Category: Humanism at Large

Cognitive behavioral therapy is now a worthy replacement for psychoanalysis. It didn’t come into use until long after I received my medical training. But lately, I have gained some insig ht into how it works—and realized that in my sixty years of general medical practice, I had been applying the technique without knowing it! By …

There are times when proper Christians simply can’t avoid interacting with homosexuals. For instance, if you decide to redecorate your home or hire a consultant for your daughter’s wedding, chances are good that you will be dealing with a gay man. If you are pulled over by a female police officer, don’t be surprised if …

Much of logic deals with definitions. If a dialogue is to proceed, all parties must agree on the terms being discussed. These simple ground rules are too often ignored in the discourse of the mainstream media, fomenting confusion. For the purposes of this article, I would like to clarify two oft-used terms: religious extremist and …

In February of 2006, I consented to have my cheek swabbed, my finger pricked, and my picture taken. The scientific study in which I was participating, “The Genetics of Human Pigmentation, Ancestry, and Facial Features,” was somewhat unusual in that each participant would later be provided with his or her own genetic ancestry results and …

Why does God have an initial capital letter? Aside from the fatuity of recognizing the supposed ultimate force in the universe by a linguistic convention, past the absurdity of feeding the vanity of the most mighty and least needy of vanity, why provide God with the same artifactual honor as Parcheesi, the Pillsbury Doughboy, the …

A Challenge to the Fairness Principle of Secular Humanism In “The Principles of Fairness: Progressive Taxation” (Free Inquiry, October/November 2006) Paul Kurtz presented the most convincing ethical argument I have ever read in opposition to current U.S. government income and wealth tax-policies, both of which are becoming increasingly regressive. As a professional sociologist (now retired), …

In the spring of 2007, I attended a banquet at the University of Toronto honoring student and community leaders. A few days previously, I had been physically assaulted on campus while putting up posters for a speech by physicist Victor Stenger, making me something of a local atheist celebrity. So it was no surprise when, …

It is, I think, time we dealt with miracles. Once we posit an all-powerful Being, then miracles follow naturally; they’re only to be expected. Indeed, their absence would trouble us. It would be unnatural, and therefore something of a miracle, if miracles did not occur, one after the other or perhaps several strung together in …

Full disclosure: I no longer consider myself a Christian. I was raised a Southern Baptist, which I found an extremely intolerant, judgmental, and ignorant lifestyle. Once I matured emotionally and intellectually, I shed that myopic view of the world and now consider myself a secular humanist. Many have suggested that Thomas Aquinas played an important …

Several months ago, an associate professor of anthropology and genetics at the Pennsylvania State University proposed marriage to me via text message. I answered in the affirmative in the same medium. We then began making plans for a meaningful atheist ceremony in which passages from Dar­win’s Origin of Species and Robert Inger­soll’s poetry would be …

Several months ago, an associate professor of anthropology and genetics at the Pennsylvania State University proposed marriage to me via text message. I answered in the affirmative in the same medium. We then began making plans for a meaningful atheist ceremony in which passages from Darwin’s Origin of Species and Robert Ingersoll’s poetry would be …

A Discussion Chris: Hello, you don’t believe in anything. Are you an atheist? Agnes: Well no, I am a polytheist. I think atheist sounds so negative. C.: Well, at least you believe in some sort of god. But isn’t polytheism kind of primitive? We all know that the concept of a single almighty god, who is …

New SecularHumanist Bulletin The Council for Secular Humanism is relaunching its Associate Member newsletter, Secular Humanist Bulletin. The new-style, upbeat newsletter will keep Associate Members abreast of the latest secular humanist news, plans, and activities. It will also provide a forum for members to share ideas and explore the joys and challenges of life as …

Cincinnati’s Oktoberfest is a high point of the local cultural calendar. The traditional German festival is a secular celebration of art, culture, and cuisine. Tens of thousands of people enjoy its plays, art shows, concerts, and food and beer tastings. This year, Cincinnati’s festival-goers will also be able to enjoy “A Celebration of Freethought”—a national …