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Joseph Fletcher the Father of Biomedical Ethics by Richard Taylor

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Joseph Fletcher the Father of Biomedical Ethics by Richard Taylor L J Spring 1984 Vol. 4, No. 2 Joseph Fletcher The Father of Biomedical Ethics by Richard Taylor Special Features The Foundations of Religious liberty Carl Henry, Father Ernest Fortin, Paul Kurtz, and Lee Nisbet God and the New Physics Mario Bunge, Mendel Sachs, and Paul Davies Plus: Floyd Matson, Matthew Ies Spetter, Richard Kostelanetz, and Nicholas Capaldi SPRING 1984 ISSN 0272-0701 VOL. 4, NO. 2 Contents 3 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SAVE OUR CHILDREN 4 Christian Science, Faith Healing,, and the Law Rita Swan 10 Ultrafundamentalist Sects and Child Abuse Lowell D. Streiker 17 Joseph Fletcher: The Father of Biomedical Ethics Richard Taylor THE FOUNDATIONS OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY AND DEMOCRACY 20 Religious Liberty: Cornerstone of Human Rights Carl F. H. Henry 27 Democracy Without Theology Paul Kurtz 32 Is Liberal Democracy Really Christian? Ernest Fortin 35 Father Fortins Protestant Politics Lee Nisbet 38 Biblical Views of Sex: Blessing or Handicap? Jeffrey J. W. Baker 41 A Naturalistic Basis for Morality John Kekes BIBLICAL CRITICISM 44 On Miracles Randel Helms HUMANIST SELF-PORTRAITS 46 A Humanist Credo Matthew les Specter 47 The Distinctions of Humanism Richard Kosielanetz 48 Humane-ism Floyd Matson VIEWPOINTS 49 Moral Absolutes and Foreign Policy Nicholas Capaldi 50 The Vatican Ambassador Edd Doerr BOOKS 52 God and the Physicists Mario Bunge, Mendel Sachs, and Paul Davies 51 POETRY 60 ON THE BARRICADES 62 CLASSIFIED Cover art courtesy of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library and AP/Wide World Edirur: Paul Kurtz -I ssueiare Editors: Gordon Stein, Lee Nisbet l s.sistartt Editors: Doris Doyle, Andrea Szalanski Ir, Director: Gregory Lyde Vigrass Contributing Editors: Lionel Abel, author, critic, SUNY at Buffalo; Paul Beattie, president, Fellowship of Religious Humanists; Jo-Ann Boydston, director, Dewey Center; Laurence Briskman, lecturer. Edinburgh University. Scotland; Vern Bullough, historian. State University of New York College at Buffalo; Albert Ellis, director. Institute for Rational Living; Roy P. Fairfield, social scientist, Union Graduate School; Joseph Fletcher, theologian, University of Virginia Medical School; Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading University, England; Sidney Hook, professor emeritus of philosophy. NYU; Marvin Kohl, philosopher, State University of New York College at Fredonia; Jean Kotkin, executive director, American Ethical Union; Gerald Larne, professor emeritus of archaeology and biblical history, USC; Ernest Nagel, professor emeritus of philosophy, Columbia University; Cable Neuhaus, correspondent; Howard Radest, director. Ethical Culture Schools; Robert Rimmer, author; M. L. Rosenthal, professor of English, New York University; William Ryan, free-lance reporter. novelist; Svetozar Stojanovic, professor of philosophy, University of Belgrade; Thomas Szasz, psychiatrist, Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse; V. M. Tarkunde, Supreme Court Judge, India; Richard Taylor, professor of philosophy, University of Rochester; Sherwin Wine, founder, Society for Humanistic Judaism Editorial Associates: H. James Birx, James Martin-Diaz, Steven L. Mitchell, Marvin Zimmerman Executive Director of CODESH, Inc.: Jean Millholland Poetry Editor: Sally M. Gall Book Review Editor: Victor Gulotta Director of Publicity: Andrea Szalanski Assistant Director: Barry L. Karr Systems Manager: Richard Seymour Typesetting: Paul E. Loynes Staff: Jackie Livingston, Alfreda Pidgeon FREE INQUIRY (ISSN 0272-0701) is published quarterly by the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (CODESH, Inc.), a nonprofit corporation, 1203 Kensington Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14215. Phone (716) 834-2921. Copyright ©1984 by CODESH, Inc. Second-class postage paid at Buffalo and at additional mailing offices. Subscription rates: $14.00 for one year, $25.00 for two years, $32.00 for three years, $3.50 for single copies. Address subscription orders, changes of address, and advertising to: FREE INQUIRY. Box 5. Central Park Station, Buffalo, NY 14215. Manuscripts, letters and editorial inquiries should be addressed to: The Editor, FREE INQUIRY, Box 5, Central Park Station, Buffalo, N.Y. 14215. All manuscripts should be accompanied by two additional copies and a stamped, addressed envelope. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or publisher. 2 FREE INQUIRY the supposed miracle Wells is seemingly trying to disprove. To suggest that the origi- nal writer(s) could out of whole cloth create LETTERS TO THE EDITOR such a story and so successfully cover the conspiracy until it was uncovered by Wells is even more fantastic than the original version. Kenneth Knipmeyer The Mormon Church Dr. Sterling M. McMurrin's comments are University City, Mo. enlightening. 1 am wondering why he has You are to be commended for shining some not been called before a "Bishops Court" The Existence of Jesus light on the dark origins and current dimness and declared an apostate. The L.D.S. faith of the Mormon Church (Fl, Winter would certainly have done so with a person In "The Future of Humanism" (FI, Fall 1983/84). George Smith's "Joseph Smith of less stature. If the court does ever con- 1983), Paul Kurtz. writes: "Whether Jesus and the Book of Mormon" presents very vene, 1 will be the first to extend my hand existed is still open to dispute; but assuming well some of the more obvious documented to Brother McMurrin and welcome him into that he did, he was either mad (his relatives facts that support a reasonable conclusion the richness and beauty of humanism. believed he was) or a magician" (p. 9). This that the Mormon prophet was a consum- is too simple and short-sighted a view. There mate con man who practiced a terrible fraud Ernie Conrad must have been a real and unique human on gullible people. Because, in spite of Mor- Rancho Cordova, Calif. being who gave rise to the writing of the mon philosopher Sterling M. McMurrin's Gospels. Unfortunately this exceptional man ("The History of Mormonism and Church was overburdened with a great amount of Authorities") somewhat disingenuous asser- Religion vs. Humanism myth by those who wrote thirty to one hun- tion that "the church shouldn't tie religious dred years after he lived and tried to make faith to its history," everything of major Congratulations to Joseph Fletcher him a deity. They did a great injustice to importance to it is based on claims of ("Humanist Self-Portraits, FI, Fall 1983) for the human Jesus: The view expressed by historical fact. Surely the issue of fact vs. pointing up the crucial difference between Paul Kurtz is just as great an injustice in fiction cannot be so lightly dismissed. religion and humanism. It is dangerous, as the opposite direction. If one considers the That this hoax is perpetrated on inno- well as confusing and disingenuous, to deny extraordinary teachings of Jesus regarding cent generations 1 find a great tragedy, and via semantics that religion requires a god human relations and the many acts of com- am particularly saddened for the young peo- and that humanism accepts none. At a time passion and courage ascribed to him, how ple. They are being taught to practice a form when the Religious Right seems on the verge can one say that such a man was either of double-think that puts Orwell's characters of convincing courts and legislatures that "mad or a magician"! to shame. The split-brain syndrome is just humanism is indeed a religion and that I like Brand Blanshard's statement in one of the many pathetic results of a nine- "humanist dogma," such as evolution, is thus the same issue ("One Man's Humanism" p. teenth-century deception carried into the inappropriate for expression in public insti- 15), which doubtlessly refers to Jesus: " .. future by emotion in the name of religion. tutions, it should be clear that "religious shining through the mists and myths of the Two other obvious evil consequences are humanism" is an oxymoron that we can live New Testament there is the light of a moral holding mindless obedience to authority as without. genius whose doctrine of love is in a sense the highest value and blind faith as the the final word on ethics" (emphasis mine). supreme virtue. N. C. Jones I confess to an impatience with the so- Winchester, Va. E. Russell Tanner called intellectuals of the Mormon Church Longmont, Colo. who know the Book of Mormon is a fabri- The Historicity of Jesus cation (plagiarized at that) written for power Paul Kurtz replies: and money yet call it "inspired allegory." The reviews of The Historical Evidence for And what price is being paid by the youth Jesus and the response by author G. A. / don't deny that Jesus expressed some for all the unanswered questions, contradic- Wells (FI, Fall 1983) would have fit very splendid moral insights, but I think that if tions, anti-intellectualism? Evidence strongly conveniently and appropriately under the he existed he was either a disturbed per- suggests that the origins of Mormonism are heading on page 46. "Fools' Paradigms." sonality and/or a magician. The support of profoundly dishonest; that taint permeates Only someone who was at one time a funda- the latter is detailed in "Was Jesus a the modern doctrine that is supposed to mentalist would be motivated to bother with Magician?" (FI, Winter 1982/83). Anyone guide men and women to greater virtue. 1 such a thesis, as Wells has. No wishy-washy who believes that he was sent by God to believe that this patchwork religion does far liberal of the type so often found in the old- save mankind is, in my .judgment, clearly more harm than good. Although 1 am wil- time Protestant churches would do all that disturbed. ling to concede that the truth is elusive, research and writing for such a flimsy cause falsehood leaves clear tracks; Mormonism and unlikely hypothesis. To suggest that the Freedom at Falwell's College is covered with them. Gospels and Acts were originally written as fiction or fraud without any dimly remem- While reading Lynn Ridenhour's "Academic Adrienne Morris bered historical basis whatsoever is to sug- Freedom at Liberty Baptist College" (FI, Springville.
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