Happy Non-Believers Who Don't Fear Death

Is god belief necessary for a moral society? Not according to Peter Steinfels' account of Phil Zuckerman's Society Without God in the NY Times. Zuckerman reports that although they are two of the world's least religious nations, "in various rankings of nations by life expectancy, child welfare, literacy, schooling, economic equality, standard of living and competitiveness, Denmark and Sweden stand in the first tier." Can it be? Moral without God?

Although the many nonbelievers interviewed, the review continues, "denied most of the traditional teachings of Christianity, they called themselves Christians, and most were content to remain in the Danish National Church or the Church of Sweden, the traditional national branches of Lutheranism." When interviewed about their religious beliefs, most of these church members were indifferent or oblivious to the theistic underpinnings of their nominal religions. One believer, presumably feeling the pressure of ambient social mores, apologized to a friend for his god belief saying "I hope you don’t feel I’m a bad person."

How ironic! A believer feels so guilty about his belief he is compelled to apologize for it! What would that be like?

A Product Placement

Mike Rosulek, a graduate student at the University of Illinois created a wonderful set of Darwin-themed T-shirts and posters modelled on the now iconic Shephard Fairey Obama poster.  Here's my favorite:

 

Amy J.L. Baker to be Interviewed by Sam Greenfield

Amy J.L. Baker, PhD, researcher, author and expert on parent alienation syndrome (PAS), will appear on The Sam Greenfield Show on radio station WVNJ 1160AM on Thursday morning (2/19/2009) at 8:23am. Listen on the radio (1160 on the AM dial) or via the internet at wvnj.com (click on Listen Live). WVNJ is heard in northern New Jersey, Rockland and Westchester Counties as well as parts of New York City, Long Island, and Connecticut. Phone questions to 1-800-962-1160.

Parent alienation syndrome (PAS) can occur when children are manipulated by one parent to turn against the other parent. Dr. Baker is a nationally recognized expert on parent child relationships, especially children of divorce, parental alienation syndrome, and emotional abuse of children. She is the author of Adult Children of Parental Alienation Syndrome: Breaking the Ties that Bind, its companion e-book Beyond the High Road and most recently I Don't Want to Choose: How Middle School Kids Can Avoid Choosing One Parent Over the Other (co-authored with psychologist Dr. Katherine Andre). More information is available on her website.

Dr. Baker is a member of the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County.

How the US State Dept Reports on Human Rights

What do Tanzania, Benin, Cape Verde, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Portugal, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Iceland have in common? They are some of the countries whose entries in the U.S. State Department's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices were edited by Larry Lesser. Mr. Lesser, recently retired from the US Foreign Service Office, gave a sneak preview of the 2008 report to the Society on Sunday, February 15, 2009.

The report, which by law must be submitted by the Secretary of State to Congress each year by February 25, was initiated during the Carter administration.

This I Believe: Ken Karp

As delivered to the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County on Sunday, February 15, 2009:

I believe in science. And I believe in religion.

I believe in science as a brainchild of humankind, and in its inexorable, rational march across time to explain our enigmatic world. Science gives us increasing, although incomplete, knowledge of our universe; improving, although imperfect, medical skills to extend our lives; and accelerating technologies of utility and convenience. With science we have the potential to physically enhance our own form and environment, and we do so today with ever more frequency, albeit, with unfortunately mixed results.

And I believe in religion, also as a brainchild of humankind, and in its well-meaning efforts at interpretation. I don't believe in its specific explanations, at least not in those that include supernatural elements, because I'm a naturalist. But religion, as a biological characteristic, was crucial for early humans. I believe religion was born with our ability to reason, even as our species emerged into its present anatomy. Religion has served us well, when viewed on an evolutionary timescale.

Neither science nor religion would exist without intelligence, as is exemplified by the human mind. Both proffer explanations and both require faith to succeed, but only one has the appealing requirement of rigorous evidence. Modern science in human society is very new, relative to religion, having developed largely within the past four or five hundred years. I believe that science is on a continuing, although erratic, trajectory to supplant the metaphysical components of religion. The two are often self-contradictory, inciting conflict on our ever smaller yet more crowded world. As its mystical aspects recede in importance perhaps religion's remaining strength will continue to blaze: the humanistic philosophy of Do Unto Others with its moral, ethical and cultural underpinnings. For adherents of religion, more than anything else, can be, have been, and will continue to be, brought together in a common cause and an ethical culture.

I believe in science. And I believe in religion. The religion of Ethical Culture.

Massimo Pigliucci in Time Magazine

Prof. Massimo Pigliucci, who spoke recently at ECS/Bergen, is featured in an article titled Evolving Darwin in the current issue of Time Magazine. In it, he references his Extended Evolutionary Synthesis, which attempts to unify the theory of genes with the theory of biological forms.

Pigliucci spoke at the Society on January 25, 2009. His topic was What's Science Got To Do with It? When Scientists Talk Nonsense About Religion.

Pigliucci is also the author of several books, including the forthcoming Nonsense on Stilts.

Ethical Culture in the News

Two NY Metro area Ethical Culture Societies are the recipients of recent media publicity. As mentioned earlier in this blog, the Ethical Culture Society of Rockland County's Alan Berger was cited in LoHud.com. And now, the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island's Sharon Stanley has been blogged by Ute Mitchell of BellaOnline.

The recent Darwin Day Family Festival at the New York Society was Sharon's brainchild.

This I Believe: Bob Gordon

As delivered to the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County on Sunday, February 8, 2009:

I WAS ASKED TO GIVE A SHORT TALK, INSPIRED BY THE NPR SERIES, “THIS I BELIEVE.”

I HAD A FIT … [THAT’S THE TITLE]

THIS IS [PART OF] WHAT I BELIEVE

I recently read a NY Times Magazine article on discovering his genome, by Steven Pinker, a Harvard College Professor of Psychology.

Pinker described a mix of three determinants that distinguish the individual: nature, nurture, and “brute chance.” He used this latter term, in part, to account for changes in the chemical soup that can affect a biological entity (such as gene mutation). Alterations can occur to gene components, affecting the actions of those that control when - or if - an activity starts or stops, or the faithfulness of replication.

How, when and to what extents the three determinants contribute are unpredictable variables.

Aside from the fascinating science – or conjecture, if you prefer - what resonated with me … what I found useful and appealing … is the way Pinker references attributes that describe the individual, such as one’s natural inclinations to novelty-seeking, sensation seeking, sexual preference, religiosity, political orientation, openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, selfishness, being a thinker, and more - or their opposites - as well as the accidents of life and our reactions to them, all of which collectively describe one’s unique persona.

I believe that Ethical Culture, by its nature, and by its membership and leadership (its nurture), is unparalleled in providing the welcome stimulation to my nature … in providing the panoply of keys that match to my personal receptors ... those gradations and the mix of attributes that define me, warts and all …the prickles, goodnesses and predilections.

In President Obama’s inauguration speech, he used a phrase: “to choose our better history.” I don’t know to what extent I chose my history by associating with ECS 40 years ago, as opposed to just happenstancing into it. I guess that I represent the “brute chance” for the change in the chemical soup of my adult life. But the whole of it all, as I said up front, comes to: “I had a fit.”

I believe I have grown as a result … and, hopefully, added something to ECS in return.

Joseph Addison has said: “Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”

I believe that these too are given me by ECS.

I believe I am enriched thereby.

And I believe that to the extent that any of us wants to partake, the same is available to all.

National Prayer Breakfast: President Obama Mentions Humanists

Barack Obama continues to push the presidential envelope, it would seem, when it comes to making a place at the table for non-theists and non-believers.

At today's National Prayer Breakfast, an event that snubs the non-prayerful in name if not in fact, the president is quoted as saying "We subscribe to different accounts of how we came to be here and where we’re going next – and some subscribe to no faith at all..." (emphasis added). Later in the same address he explicitly includes humanists with religious groups that abide by the Golden Rule as the "one law that binds all great religions together".

Something's in the air. Read the entire text here and an interesting blog entry in The Economist here.

This I Believe: Linda Bennett

As delivered to the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County on Sunday, February 1, 2009:

When I was a child, my grandmother made her home with us. I didn’t get along with her very well. In my memory, whenever she came into the room, she expected my mother’s full attention. I was to be “seen and not heard” when the grownups were talking. “I got no respect.”

So the importance of respect resonated with me; it is one of my core beliefs. I took to heart the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Later, I broadened my understanding: “Do unto others as they would have you do unto them.” And “others” includes children, not just adults.

When my children were young, I made a decision to show them the same respect I would show an adult. My children always seemed to want me as soon as the phone rang, “Mommmeeeee!” (and tugging on me), like Pavlov’s dogs salivating when he rang a bell (“ding, ding”). But I made it a point to ask my child to wait a minute while I heard out the person on the phone, and then I would ask the person on the phone to please wait – and I would give my child my undivided attention for a minute or two. I wanted my children to know that their questions had value and that if they gave me the respect of waiting their turn, I would give them the respect to hear them out.

I wish my husband and I had known about the Ethical Culture Sunday School when our children were young. We would have been so pleased for them to learn humanist and ethical values in a community that shared our beliefs. Since we did not belong to any religious community, they felt somewhat isolated. Most of their friends were Catholic, and when my daughter, Samantha, was in middle school, the Catholic youth group was the place to go. She not only joined the youth group, but also became their first Jewish peer minister (essentially a peer counselor for youth group members who preferred talking to a peer rather an adult). It did not lead her to join the church, however.

Samantha and her then-fiancé, Mark, were married by Joe Chuman five years ago and joined the Society. In Ethical Culture, they found a community that reflected their beliefs.