Humanist Society of Santa Barbara
Newsletter for December 2003
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Secular Humanism is a philosphy of life guided by reason and science, free from religious dogma, motivated by an appreciation of life and the life of others, seeking to reach goals of human happiness, personal freedom and growth with responsibility and understanding on this earth, in this life, at this time.
We meet at 3pm on the 3rd Saturday of each month at The Patio Room of Vista del Monte, 3775 Modoc Road, Santa Barbara.
If you would like a copy of this bulletin mailed to a friend or someone you believe would be interested in our Society please drop a line to us with their name and address to P.O. Box 30232, Santa Barbara, CA 93130.
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BULLETIN OF THE HUMANIST
SOCIETY OF SANTA BARBARA
OFFICERS 2003 - 2004
CHAIRMAN - Bob Perry
968-1951 bob.perry3@verizon.net
SECRETARY - James Kimberly
969-9686 dr.doboy@cox.net
EDITOR - Dick Cousineau
687-2371 dkcgeo@earthlink.com
TREASURER - Ron Kronenberg
967-0883 seelberg@home.com
PROGRAMS - Bea Duncan
964-3109 bfarwellduncan@cox.net
SOCIAL DIRECTOR - Anne Rojas
564-6086 annehrojas@cox.net
MEMBERSHIP - Mary Wilk
967-3045 mwilk@cox.net
ARCHIVIST - Hope Smith
967-5143 hsmith1923@aol.com
WEB MASTER - Colin Gordon
682-0545 colin3@juno.com
MEMBER AT LARGE - Art Brody
692-8898 brodybiz@silcom.com
MEMBER AT LARGE - Don Young
898-7000 donandjuan@worldnet.att.net
PUBLICITY - Marian Shapiro
968-0478 marianshapiro@cox.net
Please don't forget to bring canned foods and
non-perishable goods to our regular Society
meetings. These donations are given to the Crisis
Shelter (Domestic Solutions) and they are well
appreciated by the clients and staff.
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SOCIETY EVENTS
IN RETROSPECT
Nov. 15 While so many people were gone at this meeting
date, we still had an unexpectedly good turnout of about
30 folks. Even better, we had a wonderful, humorous, and
overall fine time "Telling Our Stories" and "Singing
Our Own Songs": hosted by Dick Cousineau and Bea
Duncan. Special thanks go to Al Lipsom for the rousing
piano music. For those who did attend please give Bea
or Dick your comments about this kind of meeting.
IN PROSPECT
Dec. 21, Sunday: Our Annual Winter Solstice Party.
Jan 17. Regular meeting event with Professor Joe White,
Chairman of the SB City College Philosophy Department,
speaking on "Happiness".
MEMBERSHIP NOTES
New individual HSSB name badges are available and
can be picked up at the next meeting attended. Please keep
yours to wear to meetings to provide easy recognition
and prompt check in.
HSSB BOOKCLUB
Our new book club has been initiated and 12 people
have signed up for the initial meeting, which will be
held on Wednesday Jan.14. 1:30 PM at Dick
Cousineau and Judy Freeman's home, 505 Alegria
Road, SB -687-2371. For the first meeting, Voltaire's
"Candide" has been selected to be discussed. Future
selections win be elicited at the meeting.
HSSB Book Drive
As you may remember, Roger Schleuter started a book
collection for Neil Mellen, a Humanist Peace Corps
volunteer serving in Micronesia. Only a few people had
children's books to contribute but those that did were really
generous. Thanks to Mary Wilk and Dick Cousineau for
large contributions. And a special thanks to Ellen Johnson
who donated about a dozen brand new, signed copies of
her books. In all, the HSSB shipped 42 pounds of books to
Neil for his kids, which should arrive in late January.
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CHAIRMAN'S COLUMN
by
BOB PERRY
December 2003
From all reports the November meeting, arranged by Program Chair Bea
Duncan with the able assistance of Dick Cousineau, was a real humanist 'family'
affair enjoyed by all who attended. Sorry I missed it while down south for CFI-
West's 'final' Grand Opening of its new facilities in Hollywood.
Before the second program James Kimberly had arranged for me to talk
with Paul Kurtz about several ideas for humanist broadcast promotion that I intend
producing in the near future. He was kind enough to give me a copy of his
Humanist Manifesto 2000, which I had not read and was, as it turned out, the
subject of his talk that afternoon. In introducing his concept for a Planetary
Humanism, Kurtz said that the time had come to go beyond the negativism of
atheism, agnosticism and skepticism and focus on the positive aspects of humanism,
that we are NOT non-believers, but do BELIEVE passionately in many things.
Included are the role of science and reason in the search for truth, individual
freedom, democracy and the separation of church and state. He thinks that now we
must seek to establish these values not just on a local or national scale but for the
whole planet given the information technology we now have.
The evening program featured the unveiling of an excellent bronze bust of
Steve Allen that will be on permanent display in the Steve Allen Theatre, and talks
by Jayne Meadows and her son Bill Allen about life with Steve. Two fine comedy
turns by Dana Gould, of The Simpsons, and Gabe Kaplan completed the program.
My son and I were pleased that we could be on hand for the occasion.
Back at the ranch, so to speak, the HSSB board has been busy during the
past several weeks considering a proposal for the possible establishment of a "First
Amendment Defense Fund" that Roger had developed following conversations with
Michael Newdow. Seeing some possible conflicts with our non-profit status Roger,
Dick Cousineau and I consulted with an attorney specializing in such matters and
found that such a project was feasible if properly structured. The November board
meeting was devoted to a half hour presentation by Roger of his idea. After a
written version was distributed to board members a special board meeting was held
on November 24th at which time the concept was approved with Roger named as
the project coordinator. After the specific organization and procedural details are
worked out, members will be contacted for their possible participation in the
program. Given the variety of 'church and state' challenges currently on the
Supreme Court calendar this could be an important effort.
With the New Year just ahead it is a good time to consider ways in which the
society might better adapt its activities to the needs and wishes of the members.
Whether meeting scheduling, suggestions for programs or any other change that
might be beneficial to you individually, or to the group, please let us know, as each
member's interest and participation in the society is one of our highest priorities.
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Solstice Song for Humanists
(sung to Auld Lang Syne)
by Dudley Duncan
At Solstice time we celebrate
The turning of the earth
With fellowship of kindred minds,
With music, food, and mirth.
The season calls for merriment
So, as our elbows bend,
We cheer for nature and our kind
In company of friends.
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Duke Scientists Test God's Healing Power
Duke University Medical Center cardiologists put God to the test to find
out if prayer helps to heal the sick. The controversial results: there is no
scientific evidence that prayer heals, reports The Telegraph of London. The
three-year study, which involved 750 heart patients in nine hospitals, as
well as 12 prayer groups of different faiths located around the world, was
conducted after earlier, but less extensive, research from the University of
Wales in the late '90s suggested prayer has aroeasurable beneficial effect
on healing.
The study: 750 heart patients who were awaiting an angioplasty
procedure were recruited for the experiment. A computer selected some of
the names at random and sent them to the 12 prayer groups, who began
praying for their immediate recovery. The patients, their relatives, and the
hospital staff did not know for whom prayers were being offered. The prayer
groups included American Christian mothers, nuns in a Carmelite convent
in Baltimore, Sufi Muslims, Buddhist monks in Nepal, and English doctors
and medical students in Manchester. Prayers were also sent via e-mail to
Jerusalem and placed in the Wailing Wall, notes The Telegraph.
The results: There were no significant differences in the recovery and
health of the patients who were prayed for and those who were not. The
study upset church leaders worldwide, who insist God is not to be tested.
"Prayer is not a penny-in-the-slot machine. You can't just put in acoin
and get out a chocolate. This is like setting an exam for God to see if God
will pass it or not," the Rt. Rev. Tom Wright, a bishop with the Church of
England, told The Telegraph. He points to both the Old and New
Testaments that pointedly say God is not to be put to the test.
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Some Thoughtful Quotations
(submitted by John Dearing)
"In science, 'fact' can only mean 'confirmed to
such a degree that it would be perverse to
withhold provisional assent.' I suppose that
apples might start to rise tomorrow, but the
possibility does not merit equal time in physics
classrooms."
Stephen Jay Gould
"There's something fascinating about science.
One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture
out of such a trifling investment of fact."
Mark Twain
"This above all - to thine own self be true, And
It must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst
not then be false to any man."
William Shakespeare, "Hamlet"
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THE SOCIAL SCENE
For
December, 2003
By
ANNE ROJAS
This Month as you know will be
The Winter Solstice Party, to be held on
Sunday, (Not Saturday) Dec 21st
Your host at Sizzler's, Mike Howells, is enthusiastically planning a very fine event for your
enjoyment. All HSSB members should have by now received an individual mailing concerning
this event. Don't be left out! We will have small tables for 6 persons, table clothes, and cloth
napkins and a served dinner. Mike always does a wonderful presentation for us and you would
never believe you were at Sizzlers. There will also be folk songs by Marian Shapiro, raffles, and door prizes.
The main Entertainment for the evening will be provided by our own Marian Shapiro singing
"Songs of Social Sexual Significance". She has delighted audiences with her lyric voice, guitar,
and great sense of humor since the 1960s, in the heyday of folk music. During her years
working for Planned Parenthood in the "Bible Belt" she has collected cute, slightly risque
songs to help break the ice with laughter and to subtly educate audiences about sexuality at a
time when sex education wasn't even permitted in schools. Most of her songs are funny and
guaranteed to full a room with smiles and laughter. You won't want to miss the fun evening of
great food, wonderful people and beautiful music.
Your $25 covers the total evening's event. Hope to see you there. The date is Dec. 21
st. Sunday
at 6PM. Last chance to make a reservation is rapidly approaching. Send your reservation form
into Anne or, in last resort, call her with your request 654-6086.
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WEB SITE OF THE MONTH
by
The Web Master Himself
COLIN GORDON
Anything that starts with "trans" - transcendental, transatlantic and so on - has got to be good, so this month's site, operated by the World Transhumanist Association and discovered by Dudley Duncan, is
"Transhumanism" it says "can be viewed as an extension of humanism, from which it is partially derived. Humanists believe that humans matter, that individuals matter. We might not be perfect, but we can make things better by promoting rational thinking, freedom, tolerance, democracy, and concern for our fellow human beings." Can't argue with that, so let's go on.
On population growth: "The more people there are, the more brains there will be working to invent new ideas and solutions." Well OK, but....
How about this: "Uploading (sometimes called 'downloading', 'mind uploading' or 'brain reconstruction') is the process of transferring an intellect from a biological brain to a computer." Maybe it is the reverse that some of us need.
And under Upcoming Events we find "Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence: Reasons Why Genuine Control of Aging may be Foreseeable" a meeting held at Queen's College Cambridge.
As this is the holiday season here is a bonus site
introducing "the 2004 Freethought Fragments Page-A-Day Calendar, a desktop companion that gathers quotes from past and present thinkers and gives the reader a daily dose of strength, laughter, and secular inspiration. It's the perfect gift for friends, for groups, or for yourself."
Byline: Loretta Redd
While looking in my Synonym Finder the other day, I happened upon the word
"faith." Interestingly, the first words were terms typically describing the human mind:
belief, conviction, trust, dependence, confidence. The second semantic group began with
the word 'religion,' and listed such terms as: denomination, dogma, doctrine, creed, and
position. Moving from the concept of trust to that of dogma is a 'leap of faith,' for sure!
I read recently that "the world of politics is 20 years behind the world of thought."
I'm afraid the world of religion is about 2000 years behind that. But the current
intersecting of politics and religion is becoming a dangerous form of worship in our
nation. Humanists tend to define 'faith' along the first group of terms. Our confidence
and conviction is based on rational belief, requiring neither the structure of doctrine, nor
the restrictions of obedience. But it does require the courage to think for oneself, to
accept responsibility for creating our world, which sometimes...takes a lot of faith.
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