| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Levy Oates" |
| Date: |
19 Sep 2003 11:20:54 AM |
| Object: |
28 Sep NSS Newsline |
NATIONAL SECULAR SOCIETY
NEWSLINE
19 September 2003
www.secularism.org.uk
Quotes of the week
"All religions are at root as stupid as each other. That, I feel, is a
sentiment we don't hear expressed nearly enough these days. Indeed, I almost
feel like saying it again."
(Andrew Anthony, Guardian)
Essays of the week
Is Turkey truly secular?
(Omar Taspina, Daily Times of Pakistan)
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_16-9-2003_pg3_4
Good News: Egyptian Islam is calming down
(Husam Tammam, Le Monde Diplomatique)
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm?id=ZAWYA20030917080429&Section=Main&page=Home&channel=Features%2C%20Analysis%20%26%20Interviews&objectid=C5C3675B-FF61-11D4-867D00D0B74A0D7C
The future of an illusion
Why religion is false
(Christopher Hitchens)
http://users.rcn.com/peterk.enteract/Daedalus.html
We need to make the National Secular Society a force to be reckoned with.
You can help by adding your voice. Join today at
www.secularism.org.uk/join.htm
In this week's issue:
New Report shows "faith based welfare" is mainly for the benefit of the
faithful
Scarf request lands teacher in court charged with religiously aggravated
assault
Battle for a secular Europe continues
Vatican uses feeble pope to generate sympathy for political agenda
France insists there will be no God in constitution
NSS gives archbishop a bashing in TES
Claire Rayner recovering from illness
Evan Harris holds NSS line on TV
Can you help find a non-religious alternative?
Dutch multiculturalism disintegrating
Feature: Method in their madness
Newspapers debate secular issues
Making a mug of our heroes
Letters to Newsline
Event / Telly / Correction
NEW REPORT SHOWS "FAITH-BASED WELFARE" IS MAINLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE
FAITHFUL
The government's "faith-based welfare" ambitions were dealt a blow this week
when the Institute of Volunteering Research produced a report saying that:
"enlisting faith groups in the fight against social exclusion could be
unrealistic".
The report says that, although faith groups have a long tradition of helping
their own members, there is little indication that they have either the
capacity or the inclination to provide services to the wider community.
The government has said that, by 2006, it wants to increase voluntary and
community sector activity among socially excluded groups by 5 per cent. It
sees "faith groups" as a potential ally in this task, as they claim to have
access to some of the most marginalised people in society. It will therefore
be asking religious groups to open up their services to other sections of
the population, and to apply for statutory funding in the same way as other
local welfare providers.
But this new report highlights the difficulties the government faces in
tackling social exclusion through faith groups.
The existence of many faith groups depends almost entirely upon
contributions by volunteers. But the way they volunteer seldom conforms to
the Western tradition of formal voluntary work carried out through an
organisation, where there is a clear distinction between volunteer and
beneficiary. Mostly individuals help each other within their group. The
faith groups studied in the report have few external links of any kind,
either with local or national government or with the voluntary sector.
But how can faith groups, that have restricted their voluntary activities to
supporting only their own members, offer their services to the wider
community, how would this affect their identity and their volunteering
traditions? Most voluntary work within faith groups is aimed at maintaining
the place of worship, not providing welfare services.
Some groups are also likely to turn down the offer of funding, preferring to
retain their faith identity and their distinctive approach to volunteering,
and not have to answer for their actions in return for grants.
Terry Sanderson, vice president of the National Secular Society said: "There
are a lot of important questions raised in this report, and we will look
forward to seeing the government's response. The idea that 'faith groups'
will be able to provide large-scale input into the provision of welfare
services is shown to be pie in the sky. Those such as the Rev Steve Chalke
and his Fatihworks organisation have given the impression that religious
groups are highly organised and providing a significant service to local
communities that should be funded by public money. This report gives casts
doubt on that. Public money would be largely spent for the benefit of the
'faith groups' own membership, not the general community.
"It's a repeat of the church schools trick - soon the tax payer will not
only be providing superior and exclusive education for religionists, but
also well-funded and exclusive welfare services. Is it right to spend public
money on, say, a Jewish Old People's Day Centre that caters only for one
part of the community or a Muslim nursery or a Christian luncheon club that
would, by their nature, seem exclusive to members of those faiths?"
See a summary of the report at http://www.ivr.org.uk/faithreport.htm
See also: Faith-based welfare package approved in USA
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20030917-104556-4843r.htm
SCARF REQUEST LANDS TEACHER IN COURT ACCUSED OF RELIGIOUSLY AGGRAVATED
ASSAULT
The Crown Prosecution Service is carrying out its threat to bring more cases
of "religiously aggravated offences" to court. Today, a teacher will appear
at Peterborough Magistrates Court accused of religiously aggravated assault
because she allegedly removed a pupil's Islamic headscarf.
The teacher, Hazel *****, allegedly asked the 15-year-old girl to remove the
head scarf or hijab, because it was not correct uniform at a community
school in Peterborough. The school permits Muslim girls to wear a grey hijab
but the teenager was allegedly wearing a black one with a jewel motif.
The girl's parents contacted police over the alleged assault. After
interviewing the girl, police submitted a file to Cambridgeshire Crown
Prosecution Service about the alleged dispute on 26 March.
John Gribble, the headteacher at the school, where nearly 40 per cent of the
900 pupils come from ethnic minorities, said the complaint had been made
directly to the police, not to the school, and, as a result, the teacher had
not been suspended.
"The police have not provided us with very much information about what
happened. We have followed due process and not engaged ourselves in the
investigation," Mr Gribble said. "It was basically an incident about the
correction of uniform. She told a member of staff where the correct uniform
was - it had been given to a friend. The correct hijab was collected and put
on. We often find that children try not to wear school uniform and teachers
have to then correct them. We were astonished when we were contacted by the
police about this. It came as a complete surprise to us."
A spokesman for the local education authority confirmed that an allegation
was being investigated. A spokeswoman said: "Peterborough City Council is
aware that an allegation has been made against a teacher at Bretton Woods
Community School. We have no further comment to make."
BATTLE FOR A SECULAR EUROPE CONTINUES
At least four parliamentary bills have been drafted in France calling for
outlawing Islamic veils and head scarves in public schools, along with other
religious accessories, such as Christian crosses and Jewish skullcaps.
Similar laws already prohibit them being worn by public school teachers and
government employees.
"The government must intervene," insists Juliette Minces, a sociologist who
has written a number of books on the veil and Islam. "Teachers have a hard
time with these girls who come to school wearing the veil, who refuse to
attend gym or biology courses, who won't read Voltaire because he was a
non-believer."
A commission on secularity met this week to question witnesses. Social
Affairs Minister Francois Fillon told the panel he was "favourable to a law
forbidding the ostentatious wearing of any religious sign." His view, he
said, was based on France's strict secular tradition in the public sector
and in the interests of integrating immigrants by instilling French values.
But Education Minister Luc Ferry said that, "to tackle 10 contentious cases
a year, it's maybe going a bit overboard to create a specific law." Instead,
he and his schools minister, Xavier Darcos, said a future law should
"positively affirm the principle of secularism".
Those on the other side of the argument contend that banning schoolgirls
from wearing the Muslim head scarf or veil - the terms are used
interchangeably - would threaten basic French liberties, including the right
to religious expression. "If I wasn't convinced it was an obligation to
veil, I wouldn't," said Noura Jaballah, 43, who heads a conservative
association of Muslim women near Paris. "Life here would be a lot easier if
I didn't."
The battle over the veil is playing out across Europe and the Middle East,
as well as in the United States, where a Florida judge barred a Muslim woman
from obtaining her driving licence with a face-covering niqab. Scandinavian
countries with tiny Muslim populations generally tolerate veiling. But women
in Turkey and Tunisia, both overwhelmingly Muslim countries, are barred from
wearing the veil in schools, universities and public workplaces, as part of
larger crackdowns against Muslim fundamentalists. Even in Egypt, women
wearing niqabs or other coverall apparel can be harassed as suspected
members of banned Islamic groups.
In France - home to about 5 million Muslims, one of Western Europe's largest
Muslim populations - the veil issue tangles growing fundamentalism with
women's-rights issues. It pits the country's fiercely secular government
rules against European human rights laws. It illustrates, too, the sharp
divide between a well-educated and upwardly mobile French Muslim minority
and thousands of second- and third-generation immigrants who remain angry
and isolated in the suburbs. Some have found solace in religion.
"The head scarf today symbolizes a defeat for the French government, which
has failed to integrate these minorities," said Francoise Gaspard, a
sociologist at the Advanced Group of Social Studies in Paris, who opposes a
veil ban. "I can't predict the future," she adds. "But banning the veil may
lead to new Koranic schools. And it's unlikely to teach French values of
secularity. Or about equality between men and women."
The official answer - murky rules permitting veils in school, as long as
they were not ostentatious and students did not proselytise - was no answer,
critics say. Even today, the French government appears divided on tougher
rules, with President Jacques Chirac opposed to anti-veil legislation backed
by members of his governing party, the Union for a Popular Movement. "If we
want the school to remain a sanctuary, we cannot avoid creating a law," said
UMP lawmaker Francois Baroin, who is championing anti-veil legislation in
France's National Assembly.
School-veil disputes have dropped radically in recent years. But the
statistics are deceiving, experts say. In some cases, school administrators
offer girls such as Samira Makhlouf a stark choice - school or the veil. But
in others, teachers work out compromises or look the other way. Noura
Jaballah's daughter Alaa, for example, began wearing a head scarf in high
school without difficulties.
"I've never had problems," said the 19-year-old, wearing a grey scarf one
recent afternoon. "My teachers and my friends look beyond my appearance."
France's veiling problem still affects only a small percentage of the
country's Muslims. Indeed, a 2001 survey found only 20 percent of French
Muslims - many of them ethnic North Africans - worship regularly at a
mosque. More than a third describe themselves as non-practicing.
Nonetheless, specialists say a growing number of Muslim women and girls are
donning the veil. "It's very obvious on the streets," said Mrs. Cherifi, an
ethnic Algerian. "It was rare to see women veiling 15 years ago. That's no
longer the case."
Such signs of religious expression are being scrutinized with a wary
official eye. This year, France's law-and-order interior minister, Nicolas
Sarkozy, coaxed long-squabbling religious leaders to create a representative
Muslim council - partly, he argued, to counter a budding, extremist-tinged
"Islam of the cellars."
But the 5-month-old council is deadlocked on the veil issue, reflecting a
larger split between moderate and conservative Muslims over the place of
religion in France. "Women should be allowed to wear what they want on the
streets, but not in public schools, not in state institutions," said Khadija
Khali, head of the mainstream French Union for Muslim Women, who does not
wear a veil. "Wearing the veil is not a law in Islam - it is negotiable."
On the other side of the debate sit women like Miss Makhlouf, who heads an
association supporting the rights of Muslim women in France. Or Mrs.
Jaballah, who is among the few women sitting on the country's newly created
Muslim council. Mrs. Jaballah and her husband are members of the popular but
controversial Union of Islamic Organizations of France, a coalition with
reputed ties to Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood party. "To me, veiling is
a personal choice," said Mrs. Jaballah, echoing arguments voiced by French
human rights advocates and civil libertarians. "Islam is new in France, and
I can understand the difficulties that can exist. But if we start by banning
the veil in France, where will we end?"
VATICAN USES FEEBLE POPE TO GENERATE SYMPATHY FOR ITS POLITICAL AGENDA
Playing the sympathy card for all it was worth, the Vatican used the pope's
visit to Slovakia last week to push its political agenda. Wheeling the frail
and pain-wracked pontiff around in front of large crowds, there was a
sinister undercurrent of pressure on the Slovak political system to toe the
Vatican line.
Slovaks voted overwhelmingly to join the European Union in 2004, a step many
believe will help the country's economy. But the pope warned that the
expected economic boost could also bring "great poverty" unless family and
human life values are protected. The pope said it was important for Slovakia
not only to preserve its Christian heritage but to "make it felt throughout
the continent when the country joins the European Union next year".
In a veiled reference to a recent legislative battle over abortion in
Slovakia, the pope said that the country needs to be "respectful of human
life in all its expressions" as the country builds its future. Seated next
to the pope was President Rudolf Schuster, who in July refused to sign a law
that would extend legal abortion from 12 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. Schuster
said constitutional questions must be settled first, and the issue is
expected to be resolved this autumn. In a private meeting later in the day,
the pope thanked Schuster for "the witness you gave to your country and to
the world" by refusing to sign the abortion bill.
At the airport, Schuster had welcomed the pope warmly in a speech that did
not mention abortion or other controversial church-state questions. He said
Slovakia was committed to honouring and carrying on its spiritual heritage,
balancing that with its new international role and the demands of ecumenical
harmony. The president had told the pope that "much has changed" since his
last visit to Slovakia in 1995. He said a major agreement in 2000 between
the Slovak government and the Vatican had laid the groundwork for
church-state cooperation in many areas of social life.
Local church leaders, however, have said they are having more trouble than
expected in nailing down agreements with the government on issues that
include church financing, aid to Catholic schools, religious instruction in
public schools and conscientious objection by Catholics in medical and other
fields.
The only dissent visible during the Slovakian visit was from gay activists
who held up posters reading: "I have a different opinion - will you burn
me?"
An overriding theme of the visit was ensuring that the Catholic Church has a
major say in European politics. The Vatican is still fuming over the lack of
mention of Christianity in the preamble to the EU constitution. Since then
it has continued to hammer away at having the reference inserted. Vatican
sources said the pope and European church leaders hope that when several
heavily Catholic countries -- including Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania and
Malta -- join the European Union next year, they will be able to retard what
they say is a "secularist" trend on the continent.
See also: Poland can force Catholicism on the rest of Europe
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2003/09/19/200309190045.asp
See also: Catholics begin stitch up of Georgia
http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters09-18-103619.asp?reg=EUROPE
Jewish lawyer calls for Christianity in constitution, say Catholics
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=41077
FRANCE INSISTS THAT THERE WILL BE NO GOD IN EU CONSTITUTION
As noted above, despite strong lobbying from the Vatican and representatives
of the Orthodox Church in Europe, the preamble of the draft treaty
establishing the Constitution for Europe - produced by the European
Convention in June - has resisted any reference to Christianity. France and
Turkey are the main countries contending such a reference. The NSS has
issued a formal protest to the Foreign Office.
"France is a lay state and as such she does not have a habit of calling for
insertions of a religious nature into constitutional texts", the French
President told reporters at a visit in Quintos de Moro where he met Spanish
Prime Minister, José Maria Aznar. "The lay character of French institutions
does not allow them to accept a religious reference" in a domestic or EU
constitution, Mr Chirac concluded.
Several countries, such as Italy, Spain, Ireland and Poland, have backed
having a reference to Christianity included in the Constitution. Warsaw
intends to raise this issue in its four-point strategy for the
Intergovernmental Conference which begins next month in Rome.
See also: France threatens to expel Muslim extremists
http://www.iht.com/articles/110476.html
French minister backs removal of "religious signs" from schools
http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2003-09/17/article03.shtml
Join us to protest against the increasing desecularisation of Europe at a
rally in Paris on 6th December. Organised by Libre Pensée and the National
Secular Society it has been launched with a joint declaration. To register
your interest in this event please write to and
we'll keep you informed.
NSS GIVES ARCHBISHOP A BASHING IN TES
The Archbishop of Canterbury's demand that there should be more religious
worship in schools was challenged this week by the NSS in the Times
Educational Supplement.
The report said that Rowan Williams wants Anglican schools to "act as small
churches" and "hold confirmation and communion services". The Archbishop
said: "More is needed in terms of religion in schools than clergy visits and
choral services in nearby churches."
But NSS Executive Director Keith Porteous Wood pointed out that a survey of
29,000 13 to 15 year olds showed that only 40% believed in God. He was
reported as saying: "Half of children regard themselves as atheist or
agnostic. Why can this decision not be respected? They should not be
repeatedly subjected to religious pressure at school where they cannot
escape, it is a violation of their human rights. It is time the government
called a halt to the expansion of church schools. Schools paid for by the
taxpayer should not be used to promote religion. Church schools are for
teaching, not preaching."
Mr Wood's opinions were supported by Canon David Jennings of Leicestershire
who was quoted as saying: "Anglican schools should not be promoting faith,
they should be educating children. Holding communions in schools creates a
division which young people should not be exposed to. Let clergy be clergy
and teachers be teachers."
Also entering the fray was NSS honorary associate Martin Rowson, whose
cartoon in the same edition of the TES showed an Ian Paisley-like headmaster
in a pulpit giving school assembly, surrounded by church windows. One of his
young charges asks: "Sir, don't you think you're taking Archbishop Rowan's
call to make school more like church a bit far?" To which the priest/teacher
screams: "REPENT!"
CLAIRE RAYNER RECOVERING FROM ILLNESS
NSS honorary associate Claire Rayner is recovering from the illness that has
taken her out of circulation for the past few months. She suffered serious
complications following a routine operation on a tendon that landed her in
intensive care.
Interviewed in the Guardian, she spoke of her brush with death in her usual
down-to-earth style. "I'll tell you something, in case anyone wonders", she
offered. "Not a single out-of-body experience, no long corridors of light, I
was an atheist when it started and I've remained one. People used to say to
me 'You wait until something really bad happens, you'll start praying', but
I didn't and I can't. I don't put this down to any superior being I put it
down to the superb training and skill of the people looking after me."
Claire still has a long way to go before she reaches her usual level of
activity, although she was seen attending a memorial service for Thora Hird
last week. We wish her well and hope that she's soon got her formidable
energy back.
EVAN HARRIS HOLDS THE LINE ON TELLY FOR NSS
NSS honorary associate, Dr Evan Harris MP (LibDem spokesman on equality)
appeared on the Daily Politics programme on BBC2 on Wednesday, speaking "as
a member of the National Secular Society" on the dangers of mixing religion
and politics.
He was up against Gary Streeter, the Tory MP who is an enthusiastic member
of the Conservative Christian Fellowship, which is currently bringing the
Tory party much public scorn. Also in the studio was Indarjit Singh, a
leading Sikh who is a member of the Government's faith liaison committee. He
thinks religious representatives should have a lot to say in the public
square and used the programme to insult secularists. As usual with these TV
programmes, there was hardly time to develop any reasonable arguments, but
Evan Harris made a vigorous defence of the separation of church and state,
and raised the alarm about the way it is being undermined in this country.
CAN YOU HELP FIND A NON-RELIGIOUS ALTERNATIVE?
A head teacher has contacted us after having received details of Operation
Xmas Child organised by Samaritans Purse, a Christian organisation connected
to Franklin Graham, the evangelical religious rightist in the USA.
Samaritans Purse collects gifts from children in schools and distributes
them to worthy causes/individuals at xmas. The snag is that they also
enclose fundamentalist tracts.
http://www.samaritanspurse.uk.com/occ/what-is.asp
The head teacher likes the idea of the gift box, but wonders if we know of
an alternative without the religious input. Can anyone help with suggestions
please? If so please let us know at
DUTCH MULTI-CULTURALISM DISINTEGRATING
Cracks have begun to appear in Dutch multi-culturalism as the city of
Helmond in the southeast withdrew grants for Muslim women to have single-sex
swimming sessions at the local bathing pool.
Two hundred and fifty Muslim women - mostly veiled - rallied against the
Helmond decision, on Tuesday. Omayma Hassan Nour, the head of an NGO which
caters for Arab and Turkish women in Holland said: "Some officials had the
gall to ask Muslim women to cope with the Dutch culture by having swimming
classes with males and that Muslim women's reluctance signalled a rejection
to incorporate into the (Dutch) society and a preference to live in a
ghetto, which necessitates withholding the annual grant." She further
complained that the decision denied hundreds of Muslim women in Helmond
their right to have unmixed swimming courses.
"A large portion of the grant was used to rent closed swimming pools for
Muslim women," Nour said. She claimed that the decision would be used as a
pretext by other municipalities nationwide to take similar moves. She also w
arned that Helmond municipality and other Dutch boroughs might withhold all
other Muslim-oriented grants whether they have to do with sport or other
cultural and social activities. "Unfortunately, the 9/11 attacks have
tarnished the image of Muslims in the eyes of many Dutch officials, who now
see hijab as a means to impose social isolation on Muslim women and an
obstacle to their incorporation into the Dutch society," Nour added.
She claimed that Dutch officials have invented "incorporation" as a means of
forcing minorities into yielding to the traditions of the majority rather
than taking part in a multi-ethnic society. She puts this down to the
election of right-wing parties in Holland "which will certainly help them
impose their ideas and racist plans."
Holland's one million Muslims (of the country's 16 million population) have
established hundreds of religious, social and cultural organizations over
the past 30 years, many of which receive grants from the Dutch authorities.
METHOD IN THEIR MADNESS
Muriel Fraser reviews web sources about Philip Jenkins' The Next
Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, (Oxford University Press,
2002).
Why does the Vatican cling to the past and ignore the modern world?
According to Philip Jenkins, an Episcopalian scholar of church history, the
Pope is, in fact, doing no such thing: his cruel and mediaeval social
policies are actually directed, not to the past, but to the future. Jenkins
maintains further that if the Archbishop of Canterbury wants to survive, he
had better start imitating him.
The reason is demographic: in the Third World the number of Christians is
exploding - in the United States it is holding steady - and in Europe (and
Canada) it is actually shrinking. Furthermore, as Jenkins points out, the
"birth control lag" among Third World Christians is going to let them
virtually match the population explosion among the Muslims. This is a sound
reason for the Pope to retain his ban on birth control, even though it is
now being ignored by Catholics in the West.
(Not that this was always so. The present demographic divergence on a global
scale between rich and poor Catholics used to be mirrored in miniature in
every town in Canada. Back then, after her fourth child a prosperous woman
would quietly pay a hefty sum to the Church for permission to stop, while a
poor one had to go on indefinitely. Christian compassion for the poor seems
to mean forcing them to bear burdens that the rich will not put up with.)
The burgeoning Christianity in the Third World, even when it is officially
labelled Roman Catholic or Anglican, has a frankly Pentecostal flavour, with
services that can look "like nothing so much as a 1960s rock festival".
These worshippers are not interested in tasteful ritual; they need more
practical help. And since they expect the Bible to give them concrete
benefits, they follow its instructions to the letter. They are not about to
damage its magical efficacy by diluting it with Human Rights.
The Pope, of course, knows all of this. He sees little need to tailor his
message to the liberal churches in the West that are declining, anyway. His
Holiness has long been playing to the churches of the Third World - and His
Grace is beginning to realise that he will have to follow suit.
The global perspective offered by Jenkins is the viewpoint of the
multinational churches themselves, and therefore essential for understanding
them. Even so, constraints on time, money and shelf space make it impossible
for one to buy every good book that comes along. What follows, therefore, is
a sequence of five of the best articles from the web. Together I hope that
they will permit a critical overview of the main arguments of this important
book.
* A short introductory book review with some good anecdotes:
http://report.ca/archive/report/20020624/p59i020624f.html
* A longer review which is helpful for separating the part of Jenkins'
thesis that is supported by demographic facts from his more questionable
political projections:
http://www.policyreview.org/feb03/douthat.html
* A long essay by Jenkins which summarises his book:
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2002/10/jenkins.htm
* An interview of Jenkins in which he comments on his thesis:
http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/interviews/int2002-09-12.htm
* A final book review which places Jenkins' thesis in a broader context:
http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0206/reviews/martin.html
NEWSPAPERS DEBATE SECULAR ISSUES
There have been two particularly relevant newspaper debates this week. The
first in the Guardian looked at the issue of science and religion. Colin
Tudge wrote (14 September) about the morality of science in an essay
entitled Microscopes Have No Morals
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1041298,00.html)
and received a drubbing from readers on 16 September
http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,3604,1042819,00.html
Meanwhile, the Times carried reactions to the Archbishop of Canterbury's
speech in praise of religion in education, which included a contribution
from the NSS http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,171-818311,00.html
MAKING A MUG OF OUR HEROES
Our Heroes of Atheism merchandise is now on sale and is garnering an
enthusiastic response. Our second hero, and the only one still among us, is
Richard Dawkins. Richard is, of course, an Honorary Associate of the NSS and
we often find ourselves cheering him on as he fulfils his role as the
foremost spokesman for our cause in Britain - and in the USA.
Pop along and have a look at what we've got on offer and get your order in
today - they'd make excellent gifts, although we suspect once you've got
them in your hands, you'll be reluctant to give them away. So order a few
spares to be on the safe side.
To see the new range click here: www.secularism.org.uk/merchant.htm and we
look forward to promptly fulfilling your order. You can pay securely using
your credit card, or send a cheque or postal order to NSS Merchandise, 25
Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4LR.
GOD WON'T LIKE THIS!
New Humanist is going bi-monthly from the next issue onwards, and to
celebrate this we have launched a new website. Read the best humanist and
rationalist writing, and join the debate, at http://www.newhumanist.org.uk
LETTERS TO NEWSLINE
Comments and points for discussion please to -please
be as brief as you can.
From Roy Ratcliffe:
At the same time as making the case for inclusion of humanist/atheist views
on BBC programmes shouldn't we be considering setting up a small
broadcasting station of our own? Look what classic FM did to Radio 3 after
only a few years of a minority niche. Are there no secular venture
capitalists in the UK that could sponsor a secular station based upon
secular/atheist/humanist/alternative items (and with adverts only from
ethical businesses/orgs) with their ill-gotten gains? If only in a small
area it would be a welcome change from the daily religio/establishment diet
we all have to put up with. No? Well perhaps that is is a bit pie in the
sky.
From Jo Brodie:
Isn't this North-West London Eruv business suspiciously similar to 'not
stepping on the cracks in the pavements in case the bears should get you'?
From Jennifer Hynes:
The story about government claims that its "faith liaison committee" will
not desecularise government (Newsline last week) was typical government
mumbo-jumbo to cover up the realities of the situation. One thing I do wish
they would learn however, a few loosely knit laws do not a constitute make.
If Britain had a written constitution, things like this need not happen, and
if they did, we would all have a plausible and legal document to fall back
on.
Personally, I take everything this government says with a pinch of salt (not
wasted, it goes on my chips) They have consistently lied to us, obfuscated
the reality of their policies, and now, we are told we are not being
railroaded into a pseudo-religious state? Perhaps not, if Blair goes.
From Max Harrison:
I read the article on ghosts (Newsline last week) with interest. I have been
an NSS member since last year but an atheist for as long as I can remember.
With this in mind I have always had an ambiguous attitude towards ghosts.
This is because I have several friends (all non-religious) who claimed to
have seen them, and the evidence for the existence for ghosts is of a
different order from that of God. God doesn't exist, it's that simple, but
ghosts?
I find this subject fascinating as I have read dozens of books on this topic
written by fairly serious and weighty authors. (Everybody should read The
Romeo Error by Llyall Watson, or Afterlife by Colin Wilson). I have
concluded that 'ghosts' do exist but that they can be explained
scientifically. I think some supposed explanations are not rigorous enough.
Whether they are a combination of 'emotional tape-recordings' or something
to do with neural energy given off at the point of death, I don't know. Most
supposed sightings are just hogwash of course, but some are harder to
explain. Science will crack it in time!
The case against God is totally overwhelming, but ghosts? I'm not so sure.
What do other people think, or am I just too open-minded?
From Andy Armitage:
Your story last week on the Mori poll concerning religious affiliation said,
among other things, "... there was evidence that adherence to crystal
healing, astrology, yoga and other rubbish had increased significantly ..."
Come, come! Crystal healing and astrology, yes, but why have you got it in
for yoga? While we might wish to dismiss any religious claims for yoga,
there's more to this practice than that, and my own experience of it (a long
time ago and only for a few months) was purely as a physical exercise, with
much emphasis on techniques for breathing, posture and relaxation.
The relaxation part, I seem to remember, contained some element of guided
visualisation. But so what? Visualisation is hardly the stuff of irrational
religion, and can have a very relaxing and often beneficial psychosomatic
effect - in the way the much-criticised homeopathy does with its placebo
effect, according to those who dismiss it out of hand. I can see nothing
irrational about means of using one's mind to bring about changes in one's
body.
So many babies are tipped out with the bathwater when secularists proclaim,
that we can so easily be picked on as believing in nothing but solid
objects. Not only that, but you put yoga under the general heading of New
Age, when it's been around and in use in the West long before the phrase
'new age' entered people's minds.
From Muriel Fraser:
Last week Jennifer Hynes offered a good comparison between "selling"
material and intellectual products. Our "product" is the scientific method
of questioning things and asking for proof.
However, at this point "selling the product" seems to me to be the least of
our worries. This is because, the market for ideas is not an open one.
Certain favoured "corporations":
* are massively subsidised by the taxpayer (National Heritage and historic
state endowments)
* receive tax breaks (Council Tax and VAT)
* are given seats in Parliament (24 Bishops in the House of Lords)
* are invited by the Government to lobby them in private (Faith Community
Liaison Group)
* are paid to solicit new customers among minors whose daily attendance for
their adverts is required by law (state-supported church schools)
* and are now seeking subsidies to let them control large parts of the
labour market ("faith-based initiatives").
These privileges are what we must try to abolish in order to give people
real freedom of choice. If we can just obtain fair market conditions for
ideas, our rational "product" is quite good enough to sell itself.
CARRY ON THE CONVERSATION A new discussion group for secularists and
freethinkers is available here. It is there for the exchange of views and
opinions between those who want to discuss secularism and related issues. It
's open for business now - why not register and get your two pen'orth in
today? If you haven' t signed up for a Yahoo news group before it can be a
bit involved to start with. You can get straightforward instructions by
clicking here.
EVENT
Sheffield Humanists 10th Anniversary Day-Conference, Saturday 18th October
2003. Theme: The Fundamentalist Threat to the World: Religious Extremism in
the 21st Century. Venue: The Winding Wheel, Holywell St., Chesterfield
(10:00am to 4:00pm) Booking fee: £5.00
Keynote speakers, plus workshops:
- Religion and oppression in Northern Ireland
- Christian fundamentalism and neo-conservatism
- Zionism and its Islamic counterparts
Speakers include:
Babu Gogineni, director of the International Humanist and Ethical Union;
Terry Sanderson, vice-president of the National Secular Society; David
Granville, former editor of The Irish Democrat
Register your interest by contacting: Mike Granville: 0114 230 9754 email:
granv8782@aol.com or Barry Johnson: 01246 270 628
www.sheffieldhumanists.org.uk
TELLY RECOMMENDATIONS
Psychic Secrets Revealed (Channel Five, tonight 8.30pm)
A fascinating look at the claims of so-called mind-readers, miracle-workers
and psychics, in which Alistair Cook - himself a magician - attempts to
discover whether paranormal powers are at work, or whether it's all
flim-flam.
Conversations with Rowan Williams (Channel 4 Friday 26 September 7.30)
A series of four "conversations" with the gnomic Archbishop of Canterbury on
current topics. The first is concerned with the "morality of science playing
God". Others will include "Loss of Childhood" and the "Obsession with
individual rights". Hopefully his conversational style will be more
penetrable than his formal speechifying. The series is predicted to be
controversial.
CORRECTION
Peace Council reactivated. Those who oppose war - as pacifists or opponents
of particular wars - may wish to join together for effective campaigning and
publicity. The long-standing Humanist Peace Council was re-activated during
the Second Gulf War. If you are interested in participating please contact
hanne@humanism.org.uk (the email address we gave last week was incorrect,
apologies).
Add your voice to that of others who are alarmed at the resurgence of
religion public life.
Join on-line at http://www.secularism.org.uk/join.htm - where you can also
get a postal application.
To subscribe to Newsline send a blank email with "Subscribe to Newsline" on
the subject line to
To unsubscribe to Newsline send a blank email with "Unsubscribe to Newsline"
on the subject line to
Please feel free to use material from Newsline, but don't forget to credit
us. Forward Newsline to any friends or acquaintances who might be
interested. Subscription is free.
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Simply send an email with "Plain Text" on the subject line.
To comment, contribute or contact the editor
To join the National Secular Society go to www.secularism.org.uk/join.htm
---------
Archdeacom Levy Oates
On behalf of the Prophet Eric Peabody (pbuh)
Basingstoke, England
http://www.angelfire.com/alt/bumblism/
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