############################################################ ############################################################ ______ / / / / / /__ __ / / ) (__ / / (__(__ __ |\ ( ) ) / / | \ | / / . _/_ . __ / . __ __ | \ | / / / / ) / ) / / ) __ ) / ) ) \| (__(__(___(__(__(___(__(__(__(__(__(__/ (__ =========================================================== *The*E-Zine*of*Atheistic*Secular*Humanism*and*Freethought** =========================================================== ############################################################ ###### Volume II, Number 9 ***A Collector's Item!***##### ################### ISSN 1201-0111 ####################### ####################### SEP 1995 ########################### nullifidian, n. & a. (Person) having no religious faith or belief. [f. med. L _nullifidius_ f. L _nullus_ none + _fides_ faith; see -IAN] Concise Oxford Dictionary The purpose of this magazine is to provide a source of articles dealing with many aspects of humanism. We are ATHEISTIC as we do not believe in the actual existence of any supernatural beings or any transcendental reality. We are SECULAR because the evidence of history and the daily horrors in the news show the pernicious and destructive consequences of allowing religions to be involved with politics or government. We are HUMANISTS and we focus on what is good for humanity, in the real world. We will not be put off with offers of pie in the sky, bye and bye. Re: navigation. Search for BEG to find the beginning of the next article. Search for the first few words of the title as given in the table of contents to find a specific article. I try to remember to copy the title from the text and then paste it into the ToC, so it should be exact. Search for "crass commercialism:" to see what's for sale. Subscription information, etc is at the end of the magazine, search for END OF TEXTS. ############################################################ ############################################################ ============================================================ /=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\ TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. A FEW REASONS FOR DOUBTING THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE. (Part I, reasons first through fortieth) --R.G. Ingersoll. 2. Cynic's Corner: The Seductive Song of Censorship, by Brent Yaciw (AthAlFLB@aol.com) 3. Humanism in Cyberspace, provided by Fred Edwords 4. AT LAST! A NATIONAL HAC OFFICE!! =========================================================== || BEGINNING OF ARTICLE || =========================================================== A FEW REASONS FOR DOUBTING THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE. THE Old Testament must have been written nearly two thousand years before the invention of Printing. There were but few copies, and these were in the keeping of those whose interest might have prompted interpolations, and whose ignorance might have led to mistakes. Second. The written Hebrew was composed entirely of consonants, without any points or marks standing for vowels, so that anything like accuracy was impossible, Anyone can test this for himself by writing an English sentence, leaving out the vowels. It will take far more inspiration to read than to write a book with consonants alone. Third. The books composing the Old Testament were not divided into chapters or verses, and no system of punctuation was known. Think of this a moment and you will see how difficult it must be to read such a book. Fourth. There was not among the Jews any dictionary of their language, and for this reason the accurate meaning of words could not be preserved. Now the different meanings of words are preserved so that by knowing the age in which a writer lived we can ascertain with reasonable certainty his meaning. Fifth. The Old Testament was printed for the first time in 1488. Until this date it existed only in manuscript, and was constantly exposed to erasures and additions. Sixth. It is now admitted by the most learned in the Hebrew language that in our present English version of the Old Testament there are at least one hundred thousand errors. Of course the believers in inspiration assert that these errors are not sufficient in number to cast the least suspicious upon any passages upholding what are called "the fundamentals." Seventh. It is not certainly known who in fact wrote any of the books of the Old Testament. For instance, it is now generally conceded that Moses was not the author of the Pentateuch. Eighth. Other books, not now in existence, are referred to in the Old Testament as of equal authority, such as the books of Jasher, Nathan, Ahijah, Iddo, Jehu, Sayings of the Seers. Ninth. The Christians are not agreed among themselves as to what books are inspired. The Catholics claim as inspired the books of Maccabees, Tobit, Esdras, etc. Others doubt the inspiration of Esther, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. Tenth. In the book of Esther and the Song of Solomon the name of God is not mentioned, and no reference is made to any supreme being, nor to any religions duty. these omissions would seem sufficient to cast a little doubt upon these books. Eleventh. Within the present century manuscript copies of the Old Testament have been found throwing new light and changing in many instances the present readings. In consequence a new version is now being made by a theological syndicate composed of English and American divines, and after this is published it may be that our present Bible will fall into disrepute. Twelfth. The fact that language is continually changing that words are constantly dying and others being born; that the same word has a variety of meanings during its life, shows how hard it is to preserve the original ideas that might have been expressed in the Scriptures, for thousands of years, without dictionaries, without the art of printing, and without the light of contemporaneous literature. Thirteenth. Whatever there was of the Old Testament seems to have been lost from the time of Moses until the days of Josiah, and it is probable that nothing like the Bible existed in any permanent form among the Jews until a few hundred years before Christ. It is said that Ezra gave the Pentateuch to the Jews, but whether he found or originated it is unknown. So it is claimed that Nehemiah gathered up the manuscripts about the kings and prophets, while the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, and some others were either collected or written long after. The Jews themselves did not agree as to what books were really inspired. Fourteenth. In the Old Testament we find several contradictory laws about the same thing, and contradictory accounts of the same occurrences. In the twentieth chapter of Exodus we find the first account of the giving of Ten Commandments. In the thirty-fourth chapter another account is given. These two accounts could never have been written by the same person. Read these two accounts and you will be forced to admit that one of them cannot be true. So there are two histories of the creation, of the flood, and of the manner in which Saul became king. Fifteenth. It is now generally admitted that Genesis must have been written by two persons, and the parts written by each can be separated, and when separated they are found to contradict each other in many important particulars. Sixteenth. It is also admitted that copyists made verbal changes not only, but pieced out fragments; that the speeches of Elihu in the book of Job were all interpolated, and that most of the prophecies were made by persons whose names we have never known. Seventeenth. The manuscripts of the Old Testament were not alike, and the Greek version differed from the Hebrew, and there was no absolutely received text of the Old Testament until after the commencement of the Christian era. Marks and points to denote vowels were invented probably about the seventh century after Christ. Whether these vowels were put in the proper places or not is still an open question. Eighteenth. The Alexandrian version, or what is known as the Septuagint, translated by seventy learned Jews, assisted by "miraculous power," about two hundred years before Christ, could not have been, it is said, translated from the Hebrew text that we now have. The differences can only be accounted for by supposing that they had a different Hebrew text. The early Christian Churches adopted the Septuagint, and were satisfied for a time. But so many errors were found, and so many were scanning every word in search of something to sustain their peculiar views, that several new versions appeared, all different somewhat from the Hebrew manuscripts, from the Septuagint, and from each other. All these versions were in Greek. The first Latin Bible originated in Africa, but no one has ever found out which Latin manuscript was the original. Many were produced, and all differed from each other. These Latin versions were compared with each other and with the Hebrew, and a new Latin version was made in the fifth century, but the old Latin versions held their own for about four hundred years, and no one yet knows which were right. Besides these there were Egyptian, Ethiopic, Armenian, and several others, all differing from each other as well as from all others in the world. It was not until the fourteenth century that the Bible was translated into German, and not until the fifteenth that Bibles were printed in the principal languages of Europe. Of these Bibles there were several kinds -- Luther's, the Dort, King James's, Genevan, French, besides the Danish and Swedish. Most of these differed from each other, and gave rise to infinite disputes and crimes without number. The earliest fragment of the Bible in the "Saxon" language known to exist was written sometime in the seventh century. The first Bible was printed in England in 1538. In 1560 the first English Bible was printed that was divided into verses. Under Henry VIII. the Bible was revised; again under Queen Elizabeth, and once again under King James, This last was published in 1611, and is the one now in general use. Nineteenth. No one in the world has learning enough, nor has the time enough even if he had the learning, and could live a thousand years, to find out what books really belong to and constitute the Old Testament, the authors these books, when they were written, and what they mean. And until a man has the learning and the time to do all this he cannot certainly tell whether he believes in the Bible or not. Twentieth. If a revelation from God was actually necessary to the happiness of man here and to his salvation hereafter, it is not easy to see why such revelation was not given to all the nations of the earth. Why were the millions of Asia, Egypt, and America left to the insufficient light of nature. Why was not a written, or what is still better, printed revelation given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden? And why were the Jews themselves without a Bible until the days of Ezra the scribe? Why was nature not so made that it would give light enough? Why did God make men and leave them in darkness -- a darkness that he knew would fill the world with want and crime, and crowd with damned souls the dungeons of hell? Were the Jews the only people who needed a revelation? It may be said that God had no time to waste with other nations, and gave the Bible to the Jews that other nations through them might learn of his existence and his will. If he wished other nations to be informed, and revealed himself to but one, why did he not choose a people that mingled with others? Why did he give the message to those who had no commerce, who were obscure and unknown, and who regarded other nations with the hatred born of bigotry and weakness? What would we now think of a God who made his will known to the South Sea Islanders for the benefit of the civilized world? If it was of such vast importance for man to know that there is a God, why did not God make himself known? This fact could have been revealed by an infinite being instantly to all, and there certainly was no necessity of telling it alone to the Jews, and allowing millions for thousands of years to die in utter ignorance. Twenty-first. The Chinese, Japanese, Hindus, Tartars, Africans, Eskimo, Persians, Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Polynesians, and many other peoples, are substantially ignorant of the Bible. All the Bible societies of the world have produced only about one hundred and twenty millions of Bibles, and there are about fourteen hundred million people. There are hundreds of languages and tongues in which no Bible has yet been printed. Why did God allow, and why does he still allow, a vast majority of his children to remain in ignorance of his will? Twenty-second. If the Bible is the foundation of all civilization, of all just ideas of right and wrong, of our duties to God and each other, why did God not give to each nation at least one copy to start with? He must have known that no nation could get along successfully without a Bible, and he also knew that man could not make one for himself. Why, then, were not the books furnished? He must have known that the light of nature was not sufficient to reveal the scheme of the atonement, the necessity of baptism, the immaculate conception, transubstantiation, the arithmetic of the Trinity, or the resurrection of the dead. Twenty-third. It is probably safe to say that not one-third of the inhabitants of this world ever heard of the Bible, and not one-tenth ever read it. It is also safe to say that no two persons who ever read it agreed as to its meaning, and it is not likely that even one person has ever understood it. Nothing is more needed at the present time than an inspired translator. Then we shall need an inspired commentator, and the translation and the commentary should be written in an inspired universal language, incapable of change, and then the whole world should be inspired to understand this language precisely the same. Until these things are accomplished, all written revelations from God will fill the world with contending sects, contradictory creeds and opinions. Twenty-fourth. All persons who know anything of constitutions and laws know how impossible it is to use words that will convey the same ideas to all. The best statesmen, the profoundest lawyers, differ as widely about the real meaning of treaties and statutes as do theologians about the Bible. When the differences of lawyers are left to courts, and the courts give written decisions, the lawyers will again differ as to the real meaning of the opinions. Probably no two lawyers in the United States understand our Constitution alike. To allow a few men to tell what the Constitution means, and to hang for treason all who refuse to accept the opinions of these few men, would accomplish in politics what most churches have asked for in religion. Twenty-fifth. Is it very wicked to deny that the universe was created of nothing by an infinite being who existed from all eternity? The human mind is such that it cannot possibly conceive of creation, neither can it conceive of an infinite being who dwelt in infinite space an infinite length of time. Twenty-sixth. The idea that the universe was made in six days, and is but about six thousand years old, is too absurd for serious refutation. Neither will it do to say that the six days were six periods, because this does away with the Sabbath, and is in direct violation of the text. Twenty-seventh. Neither is it reasonable that this God made man out of dust, and woman out of one of the ribs of the man; that this pair were put in a garden; that they were deceived by a snake that had the power of speech; that they were turned out of this garden to prevent them from eating of the tree of life and becoming immortal; that God himself made them clothes; that the sons of God intermarried with the daughters of men; that to destroy all life upon the earth a flood was sent that covered the highest mountains; that Noah and his sons built an ark and saved some of all animals as well as themselves; that the people tried to build a tower that would reach to heaven; that God confounded their language, and in this way frustrated their design. Twenty-eighth. It is hard to believe that God talked to Abraham as one man talks to another; that he gave him land that he pointed out; that he agreed to give him land that he never did; that he ordered him to murder his own son; that angels were in the habit of walking about the earth eating veal dressed with butter and milk, and making bargains about the destruction of cities. Twenty-ninth. Certainly a man ought not to be eternally damned for entertaining an honest doubt about a woman having been turned into a pillar of salt, about cities being destroyed by storms of fire and brimstone, and about people once having lived for nearly a thousand years. Thirtieth. Neither is it probable that God really wrestled with Jacob and put his thigh out of joint, and that for that reason the Jews refused "to eat the sinew that shrank," as recounted in the thirty-second chapter of Genesis; that God in the likeness of a flame inhabited a bush; that he amused himself by changing the rod of Moses into a serpent, and making his hand leprous as snow. Thirty-first. One can scarcely be blamed for hesitating to believe that God met Moses at a hotel and tried to kill him; [Ex. iv, 24.] that afterward he made this same Moses a god to Pharaoh, and gave him his brother Aaron for a prophet; [Ex. vii, 1.] that he turned all the ponds and pools and streams and all the rivers into blood, [Ex. viii, 19.] and all the water in vessels of wood and stone; that the rivers thereupon brought forth frogs; [Ex. viii, 3] that the frogs covered the whole land of Egypt; that he changed dust into lice, so that all the men, women, children, and animals were covered with them; [Ex. viii, 16, 17.] that he sent swarms of flies upon the Egyptians; [Ex. viii, 21.] that he destroyed the innocent cattle with painful diseases; that he covered man and beast with blains and boils; [Ex. ix, 9.] that he so covered the magicians of Egypt with boils that they could not stand before Moses for the purpose of performing the same feat; [Ex. xii, 11.] that he destroyed every beast and every man that was in the fields, and every herb, and broke every tree with storm of hail and fire; [Ex. ix, 25.] that he sent locusts that devoured every herb that escaped the hail, and devoured every tree that grew; [Ex. x, 15.] that he caused thick darkness over the land and put lights in the houses of the Jews; [Ex. x, 22, 23.] that he destroyed all of the firstborn of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh upon the throne to the firstborn of the maidservant that sat behind the mill, [Ex. xi, 5.] together with the firstborn of all beasts, so that there was not a house in which the dead were not. [Ex. xii, 29.] Thirty-second. It is very hard to believe that three millions of people left a country and marched twenty or thirty miles all in one day. To notify so many people would require a long time, and then the sick, the halt, and the old would be apt to impede the march. It seems impossible that such a vast number -- six hundred thousand men, besides women and children -- could have been cared for, could have been fed and clothed, and the sick nursed, especially when we take into consideration that "they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual." [Ex. xii, 37-39.] Thirty-third. It seems cruel to punish a man forever for denying that God went before the Jews by day "in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light to go by day and night," or for denying that Pharaoh pursued the Jews with six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and that the six hundred thousand men of war of the Jews were sore afraid when they saw the pursuing hosts. It does seems strange that after all the water in a country had been turned to blood -- after it had been overrun with frogs and devoured with flies; after all the cattle had died with the murrain, and the rest had been killed by the fire and hail and the remainder had suffered with boils, and the firstborn of all that were left had died; that after locusts had devoured every herb and eaten up every tree of the field, and the firstborn had died, from the firstborn of the king on the throne to the firstborn of the captive in the dungeon; that after three millions of people had left, carrying with them the jewels of silver and gold and the raiment of their oppressors, the Egyptians still had enough soldiers and chariots and horses left to pursue and destroy an army of six hundred thousand men, if God had not interfered. Thirty-fourth. It certainly ought to satisfy God to torment a man for four or five thousand years for insisting that it is but a small thing for an infinite being to vanquish an Egyptian army; that it was rather a small business to trouble people with frogs, flies, and vermin; that it looked almost malicious to cover people with boils and afflict cattle with disease; that a real good God would not torture innocent beasts on account of something the owners had done; that it was absurd to do miracles before a king to induce him to act in a certain way, and then harden his heart so that he would refuse; and that to kill all the firstborn of a nation was the act of a heartless fiend. Thirty-fifth. Certainly one ought to be permitted to doubt that twelve wells of water were sufficient for three millions of people, together with their flocks and herds [Ex. xv, 27.] and to inquire a little into the nature of manna that cooked by baking and seething and yet would melt in sun, [Ex. xvi, 23, 21.] and that would swell or shrink so as to make an exact omer, no matter how much or how little there really was. [Ex. xix, 12.] Certainly it is not a crime to say that water cannot be manufactured by striking a rock with a stick, and that the fate of battle cannot be decided by lifting one hand up or letting it fall. [Ex. xvii, 11, 12.] Must we admit that God really did come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people; that he commanded that all who should go up into the Mount or touch the border of it should be put to death, and that even the beasts that came near it should be killed? [Ex. xix, 12, 13.] Is it wrong to laugh at this? Is it sinful to say that God never spoke from the top of a mountain covered with clouds these words to Moses, "Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish; and let the priests also, which come near to Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them"? [Ex. xix, 21, 22.] Can it be that an infinite intelligence takes delight in scaring savages, and that he is happy only when somebody trembles? Is it reasonable to suppose that God surrounded himself with thunderings and lightnings and thick darkness to tell the priests that they should not make altars of hewn stones, nor with stairs? [Ex. xix, 25, 26.] And that this God at the same time he gave the Ten Commandments ordered the Jews to break the most of them? According to the Bible these infamous words came from the mouth of God while he was wrapped and clothed in darkness and clouds upon the Mount of Sinai: If thou buy an Hebrew servant six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself he shall go out by himself; if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master have given him a wife, and she have borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself. And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door or unto the doorpost; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him forever. [Ex. xxi, 2-6.] And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand, he shall be surely punished. Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his money." [Ex. xxi, 20, 21.] Do you really think that a man will be eternally damned for endeavoring to wipe from the record of God those barbaric words? Thirty-sixth. Is it because of total depravity that some people refuse to believe that God went into partnership with insects and granted letters of marque and reprisal to hornets; [Ex. xxiii, 28.] that he wasted forty days and nights furnishing Moses with plans and specifications for a tabernacle, an ark, a mercy seat and two cherubs of gold, a table, four rings, some dishes and spoons, one candlestick, three bowls, seven lamps, a pair of tongs, some snuff dishes (for all of which God had patterns), ten curtains with fifty loops, a roof for the tabernacle of rams' skins dyed red, a lot of boards, an altar with horns, ash pans, basins, and flesh hooks, and fillets of silver and pins of brass; that he told Moses to speak unto all the wise-hearted that he had filled with wisdom, that they might make a suit of clothes for Aaron, and that God actually gave directions that an ephod "shall have the two shoulder-pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof," and gave all the orders concerning mitres, girdles, and onyx stones, ouches, emeralds, breastplates, chains, rings, Urim and Thummim, and the hole in the top of the ephod like the hole of a habergeon? [Ex. xxvii and xxviii.] Thirty-seventh. Is there a Christian missionary who could help laughing if in any heathen country he had seen the following command of God carried out? "And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. Then shalt thou kill the ram and take of his blood and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot. [Ex. xxix, 19, 20.] Does one have to be born again to appreciate the beauty and solemnity of such a performance? Is not the faith of the most zealous Christian somewhat shaken while reading the recipes for cooking mutton, veal, beef, birds, and unleavened dough, found in the cook book that God made for Aaron and his sons? Thirty-eighth. Is it to be wondered at that some people have doubted the statement that God told Moses how to make some ointment, hair oil, and perfume, and then made it a crime punishable with death to make any like them? Think of a God killing a man for imitating his ointment! [Ex. xxx, 23.] Think of a God saying that be made heaven and earth in six days and rested on the seventh day and was refreshed! [Ex. xxxi, 17.] Think of this God threatening to destroy the Jews, and being turned from his purpose because Moses told him that the Egyptians might mock him! [Ex. xxxii, 11, 12.] Thirty-ninth. What must we think of a man impudent enough to break in pieces tables of stone upon which God had written with his finger? What must we think of the goodness of a man that would issue the following order: "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. Consecrate yourselves to-day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day"? [Ex. xxxii, 27-29.] Is it true that the God of the Bible demanded human sacrifice? Did it please him for man to kill his neighbor, for brother to murder his brother, and for the father to butcher his son? If there is a God let him cause it to be written in the book of his memory, opposite my name, that I refuted this slander and denied this lie. Fortieth. Can it be true that God was afraid to trust himself with the Jews for fear he would consume them? Can it be that in order to keep from devouring them he kept away and sent one of his angels in his place? [Ex. xxxiii, 2,3.] Can it be that this same God talked to Moses "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend," when it is declared in the same chapter, by God himself, "Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live"? [Ex. xxxiii, 11,20.] Part II next month. ========================================================= || END OF ARTICLE || ========================================================= "The Christian religion not only was at first attended with miracles, but even at this day cannot be believed by any reasonable person without one." [David Hume] =========================================================== || BEGINNING OF ARTICLE || =========================================================== 2. Cynic's Corner: The Seductive Song of Censorship, by Brent Yaciw (AthAlFLB@aol.com) Speech given at Lake Hypatia, July 1995. "Freedom without restraint is bondage." If this makes perfect sense to you, maybe you're in the wrong place. That bit of circular illogic was on a church sign in Anniston, Alabama, that we passed as we headed for the Lake Hypatia Freethought Gala. It's a perfect example of how religionists think when it comes to censorship; perhaps it's a leftover from the days of slavery, when freedom for slaves was allowing them to roam anywhere they wanted to--on the plantation. One of the things I've learned in debating Xians is that the first priority in maintaining an intelligent level of conversation is defining key terms. There's nothing more frustrating than nailing a creationist on the inconsistencies in his "god", then listening to him redefine it so that it appears you've argued against a straw man. On that note, let's define censorship, and let's start with a few situations that are not so clear-cut: 1. A book publisher produces textbooks that stick to the known facts of evolution, and mentions creationism only to say that it fails to meet the standards of science and is thus rejected by the academic community. A pressure group of RRR folks comes down so hard on the state's textbook selection committee that the book is rejected, though it is clearly the best choice. The book publisher republishes the book, but deletes the entire discussion of evolution. 2. During school hours, but on their "free time," children are distributing religious literature in such a manner that other children feel obligated to take it for fear of ostracism. The principle declares that no religious literature may be distributed on school grounds. 3. A freethought group wishes to have its meeting notices placed in the newspaper's religion section, which provides free space to church groups for announcements. The editor says that the notices are not appropriate for that section; that the notices must be placed in the "clubs and organizations" section which requires a fee. 4. A bookstore sells, among other things, magazines depicting nudity and freethought literature, both of which cause the town's biggest church to object. After the church boycotts the bookstore for a month, causing a 25% drop in business, the store removes all objectionable material. Freethinkers conduct their own boycott, but the 5% loss is overshadowed by the gains caused by church endorsement. {HEADLINE} So which of these is censorship? All of them are, or none of them are, depending on how you choose to define censorship. If you are an extremely strict interpreter of censorship who defines it only as government action taken to restrict speech, only number two might qualify. Even in that case, most agree that a principal has a right to control his school grounds, and that children have rights limitations on the premises that don't apply to adults. On the other hand, the first example is an example of the "chilling effect" on a private company. Though they are not directly being censored, efforts to censor them have had the same effect, self-censorship based on fear. In the second case, the principal is overstepping his bounds; while he should take action to prevent intimidation of students, he's using the "broad brush" approach. Example three is discriminatory action that effectively results in censorship, but unfortunately it's a form of discrimination supported by other laws. Many might claim it's editorial prerogative. However, there's no difference between treating those who have NO religion as second-class citizens, and treating those who have a DIFFERENT religion as such. The fourth example is the most ambiguous. After all, it's nothing more than good business; it's also one reason I implore everyone to do your best to support businesses being targeted by the RRR, and not to threaten boycotts yourself. Let's be realistic: anything we threaten to boycott, the RRR will probably decide to support, and in sheer numbers they will simply overrun us like cockroaches. A perfect example of the damnfoolery of censorship, and the popular support for it, is occurring at this very moment in our government--although at almost any given moment, that could probably be said. But never in my nightmares did I imagine that the Senate would pass the Communications Decency Act by a vote of 84-16. Never did I imagine that a bipartisan coalition of scoundrels would seek to fence in and control the unknown. The Communications Decency Amendment -- an oxymoron that overlooks the essential indecency of censorship -- is like trying to fence off the galaxy with chain link to keep out the creatures from beyond. There's an old saying that says: Ignorance is bliss. I've got an update for you: Ignorance is FEAR. Fear of the unknown, fear of the partially known, fear of the blown all out of proportion until adults are acting like children cowering at night because of the monsters under their bed. The co-sponsor of the bill, Senator Dan Coats of Indiana, admits that his VCR still blinks "12:00" because he doesn't know how to program it. Yet he thinks himself qualified to control an international network of computers. Censorship is born of fear. Some of you might have the idea that censorship of "pornography" isn't just a religious issue, and that maybe that's not so bad. Some might even think the Lemon test, which beseeches our government to avoid excessive entanglement with religion, might have some effect on the influence of religion in our government. I hope that no one here is actually that naive. The First Amendment does NOT say, "Congress shall make no law restricting the freedom of speech unless that speech is decided to be obscene by "community standards," an asinine notion in its own right. Something that's fine in one place and illegal in another is the rule rather than the exception. A Tennessee court convicted California providers who allowed access to material legal in their own jurisdiction by individuals from Tennessee. Must every Internet provider memorize all the conflicting standards of every state, and restrict access accordingly? Another form of speech recently being attacked: the flag-burning amendment. I can't think of much that desecrated the flag more that Ollie North wrapping it around himself, or George Bush claiming you had to believe in god to be a citizen. But the strange thing about most pro-amendment editorials I have read is that they concentrate on the idea that only free SPEECH is protected by the First Amendment, and that the Supreme Court has "perverted the concept of free speech by including physical forms of expression such as nude dancing and flag burning." For all those who believe that one must use words to say something, I have a message for you: [[[[ Imagine GESTURE of upraised middle digit here!]]]]. If that's not saying anything, then you shouldn't be offended; if it is, then drop this hypocrisy of claiming words alone are protected speech! I encourage all of you to call your Senators and complain or praise, depending on which way they voted. (Both of Florida's voted to restrict your right to free speech!) I also encourage you to start working now on your congressional representatives, letting them know that you object to the Communications Decency Amendment in ANY form, and to amendments concerning flag-burning. I'm not here to advocate burning the flag, but I have to say that once it is against the law, I will do so, because it will then be a truly meaningless piece of cloth. -00- Cheers, Brent Yaciw, ATHALFLB@AOL.COM "Faith is the antithesis of proof." --New York State Supreme Court Justice Edward J. Greenfield, 1995 "Getting back from vacation is the antithesis of relaxation!" --Florida's infamous troublemaker, Brent Yaciw ========================================================= || END OF ARTICLE || ========================================================= "Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest." [Denis Diderot, "Dithyrambe sur la fete des rois"] ========================================================= "The meme for blind faith secures its own perpetuation by the simple unconscious expedient of discouraging rational inquiry." [Richard Dawkins, _The Selfish Gene_] =========================================================== || BEGINNING OF ARTICLE || =========================================================== Humanism in Cyberspace Humanist activity in the virtual world of computers is burgeoning, attracting to the philosophy a demographically younger audience. What follows below provides only a sampling of what is going on, with information on where each activity can be found. America Online -------------- If you are an AOL user and desire humanist discussion and access to a library of humanist electronic texts, select RELIGION for the Religion and Ethics Forum, then select the Atheism/Humanism/Unitarian topic area. Reach the Freethought Forum, including The Truth Seeker magazine and The Nullifidian electronic zine, via FENWAY PARK. CompuServe ---------- If you are on CompuServe, the world's largest commercial network, and desire humanist discussion and access to a library of humanist electronic texts, enter the keywords GO RELIGION for the Religion Special Interest Group, then select item 14, the Free Thought section. To read or do searches through back issues of The Humanist, enter the keywords GO MAGAZINE, select item 19, ZiffNet and Other Ziff Services, then select item 8, Magazine Database Plus. The Free Thinker BBS, San Diego, California ------------------------------------------- To log on to the computer Bulletin Board System of the Humanist Fellowship of San Diego, a chapter of the American Humanist Association, have your modem dial 1-619-224-4573 (up to 14400 baud). This BBS is free and features humanist dialogue and a library of humanist text files. The Humanist BBS, Columbus, Ohio -------------------------------- To log onto the AHA's national BBS, have your modem dial 1-614-267-1176 (up to 14400 baud). This BBS is free and features humanist dialogue and a library of humanist text files. Internet E-mail --------------- If you are a humanist activist who wants to interract with other such activists around the world, having the discussion come right to your Internet e-mail box, join the Humanist Initiatives List by sending an e-mail letter to lucas@phantom.com and tell something about your humanist involvements and interests. Subscription is free. If you wish to join in an email listserv discussion group, you may contact the one sponsored by CODESH at: sechum-l@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu No subject necessary. Your first message can be the single word "help". If you are sure about subscribing, send "subscribe sechum-l firstname lastname". You will have to verify the subscription (a message will come back and ask if you really mean it) and a list of commands and how to use them will be sent either way. If you mess up the message the same "how to" file will be sent. To communicate directly with the AHA national office, you may send e-mail to Fred Edwords at the address: ap818@freenet.buffalo.edu. Usenet ------ If you have Internet access and wish to enjoy unmoderated humanist discussion, select the newsgroup, talk.philosophy.humanism. World Wide Web -------------- If you have Internet access and wish to reach the AHA Web page and its electronic text library, the address is http://freethought.tamu.edu/org/aha (the File Transfer Protocol address is freethought.tamu.edu and the Gopher address is Gopher.freethought.tamu.edu. For these latter two, you will need to select the menu item "Organizations," under which is "American Humanist Association" and numerous others). To reach the Web page of the AHA campus group at Stanford University, use http://www-leland-stanford.edu/group/humanists/. The simplest way to find freethinking atheistic secular humanists on the Web is to aim your browser, such as Web Crawler or Yahoo, at the words Internet Infidels or atheist secular humanis. Many interesting sites will turn up; most of them with links to many other sites. [ed. note] -- Kindly provided by: Fred Edwords American Humanist Association P.O. Box 1188 Amherst, NY 14226-7188 USA [edited] The Humanist BBS Phone: 1 (800) 743-6646 24 hrs. - 8/N/1 - to 14400 Baud ========================================================= || END OF ARTICLE || ========================================================= ...in every religion the priest insists on five things -- First: There is a God. Second: He has made known his will. Third: He has selected me to explain this message. Fourth: We will now take up a collection; and Fifth: Those who fail to subscribe will certainly be damned.[Robert G. Ingersoll] =========================================================== || BEGINNING OF ARTICLE || =========================================================== AT LAST! A NATIONAL HAC OFFICE!! Mercy me! After much wandering in the wilderness, the Humanist Association of Canada has finally seen the light and established a National Office in Ottawa. Unfortunately, as we are not licenced operators of the Prayer (TM) system, and have no access to paraphysical cosmic inter- communications, we have had to rule out miracles and are forced to rely on down-to-earth donations to fund this worthy project. That is, . Here are just a few good reasons for having a central office: - tracking membership and responding better to your enquiries - responding faster to mail orders for HAC and other publications - operating a Library where members can browse the shelves or just meet to exchange news and ideas. - promoting membership by organising recruitment campaigns - maintaining an electronic archive of Humanist material accessible to all HAC members throughout Canada HOW TO DONATE HOW TO DONATE HOW TO DONATE HOW TO DONATE All contributions are welcome but receipts will be issued only for cheques which exceed $10. Members who donate $25 and above will have their names inscribed on a special plaque to be displayed on the office wall. Fame at last!! Please make your cheque payable to: The Humanist Association of Canada. All donations are tax deductible (against Canadian income). American friends of HAC who wish to help out may donate to CODESH (tax deductible against US income), noting that the donation may be considered as payment towards the (gratefully received and much-needed) loan from them to us. Actually, we need to check this out with CODESH to see if it is legal. ========================================================= || END OF ARTICLE || ========================================================= "While we are under the tyranny of Priests [...] it will ever be their interest, to invalidate the law of nature and reason, in order to establish systems incompatible therewith." [Ethan Allen, _Reason the Only Oracle of Man_] ========================================================== || END OF TEXTS || ========================================================== =><====><====><====><====><====><====><====><====><====><== || Begging portion of the Zine || ==><====><====><====><====><====><====><====><====><====><== There is no charge for receiving this, and there is no charge for distributing copies to any electronic medium. Nor is there a restriction on printing a copy for use in discussion. You may not charge to do so, and you may not do so without attributing it to the proper author and source. If you would like to support our efforts, and help us acquire better equipment to bring you more and better articles, you may send money to Greg Erwin at: 100, Terrasse Eardley / Aylmer, Qc / J9H 6B5 / CANADA. Or buy our atheist quote address labels, and other fine products, see "Shameless advertising and crass commercialism" below. =><====><====><====><====><====><====><====><====><====><= || End of Begging portion of the Zine || =><====><====><====><====><====><====><====><====><====><= Articles will be welcomed and very likely used IF: ( they are emailed to: ((ai815@FreeNet.Carleton.CA; or, godfree@magi.com), or sent on diskette to me at the above Aylmer address in any format that an IBM copy of WordPerfect can read; ) and they don't require huge amounts of editing; and I like them. I will gladly reprint articles from your magazine, local group's newsletter, or original material. There are currently about 140 subscribers, plus each issue is posted in some newsgroups and is archived as noted elsewhere. If you wish to receive a subscription, email a simple request to either address, with a clear request for a subscription. It will be assumed that the "Reply to:" address is where it is to be sent. Yes, please DO make copies! (*) Please DO send copies of The Nullifidian to anyone who might be interested. The only limitations are: At least clearly indicate the source, and how to subscribe. You do NOT have permission to copy this document for commercial purposes. The contents of this document are copyright (c) 1995, Greg Erwin (insofar as possible) and are on deposit at the National Library of Canada You may find back issues in any place that archives alt.atheism. Currently, all back issues are posted at the Humanist Association of Ottawa's area on the National Capital Freenet. telnet to 134.117.1.22, and enter at the "Your choice==>" prompt. ARCHIVES Arrangements have been made with etext at umich. ftp to etext.umich.edu directory Nullifidian or lucifers-echo. For America On-Line subscribers: To access the Freethought Forum on America Online enter keyword "Capital", scroll down until you find Freethought Forum, double click and you're there. Double click "Files & Truth Seeker Articles" and scroll until you find Nullifidian files. Double click the file name and a window will open giving you the opportunity to display a description of the file or download the file. And thanks to the people at the _Truth Seeker_, who edited, formatted and uploaded the articles to the aol area. /=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\ Shameless advertising and crass commercialism: \_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/ Humanist Solstice cards for sale: Humanist figure on sleigh with reindeer Words: Season's Greetings Inside: Humanist figure swinging on a wreath Words: and a Happy New Year Sample 2: Humanist family building snowman Words: Happy Winter Solstice Inside: Humanist family decorating Solstice tree Words: From our house to yours. Various colours. Packet of 10/five of each design $7.50 CDN Includes envelopes & shipping costs. WE CAN ACCEPT US Cheques To order either cards or scroll (see below), Please make out cheque and send to: Jaidco Consultants Inc. PO Box 8733/Station T/Ottawa, Ontario Canada/K1G 3J1 E-mail: by924@freenet.carleton.ca (for further information) Beautiful Scroll with the following words for sale: And behold! It came to pass that the Lord God came upon those who called themselves the Humanists. And the Lord spoke unto them that were known as the Humanists: "Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, why therefore do ye not believe in me thy God?" And the Humanists answered unto the Lord: "Humanism knows no guilt, Humanism does not divide humanity, Humanism causes no wars, Humanism seeks only truth, Humanism is tolerant, Humanism deals only with reason and compassion, Humanism sets you free." And the Lord God pondered these things in his heart. And it came to pass that the Lord God sayeth unto them that were known as the Humanists: "May I join you?" Printed in old English, in scroll form. Can be framed. $1.50 plus $.50 shipping = $2 CDN WE CAN ACCEPT U.S. Cheques Atheistic self-stick Avery(tm) address labels. Consisting of 210 different quotes, 30 per page, each label 2 5/8" x 1". This leaves three 49 character lines available for your own address, phone number, email, fax or whatever. Each sheet is US$2, the entire set of 7 for US$13; 2 sets for US$20. Indicate quantity desired. Print address clearly, exactly as desired. Order from address in examples below. Laser printed, 8 pt Arial, with occasional flourishes. [NOT ACTUAL SIZE] <-------------------2 5/8"----------------------> _________________________________________________ |"Reality is that which, when you stop believing |/\ |in it, doesn't go away." [Philip K. Dick] | | |Greg Erwin 100 Terrasse Eardley | 1" |Aylmer, Qc J9H 6B5 Canada | | | email: ai815@FreeNet.Carleton.CA | | |________________________________________________|\/ _________________________________________________ |"...and when you tell me that your deity made | |you in his own image, I reply that he must be | |very ugly." [Victor Hugo, writing to clergy] | |Greg Erwin 100 Terrasse Eardley | |Aylmer, Qc J9H 6B5 Canada Ph: (613) 954-6128 | | email: ai815@FreeNet.Carleton.CA | |________________________________________________| Other quotes in between the articles are usually part of the label quote file. Occasionally I throw in one that is too long for a label, but which should be shared. Other stuff for sale: Certificate of Baptism Removal and Renunciation of Religion. Have your baptism removed, renounce religion, and have a neat 8" x 11" fancy certificate, on luxury paper, suitable for framing, to commemorate the event! Instant eligibility for excommunication! For the already baptism-free: Certificate of Freedom from Religion. An official atheistic secular humanist stamp of approval for only $10! Pamphlet on "how to get excommunicated" included FREE with purchase. Poster 8x11: WARNING! This is a religion free zone! All religious vows, codes, and commitments are null & void herein. Please refrain from contaminating the ideosphere with harmful memes through prayer, reverence, holy books, proselytizing, prophesying, faith, speaking in tongues or spirituality. Fight the menace of second-hand faith! Humanity sincerely thanks you! Tastefully arranged in large point Stencil on luxury paper. Order from the same address as above. /=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\_/=\/=\ ============================================================ Neat books available from H.H. Waldo, Bookseller! Books by Ingersoll! Heston's 19th Century Freethought Cartoons! Holy Horrors, An Illustrated History of Religious Murder and Madness, by James A. Haught..........................$21.95 Christian Science, by Mark Twain.....................$15.95 (reprint of original attack) Deadly Doctrine, by Wendell W. Watters, MD...........$27.50 (Psychological damage caused by Christianity) Leaving the Fold, Testimonies of Former Fundamentalists, by Edward Babinski..................$32.50 and many, many more. Ever changing inventory. Friendly letters and news from Robb Marks, Proprietor. add $2 postage/handling for first book & 0.50 for each additional book. (All prices US$) Send 2 first class stamps for H.H. Waldo's current catalog. (Use international reply coupon, or get hold of US Stamps) TO: H.H Waldo, Bookseller P.O. Box 350 Rockton, IL 61072 or phone 1-800-66WALDO !!! tell 'im: "that nullifidian guy sent me!" =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The problem with religions that have all the answers is that they don't let you ask the questions. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Bank of Wisdom files. Consisting of untold numbers of 19th and early 20th century pamphlets, books and speeches by the likes of Ingersoll, Joseph McCabe, Clarence Darrow, Percy Shelley, Ethan Allen; and about freethinking Presidents and historical figures such as Franklin, Jefferson, Paine and many others. Ten 3-1/2" HD IBM compatible diskettes chock full of compressed files. Truly beyond price and invaluable...However... US$12.50 will cover the cost of diskettes, wrapping and postage. Bonus!!! In addition to the Bank of Wisdom files, an additional diskette with every issue to date of the Nullifidian and the Atheist Quote file and the Discordian Quote file. After the executable .EXE files are executed, you have a series of ASCII text files which can be read by any editor or word processor. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Once again: ISSN: 1201-0111 The Nullifidian Volume Two, Number 9: SEPTEMBER 1995. (*) There is no footnote, and certainly not an endnote. -- To know that the Bible is the literature of a barbarous people, to know that it is uninspired, to be certain that the supernatural does not and cannot exist--all this is but the beginning of wisdom.--Robert G. Ingersoll / Greg Erwin, VP, Humanist Association of Canada