Humanist Society of Santa Barbara
Newsletter for May 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 2002 - 2003
Chairman - Roger Schlueter
962-6316 rogers@west.net
Secretary - Colin Gordon
682-0545 colin3@juno.com
Editor - Dick Cousineau
687-2371 rcous1geol@aol.com
Treasurer - Russ Boggie
564-6086 russboggie@cox.net
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
Major Events - James Kimberly
969-9686 dr.doboy@cox.net
Interviews - Bob Perry
968-1951 bob.perry3@verizon.net
Member at Large - Art Brody
692-8898 brodybiz@silcom.com
Publicity - Diane Freeman
964-8603 diane@silcom.com
Please continue 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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April 19th - Mel Lipman, newly elected President of
the American Humanist Association, delivered a superbly presented
but sobering message on "Is The US a Theocracy,
And What Can We Do About It?" He urged a grass-roots action and a caution regarding the
Fundament Religionist's agenda of dismantling of
the public school system.
May 17th - The Quest for Constitutional Justice:
American Atheists as Activists. David Kong,
California State Director of American Atheists, is
deeply involved in legal actions regarding the
separation of Church and State. He will briefly
report on the Mount Davidson Cross case, and at
greater length on the AA's suit regarding Medicare
payments to Christian Science Sanatoria. Mr Kong
will also present an award to our Chairman Roger
Schlueter.
June 22 (Sunday), Please note Sunday not
Saturday - Solstice Picnic-Partv at Goleta Beach.
MEMBERSHIP NOTES
We are pleased to acknowledge and welcome the
following new member to our Society:
Sharon Berle
In addition to canned goods please bring newspaper food coupons to our monthly meetings. Pat Coppejans shops with these coupons and gives the
food purchased to the Domestic Solutions Home.
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SOCIAL SCENE
By Anne Rojas
Summer Solstice Party in Planning Stages!! Please mark your calendars for the 3rd SUNDAY of June, instead of
the regular meeting day on the 3rd Saturday. The date for our Goleta Beach Potluck is the 22nd of June at 1 :00
PM. (Sunday selected to not interfere with City of SB Solstice Parade) Your Social Committee is hard at work to
make this a fantastic event! We will have whole fried turkeys prepared on the spot as the main entree. (Not
greasy, delicious!!) We will feature games - the famous Duck Off and our new offering called "The Road to Peace."
Light gambling on the schedule. Please call or e-mail Marian Shapiro with your pot luck offering (Tel. 968-0478,
e-mail marianshapiro@cox.net). Categories are: Snacks, salads, vegetables, desserts or ? Dishes must serve
6 generously. Please bring good quality food!! If you can1t cook, go to the Gelson's Deli. Drinks and tableware
will be provided. This exciting event for which we have the best ocean view area at Goleta Beach is only $10 per
person + your food offering. Limited to 50 persons! Don't miss out. Contact Marian and send your check to:
HSSB Social Committee, Attn: Anne. PO Box 41823, SB 93410 (checks payable to H.S.S.B.).
Dining out this month will be at Ming Dynasty beside the K-Mart shopping center. We will have 2 round tables in
a semi-private area. Order a la carte or choose their delicious buffet. High quality food. Great shrimps and wonderful tea smoked duck will be on the buffet. Reasonable prices. For those of you who attended the last Dining Out at the Sandman Grilk, your opinions please! Need your input on: acoustics, food, price, comfort., etc.,
Our last Sunday Brunch drew 10 persons. Join us at Hola Amigos for the next breakfast on May 25th at 1OAM
Your input always welcome - anyone want to help with the Solstice Summer Party???
This email is being sent to invite you and your members to come check out BookTalk. Your members
would probably appreciate learning about our free community of like-minded individuals. As the founder of
BookTalk, and a skeptic and humanist, I am very aware of how difficult it can be to find fellow freethinkers
with which to have intelligent conversations. BookTalk was created for this purpose and we are growing
every day. We are also the official book discussion community of the American Humanist Association.
We regularly have guests in our chat room such as Howard Bloom, author or "The Lucifer Principle" and
"Global Brain." James Randi has agreed to be our guest soon so stay tuned to BookTalk for the exact date.
Pulitizer Prize winning author and scientist" Jared Diamond" has also agreed to be our guest.
If you plan to attend the Atheist Alliance convention in Tampa, FL on April 18 - 20 maybe we could meet.
I'd be happy to tell you more about BookTalk then.
What am I asking for? (all or any combination of the following)
1. I would appreciate if you placed a link on your web site to BookTalk. I will add a link to your web site on
our links page in return. Please respond to this email when you have added the link and give me the URL
so I can see the link live. Also, please provide the exact URL of your home page so I can make a link to
you.
2. Publish an article in your next monthly newsletter about BookTalk. You may have seen the article about
us in "Free Mind" or other publications. You could use this same article or email me and I will send you the
text.
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[Introductory note: As those of you who were able to attend our April meeting know, we unanimously agreed to demand Secretary Rod Paige's resignation from his position as Secretary of Education in the form of a letter from the Society. The following is the text of the letter that was sent]
Dear Secretary Paige:
This letter is in response to the transcript of your interview with the Baptist Press on April 7, 2003 as published on the BP web site.
The Humanist Society believes that you have demonstrated an egregious failure of understanding of the essential principal of "the wall of separation between church and state" in your words and ideas.
For example, when asked, "Do you think that we should be embracing ... religious values in our schools?" you responded, "Absolutely." As dictated by our Constitution, all levels of government are proscribed from "establishing" any religion as a part of governmental activity. Consequently "embracing" religion in our public schools directly and explicitly violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. That you fail to understand this violation is sufficient to disqualify you from the position you now hold.
Further, your statement that inculturation of religious values in our young citizens would lead to a "gentle and compassionate society" contradicts the evidence of human history. Religion has been an ever-present source of conflict, hatred and warfare in all societies throughout recorded history. This is evidenced most recently in the 9/11 attacks which were motivated and abetted by religious fervor.
These and other statements in the interview transcript clearly indicate that you are unqualified to lead the Department of Education in its efforts to optimize the quality of public education in the United States.
In that light, the Humanist Society of Santa Barbara calls upon you to resign from your position so that a Secretary can be appointed who respects and invigorates those constitutional principles upon which this great nation was established.
For the Society,
Roger S. Schlueter
Chairman
cc: Senator Boxer
Representative Capps
Senator Feinstein
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GETTING TO KNOW: MATT and LINDA HUGHES
These two energetic Humanists are prime examples that commuting to work is not always a drag
and a waste of time. Before meeting, they each traveled weekdays from Lompoc on Highway 1 to their
separate jobs. Matt to Raytheon in Goleta where he has been a Systems Engineer for the past eighteen
years, and Linda to work as the District Safety Coordinator for Longs Drug Stores from Paso Robles to
Fillmore. Having noticed each other on the road a number of times, one day Matt waved and Linda
smiled back. Knowing her car and its license plate he subsequently located it and left a note under the
windshield wiper; which is how they became the combined parents often offspring, ranging in age now
from 28 to 9, and grandparents to 5.
Matt was born in Lockport, New York, but his family moved to Ta:ft, California when he was
one year old. There his father was a high school English teacher and his mother a children's librarian.
The parents are now retired in Atascadero, where his father continues teaching in the local school
district substituting whenever he is needed. Matt attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and in 1984
graduated with a BS degree in Electrical Engineering.
Entering this world in Minominee Falls, Wisconsin, Linda came west at age two and was raised
in Goleta. Her father, a Computer Programmer and analyst, was part of the Delco migration to the area.
Later the family moved to the north county where her mother still works in the Santa Barbara Sheriff's
Records Department in Buellton. Starting as a store employee thirteen years ago Linda now works with
employees in twenty eight Longs stores educating them about safe work practices with the goal of
reducing workplace accidents. She also continues her education by taking work related courses at Allen
Hancock College.
Their interest in Humanism began when Matt's father began sharing Humanist materials with
him, including some oflngersoll's writings. A video presentation of "Inherit The Wind" also n1ade a
lasting impression. Linda says that she has always been and independent thinker, but she was forn1a1ly
introduced to Freethought and Hunlanism by Matt. In 2000 he founded the Lompoc Freethought
Association, primarily to provide an alternative to the several Christian participants in Lompoc's
summertime Friday Night "Olde Towne Faire". As 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Atheist' he hands out
"Thoughts for the Week" and has a Freethought Lending Library. For a free-will contribution of$2 or
more Matt offers irreverent bumper stickers, and enjoys giving good-natured grief, as he describes it, to
the Lompoc School District, La Purisima Mission, the Lompoc Mayor and City Council, the Boy Scouts
and the Lompoc Valley Ministerial Association or others who violate their own policies or the State or
National Constitution.
Matt and Linda say they fmd their greatest satisfaction working together, renovating their new
home and being with the extended Hughes family. They enjoy traveling and when they fmd time for a
day trip often just decide on a direction, North-South-East (can't go very far West), and head out; in all
a good life in the best Humanist tradition.
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SPECIAL 2003 BOARD ELECTION INFORMATION
Ballots will shortly be mailed to all members. Please read the voting instructions
carefully as this is the Society's first election of this type. ESPECIALLY: Don't forget
to add your name and/or return address on the large envelope marked 'BALLOT'.
The Ad Hoc Nominating and Election Committee hopes that all members will take the
time to participate and it will welcome all of your comments regarding this procedure.
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MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
TV preacher Pat Robertson has called on President George W.
Bush to ensure that the postwar government of Iraq is secular and
maintains the constitutional separation of church and state.
Speaking on his "700 Club" program March 17, Robertson said,
"The thing that the president of the United States has got to keep in
mind is, under the Ba'ath party, Iraq was a so-called secular state.
That's why many of the Islamic nations don't like [Saddam Hussein].
If the United States tries nation building, it's got to [have] at the very
top of its agenda a separation of church and state. There has to be a
secular state in there and not an Islamic state. If they let an open
vote, and let the Shi'ites, for example, take a vote, they will probably
have the majority , and [under] one-man one-vote will say, we'll go in
for shariah, and the next thing you know, you've got a mini-Iran in
there."
Continued Robertson, "So it's going to be absolutely imperative
to set up a constitution and safeguards that say we will maintain a
secular state much like what Indonesia has, but to respect the faith
of all the people in there, including the Sunni and the Shi'ites and the
Christians and the Assyrian Christians, whatever, and the Kurds.
Very important."
Robertson's endorsement of church-state separation is startling,
according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Observers at the church-state watchdog group say the Christian
Coalition founder has been a harsh and persistent critic of the
constitutional concept. For decades, Robertson has insisted that
church-state separation is found in the constitution of the old Soviet
Union, but not in the U.S. Constitution. He says the United States
was founded as a Christian nation.
In a speech at the Christian Coalition "Road to Victory"
Conference Oct. 12, Robertson said, "We have had a distortion
imposed on us over the past few years by left-wingers who have
fastened themselves into the court system. And we have had a lie
foisted on us that there is something in the Constitution called
separation of church and state."
Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn hailed
Robertson's turnabout on the subject. "Pat's conversion shows there
is hope for even the most wayward soul," said Lynn, tongue planted
firmly in cheek. "I sent him a letter of congratulations and an
Americans United membership application in today's mail. We are
always looking for new supporters, especially those with the kind of
financial clout that Robertson has.
"I'm not sure that Pat intends to apply his newfound enthusiasm
for church-state separation to the United States as well as Iraq,"
continued Lynn. "But I'm sure that once he gives it some thought, he
will realize that religious liberty is as good for Americans as it is for
Iraqis."
Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in
Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates
Americans about the importance of church-state separation in
safeguarding religious freedom.
To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that
we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only
unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American
public." --U.S. President (and Nobel Peace Prize winner) Theodore
Roosevelt.
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Subject: Advantages Of Being Over 50
* In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
* It's harder and harder for sexual harassment charges to stick-
* Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
* No one expects you to run into a burning building.
* People call at 9 p.m. and ask, "Did I wake you?"
* People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
* There's nothing left to learn the hard way, well not very much
anyway-
* Things you buy now won't wear out.
* You can buy a compass for the dash of your car.
* You can eat dinner at 4:00 p.m.
* You can live without sex but not without glasses.
* You can't remember the last time you laid on the floor to watch
television.
* You consider coffee one of the most important things in life.
* You constantly talk about the price of gasoline.
* You enjoy hearing about other people's operations.
* You get into a heated argument about pension plans.
* You got cable for the weather channel.
* You have a party and the neighbors don't even realize it.
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Riddle. ..
-Schwartzenegger has a big one
Michael J. Fox has a small one
Madonna doesn't have one
The Pope has one but doesn't use his
Clinton uses his all the time
Mickey Mouse has an unusual one
Liberace never used his on women
Jerry Seinfeld is very, very proud of his.
Cher claims that she took on 3.
We never saw Lucy use Oesi's
What is it?
Answer below!
A young man walked into the local welfare office, marched sbaight
up to the counter and said, "Hi, I hate drawing welfare. I would really
rather find a job."
The man behind the counter replied, "Your timing is amazing!
We've just got a listing from a very wealthy man who wants a chauffeur/
bodyguard for his nympho daughter. You'll have to drive around in a big
black Mercedes, but the suits, shirts, and ties are provided. Because
of the long 20+ hours of this job, meals will also be provided and you
will also be required to escort the young lady on her overseas holidays.
The salary package is $200,000 a year."
The young man said, "You're bullshitting me man!"
The man behind the counter said, "Well, you started it!"
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ANSWER: A last name
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WEB-SITE OF THE MONTH
by
COLIN GORDON
The web-site for May is owned and operated by the People For the American Way Foundation under the leadership of President Ralph G. Neas.
www.pfaw.org
It is guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of any self-respecting Humanist unless, that is, we are easily scared by the antics of the Religious Right and their disciples. The Foundation's aims are summarized thus: "We're fighting to maintain and expand 50 years of legal and social justice progress that right-wing leaders are trying to dismantle. We won't let them turn back the clock on our rights and freedoms."
It is a big site that could keep you reading for hours, fairly easy to navigate and well organized into brief sections. For example, it reports a request by President Neas that the Army conduct a formal investigation into a report that an Army chaplain in Iraq has been requiring soldiers to attend a sermon and accept a Christian baptism before being allowed access to a scarce pool of water for bathing. According to a news report from April 2, 2003, an Army chaplain stated, "It's simple. They want water. I have it, as long as they get baptized."
PFAWF maintains that "Teaching about religion in a public school must be conducted within our constitutional framework that prohibits the government from endorsing or promoting religion. Thus, while students in a public school may be taught about the Bible, they cannot be taught the Bible." Sounds to me like a good Humanist sentiment.
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Humor by Mark Twain:
"First, God created idiots. That was just for practice.
Then He created school boards."
"Suppose you were an idiot ,.. And suppose you were a
member of Congress ... But I repeat myself."
"Always do the right thing. This will gratify some
people and astonish the rest."
"Sacred cows make the best hamburger."
"Heaven goes by favour. If it went by merit, you
would stay out and your dog would go in."
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