August sept 2011 V1_Layout 1 6/24/11 11:50 AM Page 1 STEPHEN LAW: Intellectual Black Holes CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY August / September 2011 Vol. 31 No.5 George A. Wells Jesus: What’s the Evidence? also CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS WENDY KAMINER ARTHUR CAPLAN Introductory Price $4.95 U.S. / $4.95 Can. OPHELIA BENSON Introductory Price $4.95 U.S. / $4.95 Can. 09 DAVID TRIBE RONALD A. LINDSAY 7725274 74957 Published by the Council for Secular Humanism FI Aug Sept cut_Layout 1 6/29/11 10:15 AM Page 2 CENTERS FOR INQUIRY | www.centerforinquiry.net/about/branches CFI–ORANGE COUNTY CFI IN INDIA (HYDERABAD) UNITED STATES 4773 Hollywood Blvd. Ex. Dir.: Prof. Innaiah Narisetti CFI–TRANSNATIONAL Hollywood, CA 90027 Hyderabad, India President and CEO: Ronald A. Lindsay Tel.: (323) 666-9797 CFI IN JAPAN (TOKYO) PO Box 741 Email: [email protected] Ex. Dir.: Erick Eck ITTSBURGH Amherst, NY 14226 CFI–P CFI IN KENYA (NAIROBI) Tel.: (716) 636-4869 Coordinator: Bill Kaszycki Ex. 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The Center for Inquiry is a supporting organization of the Council for Secular Humanism, publisher of FREE INQUIRY. FI Aug Sept cut_Layout 1 6/24/11 11:46 AM Page 3 August/September 2011 Vol. 31 No. 5 19 Is There Independent Confirmation of CELEBRATING REASON AND HUMANITY What the Gospels Say of Jesus? George A. Wells 28 Intellectual Black Holes and Bullshit Stephen Law 31 On Ethics and Morality David Tribe EDITORIAL 17 Progress Elusive for 57 Divinity of Doubt: 4 Secularism and Human Dignity Egypt’s Women The God Question Ronald A. Lindsay Mona Abousenna by Vincent Bugliosi Reviewed by Robert M. Price LEADING QUESTIONS 18 Secular Studies Arrives at Last 8 Accommodationism: Phil Zuckermann 59 Pox: An American History The Debate Continues by Michael Willrich A Conversation with Chris Mooney DEPARTMENTS Reviewed by Stuart Whatley 44 Church-State Update 61 God and Human Beings LETTERS Florida Showdown Looms Edd Doerr by Voltaire 11 Reviewed by Nathan Curland 46 God on Trial OP-EDS The Philosophical Significance POEMS 9 Are Unbelievers More Resilient? of Psychopaths Scott Hightower Tom Flynn Postmodernism, Morality, and God 45 In The Rambles of the Alhambra, David N. Stamos Coming upon a Bronze of a Naked 12 Religion Is the Problem in the Balkans Man Subjugating a Goat Christopher Hitchens 50 Faith and Reason Atheism and Religious Pluralism 13 Is Sluttishness a Feminist Statement? Navigating Between Freedom of Pipe Dreams (A Lullaby) Wendy Kaminer and Freedom from Religion Kile Jones 14 The Stem of the Conflict Arthur Caplan REVIEWS 53 The Prince of War: Billy Graham’s 15 The Presence of Justice Crusade for a Wholly Ophelia Benson Christian Empire by Cecil Bothwell 16 Do We Get the Constitution Reviewed by Richard A. S. Hall Back in 2012? Nat Hentoff FI Aug Sept cut_Layout 1 6/24/11 11:46 AM Page 4 Editorial Staff Ronald A. Lindsay Editorial Editor Thomas W. Flynn Associate Editors John R. Shook, Lauren Becker Managing Editor Andrea Szalanski Columnists Arthur Caplan, Richard Dawkins, Edd Doerr, Shadia B. Drury, Nat Hentoff, Christopher Hitchens, Wendy Kaminer, Tibor R. Machan, Tom Rees, Katrina Voss Senior Editors Bill Cooke, Richard Dawkins, Edd Doerr, James A. Haught, Jim Herrick, Gerald A. Larue, Ronald A. Lindsay, Taslima Nasrin Contributing Editors Roy P. Fairfield, Charles Secularism and Human Dignity Faulkner, Levi Fragell, Adolf Grünbaum, Marvin Kohl, Thelma Lavine, Lee Nisbet, J.J.C. Smart, Thomas Szasz Ethics Editor Elliot D. Cohen Literary Editor David Park Musella Assistant Editors Julia Lavarnway Julia Burke ecularism is a scary word for some, Two Senses of Secularism Permissions Editor Julia Lavarnway especially those on the religious Right. Secularism can be understood in both a Art Director Christopher S. Fix Moreover, as we are now officially into Production Paul E. Loynes Sr. S narrow sense and a broad sense. In a nar- the 2012 presidential election campaign, row sense, secularism reflects the familiar Council for Secular Humanism you can expect to hear a lot more about the concept of the separation of church and alleged evils of secularism. Before his recent state. Government should stay out of the Chair Richard K. Schroeder political implosion, self-appointed intellec- religion business. It should do nothing to Board of Directors Kendrick Frazier Dan Kelleher tual Newt Gingrich was busy inveighing promote or advance religious beliefs (or Angie McAllister against secularism in articles, speeches, and antireligious beliefs). Individuals should be Richard K. Schroeder books. (His most recent book was titled To free to come to their own conclusions Edward Tabash Jonathan Tobert Save America: Stopping Obama’s Secular- about the existence of the supernatural or Leonard Tramiel Socialist Machine.) Gingrich’s rants may transcendent without compulsion, prod- Chief Executive Officer Ronald A. Lindsay now receive less attention, but his views on ding, or oversight by the state. Executive Director Thomas W. Flynn secularism are echoed by many others, In a broad sense, secularism not only Director, Campus and Community Programs (CFI) Lauren Becker including Republican presidential hopefuls prohibits government interference with Director, Secular Organizations Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney. religious beliefs but also prohibits religious for Sobriety Jim Christopher This dread of secularism among some influence on public policy. Further, it insists Director, African Americans that discourse about public policy should for Humanism Debbie Goddard of the religious is misplaced. Properly Vice President of Planning be framed entirely in secular terms and understood, secularism is not a threat to and Development (CFI) Sherry Rook that decisions about public policy should Director of Libraries (CFI) Timothy Binga religious beliefs. Granted, secularism is a be based entirely on secular considera- Communications Director Michelle Blackley threat to the privileged position that reli- Database Manager (CFI) Jacalyn Mohr tions. One implication of this broad under- gion still maintains in certain areas, and Staff Pat Beauchamp, Ed Beck, standing of secularism is that religious that may explain some of the adverse Melissa Braun, Shirley leaders qua religious leaders have no spe- Brown, Cheryl Catania, reaction to secularism.