INQUIRER Long Island Secular Humanists Box 119, Greenlawn, NY 11740, 516 742 1662, Email: InfidelsRe@aol.com

Volume 2, Issue 1, January, 1999 MILLENNIUM COUNT-DOWN
1 Lish meeting information
2 Will world end?
3 D.A. Dillon & Catholicism
4 Letters to the Editor

LISH MEETING INFORMATION Meetings of LISH are now scheduled for the lower level of The Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, located at 999 Old Country Road, Mainview, 7:30 PM.
Friday, January 29,1999 Our initial planning meeting, looking for volunteers for writing, meeting planning, etc.
Friday, March 26,1999 Topic, tentatively, humanism in popular culture.
Friday, April 30,1999 Topic to be announced.
Friday, May 28,1999 Topic to be announced. Friday, June 25,1999 Topic to be announced. TOC

WILL WORLD END? Gerry Dantone
Will the world end with the coming of the year 2000?

On entering the New Year, we are all aware that this is the last year of this planet's existence, as we know it - yeah, right. Although the year 1999 is technically not the end of the millennium, this untidy fact

Will the world end with the coming does not seem to deter a of the year 2000? number of various soothsayers predicting a final Judgement Day. Will it be Pat Robertson's meteor hurled at earth by an angry God, probably for even thinking about granting gays equal human rights? Or will it be the Y2K computer bug, guaranteed to start WWIII or a new Great Depression? How about a biological or chemical war begun by a cult who will take their fate and ours into their own hands? And of course, who can forget the aliens who will finally begin to assimilate and consume the human race?

In a century that spawned an Einstein, a Hawking, a Dr. Spock, the Beatles, Babe Ruth, and pizza to go, we are still primitive scientifically and ethically on the personal level. When a significant percentage of the populace believes in an Armageddon, a young earth as according to the bible, and the moral abominations of shrimp eating, pre-marital sex and unveiled women's faces, one may think that although the end is not near, it might as well be.

As humanists we should feel compelled to rail against this nonsense out of concern for the quality of our lives, for the lives of our loved ones and our fellow humans. Surely it cannot be good for us in this life to live under the assumption that life on this planet is nearly over and eternal bliss awaits us - after a horrendous battle between good and evil, where the "good" guys slaughter the "bad." The temptation is to say "why bother?", but for humanists, for everyone, our consciences should remind us that we know better. So in that spirit, here is LISH's Happy New Year to everyone, as well as the commitment to the effort to make the next millennium more humanistic. TOC

D.A. DILLON & CATHOLICISM Gerry Dantone
This is not about Capital Punishment, let's make that clear up front. Although non-secular humanists may be unaware of it, there is no "official" secular humanist policy on this issue or others, but simply underlying values that often lead humanists to similar conclusions, Humanists can and do disagree on the topic of Capital Punishment.

However secular humanists values do contend that policy be decided on their fairness, Impact and helpfulness to the human condition and not based on some immutable moral code handed down from some inarguable source. Nassau District Attorney Denis Dillon, as reported in Newsday, has recently campaigned against the death penalty which has been re-instated in New York by Governor Pataki, a fellow Republican. The Governor has been known to exercise pressure on local authorities to seek the death penalty.

Dillon's opposition to the death penalty, however, does not seemingly rest on his belief that the death penalty is ineffective or unfair. He stated "As a practicing Roman Catholic, I look to the teachings of the Catholic Church for the guidelines I must use in addressing problems with moral dimensions." The Governor wants district attorneys to decide on the penalty based on "professional as opposed to philosophical grounds." This has motivated Mr. Dillon to go on his current speaking tour.

Whatever one's opinion on Capital Punishment, one must criticize Denis Dillon's position on this matter. As we all know, the Roman Catholic Church not only opposes Capital Punishment, but also abortion, divorce and all forms of birth control, among other policies. The Church has also been active in promoting the idea that Catholic elected officials should be guided in their official capacity by church teachings. The net effect is to turn church law into secular law, even for non-church members, or at least make that attempt.

Although we may overlook a politician's motive when we agree with the policy, this is not a good idea in the long run. It was not long ago that divorce was illegal in New York State even for non-Catholics. Law must be legislated on more than a religious argument - there must be solid secular reasoning to support it. This is not an argument that there is no secular reasoning behind opposing the simply underlying values that often lead death penalty This is an argument that we cannot live peaceably together in a society where law is passed for religious reasons, and not everyone adheres to that religion, and I may add, that version of that religion. A religious person always has the option of obeying religious law if they so choose, and it harms no one. Once we make the argument that religious beliefs are sufficient to justify secular law, however, the fight becomes which religious beliefs shall prevail, and how do the rights of non-believers stay protected. If law is not secular in nature, and its enforcement is not secular in nature, we will have nothing but religious strife, first in governing, and then in the streets. How does one compromise the Word of God?

I do not discourage District Attorney Dillon from his opposition to Capital Punishment. I would discourage him from making his decision on this matter or any matter before him in his official capacity, based on religious grounds. What religiously motivated policy decision will he next enforce or not enforce on behalf of non-members of his faith? TOC

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
1/3/99 I received your newsletter announcing the January 29 meeting. This is to confirm that I'm interested in the new group but am unable to attend on January 29. For what it's worth, I suspect there may be others who would like to participate but also find Fridays difficult. P.R., Roslyn Heights. Dear P.R.: I am sad to hear that you cannot make it, but appreciate the letter. It turns out that Fridays were the only available open dates at the library, so we're stuck until July when a new schedule is formulated. I want feedback from members on meeting date preferences! G.D. TOC