Author: Norm R. Allen Jr.
Norm Allen is a lecturer and freelance writer. In 1984, he and his brother, Jay Allen, formed the Eagle Publishing Company, which disseminates art and literature by and for black people.
Do Negative ‘Sacred’ Teachings Influence Theists?
The rise of the so-called New Atheism has brought forth numerous critics and criticisms. Some critics believe that religionists who hold negative religious ideas are not influenced by their “sacred” texts. Rather, they use or misuse religious texts only after they have embraced some insidious agenda. This view is incredibly biased in favor of faith. …
The Tribulations of an African Humanist
Leo Igwe is the executive director of both the Center for Inquiry in Nigeria and the Nigerian Humanist Movement. It would be difficult to find a humanist activist with greater courage, determination, and persistence anywhere in the world. On more than one occasion, Igwe has been physically attacked by religious extremists. He has been pursued …
Du Bois Uncensored
W.E.B. Du Bois: Toward Agnosticism 1868–1934, by Brian L. Johnson (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2008, ISBN 13: 978-0-7425-6449-7) 141 pp. Cloth $65.00. W. E.B. Du Bois was one of the most important intellectuals and activists of the twentieth century. He helped establish the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and served as …
Twenty Years of African Americans for Humanism
In 1989, I attended a Free Inquiry conference at American University in Washington, D.C. It was the first time I had attended a major gathering of humanists. I was surprised to find that I was the only African American there, although I spotted a couple of East Indians. I thought this was odd, because humanism, …
Farewell to Two Black Humanist Activists
Humanists and skeptics throughout the world are mourning the deaths of two leading freethought activists, Sibanye (aka Herbert Crimes) of the Center for Inquiry/Harlem Discussion Group, and Hope N. Tawiah, who led the Rational Centre headquartered in Accra, Ghana. Sibanye—whose name means “we as one” in Swahili—died after a long illness on Tuesday, September 29, …
Can Atheists Be as Good as Theists?
Is Goodness without God Good Enough? Edited by Robert K. Garcia & Nathan L. King (Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2009, ISBN-13: 978-0-7425-5171-8) 220 pp. Paper $24.95. For years, theists have maintained that it is impossible to be good without a belief in God. However, when faced with examples of nonbelievers such as Robert Green …
A Divinely Sanctioned Mess
Bondage and the Bible, written and directed by D. Eric Harmon. DVD distributed by Raitan Multi-Media at www.bondageandthebible.com. 2008. 55 minutes. $19.95 for individuals; $250.00 for institutions. D. Eric Harmon is an African-American freethinker from Los Angeles, California. In Bondage and the Bible, he poses the question: does the Bible justify slavery? Just a cursory …
Introduction
Sir Arthur C. Clarke was one of the greatest futurists and science-fiction writers of the twentieth century. He authored some one hundred books, including 2001: A Space Odyssey. He cowrote the screenplay for the film of the same name with Stanley Kubrick, who directed and produced the movie. Sir Arthur was a longtime secular humanist. …
The Political Philosophy of Wole Soyinka and Other Narratives
The Political Philosophy of Wole Soyinka and Other Narratives, by Yemi D. Ogunyemi (Boston: Diaspora Press of America, 2001, ISBN 0-9652-8602-9) 158 pp. Paper $10.00. Wole Soyinka is the first Black Nobel Prize winner for Literature. He is also a laureate of the Academy of Humanism and a recipient of the Distinguished Humanist Award from …
Heretics: The Bloody History of the Christian Church
Heretics: The Bloody History of the Christian Church, by W. Sumner Davis, Th.D. (Bloomington, Ind.: 1st Books Library, www.1stbooks.com, 2002, ISBN 0-7596–7537-6) 169 pp., including Glossary, Bibliography. Paper $11.50. Heretics: The Bloody History of the Christian Church covers no new ground. The reader is taken through a journey of the dark and destructive side of …
Life Without God: A Guide to Fulfillment Without Religion
Life Without God: A Guide to Fulfillment Without Religion, by Nicolaos S. Tzannes (Baltimore, Md.: PublishAmerica, 2002, ISBN 1-59129-769-1) 157 pp. Paper $19.95. Nicolaos Tzannes teaches electrical engineering at the University of Central Florida, where he chaired the department from 1986 to 1994. In Life Without God, he has “put together a unified theory—a useful …
Introduction
The Humanist Stance on Choice and Pleasure One of my most memorable experiences as an editor of FREE INQUIRY was strolling along the canals of Amsterdam with senior editors Vern and Bonnie Bullough during the 1992 World Humanist Congress. The two of them walked hand-in-hand throughout the famed Red Light District, reminiscing about the various …