Statement Re My May 18 Blog Post

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

May 23, 2013

The decision to issue the following statement is my own decision, and is not the result of any instruction or pressure, direct or indirect, from anyone, including, but not limited to, members of the CFI board of directors.

Watson’s World and Two Models of Communication

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

May 18, 2013

Rebecca Watson inhabits an alternate universe.  At least that is the most charitable explanation I can provide for her recent smear.  Watson has posted comments on my opening talk at Women in Secularism 2.  It may be the most intellectually dishonest piece of writing since the last communique issued by North Korea. 

A Few Examples of “Shut Up and Listen”

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

May 18, 2013

So I gave a talk yesterday afternoon in which I emphasized how horrible it was that women had been suppressed for thousands of years, and, on many matters, had been instructed to remain silent.  As I stated at the end of my talk, this enforced silence robbed women of their humanity, and I indicated that CFI was committed to working toward a society in which the autonomy of women would be respected and, among other things, they would be free to express themselves however they wanted. 

My Talk at WIS2

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

May 17, 2013

There has been some discussion, including many tweets, about my talk today at Women in Secularism 2. I think some of the comments have been highly misleading. One of the principal points of my talk was the critical importance of advocacy for women’s rights, and how this advocacy was integral to CFI’s mission. This is something I emphasized at the beginning and end of my talk. You wouldn’t realize this from some of the comments. Anyway, here is the text of my talk (note the video recording may differ slighly, as I did not read it word-for-word; also grammar and punctuation probably are amiss in places, as it was intended for my eyes only).

 

 

 

Catholic-Atheist Dialogue—or Just a Soft Sell?

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

May 11, 2013

I read The Morning Heresy. If I didn’t do that and watch the Colbert Report, I would never find out what’s happening.  So the other day, an item caught my eye: Leah Libresco announcing a new forum for Catholic-atheist dialogue. 

Those Filthy Women: The Catholic Church’s Objections to the HHS Rule on Contraceptive Care

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

April 8, 2013

As you probably know, back in August 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rule requiring employers to offer employees health insurance that provides preventive health care services. Based upon advice from the scientific and medical communities, these services include contraceptive care. Based upon advice from God, the Catholic Church has been engaged in an all-out war to kill the proposed rule.

Some Lessons from the LGBT Movement

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

March 28, 2013

The battle for same-sex marriage isn’t over, but the outcome is no longer in doubt.

He Who Doesn’t Pray to God Prays to the Devil

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

March 16, 2013

Been gone for a few weeks. Living in a cave in north Pakistan. Little known fact: Al-Zawahiri snores.

Cats Versus Birds: The Limits of Ethics

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

February 3, 2013

Morality does not always provide us with a definitive answer about what’s right and what’s wrong, even when pain and suffering are involved.  This is especially true when we try to extend moral reasoning beyond its usual territory—as when we try to weigh benefits to cats against harm to birds.

Why the BSA Will Not Admit Atheists Any Time Soon

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

January 30, 2013

The Boy Scouts of America appears to be ready to take a small, but significant step forward by changing its national policy prohibiting gay scouts. This is good news. Unfortunately, the BSA will continue to exclude atheists, and I predict the organization will continue to do this for some time.

The HEADS Meeting: Your Input Requested

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

January 9, 2013

I think it’s fairly common knowledge that the leaders of the various nationwide secular organizations have an annual meeting (called “HEADS”) to exchange ideas and discuss how we can best advance our shared objectives. This is your opportunity to give me some input prior to the meeting on a couple of specific topics.

The President’s Remarks and the Grief of Atheists

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

December 18, 2012

President Obama gave a moving speech at the Newtown memorial service Sunday night. His remarks contained several explicitly religious references. I don’t care.

On Shunning Fellow Atheists and Skeptics

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

November 25, 2012

Shunning and boycotting may be gaining acceptance in the atheist and skeptic communities.   In particular, it appears they are being adopted as tactics against fellow atheists and skeptics.  This is regrettable.

A Distortion of Religious Liberty

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

November 19, 2012

Score one for the Catholic Church and everyone else who thinks religious liberty implies the right to impose their dogma on others. A federal judge has prohibited the Obama administration from requiring a publisher owned principally by a Christian foundation to provide its employees with contraceptive coverage, pursuant to the new health care law. The case is Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. v. Sebelius.

Some Curious GOP Campaign Literature

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

October 16, 2012

It’s presidential campaign season and I’ve received some literature from the Romney campaign that I find curious for a couple of reasons.

International Blasphemy Rights Day 2012

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

September 28, 2012

International Blasphemy Rights Day (IBRD)—September 30—is almost here, and that’s a good thing because freedom of expression can definitely use a rallying point. From many governments, there has been a stronger push to prohibit “offensive” speech about religion than we have witnessed in years.

Who Would Jesus Endorse—Pulpit Freedom Sunday

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

September 24, 2012

On October 7, 2012, hundreds of clergy will intentionally defy the law by engaging in actions they might describe as coordinated civil disobedience. I view it as an unjustifiable defiance of the law and a constitutionally unsound attempt to get the government to subsidize political endorsements by clergy.

Divisiveness Within the Secular Movement

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

September 12, 2012

Greta Christina and PZ Myers have recently suggested that is it not necessarily a bad thing to be divisive.  True, it is not necessarily a bad thing.  It depends on what one is separating oneself from. 

Reality Check: The Nod to God

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

September 6, 2012

So the Democrats inserted God into the party platform. What did we expect?

Some Observations About Atheism Plus

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

August 27, 2012

WARNING: This post contains mild language, constructive criticism, occasional reasoning, and no invective (except by way of parody).

A Concise Review of a Clump of Matter

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

August 25, 2012

Just read the book, The Atheist’s Guide to Reality. It is a clump of matter. The author, Alex Rosenberg, assures it is. Further, as a clump of matter it cannot be about anything, because “one clump of matter can’t be about another clump of matter,” and clumps of matter (or more precisely, fermions and bosons) are all there is (emphasis in original).

The Nuns vs. Ryan: The Futility of Basing Public Policy on Religion

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

August 22, 2012

An instructive reminder of the futility of trying to base public policy on religious doctrine is the current dispute between some politically progressive Catholics and Paul Ryan and his supporters regarding who is more faithful to Catholic teachings. 

Leaving Sanctity Behind

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

August 17, 2012

Jonathan Haidt, in his recent book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, claims that “sanctity” is one of the six foundations of moral psychology. Central to his claim is his argument that we find some actions abhorrent, yet we cannot explain how they harm anyone. According to Haidt, we regard these actions as immoral because they violate our sense of the sacred. We find them disgusting, degrading.

Religious Beliefs and Politics

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

August 13, 2012

One of the explicit goals of CFI is to end the influence that religion has on public policy. Obviously, we are adamantly opposed to any politician who seeks to impose her/his religious views on other Americans. That said, not everyone who is religious is a theocrat, and religious beliefs, by themselves, do not disqualify someone for office. Under our Constitution they cannot.

From London to Mars: Moving Forward with Science

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

August 6, 2012

Promoting science is part of CFI’s mission. Presumably, most people reading this post do not need to be persuaded of the worth of this objective. Nonetheless, two recent events underscore just how marvelous a tool science is.

Be a Hero in Less Than Five Minutes

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

July 26, 2012

You can stand up for freedom of conscience without any danger to yourself—indeed without breaking a sweat. You can help someone who is being unjustly persecuted without leaving the comfort of your chair. You can advance the cause of freethought internationally without spending a dime. You can be a hero in less than five minutes. Here’s how.

Humanism and Wealth

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

July 12, 2012

There’s been a lot of talk in the secular blogosphere recently about sex and gender issues. This is an important set of topics, but just for a change of pace, I thought I would bring up another subject that can rev up our engines, namely money.

CFI’s New Policy on Hostile Conduct/Harassment at Conferences

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

June 29, 2012

Warning: the reaction of some of you to this post may be “tl;dr.” Fine, I’ve already posted some abbreviated comments on CFI’s new policy and you can limit yourself to reading those comments if you want. Others, however, may be interested in a longer discussion.

CFI’s New Policy on Hostile Conduct/Harassment at Conferences (Abridged Post)

Free Thinking (centerforinquiry.net)

June 29, 2012

CFI has issued a new policy on hostile conduct/harassment at its conferences. This post will provide an abridged explanation of why CFI issued this policy. A second post will provide a longer explanation and discuss how the policy will be administered.