Humanist Society of Santa Barbara
Newsletter for January 2003

• Getting to Know You - Dick Cousineau & Diane Freeman
• Miscellaneous Items
• Chairman's Column

• Bio for Michael Newdow
• Here and There - This and That
• Web-site of the Month

St. Mom's Wort - Plant extract that treats mom's depression by rendering preschoolers unconscious for up to six hours.

Empty Nestrogen - Highly effective suppository that eliminates melancholy by enhancing the memory of how awful they were as teenagers and how you couldn't wait till they moved out.

Antiboyotics - When administered to teenage girls, is highly effective in improving grades, freeing up the phone lines, and reducing money spent on makeup.

Extra Strength Buy One All - When combined with Buyagra, can cause an indiscriminate buying frenzy so severe the victim may even come home with a Donnie Osmond CD or a book by Dr. Laura.

Buyagra - Injectable stimulant taken prior to shopping. Increases potency and duration of spending spree.

Menicillin - Potent antiboyotic for older women. Increases resistance to such lines as: "You make me want to be a better person. ..can we get naked now?"

These individual quotes were reportedly taken from actual employee performance evaluations in a large U.S. corporation.

1. "Since my last report, this employee has reached rock bottom. ..and started to dig."



2. "His men would follow him anywhere, ...but only out of morbid curiosity ."



3. "I would not allow this employee to breed."



4. "This employee is really not so much of a 'has-been', but more of a definite 'won't be'."



5. "When she opens her mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet."

The Rev. Sun Myung Moon is God according to a report and advertisement in the Washington Times. The claim is the result of a conference which took place in the spirit world and included Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Martin Luther, Karl Marx, and others all in support of the "True Parents of Humanity, Rev. Moon and his wife." Even Stalin 'wrote' the following: "Friends in Communist countries, I am Stalin. You have had wrong thinking...Those at whom we laughed live well in the spirit world. It is certam that they didn't go to hell. When we laughed at them, they and God loved us. We live in the bottom of hell here..." (Taken Monday, Nov. 4, 2002 from AOL website www.usasurvival.org/ck7502.shtml)

I have been surprised at the number of times that the issue of religion "bashing" has come to my attention lately. One of our members left the HSSB because there was too much of it, while another joined because they decided that that was not what we primarily do. Clearly, then, this is an important issue that needs to be addressed.

My view is simple and clear: As an organization, we do not engage in religion bashing, period. As individuals, our Humanists principles indicate that disparaging another's views is wrong. Debate is OK, as is challenging, questioning, supporting, accepting, debating and even out-and-out rejection. Bashing is not.

I believe that all of us subscribe - at least in broad terms - to this view. So where's the problem? Clearly it is in the definition and (more importantly) the perception of "bashing." The American Heritage Dictionary defines "bashing" as "To engage in harsh, accusatory, threatening criticism." I suspect that "threatening" is the key word here. For many religionists, to question or challenge their religion is, in fact, "threatening." But that is not sufficient grounds to stop Humanist inquiry.

Here are my definitions of the two categories of Humanist commentary on religion:

1.Unacceptable: Any dialog that is spiteful, demeaning or has any other aim than enlightenment. Ad hominem attacks ("Mackerel Snapper," "Rag Head," "You're an idiot," etc.) especially fall in this category.

2.Acceptable: Any dialog that ends in an exchange of philosophy or enhances greater understanding or appreciation of other value systems. This is, obviously, very broad. As an example, I supported our hosting of Armen Saginian in September, 2002, although I found his views to be contrary to Humanism. I had to think hard about why I disagreed with him and that thought process was enormously valuable in and of itself. I hope you were prodded to think about his ideas as well.

This category contains an important, implicit element that warrants emphasis. We Humanists should not be hesitant to, or be apologetic about, aggressively rebutting claims that religious dogma is supported by science or the scientific method. For example, the uncritical local News-Press coverage of the TMers (who claim to be able to levitate) should not be simply accepted as an interesting new story, but the TM philosophy should be aggressively attacked as an example of fallacious thinking.

Such scientifically sound, well motivated and honestly expressed criticism of religion by Humanists is NOT "religious bashing." It is the exercise of critical thinking, a process that should be near and dear to every Humanist heart. We have no apologies to make.

Isaac Asimov -

"Asimov's Guide to the Bibe" Hardcover edition of over 1200 pages of provocative and entertaining reading that will help you respond to fundmentalists and biblical apologists of all sorts.

Edd Doerr and James w: Prescott -

"Abortion Rights and Fetal 'Personhood'" This 375-page paperback features a collection of essays exploring those unique features of American character and cultural history which make us the paradoxical plurists, conformists, and dissenters, the leaders and followers that we are.

John M. Swomley -

"Confronting Church and State - Memoirs of an Activist" In this 133-page paperback, Swomley recounts the founding of the non-violent movement that led to the overthrow of Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos; the death threats he received from the far-right Minutemen; his service as a confidant of FBI Assistant Director William Sullivan during the J. Edgar Hoover years; and his battles against racism and for reproductive rights, among other things.

Edwin H. Wilson -

"The Genesis of a Humanist Manifesto" The story of the publication of "A Humanist Manifesto" in 1933, its impact on society, and the subsequent appeals for revision make up this 212-page paperback chronicle of the development of American humanism - told by one of the people most responsible for its unfolding.

Alberl L Menendez and Edd Doerr, editors -

"Great Quotations on Religious Freedom" Over 450 classic remarks by 306 individuals and organizations, including 26 presidents, as well as 102 quotes from 54 court rulings, make this 136-page paperback book the most comprehensive collection of quotes on religious freedom ever assembled.

Gerald A. LaRue

"Freethough Across the Centuries - Toward a New Age of Enlightenment" LaRue chronicles the significant role played by free thought and humanism in all major societies and celebrates the individuals who fought for the rights and liberties we all enjoy.

1. No, I don't want another beer. I have to work tomorrow, ya know ...



2. We haven't been to the mall for ages; let's go shopping. I can hold your purse.



3. Screw Monday Night Football, honey -let's watch Ally McBeal.



4. I'm sick of beer, give me a fruit juice with a lemon twist.



5. Your mother's come to stay with us again? Great!



6. No way, honey! You weeded the garden last week. It's my turn.



7. I understand.



8. Don't pick that up, honey - I'll get it.