by more than 12 million Health, Education, and Welfare, and the whistle on the political dealing and dirty women. first to be offered the U.S. AID Admin- tricks used to cripple U.S. population "It is simply intolerable in this istrator position was Father Theodore assistance programs. For fourteen years, country," he says, "that a minority Hesburgh, president of Notre Dame Dr. R. T. Ravenholt directed successful religious sect dictates to the entire University. When Father Hesburgh U.S. efforts to help third-world countries citizenry that they not have access to declined, the appointment was given to curb their rampant population growth, fertility control means which would be John J. Gilligan, a Notre Dame graduate only to watch the program be system- highly beneficial to them. Depo-Provera and a former governor of Ohio. atically dismantled. In a 1991 report, and RU-486 are urgently needed in this In addition, John H. Sullivan, a long- country and throughout the world. A time Catholic adversary of AID's family Roland Van Liew manages his own powerful groundswell of protest is planning program, moved from Con- computer software business and is an needed against religious constraint of gressman Clement Zablocki's office into environmental activist in eastern freedom of contraceptive choice." AID during the presidential transition Massachusetts. In 1975 the National Conference of and was given a key role in selecting Catholic Bishops adopted its "Pastoral Carter's political appointees. During

Spring 1992 11 previous years, Congressman Zablocki operatives. In hearings of the House organizations such as the Moral Major- and Sullivan had "persistently worked Foreign Affairs Committee on July 18, ity by offering generous financial support to curb AID's high-powered family 1975, Zablocki stated for the record his in return for a strong anti-abortion planning program." In 1973, aware that antipathy to contraceptives and dis- position, as documented by investigative AID had just developed a menstrual cussed with a Right-to-Life representa- reporter Connie Page in her book The regulation kit that was very effective and tive, Randy Engel, the removal of Dr. Right to Lifers. The Church also hides safe, Sullivan and allied zealots helped Ravenholt. "I would hope that we could its involvement when possible by sup- Senator Jesse Helms develop the Helms find a way of removing him." Sander porting non-Catholics for leadership of Amendment to the Foreign Assistance Levin and others aggressively attacked Catholic-dominated organizations so Act to prevent mass distribution. Since Dr. Ravenholt before the Merit System that people become confused about who then, this amendment has also prevented Protection Board. After several years of is behind anti-family planning activities. AID from providing assistance for the harassment, Ravenholt accepted transfer For example, the first three presidents termination of unwanted pregnancies. to the role of Director, World Health of the National Right to Life Committee, President Carter's political appointees Surveys, Centers for Disease Control. an anti-abortion group created by the took various actions to curb birth control Since then, AID's dismembered family Catholic church and composed primarily initiatives and obstruct family planning planning program has suffered contin- of Catholics, were all Protestants, programs. For example, Dr. Ravenholt uing harassment from the Reagan-Bush although Jack Willke, a Catholic, points out, "In 1978 after the Food & administrations and anti-birth control became president in 1980. The National Drug Administration already had zealots, and has been far less effective Committee for a Human Life Amend- informed the Upjohn Company that its than it otherwise could have been. ment has no official affiliation with the product, Depo-Provera, was approva- We do not have such clear inside Vatican but gets the better part of its ble, it was HEW Secretary Joseph information on the deals made by money from Catholic communicants Califano who specifically directed that George Bush, but the public record is across the country, and so on. FDA not approve Depo-Provera for interesting indeed. Before running for the Little or none of this information gets marketing as a contraceptive. Thus presidency in 1979, Bush was a strong reported in the mass media. I asked Dr. Califano, an otherwise able Secretary of advocate of family planning programs Ravenholt what the most surprising or HEW, paid his appointment dues to the both as a U.S. congressman and as U.S. distressing reaction was to his report. Catholic Church." representative to the United Nations. "The code of silence," he answered John Sullivan was responsible for Bush's own father lost re-election to the immediately. "It has been an education many of the top appointments within U.S. Senate in 1950 by just a few hundred to me to the extent to which the Church AID, including Sander Levin, a defeated votes when columnist Drew Pearson, on controls the media." Democratic candidate for governor of the Sunday before Election Day, Besides the complexity of the Vati- Michigan without family planning "revealed" that Bush's father was in- can's dealings, there is certainly one program experience. He was appointed volved with Planned Parenthood. The forbidding reason for the lack of news Assistant Administrator of AID's Pop- lesson was not lost on son George, who coverage: The Church effectively uses its ulation and Humanitarian Assistance sold his soul to the religious right in order own religious intolerance along with Bureau. Levin took direct responsibility to gain the presidency. public cries of "bigotry" as weapons to for dispersing Office of Population "Although it is appropriate," Raven- club anyone who criticizes its dogma or personnel as desired by his superiors, and holt emphasizes, "for Catholic and other its meddling in government affairs. A returning the program to an adminis- religious leaders to exhort adherents and reporter writing this article for any trative structure similar to that which others not to use contraceptives and newspaper in America would face had proven ineffective prior to Raven- other means of birth control, it is surely enormous pressure from the Church, holt's tenure. Levin appointed "special unacceptable to the majority of Amer- which has a very effective policy of assistants" to administrate population icans that any religious minority dictate blackballing people who oppose it. programs and distributed the budget to what means of fertility control may be Critics can quickly lose their jobs and five Geographic Bureaus instead of the used by persons of other faiths—by often their livelihood. Office of Population. Levin also took denying them access to valuable prod- Leaders of major family planning long, determined action to oust Dr. ucts of scientific research through covert organizations, especially Planned Par- Ravenholt. John Sullivan himself political deals and dirty tricks." enthood, have been thoroughly intimi- assumed the position of Assistant Besides negotiating political deals dated by the power of the Church. The Administrator for Asia, notwithstanding directly with presidential candidates, the International Planned Parenthood Fed- Sullivan's particular aversion to birth Church made sure that fanatical right- eration and the Planned Parenthood control, especially condoms, as well as wing religious groups such as the Moral Federation of America are very careful abortion. Majority were well funded and in some to never criticize the Church or the pope Dr. Ravenholt, as the architect of cases, as with the National Right to Life directly. Leaders of population organ- aggressive, innovative, and successful Committee, this was initiated directly by izations will privately admit that the family planning programs, became the the Church. Catholics succeeded in co- Church is the primary source of oppo- primary target of Catholic political opting the agenda of non-Catholic sition, but will not jeopardize their 12 FREE INQUIRY funding by saying so publicly. Planned engagements every year by Catholic Courageous individuals like these are the Parenthood in particular would risk a zealots. He has been picketed by true heroes of today's battle for repro- great deal of money by confronting the Catholic clergy arm-in-arm with the ductive freedom. source of conflict rather than simply police, who are supposed to protect his The Church's simultaneous opposi- exploiting the controversy. rights, has had to live apart from his tion to birth control and abortion is Says Ravenholt, family for most of the last twenty years, contradictory and has nothing to do with and has been assaulted and firebombed humanitarian concerns. The Church is It is a remarkable failure of Planned several times. Dr. Stephen Mumford, a not effectively trying to reduce abortions. Parenthood to publicly identify their top researcher in the field of U.S. Indeed, its contradictory policies have chief adversary, the Roman Catholic population policy, quickly lost his created an abortion rate among Catho- church. Improved family planning lics that is 30 percent higher than the made notable progress around the livelihood after exposing the Church's world, especially the third world, in role in defining U.S. government policy. rate for Protestants, as shown in studies the 60's and 70's, but has languished Catholic legislators, including senators supplied by the Alan Guttmacher during the 80's until now. The lack and governors, have been directly Institute and Catholics for a Free Choice. of courage of U.S. family planning threatened with excommunication and The true reasons for Vatican opposition leaders in recent years has greatly to birth control are rooted in pronatalist reduced the effectiveness of the global political disaster if they do not vote in family planning movement. line with the Vatican, but many have power politics aimed at greater numer- The current code of silence with refused to do so. Dr. Ravenholt, now ical hegemony and the need to maintain respect to identifying the main adver- retired from the federal service, waited authority within the Church itself. sary of reproductive freedom—the to speak out until his livelihood was no Vatican power politics threaten repro- Roman Catholic Church—is foment- ing a world disaster analogous in scope longer in danger. He has provided some ductive rights of nonadherents; nothing to that which would have ensued if of the most explosive evidence of the less than our civil liberties and our during this century world political Church's power in the United States. national security are at stake. • leaders had failed to identify Russia as the main adversary of democratic political freedom. So it is left to individuals to challenge Concerning the Right to the church's influence on public policy. Some persons have stood firm, but they have paid a heavy price. Bill Baird, a Persecute Heretics tireless advocate of reproductive rights and a forthright critic of the Church's role in denying those rights, is blocked Stephen D. Mumford from a large number of speaking n its November 15, 1990, issue, The activities of Catholic accommoda- I Wanderer published an article titled tionists: "Concerning the Right to Persecute Dr. R. T. Ravenholt held the This seems to me to give legitimacy position of Director of the Office Heretics," which was written by its to a secularist "mainstream" which of Population, in the U.S. State editorialist, George Kendall. Amazingly, really has no business even existing. Department's Agency for Interna- there still has been no response to the ... Rather than taking the offensive against secularism (the only strategy tional Development (AID) from article from the secular, Protestant, or liberal Catholic presses. that seems to me to be morally right, 1966 through 1979. The Ravenholt let alone to have any chance of report, Pronatalist Zealotry and The Wanderer is a national Catholic success), they appear to be asking the Population Pressure Conflicts weekly founded in 1867. It is the most secularists to throw them a few (twenty-six pages), is published by conservative of the Catholic weeklies and crumbs.... [The accommodationists' the most obedient to the papacy. Kendall activity] assumes common ground the Center for Research on Pop- between Christians and their enemies began his editorial by questioning the ulation and Security (CRPS). which is just not there. Many of the statements in this article are direct quotes from the Stephen D. Mumford is president of the Kendall justifies his position thusly: report. Free copies are available Center for Research on Population and "Clearly, the real goal of secularism is from CRPS, P.O. Box 13067, Security. He is the author of American not `pluralism' at all, but the suppression Research Triangle Park, NC Democracy and the Vatican: Population and eventual destruction of Christianity, 27709, telephone 919-933-7491. Growth and National Security (1984) a kind of anti-theocracy." Free copies of the Pastoral Plan and The Pope and the New Apocalypse: The Catholic church has long pro- for Pro-Life Activities are also The Holy War Against Family Planning claimed that "error has no rights." On available from CRPS. (1986). December 4, 1864, four months before Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, Spring 1992 13 Pope Pius IX issued his encyclical But secularism is another matter. For tion" which secularists idolize. We, as Syllabus of Errors. The Syllabus was a one thing, while the errors of orthodox human beings, have both temporal list of eighty errors that "the Church has Protestants, orthodox Jews, and even ends ... and eternal ends. But these, some of the more old-fashioned a right to occupy herself with, to refuse while distinct, are not absolutely varieties of atheists and agnostics, divisible.... We cannot, as members to tolerate, and to assume the care of have relatively benign effects on the of civil society, support abortion, correcting...." This document was a social order, those of the secularists which involves a terribly wrong rela- fierce attack on American democracy do tremendous evil to society. Abor- tionship with other human beings, yet and clearly rejected the legitimacy of the tion; euthanasia; "sex education" be in a right relationship with God. which has led to promiscuity, venereal ... A tolerable social order must be U.S. Constitution. These errors have disease, and the breakdown of the grounded in a right relationship to God. been reaffirmed in thousands of church family, have all wreaked tremendous Thus the state is obliged to coop- documents and pronouncements over destruction on the social order. erate with the Church in rightly the last 126 years. None have been As a society, we have every right ordering man's relationships with recanted. to protect ourselves against these evils other men, even though the state does by suppressing the people who advo- so with a view to temporal ends, not Secularism is vigorously rejected by cate them. As the late Willmoore eternal ones. the papacy, a fact made abundantly clear Kendall (no relation) said repeatedly by the Syllabus of Errors and Pope Leo every society has a basic right to s Kendall's editorial a harbinger of persecute heretics, and it was total- XIII's encyclical Immortale Dei, things to come? A December 28, 1990, dated itarian ideologues, secularists, Com- I November 1, 1885. Secularism under- munists, and the like, that he had in Associated Press article by David Briggs mines papal authority, which is essential mind, not Protestants. suggests that it is. Titled "Religious to the maintenance of papal power. Religious people believe that there Groups Join in Lobbying for Common Diminishing power threatens the sur- is an objectively valid moral law Good," the article describes a growing, vival of the papacy. The U.S. Consti- ... while secularists believe that man unprecedented alliance between the himself, by his free choices, determines tution is a secular document that defines for himself what is good and what is Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, a secularist government. Thus, anyone evil. These are world views that cannot and Muslim leadership in the United who commits himself or herself to coexist.... Either the secularists will States. Bishop Herbert Chilstrom, preserving, protecting, and defending it suppress us or we will suppress them, Evangelical Lutheran Church, describes and it had better be the latter, or we the driving force behind this alliance is a heretic, according to these currently are all in deep trouble. held teachings of the Church. Secularism, unlike honest Protes- formation: "There's ... a growing feeling Kendall writes, tantism ... is essentially a profound that the forces that are aligned against rebellion against God, and, with that the Christian churches—secularism, rebellion, an effort to destroy God's While it is true that, as the Church nationalism, militarism—are so formi- creation.... That kind of rebellion has always taught, error has no rights, dable that we can't help but align has, indeed, no rights, and can it is also true that people who, legitimately be suppressed by both the ourselves with one another." sincerely and without malice, hold Church and the state. The suppression Also suggestive is Christian broad- erroneous views, have rights, includ- of secularism is a legitimate project. caster Pat Robertson's book, The New ing the right to have their human The precise measures to be taken dignity before God respected. This Millennium, in which he foresees a will have to depend on pragmatic conflict between secularism and Judeo- category would certainly include all considerations, and certainly no more or most devout Protestants. force should be employed than is Christian "standards" in this decade. In actually necessary.... Measures that this book, he predicts that within the next Since the majority of American Protes- require creating a police state would ten years this alliance will be the most tants would not qualify as "devout," they do so much evil that we would want powerful political force in America. would be excluded from this category. to avoid them unless they were Kendall's editorial concludes with this absolutely necessary... . But Kendall goes on to say, "The good But it would certainly be desirable, challenge: consciences of honest, sincere people are and I think, even obligatory, for An accommodation between Chris- not to be tampered with as long as their society to place secularists under some tians and secularists is an impossible errors are not leading to really horren- civil disabilities to prevent them from one and would be immoral even if it taking power—prohibiting them from dous evils, especially in relation to social were possible. Those who seek such holding public office or teaching in a thing are, really, whatever their good order." The implication is that even our schools are fairly obvious ones. intentions, engineering the Church's devout Protestants cannot be tolerated ... We Christians have both the right surrender to secularism. Our efforts if they "commit errors" that set the social and the duty to campaign for such as Christians should be aimed, not at order against the security interests of the measures, and no guilty preoccupation peace with secularism, but at victory with "pluralism" should prevent us over secularism. papacy, even if the devout Protestants from doing so... . are committing these errors to preserve Clearly, the state has goals and If secularists fail to respond, the the security interests of the American functions which are different from the Catholic church is all but certain to help people. Church's and should be carried out without undue interference from the engineer changes in the U.S. Constitu- Kendall's position is best explained Church. But that does not mean no tion that will permit religious control of in his own words. interference at all, the "wall of separa- government in the future. • 14 FREE INQUIRY who said, "Let there be light" and there was light. Or, how many prefer to believe that there was a big bang somewhere On Religiosity about 15 to 30 billion years ago by means of which our universe was formed;

a (2) believe that all the species of Earth were created by divine formation as Isaac Asimov distinct and separate. Or how many prefer to believe the incredible amount very once in a while, someone writes themselves again. of evidence that makes it quite plain that Ean essay denouncing me for being I would even be willing to suppose all these species developed by evolution- an atheist. I just received a new one that each of the hundred goes to some ary procedures; (3) believe that the first entitled, "The Trouble with Atheists Is established church and engages in all the man and woman, created as such, lived that They Don't Want to Believe." rigamarole involved in such a thing. in a place called the Garden of Eden, The author ends with the statement, However, I am quite certain that they where they were forbidden to eat a "It is the scientists of shallower mind— would divide themselves up into different certain fruit. A talking serpent luring axe-grinding popularizers like Carl sects and schisms of religion (not even them into eating it and God, instantly Sagan and Isaac Asimov and disgruntled all Christian—some might be Zen infuriated, kicked them out of Eden. Or high school teachers—who cling Buddhists) and have nothing to agree how many prefer to believe that human- doggedly to the privilege of believing in on. ity developed over a period of several nothing." (I don't believe in nothing; I I have no objection to scientists million years; (4) believe that God is so believe in science; but the author of this engaging in this sort of thing. If it makes malevolent, so short-tempered, so essay never heard of science, alas.) them feel good to suppose they have wicked, that he is willing to destroy all Our pious essayist says, "The really divine revelations and that there is a God humanity but for one family because brilliant scientists are almost all open to watching over them, why not? Let them they have "sinned" and does it by means religion, testifies Yale physicist Henry feel good. of a world-wide flood. He then destroys Morgenau, who has worked with Ein- I am not responsible for what other Sodom and Gomorrah by fire from heaven, because they have "sinned." He stein, Dirac, Jastrow, Heisenberg, and people think. I am responsible only for then destroys several thousand Israelites Schrodinger. They do not mix religion what I myself think, and I know what for cavorting about a calf of gold and with science but neither do they exclude that is. No idea I've ever come up with "sinning" (this is the all-merciful God); it from the sphere of rational conviction. has ever struck me as a divine revelation. (5) believe that there was a world-wide Those who discover wholly new abstract Nothing I have ever observed leads me to think there is a God watching over flood that destroyed everything on Earth theories of physics, says Professor me. roughly about 2700 B.C.E.; (6) believe that Morgenau, privately regard their ideas Although the time of death is when Lot's wife turned back to look at as divine revelations." approaching for me, I am not afraid of burning Sodom, she was converted into Well, let's think about it. Let's gather dying and going to Hell, or (what would a pillar of salt. together one hundred scientists, all of be considerably worse) going to the All these things are myths and fairy whom regard their new abstract theories popularized version of Heaven. I expect tales, which, if they were found in any of physics as being divine revelations. death to be nothingness and, for re- other scriptures, in any other "holy I would suppose that each of the hundred moving from me all possible fears of books," would be recognized as such and would work up some sort of theology death, I am thankful to atheism. laughed at. But because they occurred to account for what they are doing, but But let us turn to these pious people in our Bible, which we are taught from I would also suppose that no two of them who write essays denouncing atheism. childhood to revere, we accept it all. would have the same sort of theology. What is it they are not denouncing? Well, I won't accept any of these I suppose that each of the hundred Religion? Whose religion? What are their things, including a great many additional would have some vague notion of God, beliefs? We know that there are people items I haven't bothered to mention. Yes, but that no two would really have the who call themselves "Christian," by if atheism involves not believing in these same God, and if they tried to argue with which they mean they are fundamental- fairy-tales then my trouble is that I don't each other over the nature of God they ists who accept every word of the Bible want to believe. Why should I? And how would quickly entangle themselves in as basic truth. Now, then, we have to many scientists, no matter how filled they such an intricate knot of theological ask how many scientists there are who are with the feeling of divine revelation, religiosity as never to be able to untangle are fundamentalist Christians and who are going to believe any of this nonsense? accept every word of the Bible as basic Incidentally, the essayist who de- Isaac Asimov is an award-winning truth. nounces atheism reveals in every line he science writer whose career has spanned Thus, how many scientists: (1) believe writes his complete ignorance of modern decades. that the Earth was created some 6,000 science. This does not stop him from years ago by some supernatural agency arguing, of course. I wonder why he

Spring 1992 15 bothers yelling at me and calling me century in which the United States set a kind, all-merciful God, while ripping names. I don't want to call him names, up a standard of corruption such as has off our nation wholesale and having but if I did, it would amount to nothing. never been seen before. We have worked people steal by the millions leaves him When he dies, he, just like I, will enter with junk bonds, we have ripped off the unmoved and untouched. a realm of nothingness. He will not be savings and loan banks, we have spent I hear conservatives say that "liberals" punished for being religious, however money like water, living on borrowed are destroying the family, but it is the foolishly. I, on the other hand, since I funds until our city, state, and even conservatives who are destroying the am an atheist, must (according to the federal governments have no money. Yet country. I would be much more beliefs of the pious essayist) be heading I don't hear the television preachers call impressed by religious people if they straight to Hell when I die. The kind any of this "sin." I hear no denunciations weren't so eager to gather in the loot and all-merciful God he believes in has from the pulpit. Sin to them is a little for themselves, and if they got up on no hesitation in seeing to it that I suffer bit of sexual fun. A touch of adultery their hind legs and denounced the tortures of the most extreme kind gets them all hot and bothered. And, thieves and crooks who permeate our through all eternity. Given that, what else as a matter of fact, a touch of adultery society. must I suffer? Isn't it enough to burn is something they themselves dabble in. I don't really think it will happen, in the deathless fires of Hell for trillions They then weep and let the tears run however. Religious people are too of years? Must this person also call me down their cheeks and howl, "I have interested in sex. • names and yell at me? sinned." Incidentally, I am interested in what Well, you know, I don't like to believe it is that fundamentalist television that either. I don't want to believe that Copyright 1991, Davis Publications, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Dell Magazines preachers call "sin." We have just gone having relations with some woman who Fiction Group, a division of Bantam Doubleday through a decade of the twentieth is not your wife is supposed to infuriate Dell Publishing Group, Inc.

political action. This is being accom- plished through a network of state Christian Coalition Update affiliates and county chapters. Robertson employs several means to carry the message of his political agenda. Skipp Porteous His daily 90-minute television show, The 700 Club, is carried by the Family I honestly believe that in my lifetime in some 40 states. In 1992, the Christian Channel, a subsidiary of his Christian we will see a country once again Coalition intends to mobilize 20 million Broadcasting Network (CBN), and is governed by Christians . . . and radical right Christian voters. In addi- seen on 223 cable systems and television Christian values. What Christians have got to do is take back this tion, during the next decade, the group stations, reaching more than 52 million country, one precinct at a time, one plans to train 5,000 political candidates households. neighborhood at a time, and one state at all levels. The television preacher's message is at a time. Besides abetting the election of Bible- also popularized through his best-selling believing, Christian candidates at the book, The New World Order. Robert- —Ralph Reed state and local level, the Christian son's book made the New York Times' Executive Director the Christian Coalition Coalition's primary goals are to: press best-seller list in the fall of 1991. for legislation making abortion a crime The Christian Coalition has two and school prayer legal; protest films and publications, Religious Rights Watch ent on picking up where Jerry television programs that "defame our and a national religious newspaper called BFalwell's Moral Majority and Pat Lord"; and protect the presence of a Christian American. Religious Rights Robertson's Freedom Council left off, religious symbols on government prop- Watch is a monthly two-page flyer that the Christian Coalition is almost dead erty—such as Christmas crèches on attempts to warn Christians about how on target in achieving its goals. Organ- courthouse lawns and crosses depicted they are losing their rights in America. ized in October 1989 by the Reverend on city seals. Christian American, in tabloid form, Pat Robertson—and headed by Ralph According to Coalition literature, with lots of color, bills itself as "A Reed—the coalition now claims more "Christian Americans are tired of getting Christian Review of the News." This bi- than 200 chapters with 140,000 members stepped on. Christian America has been monthly is a cross between Falwell's a house divided for far too long." As defunct Moral Majority Report and the Skipp Porteous comments on the activ- a result of this perceived injustice, a John Birch Society's Review of the ities of Christian fundamentalists regu- coalition of evangelicals, "pro-family" News. larly for FREE INQUIRY. Catholics, and their allies joined together In November 1991, the Christian to mobilize and train Christians for Coalition held what Robertson called

16 FREE INQUIRY ". . . the most important pro-family moral guidelines or reliable safeguards Coalition's bylaws says its purpose is "to strategy meeting of the 1992 elections." to protect people from its own cor- educate, inform and mobilize Christians Entitled "Road to Victory Conference ruptions." to become active in the public arena in and Strategy Briefing," about 800 Chris- Robertson believes there are now support of causes which reflect Christian tian activists discussed the nuts and bolts enough votes on the Supreme Court to values ... [and to] aid the election of of political victory. Topics included: overturn Roe v. Wade and other "anti- Christian candidates at the state and building coalitions; recruiting candi- Christian" policies. As a result, he sees local level who promote Biblical values." dates; the politics of abortion; targeting the battle against abortion and many The Christian Coalition believes that specific races; the Republican Party other church/ state and First Amend- because of resentment over the savings delegate selection process; opposition ment issues being waged at the state level. and loan scandal, the Clarence Thomas research; voter identification; getting out "This means that coalitions of Christians hearings, and the recession, voters are the Christian vote; dealing with the must target the legislative and school looking for new faces, new ideas, and media; and how to publish voter guides. board races of their states and cities." new solutions. They also note that the The conference got off to a shaky start Part of the "Road to Victory" con- anti-incumbency and anti-tax campaigns when Buddhists, Muslims, and Jews ference focused attention on the Repub- are picking up steam. And finally, "We protested the scheduled appearance of lican delegate selection process, can hold our own at the polls as long Vice President Dan Quayle. Held at underlining the Coalition's goal of taking as we turn out pro-life voters and recruit Robertson's new hotel, Founder's Inn, over the Republican Party from the candidates who do not retreat from their which employs only born-again Chris- inside. It was pointed out that media pro-life views," according to Ralph tians, representatives of the non- attention is usually focused on which Reed. Christian religious groups said Quayle's particular presidential candidate the In our democratic system, the Chris- appearance endorsed the hotel's discrim- delegates are pledged to support at the tian Coalition has every right to its plans. inatory hiring practices. Founder's Inn Republican National Convention. How- However, its campaign belies the fact job applicants must write out a personal ever, the Coalition maintains, "for the that we are a pluralistic nation. If it is testimonial telling "what life was like purposes of determining party philos- successful, non-Christians will be rele- before they were Christians and what it's ophy and direction, the selection of the gated to second-class citizenship, at best. like now." Scheduled as a speaker, delegates is most important." As this At worst, a new fascism will destroy Quayle delivered his message as planned process receives little attention, and is our Constitution and American plural- and refused to comment on Robertson's understood by few, the process was ism. hiring practices. described and analyzed on a state-by- To beat the radical Christian right, Other speakers included: Senator state basis. we need to be more than well informed. Jesse Helms, Phyllis Schlafly, Christian While the Christian Coalition may We must become activists in every way Reconstructionist author and activist present itself to the media as an organ- our individual talents allow. Study the George Grant, and Gary Bauer of the ization whose purpose is to simply elect opposition, vote, write letters to editors, Family Research Institute (an arm of "pro-family" conservatives to public run for office, and support organizations James Dobson's Focus on the Family office, it is radically more narrow than that defend First Amendment freedoms. ministry). that. Article Two of the Christian Do your part. • Pat Robertson used his unsuccessful 1988 presidential campaign to launch his new radical Christian right grass-roots 40th Anniversary Congress of the movement. "My main purpose was not International Humanist and Ethical Union to get elected, but to get Christians involved in the public arena and in "Humanism for Head and Heart" politics," he said, adding "And they're Sunday, July 26 to Thursday, July 30, 1992 in there." "I found there is an enormous Rai International Congress Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands reservoir of pro-family, pro-Christian Themes for Humanist Action: Counseling and Ceremonies, Practical Work values in this country. These people are and Social Action, Education. in it for the long haul ... within the Workshop Topics: Environment, Euthanasia, and many others. next ten years they may be the most powerful political force in America," There will be a boat trip, a buffet supper and other informal opportunities for socializing. Robertson continued. Registration Rates: (US$1 = Dfl1.75 approx.). Full participant Dfl250, Accompanying To Robertson, secular humanism is participant D11175; Student Dill 00 one of the enemies of a Christian Hotel accommodations: per night Dfl100-Dfl250, Bed and breakfast per night Dfl25 (limited availability) America. And he thinks humanism is Write to: IHEU Congress Secretariat, P.O. Box 114, 3500 AC Utrecht, The Netherlands, morally bankrupt. Like communism, or telephone +31 30 31 21 55 • FAX +31 30 36 71 04. Call Martinair Holland and Robertson says, "secular humanism has Holland Approach (908-580-1161) for discount transportation and hotel packages. 3/92 failed.... It is a bankrupt system without

Spring 1992 17 would like to commend Valle for his efforts, and hopes he is giving the Campus Crusade for Christ a run for On the Barricades its money.

The Prince of Peace and How the Mighty Are Fallen the Duke of Hate

Cornell University, founded in 1865, was David Duke's recent gubernatorial the only Ivy League institution of its time campaign in Louisiana was warmly without church origins. Founder Ezra received by a majority of the state's Cornell, who was raised a Quaker but Christian white voters. According to a had no religious affiliation as an adult, poll published by the Princeton Religion wanted the university to be strictly Research Center, 6 white Protestants in nondenominational and independent of 10 (62 percent) and 5 Catholics in 10 any religious ties. The founding charter (52 percent) said that they had voted for Vern L. Bullough explicitly stated, "at no time shall a Duke. In addition, he got 69 percent of majority of the board (of trustees) be the white Christian fundamentalist vote, Bullough Named Dean of of one religious sect or of no religious and 57 percent of the vote of white Institute for Inquiry sects." This led to the myth that Cornell weekly church attendees. His defeat is was a godless university, a view no doubt largely credited to his lack of support Vern Bullough, a senior editor of FREE fueled by the classic book written by its among the state's large black population, INQUIRY, has been named Dean of the first president, Andrew D. White, The who no doubt felt that his professed Institute for Inquiry. The Institute is History of the Warfare of Science with Christian beliefs did not square with his jointly sponsored by the Council for Theology in Christendom. But Cornell Ku Klux Klan past. Democratic and Secular Humanism and has now established a major in religious the Committee for the Scientific Inves- studies, and officials at the school hope tigation of Claims of the Paranormal, that this will put to rest its "godless Credit Where Credit's Due two nonprofit educational organiza- university" aura. tions. The purpose of the Institute is to The January 1992 issue of the Christian offer courses in humanism and skepti- Information Bureau Bulletin discusses a cism. It sponsors an annual summer Campus Atheists Cause a Stir recent edition of the ABC news program session and periodic workshops. The "PrimeTime Live" in which reporter next session will be held from June 13- Michael S. Valle, an undergraduate at Diane Sawyer exposed the shady finan- 17, 1992, at the State University of New the University of Minnesota, became cial practices of three popular televange- York at Buffalo (see ad on page 37). interested in the philosophy of atheism— lists: W. V. Grant, Larry Lea, and Robert so interested, in fact, that he started a Tilton: The Bulletin compares this pro- campus group, The University of Min- gram to the exposé six years ago of A Grain of Salt About nesota Atheists and Unbelievers. Start- televangelist/ faith healer Peter Popoff a Pillar of Salt ing with a membership of four and, in and reminds its readers that "it was the his words, "a budget of whatever spare atheistic humanists who exposed him six Geologist Josef Charrach is raising the change we happened to have," the group years ago: magician James Randi, Paul cry that "the salt is falling, the salt is has grown to over ninety students, Kurtz, et al." Readers of FREE INQUIRY falling." Specifically, he is referring to thanks in part to the attraction of such will recall that Popoffs shenanigans a 45-foot pillar of salt and limestone on dynamic speakers as Michael Martin, (pretending to hear voices from God Jerusalem's Mount Sodom, which author of Atheism: A Philosophical when in fact it was his wife, Elizabeth, legend holds to be the final remains of Justification; Matthew Stark, president who transmitted to him the names and Lot's wife. The righteous Lot was warned of the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union; ailments of those he was claiming to by the Lord, in Genesis, Chapter 19, to and Gerald Erickson, professor of "cure') were recorded by Randi and a flee the sinful city of Sodom, which was classics and Near Eastern Studies at the team of assistants at a February 1986 about to be destroyed. "But Lot's wife U of M, who spoke on the possibility crusade in San Francisco's Coliseum. behind him looked back, and she became that Jesus never existed. According to As the Bulletin reports, FREE a pillar of salt." The pillar in question Valle, "Our meetings take place every INQUIRY looked into the practices of W. has become a major tourist attraction, month with a turnout of at least twenty- V. Grant as well. "The irrefutable but Charrach warns that it will soon fall five students, and this turnout is getting evidence that W. V. Grant, like Popoff, off the Mount, due to the shifting of larger every month. Hereticism is here operates a deliberate scam was first the mountain and incessant rainfall. to stay at the U of M." FREE INQUIRY presented in two editions of the humanist

18 FREE INQUIRY magazine FREE INQUIRY, spring and will be announced on March 11 at the million in yen notes found in a safe in summer, 1986." The Bulletin goes on to Church Center for the United Nations. a dump in Yokohama were traced to a bemoan the fact that such exposés were As for 1993 awards, it is unlikely that Soka Gakkai member, and more not done by church leaders: "It is a sad anyone affiliated with FREE INQUIRY recently, $11 million paid by the organ- day when the secular media accuses need apply, since the consensus here is ization for two Renoir paintings mys- leading evangelicals of deliberate decep- that the term "Progress in Religion" is teriously disappeared, fueling rumors tion and seemingly documents the an oxymoron. that the money was being used for charges, thereby bringing reproach upon political payoffs. the gospel and the Lord." At any rate, High Priest Abe, in the meantime, has it's nice of the Bulletin to give credit to Rift in Japanese Religious Circles attempted to re-assert control in no FREE INQUIRY for instigating this series uncertain terms, writing recently that, "A of investigations into fraudulent faith- A bitter struggle has emerged between person who disobeys the High Priest will, healing. factions of Japan's largest religious without a doubt, fall into the Hell of organization, the Nichiren Shoshu sect Incessant Suffering." In November, he of Buddhism. The sect's chief priest, excommunicated the leaders of Soka Bad Karma Nikken Abe, has accused its main lay Gakkai and ordered it to disband, which organization, Soka Gakkai, of slander, it has so far refused to do. Speaking of fraudulent faith-healers, venality, and usurpation of priestly don't assume that they come only in a authority. Lay leaders, in return, have Christian variety. Raman Bachchan, countered by accusing Abe and his fellow Eldon Scholl: August 3, 1918- thirty-four, has plead guilty to a rape priests of corruption. "Thanks to our December 10, 1991 charge arising from a faith-healing efforts, the Nichiren Shoshu sect has session in Passaic County, New Jersey. increased its membership and brought Eldon Scholl was one of the founders He and his wife, Deepshikha, admitted more income to the priests," said of American Rationalist magazine. It to deceiving hundreds of followers and Einosuke Akiya, president of Soka was formed by a group in Chicago in collecting thousands of dollars from Gakkai. "But the priests became corrupt. 1956 after the demise of United Secul- them. From 1989 to 1991, the Bachchans They cling to old and outdated doctrines arists of America. Arthur Hewson was operated from their $3,000-a-month to create a totally priest-centered world." the first editor and Eldon acted as rented home in Wayne and other sites, Control of Soka Gakkai is not a business manager. He used the pseud- duping countless visitors into believing minor matter: Billions of dollars are at onym "Arthur Stahl," formed from the they had special healing powers. "Jim stake, since the lay organization claims names of his friends, Arthur Hewson and and Tammy Faye Bakker are minuscule a membership of eight million families. George Stahl, continuing the practice in front of this couple," said Ami Mehra, In addition, it has tremendous political until the November-December 1991 who paid the couple $90,000 to cure his influence, and provides crucial support American Rationalist, the last issue he wife of stomach troubles. The Bachchans for the government of Prime Minister was able to work on. There, he finally have been in jail since their arrest last Kiichi Miyazawa. In recent years, Soka used his own name. May in an Atlantic City casino. They Gakkai has gained a reputation for had over $70,000 worth of cash and financial misproprieties. In 1990, 1.2 —Raube Marks jewelry on them at the time.

Religious Prize Exceeds $1 Million

The Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, founded in 1972 by financier Sir John Marks Templeton, has increased its value to more than $1 million for 1992. Templeton initiated the prize in response to his view that the Nobel prizes did not recognize the importance of religion. He decreed that his prize should be more valuable than the Nobels, and has increased its value six times. Recipients include Billy Graham, Mother Theresa, Alexander

Solzhenitsyn, and Hospice founder n leiUIMO`,CN FOR Mt •TLwi1 COlcminnll Dame Cicely Saunders. The 1992 award By permission of Mike Luckovich and Creators Syndicate.

Spring 1992 19 Communicating with the Dead: William James and Mrs. Piper Part 1

Martin Gardner

I should be willing now to stake as an afterlife, which he defended with a physical phenomena such as levitating much money on Mrs. Piper's honesty clever model of the brain in his little book tables, floating trumpets, luminous as on that of anyone I know, and am Human Immortality. He was a founder ectoplasm from her nose, rappings, cold quite satisfied to leave my reputation and life member of the American Society breezes, spirit photographs, unearthly for wisdom or folly, so far as human nature is concerned, to stand or fall for Psychical Research (ASPR). Many music, strange odors, and other wonders by this declaration. of his best friends, notably the British which, for reasons spiritualists were psychic investigators Frederic Myers and never able to explain, took place in near —William James Edmund Gurney, were spiritualists. total darkness. To James's credit, he was (Proceedings of the Society James was never able to persuade strongly skeptical of such manifesta- for Psychical Research, Vol. 6, 1889/90, p. 654) himself that mediums channeled voices tions, and did not hesitate to brand as from the dead, though he always charlatans such mediums as Madame remained open to the possibility. He was, Blavatsky and Eusapia Palladino. illiam James (1842-1910), consid- however, firmly convinced that some Mrs. Piper simply went into trances, ered by many to be America's W mediums had paranormal powers, even during which discarnates took over her most distinguished philosopher, psychol- though their "controls" were perhaps vocal chords or seized her hand, which ogist, and pioneer psychic investigator, what he called "counterfeit" personalities would rapidly write what the spirits was a Platonist in the following sense: conjured up by a medium's subconscious dictated. After a trance she insisted she He believed that the world open to our mind. recalled nothing of what had transpired. experience and scientific probing is only I will argue that James, though a On one occasion James asked the control a small fraction of a much vaster realm brilliant thinker and superb writer, was to order her (like a hypnotist command- about which we know nothing. Our too gullible and too ignorant of methods ing a mesmerized subject) to remember universe, he liked to say, is a tiny island of deception to appreciate the ease with everything, but the ploy did not work. in a vast Mother Sea. Such a vision may which intelligent persons can be deceived We shall see later why such claimed lead to a healthy acceptance of strange by crafty charlatans. As all magicians phenomena as worthy of investigation. know, men of science who know nothing It can also lead, as in James's case, to about magic are the easiest of all people a careless acceptance of anomalies to fool. As I like to say, electrons and without first making a strenuous effort microbes don't cheat, but psychics do. to be sure such phenomena exist. My essay will focus on the one medium James's Platonism helps explain his who played the dominant role in James's lifelong fascination with mediums. His psychic investigations, Mrs. Leonora father, Henry, was a spiritualist who Piper. For twenty-five years, until his wrote a book about Emanuel Sweden- death in 1910, James attended hundreds borg, the famous Swedish trance of Mrs. Piper's séances without reaching medium. Although not in any sense a a firm conclusion about the nature of Christian, William James believed in her controls. Baffled is the word he constantly used to describe his state of Science writer and skeptic Martin mind. Gardner's latest book is On the Wild Mrs. Piper is still considered the most Side (Prometheus), a collection of essays famous, most trustworthy, direct-voice on topics ranging from pseudoscience to medium who ever lived. No one ever strange religious beliefs. caught her in fraud. Unlike other famous mediums of the time, she never produced William James

20 FREE INQUIRY amnesia is of great advantage to a develop mediumship in others. On her medium. second visit she fell into a trance. After Leonora Evelina Simonds (1859- awakening she was told that a young 1950) was born in Nashua, New Hamp- Indian girl with the improbable name shire. She never finished high school. of Chlorine had spoken through her. When twenty-two she married William Mrs. Piper was soon giving her own J. Piper, identified in some references private séances, charging each client (as as a Boston store clerk and in others she liked to call a sitter) a dollar per as a Boston tailor. (It would be surprising sitting. This would have been a consid- if his middle name were James.) For a erable sum in today's currency. In later while the Pipers lived with William's years the fee was raised to $20. The parents. William's father, a salesman in Society for Psychical Research (SPR) in a Boston bookstore, was an ardent England eventually provided her with a spiritualist. Later, William and Leonora trust income sufficient to support her and moved to Pinckney Street, in Boston's her two daughters. Beacon Hill section, where they raised James's mother-in-law was so impressed after attending a Piper séance A young Mrs. Piper. (the control told her where to find a lost "James, though a brilliant thinker Mrs. Piper liked to begin a séance bank book) that she recommended the and superb writer, was too gullible by asking for a personal possession of medium to William. James began either the sitter or the spirit the client and too ignorant of methods of attending, and sent a raft of relatives and wished to contact. It could be a watch, deception to appreciate the ease friends to Mrs. Piper's sittings. Alice, ring, necktie, lock of hair, sweater, and with which intelligent persons can James's wife, was quickly convinced that be deceived by crafty charlatans. Mrs. Piper was indeed channeling voices so on. (Getting the right vibes from such from the dead. As one of James's an object is known in the trade as As all magicians know, men of "psychometry.") In his autobiography science who know nothing about biographers puts it, Alice was "credu- lous" where William was merely Lodge says that it took Mrs. Piper a magic are the easiest of all people "curious." long time to move in and out of a trance, to fool." After her fame spread abroad, Mrs. "going through contortions which were Piper made three trips to England under sometimes painful to watch." James two daughters, Minerva and Alta. Alta the auspices of the SPR. In 1889 and speaks of the "great muscular unrest" wrote The Life and Work of Mrs. Piper 1890 she and her daughters stayed in that preceded her trance. Her pupils in 1929. Both daughters became profes- Frederic Myers's home, and later in the dilated, she moaned and sobbed, her eyes sional musicians. I do not know when homes of physicist Oliver Lodge and rolled upward, and her ears wiggled or where either died. other SPR members. Her next two trips violently in a way James says she could Mrs. Piper was tall, stout, and were in 1906 and 1909 to 1910. All her not move them when awake. How did handsome, with blue eyes and brown séances on all three trips were supervised James know? Mrs. Piper said so. Later, hair; she was good-natured, self- by the SPR. In England her two most her transitions between the trance state possessed, matronly, modest, and famous converts, who became absolutely and wakefulness became much calmer, shrewd. In his History of Spiritualism convinced she was channeling discar- although curiously it always took her Conan Doyle says that a head injury nates, were Myers and Lodge. longer to emerge from the state than go preceded her discovery that she could In America her most eminent convert into it. In these later years her breathing contact the dead. Alta Piper, in her was James Hyslop, a professor of logic became slower during a trance, and she biography of her mother, describes the and ethics at Columbia University, a snored throughout. She claimed to feel injury as a mysterious sharp blow over man as gullible and ignorant of magic a snapping in her head when the trance her right ear that occurred when Leonora as Doyle. Through Mrs. Piper he con- ended, often accompanied by weeping, was eight, followed by a voice that said, versed with his mother, brother, and disjointed mutterings, and exclamations "Aunt Sara, not dead, but with you still." uncles. He wrote in Life After Death, of pleasure, pain, and sometimes disgust, Later Leonora learned of her aunt's one of his many worthless books: while her eyes would be open and staring death. and her mouth drooling saliva. In 1884 an ice sled struck Leonora, I regard the existence of discarnate Alta Piper writes that when her injuring her internally. Soon thereafter spirits as scientifically proved, and I mother came out of a trance she always she developed an ovarian tumor which no longer refer to the sceptic as having saw people in the room as small and was later removed along with her any right to speak on the subject. Any black, and often greeted a sitter with fallopian tubes. Her spiritualist father- man who does not accept the existence "Oh! How black you are!" Alta adds that of discarnate spirits and the proof of in-law persuaded her to seek advice it is either ignorant or a moral coward. her mother "always resumes the conver- about the tumor from J. E. Cocke, a I give him short shrift, and do not sation at that point where it was broken blind medium and healer who liked to propose any longer to argue with him. off before the sitting began." Spring 1992 21 James and others tried to hypnotize editor of its journal. He died in 1909 Mrs. Piper, but she never went beyond of heart failure while playing handball. a light sleep, her body limp and unlike Hodgson and Pellew became friends, her trance condition. During one trance often arguing about life after death, in she ignored a small cut James made on which Hodgson believed but Pellew did her left wrist. It did not bleed, Alta tells not. When Pellew began coming through us, but when her mother awoke it "bled Mrs. Piper, Hodgson was at first so freely," leaving a permanent scar. When suspicious that he hired detectives to a lighted match was pressed on her arm, shadow Mr. and Mrs. Piper for several her control said it "felt cool." She weeks to make sure they were not secretly remained undisturbed when a needle was researching "evidential" information pushed into her hand, and when a French about his friend. But when Mrs. Piper investigator stuck a feather up her nose. put Hodgson in touch with the spirit of On the other hand, she reacted if the a former girl friend in Australia (Hodg- doorbell rang. On one occasion her son came from Melbourne) who control tested a medicine he advised a informed him for the first time of her sitter to take by having Mrs. Piper dip death, Hodgson abandoned all doubts. her finger into the liquid, then put the Early in her career Mrs. Piper chan- finger to her forehead, after which he neled only voices, but gradually the declared that the medicine had been Alice James as a young woman in Boston. voices gave way to automatic writing. properly prepared. When a piece of During her voice period the séances were onion was put in her mouth, she smacked Finnett (pronounced Finee), the control either not recorded or notes were taken her lips and the control said he could of the blind medium who launched Mrs. by stenographers, but of course the taste it. Piper on her career. automatic writing provided its own Mrs. Piper's voice, like the voices of Dr. Phinuit said he came from Metz, record of what the controls said. Unfor- today's trance channelers, always altered but strenuous efforts to find evidence of tunately records were seldom kept of when different controls took over. Males a doctor by that name who lived in Metz what sitters said. spoke like males, children like children. were fruitless even though the doctor During a trance Mrs. Piper would Irishmen had Irish brogues. Frenchmen gave his birth and death dates. Phinuit turn her head to one side, on a pillow, and Italians had French and Italian spoke English with a stage French while her right hand rapidly scribbled accents. Lodge had no doubt he con- accent, but was unable to speak French messages. The writing was often illegible versed with his dead sister Anne because even though Mrs. Piper said she had and subject to different interpretations. he recognized her "well remembered studied French for two years. Nor could voice." Phinuit understand James when he "Mrs. Piper's voice, like the voices When Mrs. Piper later lived in spoke in French, or recognize the names Arlington Heights, near Boston, her of French drugs. Later he said he had of today's trance channelers, séances were held in an upstairs room lived so long in Marseilles, in an English- always altered when different con- she called her Red Room because its speaking colony, that he had lost all trols took over." wallpaper and furnishings were red. A knowledge of French except for such clock in the darkened room was kept phrases as bonjour and au revoir! Frequently she pressed so hard that a illuminated. One skeptic dared suggest The next major control, who con- pencil would break. At other times her that this was so she could know the time tinued for a time in parallel with Phinuit, hand would violently sweep the writing to end a séance, since she preferred that was known as G. P., the initials of George paper off the table. For a while Mrs. they not go beyond an hour. Pelham. The name was a pseudonym Piper spoke and wrote at the same time. After Chlorine, Mrs. Piper's earliest used by the ASPR to conceal the identity On at least two known occasions, three controls included Martin Luther, Com- of George Pellew, a young lawyer by sitters received simultaneous communi- modore Cornelius Vanderbilt, Long- training but a writer by profession. He cations, a vocal one from Phinuit, a fellow, George Washington, Lincoln, wrote a dissertation on Jane Austen, and written one from G. P. through one Loretta Pachini (a young Italian), J. published two books, In Castle and hand, and another written by a deceased Sebastian Bach, and Sarah Siddons (an Gable and Women of the Common- sister of the sitter through the other hand. English actress). After they stopped wealth. Pellew died in 1882 at age thirty- Writing with both hands was not hard coming, the next and most famous of two in New York City after falling off to do because Mrs. Piper was ambidex- all her controls was an eighteenth- a horse. A month later he turned up as trous. She was normally left-handed, but century French physician named Dr. one of Mrs. Piper's favorite controls. wrote and sewed with her right, and Phinuit (pronounced Phinuee), who had Pellew had been a good friend of could handle a fork equally well with died of leprosy. Phinuit had a deep, gruff Richard Hodgson, a British psychic either hand. voice. Oddly, Phinuit sounds very much investigator who came to Boston in 1887 One time Mrs. Piper pressed a sheet like the French physician Dr. Albert G. to serve as secretary of the ASPR and to her forehead and wrote on it in mirror- 22 FREE INQUIRY After Hodgson vanished, there were flowed from Mrs. Piper's controls? many other controls, including the dead A reading of verbatim records of Mrs. Frederic Myers and Edmund Gurney. Piper's séances shows that her controls At about this time England's SPR did an enormous amount of what was began experimenting with what it called then called "fishing" and today is called "cross correspondence." The idea was to "cold reading." First a vague statement have Mrs. Piper and several other is made, followed by more precise mediums in distant localities seek simul- statements, depending on a sitter's taneous messages from the same discar- reactions. Mrs. Piper liked to hold a nate. The messages were then checked client's hand throughout a sitting, or for correlations. Doyle gives some even to place the hand against her examples in his history of spiritualism forehead. This made it easy to detect that would impress nobody except muscular reactions even when a sitter himself. For example, Mrs. Piper would remained silent. get a message with the word violet in During a trance Mrs. Piper's eyes it. Another medium would channel a were often only half-closed, so it was also message that referred to "violet buds." easy for her to observe how a sitter (For a detailed analysis of these corre- responded to fishing. If a reaction, often spondences, see the book by Amy a spoken one, is unfavorable, the Tanner discussed in my epilogue.) medium at once takes off on a different Every psychic investigator of Mrs. track. If the reaction is favorable, the Piper was impressed by her simplicity medium knows he or she is on the right and honesty. It never occurred to them track. Many tests have shown that Oliver Lodge that no charlatan ever achieves great victims of skillful cold reading are never success by acting like a charlatan. No aware of how they subtly guide what the reversed script. Try this and you will be professional spy acts like a spy. No card surprised at how easily it can be done cheat behaves at the table like a card "Every psychic investigator of with paper on your forehead. Mrs. cheat. No successful con artist acts like Piper's right hand did more than write a con artist. No fake psychic ever gives Mrs. Piper was impressed by her while she was in a trance. It also func- the impression of being anything but simplicity and honesty. It never tioned as a strange kind of telephone honest. occurred to them that no charlatan to the controls. If sitters wanted to ask What convinced so many intelligent ever achieves great success by a question, they held the hand close to persons that the dead actually spoke acting like a charlatan." their mouths and spoke into it with a through Mrs. Piper? It was the aston- loud voice. ishing amount of information she In 1896 the controls became a group provided that she seemed to have no cold reader is saying. Afterward they will called the Imperators. They had earlier normal way of acquiring. Even James vigorously deny they made statements been the controls of William Stainton was persuaded that she got this infor- indicating whether the medium was right Moses, a famous British medium. They mation by paranormal means although or wrong, and are astounded when they were immortals on a higher plane who it may not have come from discarnates. listen to a recording. had such names as Imperator, Rector, A common conjecture of the time was Dr. Phinuit had a habit of babbling Director, and Mentor, and who talked that Mrs. Piper was telepathic and on and on, making inane conversation constantly about God, heaven, and the clairvoyant, picking up data from the while he shamelessly fished. If he made angels. In 1905 this group (someone minds of sitters, or the minds of others an outright mistake, he followed with suggested it should have been called the far away, or from a clairvoyant viewing silly excuses. Often when asked a Imposters) gave way to the dead Richard of letters, tombstones, and so on. It was question he could not answer, he would Hodgson. However, Rector would even suggested that her controls had such profess deafness and leave. His ignorance appear first, then locate Hodgson in the ESP. James did not buy this theory. He of science and literature was monumen- spirit world and bring him to Mrs. Piper. inclined to the view that she was tapping tal, yet he was well informed about hats At the end of a séance he would return some aspect of the transcendent Mother and clothing! Frequently a client would to pronounce a benediction. Sea. He once gave Mrs. Piper tests for get nothing from Mrs. Piper, James James had known Hodgson well. The telepathy and clairvoyance using dia- wrote, but "tiresome twaddle" and spirit of Hodgson did his best to grams and playing cards, all of which "unknown names and trivial talk."2 To persuade James it was actually he, but she totally failed. any skeptic, this indicated either that the James never budged from the fence. client was carefully uncooperative during Whenever he asked Hodgson details ow can a hard-nosed skeptic like a cold reading, or Mrs. Piper had no about the other side, Hodgson either Hmyself account for the seeming advance information, or both. driveled nonsense or refused to answer. flood of accurate data that constantly When you read books about Mrs. Spring 1992 23 Piper by believers, such as the anthology father's title and became Viscount William James on Psychical Research, Exmouth and a member of the House edited by Gardner Murphy and Robert of Lords.) The letters had been written Ballou, you will learn only about her to Edward Clodd, author of an anti- hits—nothing about her abundant spiritualist book called The Question: If misses. On one occasion Mrs. Piper told a man die, shall he live again? published James that a certain ring had been stolen, in London in 1917. The letters were later but it was later found in James's house. printed in an annual of London's On three occasions Phinuit tried to guess Rationalist Press Association. Here is the contents of a sealed envelope in the full text of one of Charles's letters, James's possession. All three were sent to Clodd in 1918: failures even though Phinuit contacted Hannah Wild, the very person who wrote I must apologize for delaying so long the letter! In a typical séance hundreds in answering your letter of inquiry of statements would be made, and there about Mrs. Piper, but I have been engaged in some extremely important were thousands of séances. By chance professional work, necessitating some alone one would expect some fantastic weeks' stay in Washington, and have lucky guesses. The verbatim records only just got a chance to clear up my reveal a weird mixture of hits and misses. correspondence. Believers of course forget the misses— My brother G. P. died very sud- denly, by accident, some twenty-five "selective amnesia," it has been called— years ago. He was an exceedingly and remember only the hits. clever fellow, of remarkable literary ability, and had written one or two good books, had taken the prize at "A reading of verbatim records of Frederic Myers Harvard for an essay which, together Mrs. Piper's séances shows that with his class O.K., is still passed down by the staff of their English Depart- her controls did an enormous faking her partial guess. Why? Because ment as indicating the "high-water amount of what was then called had she known the complete title she mark" of student ability. `fishing' and today is called 'cold would surely have given it! "Phinuit's At his funeral, one friend, a famous stumbling, spelling, and otherwise novelist (Mr. Howells) begged father reading.' and myself to have his poems collected imperfect ways of bringing out his facts," and published, saying that he consid- James wrote, "is a great drawback with ered two of them as among the very On many occasions a Piper control most sitters, and yet it is habitual with finest sonnets in the English language. would pretend to be fishing to give the him." I was reminded of how Merv A very well-known historian and impression that something was partly Griffin, introducing Uri Geller on his essayist (John Fiske) told me to be sure and print some essays of his on but not fully known. This is a common television talk show, said the thing that dodge of mediums, as well as magicians philosophy, which he assured us were convinced him Geller was not a magician well worth preserving, in permanent who perform what in the trade is called was that a magician's tricks always work, form. a "mental act." For example, when a whereas Uri's paranormal feats some- The poems were gradually sorted control tried to give the name of Mrs. times fail! out from various papers and scrap- books, and a collection of them was James's father, which everyone in the Although true believers were over- area knew to be Gibbens, the control published a few months later. We whelmed by the accuracy of information could not, however, put our hands on first tried "Niblin" then "Giblin" before coming through Mrs. Piper, skeptics had his philosophical papers, though we finally getting it right. The name of exactly the opposite reaction. According heard from various friends who Herman, a child of James's who, as to Joseph Rinn, in Sixty Years of Psychic believed they must still be in existence. A few weeks after George's death, everyone knew, died the previous year, Research, Hodgson constantly lied in was first spelled "Herrin." word came to us from some very reporting on how members of the Pellew excitable friends of his in Boston that On another occasion James's family reacted to what George Pellew they had been in communication with deceased father thanked William for said through Mrs. Piper. Hodgson his spirit, through the medium Mrs. bringing out a certain book. "What repeatedly spoke of how they confirmed Piper. One of the first questions asked book?" James asked. His father could of him, so we were told, was, "Where what George's spirit was saying, but are those philosophical notes of do no better than spell L-i, the first two exactly the opposite was the case. yours?" Back came the answer, "At letters of the title. The book was Literary George's mother called the data "utter Katonah," this being the name of our Remains of the Late Henry James, a drivel." In 1921 Rinn came upon a series country place, not far from New York collection of his father's papers. Of of letters written by George's brother City. "Whereabouts at Katonah?" "In course the title would have been well a tin box, in the corner cupboard in Charles when he was a professor of my bedroom," came the reply. known to Mrs. Piper, but James was chemistry at Columbia University. (In As I remember the story, it was one actually persuaded that she could not be 1923 Charles succeeded to his British of his friends, possibly a cousin, who 24 FREE INQUIRY immediately started for Katonah and him," and they did not join the society. amount to nothing—and yet, after a went to the bedroom, in the corner For my own part, I was telling this sitting with her, he had come out cupboard, and found the tin dispatch story once, before a meeting just absolutely convinced that he had been box—empty. addressed by one of Mrs. Piper's most talking with his dear old friend The papers themselves, as I only ardent believers, and was informed George. He had even asked him some found some twenty-years later, when that I evidently had not, myself, questions about points in Revolu- of course their value was entirely gone, carefully read the reports in ques- tionary history, which George had were at the time in the possession of tion—which was the case. So, next either discovered or was going to one of G. P.'s friends, to whom he day, I went to the public library and discuss with his, George's, ancestors, had given them before his death. getting hold of some of the Transac- who had been prominent in that This was the closest that Mrs. Piper tions of the Psychical Research period, etc. And really, when John ever came, so far as I know, to saying Society, I hunted round in them to Fiske was so absolutely and com- anything that might conceivably have find some characteristic interview with pletely convinced of the truth of the come from my brother, although for my brother. I soon found one. An old interview, my own people ought to weeks and months, and even years, friend, so I gathered, or certainly an reconsider their position in the we were continually bombarded with acquaintance, was at last put in touch matter." like reports of interviews of all sorts with him, per Mrs. Piper, and began I told my father to reserve judg- and conditions of people with him to identify him. "You hear what I say, ment, and a few days afterward under the auspices of the Psychical George?"—"Yes."—"You are sure you returned to New York. Research Society. understand me?"—"Yes, go ahead."— Within a week or two, happening After this had been going on for "Well, George, listen to this carefully: to be at the Century Club at one of at least fifteen years, my people `Pater hémón.' "—"Pat?"—"Do you their monthly gatherings, I saw big, showed me, one New Year's, a letter understand, George? `Pater, hémón jolly, burly John Fiske walk into the they had just received from Hodgson. ho en tois ouranois.' "—"Pat—what reading room. I at once hailed him He reminded them that ever since is that? I don't quite catch it." I (I had met him only a few times): G. P.'s death his society had been chuckled. Whoever it was answering "How are you, Mr. Fiske? Do you sending them repeatedly the bulletins that fellow, whether Mrs. Piper or remember me, Charles Pellew? By the and reports of the Piper sittings where Phenuit or anyone else, it was not way, I hear you've been having a talk G. P. was involved and that, un- George. recently with my brother George." doubtedly, my parents had long been George was a good scholar, and Fiske stopped—gasped, "Good heav- convinced, as was every other intelli- had been at St. Paul's School, Con- ens—your brother George—why, he's gent and unprejudiced reader, that cord, N.H., for at least five years, and been dead for twenty years!" "That's they had at last been able to prove, had, every Monday morning of his all right," said I; "through Mrs. Piper, without question, the existence of G. school term, to recite, and hear his I mean." "Oh," and he paused— P.'s own self in the other kingdom, classmates recite, the Lord's Prayer in relaxed—and his whole voice etc., and that, while of course the mere Greek. changed. "That old fraud!" and he sat question of a few dollars was not of Unless I'm very much mistaken, it down and began to laugh. "Why," I any importance to any of them, he was some old friend of his who was said, "I heard that you said there was did hope that my father and mother trying him with the first words, no doubt about his being George would become regular members of the knowing that if George was there he himself, just as though he was at the Psychical Research Society, and have would recognize them instantly, as I other end of a rather poor telephone their names published as such, to show did some ten or fifteen years later, just connection." "That's a lie," he said; their acceptance of the accuracy of the seeing them in print this way. "nothing of the sort. I was finally conversations with my brother. The most curious evidence, to my persuaded to see Mrs. Piper, and To which Mrs. Pellew, George's mind, of the absolute unreliability of found her a bright, shrewd, ill- mother, replied briefly, and, it seems any statement of the believers in the educated, commonplace woman who to me, not without a very considerable Mrs. Piper cult happened to me in answered glibly enough questions amount of intelligence and good, connection with these same philos- where guessing was easy, or where she sound common sense. It was to the ophy papers I spoke about. might have obtained previous infor- effect "that they had been receiving, I had supposed the Piper nuisance mation. But whenever I asked any- for years past, numerous communi- had faded away, not having heard of thing that would be known only to cations from the society concerning it for a year or two, when, having run George himself, she was either silent supposed interviews of various people over to Washington to see my people, or entirely wrong. For instance, I with my brother, and some of these I was shown a curious letter from asked as follows: `Is this you, they had read more or less carefully. Hodgson. It was something to this George?'—`Yes.'—You know who I Everybody, however, who had ever effect: "Of course they all knew and am?'—`Yes, my old friend John met G. P. in life had always been regretted that my parents so per- Fiske.'—'When did you see me last?'— impressed by the fact that his keen, sistently refused to recognize the truth 'In Cambridge, at your house, a few clear, brilliant intellect was unfor- of those wonderful interviews with months before I passed over.'—'What tunately kept down by a weak body. George, but that now they had some sort of house is mine?'—`A wooden And that nothing could possibly evidence which was convincing— house, two stories, hall in the middle, convince her, who knew G. P. so well, absolute, positive proof. My people dining room on one side, library and that, when that wonderful mind and knew John Fiske, what a clever, keen study on the other.' And so it was, spirit of his was freed from the mind he had, what a close friend of but almost all the Cambridge houses trammels of the flesh, it could under George he was, and what a hard- are just that style. any conceivable circumstances, have headed, practical, unemotional sort of " Now,George,you remember see- given vent to such utter drivel and fellow—well, he had at last been ing me, at my house, at that time?'— inanity as purported, in those com- persuaded to see Mrs. Piper—much 'Yes'—'What was it you came to see munications, to have been uttered by against his wishes—sure that it would me about?' " Perfect blankness. Spring 1992 25 "Now," said Fiske, "that winter I The tendency of believers to take making many tests of Mrs. Piper, had just published my book on vague statements uttered by a medium, concluded: philosophy, and George had amused then fit circumstances to them, is brought himself by writing some very clever, very remarkable papers, in which he out vividly by Rinn in giving some of In all the years of Mrs. Piper's criticized my views quite severely. Mrs. Piper's remarks that poor Hyslop mediumship, she made no revelation to science, her efforts in astronomy And, before publishing them, he was considered evidential. Hyslop's dead were utterly childish, her prophecy so afraid of hurting my feelings that father, speaking through Mrs. Piper, said untrue. She never has revealed one the dear old boy wrote me to say he that just before his death he had visited scrap of useful knowledge. She never was coming to Cambridge to talk it Hyslop. Hyslop called this evidential could reveal the contents of a test letter over with me. He sent me his manu- left by Dr. Hodgson. script, which I read carefully, and then because his father had visited him several he came on by night from New York, years before he died. The father's spirit and was at my house soon after spoke of a box of minerals he had owned Myers also left a sealed test letter for breakfast. We talked philosophy all as a boy. Hyslop scored this a hit because mediums to try to read. Myers himself, morning and all the afternoon. We his father had owned a box of Indian speaking through Mrs. Piper, was as went to the library after dinner and unable to read the letter as Hodgson's talked philosophy until nearly twelve arrowheads. In his book Science and a o'clock, when I started him home. Future Life Hyslop said it took two years spirit could not read Hodgson's test Now I think if he remembered the date for Mrs. Piper to guess correctly from letter. Myers's wife wrote to the London of the visit, and the house and the what his uncle died. Telepathy cannot Morning Post (October 24, 1908) stating arrangement of the rooms, he might account for Mrs. Piper's knowledge, that she and her son found nothing in have had some slight remembrance of all the messages from Myers purporting what we were talking about." Hyslop argued, because it took her Of course you can use this letter twenty sittings to guess his uncle's name. to come through mediums that "we can in any way you wish. "There was great difficulty in getting the consider of the smallest evidential value." name of my uncle James Carruthers," When Rinn asked Mrs. Piper's Dr. Yours very sincerely, he wrote. "I had to ask Mrs. Piper's spirit Phinuit if he had ever treated Esther Charles E. Pellew control to spell it out after failing in the Horton in Marseilles, George Pellew first attempt. It was tried again the next seized Mrs. Piper's hand and wrote As Charles's remarkable letter makes day with no results." To a skeptic, this "Esther Horton is very weak—cannot- plain, Hodgson told outright lies about simply indicates that Mrs. Piper, at the cannot now—will try some other time." how Fiske had reacted to the séance he time, didn't know the name. Rinn had invented the name, which of attended. John Fiske was a Harvard Some notion of Hyslop's competence course meant nothing to Mrs. Piper. philosopher and historian, and a friend as an investigator can be gained from After Rinn explained the trap to Hodg- of William James. He was a devout theist his practice of wearing a mask to conceal son, he was never invited to another and a believer in immortality, but less his identity when he entered a room for Piper séance. gullible than James with respect to a séance, then removing it after Mrs. The following New York Times edi- alleged psychic phenomena. Note how Piper went into a trance. Hyslop torial (July 9, 1909) gave an accurate sum- Mrs. Piper, who knew no Greek, took assumed that while in a trance Mrs. Piper mary of what everybody outside the small the word Pater, Greek for "Father" in could not see him even though her eyes circle of believers thought of Mrs. Piper: the opening line of the Lord's Prayer, were half-open. Before she awoke, he put to refer to someone named Pat! the mask on again. Of course Hyslop We have no desire to deride the few men of learning in this age who hold had been introduced to Mrs. Piper by to - a spiritual conception of the Hodgson, who could have provided the universe, but when, like Sir Oliver medium with all sorts of facts about him. Lodge and Professor James, they Frank Podmore, in Modern Spiritu- carry their theories so far as to accept, alism, came to the following conclusion or at least dally with, supposed communications from the spirit world after carefully going over the verbatim through trance mediums, their expe- reports of Mrs. Piper's séances with riences will inevitably be compared Hyslop: with those of Robert Dale Owen and Luther Marsh. Owen received with an I cannot point to a single instance in "open mind" the antics and sayings which a precise and unambiguous of the materialized Katy King, and piece of information has been fur- lived to see the medium he had trusted nished of a kind which could not have thoroughly exposed as a common proceeded from the medium's own impostor. So did Marsh. mind, working upon the materials Professor James is not willing to provided and the hints let drop by the declare that the "Richard Hodgson" sitter. who maundered and chattered with the tongue of the medium Mrs. Piper is the veritable soul of his dead friend Romaine Newbold, a philosopher at Dr. Richard Hodgson, but obviously Richard Hodgson the University of Pennsylvania, after he should like to believe it. To the 26 FREE INQUIRY practical mind, Mrs. Piper is either attended one of Piper's séances, at no rational, the vulgar commonplace of a rank impostor, kindred to Brown- time did he think he was conversing with the crafty fortune-teller with startling ing's Sludge, and nearly all the other anybody except Mrs. Piper. Thomas W. reality, that I have no theory to offer— merely the above facts. I should mediums who have forced themselves M. Lund, chaplain of the School for the into public notice since the era of the require much more evidence than I yet Fox sisters, or a neurotic person Blind, in Liverpool, made the following have, and with much more careful subject to self-hypnosis. comment about his séance with Mrs. testing of it, to convince me (1) that Mrs. Piper's talk in trance, as Piper in The Proceedings of the Society Mrs. Piper was unconscious; (2) that quoted in the Proceedings of the for Psychical Research (vol. 6, 1889/90, there was any thought-reading beyond American Society for Psychical the clever guessing of a person trained p. 534): Research, reads like the unutterable in that sort of work; (3) that there was nonsense spoken by persons in hyp- any ethereal communication with a notic trance. Some of it must have With regard to my experience of Mrs. spirit-world. I did not like the sudden sounded like the rambling of a pho- Piper, I do not feel that I saw enough weakness experienced when I pressed nograph out of order. But in the gift to form data for any satisfactory my supposed sister for the reason of of evasion of direct questions to conclusion. What impressed me most my absence at her death, and the delay Richard Hodgson's spirit, it closely was the way in which she seemed to wanted for giving a reply. resembled the spirits called up in dark feel for information, rarely telling me séances by all fraudulent mediums. anything of importance right off the Even Myers, in the same issue of the The unseen ghosts of the Psychical reel, but carefully fishing, and then admitted there were striking Researchers are a poor, aimless lot, following up a lead. It seemed to me JSPR, occasionally droll, but never convinc- that when she got on a right tack, the differences between Mrs. Piper's honesty ing to anybody who has not made up nervous and uncontrollable move- when awake, and the obvious dishonesty his mind as to the honesty of the ment of one's muscles gave her the of her controls. He tells how her trances medium. Mrs. Piper is so ineffective signal that she was right and might had a way of degenerating into sessions as a medium, we are willing to believe steam ahead. that she is self-deluded. So are during which Dr. Phinuit's conversation consists "wholly of fishing questions and Professor James and Professor Lund goes on to say that among Mrs. random assertions" which extract "infor- Hyslop. Piper's usual mix of hits and misses she mation from the sitter under the guise correctly told him his son was ill and On one occasion Hodgson asked Mrs. that his wife planned to visit the son. of giving it. Piper to describe what a certain Mrs. However, he recalled that before the Howard was doing at that moment. The séance began he told Mrs. Lodge about Notes his son's illness and his wife's plans 1. Palladino was a short, fat, Italian peasant "within earshot of Mrs. Piper." Here is who was caught cheating so many times that she "The strongest indictment that can herself finally admitted she resorted to trickery be made against William James as how Mrs. Piper guessed the name of whenever the spirits failed to come. This a psychic researcher is that not Lund's sister. "She then tried to find the admission had little effect on the faith of her name and went through a long list; at followers. Hereward Carrington, who fancied once did he devise, or even con- himself a knowledgeable magician and even wrote last she said it had `ag' in the middle." a book on how mediums cheat, was her manager sider devising, a sting operation." After a favorable reaction, she said that on a tour of the United States. He never doubted the spirit taking over her vocal chords that she had genuine powers, even though at times control said she was pressing violets in she cheated, including her strange ability to was named Maggie. When he asked produce a blast of cold air from a scar on her a book, writing letters to two persons Maggie why he wasn't there when she forehead. (She probably produced it simply by who were named, then going upstairs to died, the control said "I'm getting weak extending her lower lip and blowing upward.) look in a drawer. These actions were When James's colleague and friend, the now—au revoir." Of course if Lund had Harvard philosopher Josiah Royce, learned that corroborated by Mrs. Howard's daugh- not agreed that ag was in the name, the Eusapia had been caught using her feet to produce ter, except they all occurred on the day spirit would have continued along other certain phenomena, he gleefully circulated the following jingle: before the séance. (There was one error. lines. Incidentally, although Mrs. Piper Mrs. Howard put the violets in a drawer, knew Lund's name in advance of the Eeny, meeny, miney, mo. not a book.) I was unable to learn if séance, her control opened the sitting by Catch Eusapia by the toe. the daughter was present during the If she hollers that will show asking "Where's Mr. London?" Lund That James's theories are not so. séance. If so, Mrs. Piper could have writes: "She made several attempts to obtained the information by cold read- arrive at my real name, Lund, but failed, 2. "What real spirit," James wrote in one of ing. Or did Hodgson inform Mrs. Piper his skeptical moods, "at last able to revisit his saying that she couldn't pronounce it." wife on this earth, but would find something in advance about the test, and her servant In later séances Lund's dead sister better to say than that she had changed the place woman checked with Mrs. Howard's tried to explain why he was absent when of his photograph?" Such a remark is typical of servant? Surely either explanation is those made by sham fortune-tellers that have a she died, but the guesses were totally high probability of being true, like saying "You more plausible than that Mrs. Piper's wrong. Here is how Lund summed up have been thinking about buying a new car," or control clairvoyantly saw what Mrs. his final opinions: "You recently had a disturbing phone call." • Howard did the day before. Charles Peirce, James's skeptical Altogether there was such a mixture Part 2 will appear in the Summer 1992 philosopher friend, said that, when he of the true and false, the absurd and FREE INQUIRY. Spring 1992 27 The Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower Society

Hector Avalos

f all the religious groups in America, the Jehovah's linguistic, and historical sources to an extent seldom seen Witnesses are probably the most zealous missionaries. among well-established sectarian groups. Most Jehovah's 0Chances are that one will knock on your door or Witnesses do not have the time or the required scientific and approach you on the street to hand you a Watchtower or scholarly training to verify each reference. The following are Awake magazine. Most of these missionaries are pleasant and only a few of numerous examples of misrepresentation of well-groomed individuals, and they would like nothing better scientific and scholarly sources. than to discuss their literature with you. The history' of the group known today as the Jehovah's Abuse of Scientific Literature Witnesses begins in the 1870s,2 when the International Bible Students Association was founded in Pittsburgh by Charles One of the main beliefs of the Watchtower Society is that Taze Russell, a man often in court defending fantastic claims Jehovah created the universe in the manner described in for items he peddled.3 Today, under the banner of the Genesis 1. It denies the validity of all scientific calculations Watchtower Society, the Jehovah's Witnesses claim 3,592,654 that yield a great age for hominids, and it vehemently opposes members.' evolution. In essence, Jehovah's Witnesses are creationists. Their main doctrines include the obligation to proclaim The main textbook published by the Watchtower Society the true name of God ("Jehovah") and the advent of the new regarding its creationist beliefs is Life—How did it get here? world, which awaits those who live as faithful Jehovah's By evolution or by creation?' The author is anonymous, which Witnesses. They are probably better known for their abstention is very common in Watchtower publications. The book is from blood transfusions and for their often-failed predictions one of the most consistently blatant misrepresenters of of the end of the world.5 scientific viewpoints. In its discussion of fossils, for example, Typically, Jehovah's Witnesses devote a number of hours Life cites an article in Scientific American8 written by Harvard each week to spreading their message among their neighbors. professor Richard Lewontin, a noted evolutionary theorist. Jehovah's Witnesses regard themselves as very knowledgeable According to Life: "Zoologist Richard Lewontin said that about the Bible, and they are usually ready to refer the listener organisms `appear to have been carefully and artfully designed.' to various biblical texts. But just as often, they relish referring He views them as `the chief evidence of a Supreme Designer.' "9 the listener and reader to a wide variety of respected scientific A simple check of Lewontin's article in Scientific American and scholarly authorities who appear to support what they reveals quite the opposite. It is very clear that he is describing are saying.6 the general viewpoint of the nineteenth century concerning What is unfortunate is that these nice, sincere individuals nature and not his own. Furthermore, he considers the are usually not aware that their own literature, all published viewpoint highlighted in the quote above as one that is by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Brooklyn, New erroneous and that has been corrected by the work of Darwin York, frequently transgresses all the rules of honesty that and his successors in the twentieth century. In fact, the article individual Jehovah's Witnesses idealize. Indeed, an examina- itself is devoted entirely to demonstrating how the adaptation tion of their publications reveals that the Watchtower Society of an organism to its environment can be explained by natural, has a habit of misquoting or misrepresenting scientific, not supernatural, mechanisms. Indeed, the introductory abstract to the article is quite simple and clear: "The manifest fit between organisms and their environment is a major Hector Avalos is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department outcome of evolution.'" of Religious Studies and Anthropology at the University of It is difficult to understand how one can read this abstract North Carolina at Chapel Hill. and article and attribute a creationist viewpoint to Lewontin. He speaks about such a misrepresentation of his evolutionist

28 FREE INQUIRY position in Scientists Confront Creationism: "An examination of their publications reveals Sometimes creationists plunge more deeply into dishonesty by taking statements of evolutionists out of context to make that the Watchtower Society has a habit of them say the opposite of what was intended. For example, misquoting or misrepresenting scientific, when, in an article on adaptation, I described the outmoded nineteenth-century belief that the perfection of creation was linguistic, and historical sources to an extent the best evidence of a creator, this description was taken into creationist literature as evidence for my own rejection of seldom seen among well-established sectarian evolution." groups."

Lewontin adds: But the article in Discover is not saying that it is evolution Such deliberate misuse of the literature of evolutionary that is in question. It is speaking about Darwin's use of natural biology, and the transparent subterfuge of passing off the selection to explain evolution. The citation without the Old Testament myth of creation as if it were "science" rather Watchtower's ellipses reads as follows: than the belief of a particular religion, has convinced most evolutionists that creationism is nothing but an ill-willed Charles Darwin's brilliant theory of evolution, published in attempt to suppress truth in the interest of propping up a 1859, had a stunning impact on scientific and religious thought failing institution.12 and forever changed man's perception of himself. Now that hallowed theory is not only under attack by fundamentalist On page 96, Life refers to an article written by Robert Christians, but it is also being questioned by reputable Gannon in Popular Science as follows: scientists. Among paleontologists, scientists who study the fossil record, there is a growing dissent from the prevailing view A scientific journal reported on studies showing that "dates of Darwinism.' determined by radioactive decay may be off—not only by a few years, but by orders of magnitude." It said: "Man, instead of having walked on the earth for 3.6 million years, In the following paragraph, the article frames the question may have been around for only a few thousand."13 as follows:

Again, when one examines the source, one finds that the Most of the debate will center on one key question: Does Watchtower publication has misrepresented the scientific the three-billion-year-old process of evolution creep at a steady pace, or is it marked by long periods of inactivity punctuated article. Robert Gannon is describing the point of view of one by short bursts of rapid change? Is Evolution a Tortoise or scientist, namely Robert Gentry. The latter believes that a Hare? Darwin's widely accepted view—that evolution "halos" caused by the radioactive decay of Uranium 238 in proceeds steadily, at a crawl—favors the tortoise. But two coalified wood and mica indicate that the age of the Earth, paleontologists, Niles Eldredge of the American Museum of and of man, is much less than what most scientists calculate.14 Natural History and Stephen Jay Gould of Harvard, are putting their bets on the hare.18 But Robert Gannon does not put much credence in this view. In fact, in the very next paragraph, Gannon says, "Most Thus, it is quite clear that the article centers on the debate scientists simply dismiss the idea. As one physicist told me, about the different mechanisms that play a role in evolutionary 'You can believe it or not; I don't.' "1s change. For Darwin, the dominant mechanism was natural Further indication of the "scientific journal's" view is the selection, which yields slow and gradual changes in organisms. introductory abstract that says, "Now time trackers can use But for a paleontologist like Stephen Jay Gould, a mechanism minute samples to date eons-old objects with amazing he dubs "punctuated equilibrium" is much better in explaining accuracy."16 the rapid changes that appear to occur in the biological history It is of course quite common to cite and describe opposing of organisms after a long period with little or no change. views in an article. But it is dishonest to attribute those The Watchtower's quote confuses the issue by equating opposing views to the author or to a publication that simply "Darwin's theory" with evolution itself. But, of course, describes them in order to dismiss them. In fact, the literature nowhere is it suggested that it is evolution that is in question, of the Watchtower often quotes authors who oppose their and the Watchtower simply uses the ellipses in their quotation views on evolution and other doctrines. Could one say that to hide its misrepresentation. the Watchtower believes in evolution merely because The Watchtower Society knows that there is no theory Watchtower publications describe evolution? more widely accepted in science than evolution. A recent article On page 15, Life cites an article, "The Tortoise or the in the Boston Globe19 notes that, out of the more than 1.5 Hare?" by James Gorman in Discover, as follows: million scientists in America, only 700 with academic credentials believe in creationism. In other words, more than The scientific magazine Discover put the situation this way: 99 percent of all the scientists in America affirm the validity "Evolution ... is not only under attack by fundamentalist Such a massive scientific support for evolution Christians, but is also being questioned by reputable scientists. of evolution.20 Among paleontologists, scientists who study the fossil record, accounts for recent significant defeats that creationism has there is growing dissent." suffered in the courts.21 Yet the Watchtower Society con-

Spring 1992 29 The quotation appears to suggest that Robertson agrees with "Witnesses form an informationally closed the Watchtower's rendition of John 1:1. The unsuspecting reader's assumption would naturally be that the New society, and they seldom have an opportunity Testament authors are among those "ancient writers" who to learn of legitimate critiques of their litera- observe the rule on the use of the definite article described ture and beliefs." by Robertson. But the Watchtower has omitted an important qualification made by Robertson in the following sentences. The pertinent portions read as follows: tinually portrays evolution as a troubled theory that is being abandoned by numerous reputable scientists. Among the ancient writers, ho Theos was used of the god of absolute religion in distinction from the mythological gods. Abuse of Scholarly Literature Gildersleeve (Syntax, pp. 232-236) gives a full discussion of the subject. In the N.T., however, while we have pros ton theon (John 1:1,2), it is far more common to find simply One may argue that the Watchtower Society is simply theos, especially in the Epistles.26 assimilating some bad habits of fundamentalist creationists. But the Society has a long record of misrepresenting the views Thus, Robertson is clearly saying that the New Testament of experts in issues other than creationism. One particular does not follow the custom of other "ancient writers" in field is in linguistics. omitting the definite article to indicate a lesser or mythological The Watchtower publishes a translation of the Bible that god. Indeed, the New Testament often uses the Greek theos can be best described as "sectarian." Indeed, most denom- without the definite article to refer to the Supreme God inations publish translations of the Bible that reflect their (Jehovah to Jehovah's Witnesses). beliefs to some degree. Nonetheless, by modern scholarly Ironically, the Watchtower Society's own translation is not conventions, the Watchtower Society goes to extremes to alter consistent in following its rule. In Luke 20:38, for example, 22 Hebrew and Greek grammar to support its claims. The Kingdom Interlinear version renders the Greek theos de For example, it is the Watchtower Society's belief that ouk estin nekrón as "He is a God not of the dead." Note Jehovah, God's true name in its doctrine, must have occurred that even though the Greek word for God does not have more often in the New Testament than it does in the attested a definite article, the Kingdom Interlinear has capitalized Greek manuscripts. Though this might be a legitimate it, something Jehovah's Witnesses reserve for the Supreme contention, the Watchtower Society seeks to restore the name, God alone. In fact, the Greek translation of the Hebrew even though it does not appear in the Greek texts that it scriptures commonly known as the Septuagint also uses theos purports to be translating faithfully. without the definite article when referring to the "Supreme Jehovah's Witnesses also oppose the traditional Christian God" (e.g., Ruth 1:16). belief that Jesus is God, and they vehemently oppose any In the same Appendix on John 1:1, the Kingdom Interlinear suggestion that the New Testament might have referred to also appeals to other versions that agree with its rendition. Jesus as God. The extent to which Jesus was regarded as What they often omit from such appeals is the poor nature God in the New Testament is a legitimate debate. Nonetheless, of the translations. Thus, they appeal to The New Testament, the Watchtower Society consistently misrepresents well-known in an improved Version, upon the basis of Archbishop grammarians to bolster its argument. For example, its Newcome's New Translation; with a Corrected Text printed interlinear Greek-English version of the New Testament23 tries in London, 1808. To the inexperienced layman, it is not at to prove that the second clause of John 1:1 should read all apparent that that version is simply one based on another "The Word was a god," and not, "The Word was God," as English translation. Secondhand translations are a very poor do most modern translations. The latter, of course, would appeal in scholarship.27 be an outright equation of Jesus ("The Word") with God himself. Conclusion The Watchtower's main argument for that rendition is that when the Greek word theos appears without the definite article The examples cited above demonstrate that the Watchtower (ho in this case/ the in English), it should be translated "a Society misrepresents a variety of sources, including scientists, god." Again, this might be a legitimate contention. But to biblical scholars, and grammarians. It is difficult to believe support this translation, it cites the colossal compendium of that it is accidental. If the Watchtower Society author(s) read New Testament Greek written by A. T. Robertson,24 one of the sources, they could not have failed to quote and represent the most distinguished grammarians of New Testament Greek, those sources correctly. If it is accidental, however, it can as follows: only reflect a very poor scholarship on the part of society. Numerous efforts to inform the Watchtower Society of On page 761 Robertson's Grammar says: "among the ancient these misrepresentations have not resulted in any changes in writers ho Theos was used of the god of absolute religion in distinction from the mythological gods." So, too, John their literature. What could explain such misrepresentations? 1:1, 2 uses ho Theos to distinguish Jehovah God from the Sociologists know that the control of information is an Word [Logos] as a god.25 excellent method to dominate a large group of individuals.28

30 FREE INQUIRY One of course cannot blame individual Jehovah's Witnesses 1980, p. 88.. for such misrepresentations. Most are sincere believers, who 18. Gorman, Ibid. 19. Ethan Bronner, "Justices Say States Can't Order Teaching of are not aware of the misrepresentations in their literature. Creationism," Boston Globe, Saturday, June 20, 1987, pp. l and 16. But Jehovah's Witnesses are taught to trust only the 20. See Arthur N. Strahler, Science and Earth History: The Evolution Creation Controversy, (Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1987) for a recent translation of the Bible furnished by the Watchtower Society. account of the triumph of evolution in the history of science. All the literature that interprets their version of the Bible is 21. The most recent defeat came on June 19, 1987, when the Supreme furnished by the Watchtower Society. It is not difficult to Court voted 7-2 that a 1981 Louisiana law that mandated the teaching of "Scientific Creationism" alongside evolution violated the separation of see that such methods will usually result in agreement among church and state dictated in the First Amendment. The main reason for members. such a defeat includes the fact that there is no scientific evidence that Jehovah's Witnesses are discouraged from reading opposing demonstrates the activity of a supposed creator, and so "scientific creationism" is regarded by most scientists and the courts as a religious views. In general, all non-Watchtower literature is automat- dogma, and not a scientific discipline. ically suspect because it is considered to be under the control 22. The renowned text analyst of the New Testament, Bruce Metzger, of ungodly forces. Thus, Witnesses form an informationally was one of the earliest critics. See his article: "The Jehovah's Witnesses and Jesus Christ," Theology Today X, April 1953, pp. 65-85. 0ther critiques closed society, and they seldom have an opportunity to learn may be found in F. F. Bruce, The English Bible: A History of Translations of legitimate critiques of their literature and beliefs. It is we, (0xford: 1970) pp. 184-85, and in F. J. Creehan, "The Bible in the Roman their informed listeners, who will probably be the only ones Catholic Church from Trent to the Present Day," in The Cambridge History of the Bible, S. L. Greenslade, ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, who will ever provide legitimate criticism. 1963) vol. 3: p. 224. Despite the theological bias of some of these critics, many of the specific and general criticisms are legitimate. Notes 23. The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures (Brooklyn, N.Y.: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1969), p. 1159. 1. Much of the history of the Jehovah's Witnesses has been narrated 24. A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the by conservative Christians with clear theological and polemical interests. Light of Historical Research, (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1934), p. 761. 0ne of the main examples is Walter Martin and Norman Klann, Jehovah 25. The Kingdom Interlinear Translation, p. 1159. of the Watchtower (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1974). Collections of 26. Robertson, Ibid. historical documents by and about Jehovah's Witnesses are provided by 27. It is not at all certain that Archbishop Newcome would have assented Duane Magnani, The Watchtower Files (Minneapolis: Bethany House, to the use of his translation to provide the sectarian version printed in 1985), and by William Cetnar, Questions for Jehovah's Witnesses 1808. See Luther A. Weigle, "English Versions since 1611," in the Cambridge (Kunkletown, Pa.: Cetnar, 1983). Cetnar and Magnani are former Jehovah's History of the Bible, S. L. Greenslade, ed., (Cambridge: Cambridge Witnesses who integrate a conservative Christian polemic in their historical University Press, 1963), vol. 3: p. 366. commentary. A useful, but dated, history is found in Herbert H. Stroup, 28. See, for example, Roy Wallis, Sectarianism (New York: Wiley, 1975). The Jehovah's Witnesses (New York: Columbia University Press, 1945). See also Lee R. Cooper, "Publish or Perish: Negro Jehovah's Witness 2. A specific date for the founding of the group known today as the Adaptation in the Ghetto," in Irving I. Zaretsky and Mark P. Leone, eds., Jehovah's Witnesses is difficult to pinpoint. Martin (p. 13) begins narrating Religious Movements in Contemporary America (Princeton: Princeton the history from Russell's organization of a Bible study group in 1870 University Press, 1974), pp. 700-721. • in Pittsburgh. Magnani begins with the founding of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in 1881. The Handbook of Christian Denominations (by Frank S. Mead, and revised by Samuel S. Hill, Nashville: Abingdon Institute for Inquiry Seminar Press, 1985, p. 125) places the founding of Russell's first Bible study group in 1872. (Martin and Klann (p. 13) and Mead and Hill (p. 125), among "Church/State Separation Today" with attorney others, agree that the designation "Jehovah's Witnesses" dates from 1931. Ronald Lindsay and Professor Robert Alley. 3. Contemporary accounts of Russell's legal troubles are provided by The Brooklyn Daily Eagle in articles published on various dates (e.g., Saturday, April 11, 1992 February 19, 1912; January 11, 1913; and November 1, 1916). Reproductions 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. of contemporary materials about Russell may also be found in Cetnar Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, and in Magnani. 4. Watchtower, January 1, 1989, p. 3. Arlington, Virginia 5. The world was supposed to "end" in 1914, 1925, and 1975, among other dates. For reproductions of Watchtower literature with unfulfilled predictions see Cetnar and Magnani. ❑ Yes, I (we) plan to attend the Workshop in Arlington 6. See Reasoning from the Scriptures (New York: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1985) for an inside view of the Watchtower's field tactics. Registration for person(s) $65 each (includes Lunch) 7. Life—how did it get here? By evolution or by creation? (Brooklyn, ❑ Check or Money Order enclosed (US. funds on U.S. bank, N.Y.: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1985). payable to CODESH) 8. Richard Lewontin, "Adaptation," Scientific American, September, 1978, p. 213. Charge my ❑ MasterCard ❑ Visa Total $ 9. Life, p. 143. # Exp 10. Lewontin, Ibid. 11. Richard Lewontin, "Introduction" in Laurie R. Godfrey, ed., Sig. Scientists Confront Creationism (New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1983), p. xxiv. Name 12. Lewontin, Ibid.. 13. Robert Gannon, "How 0ld Is It?" Popular Science, November 1979, Address p. 81. 14. Robert Gentry's theories have been thoroughly critiqued by Stephen City State Zip Brush, "Ghosts from the Nineteenth Century: Creationist Arguments for a Young Earth," in Scientists Confront Creationism pp. 49-84. A more Daytime phone # specialized critique may be found in S. R. Hashemi-Nezhad, et al, "Polonium Make checks payable and return to: halos in Mica," Nature, 1979:278, pp. 333-335. 15. Gannon, p. 81. CODESH, P.O. Box 664, Buffalo, NY 14226-0664. 16. Gannon, p. 76. FAX charges to 716-636-1733, or call 1-800-458-1366. 392 17. James Gorman, "The Tortoise or the Hare?" Discover, 0ctober,

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Name Street Daytime phone City State Zip FREE INQUIRY, Box 664, Buffalo NY 14226-0664 or call toll-free 1-800-458-1366. FAX charges to 716-636-1733. 3/92 An Interview with Sir Hermann Bondi

Sir Hermann Bondi is president of the British Humanist a pope; we don't have a sacred text. We say we're not going Association. He is a scientist by profession, working largely to be convinced by any person basing his argument on a in mathematical astronomy and mathematical physics. He has sacred text or a dictum of the pope. also worked on issues in space, energy, and the environment FI: In regard to the situation in Great Britain, what are for the United Kingdom and other European governments. some of the issues that the British Humanist Association is He was most recently master of Churchill College, Cambridge, dealing with now, and what do you foresee that its members and is a member of the Academy of Humanism. He says, will be dealing with in the future? "I've been retired three times and I'm busier now than ever." BONDI: Obviously, there is a range of questions; on some we are making good progress, and others not. I would regard as the most acute problem in this country to be schooling. REE INQUIRY: How long have you been active in the By current law, and by the law and the habit that have long British Humanist Association? existed, there is state support of a very considerable kind, F SIR HERMAN BONDI: I've been active in the for denominational schooling, where the religious community humanist movement for about as long as I can remember, has to pay only a modest fraction of the capital expense. but of course the BHA has only existed since the mid-60s. The rest of the capital cost and all the running costs are being I've been an active member from the beginning, and I've been paid out of public funds. We think this is very, very wrong, president for many years. because we are against all separatism. FI: Were you raised as a humanist or nonbeliever, or is Religion divides us, while it is our human characteristics that something you became later in life? that bind us to each other. We should put in the foreground BONDI: I was raised in a Jewish family. My father didn't that which we have in common—shared values and attitudes. believe, but liked the religious observances and rituals as social And we should put on the backburner matters that divide cement. My mother was a nonbeliever who didn't like the us. It is particularly dangerous to have separate schools in forms; I think I took rather more after my mother than after communities already divided, where the children of one group my father. never see the children of the other. The many, many hours FI: Have you found any difficulty in your career in a child spends outside school in his or her home is fully espousing a humanist point of view? adequate for teaching particular traditions, and it is the task BONDI: Not at all. I have sometimes been very outspoken, of the schools to convey shared values, stressing what we but I've had a marvelous career, and I've not met obstacles already have in common. of any kind. FI: What sort of programs does the BHA have to bring FI: I know it's a difficult thing to do in a few words, this about? but how would you describe humanism? BONDI: Well, we are working in a number of ways—above BONDI: First, I would say that humanists have the faith all, by trying to be in contact with people, not necessarily that we human beings, with all our negative and positive humanists and often quite religious people, who see and agree characteristics, can manage our affairs, and that we can with the importance of our point of view being taught and manage them far better in reasonable, rational discussions conveyed to children. with each other, in which no participant in the discussion We have a somewhat decentralized educational system, can refer to a sacred text or sacred book—anything absolute. where each local authority has a standing advisory committee It is this readiness to learn, this readiness to be convinced, on religious education. Humanists sit on many of them. The this abhorring of certainty, which I think makes a humanist. syllabuses for religious education in a growing number of I published an article on it in the London Times which cases tell children about nonbelief and humanism. We think the editors gave a title that I thought was very apt: "Arrogance that this is progress in a climate that is not always conducive of Certainty." to humanism. FI: In what way do you think humanism avoids this We have also in the county schools and nondenominational "arrogance of certainty?" schools religious education as a legally required subject; but BONDI: By always being prepared to talk and to discuss— this has increasingly become very broad in its context, and not by deferring to any authority. Humanists don't follow is often done in a manner we think very acceptable. Parents

Spring 1992 35 for the emotional or passionate needs of the human animal. How do you respond? "Trying to get there—asking questions, in- BONDI: I don't find it easy to respond. It is true that as vestigating, discussing, sharing views, sharing a movement, humanists attract the more argumentative parts arguments—that is the important thing. The of society. But I strongly deny that we are not emotional. Most of us enjoy music; most of us appreciate art. I would continuing quest is what we humans must deny that one must be a Christian believer to enjoy a cathedral, work for, not achieving the final answer." just as it would be difficult for my Christian friends to say that they can't enjoy the Taj Mahal. have the right to withdraw their children from religious FI: Also, it is often said about humanism that, because education. We feel that teachers should approach the subject it claims that one cannot live with certainty, it isn't able to answer the existential questions that humans have, such as, so broadly that no parent will feel that need. Why am I here? How did the universe begin? What happens FI: It seems that many people aren't aware of the humanist to me after I die? Do you think humanism can provide tradition. They aren't even aware that there are moral people satisfactory answers to these existential questions? who do not have any religious beliefs. What do you think BONDI: I don't think answers to these questions are the can be done to encourage awareness of humanism? business of us humans. Trying to get there—asking questions, BONDI: The point you are raising is very, very important. investigating, discussing, sharing views, sharing arguments— There are certainly in this country and of course, in most that is the important thing. The continuing quest is what we others, many people who do not believe in a revealed religion, humans must work for, not achieving the final answer. or any religion with a sacred text. But they somehow feel FI: It's also said of secularism in general that the problems it's not quite nice to say so. We have regarded as very important of the twentieth century, such as the horrors of the gulags, the necessity to make it clear that it is a perfectly reasonable, the Nazis, etc. are due to a falling away from belief in God moral, sound, and human attitude or lifestance, as one of and a deification of human powers, and that science, rather our colleagues calls it, to be a humanist, to proclaim oneself than liberating human beings, has imprisoned and dehuman- a nonbeliever; to stress that morality has nothing to do with ized them. How do you respond to that charge? religion. On the contrary, it was religion that made people BONDI: I am as opposed to the sacred texts of Hitler or burn "witches," not irreligion. Marx as I am opposed to the sacred texts of the Bible or FI: Do you find that many of your colleagues in the scientific the Koran. It seems to me that we humans become community could be considered humanists, or are they for dehumanized by overreliance on certainty. The gulag arose the most part religious? because those who governed the Soviet Union were so certain BONDI: My own feeling is that you find believers and that they were on the right road that anybody who even vaguely nonbelievers—humanists and followers of revealed religion thought differently deserved to be removed. The disastrous as much among scientists as among the general population. regime of Pol Pot in Cambodia was based on absolute One of our problems, which is quite common in this country, certainty. And it is precisely this overreliance on certainty, is that so many people think that the battle for tolerance— this faith that your opponent may do harm to a certain good, not only of religions, but of humanism—is won, so that there's that has done such damage in human affairs. There have been no need to expend further efforts. That's wrong. An area different gods and different sacred texts and different idols in which we are at the moment particularly active, in response (if I may use that term). That is a common facet of history. to demand, is to try to help people to have nonreligious funeral The horrors committed by the Crusaders in Jerusalem are services. not very different from those we deplore in our own century. FI: Why do you feel there's a need for such a service? Only the techniques and means employed have become more BONDI: It is very wrong, if the deceased was not religious, sophisticated. It is this certainty I oppose so much, whatever that relatives and friends have no dignified way to honor that its source. person other than in a church or synagogue. If the deceased FI: What about the view that technology is dehumanizing was a nonbeliever, it is very important that the ceremony and that we're becoming prisoners of our confidence in science? or the rite of passage be carried out in a manner befitting BONDI: It's a lot of nonsense. We have, thanks to the circumstances. It is undignified, both for the people technology, enormously improved human life. We have concerned, and for the particular religious facility, for changed it from being nasty, brutish, and short to an somebody who was nonreligious to be laid to rest in this opportunity for many—not for all humankind so far—to live manner. a great deal better. Those people who oppose technology can FI: How are these humanist funerals conducted? be asked, "So you're in favor of high infant mortality?" The BONDI: They are made to measure, as it were, through most elemental human grief that we should do our best to consultation. The officiant's speeches recall the person who make unlikely is a parent grieving for a child. We have made died. There is music and perhaps readings from poetry, or enormous progress. There are far fewer parents who grieve perhaps readings from humanist literature. for a child in the developed word than anywhere else, or FI: One charge that sometimes is made against humanists in our own countries one hundred or two hundred years ago. in general is that they're too rational, that they don't allow Anybody who opposes technology is a direct killer of children.

36 FREE INQUIRY

FI: That's a pretty strong statement. What do you see as development of the individual and individual opportuni- the future of humanism? Are you optimistic that it will grow? ties, which should lean us to the right. So, I think we can Or do you think that those claiming certainty will continue have quite a range of opinions on political issues, but there to dominate? are certain absolutes, such as equality, regard for the BONDI: I don't think that any tension in human affairs individual, regard for the truth, and the like, that are views is ever resolved completely. The more society goes our way, we all share. the less the need for us will be felt. And I have great hopes FI: Britain seems to be several years ahead of the United for that. The more that modern travel and modern technology States in the size and activity of its Muslim minority. In many increase and the more we have to live in a pluralistic society; ways Muslims tend to turn the separation of church and state the more obvious it will become to people that the humanist debate on its head in ways that force Christians to look at idea of stressing shared values is far more important and far very sensitive subjects that they had not previously had to more beneficial than stressing the separatists' values of divisive examine. As a humanist, how do you think the Muslim religion. situation, if we can call it that, will be resolved? FI: You talked about the problems of divisiveness in human BONDI: First of all, there is the situation in the schools. society, and divisiveness between different religious traditions. The whole idea of denominational schooling is, to me, a luxury How can the humanist movement work to assure that similar that an undivided society can afford, but it must never be divisiveness does not arise within the humanist ranks? Is there used to strengthen pre-existing divisions. In the U.K. we see any political consensus that seems to go with being a humanist this very strongly in Northern Ireland, where we have two today? communities which happen to be of different religious faiths— BONDI: I would think that we humanists have to be very, Protestant and Catholic. I'm not saying that the conflict is very broad in our views. We must recognize that the political religious in its nature, but it is the different religions of the questions that agitate us are by their nature difficult, and two communities that allows them each to claim a right to different people can legitimately have different views. We ought separate schools. Our government is working quite hard— to discuss these views with each other. I don't think there I don't think hard enough, but quite hard—to establish is a preferred humanist policy on any of the issues. We have integrated schooling in Northern Ireland. In just the same certain things we regard as unnegotiable, as some of us say, way, since the majority of our Muslim population is South such as equality between men and women and between people Asian, there is a danger that any separate schools for them of different races. But when you come to the tricky questions would reinforce pre-existing divisions, and would therefore of the balance between the individual and the community, be very harmful indeed. So I hope and trust that our Christian that is very hard. The humanist is by nature compassionate, friends will come around to the position that the existence which makes him or her lean to the left. But the humanist of Islamic minorities makes it imperative to stop separatism also glorifies the variety of people, and, therefore, the in education. •

Institute for Inquiry Summer Session 1992 Saturday, June 13-Wednesday, June 17, 1992 State University of New York at Buffalo Saturday, June 13 Monday, June 15 and Tuesday, June 16 7:00-10:00 P.M.: Welcoming Reception Repeat of Sunday's schedule. Sunday, June 14 Wednesday, June 17 9:00 A.M.-NOON: "Bioethics and Secular Humanism" 9:00 A.M.- 2:00 P.M.: Trip to Niagara Falls (optional) NOON-1:00 P.M.: Lunch 3:00 P.M.-4:30 P.M.: "Bioethics" 1:00-4:00 P.M.: "Critical Thinking" 4:30-6:00 P.M.: "Critical Thinking" 4:30-7:30 P.M.: "Health Controversies" 6:00-7:30 P.M.: "Health Controversies" 7:30-10:00 P.M.: Dinner and Open Forum 7:30-10:00 P.M.: Dinner and Open Forum

Please register me for: ❑ "Bioethics & Secular Humanism" ❑ "Critical Thinking" ❑ "Health Controversies" Enclosed is registration for person(s) for (1 course $125) (2 Courses $225) (3 courses $300) each $ Luncheons: — Sunday — Monday — Tuesday for person(s) $11.95 each $ Dinners: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday for person(s) $15.95 each $ Niagara Falls Trip Wednesday for person(s) $30.00 each $

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Spring 1992 37 The Jesus Phenomenon in Korea

Sang J. Kim

n the Korean Air Line 747 jet, I was afternoon, after morning services. I propose several explanations. Iemotionally overwhelmed. After thir- However, they have also built many of Koreans suffered foreign aggression teen years of American life, I was thrilled their own churches. An example is the and domestic conflicts for a thousand by the prospect of reunions with my Bethel Presbyterian Church near Balti- years. In the twentieth century, the mother, father, brothers, sisters, and old more, which has more than 1,000 Japanese invasion and the Korean War friends. It was 8:00 P.M., and I was members. shattered Korea economically, socially, looking down at the dazzling night The Korean Unification church is politically, and emotionally. During scenery of Seoul, now the symbol of the very much in the minority (less than 1 these periods of turmoil, it is not difficult Korean economic miracle. I was very percent of Korean Christians), and to imagine that Koreans might think that anxious to recognize the outline of the American membership in the church is the only way to salvage themselves was Han River and the mountains that I had greater than Korean. Korean Christians to cling to Jesus's promises. It has been dreamt of every night in America. are usually upset if it is assumed they a consistent historic pattern that Chris- When the plane descended, I saw a are connected with the Unification tianity grew faster after human strange scene—a sea of red crosses. church. calamities. Leaving the airport, I saw the numer- Koreans grow up in an educational The second reason may have some- ous red crosses in the streets of residential system that forces them to memorize thing to do with Korean traits, which areas and commercial districts. There scientific facts and to solve difficult are intuitive and not logical compared was a red neon cross on the top of every science problems to be eligible to enter with Western standards. In the late church. good universities. As in Japan, Taiwan, nineteenth century, Western missionar- During the last three decades, the Singapore, and Hong Kong, entering a ies in Korea found a fertile ground for Republic of Korea (South Korea) has good university guarantees economic Christianity. Koreans always have been undergone a tremendous religious re- and social well-being. Therefore, there quite religious and spiritual. This Korean surgence. It has seen more than 10 is a fierce competition among youngsters trait might have been formed through that Americans can hardly imagine. million new Christians and more than the historic turmoils, which were quite Americans now envy Oriental academic 50,000 new churches. Thousands of illogical to Koreans' views. achievements. missionaries have been sent to third The third reason may be strong As a matter of fact, in Korea, scien- American cultural influence. After the world countries to build the largest tists and engineers are treated specially. Korean War, Koreans were quite im- church in the world. The Christian They are literally heroes, because they pressed by American democracy, rock growth rate is 12.5 percent, which is even played a major role in rebuilding Korea and roll, movies, foods, clothes, and greater than the Korean economic after the Korean War. In articles on other goods offered by American growth rate. social problems, Korean journalists missionaries. In America, Korean immigrants have contact scientists or university professors Christianity survived 2,000 years built more than 2,000 churches. In the for an opinion, not actors, baseball despite severe religious oppression all Baltimore-Washington area, where I players, or self-made millionaires. over the world. Its theology is consistent live, there are about 200 Korean Usually, Korean single women are within the Bible and defensive against churches. Usually, Koreans rent Amer- attracted by a Ph.D. in science. Scientists unbelievers. When I was a graduate ican churches and worship Jesus in the are considered sexy. Of course a scien- student in America, I was frequently tist's salary is several times a trucker's annoyed by well-trained, determined, Sang J. Kim is an astronomer at the salary. dormitory-visiting missionaries, who National Space Science Data Center at Then why do we see this kind of zealously obeyed the last command of Goddard Space Flight Center! National major, nonscientific phenomena in Jesus to "Go and make disciples of all Aeronautic and Space Administration, Korea? I cannot offer clear reasons; I nations, baptizing them in the name of Greenbelt, Maryland. think we need more detailed investiga- the Father, and teaching them to obey tion by experts. As an amateur, however, everything I have commanded to you"

38 FREE INQUIRY (Matthew 28:19). our earthly life span. How can you miss Soon we are going to live in the I have many Korean friends who are this opportunity, given the eternal twenty-first century. We are now wit- philosophers, astronomers, and physi- condemnation that is in store for non- nessing the dismantling of Eastern cists and are born-again Christians. believers? Europe's aged dogma. Yet millennia-old Ultimately, their logic is based on the There are linguistic, anthropologic, Christian dogma stands strong in the belief that we cannot explain everything historic, archeologic, and social scientific United States and is expanding in Korea. with our scientific knowledge. Although analyses of the Bible. Most Christian Koreans have been bombarded only there have been enormous advances in arguments are based on the belief that by Christian material for a long time. all scientific disciplines, we humans, they the Bible was written by prophets with We should educate and communicate say, don't know everything. If God exists the assistance of the Holy Spirit— with the religious. We should also show (which skeptics cannot easily disprove), therefore everything in the Bible is believers and unbelievers in Korea clear then every miracle in the Bible is possible. literally true. Ironically these studies humanist visions and values that can be Furthermore, they all know the agnostic were originally carried out by theolo- alternatives to religion, so that we and view of Bertrand Russell and atheistic gians. They reveal many contradictions, our descendants can live happily and views of many famous scholars, and they errors, and political agendas of prophets prosperously without being abused by boast that they have overcome these who wrote the Bible. These studies are dogmatic religions. satanic temptations. I neither think that well summarized in such recent books my achievement in science is better than as Who Wrote the Bible by Richard E. Critical comments by Dr. David Batche- those born-again scientists, nor do I Friedman and Bandits, Prophets, Mes- lor at GSFC/NASA were very impor- think I'm smarter than them. Then why siahs by Richard A. Horsley and John tant for this article. • do they so firmly believe those events S. Hanson. in the Bible that I reject? The answer lies in human weakness. Throughout the Bible, those who had great faith received great rewards from God. Belief can make any scientific Humanism in Nigeria genius blind. Once they start, they strengthen their belief by exercising many rituals, which are self-brain- Tai Solarin washing procedures. I was shocked by would be flattering myself if I the mottos posted on their walls: "Doubt Popular opinion held that the school, declared myself the only humanist in creates mountains, but faith removes the I being man-led, would fold. Rather, it has Nigeria. More honestly, I am the only mountains," and "Live by faith, not by grown stronger with the years. It started known Nigerian who declares from sight." How many educated people have with sixty-nine boys. There are now rooftops that he is a humanist. I was tried to cure their physical diseases by almost two thousand students, some sacked as the headmaster of a boys' prayers and supernatural healing pow- eight hundred of them girls. The day school for refusing to march the students ers? I know several cases that required begins with a two-minute silence during to church on Sunday and to start the many years of "deprogramming." which students from religious homes— These born-again scientists cope well day with hymns and prayers from Christian and Muslim—silently say their with scientific discoveries that appar- orthodox sources. greeting to the deities. The day's ently conflict with biblical stories. All My wife, Sheila, and I then founded announcements follow. they have to do is look up and find any a high school in 1956, named the We ran the school for twenty years verses that may have some relevance. If Mayflower School in memory of the ship before I retired. Sheila remained on the there are no applicable verses in the that sailed from England to America via staff for the next four years before she Bible, then the discoveries may be wrong. Amsterdam in 1620. Its passengers were transferred to head another school. They say that God creates and man only seeking a haven from religious shackles. Mayflower is still run as a secular tries to discover. They believe that all The Mayflower was a boys' school for school, the only one in Nigeria, teaching will be revealed after they enter the the first two years; the girls joined in neither the Christian nor Muslim reli- Kingdom of Heaven, and that their work the third year. It was fully residential. gion. If there are as many as two is similar to Sisyphus' effort to reach the (All that's needed by way of accommo- thousand high schools in the land, summit, which is never achievable. dations in a tropical land is a roof above, Mayflower numbers among the top Sometimes they argue this using the a concrete floor below, and walls richly three. It produced Nigeria's first female uncertainty principle in quantum perforated with windows.) engineer and more doctors and scientists mechanics! than any other school—and some of the Another important reason for the Tai Solarin is a social critic who writes others are more than one hundred years recent growth in religion is a "You have for the Guardian and Punch magazine old—in the country. nothing to lose" spirit. The eternal life in Nigeria. Humanism has been proved co- that God promised is infinite relative to lossally tall. • Spring 1992 39 Sexual Archetypes in Transitions

Robert T. Francoeur

iscussions of local and global transformations in which relate us to our human nature and the natural world politics, environmental concerns, social interactions, of which we are part; and sociological myths, which relate Dand economic inequalities often leave unexplored the individuals to their society.' My analysis draws on religious emotion-laden area of sexual relations, marital structures, and mythologies, because these appear to have a much more both religious and civil recognition of the inevitable pervasive and direct influence on our views of sexuality and transformations that are occurring simultaneously in the our relations with the earth than do the sociological myths. interpersonal area. Discussions of political, economic, and In Western cultures, the Genesis myth of Adam and Eve ecological problems and the future frequently begin with a has been the main source of insights into the meaning of critique of the presuppositions and belief systems that have human nature and behavior. Adam is created first and given for centuries nourished and molded the creation of our current a helpmate. He names the animals and is given domain over problems. A similar first step is necessary if we are to them and the earth. Tempted, he fell from the state of understand the problems of intimate relationships today and innocence. The primal couple discovered their nakedness. anticipate and direct their present and future transformations. Exiled from Paradise, they were required to regain entry by Where better to begin than with a comparison of some hard work, monogamy, and childbirth. For three thousand major cultural differences between Christian theology and the years, Jews, Protestants, and Catholics have used this myth Hindu, Tantric, and Taoist views of sexuality that directly to define human nature. It has been used to delineate and influence the perspectives on human sexuality people in these regulate male-female roles, sexual behaviors and intimacies, cultures have adopted over the centuries? These differences the nature and purpose of marriage, and our dominion over are essential in the Weltanschauungen and cultural fabric the earth. people in these cultures have created to define their sexual Even though this myth has been subject to a variety of lives, values, and expectations, their political and economic interpretations by Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant thinkers interactions, and their relationship with the earth and nature. over the centuries, and despite the fact that these different First, a word about the origins of these world-views. In interpretations have been influenced by many other factors all cultures, archetypal characters and myths or superstories besides theological speculations, the myth of Adam and Eve contain bits of information from ancient times about themes has provided quite opposite views of sexuality than Hindu, that have supported human life, built civilizations, and Tantric, and Taoist views of sexuality. Unlike Christianity, informed religions over the millennia. These archetypes and Judaism and Islam have retained their roots in the more myths have to do with deep inner problems, inner mysteries, holistic, nondualistic, and sex-positive interpretations of thresholds of passage, and relations with the cosmos. They sexuality in the Near East. Of the great religions of the world, deal with human origins and relationships, with individual only Christianity, with its strong Greek and Roman influences, birth and mortality, friendship, sex, love, marriage, and family. properly deserves the appellation of being Western. What humans have in common is revealed in their myths— I trust readers will realize that these are not rigid diagnoses those stories that express our search for meaning and into which all people in these cultures can be squeezed. I significance through the ages. hope to outline a broad framework that can help those In The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell points out that interested in understanding human behavior to move beyond there are two distinct orders of mythology: religious myths, the stereotypes to learn more about the varieties of human sexual experience. Robert T. Francoeur is a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson Five points of comparison are worth exploring: University. This article is part of FREE INQUIRY'S continuing 1. Human personhood—distinct or overlapping domains series on modern humanist views of sexuality, edited by Vern of self and other; Bullough. 2. Human origins and the Body-Spirit Relationship—an original sin with a "fall" or natural disharmonies, and a

40 FREE INQUIRY dualistic dichotomy of matter and spirit or the integration nature has been traced back to the Persian Zoroaster, who of synergistic, complementary, balancing polarities of energies; split the world into a realm of light, goodness, and spirit 3. Sex and transcendence—salvation by redemption and on one side and darkness, evil, and body on the other. This ascetic denial or transcendence by integration and awareness; dichotomous symbol entered Christianity through Plato and 4. Sexual pleasure—disruptive or creative; and Augustine and was interpreted as an explanation of the 5. The control of sexual behavior—religion or kin, relationship that should prevail between men and women. individual guilt or group shame. In the early Christian writings the male was portrayed as rational and spiritually inclined and the female as dependent, Human Personhood emotional, and a threat because of her connection to sex and reproduction. Sex was for reproduction, and therefore limited Christian and Eastern cultures view the human person quite to marriage. Evil was explained by man's fall from a state differently. In the West, human consciousness has slowly of innocence. The original sin was linked in the common mind evolved an awareness of the individual as a self, differentiated with sex and so required redemption and a denial of the body from others, from nature, and from society. In the earliest with its emotions and sexual impulses.4 extant writing of the West, the Sumerian myth of Gilgamesh, From Jerome, Augustine, and the Fathers of the Desert it is obvious that some males had already evolved a sense to the present pope, Christian writings abound with of individuality and selfhood. The Genesis story borrowed pronouncements on the superiority of the spirit of soul, elements from the Gilgamesh story and elaborated on this symbolized by the rational male mind, and denigration of individual awareness and sense of selfhood for males. In the world of matter, symbolized by the emotional, passionate Genesis man is pictured as a rational, thinking, questioning female body. The central role of Eve as temptress in the Garden individual morally responsible for his actions. Woman is of Eden has promoted the symbolism of woman as the main pictured as dependent and a temptress, not quite a whole threat to man's rational, spiritual vocation. As Augustine saw person. Man is created in a state of grace, set apart from the human situation, "nothing so casts down the manly mind the natural world and given control of it. This focus is refined from its [rational, spiritual] heights as the fondling of women, in the age-old stories of the hero's journey, from Gilgamesh and those bodily contacts which belong to the married state." and Odysseus to the Arthurian quest for the Grail and Parsifal. In the Middle Ages, Aquinas stated, "The enjoyment of The goal of the hero's journey is not wholeness, but male corporeal delights distracts the mind from its peak activity individuation and separation, including separation from or and hinders it in the contemplation of spiritual things. transcendence of the female and the sexual.2 . . . For those people who devote their attention to the In the East, the self has not been separated from the family contemplation of divine things and of every kind of truth, or the social context, nor from the natural cycles. In Eastern it is especially harmful to have been addicted to sexual cultures, an individual simply cannot exist as a distinct, isolated pleasures." Hence, celibacy and sexual abstinence, the personality. One cannot live if he or she is separated from suppression and denial of the senses, the passions, and the family, including one's ancestors. A person may be defined emotions, are redemptive. as an individual, but this always takes into consideration the Eastern philosophies do not mention original sin, but rather vital context of his or her relationships. natural disharmonies or tensions. The East has opted for a This difference is easily seen in the contrasting Eastern balancing complementarity of energies, although it too has and Western views of love. The personal, individual experience a patriarchal bias. Hindu archetypes and sexual symbols are of Amor or Love is much stronger, if not unique to the Western more androgynous and polar than dichotomous. In the East, tradition. The Western experience of personal love stresses the female is the active one, the "initiatrix," and the male the validity of an individual's experience of what humanity, passive. Yin and Yang—the principles of masculinity and life, and values are about. This emphasis on individualism feminity, active and passive, cold and hot—are complementary had unexpected consequences in the burst of self-awareness polarities that are found in different balances in both men of the 1960s, when individuals began openly challenging the and women. In the East, the positives and negatives of human common social views of the war in Vietnam, civil rights, and life, the energies or tensions we all experience are shared by even the monolithic, legalistic, and impersonal control system men and women alike. Eastern views generally have not tried of the Vatican with its definition of marital-reproductive sexual to explain the tensions of life by attributing what is viewed ethics.3 In the West, affection, love, and individual fulfillment as positive to males and what is seen as negative to females.5 have come to dominate current sexual morality, even though The major Hindu god and goddess, Siva and Sakti, are our culture still pays lip service to the Genesis endorsement a biunity that permeates the entire order of nature. In the of monogamy, sexual exclusivity, and the primacy of teachings of yoga, there is an eternal primordial mass (prakrtí), reproduction. which interacts with nonmaterial energy (purusa). These two polarities can be brought together and channeled upward by Human Origins and the Body/Spirit Relationship an individual, male or female, seeking transcendence and union with the cosmic and divine. The kundalini force residing at Viewed from a slightly different angle, the Christian myth the base of the spine thus represents the active, female force, of human origins talks of an original sin that corrupts and in contrast to the passive, male Siva. The arousal, ascent, distorts human nature. This Western world-view of human and merging of the female principle with the male principle

Spring 1992 41 is the theme of the tantric tradition. The most immediate Christian world-view very uncomfortable with sensual, experience of an aroused kundalini, which leads to the fullness especially erotosexual, pleasure. In the West, sexual pleasure of human consciousness, is the activation, not the suppression, is disruptive and dangerous to both the individual and society. of sexual energy. The feminine kundalini is the mystical fire It has been viewed as the monster in the groin, which, if in the subtle body, whose upward movement and merging unleashed, could drive men to uncontrollable indulgence and with the eternal male Siva confers freedom and immortality.6 destroy society. Work, not play, is redemptive. The only reason Because the Tantric and Hindu traditions have such a rich God created sexual pleasure was to induce men and women and positive symbolism of the ascent and the merger of the to undertake the burdens and responsibilities of raising female principle with the male principle, sexual relations are children. In this view, sexual relations are immoral and sinful viewed not as a threat but as the most intense awakening whenever they are indulged outside marriage or without an of feeling states a person can experience.? openness to procreation. Thus official Catholicism and Protestant fundamentalists condemn masturbation and all Sex and Transcendence forms of nonmarital, nonreproductive sex. Also unacceptable are alternative sexual behaviors and relationships—playful/ This difference leads us to consider a third distinction in the recreational sex, gay unions, pre- and co-marital sex, and ways Eastern and Christian cultures view sex. Around the intimate friendships.9 world, myths and archetypes offer varying explanations of In contrast, Hindu and Tantric views commonly celebrate the connection between our sexual impulses and the sexual pleasure as a value in its own right, to be enjoyed transcendent world or God. In the East, transcendence of for what it brings the participants. Kama represents "the human limitations and mortality is achieved by integration pursuit of love of pleasure, both sensual and aesthetic," one and increased awareness of the totality of sensual and mental of the four goals of life in the Hindu tradition. Two sexual experiences. In Western Christian mythology, sex is a barrier manuals, the Kama-Shastra and the second century Kama- to be overcome. In Christianity, humans are urged to transcend Sutra, were allegedly written by the gods and sages as their mortality and achieve salvation by redemption and ascetic comprehensive guides for the disciplinary enjoyment of sexual denial of the senses, especially their sexual impulses.8 pleasures. In Hindu philosophy, Bhoga, or sexual pleasure, The Eastern view of the integral connection between sexual is viewed as one of the two paths leading to nirvana, and pleasure and transcendence is evident in the Hindu belief in final deliverance. Yoga, spiritual exercise, is the alternate and complementary pairing of gods and goddesses, often portrayed more demanding path to liberation and the merging of the together enjoying yab-yum or sexual union. Kama, the Hindu individual with the universal. In the Tantric yoga tradition, god of love, is believed to be present during all acts of love. a man or woman can even practice channeling his or her His wife, Rati, is the embodiment of sensual love. In the sexual energies from the lowest chakra to the highest and West, there exists only the model of an asexual male God achieve cosmic awareness and transcendence in solo sex or or a Trinity of celibate male divine persons. masturbation. Because the polarities of male and female occur The Eastern integration of sex and transcendence is also in both sexes, it is possible for two men or two women to evident in the erotic sculptures of the eleventh-century Hindu experience the same kind of union and transcendence a temples of Khajuraho in northern India, where every con- heterosexual couple can achieve in sexual union.'° ceivable form of sexual experience and pleasure is portrayed as a path to the transcendent other. Bhoga—physical, sensual Controlling Sexual Behavior pleasure—is one of the several paths a person may choose to achieve liberation and the union of the individual with From the times of Plato and the early Roman Stoics to the universal. Sexual relations are portrayed as a path to Augustine and beyond, Christian thinkers have called for the integration and expanded, even cosmic, awareness. subjugation of passion to reason with sublimation or denial Not so in the West, where only a few isolated, tenuous of sexual desire and passion. Eastern philosophies have called examples of sex as a path to transcendence can be found. for the channeling and synergistic sharing of sexual desire, Bernini's sculpture of Teresa of Avila in the Vatican, the Pre- passion, and energy. Raphaelite Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and the Romantic William Margaret Mead's distinction between cultures that rely on Blake in the 1800s give hints of sexual ecstasy as a way to shame and those that rely on guilt as the main social control the divine, but they pale before the overwhelming message mechanism is relevant in this discussion. In Western cultures of the Khajuraho temples. Western traditions have consistently the emphasis has been on guilt, experienced in the internal presented sex as something one must go beyond, transcend, sanctions of conscience, religion, and punishment imposed and sacrifice if one wants to commune with God. Despite after the fact. The primary control mechanism in Eastern his masculine attributes, the Christian God is asexual, or at cultures is shame. Sanctions based on family and kin bonds least beyond sex. are designed to prevent actions that would shame the family. An interesting Christian variation on the control mechan- Sexual Pleasure isms of guilt and shame is the concept of Carnival and Mardi Gras. These annual festivals provide a brief "safety valve" Christian views have been dominated by a focus on the life by letting men and women indulge in sexual pleasure without hereafter and the need for redemption. This has made the guilt. Behind the Carnival or Mardi Gras mask, there is no

42 FREE INQUIRY guilt. While antisexual Catholic conservatism dominates public [human] dignity." We need a new cosmology, new icons, and life in Brazil, common expressions clearly indicate that one a new consciousness of ourselves as the consciousness of the can do everything (fazendo tudo) within four walls or beneath earth.14 the sheets because in private there is no shame or guilt." As a pre-figurative culture, we have in practice jettisoned the Genesis archetypes, even though their control over our Some Practical Applications lives is still very real. But we have not yet developed the archetypes and myths that give meaning and significance to Some may find this comparison of Hindu and Christian views human consciousness and relationships today, the lifestyles of sex of passing intellectual interest, but it does have some of single mothers, gay or lesbian couples, the sexually active pragmatic applications in today's world. Karl Jaspers, Alvin single person, or men and women in a variety of alternative Toffler, Teilhard de Chardin, theologian Matthew Fox, space lifestyles and relationships. scientist James Lovelock, Edward Whitmont, archaeologist Several mainstream churches—Episcopalians, Methodists, Marija Gimbutas, historian Elinor Gadon, printmaker Judith United Church of Canada, United Church of Christ, and Anderson, artist Jean Edelstein, playwright Donna Wilshire, others—have been struggling to reinterpret the Genesis myth and many other commentators on contemporary cultures and and the traditional morality derived from it to justify the future have suggested that cultures around the world are recognition or at least tolerance of some sexual lifestyles.15 entering a transitional stage. The belief is that we are on the Whether this attempt will succeed or not is anyone's guess. verge of moving to a new level of consciousness. The Gaia Rooted as it is in the patriarchal human consciousness of image of Earth as a single living organism has been electrified three thousand years ago, the Genesis myth and archetypes by images of people dancing on the Berlin Wall and the may resist reinterpretation in terms that will be meaningful countries of the United Nations finally uniting to oppose a to the contemporary world. newborn Hitler in the Middle East. Two theologians have led the way in the effort to rein- Karl Jaspers has suggested that human consciousness and terpret traditional Christian archetypes and myths in ways social organization moved from a prehistoric egalitarian Pre- that present sexuality, sexual pleasure, and sexual rela- Axial Consciousness through three thousand years of tions as positive, creative, integrating, and open to tran- patriarchal Axial Consciousness. Theologian Ewert Cousins scendence. echoes the beliefs of many others when he argues we are now In creation spirituality, Matthew Fox does not deny original entering a Second Axial Period of human consciousness in sin. Instead, he reinterprets the Genesis story of a "fall" as which the best traits of the Pre-Axial and Axial consciousness a blessing in which the mythic Adam becomes a symbol of will be blended.12 the Christ, the Second and real Adam, the perfect human. We are what Margaret Mead in the 1960s termed a Instead of the garden in the beginning of time, the true goal "prefigurative culture." Ask young people today what the of humankind exists ahead, in the future. The "fall" becomes story of Adam and Eve means to them, and you will find an accent, a challenge to evolve to the perfection foreshadowed that most of them have not even heard of the Genesis story. by Adam and Christ. In this positive symbolism, "passion, Those who have often have no awareness of how central Eros and ecstasy are blessings and not curses." Creativity this myth has been in forming Western sexual values. replaces obedience and abstinence. The aesthetics of sexual And yet, they are aware of all kinds of sexual relation- playfulness replaces the asceticism of the marital-reproductive ships and behaviors that violate the heterosexual monoga- work ethic of sex.16 mous values characterized in the Genesis myth and its James Nelson, professor of Christian Ethics at the United interpretations and the so-called traditional values of the Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, has also devoted American family. The archetypes of the Genesis myth have considerable effort to the reinterpretation of sexual archetypes meaning today only for the fundamentalist minority. They and myths in ways that stress the connection between sex are no longer relevant to the majority of Westerners, even and religion in a positive way.17 though we continue to endorse in theory the traditional values While I value these efforts at reinterpretation, I am in- derived from them. creasingly doubtful about the chances for success, because The recent re-emergence of the pre-axial Goddess as symbol the effort is still biased toward Western and Christian images. of the seeded earth in feminism, feminist theologies, and New In the 1990s and beyond, we will need myths for what Age writings does not mean a return to some golden age Victor Turner, in symbolic cultural anthropology, calls the of ancient fertility religion. It may hold out hope for a profound "liminality and communitas of antistructure." Raymond healing of the malaise that has allowed us to exploit the earth Lawrence finds in Turner's theory of communitas and the and denounce the life-enhancing celebration of our sensuality dialectics of structure-antistructure a diagnostic tool in relation as an active generative force. Our transition to a new level to the institution of marriage in the twentieth-century industrial of consciousness and awareness of self and the universe will West. The paucity of marital status reversal rituals or any not be accomplished by a blunt rejection of the philosophies clear dialectic between structure and antistructure in the of male individuation and exploitation of nature rooted in marital images indicate a brittle, inflexible social structure the biblical world-view of the first millennium B.C.E.13 As headed for disaster. Turner's work suggests to Lawrence "that, Joseph Campbell points out, that biblical mythology "does when it comes to marriage, we take ourselves much too not accord with our concept either of the universe or of seriously in the modern West and are imperiled both by our

Spring 1992 43 exaggerated respect for [marital] structure and our loss of on the Berlin Wall. Still, the realities of transition can be communitas values." Lawrence finds positive examples of frightening, as Joseph Campbell suggests. We may not be antistructure, status reversal, and communitas in the literature able to develop the new archetypes and myths to support of comarital relations, sexually open marriages, intimate our emerging social structures, sexual values, and Gaian friendships, satellite relations, swinging, and gay and lesbian experience as fast as we would like. "We can't have a [new] unions.1s mythology for a long, long time to come. Things are changing Until recently, ethnic minorities in the United States too fast to become mythologized."24 seldom if ever acknowledged that their cultural patterns of male-female relations, sexual ethics, and marital patterns Notes deviate in any way from the mythic traditional American 1. Joseph Campbell, The Power of the Myth (New York: Doubleday, monogamous nuclear family. However, in recent presenta- 1988), p. 31. tions, I have noticed an increasing willingness among Latinos 2. E. W. Gadon, The Once and Future Goddess: A Symbol for Our and blacks to acknowledge to outsiders the existence of Times (New York: Harper and Row, 1989) pp. 370-374. 3. R. T. Francoeur, "New Dimensions in Human Sexuality: The variations that could provide models for mainstream trans- Theological Challenge," in R. H. Iles, ed., The Gospel Imperative in the formations. Midst of AIDS (Wilton, Conn.: Morehouse Publishing Co., 1990), pp. Mention of the Latino tradition of contractual and 79-98. consensual spouses, expressed in such phrases as 4. R. T. Francoeur, Perspectives in Evolution (Baltimore: Helicon "un hombre Press, 1965), pp. 128-142, 149-151, 232-262, 277-278; R. T. Francoeur, completo" and the female equivalents of the woman "with Evolving World Converging Man (New York: Holt Rinehart & Winston, one man," "with two men," "con varios hombres," or "with 1970), pp. 124-174. 5. B. Gupta, ed. Sexual Archetypes, East and West (New York: Paragon another woman's husband" are now often quietly acknowl- House, 1987). edged by many Latinos, where in the past passive faces 6. T. M. Srinivasan, "Polar Principles in Yoga and Tantra,"in B. Gupta, implied the speaker didn't know what he or she was talking ed. Sexual Archetypes, East and West (New York: Paragon House, 1987), about. p. 106-115. 7. M. Chia and M. Winn, Taoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male Similarly, mentions of "man-sharing" increasingly bring Sexual Energy (Sante Fe, N.M.: Aurora Press, 1984). M. Chia and M. signs of recognition and acknowledgment from black listeners. Chia, Healing Love Through the Tao: Cultivating Female Sexual Energy Ten years ago, Joseph Scott, professor of American Ethnic (Huntington, N.Y.: Healing Tao Books, 1986). 8. Gupta, op. cit. Studies at the University of Washington, and others docu- 9. Francoeur, in Iles, op. cit. mented the shortage of young black males and economic 10. Gupta, op. cit.; Chia and Winn, op. cit.: Chia and Chia, op. cit. factors that have made this pattern of marriage a functional 11. R. Parker, "Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in urban Brazil," Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 1987, 1(2):164-165; V. Turner, The Ritual part of urban black life, though reluctantly accepted by the Process: Structure and Anti-Structure (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University women who lack alternatives. 19 Press, 1969), pp. 96-111, 177-185. These traditions deserve serious study. They can provide 12. E. W. Cousins, "Male-female aspects of the trinity in Christian mysticism," in B. Gupta, ed., Sexual Archetypes, East and West, 1987), examples of liminal antistructures supporting the structure pp. 37-50. of monogamous marriage. They can serve as models of 13. M. Gimbutas, The Language of the Goddess (New York: Harper variations that might be more functional and openly practiced & Row, 1989); E. W. Gadon (1989). Op. cit., Chapter 16. Gaia consciousness: Ecological wisdom for the renewal of life on our planet and Chapter 17, in the twenty-first century than our current ideological icons. The promise of the Goddess: Healing of our culture, pp. 341-377. Recognition of these ethnic traditions could help us break 14. Campbell, op. cit., pp. 30-31. through the American ideological double-speak that extols 15. Francoeur, in Iles, op. cit. 16. M. Fox, Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality (Santa lifelong heterosexual monogamy, nuclear families, and Fe, N.M.: Bear & Company, 1983); M. Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic premarital celibacy as the sole acceptable pattern, even though Christ (New York: Harper & Row, 1988). only a small minority of Americans practice that ideal. Study 17. J. B. Nelson, Embodiment: An Approach to Sexuality and Christian Theology (Minneapolis, Minn.: Augsburg Publishing, 1978); J. B. Nelson, of ethnic variations could help us accept the realities of divorce, Between Two Gardens: Reflections on Sexuality and Religious Experience serial polygamy, extramarital relations, and teenage sexual- (New York: Pilgrim Press, 1983). ity-the New Jersey State Department of Education reports 18. Turner, op. cit.; R. J. Lawrence, The Poisoning of Eros (New York: Augustine Moore Press, 1989), pp. 263-266. 50 percent of males and 18 percent of females in the state 19. J. W. Scott, "From teenage parenthood to polygamy. Case studies are sexually active by age thirteen. These are realities our in black polygamous family formation." Western J. Black Studies, 1986, society must deal with in the 1990s and beyond. But to deal 10(4): 172-179. 20. A. Bolin, In Search of Eve: Transexual Rites of Passage (S. Hadley, with them, we need new value systems, new archetypes, and Mass.: Bergin & Garvey, 1988); A. Bolin, "The gendered body." An new role models.20 unpublished paper presented as part of a symposium on Cross-Cultural Other challenging ventures into liminal thinking can be Issues: Body Health-Feedback between Soma and Symbol, 1989. The 32nd annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sex, Toronto found in Anne Bolin's quest for new images of femininity Canada, November 9, 1989. in male-to-female transsexuals and in competitive female body 21. J-A. Loulan, "Lesbian erotic achetypes." An unpublished paper builders,21 in the speculations of JoAnn Loulan about lesbian presented at the Western Region meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sex, San Francisco, Calif., March 9-11, 1990. archetypes,22 and James Weinrich's description of the "sexual 22. J. D. Weinrich, Sexual Landscapes: Why We Are What We Are, landscapes" of gender differentiation and gay male arche- Why We Love Whom We Love (New York: Scribner, 1987). types.23 23. R. T. Francoeur, Becoming a Sexual Person (Macmillan 1991) Chapters 2, 3, and 17; P. Van Tassel, Review of family life education Much is happening, much faster than any rational person urged. New York Times, July 29, 1990. Sect. 12, pp. 1, 9. could have speculated before we were shaken by the dancing 24. Campbell, op. cit., p. 31. •

44 FREE INQUIRY This article continues FREE INQUIRY'S series on the precursors of modern-day humanists. Mary Wollstonecraft and Women's Rights

Elizabeth Larson

idely known as the founding mother of feminism, A Vindication of Mankind Mary Wollstonecraft, in her private life, often failed Wto reach her high public ideals. From her birth Today, Wollstonecraft is best known as the author of A in 1759, a disappointment to Edward and Elizabeth Vindication of the Rights of Women, an essay much Wollstonecraft, who had hoped for a second son, to her death anthologized since its first printing in 1792. It sold so well during childbirth six months after a secret marriage, Mary that a second edition was printed before the end of the year. felt herself born a woman with a "different face." Few students and scholars realize, however, that Wollstone- For the first twenty years of her life, Wollstonecraft was craft did not, at first, see herself as a champion of women's tied to home, nursing a dying mother and avoiding a violent rights, much less as a founder—the founder, according to father. Her happiest hours were spent in the library of a some—of the modern feminist movement. neighboring clergyman and his wife, who had virtually adopted It all began in 1787 when Wollstonecraft made her way her. to the London home of radical publisher Joseph Johnson. Wollstonecraft did not meet a kindred spirit until 1783, Johnson, a supporter of both the American and the French when she and her sister opened a day school for girls in revolutions, soon published Wollstonecraft's Thoughts on the Newington Green, long a center for Dissenters. That Education of Daughters as well as her first novel, Mary. Those intellectual companion was Richard Price, liberal philosopher, small successes heartened Wollstonecraft and made her one laissez-faire economist, and prominent Dissenting clergy- of the first women to support herself solely by writing. At man. the age of twenty-eight Wollstonecraft had discovered herself. Price's influence on Wollstonecraft was profound and In September 1787 she wrote to Johnson: permanent. He was a fervent believer in natural rights, progress, and the perfectibility of mankind. His pamphlet, I often think of my new plan of life. I am determined. Your Observations on Civil Liberty, sold over six thousand copies sex generally laugh at female determinations, but let me tell when published in 1776 and was the most influential defense you—I never yet resolved.to do anything of consequence that I did not adhere resolutely to it till I had accomplished my of the American Revolution after Thomas Paine's Common purpose, improbable as it might have appeared to a more Sense. Price's belief that reason enables men to discern good timid mind.' from bad, thereby making them capable of self-government, set Wollstonecraft on the path to becoming one of the first Wollstonecraft was not without acquaintance in the big female classical liberals. city for long. Johnson was known for the literary suppers Although Price occupied a place perhaps closest to he gave above his St. Paul's Churchyard shop. "Whenever Wollstonecraft's heart, he was by no means the only one to I am tired of solitude, I go to Mr. Johnson's," she told a take an interest in her. The company of philosopher John friend. On November 13, 1791, a farewell dinner was thrown Arden and his daughter Jane stimulated Wollstonecraft to in honor of Paine and his departure to France to act as a seek a life pursuing knowledge rather than marriage. One delegate to the French Revolutionary Council. William acquaintance encouraged her to use her expertise as a teacher Godwin, the Dissenting minister turned anarchical philosopher to write a treatise on the education of women. Wollstonecraft would later marry, was also present. He was little impressed with "Mrs. W.," as he called her (like other Elizabeth Larson is with Reason magazine. She holds a degree female writers of the day, Wollstonecraft used "Mrs." despite in English literature from Vassar College. her unmarried status). He found her talkative and opinionated. For her part, Wollstonecraft found Godwin dry and unlikable.

Spring 1992 45 Reason guides the power to choose. When a man is free to choose, he is free to pursue happiness as he defines it. "It may be confidently asserted that no man chooses evil, because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks," Wollstonecraft wrote.4 This is man's greatest prerogative: to pursue the life he wants, regardless of others' estimation of his choice. It is implicit in Wollstonecraft's argument, and explicit in the writings of those who followed her, that this pursuit should only be questioned at the moment it interferes with the independence or happiness of another. "The happiness of the whole must arise from the happiness of the constituent parts, or the essence of justice is sacrificed to a supposed grand arrangement."5 Despite her occasional concession to the "grand arrangement" of traditional English society—such as marrying one of her lovers—Wollstonecraft was an individualist. Birth or ill fortune may force upon someone an ignoble lot in life, but society cannot destroy the integrity of that person's reason unless he or she permits it. Submission to the authority of society or tradition reduces one to the level of barbarians, the men without reason, Wollstonecraft warned. Reliance on reason, on the other hand, furthers the progress of civilization by freeing men to discover, create, and learn. As Price wrote, "There can scarcely be a more pleasant and Mary Wollstonecraft encouraging object of reflection than" the realization that the "world hitherto has been gradually improving." Many in Johnson's circle belonged to the Revolution Reason and emotion are equally natural in man, hence Society, a group that convened annually on the birthdate of the question of what balance to strike between the two becomes William III to commemorate the Glorious Revolution of 1688. a moral one. Wollstonecraft demanded of Burke: The November 4, 1789, meeting was the first since the storming of the Bastille in July of the previous summer, and the society In what respect are we superior to the brute creation, if intellect members hailed the French revolutionaries as the philosophical is not allowed to be the guide of passion? Brutes hope and descendants of the English revolutionaries. A sermon by Price fear, love and hate; but, without a capacity to improve, a was one of the day's highlights. power of turning these passions to good or evil, they neither A pamphlet of the society's 1789 proceedings fell into the acquire virtue nor wisdom.—Why? Because the Creator has hands of Edmund Burke. Horrified at the revolutionary not given them reason.6 implications of the natural rights doctrine that Price preached, Burke wrote Reflections on the Revolution in France, an attack Burke and others prefer the easy road of the emotions to on Price, the Dissenters, the French Revolution, and the the more disciplined, and less traveled, road of reason. Those "natural rights" of man and a defense of the traditional rights who find it more gratifying to follow where their emotions of English custom and law. lead try to convince others that they are only acting as humans Wollstonecraft rushed to the defense of Price and natural naturally act, Wollstonecraft wryly observed. In her eyes, men rights theory. Johnson waited near the desk where she sat, who do not allow reason to tame their emotions are the moral typesetting each sheet as she lifted her pen from the page. equivalent of animals. In A Vindication of the Rights of Men, published anony- To live by reason leads one to self-government. That is mously in December 1790, Wollstonecraft defended the where Price's natural rights doctrine developed from an doctrine of natural rights—rights that governments can never abstract philosophy into a dangerous tool of revolution in grant, only deny, because men are entitled to them by their Burke's eyes. If all men swore allegiance first to themselves, nature.2 citizens the world over would revolt. The calls for self- The ability to reason lies at the heart of Wollstonecraft's government and recognition of liberty by those in Johnson's defense of natural rights. "I reverence the rights of men.— circle struck Burke's ears like a call to arms against the British Sacred rights! for which I acquire a more profound respect crown and English society. He worded the title of his the more I look into my own mind."3 Wollstonecraft had Reflections to indicate that what was happening in France a greater respect for the natural rights of man when she saw was not simply a French revolution, but the first act of a within her own mind the ability to reason. Because all men general revolution that would spread like a fever across the are born with the ability to reason, she argued, all men are globe.? given the capacity to secure for themselves liberty and Inherited property, primogeniture, and the other English happiness. customs are the very battlements protecting England from

46 FREE INQUIRY social chaos, Burke contended. To Wollstonecraft, those blessings of civil governments ... that wealth and female trappings of privilege sacrificed the individual liberty of the softness equally tend to debase mankind ... for how can a rational being be ennobled by any thing that is not obtained common man to the pomp and glory of the great. by its own exertions?la Primogeniture for the sake of tradition is immoral, Wollstonecraft believed, because no man has a right to any Inherited property debases men because they rely on the fruits property other than that which he has earned through his of another's efforts; "feminine virtue" debases women because talents and industry. "The demon of [inherited] property has they come to depend on the fruits of another's mind, and ever been at hand to encroach on the sacred rights of men."8 the whims of their own emotions. Private property is one of "the dearest rights of men," but "My own sex, I hope, will excuse me if I treat them like it is a right that has been upset by the English tradition of rational creatures instead of flattering their fascinating graces," bequeathing all to the eldest son. Wollstonecraft added after encouraging women to emulate Wollstonecraft scorned Burke's dependence on tradition more of the heroic and fewer of the graceful virtues." Her and mocked his belief in the superiority of the passions. She excuse reveals both how thoroughly girls were taught to was a good hater, Godwin later wrote of her. Unfortunately, develop "fascinating graces" and how seriously Wollstonecraft her defense of Price and the natural rights of man was believed in the natural equality of women as "rational understood by many of her contemporaries as a defense of creatures." Women must discard the double system of morality only half of the human race. imposed by genteel society and come to understand the wrong- It was the 1791 review of The Rights of Men in the headedness of sacrificing one's liberty to so-called virtue. Gentleman's Quarterly that made Wollstonecraft realize that Wollstonecraft's beliefs, needless to say, did not endear not everyone undertood "the rights of men" to be synonymous her to many of her contemporaries. Upon reading The Rights with "the rights of mankind." The Quarterly thought it absurd of Women, Hannah Moore wrote: "There is something that a woman should defend the rights of men. fantastic and absurd in the very title. How many ways there Wollstonecraft amended her vindication of the natural are of being ridiculous. I am sure I have as much liberty rights of mankind by writing A Vindication of the Rights as I can make use of. Now I am an old maid, and when of Women, published by Johnson in 1792. I was a young one I had, I daresay, more than was good If reason is the guide to virtue for a man, then reason for me."12 Judging the amount posterity has gained from must be a woman's guide as well. Yet the position of women Moore, she was probably right. in society showed that what was seen as moral for a man Lack of proper education was to blame for the barren was not the same as what was considered moral for a woman, blooming of the typical female mind.13 Although daughters Wollstonecraft argued. Indeed, a man's virtue was oftentimes a woman's sin. Gentlemen in Wollstonecraft's day were received more education in Wollstonecraft's time than "learned"; ladies were "accomplished." Gentlemen read previously, women were "still reckoned a frivolous sex, and Aristotle and Ptolemy; ladies spoke French and did ridiculed or pitied by the writers who endeavor by satire or needlework. Virtue was tailored to gender. While the virtuous instruction to improve them."14 man was courageous, healthy, honest, and intelligent, the Girls should study history, literature, the sciences, and the virtuous woman was chaste, modest, weak, and silent. classics with boys, Wollstonecraft wrote. Acquiring modesty Virtue has no gender, Wollstonecraft insisted. The and accomplishments simply dulls the senses, suffocates masculine sports of hunting and riding differ from the natural impulses to independence, and produces ladies of false "masculine virtues." Wollstonecraft pointed out that she agreed virtue or guileless vanity. Mothers taught their daughters that with those who thought women should not be involved in their duty as women was to charm and as wives to obey. hunting, shooting, and gaming, but Coquetry was deemed a more persuasive tool in conversation with members of the "gallant" sex than expressing one's ideas if it be against the imitation of manly virtues, or, more properly and opinions. speaking, the attainment of those talents and virtues, the Girls ended up with the pretended innocence of cunning exercise of which ennobles the human character ... all those children, who, like the brutes Wollstonecraft had described who view them with a philosophic eye must, I should think, in The Rights of Men, "hope and fear, love and hate; but, wish with me, that [women] may every day grow more without a capacity to improve, a power of turning these masculine.9 passions to good or evil, they neither acquire virtue nor wisdom." Women could never become truly good or wise, While the heroic virtues are the true virtues—being those "the for the capacity to reason—the wellspring of both virtue and exercise of which ennobles the human character"—men will wisdom—had long since atrophied. never lead moral lives until the natural rights of all of mankind Is it any wonder that children and households are neglected are recognized. while wives pursue adulterous affairs? Wollstonecraft cried. Women, especially privileged women, are not unlike the Although she considered marriage "the foundation of almost son who stands to inherit a vast estate, Wollstonecraft argued. every social virtue," Wollstonecraft had ample evidence from both her sister's and her parents' marriages of how much Seldom occupied by serious business, the pursuit of pleasure gives that insignificancy to [a woman's] character which this institution had suffered from a perversion of the renders the society of the great so insipid.... Such are the relationship between the sexes.

Spring 1992 47

Wollstonecraft herself finally married. She had crossed Wollstonecraft's and other liberals' ideas and ushered in the paths only rarely with Godwin since their first meeting at Victorian era. By preserving social harmony, the Victorians Johnson's. Then one April day in 1796, Mary Hays invited said, we can spare London the excesses and tumult that her to tea, forewarning her that Godwin was to be there as devastated Paris from 1789 to 1815. "Let everything be as well. Godwin was pleasantly surprised to find Wollstonecraft it was," they cried. And for much of the nineteenth century had become an attractive woman, both in person and in it was. manners. A week later Wollstonecraft broke every rule of Stemming the tide of liberalism washing between Europe's English courtship by calling on Godwin at his home. Their shores and the British Isles, the Victorians reinstated the double friendship was immediate and by August the two were lovers. system of morality Wollstonecraft and her contemporaries That winter Wollstonecraft became pregnant and, much had fought to reform. While the rights of men came to be to his philosophical embarrassment, Godwin, the anti- more universally recognized during the nineteenth century, matrimonialist, agreed to marry her. The ceremony took place the rights of mankind could only suffer as Wollstonecraft in secret, and the two continued to keep separate apartments and her friends lost their popularity. It is not surprising that and to dine with separate circles of friends. Yet it wasn't long the Victorians primly observed that Wollstonecraft had been before the Court and Social column of The Times noted that a "sexless female." It remained for us to discover in the writings "Mr. Godwin, author of a pamphlet against matrimony" had of Mary Wollstonecraft the eloquent, often angry voice that secretly wed "the famous Mrs. Wollstonecraft, who wrote in excited respect and ridicule among eighteenth-century support of the Rights of Women." Englishmen. Their happiness ended abruptly. On September 10, 1797, Wollstonecraft died of complications from childbirth after Notes eleven days of suffering. Their child, Mary Godwin, would 1. Quoted by Wendy McElroy, "Vindication of Rights of Women: Mary grow up to be the author of Frankenstein and wife of Romantic Wollstonecraft," Knowledge products and audio tape series, produced by poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Carmichael and Carmichael, Inc., 1986. "It is impossible to represent in words the total revolution 2. A second edition, with Wollstonecraft's name, appeared in 1791. 3. Mary Wollstonecraft, "A Vindication of the Rights of Men," A this event made in my existence," Godwin wrote after her Wollstonecraft Anthology, Janet M. Todd, ed. (Bloomington: Indiana death. "It was as if in a single moment 'sun and moon were University Press, 1977), p. 75. in a flat sea sunk.' "15 Godwin completed his Memoirs of 4. Ibid., p. 79. 5. Ibid., p. 79. her in just ten weeks. Johnson published the Memoirs and 6. Ibid., p. 73. a four-volume edition of her Posthumous Works, which 7. Conor Cruise O'Brien, "A Vindication of Edmund Burke," National Godwin had collected. An anonymous writer remembered her Review, December 17, 1990, p. 28. 8. The Rights of Men, p. 65. in the conservative Gentlemen's Magazine: 9. Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, in A Wollstonecraft Anthology, p. 86. Her manners were gentle, easy, and elegant; her conversation 10. Ibid., p. 95. 11. Ibid., p. 86. intelligent and amusing, without the least trait of literary pride, 12. Quoted by McElroy, "Vindication of the Rights of Women: Mary or the apparent consciousness of powers above the level of Wollstonecraft." her sex; and for the soundness of her understanding, and 13. The Rights of Women, p. 85. sensibility of heart, she was, perhaps, never equalled... . 14. Ibid., p. 86. This tribute we readily pay to her character, however adverse 15. Quoted by Richard Holmes in his introduction to A Short Residence we may be to the system she supported in politics and morals, in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, Richard Holmes, ed. (Middlesex, both by her writings and practice.16 England: Penguin, 1987) p. 14. 16. Ibid., p. 15. • A Most Victorian Response The "Voice of Inquiry" 3/92 Now there are seven installments of the "Voice of Inquiry,"the radio magazine A radical liberalism had arrived on the heels of Enlightenment, co-sponsored by CODESH. Purchase your own "Voice of Inquiry" tapes- and Wollstonecraft's generation witnessed the beginnings of listen at your convenience. All programs are a half-hour long. some great social upheavals. As an unprecedented openness ❑ Program 103A. Critical Thinking, Humanism and African-Americans, Satanism, and Spontaneous Human Combustion. ❑ Program 103B. Sex in the 90s, Secular of inquiry swept through the intellectual circles of Europe, Humanism, SOS, and The Full Moon and Human Behavior. ❑ Program 103C. the great liberal minds of the day reconsidered the rights of Euthanasia, Near Death Experiences, The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, and Why Be Skeptical? ❑ Program 104A. Interviews at the 1990 conference of the all humankind-whether slave, woman, or nobleman. Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. ❑ Program Wollstonecraft ranked among those champions of liberty along 1048. Was Ancient Egypt Black?, Teaching About Religion, and Global Humanism. ❑ Program 105A. Reason and Morality, Astrology, The New Age. ❑ Program 1058. with the likes of Frenchman Benjamin Constant and German Contraception. Magic and Deception, and The New Catastrophism. aristocrat Wilhelm von Humboldt, elder brother of the better- One Program: $6.95 Any three: $18.00 All seven: $41.00 Total $ known naturalist Alexander von Humboldt. The liberal ideas Please send me the Voice of Inquiry segments checked above. Enclosed find a check or money order (no charges, please) payable to Inquiry Media Productions. that thrived between the 1790s and the 1820s varied from England to France to Germany, but they formed enough of Name a cohesive ideology to strike fear into the hearts of the next Address Daytime Tele # generation's intellectuals and politicians. City State Zip Code Following Burke's lead, English conservatives seized upon Inquiry Media Productions • Box 32 • Central Park Station the French Revolution as the ultimate embodiment of Buffalo, NY 14215-0032

48 FREE INQUIRY

Caring Love and Liberty: Some Questions'

Marvin Kohl

hat is love? To what extent, Perhaps it is true that loving generates course, this is an arguable leap. But if if any, does it (or a central an overriding right to sometimes there is an underlying argument, one Wform of it) require that we seriously intervene in the lives of others. formulation may read: If X cares about "help" a beloved by intervening in or Perhaps it is also true that the rights of Y, X is concerned about the welfare of interfering with, her or his life? In other the lover to choose between alternative Y. However, if X loves Y, X is deeply words, is there a kind of adult relation- courses of action or goals without being concerned about the welfare of Y (that ships where the possibility of a closer restricted by external authority must is, more actively disposed, or more relationship is not ruled out by one of bow before the so-called rights of the committed, to help Y) and largely—but the parties and where the relationship beloved. But "rights" talk adds a moral not only—because of this X will inter- requires or permits a form of what I shall dimension that is, at best, notoriously vene in Y's life if that action, in the call "moderate paternalism," i.e., a form untidy. I do not wish to compound the context of Ys life, is necessary to protect of assertive caring, without control? I will difficulties by adding to what is already an important good or prevent a serious suggest that there is an empirically a historical intellectual mess. harm. Thus if Barbara loves George and if, unknown to George, his life is manifested type of relationship, whereby Alan Soble suggests that the demand- immediately threatened by deadly force, if X loves Y, X must cherish and desire ing and intelligent reader, after surveying then Barbara (given the usual caveats the well-being and happiness, the welfare much of the literature on love, "might conclude the area is a mess, the idea is about the limits of reasonable action) is of Y, and that, given the constituents a mess, probably love itself is a mess."3 required to help George, especially if she of this relationship, X is required to help There is no quick and easy way to tidy is the only one in a position to do so. Y in certain circumstances if that help up this mess. But we may be able to The rough but fundamental intuition is proves necessary. I shall call this rela- clean up part of it, albeit a small part that death is typically a great, often the tionship "benevolent" or "caring" love. of it, by avoiding adventitious additions, greatest loss; that the greater the threat, especially the question-of rights. For it the greater the need to protect a beloved t is tempting to begin by saying that, is one thing to argue that if X loves Y against it. given a commonsense understanding I X often has right to interfere with Ys Let us consider a more contentious of the relationship between love and right to self-determination. It is another example. I deliberately use it because I liberty, if X loves Y, X often has the to lower our intellectual sights and be do not believe that the commitment of right to interfere with Fs right to self- content to better understand why love the lover to the beloved is limited to cases determination. As so stated it may seem often requires intervention—perhaps of protecting against threats of death or obvious, since it is widely believed that even coercion. It is the second question more generally to the protection of only there is a kind of love that requires that will be the focus of my attention. physical welfare. Suppose George's helping those we love if that help proves stance on abortion is actively pro-life. to be necessary, and furthermore that hat is there about the nature of Suppose that Barbara is convinced that this provides much of the grounds for Wcaring love that appears to justify this will destroy his political career. Now the right to intervene in their lives. paternalistic behavior? A simple answer if Barbara loves George, if Barbara is I confess that I am unable to give is that there is a central sense of love deeply concerned about his well-being, an adequate analysis of this entitlement. whereby love means caring and caring as well as what makes him subjectively means helping when help is needed. In happy, then aside from general moral Marvin Kohl is professor of philosophy other words, the answer seems to be that duties or the special duties she may have, at the State University College of New when we care about someone, we care Barbara seems to be obliged to intervene York at Fredonia and the executive about their happiness and well-being or in George's life, say, by reminding director of the Association for the Study what I shall call their "welfare." George forcefully that his stance on and Advancement of Supportive Values. If this be true of caring, it seems to abortion may undermine his important be yet more evidently true of love. Of career goals. This example may be

Spring 1992 49 illuminating, but it is not unproblematic. fundamental level only concern and well- partners starts to feel uncomfortable in First of all, neither Barbara nor George wishing are required. If X benevolently the relationship and that it ends when know (in any strict sense of the term) loves Y, X must cherish and desire the that unhappiness is both explored and whether his abortion stance will prove well-being and happiness of Y, but X acted on.5 The line between beginning helpful or harmful. Second, what Bar- need do no more than wish Y well. to end a relationship and attempting to bara is purportedly protecting is not a Evidently, some thinkers would approve improve it may be a thin one. But there basic physical need but an important of the cultivation of this kind of seems to be a vital difference between career goal. Finally, it raises "the how affection, but would not recommend the the attempt to change the behavior or much intervention is warranted" ques- cultivation of a more caring love. They values of a loved person because it tion. Barbara seems content with sup- may urge that benevolence in terms of primarily serves one's own perceived portive confrontation. Should she be well-wishing is enough. Now it may be good and the attempt to change that more coercive? Does love, in this and admitted that, while all caring love is person because one is primarily commit- essentially similar cases, allow or require a form of benevolent love, not all ted to their welfare. Caring love, if I greater intervention? If so, how much? benevolent love is caring love. What understand it correctly, requires that appears to be common to both is that when we interfere with the values or et us return to the main argument. they involve a direct concern for the lifestyle of a beloved, we do so only It may be thought that it misses its good—that is, the happiness and well- because we intend and foresee their mark. True love, we may be told, being of another person. However, the welfare, not because we solely or pre- requires that if X loves Y, X must accept rough but essential difference between dominantly are aiming at our own. Y as he or she is. This essentially means benevolent and caring love is that the Indeed, it is true that relationships accepting the values and habits that are former is often limited to inert concern typically involve a complex mix of these important to Y. So that if George has while the latter involves, by its very feelings and motivations. Nonetheless it deep convictions about the wrongness of nature, active concern. Someone who seems odd, if not counterintuitive, to say abortion and Barbara truly loves wants a relationship of reciprocal caring that X loves Y in this sense, yet X George, Barbara must not interfere with love will generally be frustrated by, or completely accepts Y's self-destructive that stance. dissatisfied with, a relationship where the behavior. Is this true? Does love demand, or other is content with well-wishing and This position may seem to some even suggest, complete acceptance? That inert concern. Imagine, for example, offensively paradoxical; consequently is to say, does love require that we accept Barbara loving George caringly and they may think it desirable to abandon a loved person completely as he or she George only loving Barbara in the more it and substitute an agape notion of love. is? limited sense in which I use benevolence. Here we may observe, first, that it is quite A positive answer to this question What the latter means is that there consistent with agapic love to say that may involve a confusion between agapic is often a conflict between what is in X loves Y only if X unconditionally (or unconditional) love and nonagapic a person's best interest and what they accepts the qualities or features of Y or (or conditional) love. I say "may involve want. Someone, for example, may want accepts Y regardless of her or his a confusion" because I do not wish to to overeat because gluttony has become qualities, if by acceptance we mean to deny that there are special circumstances an essential condition for their happi- view or deal with the other with affection, in which the preferred thing is to love ness. But it does not follow that gluttony without any criticisms or conditions. unconditionally. Nor do I wish to deny is a condition of well-being. Similarly, That is to say, there is one kind of agapic that conditional love requires commit- someone may want to smoke cigarettes love where all that seems to be required ment to the welfare of the loved object. because this habit has become a com- is that we bond and be committed to To love someone, in a most central pulsion and they feel happier smoking the otlier without any conditions (or, sense of nonagapic love, is to be than not smoking. But few would argue perhaps, significant conditions). emotionally attached to and generally that this behavior is conducive to their Biblical scholars suggest that this kind take delight in the contemplation of that physical well-being. Similarly, if of commitment has its prototype in the person and want his or her good. George's stance on abortion is self- love "manifested by God, and therefore Accordingly, if X loves Y, X must cherish destructive in some important way, it is it must be spontaneous and unmoti- and desire the well-being and happiness difficult to understand (ceteris paribus) vated, uncalculating, unlimited, and of Y. I have called this kind of caring why, if Barbara knows this and loves unconditional."6 Similarly, Irving Singer benevolent or caring love in order to George, she does not act accordingly. regards agape as being wholly non- distinguish it not only from other kinds Exactly how Barbara should go about appraisive love, where we are to love of love but also from even minimalistic interceding is difficult to say. There is more or less as God loves, remembering forms of (what Robert Sternberg has an interesting body of evidence to that "God loves all creatures regardless called) consummate love.4 indicate that attempts to change one's of how worthless they may be in an Here, however, it seems that even fair- partner significantly in a loving relation- appraisive sense. .. ."7 If, then, we seek minded opponents may be upset. They ship often signals the breakdown of that agape love, we must accept the beloved may suggest that benevolent love is a relationship. Diane Vaughan suggests exactly as he or she is. If George is a matter of degree and that at its most that uncoupling begins when one of the glutton and smokes and if Barbara loves 50 FREE INQUIRY George in this agapic sense, then Barbara arousal Sternberg calls passion, since it he is not. Or imagine George thinking must accept the gluttony and the is unusual, if not odd, to say that a person Barbara would be a better person, in the smoking. If George's stance on abortion decides and, thereupon, has a feeling of sense of caring about her own well-being, is self-destructive and the nature of attachment toward another. Unlike if she retreats from having a caring Barbara's affection is commitment Singer, Sternberg does not distinguish relationship with George. Narveson asks without any conditions, then she may between the appraisal and the bestowal whether the attempt to change these be bound by her love not only to accept elements of love. What Sternberg interests are motivated by love or really but to support George's stance on perhaps should say is that loving a by self-interest. The answer, I believe, abortion. person minimally means according that is that in some cases it is motivated by To be clear, then, we must particu- person a preferential status that is love, in some cases by self-interest, and larize the kind of love we are talking unearned in any appraisive sense9; that in some cases by a combination of love about and at least distinguish between it is having a profound primitive affinity, and self-interest. Here I would follow agapic (unconditional) and nonagapic an affinity richer than mere liking for Carol Gilligan and say that love and self- (conditional) love. Even so we have not that person; and that it implies a decision interest are not necessarily incompatible got rid of the problem, for we are still to maintain or nurture that feeling but and what is required is a kind of faced with the stark choice of being an not necessarily the intimacy or the education that stresses different ways of agapic or nonagapic lover. Nor, for that relationship. imagining the self in relationship, a kind matter, is the nonagapic view free of the The last-named notion, is, however, of education which encourages inclusive problem of paternalism. perplexing. After all, if X has a profound problem-solving." However, this is primitive affinity for Y, an affinity richer probably a feeble reply to those who have may illustrate this by returning to than mere liking, then why would X not plausible theories of the self and self- IGeorge's life and the notion whereby want intimacy or a relationship with Y? interest, or to those who have selves that, if Barbara loves George, Barbara must Sternberg, by way of a partial answer, given their present nature, cannot cherish and desire the well-being and suggests that not all love is acquisitive. become caregivers in relationships. happiness of George and, although Contrary to a venerable philosophical One might argue that these distinc- committed to George, it is not an and literary tradition, it is possible for tions and facts merely illustrate the unconditional one. Now the nature of people to love without necessarily relationship between one kind of love commitment and the role it may play directing their longing and desire to the and what I have called moderate pa- in the various kinds of love is not an possession of that human object by ternalistic behavior. Men and women do easy one to understand. According to whom one expects to be made happy. not have to love in a caring way. Yet Sternberg: In other words, having the passion in surely it does not follow from this itself does not necessarily cause the alone—from the diversity of the kinds The decision/ commitment compo- wanting of intimacy or possession of the of love or even from the fact that a person nent of love consists of two aspects— love-object in question. Nor does the can love another merely by having a one short-term and one long-term. having of passion in and of itself profound emotional affinity for that The short term aspect is the decision illuminate the nature and limits of a person—that human beings are justified to love a certain other, whereas the in having life plans devoid of caring love. long-term one is the commitment to commitment to care for a beloved. maintain that love. The decision to Sternberg tells us that one can be To discuss this fully would carry us too love does not necessarily imply a smothered by love, that a lover, among far beyond the range of this article. But commitment to that love. Oddly other things, can care too passionately we may perhaps note that a libertarian enough, the reverse is also possible, or possessively. But he does not suggest may plausibly argue that, if the price of where there is a commitment to a full autonomy is to have a life plan relationship in which you do not make the rules of a reasonably caring relation- the decision, as in arranged mar- ship, which is not exactly the same as devoid of caring love, then that is the riages.8 providing rules for successful rela- price one must pay. However, this has tionships. to be argued, since caring love is a source Thus, a decision to love another is not Jan Narveson's argument'° for rela- of the fullest satisfaction known to a necessary commitment to love them tionships based primarily on self- human beings and typically is considered throughout life. This is easy enough to interest, even in outline, is a complex the primary emotional good. understand. But it does not help us with one. I will not pretend to do it full justice the more difficult question. here. He agrees that there is a contrast o sum up, there is a kind of love What exactly does having a commit- between the idea of what is in one's that requires a form of paternalism. ment mean? For Sternberg it seems interest and what one wants. But he It is a kind of conditional affection I minimally to mean making a decision suggests that this cuts across another have called caring love. For X to love to love a certain other but not necessarily contrast: the contrast between what X Y, in this sense, X must cherish and making a commitment to maintain that thinks Y's interests are and what Ythinks desire (in the sense of being actively love. Yet it is not at all clear what they are. Imagine Barbara thinking concerned about) the well-being and "making a decision to love" signifies. It George is interested in having a caring does not seem to mean the state of love relationship, where George thinks (Caring Love, continued on p. 54) Spring 1992 51 Viewpoints

'No, Virginia, There Is No Santa Claus. Someone's Been Lying to You.' Judith Boss

hen my article "Is Santa Corrupt- hallways and asked to give an account had tricked me for four years." Others Wing Our Children's Morals?" of my "outrageous" position. pointed out that children who did not appeared in the Fall 1991 FREE Most adults vehemently denied that believe would be considered "oddballs." INQUIRY, I expected a few letters to the they were lying when they perpetuated "What if your kids go to daycare and editor in response. The reaction caught the Santa Claus myth, and, in that tell everyone (Santa isn't real)," one me completely by surprise. The story of patronizing manner adults often take concerned child wrote, "and they tell my heresy spread like wild fire. At least toward children, added that even if they their parents? It might start an argument one hundred newspapers picked up the were it didn't matter because young or fight." While a few mentioned that story, many of which called me for children couldn't tell the difference it made Christmas more fun, none wrote interviews. I appeared on three television between fantasy and truth anyway. Their of any positive effects believing that shows and was interviewed on about position was sometimes further bolstered Santa was a real person had on their twenty-five radio shows, including the by the claim that real life is bleak and imagination. Only parents seemed taken British Broadcasting Company, Voice of devoid of joy and that Christmas could in by the illogical claim that they could America and stations in Hong Kong, only be made fun for children through stimulate their children's powers of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. a lie. fantasy by telling them Santa was real My mailbox bulged with responses. I was Oddly, it seemed to be the adults, not and not a fantasy figure. showered with a plethora of abusive the children, who had the biggest One reporter from a Boston television terms, the mildest of which were grinch problem distinguishing between a lie and station asked my oldest daughter if she and scrooge. Other people offered their fantasy. Of the many letters I received, felt she had been deprived at Christmas wholehearted support and even congrat- my favorite was a package of twenty- because she didn't "believe in Santa ulated me for my "courage." Stations one letters from a class of sixth graders Claus" like the other children. My frequently began the interviews by in Texas who had been asked by their daughter replied that, on the contrary, teacher as a language assignment to warning parents to tune to another it was the other kids who had missed respond to my article. Unlike parents, station if children were listening. A few out on the fun. It's rare, she continued, the great majority of whom strongly irate subscribers canceled their subscrip- when parents take the time to play supported the Yuletide deception, only pretend with their children. Christmas tions to the Providence Journal when four of the students found the position was one time our whole family played it ran a story about my views on their acceptable. Ten totally agreed with my at make-believe together. front page. position, while the remaining seven I was recognized on the street from expressed mixed feelings. Half wrote that ne reason people lie is to gain power my picture, which had appeared next to it was wrong of parents to tell them Santa over those they deceive by keeping Santa's on the front page of the 0 Journal. was a real person because, in the words them in the dark about what is actually In Rhode Island, I became known as of one, "It's a lie and parents shouldn't happening. Because it benefits him or the "Kingston grinch," Kingston being lie to their children." Five students added her, lying almost always seems more the home of the University of Rhode that lying hurts children's feelings and justified in the eyes of the liar than from Island where I teach ethics. I was the that when they found out they've been the vantage point of those who have been bad guy who wanted to ruin Christmas lied to they felt let down. Several were deceived. However, deception all too for children. My family, friends, and uncomfortable with their parents having often backfires. Among the many colleagues were confronted in shops and used Santa as a "threat" or "bribe" to clippings sent to me on the subject of get them to behave. Santa Claus was one from a medical Judith Boss teaches in the Philosophy On the other hand, one of the students newsletter on children and stress. It Department at the University of Rhode who believed in keeping the Santa stated that, while Christmas is the most Island. tradition alive wrote that she was stressful time of year for adults because "impressed with how they [her parents] of having to buy gifts and spend time

52 FREE INQUIRY with people they'd rather not see, it is the cash for the gifts on their children's Christmas season. It's also time we also stressful, although less obviously so, lists. No wonder everyone is so happy started showing children more respect for children. While Santa, we are told, when Christmas morning finally ar- year-round. The reaction provoked by "knows" everything, young children rives and the Santa deception at last is the Santa controversy has got me often need immediate feedback to know over. thinking about writing a book on lies whether they've "been good or bad." For The Christmas season should be a parents tell their children. Are there any the 85 percent of children who believe time of good feelings and fellowship, not experiences or ideas readers would like that Santa only brings gifts to good boys of bribes and financial hardship. I'm to share? • and girls, the uncertainty about their more convinced than ever that it's time status with Santa in the weeks before to stop lying and return the jolly old Please send your letters to Readers' Christmas can be just as stressful as it elf to the realm of fun and fantasy so Forum, P.O. Box 664, Buffalo, NY is for their parents who have to fork out we can all get on with enjoying the 14226.

God's Influence and the Super Bowl James Gill

he Redskins will win today because, are a godless crew—such a thing is Football players always give "110 Tif you look at the defense, the undreamt of in NFL philosophy—but percent" of course—proof in itself that offense, the special teams, or the the 'Skins have set a standard that seems their minds are not shackled by the coaching staff, it is clear that they have impossible to match. The Bills must mundane rules of the rational world— a definite edge in terms of piety. quake at the thought of key match-ups. and the Bills can be relied upon to do Piety is known to be the crucial factor. Have they, for instance, the unction their earthly best. at wide receiver to get past cornerback Many of them, knowing that is not As countless ecstatic players have made Darrell Green? Green says his "heart is enough, will no doubt also be looking clear in post-game interviews over the about Jesus Christ, not about football," for help from the Heavens beyond the years, when it comes to Super Bowl a humble attitude that could well be good domed roof. rings, the Lord giveth and the Lord for a miraculous interception. It would, therefore, be going too far taketh away. Secular observers might suspect that to say they haven't a prayer. But the And the Redskins always come ready Green's exceptional speed will help too. opposition is intimidatingly holy and to pray. After they won the National But skill, athleticism, and practice means bettors would be well advised to take Football Conference championship, nothing in a game that hinges on the the Redskins and spot the Bills 7. coach Joe Gibbs was quoted as saying, will of the Almighty. The Redskins prepare for big games "I don't think I've ever felt more humble. The Lord has blessed me." Such sentiments come easily to Gibbs, author of a righteous book, titled Fourth ...LATER TOM and One, which is so chockfull of glutin- W -IGN ous observations that it has been dubbed NATIVE AMERICANS a "very inspirational autobiography." The National Football League is, no TAKE N11-E M I.AS doubt, entirely free of prejudice, but it COM happens that Gibbs's counterpart in POU5~S OLAR Buffalo, Mary Levy, is the son of a PANwLíS TA .,LE Jewish grocer. Levy can hardly be LS. expected to match Gibbs's zeal in the NPNUS CJ uRu overwhelmingly Christian locker rooms SEC r51 in the NFL. This is not to suggest that Bills players

James Gill is a staff writer for the New Orleans Times-Picayune. This article appeared on January 26, 1992, on Super Bowl Sunday. Courtesy of Potomac News

Spring 1992 53 in church services with the team chaplain were to meet for the Super Bowl, but to leave sportsmen to their own devices. "exalting the name of Jesus Christ, our today He is presented with a clear The Indian cricket team's record, for Lord," according to press reports. choice. instance, appears to be a matter of total No wonder they've had such a good Gibbs in his book wrote that he indifference to Buddha. season. They emerge with souls so blamed himself for all his failures and Yet if, say, Mark Rypien hits Art purified that they can deal out wholesale credited God for all his successes, which Monk on a crossing pattern, God ap- mayhem, smashing quarterbacks to the bespeaks a world-champion humility. parently looks on with approval. Well, ground and reducing opposing linemen 'Skins by two Ave Marias. it must make a pleasant change after all to a bloody mess. Theologians are unable to decide those overwrought conversations with Football fans know that, even in precisely when God became a sports fan Jimmy Swaggart or Oral Roberts. regular-season games, if a linebacker or to explain why He is interested only Still, the Lord is surrounded by makes a sack, a quarterback throws for in American sports. You never hear a mysteries that mere mortals can not 300 yards, or a fullback keeps finding soccer player, for instance, thanking God penetrate. Try as we might, we will never holes up the middle, we will be told that for allowing him to score a goal, and figure out what He does during com- God had a hand in it all answering we can only assume that European mercials. • players' heartfelt pleas for a "W." games are less of a spiritual experience It would put the Lord in an awful than the NFL. ©1992. New Orleans Times-Picayune. Reprinted quandary if two equally devout teams Other gods, moreover, seem content with permission.

(Caring Love, continued from p. 51) November 4, 1990. Although I do not share Jan therefore, not necessarily consummate. The and happiness of Y. Given the constit- Narveson's self-interest theory of relationships, reason seems to be that intimacy and commit- I am indebted to him for several valuable ment, in themselves or when they are only uents of this relationship, X is required suggestions. minimally present, are not synonymous with to help Y in certain circumstances (given 2. By limiting my analysis to adult love, I caring and being strongly disposed to help the usual caveats about the limits of hope to reduce the need of addressing the question actively. See Robert J. Sternberg, "The Nature of caring for others, especially children, by of Love," Journal of Personality and Social reasonable action) if that help proves helping them grow and actualize themselves. Psychology 47, 2 (1984): 312-329; "Liking Versus necessary even if that help involves Contrary to a venerable tradition, children seem Loving: A Comparative Evaluation of Theories," intervention. Remaining issues include more vulnerable to paternalism, especially its Psychological Bulletin 102, 3 (1987): 331-345; The more subtle or suffocating forms, because they Triangle of Love (New York: Basic Books, 1988). a fuller analysis of how liking, inti- are in the process of self-determination, of 5. Diane Vaughan, Uncoupling: Turning macy, and commitment are related to forming their own values and ideals. I am not Points in Intimate Relationships (New York: caring; more carefully distinguishing suggesting that in adulthood or even in late 0xford University Press, 1986), p. 13. adulthood this process is necessarily complete. 6. Anders Nygren, Agape and Eros, trans. between caring as a constitutive element I only wish to suggest that many adults seem Philip S. Watson (New York and Evanston: and caring as an obligation; having a less vulnerable to control and more capable of Harper & Row, 1969), p. 91. clearer understanding of how conflicts protecting their own values and life plans. 7. Irving Singer, The Nature of Love: Vol. 3. Alan Soble, "Analyzing Love," Philos- 3, The Modern World (Chicago and London: between the subjective happiness and ophy of the Social Sciences 19 (1989):493. University of Chicago Press, 1987), p. 391. The well-being affect how a lover should care 4. My characterization of caring love largely fact that Singer correctly recognizes there is a about the welfare of the beloved; and follows Bertrand Russell (What I Believe, central type of agape love that is unconditional London: Kegan, Paul, Trench, Truber, 1925, pp. and wholly non-appraisive is not to suggest that the extent to which agapic love can be 28-42). Robert Sternberg, on the other hand, he is in sympathy with the concept of agape. "I successfully mixed with, or serve as an maintains that there is a cluster of human myself," he writes, "have never held this belief. ideal for, its nonagapic counterparts. relationships that can be measured and better I am convinced that wholly unappraisive love is understood by using (but not only using) scales foreign to human nature." These issues deserve a detailed exami- of liking and love. Sternberg suggests that love 8. Sternberg, Triangle of Love, p. 46. nation, one that must be reserved for can be understood best in terms of three 9. Singer, Nature of Love, p. 393. a future date. components: intimacy, passion, and decision/ 10. Personal correspondence, November 29, commitment. Using these components, he 1990. distinguishes eight kinds of love, including ll. Carol Gilligan, "Remapping the Moral Notes consummate love. Consummate love (i.e. the Domain: New Images of the Self in Relationship," combination of all three components) seems to in Reconstructing Individualism: Autonomy, I. This is a revised version of "Love and be akin to what I have been calling caring love. Individuality, and the Self in Western Thought. Liberty," a paper presented at the FREE INQUIRY The difficulty is that what is purported to be ed. by Thomas C. Heller, et al. (Stanford, Calif.: conference on "Humanism and Liberty," Boston, consummate love is a matter of degree and is, Stanford University Press, 1986) pp. 237-252. •

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54 FREE INQUIRY stake when humanism is either defended or opposed is significantly enlarged. We shall be impressed by the role of classical Books learning as it was put to use by the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, by the function of economic and social conditions in the implementation of The Varieties of Humanism humanistic values, or by the way in which cultural and ideological practices Konstantin Kolenda may blind us to what is actually being done in the name of ideas and ideals. The Question of Humanism: Challenges tant philosophical position has room for We may also learn that the escape from and Possibilities, edited by David some sort of humanism. Thus, there are or the rejection of humanism for the sake Goicoechea, John Luik, and Tim Mad- defenders of various forms of human- of some other transhuman or nonhuman igan (Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1991), ism: Christian, Marxist, Existentialist, ontology or orientation may stem from 341 pp. $29.95 cloth Pragmatic. Of course, a closer inspection the willingness to limit human horizons of what a particular position means by and aspirations by submitting to the y producing The Question of humanism may reveal that, while many "higher reality" of such orientations. BHumanism: Challenges and Possi- of its ideals are acknowledged, they are Philosophical reflection can perform a bilities, the editors, David Goicoechea, subordinated to some alleged overriding crucially important role for humanity, John Luik, and Tim Madigan, have realities, such as supernatural powers, if it is capable of demonstrating that a rendered an important service, not only social, economic, or historical forces, resort to all such "transcendent" onto- to the cause of humanism, but also to transhuman ontologies, or teleologies of logical, historical, or social realities is a intellectual history as such. Based on Being. One virtue of this book is that consequence of questionable interpre- contributions by twenty-four scholars to it includes spirited articulations of a tations. That's why it is important, as conferences held at Brock University in variety of outlooks. A consequence of John Stuart Mill eloquently reminded St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, from such dialectical, "even-handed" explora- us, to know and to scrutinize the argu- 1987 to 1989, the collection covers a rich tion is that it often enables proponents ments put forward by those who favor spectrum of views arising from a wide of opposing views to recognize in each such interpretations. others' positions the presence of at least As any large and vital ideal, human- variety of approaches. The volume partial agreements against the back- ism also contains within itself tensions ought to dispel the misconception that ground of differences. not limited to those to which its critics the question of humanism is a peripheral Among other virtues of this attempt are inclined to point. The formulators subject, merely a byway, at a distance to bring together many different voices, of humanistic ideals and programs from the mainstream of ideas. The book representing the like-minded and other- naturally emphasize features they deem shows that the contrary is the case. minded students of history, literature, more important, such as spontaneity, Every significant movement of thought, religion, and philosophy, is that it individualism, social responsibility, from ancient Greece to contemporary succeeds in showing that the "conceptual economic reform, resolute secularism, postmodernism, had to take a stand on geography" of the very idea of humanism sympathy with a wider spiritual quest, questions insistently arising from hu- is much richer than the one for which literary and poetic sensitivity, scientific manistic concerns. As the contents of we are often prepared to settle. It is and technological progress. Whether and this collection show, an attempt to con- enlightening to look more closely at the which of these various emphases need struct a "conceptual geography" of ideas reasons we are or are not inclined to to be brought into a relation to one that would give a credible picture of our classify various thinkers and writers as another, which are more important, and intellectual history must come to terms humanists. In the process of examining which may be harmful are questions that with the status of humanity in the this question, we get a better understand- naturally come up for debate in various scheme of things. ing of such important and highly contexts. Not surprisingly, almost every impor- influential figures as Plato, Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, William Blake, Kant, his collection of articles, different as Konstantin Kolenda died in December Nietzsche, and Marx. As we examine the they are in approach and in schol- 1991 at the age of sixty-eight. He had ways in which humanist concerns arly content, is a constructive contribu- taught philosophy at Rice University for actually came to expression in, say, tion to this debate. It includes both thirty-eight years. A longtime activist in Roman thought and social and political affirming and questioning voices. One the humanist movement, Kolenda was practice, or the writings of the Renais- scholar suggests, for instance, that a contributing editor to FREE INQUIRY sance scholars, or the various readings contemporary trends point to the pres- and a member of the newly organized of humanism in the interpretations of ence of a paradox at the heart of Society of Humanist Philosophers. Nietzsche, Sartre, Heidegger, and Fou- humanism. To the extent that humanist cault, our understanding of what is at self-assertion subordinates nature to our

Spring 1992 55 will, "We once again find ourselves that pulls away from it" (p. 203). comprises a cosmic world-view based on subordinated to nonhumanistic princi- Warnings and cautions such as these are rational methods of inquiry and pro- ples, this time more oppressive because salutary, because they call attention to motes individual and social well-being, they lead in the direction of the mechan- the inevitably incomplete and open- eventually extended to the world com- ical rather than natural" (p. 289). ended character of any serious intellec- munity, by cultivating a life stance Reflecting on some central features of tual and moral ideal. dominated by such basic humanist modernity, another scholar alerts us to It is quite fitting that the concluding virtues as courage, reason, compassion, the unresolved tension between a hum- word to this ground-breaking collection integrity, trustworthiness, benevolence, anism of the ordinary and the humanism is provided by a writer whose numerous and fairness. One cannot think of a better of the extraordinary, so dramatically books and articles has made him the prescription for the next stage of human emphasized by Nietzsche. We are urged paramount voice of the humanist move- civilization. Also quite fittingly, in his to learn from the Greek tragedians and ment. In his contribution, Paul Kurtz afterword, Tim Madigan invokes the to maintain "a tragic vision which is articulates his vision for humanism in poetry of Walt Whitman to drive home dualistic because it sees life as a tension terms of what he has elsewhere called the reminder that the fate of that between two quite different forces, one "eupraxophy," meaning "good wisdom civilization is not in the stars but in that pulls toward normalcy and the other and practice in conduct." That vision ourselves. •

and their "influence slight." The lion's `Religious' Humanism as share of their criticism is leveled against secular humanism. The authors claim that their form of Christian humanism Christian Humanism has its roots in Western civilization, Paul Kurtz pagan literature, and the Christian theological tradition. Christian and secular humanism split into two The Case for Christian Humanism, by Kaasa as follows: R. William Franklin and Joseph M. branches after the Renaissance: First, Shaw (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William It is firmly rooted in divine revelation, secular humanism grew out of the especially that self-revelation with B. Eerdman's Publishing Company, Renaissance's emphasis on "human God, which we have received in the dignity, individuality, freedom, and 1991) 270 pp. $18.95 paper. Bible. It has inspired worship and potential," and especially its "exaltation devotion down through the centuries of human reason." The second source though The Case for Christian in a community of those called by God of secular humanism was the develop- Humanism was briefly reviewed in into the faith relationship.... It offers A reverence ... for human life which ment of modern science and its appli- FREE INQUIRY (Winter 1991/92), it is the essence of all humanism. (p. xiv) cation of scientific methods to the study deserves more extensive critical com- of nature and man. "As Enlightenment ment, because it demonstrates anew how The authors assure the reader that rationalism came to full force," the important the meaning of words is, and they are not "peddling a liberal or radical authors correctly point out, "the way how much confusion the misuse of terms interpretation of Christianity." Their was made clear, for the first time in can engender. In particular, the juxta- interpretation of Christianity, they say, Western history, for the appearance of positioning of the term Christian with is "a traditional one, Biblical, confes- explicit atheism as a legitimate philo- the term humanism only obfuscates the sional, ecumenical." sophical position" (pp. 26-27). This meaning of humanism, and in particular This Christian humanism manifests a involved a denial of revealed religion and shows the pitfalls in calling humanism "deep interest in human beings, their life, theism. a "religion." well-being, culture, and eternal signifi- Christian humanism rejects secular The authors of this book, R. William cance" (p. 5). Central to that faith is Jesus humanism because it is "man-centered, Franklin and Joseph M. Shaw, teach at Christ, not the "watered-down" version not God-centered." Franklin and Shaw colleges in Minnesota. They draw upon of Christ of liberal Christianity, but "the criticize its reliance on human powers, the writings of the late Harris Kaasa and crucified, risen, and reigning one, the reason, and intelligence to solve human the theology of the Lutheran church, and Son of God" (p. xvii). problems. In affirming that Christian are involved in what they call the Franklin and Shaw reject the "reli- humanism is a religion, they mean that "Christian Humanism Project." gious humanism" of those nontheistic it involves "the service and adoration of Christian humanism is defined by humanists who insist that humanism is God." Although they wish to use rea- a religion. They quote Martin Marty to son and science for the betterment Paul Kurtz is the editor of FREE the effect that the nontheist religious of humanity, in the last analysis all INQUIRY. humanist members are "few in number," value, they insist, must be "grounded in their "average age is in the seventies," God."

56 FREE INQUIRY It is interesting to note that the problems confronting humankind, but it show that secular humanism is an authors also attack the Christian Right is enough for them that it holds forth ethical, moral, and philosophical out- in American society, i.e., Roussas Rush- the religious preeminence of Jesus Christ look. In reading The Case for Christian doony and the Reconstructionists, Tim and the Word of God as central to the Humanism, I feel all the more that LaHaye, Pat Robertson, and others for human condition. secular humanists need to insist that they their anti-humanist stance. They argue All of this graphically demonstrates are not "religious," at least as tradition- that there is a Protestant tradition of that no one has a monopoly on the word ally implied by that term. If some "Christian humanism." With the collapse humanism, and that Christians are as humanists persists in using it, this will of communism they say that there is a free as anyone to preempt its use—which only confuse further the nature of great opportunity to reassert this tradi- is all the more reason why the editors humanism, and it is apt, in the minds tional, genuine Christian humanism. of FREE INQUIRY wish to make it clear of many people, to identify humanism They also applaud John Paul II's call for the nth time that secular humanists with traditional religions. This would be for the re-Christianization of Europe. are non-religious. I have introduced the a great pity, because the distinctive They admit that Christian humanism term eupraxophy (with considerable nontheistic character of humanism, at does not have a specific set of answers protest by fellow humanists) to get least as we understand it in the twentieth for the economic, political, and moral through the thicket of confusion, and to century, would be endangered. •

do so, not because these beliefs satisfy existential or psychological needs, but Books in Brief rather because they are products of slop- py reasoning. He examines the different ways in which faulty reasoning can oc- cur and offers some suggestions for how The World is My Home: A Memoir, Ingersoll, Sinclair Lewis, Edgar Lee to improve one's cognitive skills. by James Michener (New York: Ran- Masters, Robert Owen, Vance Ran- —T M. dom House, 1992) 519 pages. $25.00 dolph); the borderline (Oliver Wendell cloth. It is always a delight to see a well- Holmes and Friedrich Münch); and the The Protestant Establishment Revis- respected public figure accept the label unexpected authors who are well-known ited, by E. Digby Baltzell, edited and "secular humanist." In this exciting (Campbellite Vachel Lindsay and Uni- with an introduction by Howard G. autobiography, James Michener de- tarian Carl Sandburg)—as well as those Schneiderman (New Brunswick, N.J.: scribes his philosophy of life, which he who are not, including many Scan- Transactions Publishers, 1992) 297 calls a kind of "liberal humanism" in dinavian and German immigrants who pages, $39.95 cloth. Baltzell in his 1964 the vein of Thomas More, Thomas were instrumental in publishing free- work, The Protestant Establishment, Jefferson, and John Dewey. In addition, thought materials in the prairie region discussed the decline of an American he offers some blistering criticisms of of the nation. The book's large number elite composed of an upper class raised religious fundamentalists and like- of pertinent historical details make the with the notion of noblesse oblige. This minded dogmatists who seek to impose collection a fascinating one, particularly aristocratic notion had degenerated into their narrow views on those around because it covers new material not a caste, bent upon holding unto its them. Michener's fascination with all the found, for example, in The Encyclo- privileged position come what may. In myriad civilizations he's come across, pedia of Unbelief Its enormous scope this collection of recent essays, Baltzell from Mozambique to Morocco to deep and humor are in keeping with its Mid- continues to chart the decline of the in the heart of Texas, ably demonstrates western roots, and it proves that even WASPS (a term he coined) and foresees that he is worthy of the title "citizen in the Bible Belt an impressive share of dark days ahead. He explores the rise of the world." — Tim Madigan the nation's skeptics and fighters for free in conspiracy theories (best typified by inquiry are to be found. Oliver Stone's film JFK, which came out Freethought on the American Frontier, after this book went to press) and edited by Fred Whitehead and Verle —Warren Allen Smith attributes these to a mistaken egalitarian Muhrer (Buffalo: Prometheus Books, distrust of all establishment figures. In 1992) 314 pages, cloth $24.95. An How We Know What Isn't So: The Baltzell's view, democracy cannot anthology of freethought works from Fallibility of Human Reason in Every- succeed without guidance from an the United States' Midwest and West, day Life, by Thomas Gilovich (New aristocratic elite, preferably one trained Freethought on the American Frontier York: The Free Press, 1991) 216 pages. in the art of leadership. Baltzell's focuses on more than two dozen writers $19.95. Why do people continue to hold paradoxical theories are well worth and mentions dozens of others. Included on to beliefs that have no basis in reality? exploring by anyone interested in the are the expected (William Cowper Psychologist Thomas Gilovich exam- survival of democratic values in late Brann, Samuel Clemens, Clarence ines the bounds of human rationality, twentieth-century America. Darrow, Theodore Dreiser, Robert G. and comes to the conclusion that we — TM.

Spring 1992 57 (Letters, continued from p. 3) automatically believed her accusation. and acted accordingly. Had he shown And what do they raise as corroborating his gun and let the youths know he felt (Then request a sterile glove to replace evidence? That after the case became threatened by them, violence might have the contaminated one.) Third, if neither public knowledge, someone somewhere been avoided. But this would have been of the above produced the desired results said, "Me too." contrary to his warped sense of his own (or if 1 and 2 seemed unseemly), why This is outrageous. I hereby inform powerlessness, and his belief in the weren't the appropriate administrators the Bulloughs that we live in America, youths' inhumanity. asked to be present at the time that this not some totalitarian backwater where Hill's failure to react firmly to activity was about to begin? Most "presumed guilty" is the rule. Thomas' alleged overtures was of a operating room incidents can be looked It seems that, in the Bulloughs' similar temper. It could only be based into without attracting attention. If all view, men are second-class citizens, who on a belief that Thomas (as a man) was of the above approaches were unsuccess- may be accused at whim, be assumed so inhuman that, if confronted, he would ful, she might have turned around, guilty on the strength of the bald continue his behavior, and further, that grabbed the surgeon firmly in the crotch, accusation, and not entitled to any sense she (as a woman) would be powerless and said: "Turnabout is always fair of proportion between action and con- to avoid it. play." This response might have re- demnation. The new rule of verbal sexual harass- quired that the nurse re-gown as well ment fails to hold women to the same as re-glove before the surgery con- Tom Breton ethical and moral standards it demands tinued. Walpole, Mass. of men, thereby inviting its use as a weapon of personal or political malice. Robert Hawkins Amid the flotsam and jetsam of the Anita Indeed, such abuses have already Santa Barbara, Calif. Hill-Clarence Thomas "sexual harass- occurred and will probably increase. As ment" controversy, the article by Bonnie humanists, we cannot afford to give Bonnie Bullough responds: and Vern Bullough is a worthy attempt approval to a principle that denies the to find a balanced view and to cut humanity (or legal rights) of one group As Robert Hawkins suggested, I did through the rhetoric with facts from the at the expense of the other, however bring my arms down, and I even stepped authors' own experience. However, I am conveniently it might fit into our world- on the surgeon's foot. From the per- concerned with the broadly defined view or our personal experience. spective of today, I even wish I had "verbal harassment" used in the Thomas slapped his face or kicked him in the hearings, and the authors' casual accept- Christian L. Struble groin. I might have been fired if I had ance of this new standard. Houston, Tex. done so, however, since I would have Most legal questions involving threat- been accused of endangering the life of ening behavior use the "reasonable Vern and Bonnie Bullough respond: a patient by contaminating myself and! person" standard, i.e., what would a or creating an incident in the operating reasonable person perceive as a threat? We think Tom Breton represents an room. The incident was not hidden but While the surgical operating room important viewpoint, which might well took place in front of everyone. Surgeons incident described by the authors clearly be shared by many readers. We do were powerful in the operating room and meets this criterion, the weird verbal endorse the federal policy on sexual nurses were not, which is what it was remarks Hill attributes to Thomas do harassment, but it is not our policy. It all about. not. The new definition abandons this certainly can be abused and undoubtedly principle, replacing it with a "most has been, but so far as we know this The Bulloughs endorse a definition of sensitive person" standard. For harass- has not been the case. There are formal sexual harassment that is so broad that ment to occur, words need only "make hearings, and testimony from both sides there is almost nothing that could be a woman uncomfortable" or be "unwel- is pertinent. We tried to emphasize that excluded. They apparently don't think come" regardless of their actual inten- the relationships between the sexes are it's necessary to offer any support beyond tion. It justifies attributing the worst changing and what was once acceptable one single, bitter anecdote. possible motives to men, and leaves men is so no longer. We tried to alert FREE The real lesson from the Clarence dependent on the private perceptions of INQUIRY readers of the change. Thomas/ Anita Hill spectacle, and from the most insecure and least charitable Regarding Christian L. Struble's the other prominent false accusation of women. letter: We think his illustration of the 1991, the Smith/ Bowman rape trial, is This was, of course the same thinking case of Bernard Goetz is unfortunate that false accusations of men are used by subway gunman Bernard since charges about sexual harassment epidemic in our society, and are extended Goetz—the sight of several black youths are supposed to be heard in a semi- enormous credibility on flimsy or self- standing over him was "unwelcome" and judicial environment. We can also add contradictory evidence. Hill was caught "made him feel uncomfortable." He that sexual harassment cuts both ways, in some outright lies and inconsistencies. attributed to them the worst possible and men have brought charges under Yet, a significant part of our society— motives under the circumstances (he the provisions of the act as well as such as the Bulloughs—apparently assumed they were about to assault him), women. 58 FREE INQUIRY Frederick Douglass believe in relativism, but they give up rights to the unborn (Gasp!). this belief when faced with the slightest Perhaps some brave humanists who Lyle Glazier's review of the book rational challenge. feel this way might even have the courage Frederick Douglass by William McFeely Why give the sophomoric belief in to speak up even though it is "politically (FI, Winter 1991/92), makes some "relativism" any standing at all by incorrect." Humanism is not a political glaring assumptions about homosexual- treating it as a serious alternative to the movement. The essence of humanism is ity that reveal much more about his real world? It is not only a misuse of free inquiry, tolerance, freedom of attitudes than they do about Frederick words; it is easily proven to be false. The choice, and thoughtful debate. Douglass's. It may be the case that fact is that both absolutism and "equi- Humanists will not win many hearts McFeely provides insufficient evidence valentism" are facile choices of intellec- and minds as advocates for abortion. I that Douglass had homosexual attrac- tual lightweights. Both are specious, believe our time is better served as tions. Yet, it is amazing the extent to contrary to fact, irrational, and not advocates for sincerity and serious, which biographers and book reviewers scientific. responsible thought in forming moral will go in order to deny any hint of judgments and as advocates for tolerance homosexuality in their hero's lives, as R. Thomas Myers of differing views as to what is morally though this is some deep character flaw Kent, Ohio defensible. that would remove all respect they have for their hero, should the allegation of William Billard homosexuality prove to be true. Lang- New Strategy for Scotch Plains, N.J. ston Hughes's biographers did backflips Abortion Rights trying to prove that Hughes had at least Tom Flynn responds: some token heterosexual experiences. I have the perfect sales job for Tom Overt heterosexual activity does not Flynn after he succeeds in building a In fact, discussing a moral issue in necessarily make one heterosexual. broad-based constituency for abortion as political terms was the very error I There are many gay people, both opposed to choice ("Pro-Choice: Wrong ascribed to some pro-choice activists. famous and obscure, living richly homo- Turn for Abortion Rights?" FI, Winter Many humanists believe on moral sexual lives without any sexual anguish 1991/ 92). If he can sell that idea, I'll give grounds that the value of human or disorder whatsoever. Also, homosex- him a truckload of snowshoes and let personhood is, at least in part, function- uality is not the same thing as androgyny, him create a booming market for them ally defined. That's why many humanists nor does homosexuality exclude one in the central Amazon. support right-to-die reforms, and why from being part of humanity. As a humanist, I believe strongly in many (though not all) find abortion moral pluralism, and I respect the morally acceptable. If Mr. Billard Philip Stinard sincerity and honesty of Flynn's views. believes that abortion is immoral, I Ames, Ia. I disagree strongly with his contention, welcome his defense of his case. We however, that if abortion rights are to apparently agree that this is the key issue. be preserved, we must be for abortion. Given a consensus either way on the The American Mind Humanists do themselves a disservice morality of abortion, the political debate whenever they approach a complex issue over "choice" must evaporate. There are two problems in trying to in purely political terms. Certainly, we seriously discuss relativism ("Reopening all abhor the intolerant, moral absolutist the American Mind," by Michael Chi- position of scripture-quoting, knee-jerk, Shedding Light on ariello, FI, Winter 1991/92). The jump religious fundamentalists who decry Religious Belief from the word relative to the assertion abortion. Nonetheless, this in no way of so-called relativism is a blatant misuse negates the possibility of a humanist In Joe Barnhart's A New Critique of of words and meanings. To assert that reaching the same bottom-line conclu- Christianity (FI, Winter 1991 / 92), which "ethical beliefs depend on the individuals sion concerning abortion through a reviewed Michael Martin's The Case and groups holding them," and that all totally different (rational) thought Against Christianity, we find that a crack ethical beliefs are equivalent, then call process. I strongly suspect that many in the door has become enlarged. It is it "relativism" is a non sequitur. The humanists, while fervently supporting letting in a little more light regarding word relative means more or less, sooner freedom of choice under all circum- the origins of Christianity. or later, bigger or smaller, better or stances, have genuine doubts as to the It will take several generations before worse. To insist that sameness, or morality of abortion and would not knowledge like this becomes generally complete interchangeability of ethical choose this option for themselves if acceptable. Meanwhile, a small percen- systems is synonymous with "relative" confronted with such a decision. A study tage of the population must put up with is inane. of embryology or developmental biology a majority who press to drop separation Second, there is the problem of its might even lead more than a few of church and state. Probably what is blatant irrationality. Yes, I know that humanists to actually think the unthink- worse is to endure the hoopla concerning some college sophomores say that they able and to favor the extension of human the Christian "holidays," especially Spring 1992 59 Christmas. Truth is what one cares to generally opposed to war. Having come the religiosity of my neighbors, and feel believe and how comfortable one is with to terms with a godless universe, they under constant pressure to admit to some it. This is certainly true of religion and are not so easily led, like sheep, into religious affiliation. You keep me hon- a variety of beliefs that have risen from battle against "satanic forces." Nor do est—and I'm very grateful! a basic belief. they want to see their sons and daugh- ters, or those of others, sent to the Geoegie Scurfield Mary Blanski slaughter. Papillion, Neb. Chanhassen, Minn. The corporate media can control public opinion by slanted and selective Mathematical Matters reporting. Thus, public opinion, which Epistemological Igtheism was originally against the war, was Walking in the hills this morning while converted to overwhelming support for The following passage was inadvertently mentally twiddling my thumbs and it. And what did it benefit other than omitted from Marvin Kohl's "Human- wondering if Pat Robertson is going to George Bush's image and corporate ism and the Justification of Belief" run for president again I stumbled upon interests? It is certainly sad to see people (Point/ Counterpoint, FI, Winter 19911 a piece of mathematical truth. It involves jumping through hoops and insisting it 92).—EDs. the title of his television program "The is their own idea. It is up to non- 700 Club." corporate publications such as FREE It is possible to have a soft theory of The letter C is the third letter in the INQUIRY to encourage critical thinking belief and a hard theory of knowledge, alphabet, so it has two letters before it. and constant questioning in order to a theory we may call "epistemological The letter L is the twelfth letter in the fight media and mind control. igtheism." This rough and rudimentary alphabet, so it has 11 letters before it. theory has no specific ready-made The letter U is the twenty-first letter in Richard F. Stratton epistemological panaceas—no pills, no the alphabet, so it has twenty letters San Diego, Calif. "quick fixes," no Cliffordian-like prin- before it, and the letter B is the second ciple purporting to meet all the criteria letter in the alphabet, so it has one letter Dane Sorensen (Letters to the Editor, of an adequate theory of rational belief. before it. Add up the numbers of all the FI, Winter 1991/92) wrote that "Amer- Necessary conditions of this theory may letters before each letter in the word Club ica has and will use its military to include: (1) distinguishing between belief and you have 2 + 11 + 20 + 1 = 34. confront extremism and should not and knowledge, where belief signifies Now subtract 34 from 700, and you apologize for it." Why then was China (not full or certain assent but) merely have, you guessed it folks, 666! But no. allowed to invade Tibet, where the mental acceptance of something offered This is obviously just a coincidence. Still, slaughter of more than a million people as true or as being reasonable to believe; secular humanists had better keep this continues? Why have billions in Amer- (2) having the intellectual integrity of not one under our hats. After all, some poor ican aid flowed to Guatemala and El confusing belief with knowledge claims, numerologist out there might actually Salvador while political murders have understanding that S appears to know take it seriously. occurred over the past decade? Our p, when S believes p, p is true, and when government is an opponent of extremism S can defend his or her claim that p is David G. Sleeter, President only when it interferes with the interests true by presenting evidence for p and Teleflite Corporation of the multinational corporations who by defending that claim against any Moreno Valley, Calif. finance political campaigns and own or objection that would be raised by rent corporate media. As one who someone sufficiently well informed to The Gulf War believes that a truly free press must be hold all beliefs relevant to p; (3) admit- willing to go beyond the corporate media ting that it is possible to be mistaken The response of readers who were critical line, I would like to commend FREE in believing that p; (4) recognizing that of Martin Yant's "The Untold Story of INQUIRY for allowing a view other than we know we have no knowledge about the Persian Gulf War" (FI, Fall 1991) that of Big Brother. certain things, e.g., about the God of was disappointing not just because they traditional theism; and (5) unwilling to were for the war but because the letters John Balkwill give assent to what Shelley Taylor calls relied primarily on a sort of name-calling Hampton, Va. "negative illusions," yet willing, if or rather than rational discussion. A when reason warrants, to believe without pacifist stance has long been a free- knowing; for example, to have positive thought tradition. Such stalwarts as A Note of Praise illusions about ourselves, the world, and Bertrand Russell and Chapman Cohen the future. That the yoke of the igtheist opposed all wars in this century except I'm writing to renew my subscription for is often galling cannot be denied, but the Second World War, and neither the next three years. Thank you for he does not have a monopoly of the wor- could be called "left wing," as both providing a sane, humorous voice in this ries and trials in meeting the demands opposed Communism. It seems only strange land! Coming from Great Britain of an adequate theory both of knowing fitting that freethinkers should be to the Midwest, I have been shocked by and of believing. 60 FREE INQUIRY Almazan's daughter Guadalupe was one of the first people to faint from the gas, In the Name of God but her condition was ignored by her father. "Let Christ come in and stay with us, do not be afraid," he was quoted as saying as his daughter slumped to the Bush Returns to knowing, " a pastor contends. The floor. (Reuter) Religious Themes Reverend Jim Jarman, pastor of the non- denominational Church at Redstone Witnessing as Christians Reviving social and religious themes that [Colorado], refused to allow the Red- Common Among Athletes are seldom heard in his oratory except stone Children's Choir to sing the song in election years, President George Bush during a church concert. Jarman said After the Washington Redskins' victory has called for voluntary prayer in the lyrics, such as, "He knows when you in the Super Bowl, coach Joe Gibbs and schools, pledged to curtail "the decline are sleeping, he knows when you're some players mentioned their depen- of the American family," and cited the awake," imply that Santa Claus is all- dence on Jesus Christ. Such affirmations teachings of Jesus Christ as the moral knowing. (Rocky Mountain News) have become common in the sports force behind the Persian Gulf War. world, ranging from prayer circles on the "Obviously no country can claim a Minister Blamed for field to discussions of faith by notables special place in God's heart, " Bush said Thirty Deaths such as baseball's Darryl Strawberry and in an address to the National Religious Dave Dravecky. In various crowd- Broadcasters, a group of Christian radio An evangelist minister urged his suffo- drawing sports, star performers fre- and television station officials. "Yet we cating followers to stay with him in a quently speak out about their religious are better as a people because He has church and `feel the presence of the commitment, apparently at the behest of a special place in ours.... " Lord" as toxic fumes took thirty lives, conscience, and sometimes explicitly as The president commended the broad- including his own. The dead were a boost to evangelism. They've been casters for their support of the war to discovered sprawled across the floor of called `jocks for Jesus." Historically, the drive Iraq from Kuwait. "I want to thank the tiny Mount of Olives Church in the combination is termed "muscular Chris- you for helping America, as Christ northern Mexican town of San Luis tianity. "(AP) ordained, to be a light unto the world," Potosi. Police said all thirty died after said Mr. Bush. (New York Times) inhaling fumes from a butane gas lamp Organist Admits 500 Thefts ignited for a late-night ceremony in the French Bishops Sided with Nazis church, which measures just over fifteen A former church organist has confessed feet wide and thirty feet long. "The pastor to more than 500 church and synagogue Most of France's Catholic bishops told everyone not to worry; he said God burglaries that may have netted him up supported the pro-Nazi government of was drawing near and that you could to $2.5 million in gold and silver religious Vichy France, according to a Jesuit feel the presence of the Lord, "according objects. James Blocker, forty-five, of theologian's report discovered in a to a man who fled the church with two New York City, was charged in two private archive. The report, written in others after they began feeling ill. The church burglaries in Woodbury, Long 1944 by the late Henri du Lubac, was three described a macabre scene as the Island. Blocker confessed to looting published for the first time in a recent minister, identified as Ramon Morales more than 500 houses of worship in New issue of Revue des Deux Mondes, a Almazan, urged people to stay calm as York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and journal of intellectual debate. Nearly they began to choke on the fumes and Connecticut over the past ten years, fifty years after the war, France is only vomit or faint. They said Morales police said. (Rocky Mountain News) beginning to address the behavior of the church during the German occupation. Historians are concluding that, despite individual acts of bravery and heroism, much of the church hierarchy collabo- rated wholeheartedly. (A P)

Santa Claus Is Not

Coming to Town PRuXO%4L A church children's choir has been banned from singing "Santa Claus Is "So what if there's a little secular humanism Coming to Town" because it implies in the textbooks, Mrs. Ferguson? These kids Santa is omniscient, but only God is "all- can't read anyway."

Spring 1992 61 Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (CODESH, Inc.) Paul Kurtz, Chairman The Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (CODESH) is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt educational organization dedicated to fostering the growth of the traditions of democracy and secular humanism, and the principles of free inquiry in contemporary society. In addition to publishing FREE INQUIRY magazine, CODESH sponsors many organizations and activities, and is also open to Associate Membership. Members receive the Secular Humanist Bulletin.

African-Americans for Humanism James Madison Memorial Committee Norm Allen Jr., Executive Director Robert Alley, Chairman Brings the ideals of humanism to the African-American com- Keeps alive James Madison's commitment to the First munity. Amendment and to liberty of thought and conscience. Inquiry Media Productions Society of Humanist Philosophers Thomas Flynn, Executive Director Timothy J. Madigan, Executive Director Produces radio and television programs presenting skeptical Promotes and defends the study of humanist philosophy. and secular humanist viewpoints on a variety of topics. Institute for Inquiry Secular Organization for Sobriety (SOS) James Christopher, Executive Director Vern Bullough, Dean A secular alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous with more Offers courses in humanism and skepticism; sponsors an than 1,000 local groups throughout North America. Pub- annual summer session and periodic workshops. lishes a newsletter available by subscription. Robert G. Ingersoll Memorial Committee Secular Humanist Aid and Relief Roger Greeley, Honorary Chairman Dedicated to restoring the Robert G. Ingersoll birthplace Effort (SHARE) in Dresden, New York, and to keeping his memory alive. Assists victims of natural disasters through secular efforts. Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion (CSER) Gerald A. Larue, President Examines the claims of Eastern and Western religions and of well-established and newer sects and denominations in the light of scientific inquiry. The committee is interdisciplinary, including specialists in biblical scholarship, archaeology, linguistics, anthropology, the social sciences, and philosophy who represent differing secular and religious traditions. Alliance of Secular Humanist Societies (ASHS) The Alliance of Secular Humanist Societies is a network created for mutual support among local and/or regional societies of secular humanists. If you are interested in starting or joining a group in your area, please contact Box 664, Buffalo, NY 14226-0664, (716) 636-7571, FAX (716) 636-1733. Alliance of Secular Humanist Societies Capital District Humanist Society, PO Box 2148, Scotia, NY 12302, (518) 381-6239; Free Inquiry Group of Cincinnati, PO Box 8128, Cincinnati, OH 45208 (513) 321-4824; Free Inquiry Network, PO Box 3696, Oak Park, IL 60303 (708) 386-9100; Freethinkers, Inc., PO Box 724, Winter Park, FL 32790 (407) 628-2729; Humanist Community of San Francisco, PO Box 31172, San Francisco, CA 94131 (415) 342-3999; Kansas City Eupraxophy Center, 2658 East 7th, Kansas City, MO 64124 (816) 241-9162; New Orleans Secular Humanists, 4811 Bancroft Drive, New Orleans, LA 70122 (504) 283- 2830; Pittsburgh Secular Humanists, 325 Park Ave., West Mifflin, PA 15122 (412) 466-4615; Secular Humanist Association of San Antonio, PO Box 160881, San Antonio, TX 78216 (512) 494-4949; Secular Humanist Society of Las Vegas, 240 N. Jones Blvd., #106, Las Vegas, NV 89107 (702) 876-8270; Secular Humanist Society of New York, 31 Jane St. #10D, New York, NY 10014 (212) 366-6481; Secular Humanists of Detroit, PO Box 432191, Pontiac, MI 48343 (313) 962-1777; Secular Humanists of Greenville, Suite 168, Box 3000, Taylors, SC 29687 (803) 244-3708; Secular Humanists of Honolulu, Dept. of Physics, U. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822 (808) 956-2942; Secular Humanists of Los Angeles, PO Box 661496, Los Angeles, CA 90066 (213) 285-3354; Secular Humanists of Marin, PO Box 6022, San Rafael, CA 94903 (415) 472- 3294; Secular Humanists of Merrimack Valley, PO Box 368, Londonderry, NH 03053 (603) 434-4195; Secular Humanists of San Diego, 2885 Havasupai Ave., San Diego, CA 92117 (619) 273-2261; Secular Humanists of South Florida, 5009 Arthur St., Hollywood, FL 33021 (305) 966-7505; Secular Humanists of the East Bay, PO Box 5313, Berkeley, CA 94705 (415) 486-0553; Shreveport Humanists, PO Box 17775, Shreveport, LA 71138 (318) 688-7983; Siskiyou Humanists, PO Box 223, Weed, CA 96094 (916) 938-2938; South Bay Secular Humanists, PO Box 4396, Mountain View, CA 94040 (415) 966-1312; Washington Area Secular Humanists, PO Box 15319, Washington, DC 20003 (202) 298-0921; Western New York Secular Humanists, PO Box 664, Buffalo, NY 14226 (716) 636-7571. Humanist Association of Canada Societies For further information, contact Phil Jones, Humanist Association of Canada, PO Box 3736, Station C, Ottawa, Ontario KIY 4J8. The Academy of Humanism The Academy of Humanism was established to recognize distinguished humanists and to disseminate humanistic ideals and beliefs. The members of the academy, listed below, (1) are devoted to free inquiry in all fields of human endeavor, (2) are committed to a scientific outlook and the use of the scientific method in acquiring knowledge, and (3) uphold humanist ethical values and principles. The academy's goals include furthering respect for human rights, freedom, and the dignity of the individual; tolerance of various viewpoints and willingness to compromise; commitment to social justice; a universalistic perspective that transcends national, ethnic, religious, sexual, and racial barriers; and belief in a free and open pluralistic and democratic society. Humanist Laureates: Pieter Admiraal, medical doctor, The Netherlands; Steve Allen, author, humorist; Ruben Ardila, professor of psychology, Universidad de Colombia; Isaac Asimov, author; Kurt Baier, professor of philosophy, University of Pittsburgh; R. Nita Barrow, ambassador to the United Nations from Barbados; Sir Isaiah Berlin, professor of philosophy, Oxford University; Sir Hermann Bondi, Fellow of the Royal Society, Past Master of Churchill College, London; Bonnie Bullough, dean of nursing, SUNY at Buffalo; Mario Bunge, professor of philosophy of science, McGill Univ.; Jean-Pierre Changeux, Collège de France and Institute Pasteur; Patricia Smith Churchland, professor of philosophy, Univ. of California at San Diego; Bernard Crick, professor of politics, Univ. of London; Francis Crick, Nobel Laureate in Physiology, Salk Inst.; José Delgado, chairperson of the Dept. of Neuropsychiatry, Univ. of Madrid; Milovan Djilas, author, former vice-president of Yugoslavia; Paul Edwards, professor of philosophy, Brooklyn College; Sir Raymond Firth, professor emeritus of anthropology, Univ. of London; Betty Friedan, author and founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW); Yves Galifret, professor of physiology at the Sorbonne and director of l'Union Rationaliste; John Galtung, professor of sociology, Univ. of Oslo; Stephen Jay Gould, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard; Adolf Grünbaum, professor of philosophy, Univ. of Pittsburgh; Murray Gell-Mann, Nobel Laureate in physics, California Institute of Technology; Herbert Hauptman, Nobel Laureate and professor of biophysical science, SUNY at Buffalo; Donald Johanson, Inst. of Human Origins; Gyorgy Konrad, novelist, Hungary; Jolé Lombardi, organizer of the New Univ. for the Third Age; Jose Leite Lopes, director, Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas; André Lwoff, Nobel Laureate in Medicine and professor of science, Institut Pasteur; Paul MacCready, president, AeroVironment, Inc.; Mihailo Markovic, professor of philosophy, Univ. of Belgrade; Indumati Parikh, president, Radical Humanist Association of India; John Passmore, professor of philosophy, Australian National Univ.; Octavio Paz, Nobel Laureate in Literature, Mexico; Wardell Baxter Pomeroy, psychotherapist and author; Sir Karl Popper, professor emeritus of logic and scientific method, Univ. of London; W. V. Quine, professor of philosophy, Harvard; Marcel Roche, permanent delegate to UNESCO from Venezuela; Max Rood, professor of law and former Minister of Justice in Holland; Richard Rorty, professor of philosophy, University of Virginia; Carl Sagan, astronomer, Cornell; Leopold Sedar Senghor, former president, Senegal; Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate in Literature, Nigeria; Svetozar Stojanovic, professor of philosophy, Univ. of Belgrade; Thomas Szasz, professor of psychiatry, SUNY Medical School; V. M. Tarkunde, chairman, Indian Radical Humanist Association; Richard Taylor, professor of philosophy, Union College; Rob Tielman, copresident, International Humanist and Ethical Union; Alberto Hidalgo Tuñón, president of the Sociedad Asturiana de Filosofía, Oviedo, Spain; Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., novelist; Mourad Wahba, professor of education, University of Ain Shams, Cairo; G. A. Wells, professor of German, Univ. of London; Edward O. Wilson, professor of sociobiology, Harvard. Deceased: George O. Abell, Sir Alfred J. Ayer, Brand Blanshard, Joseph Fletcher, Sidney Hook, Lawrence Kohlberg, Franco Lombardi, Ernest Nagel, George Olincy, Chaim Perelman, Andrei Sakharov, Lady Barbara Wooton. Secretariat: Vern Bullough, distinguished professor, SUNY College at Buffalo; Antony Flew, professor emeritus of philosophy, Reading Univ.; Paul Kurtz, professor of philosophy, SUNY at Buffalo, editor of FREE INQUIRY; Gerald Larue, professor emeritus of archaeology and biblical studies, Univ. of Southern California at Los Angeles; Jean-Claude Pecker, professor of astrophysics, Collège de France, Académie des Sciences. Executive Director: Timothy J. Madigan.

Announcing the new .. . Secular Humanist Bulletin For the first time since it began publication seven years ago, the Secular Humanist Bulletin has undergone a complete makeover. Its format has been redesigned and expanded to 16 pages, and its quarterly schedule of publication has been resumed. The new Bulletin retains old, popular features—the Biblical Scorecard, the Secular Humorist, and news and commentary. We are introducing a new column, Advocatus Diaboli, in which SHB editors will tackle controversial topics, as well as expanded coverage of education and world affairs and news of the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism activities, previously only available in the CODESH Chronicle. By now, FREE INQUIRY subscribers have received their copy of the new SHB. But this is the last issue that will be mailed free to all FI subscribers. SHB is becoming the Associate Membership publication of CODESH. See the card between pages 32 and 33 to find out how you can become an Associate Member. Do it today—don't miss out on a single issue of the new and improved Secular Humanist Bulletin. 3/92 STEVE ALLEN AND MARTIN GARDNER CHAIR CODESH/Center for Inquiry CAMPAIGN

Steve Allen Martin Gardner Author-humorist Steve Allen and science commentator Martin Gardner have been named co-chairs of the Center for Inquiry Capital Fund Drive. They will lead an expanding fund-raising effort, now under way, to raise the funds required to complete Phase II of CODES H's headquarters and to create an Endowment Fund whose income can be used in part to defray operating and maintenance costs of the new headquarters in perpetuity and to enrich all our programs. In 1991, CODESH and FREE INQUIRY moved many of its offices and production facilities to a new 5,700-square- foot building near the State University of New York at Buffalo/ Amherst campus. By conducting this Phase I project in cooperation with the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), publisher of Skeptical Inquirer magazine, and thanks to the generosity of our readers, CODESH was able to pay almost all i of its share of the costs. Phase I was never designed to house back-issue storage, our mail center, and audio-visual facilities—most of which remains seven miles away in a decaying urban neighborhood. Moreover, our new headquarters has space for only the most recent literature in CSICOP's library collection. Finally, it provides no room for our increasing number of meetings and seminars. Completing the 25,000-square-foot Phase II will consolidate all our Buffalo-area operations at one site and provide room for expansion as CODES H continues to grow. Your contribution at this time will help us to maintain our momentum as we accumulate funds for the design and construction of Phase II. Donors of $1,000 or more will be listed in a special commemorative album. Names of donors of $5,000 or more will be inscribed on a bronze plaque. A seminar room in the Phase II building will be named after anyone giving $25,000 or more, and a wing of the building will be named for anyone giving $100,000 or more. Gifts may be paid through three-year pledges payable quarterly, or with stocks or bonds. Please make your contribution today. Make checks payable to CODES H and mail to the CODESH/Center for Inquiry Capital Fund Drive, Box 664, Buffalo, New York 14226-0664. Inquiries regarding substantial gifts, phased pledges, or bequests may be made in confidence to Paul Kurtz at the same address.

Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism • CODESH, Box 664, Buffalo, NY 14226-0664

Yes, I support reason, science, and skepticism! Here is my tax-deductible commitment to the CODESH/Center for Inquiry Capital Fund Drive.

Name Address Daytime Phone City State Zip El Pledge payable over three years in 12 quarterly payments.

Amount: o $100 El $500 D $1,000 or more ❑ $5,000 or more ❑ Other $ ❑Seminar room, $25,000 ($694.44 a month, billed quarterly.) ❑ Wing, $100,000 ($2,777.77 a month, billed quarterly.) My gift is for o Building Fund El Endowment D Where most needed Check / Money Order ❑ MasterCard D VISA Acct. No. Exp Date Signature Complete and mail to: Center for Inquiry Capital Fund Drive, Box 664, Buffalo, NY 14226-0664. Or call 500.458-1366.