INQUIRER Volume 5, Issue 09, Sept, 2002, Long Island Secular Humanists Box 119, Greenlawn, NY 11740, Email: LISecHum@aol.com . A Thumbs Up Publication Editor: Gerald Dantone, Art Design: John R. Wilmarth Copyright LISH 2000 (All articles in this newsletter may be reprinted by organizations affiliated with the Council for Secular Humanism with a reciprocating reprinting agreement with LISH, so long as the article is used in full and with complete crediting. Edited versions can be used with written permission.)
LISH members, our monthly meetings (Calendar) are your chance not only to see and hear a stimulating discussion on an exciting subject, but also to meet with your fellow secular humanists on Long Island.
LISH QUESTION OF THE MONTH
One year later:
What does humanism mean to you?
Email LISH @ LISecHum@aol.com or write to
LISH, PO Box 119, Greenlawn, NY 11740.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) The Problem with Humanist Music
2) Letters to the Editor
3) How to Live the Good Life
4) A Letter to Susan Cheever of Newsday
5) Animal Rights: A Response
6) QUICKIES!
7) The Fallacy of Clericalism
8) Origins
9) Making the Rounds with Norm
10) Intolerance Towards Gays on Long IslandJOIN THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON! Nov. 2, 2002
You CAN love your country and not believe in God.The March on Washington
The Council for Secular Humanism has endorsed the Godless Americans March on Washington scheduled for November 2, 2002, in the nation's capital. The march is being organized by American Atheists, who have called for the participation of all secular humanists, rationalists, atheists, agnostics and freethinkers.
The Council is dedicated to the March on Washington and we shall network with all our local organizations both on and off campus to generate the largest turnout of secular humanists possible. We urge all of our supporters to join us in D.C. behind the banner of the Council for Secular Humanism. A large turnout will see to it that the voice of secular America is not drowned out by the wave of religiosity currently crashing over the country.
If you're interested in going to the March in Washington from Long Island, email LISecHum@aol.com. We will see what arrangements are appropriate based on the number of interested parties.
DJ Grothe at (716) 636-7571 ext. 314 or Austin Dacey at ext. 223 are coordinating the Council's efforts. For general information call Katherine Bourdonnay at ext. 313. You can e-mail the CSH at djgrothe@centerforinquiry.net, adacey@centerforinquiry.net or kbourdonnay@centerforinquiry.net.
See you in D.C. on November 2nd!
LISH MEETING INFORMATION
Paul Vitello of Newsday to Speak
Newsday columnist Paul Vitello is scheduled for a forum at the Plainview Old Bethpage Public Library for Friday, September 20, 7:15 PM. The forum will be on the topic “One Year Later: What Have We Learned?” This will be an exciting meeting featuring one of Long Island's most popular political and social commentators.
Rabbi Sherwin Wine, the driving force behind Secular Humanistic Judaism will be the guest speaker at the 7:15 PM Friday, October 4 meeting, (note the date!) scheduled to be held at the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island, 38 Old Country Road, Garden City, as a LI Humanist Coalition meeting. The next day, on Saturday, October 5, @ 1PM, a luncheon will be held at the Orchid Restaurant, 730 Franklin Avenue, Garden City, $15/person, in Rabbi Wine's honor. Please send your checks in advance to LISH, PO Box 119 Greenlawn, NY, 11740 by September 31 so that we may make accurate reservations.
Visit LISH on the web: http://www.homestead.com/lishweb or http://nyhumanist.org/ [TOC]THE PROBLEM WITH HUMANIST MUSIC Gerry Dantone
Last year the New Jersey Humanist Network held a Humanist Song contest, seeking good new “humanist” music. This writer was fortunate to win the contest, but some have expressed the concern that there was too much “negativity” towards religion and not enough positive messages among the entrants. Here's the problem, and I think I have a handle on it since I've been a serious songwriter for many years.
If one does not mention or criticize religion in a song and merely states some positive idea, it is unrecognizable as "humanist" music, even if it is completely secular and humanistic in nature.
For example, practically the entire Beatles catalogue of songs is both secular and humanistic, yet no one considers it explicitly "humanistic" music. If it were so considered, a search for humanistic music would not have been necessary. What, exactly, is NOT secular and humanistic about "All You Need Is Love," "Here, There and Everywhere," "Nowhere Man" or "Eleanor Rigby." How about their final lyrics of their final recorded album (Abbey Road): "The love you take is equal to the love you make"? It is completely humanistic and secular, but without giving a contrary example of an inferior religious ethic, it cannot be labeled explicitly as humanism. If I am wrong, why was the contest necessary? If I am wrong, we have all the humanistic music we need.
Christians have no trouble embracing the Beatles music and message, generally (except when Lennon made the “we're more popular than Jesus” remark, now largely forgotten). They do not acknowledge or realize or want to admit that John Lennon and even Paul McCartney were basically nonbelievers and humanistic if not outright humanists. The reason that they can do this is because, as Beatles, they never offered negative images of religion, they kept mostly to the positive, primarily promoting human love, both idyllic and romantic. Lennon DID paint a darker picture of religion as a solo artist which is why "Imagine" is well known as a humanist song, and is hated by the likes of Pat Robertson. It is the negative connotations of heaven and hell in the song "Imagine" that clearly thrusts it into the humanist camp.
There is a comparison that can be made with religious music. It isn't religious music until God, or the supernatural is introduced. However, since most religions make claims of improved or superior morality on the part of believers, mere mention of God or Jesus equates, in their minds, to a positive message. Humanists cannot make such a claim. Being a secular humanist does NOT make one's character better than others, for that reason alone; we as humanists admit that. Merely stating one's secularism or humanism is not a positive message in the way many a believer thinks mere belief is positive in and of itself.
The burden of humanists is therefore different: Since humanism, in a sense, only allows ethics and character to grow and be nurtured without the baggage many supernatural systems lay on their followers, our message is necessarily different. It is one of being "freed" from the harmful and antisocial practice of condemning the infidel, or believing that one group is blessed and another cursed or that we are to be judged by our beliefs.
Humanism "allows" us to care about others without artificial and mythical constraint. Humanism, in large part, clears the emotional way for caring for others regardless of beliefs, or race, etc. Yes, caring is a huge positive that humanists need to promote, but we need to explain that those religious reasons for NOT caring about others, such as non-conformity, heresy, non-belief, a person's sexual orientation, etc., are wrong and immoral and lead to human misery. Promoting caring alone would not mark a song in anyone's mind as humanistic. Does the average person realize "All You Need is Love" is humanistic or do they think Jesus inspires it? Do you ever wonder how many religious persons love the song "All You Need is Love" and are homophobic or anti-Semitic on account of their religious training? To make “All You Need Is Love” a clear humanist anthem would require a statement that you DON'T need religion to love others. In other words, a negative statement is needed.
For those who are concerned about "negativity" I'd like to see what they consider examples of songs that they think are on the right track. I'd say that worse than negativity would be humanistic chauvinism that merely proclaims the positive aspects of humanism just as Christian "praise and worship" songs chauvinistically claim some kind of moral superiority for their beliefs. Don't just tell me humanism is good or better than religion: Show me!
(Gerry Dantone is a member of the band UniversalDice.com and won the New Jersey Humanist Network contest with the song “Love Is the Only Priest.” For info on their two CDs, “My Name Is Thomas…”, a rock opera, and “mostly True Stories” go to www.UniversalDice.com. Also to be available by 10/1/02 on www.CDBaby.com.)
Love Is the Only Priest, © 1996 Gerald Dantone
You may ask, why do we even bother/Here today, then we're gone into the dust/You say sense can't be made of it/You know the truth, it doesn't fit/The answer's just too rough
Everyday, while the world is getting harder/Don't you wait for that help from up above/Don't need to dream or make believe/You're really here right next to me/It should be just enough
Happiness is the only heaven/Reasoning is the only light we need/Justice is the only worship/And love is the only priest
There's no plan with your name upon it/There's no road that will take you to the stars/You can miss your date with destiny/There is no sacred guarantee/But there's something that is ours
Happiness is the only heaven/Reasoning is the only light we need/Justice is the only worship/And love is the only priest
Don't be late/Or you'll miss your chance/It only comes/Everyday we wake up
Happiness is the only heaven/Reasoning is the only light we need/Justice is the only worship/And love is the only priest
(Gerry Dantone is scheduled to sing this song at the Rally in Wash. DC, 11/2/02.)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
7/30/02 I thank Oleg for his very informative response on Evolution to my “Making the Rounds” column. I do feel that I failed to make clearer the reflection of my views of the evolutionist's presentation; it was not the failure of these scientists to make their case. Their role was to challenge the Intelligent Design folks, not make affirmative cases for evolution. I also wish to point out that Socratically the evolutionists were extremely effectively in showing weaknesses in ID.
I also added that Evolution has gaps to fill; we may question the dimension of these gaps but nevertheless they do exist. Otherwise further research would be unneeded. Each gap provides ID folks with reasons to find Designers of the gaps.
One major gap continues to be the origins of life itself. At a program at Southampton College this was pointed out as a argument for ID. However, do we say, “ok God did it, we are done,” or do we continue to attempt to fill the gap with good old fashion science?
Thanks to Oleg, with his extremely insightful ideas, we learn how much has been discovered; but let us not be over confident as to what needs to be done, especially when just within the past week or so, a new Hominid with rather fascinating features and which predates other findings only makes us realize the need to inquire more. Science is a perpetually self correcting methodology. Norm Roscoe, Oakdale, NY, via Internet.
Response: Well said, and learn we must. G.D.
8/7/02 I cannot believe how intolerant the American people are towards those of other religious beliefs!
Today, because of the recent Circuit Court ruling against permitting the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, it's turned against the non-believers in the country: the Humanists, the Freethinkers, the Atheists, the non-theists, etc.
How quickly people forget! Earlier in the Twentieth Century the Irish Catholics were the low men on the totem pole; the Jews had quotas imposed against them; after 9/11, the Moslems became persona non-grata. Earlier in our country's history, there was the persecution of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson in New England and the Quakers in Flushing, to cite just a few examples.
I am doubly shocked at the mistaken direction offered by our political leaders, from the President and Congress on down. They are leading the parade of intolerance. Don't they realize that the Constitution's prohibition against "the establishment of religion" was designed to protect the minority against the tyranny of the majority? How dare they insist that is a nation which gets all its rights and powers from God!
Recent polls had indicated that non-believers represent between 10 and 15% of the American people. That's certainly a critical mass! Why are we being ignored?
The job of our political leaders is to guarantee that there is "liberty and justice for all," and to help the citizens of our country understand that that is what our country truly stands for. Annabelle Glasser via Internet
Response: It is scary that what is so obvious and necessary is so opposed. G.D.
RE: LISH Question of the Month: One year later: What have you learned because of the events of September 11, 2001? What should the people of the United States have learned?
8/3/02 I'm afraid that I've learned that we simply aren't capable of learning much. The first thing we did was try what has never worked. The president gathered all the nabobs in one handy place and the most prominent among them led the rest in prayers. This at a time when we had no idea if or when the religious zealots from the other side would strike again. One bomb could have got them all.
As a country we insisted that patriotism include god and all the trappings of religion. "Under God" must stay in the Pledge even if it means changing the first amendment. All patriotic citizens must stand and sing "God Bless America" or . . . you know, they just might be "one of them." And don't forget the bare titties on statues. We must be protected from evil, even if it's bare boobs on a work of art. I worry about this country. Dipsey Dumpster via Internet
Response: To the elected officials of this country, this all makes sense somehow. G.D.
8/3/02 Blind faith is not a virtue. Regards, Mario Maltese via Internet
Response: No kidding! Why is it still so necessary to point out the obvious? G.D.
8/3/02 Contrary to the simplistic musing of a popular song by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, "People are NOT the same wherever you go". We may bear similarities to each other and fundamentally work for similar goals, but there exists at least as much stark contrast between peoples as there is between neighbors, family members, and even members of an organization. The extremes of a simple political council can provoke each other to blows over the institution of, take for example in my state, the proposal of an income tax. When the very modus vivendi of a group is perceived to be in harm's way...
....I'm terribly sorry, we've learned nothing, I've learned nothing, and by the looks of the polls, don't show any signs of enlightenment any time soon. I've learned nothing, because I continue to bear witness for the very same ideals that I had in the '60s and '70s. I'm an egalitarian fool. I remain unmoved by the prosperity that has made so many people who were willing to demonstrate in the street trade their VW micro buses for Ford Expeditions. I still believe in dignity, equality, responsibility, generosity, understanding, outreach, questioning of authority, rejection of leadership...
Reagan was right, I was wrong. People are indeed willing to shut up and endure a lot more bondage as long as they think they're free. I'm a damned fool. Sorry. Oleyar via Internet
Response: A pessimistic viewpoint to be sure. I think that there is more commonality between people around the world than you can admit at this time, but it is true that religious and other dogma can pretty much destroy human feelings of empathy and compassion. G.D.
8/8/02 What have I learned? Little. I have been reminded, though, of how close-minded Americans can be, even - maybe especially - when they think they're being inclusive. What should we have learned? That dogmatism, in all its forms, but especially religious dogmatism, is the greatest enemy we face. I won't hold my breath, though. Isaac via Internet
Response: Before 9-11, many atheists, freethinkers and humanists would say that dogmatism was the world's greatest threat to human well being, and now that there's proof, no one seems to care. How sad. G.D. [TOC]
HOW TO LIVE THE GOOD LIFE James Wentz
Revised December 2001 (adapted from "Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann, 1927)
Go placidly, amid the noise and haste, and
remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good
terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to
others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have
their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are
vexatious to natural well being.
If you compare yourself with others, you may
become vain or bitter; for always there will be
lesser and greater persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however
humble; it is a real possession in the changing
fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the
world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high idealism and
everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself while becoming who you are.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all
aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as
the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully
surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture courage with contemplation to shield you
in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue, separation and
warped assumptions.
Beyond a wholesome discipline be gentle with
yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the
trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you the universe
does obey the rhythm of its own laws.
Therefore be at peace with reality, while striving in
a never-ending quest for truth.
And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the
noisy confusion of life, accept that only you can
sustain tranquility within yourself.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is
still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Be happy.
Be happy. [TOC]
A LETTER TO SUSAN CHEEVER OF NEWSDAY Gerry Dantone
In response to a column by Susan Cheever in Newsday regarding the need for “spiritual communities”, I wrote a letter, which is excerpted below:
Dear Susan: I can understand your need for community; I seem to have that need myself. Your column, however, intertwined a need for community with belief in god, without sober reflection. You wrote that 200 years ago "Everyone went to church, whether they believed in God or wished they believed in God." You seemed to yearn for that era, though you should realize that in those days attendance was often mandatory under penalty of the law. You yearn for that?
Nowadays we have choice. I'll take today's situation, thank you.
You also wrote, "Then there is the sense of community I feel at church, although I am hardly a loyal parishioner and have a tendency toward ecclesiastical comparison shopping. It's a struggle to believe in God, but the struggle is somehow much, much easier in a room filled with people who share it." Who cares, actually, if it's easier to believe in God if others are in the room with you? Doesn't it at all matter whether the god concept is legitimate? Whether it is true? Whether it's good for humanity or not? God is the primary method humanity uses to divide itself. People are Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, etc. and have gone to war with each other for the sake of these "communities." The world is a mess because people have gods which tell them to hate others who have different versions of god. We have people allowing children to be raped because they cannot admit that their godly community is capable of the rapes they are hiding.
My point is that it matters greatly WHY and HOW we are banding together. I reject banding together on the basis of race, god concept, national origin, etc. It is counter productive, though it seems to be human nature to do so. Perhaps at one time such strategies helped humanity to survive, but those days are long gone. We need to develop community based on common values that benefit ALL humanity.
About 5 years ago, no community existed for atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, deists or secular humanists on Long Island. Considering that we are the most unpopular segment of the American population, despite our contributions to society, the overwhelming need to form this community drove me to found Long Island Secular Humanists which is now a thriving group which holds monthly forums, book discussions, and other social events. We have now developed a small voice in the community which is occasionally given the opportunity to express itself in the public media, and as a result, a somewhat greater understanding of what it is to be a non-theist and a humanist has taken hold in the local media and among local elected officials. Of course, the god concept is entirely absent from this community.
And that is the problem regarding your column. It is “God” that much of humanity uses to define ourselves DIFFERENTLY from others. Commonality of belief in God between diverse believers seems to be more of a facade that is put on for the benefit of showing a united front to non-believers. We are not fooled.
Humanists, by necessity, come from every ethnic group imaginable, and are united in their valuing the common virtues, such as honesty, courage, responsibility and most of all, caring. None of this involves believing in the unbelievable.
I greatly recommend that your comparison shopping of religion include as a bottom line, the concern for humanity, not worship or belief in deities that appeals to you stylistically. Nothing should matter except helping your fellow human, who truly needs the help, as opposed to a supposedly omnipotent deity who, by definition, needs nothing.
There are a few humanist organizations that can fill the bill for those who seek community that defines itself ethically as opposed to supernaturally. Most well-known on Long Island is the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island in Garden City, but there are also Ethical Culture groups in Suffolk and in Queens as well. In addition, in Queens there is the Society for Humanistic Judaism and in Nassau, the Long Island Havurah for Humanistic Judaism. My group is Long Island Secular Humanists which is compatible with all the preceding groups and indeed we all have many cross-memberships. If the mystical or transcendent, whatever that is, is indispensable for your peace of mind, many Unitarian groups are suitable, who stress human fellowship and leave ideas about the supernatural up to each individual.
In an age where people actually believe God wants them to kill others, with nuclear weapons perhaps, spreading humanism is no mere nicety; it is a necessity. Thanks, Gerry Dantone, President, Long Island Secular Humanists.
Susan Cheever responds:
Thanks for your long, thoughtful response. Of course I agree that it matters why we band together as much as it matters that we band together -- perhaps more. Of course tolerance is the basis of any belief system I have or may ever have. In the column, I try to stick to my own experiences and musings, not to prescribe or make broad statements. Thanks for reminding me. Susan Cheever.
[TOC]
ANIMAL RIGHTS: A RESPONSE Carl Schulz
I would like to respond to the article and the "Letters to the Editor" in the July Inquirer pertaining to animal rights. As a vegetarian I was dismayed by the general lack of compassion for animals which was only exceeded by the irrationality of many of the comments.
Marvin J. Schissel writes that "the PETA attitude is religious, not scientific." What would one call our societal prohibitions against murder, rape, pedophilia, etc. - are these religious or scientific attitudes? The answer is neither; they are rooted in the evolving belief that a civilized society needs to restrain the more primitive impulses of man. As a former scientist and science teacher I have never come across "humanistic scientific principles for humans to eat other animals." Einstein, by the way, was a vegetarian.
As to the second point regarding "natural laws," carnivores must kill other animals to survive and no vegetarian would deny this fact. The question of course is whether humans need to eat other animals to survive today. The fact that vegetarians have a lower incidence of major health problems answers that question. Hank Kocol also asks "why they are only interested in animals with which they can associate some marginally human characteristics." My answer - for the same reason that we grant equal rights to the severely retarded among us who have marginally human intelligence. It is the ethical and compassionate thing to do. He also states that a "lion shows less kindness in killing than current slaughterhouses are allowed by law." Which law is he alluding to since the meat industry is exempt :from all animal cruelty laws?
Regarding the last letter by Sally Morem which was the most disturbing: She claimed that "the natural world is fundamentally Machiavellian" and therefore "animals have no rights." Let us extend this argument and say that the weak, humans included, have no rights. Therefore, if not banned by laws, children and spouses can be battered, as they still are in too many instances. Rights only appear when they are written into law. There are no natural rights Sally, either scientifically or otherwise.
I found Gerry's article to be the most logical and consistent. However, let me point out some invalid issues. Claiming that an ant and a human baby are equivalent is obvious nonsense. Do not use the extreme position of a few fanatics to belittle legitimate concerns that many of us have regarding animal use or abuse.
Again, comparing lions to humans is a poor analogy. Lions must eat meat whereas humans, as I pointed out above, can survive nicely without it. The real problem is that predators in the wild cause pain and suffering at or near the time of death while humans inflict pain and suffering on animals from birth to death. Nearly everyone will state that we should not inflict unnecessary suffering. But what should it be called when animals are placed in crates so small they cannot even turn around; when a cow is cut up before it is killed; when a conscious downed steer is pulled by a tractor along the ground; when circus elephants are chained so they cannot walk leading some to go completely insane; when lab animals are subjected to repeated traumatizations without any tangible scientific results? Before anyone passes judgment they should watch a video of what really takes place and then decide if animals need our protection.
I could go on and expound on the ecological arguments against factory farming which has all but displaced the idyllic family farm but that is another issue. Most non-vegetarians are not willing to discuss these issues on their merits, but invent excuses to rationalize the fact that they enjoy eating meat and prefer to remain ignorant on the entire question of meat industry practices. [TOC]QUICKIES Gerry Dantone
Item: Reported by Americans United: TV preacher Jerry Falwell, has sent a message to his supporters telling them that he believes it is "time to go to war” over the Pledge of Allegiance issue. TV preacher Pat Robertson said the Pledge ruling may cause more terrorist attacks, concluding, "[I]f something much more terrible than September 11th befalls our beloved nation, the answer to the question 'Where was God in all of this?' may well be 'He was excluded by the 9th Circuit.'" Ultra-conservative newspaper columnist Cal Thomas suggested that the Pledge ruling may have been even worse than the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Thomas wrote, "On the eve of our great national birthday party and in the aftermath of Sept. 11... the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has inflicted on this nation what many will conclude is a greater injury than that caused by the terrorists."
Comment: Are these people for real or what? Obeying the Constitution is WORSE than the attack on the WTC? Actually, maybe they DO mean that!
Item: According to Americans for Religious Liberty, the US Congress approved a bill preserving a 1921 provision granting members of the clergy a tax break for the cost of their housing. They will continue to be able to deduct from taxable income the portion of salary that covers housing costs. This will cost taxpayers $2.3billion dollars over the next five years.
Comment: This is just too astounding! We wonder if clerics who raped children or covered up their abuse by fellow clerics will be made ineligible for this taxpayer subsidy? Nahhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Item: (From the Associated Press, Meerwala, Pakistan) For two nervous hours, a female teenager worried for her 11-year-old brother as their father pleaded before an Islamic village tribal council that the boy had done no wrong in walking unchaperoned with a girl from a different tribe.
The council was unconvinced, and ordered a brutal punishment: The boy's sister would be gang-raped to shame her whole family.
Shortly afterward, four members of the council took turns raping the 18-year-old sister in a mud hut as hundreds of people stood outside laughing and cheering.
Comment: Under Sharia law the girl will either have to prove she was raped or be subject to possible death for having sex out of marriage. Of course, her testimony carries little weight.
Item: (From Newsday) Three centuries ago, a group of Zapotecan Indians in San Francisco Cajones killed two indigenous Catholics for trying to halt their ancient pagan rituals. Pope John Paul II will beatify these two slain Catholics as a step toward sainthood, despite their roles as informants against their tribal brethren. According two court documents from the period, after the two converted to Catholicism tribesman informed priests and Spanish authorities, soldiers burst into the pagan Indians' ceremonies, beat the participants, called them “dogs” and destroyed their sacred stone figurines. Later, authorities decapitated 15 Zapotecs found guilty of murdering the two informants and impaled the 15 heads in the village square. Humberto Medina, a current day Mexican priest defends the two by saying “it was their duty to report the idolatry.”
In addition, the Pope has beatified Juan Diego, who reportedly saw a vision of the Virgin Mary 500 years ago; whom respected theologians and church leaders believe was invented in a quest to gain indigenous followers.
Comment: One wonders exactly what criterion exists for sainthood. I guess leading religious oppression is one of them! Apparently actually having existed is not necessary! Isn't it ironic that Juan Diego was probably invented to gain converts and is now canonized to prevent converts to other religions/denominations? Some things, such as dishonesty, never change.
Item: (From American Atheists) John Rigas, founder of Adelphia Communications Corporation was arrested and relinquished control of the troubled cable provider after it was learned that he and his relatives allegedly used the company to guarantee billions of dollars in personal loans, and then kept those liabilities off the accounting ledger.
During his long tenure with Adelphia, Rigas developed an odious reputation for censorship and efforts to promote purity by banning salacious cable content. The Los Angeles Times reported that the 76-year-old telecommunications founder "has operated his business and personal life in line with Christian principles," and turned Adelphia into "the only one of the nation's eight large cable companies that lacks adult programming. James Dobson, the avuncular head of Focus on the Family, urged followers to contact Rigas and Adelphia and praise the firm for being 'the only major cable operation with a policy against pornography." Rigas, said Dobson, "believes it undermines family values.
Comment: Hypocrisy and the Publicly Pious: Perfect together!
Item: (From Reuters) About 11 monks were taken to hospitals after clerics from rival sects that share the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem threw rocks, metal rods, and chairs at each other in the latest chapter in a centuries old dispute. The fighting monks were battling over the placement of a chair in a shaded area.
The six Christian sects jealously guard their “rights” as per a 1757 Ottoman “status quo” law. Two sects, Egyptian Coptics and Ethiopian monks have had a particular dispute for the last century over space on the roof. Israel's Religious Affairs Ministry said it would mediate between the sides. (For the whole story go to http://news1.iwon.com/article/id/55623|oddlyenough|07-29-2002::13:59|reuters.html)
Comment: One would think that it would be beyond the pale for fellow Christians to fight over the supposed site of Jesus' crucifixion, no? One would be wrong.
When anyone claims that “we all pray to the same God,” or that this is “one nation under God”, or anything that suggests that belief in God is a unifying force, they do it by ignoring the plain fact that even closely related Christian groups are so jealous of each other that they do not trust each other to take care of a universally revered “holy place.” Everyone has a different God, and any unity is only possible by the grossest denial.
Item: Newsday reports that the kosher caterer that won a lawsuit in New York State that now prevents the State from determining what is kosher and what is not, has cost the caterer about 30% of its profits due to customer backlash and misunderstanding. The conservative Jewish proprietors objected to the State enforcing Orthodox Jewish rules on them, and won in court. As a result some customers no longer patronize the store and the owners have received letters quoting biblical scripture for their trouble.
Comment: Imagine if the government, in its infinite wisdom, legally determined that pork was kosher: Would Orthodox Jews be so glad to have governmental interference in religious codes? People only give lip service to our Constitution and freedoms. What they truly want, sadly enough, is a privileged position for themselves. These caterers, rationally enough, propose that a kosher establishment post its standards and then live up to them. The government would then only have to investigate fraud, not a religious definition. Why does anyone object? Answer: The Orthodox expect a privileged position.
Item: (AP) Masked gunmen killed 6 people at a Christian school in Murree, Pakistan. The attack was blamed on Islamic militant groups angered by President Musharraf's backing of the US in the war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
Comment: Explain how killing Pakistani Christians has anything to do with the US fighting the Taliban? Answer: It's all about religion, in the mind of the Islamists.
Item: (AP) The Vatican has excommunicated seven women who claim to be priests and refuse to repent, saying they had “wounded” the church. The women had been ordained by a renegade and unrecognized bishop. Cardinal Ratzinger, in a statement speaking for the Vatican, wrote that the women did not give any indication they had “repentance for the most serious offence they had committed.”
Comment: Think about the idea of promoting bishops who suggested that rapist priests were “independent contractors” and not the responsibility of the Church that covered up their crimes. Think about the rewarding of priests who advised local parishes to send damaging documents to the Vatican embassy where they could not be subpoenaed. Consider the warm regard the Vatican has for Cardinals who knew about child rape and looked the other way. Now think about what they believe excommunication consists of: The eternal damnation of a person's soul forever. Here it is in a nutshell: Reward male clerics who enable rape and damn forever women who want to be priests. Have I mischaracterized something? Would I be out of line to call this crazy? Would it be too aggressive to wonder aloud how anyone could remain a part of such an institution?
Item: (From the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)) In South Carolina a leader of the Council of Conservative Citizens, described as a racist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, is running for governor. Rebekah “Reb” Sutherland, who has called the NAACP “domestic terrorists” for opposing the Confederate Flag's presence on Statehouse grounds, claims she has been “called into this race” by higher powers. She added, “When you attack me, if God chooses to come to my defense, then I am not responsible for what happens to you, your family, or your newspaper. God is moving to set His children free. It is my duty to warn you.”
Comment: Sounds like she's trying to lock up the Taliban vote early in the race!
Item: Also according to the SPLC, the white supremacist League of the South has been taken over by a Christian Reconstructionist group who seek to impose Old Testament law upon civil society.
Comment: These guys probably scare the Taliban! But they're Americans and Christian so they must be OK! [TOC]Guest Editorial THE FALLACY OF CLERICALISM Father Thomas Doyle as reported by Jimmy Breslin in Newsday
Re: Roman Catholic clerical abuse of children:
What we have experienced in our lifetime is a disaster the horror of which is perhaps equaled by the bloodshed of the Inquisition but which certainly makes the indulgence scam of the Reformation pale by comparison. I submit that the sexual abuse has been a symptom of a deeper and much more destructive malady: the fallacy of clericalism.
The widespread abuse of power has been sustained by the myth that what is good for that small minority, the clergy, is good for the church. The delusion that clergy are somehow above us. The deadliest symptom of the sexual abuse is the unbridled addiction to power. The damage done to bodies and souls of the victims comes from this.
We all need to accept the responsibility for our own spiritual growth and not depend on a magical notion of sacraments and priests who administer them.
We must stop enabling through financial support the power structures that have been largely responsible for the horrific consequences of the cover-up of widespread sexual abuse. [TOC]ORIGINS- PART 1 (The Humanist and Scientific Approach to the Nature and Origins of the Universe)
THE BIG BANG - THE BIRTH OF THE COSMOS Oleg Dei
When man first gazed at the heavens, he was struck with awe and amazement. Strewn against the black velvet sky like precious jewels were countless numbers of stars. Where did they come from?
IN THE BEGINNING
Approximately twelve billion years ago, a titanic explosion in deep space occurred, creating with it space and time itself. This spectacular event became known as the Big Bang.
The result of the explosion caused a rapid expansion with temperatures so hot that matter itself could not form. With the radiation temperatures in excess of 1 million electron volts, electrons and positrons were created from this radiation field.
Countless numbers of smaller explosions resulted when electrons and positrons completely annihilated each other. In a dance of mutual self destruction, they released high energy photons called gamma rays. After a few seconds, temperatures dropped sufficiently with expansion, so that photons were no longer energetic enough to create particles and anti-particles. The remaining proton and anti-proton pairs along with electron and positron pairs annihilated themselves. The universe was left with only photons and particles of matter. Had the universe contained precisely the same numbers of matter and anti-matter, the universe would indeed be empty today.
As the universe expanded and gradually cooled, hydrogen, helium and deuterium were able to form, the first elements, the building blocks of the cosmos were born. As the universe expanded, its temperature cooled and eventually the universe became transparent. After a billion years had passed, spectacular large structures began to develop.
Quantum fluctuations occurring moments after the Big Bang concentrated matter into primordial seeds, enabling the development of the galaxies.
These primordial seeds were planted by the action of quantum mechanics. The importance of the very small led to the development of the very large. The first to see this was the father of quantum mechanics, the visionary Danish physicist - Niels Bohr. Bohr realized that a thorough understanding of the submicroscopic realm was necessary before scientists dared to understand the large scale structures of the universe - the galaxies.
THE GALAXIES
The galaxies are giant majestic structures composed of gas dust and hundreds of billions of stars. These island universes are so large that it takes light one hundred thousand years to travel from one of its spiral arms to the other. Each galaxy is a home to hundreds of billions of stars who convert matter into starlight in their gigantic nuclear furnaces. Huddled around those stars like hikers around a campfire are planets, comets and asteroids revolve in precise elliptical orbits; perhaps on some of these worlds, matter fused in the death throes of supernovas and cooked in the bellies of stars have evolved into consciousness.
In 1924 Edwin Hubble greatly increased the size of the known universe when he proved that the spiral nebulae were in reality distant galaxies like our own Milky Way. In 1929 Hubble's observations led to another fantastic discovery. He proved that the distant galaxies were rushing away from our galaxy in all directions. By 1937 Hubble was charting the universe with the 100-inch Mt. Wilson Hooker Telescope and mapping the distribution of galaxies in space. Using this data in 1937 Aleksandr Freidmann in Russia and Georges Lemaitre in Belgium correctly proposed the Big Bang Theory for the origin of the universe.
The evidence for the Big Bang is as follows:
The first is the expansion of galaxies when viewed with telescopes; the galaxies are seen flying apart from one another at speeds proportional to the distances separating them. The second piece of evidence predicted was the background radiation, the afterglow of the explosion.
Currently our deepest view into the universe is the Hubble Deep Field. The result of a 10 day exposure of a very small region of the sky by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope reveals a universe full of galaxies as far as the Hubble can see.
It is probable that the universe may contain at least 50 billion galaxies. Most galaxies belong to small groups containing up to a few dozen galaxies. These groups in turn belong to larger assemblages known as clusters, each containing several thousand galaxies. Clusters of galaxies are part of associations called superclusters, containing dozens of clusters spread out over 100 million light years in space. These superclusters belong to even larger groups called filaments stretching over billions of light years containing trillions and trillions of stars.
The discovery of the background radiation, a result of the Big Bang, was accidentally discovered by two scientists from Bell Laboratories in 1964. Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery.
The force that keeps everything together in space is gravity. It is responsible for the formation of stars, planetary orbits, as well as keeping galaxies together and keeping them in their groups. In essence everything we see in space is due to gravity. Scientists now theorize that some kind of exotic dark matter must exist to keep the colossal walls of galaxies in space and to keep galaxies from spinning apart, this implies that there is more mass present than can be accounted for by the observable universe.
STAR FORMATION
Eleven billion years ago, shortly after first galaxies formed, stars turned on and began to shine. Immediately the universe became a more interesting place. Like beacons of light the stars shone brightly against the darkness of space.
How do stars form? The process begins in giant molecular clouds floating aimlessly in space. The numbers of stars or the size of a single star depends on the size of the cloud. Stellar nurseries yield many stars because the clouds that give birth to these stars span hundreds of light years. The molecular cloud contains atoms, molecules, and dust particles. The two lightest elements - hydrogen and helium dominate these clouds, accounting for roughly 92% and 8% of the atoms respectively.
Astronomers call these clouds molecular because they contain the “stuff of life”. Present in these giant clouds are trace amounts of molecules such as water, alcohol, ammonia and various carbon-based organic compounds all necessary for the evolution of life. One molecular cloud may be large enough to produce tens of thousands of stars. Eventually through the process of gravity enough mass congregates in a region of the cloud that over the course of several millennia, the cloud collapses into rotating balls of gas that eventually become protostars. The dense core begins to spin rapidly and eventually flattens into a disk. Gravity continues to pull on the surrounding material and feeding it to the protostar in the center of the disk. Protostars radiate in infrared light as they convert the energy of gravitational contraction into heat.
The surrounding material continues to spiral into the protostar, increasing its mass. As protostars continue to shrink under the relentless pull of gravity until the stars “turn on” and begin fusing hydrogen into helium. For hydrogen fusion to take place, temperatures must exceed 18 million degrees F. Energy expanding from the core creates gas pressure that counterbalances the inward pull of gravity, the star reaches equilibrium, and becomes a main sequence star, where it will spend most of its life.
These stars and their associated parent clouds define the spiral arms of the galaxies where the most active star formation takes place. Once the hydrogen is used by in the stellar core, gravity forces the star to contract, the star then gets hot enough for helium to fuse into heavier elements. That process stops at iron, because its tightly bound nucleus prevents the creation of heavier elements. Once the star's core becomes iron, the core becomes too cool to hold up the surrounding hotter layers, where the fusion of lighter elements is still taking place.
The star under the influence of gravity begins to collapse, and the tremendous temperature difference causes the star to become a supernova and explode violently, thus seeding the universe with heavy elements - “the stuff of life”.
CHILDREN OF THE STARS
Our ancestors worshiped the sun, and they were not far from wrong. Our lives are intimately linked to the stars. The stars build the atoms that are the “stuff of life”. Every atom in our bodies and in every living thing that ever stirred on this planet has been created by the stars. The carbon in our cells, the oxygen that we must breathe, the calcium in our bones, and the iron in our blood, were fused bill ions of years ago, in these bastions of energy, that burn in the night.
Thermonuclear reactions deep inside the sun provide the sustenance for all life on this planet. Plants need sunlight for photosynthesis to take place in order to grow. Vegetation provides the sustenance for animals that in turn provide the sustenance for us humans, thus completing the cycle of life on the planet earth.
Every atom in our bodies, everyone we ever knew, ever loved, everyone we ever associated with, owes their existence to these giant nuclear furnaces that shine as beacons against the darkness of space.
We are in essence, the children of the stars.
To understand our origins, our birthright we must understand the stars.
[TOC]
MAKING THE ROUNDS WITH NORM Norm Roscoe
July 21, 2002, Bellport UU: UU President voices ninth district support: UUA president William Sinkford issued a statement fully supporting the ninth district court ruling regarding the Pledge of Allegiance. He pointed out the original wording and emphasized the Court was not rejecting the Pledge, but just the "under God" phrase. He said, "Leaving out 'under God' does not make one unpatriotic."
The service that day at the fellowship was about the Pledge issue. President of the Bellport UU, Chris Capobianco, also quoted the LISH statement for the assembled group. This group expressed heavy support for the old pledge (pre l954). Only one individual expressed support for the “under god” statement. It was pointed out that people who disagree should still feel able to express dissenting views freely.
As I observe other groups and this issue, it is apparent that there is heavy support for the ninth court decision and much criticism towards the congressional reaction immediately following. Both UU's and Quakers seem hard pressed to understand how these legislative people could possibly be representing them.
However, at a gathering of Unitarian Universalists in Blacksburg, VA, a small number of UUs protested UUA president Sinkford, for speaking for UU's in general; apparently there are some who feel that the "under God" statement should stand. Although there is widespread support, it is not unanimous among UUs. [TOC]INTOLERANCE TOWARDS GAYS ON LONG ISLAND Gerry Dantone,
(The following excerpted letter was sent to Pastor Michael O'Connor of the Northport Baptist Church.)
Dear Mr. O'Connor: I read today about the postponement of an anti-bias seminar that was scheduled for the Harborfields 5th grade class after a demonstration by members of your Northport Baptist Church at a PTA meeting. A quote in Newsday attributed to you was, "I think the concern of the parents was - and I agree - that inviting in Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth, which has a definite agenda of promoting those lifestyle choices that these parents don't agree with, that this was the wrong group to bring in."
Is this an accurate quote? What do you believe LIGALY is promoting? What group does the Church suggest be brought in instead of LIGALY, if any, for an anti-gay bias segment of the seminar, or should there not be such a segment? What do you think is the ethical or moral basis behind the Church's objections to LIGALY's participation or an anti-gay bias seminar in general?
If you'd prefer to answer in the form of a short op-ed piece (up to one page), that would be fine.
I would expect that the article about this situation would appear in our May edition of the newsletter. I hope you will find time to express your point of view.
If you have any questions, you may email me anytime. Sincerely, Gerry Dantone, LISH.
(The offer to print Pastor O'Connor's response in the LISH INQUIRER remains unanswered and unacknowledged from late May 2002 to press time. We're shocked!)
[TOC]
TRANSCRIPTS! We now have a number of transcripts available of LISH forums. Call for details on the list. Email LISecHum@aol.com to request a copy.
SOS Meeting on Long Island!
SOS is a program for those who abuse alcohol or other substances. Unlike Alcoholics Anonymous, it does not require that those attending meetings accept the religious claims of the program.
The meeting is in the North Fork of Long Island, N.Y. The contact person is Matthew R., 631-477-0746. The meetings are each Tuesday from 6 to 7 P.M., at the Unitarian Universalist Church, Main Road, Route 25, Southold, Suffolk County, NY.
The home page of SOS is http://www.secularsobriety.org. This web site has much information for downloading on running SOS groups.
WBAI 99.5 FM Radio
EQUAL TIME FOR FREETHOUGHT
Listen to the show for and by humanist, freethinkers, atheists, agnostics, etc. on Sundays @ 6:30 PM, WBAI FM, 99.5 on the dial.
Please write station manager Bernard White and request an expansion of the time to 1 hour's time. The following is the address:
WBAI
Attention: Mr. Bernard White
120 Wall Street, 10th floor
New York City, NY 10005
Be Sure to Watch
"Humanist Perspective" hosted by Joe Beck, on Cablevision Public Access on Channel 71 on the Woodbury system on Thursdays, 11:30PM ; and on Channel 70 on the Hauppauge system Wednesdays @ 6:30 PM.
LISH ON CABLE!
“Long Island Secular Humanists; What is Secular Humanism?” a LISH one-hour self-produced show will be shown on the Woodbury Cablevision system, Channel 71, @ 11:30PM Sundays; on the Hauppauge Cablevision system, it will be aired Saturdays @ 11:30AM.Book Discussion Club!
If you are interested email LISH. All meetings are at 8 PM unless otherwise noted.
Friday, September 13, 2002, “Demon Haunted World,” by Carl Sagan, Huntington.
Friday, October 11, 2002, “They Call It Hypnosis,” by Robert Baker, Oakdale.
Friday, November 8, 2002, Amitytville, Book: To be determined.
Friday, December 13, 2002, Book: To be determined.
For LI Humanist Coalition members:
EVOLUTION!
LISH will be providing the opportunity to view the PBS Evolution series in member homes and, where needed, in a larger setting.
The series has been copied (with about seven minutes missing from the first episode) and what is suggested is that when people want to view a part of the series, contact Norm Roscoe to either see it either at Norm's home or in the home of a Coalition member. Norm shall soon announce the first viewing at his house but since there are so many episodes (seven) the series would be continued at member's convenience.
To attend viewings or schedule episodes contact Norm Roscoe at normrhum@aol.com. This series is open to all Humanist coalition members. Hope to hear from you soon.SECULAR HUMANISM is the philosophy of life guided by reason and science, freed from religious and secular dogmas, motivated by an appreciation of life and the lives of others, seeking to reach goals of human happiness, freedom and understanding on this earth, in this life.
NEW YORK AREA SKEPTICS (NYASk)
The New York Area Skeptics is a terrific organization that should appeal to many secular humanists. The group deals with claims of the paranormal, medical quackery and any other topic that calls for a critical examination. Occasional meeting are at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library, 999 Old Country Rd., Plainview, Nassau County. For info visit the website @ www.nyask.com.
Become a Member of LISH
Membership in LISH has its benefits! Membership entitles one to: use of the LISH Freethought library; voting rights; mailed newsletters; invitations to non-public functions, dinners, and perhaps movies and plays as well!
Let us grow into the humanist voice of Long Island! EMail LISH for info.
All articles in this newsletter may be reprinted by organizations aligned with the Council for Secular Humanism, American Atheists or the American Humanist Association, with a reciprocating reprinting agreement with LISH, so long as the article is used in full and with complete crediting. Edited versions can be used with written permission.
Editor: Gerald Dantone
Design: John Wilmarth
A Thumbs Up Publication
Copyright LISH 2002 [TOC]