Do Children Need Religion? 42 74957 SUMMER 1994, VOL. 14, NO. 3 ISSN 0272-0701 Free Contents Editor: Paul Kurtz Senior Editors: Vern Bullough, Thomas Flynn, Gerald Larue, Gordon Stein 3 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Executive Editor: Timothy J. Madigan Managing Editor: Andrea Szalanski 4 EDITORIALS Contributing Editors: Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Kiryas Joel School Case, Robert S. Alley, Joe E. Barnhart, David Berman, Lisa H. Thurau / NBC's Cynically Skewed Reporting on the `Power H. James Birx, Jo Ann Boydston, Bonnie Bullough, Paul Edwards, Albert Ellis, Roy P. Fairfield, Charles of Prayer,' Gary P. Posner / Catholic-Evangelical Compact W. Faulkner, Antony Flew, Levi Fragell, Adolf Showcases Newhaus's Rising Star, Tom Flynn / The Crisis of Grünbaum, Marvin Kohl, Jean Kotkin, Thelma Lavine, Tibor Machan, Ronald A. Lindsay, Michael the Black Religious Intellectual, Norm Allen, Jr. / Some Lessons Martin, Delos B. McKown, Lee Nisbet, John Novak, for Humanists, Paul Kurtz / The Waco Tragedy, James A. Haught Skipp Porteous, Howard Radest, Robert Rimmer, Michael Rockier, Svetozar Stojanovic, Thomas / Oral Roberts on Jim Bakker, Martin Gardner / Baring the Szasz, V. M. Tarkunde, Richard Taylor, Rob Threat, Skipp Porteous Tielman 17 ON THE BARRICADES Associate Editors: Janey L. Levy and Molleen Matsumura DO CHILDREN NEED RELIGION? Editorial Associates: Doris Doyle, Thomas Franczyk, Roger Greeley, 18 Introduction Andrea Szalanski Steven L. Mitchell, Warren Allen Smith 19 'So, What Do You Teach Your Kids?' Tom Malone Chairman, CODESH, Inc.: Paul Kurtz 21 `I'm on Fire to Explain' Kenneth Marsalek Chief Development Officer: James Kimberly 22 Ingersoll on Children and Morality Roger Greeley Public Relations Director: Norm R. Allen, Jr. 23 How Religion Impedes Moral Development Brad Clark 25 Honest to God Executive Director, Secular Organizations for Gerald Larue Sobriety: James Christopher 28 Do Children Need Religion? Chief Data Officer: Richard Seymour An Interview with Martha Fay Molleen Matsumura Fulfillment Manager: Michael Cione 31 Children Don't Need Religion Edythe McGovern 33 Filling a Gap in the Guides Lisa Kuhmerker Typesetting: Paul E. Loynes 36 Filling a Child's Head with Nonsense Timothy J. Madigan Graphic Designer: Jacqueline Cooke 37 Peer Pressure and Children's Religious Belief Norma Howe Audio Technician: Vance Vigrass 40 Further Reading: Constructing Educational Bridges Over Walls Staff of Separation, John M Novak / Nel Noddings Replies / First Georgeia Locurcio, Anthony Nigro, Ranjit Sandhu Books, Molleen Matsumura FREE INQUIRY (ISSN 0272-0701) is published quarterly by the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (CODESH, Inc.), a nonprofit corpora- HUMANISM AND THE ARTS tion, 3965 Rensch Road, Buffalo, NY 14228-2713. 44 'The Humanist' Warren Allen Smith Phone (716) 636-7571. Fax (716) 636-1733. Copyright ©1994 by CODESH, Inc. Second-class 46 Ghana and Humanism: postage paid at Buffalo, N.Y., and at additional mailing offices. National distribution by Inter- Report of a Visit Vern L. Bullough and Bonnie Bullough national Periodicals Distributors, Solana Beach, 49 California. 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Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Ignorance, and More Lies, John George / Academy of Humanism editors or publisher. Postmaster: Send address Profiles: Science and Culture, Fabiola Aguirre and Searching for changes to FREE INQUIRY, Box 664, Buffalo, NY 14226-0664. an Answer to Suffering, Timothy J. Madigan / Books in Brief 67 IN THE NAME OF GOD Cover photo by John Parascak, design by Jackie Cooke One picture (or cartoon) is worth a thousand words. The illustration on page 28 (FI, Spring 1994) says it all elo- Letters to the Editor quently—the anchorlike cross towed behind the van is a major drag not only to population control but to all enlight- ened civilization's progress and develop- ment as well. Overpopulation the United States, the disastrous over- population that already exists is reflected Andrew Vena A life-long atheist and humanist, I'm in the environmental impact, local as well Philadelphia, Pa. forced to ally myself with the Catholic as global, of our way of life. Reducing church against the attack by Stephen consumption is not the only answer; we Overpopulation is the major problem in Mumford ("Overcoming Overpopula- must reduce our numbers as well. But most poor or less developed countries. tion: The Rise and Fall of American even among environmentalists, only the This is well documented in your sym- Political Will," FI, Spring 1994). The Cousteau Society prominently advances posium. Catholic church is wrong regarding its this as one of their most important issues. All life is subject to the rule of opposition to birth control, but Mum- Sadly, too many others are still burdened "carrying capacity." China was one of ford is wrong in opposing the humanistic with the leftists/ Third World ideology the first nations forced to understand this values of the Catholic church. that the overpopulation issue is tanta- and acted accordingly. Overpopulation He accuses the Catholic church of mount to racism (which is why we didn't is becoming a problem, as a result of holding that "Every human being has see this discussed at Rio). I am happy high immigration, in California and a right to migrate to the United States to see you take up the issue. Florida and is overtaxing welfare pro- and take up residence there—to seek grams and infrastructure. better living conditions." Why not? Some Dr. Bruce Scott Jan Narveson should remain a phi- of us in the United States would do Max-Planck-Institut fur losopher at the University of Waterloo. anything to take up residence in London Plasmaphysik, Germany I wish him the best in that beautiful or Paris. And why is it that merchan- country with no overpopulation dise, from shoes to automobiles, have I do not know the origin of the "develop- problems. more rights to travel than human beings? mental human condition equation" cited If we are to use any criteria for by R. T. Ravenholt ("Taking Contra- Dr. R. H. Stover overpopulation other than the subjective ceptives to the World's Poor," FI, Spring La Lima, Honduras, C.A. feelings of Mr. Mumford, I would sug- 1994), but it is so flawed as to be utterly Area: 112,000 square km gest the per capita wastage of nonrenew- worthless. One person occupying the (Population: 6 million, able natural resources as a criteria. Then planet would be the highest attainable doubling every 20 years) America is the most overpopulated condition, an absurd hypothesis if ever country on Earth. Overpopulation in there was one. His explanatory para- What are we to make of a secularist most Third World countries is evidence graph is also full of errors. Food, hous- coming down on the side of the pope only of a lack of jobs. ing, classrooms, and contraceptives are (and many other less-publicized clerics Yes, we should support birth control, not resources. They are goods created of various religions, from Judaism to but not because of the "danger" of over- by men and women from resources, Islam)? Does Jan Narveson really believe population but because women have a labor, and ingenuity. The creation and that there is no environmental degrada- right to a full life, which is not possible distribution of these and other goods are tion and that the unprecedented extir- if their only role is that of childbearers. what advances the human condition. pation of species will never affect Homo Rather than having an "insouciant sapiens? Or could it be that Narveson Earl Gilman attitude," Jan Narveson ("A Dissenting is a libertarian and, as such, he feels San Francisco, Calif. Viewpoint: The Overpopulation Scare," compelled to twist the evidence to FI, Spring 1994) correctly declares the support the idea that there is no over- Overpopulation has been for many years dangers of misguided intervention into population? The scientific method is to the most important danger facing such basics of human livelihood, whether follow the evidence, while the religious humanity, and it is troublesome that those controls come from the Catholic method has always been to twist the people in power—most importantly the church or from the government. Recent evidence to fit preconceived opinions. media—have not seen fit to keep it before events in Somalia certainly lend credence us. People blame war and bad politics to this position. Richard F. Stratton for the troubles in Africa, but then they San Diego, Calif. forget to ask why the war and bad Morgen D. Van Sycle politics exist in the first place. And in San Antonio, Tex. (Letters, continued on p. 65) Summer 1994 3 Editorials Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Kiryas Joel School Case Lisa H. Thurau March 30, 1994, the U.S. religion, in this case, complete segrega- for the protection of children's rights— ØnSupreme Court heard arguments in tion from people who do not belong to challenged the statute for the purpose the church-state separation case of the its sect.