The Leicester Secularist Journal of Leicester Secular Society December 2012 No. 46 Wot? No atheist ‘Near Neighbours’? Readers will remember the survey is addressing itself solely may not include people of no article in Secularist No. 27, to the religious. But as it is being faith. March 2011, in which I looked distributed willy-nilly it is clear We are currently evaluating the at the launch of the that the authors are making the first year of grants and this has government’s ‘Near assumption that everyone must shown a number of beneficiaries/ Neighbours’ scheme. The aim have a religion. I emailed the participants were people of no of the scheme was to try to company concerned to ask faith. build bridges between whether non-religious people If you look at our website: were being excluded deliberately communities with different www.near-neighbours.org.uk you or inadvertently. This is the reply beliefs, most obviously will see a recent film of a I received from the head of ‘Near different religious beliefs but homeless project we funded – the Neighbours’, Liz Carnelly: also, it was said, including volunteers were not all from those without religious belief. Dear Harry religious backgrounds and the I criticised the decision to place I am the Programme director of beneficiaries were homeless the organisation and funding of Near Neighbours. people of any background. We the scheme in the hands of the also have a page of a few Church of England. There could You are right that the aim of Near Neighbours is to bring examples of groups we have have been no more blatant funded. I hope this helps. attempt to revive the fortunes of together people of different the Church than to make it the backgrounds of ethnicity and Liz gatekeeper for a whole new faith in local areas where we are I would suggest this just stream of government subsidy to working and this includes people compounds the problem and voluntary groups – at the same of no faith. I believe the Near illustrates nicely the deficiencies time ensuring that groups would Neighbours evaluation does ask of the faith-based approach to either already be part of the what faith, and has a potential community work identified by Church set-up or have to hook up reply of no faith or religion [This Ted Cantle in his recent talk at with the Church in order to comes right at the end in a the Hall ( Secularist No. 44, access funding. monitoring section.] In terms of October 2012) and by Helen grants we have given, the highest Pettman on page 7 of this edition. I was recently passed a copy of group as the lead body to receive an evaluation survey being The survey does NOT say grants have been community ‘...different religion or belief’ . undertaken on behalf of ‘Near groups, who contain people of This money should have been Neighbours’ to evaluate the first different faiths and no faith. year or so of the scheme. The channelled through local first two questions on the Every successful grant, whoever authorities to make sure evaluation are reproduced the lead body is, has to it was directed at genuine above. I noticed immediately, demonstrate it will involve people non-sectarian activities. of different faiths and this may or probably as you have, that the Harry Perry The Leicester Secularist Alzheimer’s and research I was more than a little are also risk factors for all surprised by such an dementia. smoking extraordinary assertion. http://tinyurl.com/d7c455f Jan Wild-Grant’s comment The reality is that research Incidentally, readers who were (Secularist 44, November increasingly shows a link interested in Jan’s article about 2012) that ‘Alzheimer’s, which between cognitive decline and donating organs for medical we all know, surely, is actually smoking. The Alzheimer’s research might consider donating stopped by smoking’ is rather Society lists smoking among their brain for worrying. several risk factors that can research into I do wonder where she has got increase your chance of Alzheimer’s http:// this idea from? As someone who developing dementia. Risk tinyurl.com/czbp9g2 spends their professional life factors for cardiovascular disease Christine Keen retrieving and assessing health (like heart disease and stroke) This month’s At first I welcomed the rarely!) but that is the joy of a Leveson proposals on Freethought Society and journal. Secularist preventing the abuse of press If you don’t like something, you power but then realised there always have the option of writing First, apologies to several could be implications for the in to say so! contributors whose pieces Secularist . Nobody else in Leicester is doing have not made the cut despite We don’t yet have the draft bill so what we are doing – and going to 20 pages. My aim is to cannot tell whether we will fall Leicester would be the poorer for achieve a balance of well written under the new scheme or not. Of it if we weren’t here. After the items generally relevant in some course we would never John Milbank talk I even heard way to the Society’s objects, or of misbehave but any state one visitor telling him that the a Freethought character. intervention in press freedom is a kind of debates we have would I do appeal to disappointed worry. It is now emerging that never be heard in any church - contributors (a) not to be the proposed statutory body and I’m pretty certain not in any deterred from sending items for would not have a direct temple or mosque either! Weekly future editions; (b) to try to relate relationship to newspapers at all talks, a monthly journal, a items to the Society’s objects; but would only supervise the way website, a secular library and all and (c) to incorporate hard the independent regulatory body the other things our members are evidence for views offered rather is performing. Actual fines of involved in all speak well of the than just free-floating opinion. newspapers for bad behaviour Society and its members. * * * would be levied by the As a member you would be I do hope you find the centre- independent regulator, not by the contributing to the costs of spread poster useful. It has statutory body. The debate is running the show too! And you come to us from Jesse likely to continue for some time would also be entitled to a hard Richardson, an American sceptic. so if anyone has strong views copy of this journal and It looks ideal to stick on the wall about e.g. the difference between participation in the Society’s by your computer so you can the ‘free press’ and free speech, democratic procedures. For the challenge weak arguments when please write something for the Society, the more members we putting the secular case on line! Secularist . have, the more influence we will Also ideal for noticeboards in * * * get and the more success we will classrooms where basic If you’re reading this edition have in chipping away at philosophy and clear thinking are of the Secularist as a non- religious privilege and being taught – assuming such Society member why not establishing a just and equal - places exist. I think it will only consider joining? and secular society. print off as 2 x A4 pages from this Looking back over the months Please think about it and if you Secularist (because that is how and years of this journal it is decide to join us all I’ve had to put it together) but if clear that the Society covers a you need to know is you want a hard copy A3 version I huge range of topics of interest to in a panel on the can provide them at nil cost to every corner of society. The back page. LSS members and at cost to views put forward are not always Harry Perry others. Many thanks to Jesse at: universally welcomed (OK, yourlogicalfallacyis.com. Editor Evington Echo website and have a blog for comments. can have links to their own There will be an interactive website. We would like to upgrade button for people to send in their encourage readers of the From 6th December the news and articles. Clubs and Secularist who live in Evington or Evington Echo (a community groups who want a page to the surrounding area to newspaper run by volunteers) advertise their organisations can log on at will have a much improved have space and their information www.evingtonecho.co.uk website. It will be user friendly will be updated. Other groups Helen Pettman The Leicester Secularist 2 So then we come to Todd Akin** who are awaited.) It seems incredible Meditations of recently ran for the American Senate that in the twenty-first century and who has long been an opponent people cannot grasp the simple logic John (21) of abortion, even in cases of what he that a pregnancy that goes wrong recently called ‘legitimate rape’. His and ends a woman’s life will ‘The flesh’ - rape comments produced uproar and he automatically end the life of the Following the leading article lost support and ultimately the foetus as well. Not even the Catholic election. He also complained that he view that they are protecting the life in the October edition of the had ‘misspoke’ and that he regarded of the unborn can survive so simple Leicester Secularist on the rape as a dreadful crime. It seems an argument. subject of rape I reflected on a that his comments about ‘legitimate In pushing for the free use of recent decision of the Pope in rape’ derive from the fact that he contraceptives and for at least the the case of a woman whose and those who think similarly are need to abort a pregnancy in cases life would be threatened if of necessity the secular world is she became pregnant.