September - Free Inquiry Group

FIG Leaves
Volume 21 Issue 8
September Meeting:
September 2012
Tuesday Sept. 25, 7-9 PM,
Hannaford Suites, Cincinnati
Open Clean Elections ‑ Your Voice
Rich Stevenson, Green Party Candidate for US Congress
For our September FIG Meeting, Rich Stevenson, Green Party Candidate for the
U.S. Congress will speak on “Open Clean Elections ~ Your Voice.” The Republican and
Democratic Conventions have just concluded and the phrase “God Bless You and God Bless
the United States of America” or some variant was uttered to end every speech. As part of
FIG’s mission, we desire to increase the public discourse and allow for more perspectives
outside the two party system.
Rich provided the following synopsis of his presentation:
What needs to be done for more people to have a voice in politics and our governments.
Everyone knows. Take money out of political campaigns.
Two huge history making reforms are needed. My proposed amendment to the U.S.
Constitution must be ratified and we must re‑enact the 1933 Glass‑Steagall Act to separate
commercial bank and financial bank functions. Regulations. Many basic reforms are needed.
The proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States will firmly establish
that money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to
constitutional rights. Furthermore, natural persons who are eligible to vote shall have exclusive
rights to support political campaigns with contributions and expenditures. Legal entities that
are not eligible to vote shall have no rights to make campaign contributions or expenditures
to influence elections or to support political campaigns of any kind. Just people. You and me.
The proposed amendment and basic financial regulation will create a new political
paradigm. You and I will be the voice of government through our non‑partisan representatives.
The financial interests of the 99% will be served.
More information about Rich can be found at http://cs2pr.us/Rich/issues.html#Issues
Inside
Page
June-July Meeting - Revival!....... 2
Poem: on the roadway by paul j.
cech........................................... 3
Things To Do, Things To See....... 4
Science Book Club....................... 4
In the News.................................. 5
Atheist Sexual Harassment: The
god is in the Details by Herb
Silverman.................................. 6
Pictures from FIG Annual Picnic.8
God Fixation Won't Fix This
Nation - FfRF............................ 9
50 Popular Beliefs That People
Think Are True by Guy P
Harrison Book Review by Peter
Boghossian.............................. 10
Events
Sept. Meeting
Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 7-9 pm
Hannaford Suites Hotel
Cincinnati, OH
Oct. Meeting
October FIG Meeting:
Tuesday, October 30, 7‑9 PM at the Hannaford Suites Cincinnati
A Brief History of
Cincinnati Occulture
Justin Moore
For our October Meeting, Justin Moore
will join us for a Halloween‑themed
presentation exploring the history of the
Occult in Cincinnati. Cincinnati, the
Queen of the West, has long been known
as a conservative city. Even born and bred
Cincinnatians may think of our city more
in terms of the Reds, Skyline Chili and
Goetta while ignoring our contributions to
literature, the fine arts, music and cultural
life in general. On the other hand the people
involved in the arts tend to be of a more
liberal and bohemian character and it is
this side of the city, with all its colorful cast
and vibrant nightlife that is often forgotten.
Even further removed from most people=s
consciousness are the practitioners of
The Art, or Magick as it has been called
‑spelled with a Ak@ to distinguish it from
parlor tricks and illusionary. It encompasses
areas of study such as Alchemy, Qabalah,
Neoplatonism, Gnosticism and Hermeticism
Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 7-9 pm
Hannaford Suites Hotel
Cincinnati, OH
as well as Folk Cures and Witchcraft, all
subjects shunned or deemed heretical by
mainstream religion. However, many of the
most interesting artists of the 20th century
were influenced by occult philosophy and
through their art it has seeped into the
cultural background. Cincinnati has been
home to a number of influential authors,
artists and practitioners of the occult arts
from the 1800=s to the 21st century. The
talk will give an overview of these Masons,
pagans, heathens, their influence and legacy.
Fig Leaves
June-July Meeting
Revival!
I am sometimes asked about
what we do at our A atheist
meetings.@ ADo you all sit around
and say, =Yep, there=s no god=?@
Or, Ado you spend all your time
bashing religion?@ I answer that
we have educational programs
and only occasionally bash
religion. And when we do, we
bring in a professional to do
the job right! So it was that we
held a ARevival@ at our last FIG
meeting led by none other than
Brother Sam Singleton, Atheist
Evangelist.
Brother Sam hails from the
Ozark region of Missouri and knows all the intricate fallacies and foibles of the
Pentecostal religions prevalent in that area. Revivals are held in churches, fields and
probably swamps. Anywhere that people can be gathered to have their souls saved
and fill the collection basket. Sam recreated the feeling of a lively revival through
the use of organ music, singing, hand clapping and speaking in tongues. Fortunately
no poisonous snakes were introduced into the service. Several FIG members were
given speaking parts to contribute during this hilarious ceremony.
Following a sing‑a‑long of ARye Whiskey@ was Sam=s Sunday School Class. The
Sam Singleton version of the King James Bible, so abbreviated that it fits on one
page, was the holy document used to tell the stories of biblical times. Sam deleted
most of the bibledegook and all but the main characters. The four key concepts of
the Singleton Bible are as follows:
1) AThe Bible may as well have taken place in Texas for all the sense it makes.@ This is
obviously a tongue in cheek reference to a former President of the USA.
2) AThe Bible is unspeakably perverse. That=s why we speak of it.@ Genocide, incest and crazy
rules that all carry the death penalty etc.
3) AGod could learn a lot from Satan but is insufficiently self aware.@ More genocide and
incest with God inventing aliases to shift the blame. AThat wasn=t me that drowned all
those people. I=m Jehovah, that was Yahweh!@
4) AThe Old Testament is the story of humankind=s attempts to live with God=s mistakes.@
5) AThe New Testament is the same old shit.@
The first half of the New Testament is about a failed carpenter called Jesus and
his gang of followers. The second half is about Paul creating Christianity in his own
misogynistic, homophobic, anti‑Semitic, paranoid image. He names himself the first
evangelist and his legacy of hatreds and prejudices continues in Christianity today.
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September 2012 Vol. 21 #8
FIG Leaves - Thoughtful
articles, letters, reviews, reports,
anecdotes, and cartoons are very
welcome. Submit in Electronic
format via the internet to
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or on disk or typewritten via
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All material printed in FIG
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Leaves and the authors and do
not necessarily reflect opinions
of the editor or the Free Inquiry
Group, Inc., its board, or
officers.
FIG Board of Directors:
President: Shawn Jeffers
Vice President: Chuck Byrd
Secretary: Susan Davis
Treasurer: Bryan Sellers,
Librarian: Terry Kassnel
Newsletter: Wolf Roder.
PR: Michele Grinoch
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Memberships run from:
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© copyright 2012 The Free Inquiry Group, Inc.
Fig Leaves
Brother Sam=s talk was interrupted several times
when FIG members were Aslain in the spirit@ and began
speaking in tongues, which sounded like Awalla walla
walla.@ Cries of AGod Damn@ came from the crowd when
the spirit moved the participants.
Brother Sam related his personal story of evangelism.
At a certain point he realized his religion was wrong in
both senses of the word. It was untrue and immoral. Like
many atheists he studied many religions before coming
to the conclusion that they were all about the same. He
read the Bible completely. That drove the last nail into the
coffin of his religion. Brother Sam was now an atheist!
Many FIG members were given parts to read during
the testimony part of the program. On cue for the most
part, we enthusiastically shouted our parts and spoke in
tongues. AWalla walla walla!@ We praised Brother Sam
instead of some fictional deity. Praising Brother Sam
brought home one of the main points of his Asermon.@
In only one verse of the Bible is a person thanked by
another human being. All the rest of the thanks go to God
even when a human was deserving of another human=s
gratitude. The only thing worse than not expressing
gratitude when it is due, is thanking the wrong party. It is
uncivilized. God gets thanked for random circumstances
that prevent someone from experiencing calamity.
Instead of thanking God for such Amiracles@ Brother Sam
thanks an actual living person. Instead of thanking God
when rescue or surgery is successful Brother Sam thanks
the medical personnel that actually did something. Please
express sincere gratitude to those who deserve thanks. It
www.freeinquirygroup.org
is the civilized Sam Singleton Atheist Evangelist thing
to do.
At the altar call, the two people who were not raised
with religion were asked to come forward. Brother Sam
gave each of them a rock and instructed them to place
it in their shoe. He asked them to work it down in their
shoe until their weight was on it. Before removing the
rock he asked them to reflect how they would feel going
through life with such an impediment. After removing it
he asked them to reflect on how good it felt to be rid of
that. APsalms 27 says, =And God was their rock.=@
Since our meeting, Brother Sam appeared in Chicago
to speak in the
prestigious Bughouse
Square Debates.
He won and was
awarded the coveted
Dill Pickle Award
from the Newberry
Library. This fulfilled
a lifelong dream of
Brother Sam= s; to
speak on the same
stage and win the
same award as the
famous atheist and
orator Clarence Darrow.
Congratulations Brother Sam!
B reported by John Welte
on the roadway
on the roadway
beneath a sign telling readers to follow jesus
the carcass of a doe sparks divergent thoughts
did it choose to follow jesus
was it blinded by the light
did it know the end was near
did it repent within the waning darness of night
paul j. cech
revised august 24, 2012
September 2012 Vol. 21 #8
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Fig Leaves
Things to do....
Things to see...
Upcoming Meetups
Monday, September 17, 2012 6:30 PM
Monthly Monday @ The Washington Platform
Thursday, October 4, 2012 7:00 PM
First Thursday @ The Hofbräuhaus
Monday, October 15, 2012 6:30 PM
Monthly Monday @ The Washington Platform
Thursday, November 1, 2012 7:00 PM
First Thursday @ The Hofbräuhaus
Science Book Club
2012 Schedule, books, and dates
All meetings are on 3rd Sunday
of month at 2:30 pm except in June
on 4th Sunday because Father=s
Day falls on 3rd Sunday. All
meetings at the Hamilton County
downtown Public Library in room
3A except for April and May (room
3B) as noted below:
September 16 C Thinking In
Pictures : And Other Reports
From My Life With Autism,
Temple Grandin 2006
October 21 C Drama Of The Gifted
Child : The Search For The True
Self, Alice Miller 2008
November 18 C The Revenge Of
Gaia: Earth's Climate In Crisis
And The Fate Of Humanity,
James Lovelock 2006
December 16 C How We Decide,
Jonah Lehrer 2009
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September 2012 Vol. 21 #8
The Center for Inquiry Institute and
CFI—Indiana
are proud to host a one‑day conference on
Defending Science
Challenges and Strategies
featuring Rationally Speaking’s
Julia Galef and Massimo Pigliucci!
October 6, 2012, 9am‑5pm
Indiana State Library
140 N. Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204
The team of Massimo Pigliucci and Julia Galef
are coming to Indianapolis on Saturday, October 6,
2012. An episode for their podcast Rationally Speaking
(www.rationallyspeakingpodcast.org) will be recorded
during our institute. They will also give talks about the
challenges and strategies needed for defending science
today. Joining them to speak on the urgent need to defend
science are researcher Jason Rodriguez and CFI=s John
Shook.
$60 for the public, $50 for Friends of the Center, $20
for students (valid student ID required)
(Note: A lunch break will be provided for attendees
to visit nearby restaurants)
For more information about the CFI Institute, please
visit our web site.
Specific questions? Email our CFI Indiana Executive
Director
or contact a CFI Institute representative
or call us at (716) 636‑4869 ext. 408
Directions to The Hannaford Suites Hotel
5900 East Galbraith Rd.
1) Take Exit 12 onto Montgomery Rd.
2) From the off Ramp at Exit 12:
From the North Turn Left
rd

fo
na tes
n
i
OR From the South
Ha Su
N
- Turn Right
3) Continue on
Montgomery Rd. to
East Galbraith Rd.
Turn Left.
4) After you go
under I-71, turn
right into the Hotel
Exit 12
driveway.
www.gofigger.org
Fig Leaves
Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society
Light The Night Walk
Help CFI Light the Night
in the Fight Against Cancer
We at the Center for Inquiry are
proud to announce an exciting new project we=ve joined
in which pro‑science and secular groups like CFI are
uniting to raise $1,000,000 to fight cancer.
Light the Night is the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society's evening walk and fundraising event to pay
tribute and bring hope to people battling blood cancer.
Each fall, in communities all across the US and Canada,
thousands of participants raise funds for vital, lifesaving
research and patient services and, on these special nights,
they carry illuminated balloons to show the support of a
caring community.
Light the Night walkers raise funds and walk as
individuals or on a team with friends, family and
co‑workersCand this is where we need your help.
This year, for the first time ever, freethought, atheist,
skeptic, and secular humanist groups are coming together
as one unified team to pool our efforts and become the
first team in LLS history to raise $1,000,000 in its first
year.
Our team is Foundation Beyond Belief (FBB) and
we need you to help this worthwhile cause by joining a
local FBB Light the Night team.
To find a team near you, go to the FBB International
Team page and scroll down to the list of cities. (We
already have many CFI FBB teams, so be sure to look
for a CFI team in your city.) If there=s not an existing
FBB team at a walk site near you, you can create a new
team using the instructions found here. If there isn=t a
Light the Night walk site near you, you can still join
and raise money as a AVirtual Team.@ Donations from all
the local FBB teams will be aggregated together under
the FBB International Team and will count towards our
$1,000,000 goal!
How will we ever raise $1,000,000 ?
A million dollars is a LOT of money, but we
have a not‑so‑secret weapon: the Stiefel Freethought
Foundation has pledged to match every dollar we raise
www.freeinquirygroup.org
up to $500,000! As an extra incentive, the top fundraising
teams will have the opportunity to direct up to $5,000
in SFF grants, with half going to a local qualifying
freethought nonprofit and the rest to qualifying FBB
Allies of their choice, such as CFI. (More information
about the incentive program can be found here.)
This is a great opportunity to rally behind something
big that reflects our shared values: the healing power of
scientific research, education, and compassionate patient
care. Please sign up for an existing team or create a walk
team for your group under the FBB International Team
banner and join all of us in the fight against cancer.
Thank you! For more information, visit CFI's Light
the Night page, and send questions to Lauren Becker at
lbecker@centerforinquiry.net.
The Cincinnati Team for Light the Night is
Skeptical Society of Cincinnati FBB (contact Colin
Thornton)
The walk is on October11, 2912 at Sawyer Point
Their website is
http://pages.lightthenight.org/soh/Cinci12/
SkepticalSocietyofCincinnatiFBB
September 2012 Vol. 21 #8
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Fig Leaves
Atheist Sexual Harassment: The god is
in the Details
By Herb Silverman, The Washington Post,
9 August 2012
I= ve attended countless atheist and humanist
conferences and never heard anyone justify sexual
harassment. But I=ve heard heated discussions about
what sexual harassment is. Alas, the god is in the details.
In a previous century, when I first became active
in the secular movement, participants were mostly old
white men who sat around talking about the need for
diversity. At an American Humanist Association board
meeting in 1998, a fellow board member suggested that
a Ayoung@ person of 53 would be a good candidate for
the board. I said I hoped for the day when some current
board members would be too young for AARP eligibility.
That day has arrived. Almost all AHA board members
are younger than I, a nice change from when I was the
youngest, and many are years away from AARP. Five of
the 12 board members and two of the four officers are
women. Similar demographic changes have taken place
within other national nontheistic organizations, reflected
in part by the appearance of relatively new organizations
like the children=s Camp Quest, the Military Association
of Atheists and Freethinkers, and the Secular Student
Alliance. And with diversity in people comes diversity
in attitudes and behavior.
I think most atheists view themselves as feminists.
There was a mild controversy when the Secular Coalition
for America recently hired Edwina Rogers as our new
executive director. The controversy was not because she
is a woman (we and other nontheistic organizations have
had a number of women in leadership positions), but
because she is a Republican, a rarity in our movement.
But that=s a diversity story for another time. Suffice it to
say that most atheists were willing to grant Rogers the
time and opportunity to show that she is an effective
advocate for our mission, because we believe in evidence.
Nontheistic organizations have long had sexual
harassment policies that covered their employees and
workplaces, but not conference attendees. This oversight
is being corrected because of complaints from a number
of attendees at such events, still often dominated by men.
I don=t think women are saying that sexual harassment
is more prevalent among atheists than in the general
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September 2012 Vol. 21 #8
population, but our conventions need to be safe and
welcoming places for women.
Here are a couple of reasons I think we might have
had problems or misunderstandings. Many unattached
men and women complain about how difficult it is to find
non‑religious partners in our religion‑saturated culture.
So an atheist gathering could be a wonderful meeting
place. Sexual attention is not inherently inappropriate
in such settings, but Ano@ still means Ano.@ Also, many
open and active atheists have developed thick skins
because of insults they have endured from theocrats.
So they might falsely assume they are communicating
with someone whose skin is equally thick. Inexcusable
behavior is inexcusable, which is why some sensitivity
information for meeting participants might be in order.
A billboard at 417 North James in Columbus, one of
several put up by Freedom From Religion Foundation
around Columbus, Ohio. The organization that placed
the billboard supporting atheism says it has been taken
down for the second time after eliciting a complaint,
according to The Associated Press, Thursday, July 7,
2011. (AP Photo/Columbus Dispatch, Kyle Robertson,
File) (AP) Context is almost everything. It=s not unusual
to hear a man say at an atheist conference something like,
AA woman should not teach or usurp authority over the
man, but be silent.@ Both men and women laugh because
they know it comes from 1 Timothy 2, and is actually
believed by some Christians. Similarly, my wife laughs
when I recite the only prayer she has ever heard from
me: AThank God I was not born a woman.@ She knows
it to be the daily morning prayer of Orthodox Jews, and
she is thankful I=m not an Orthodox Jew like some of my
relatives who recite this prayer in earnest.

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Fig Leaves
Since sexual harassment is not always clear to both
parties, what=s an atheist (or anyone else) to do? Here=s
a general guideline to prevent escalation. If you are
asked to stop, stop. Nontheistic groups are beginning to
hand out anti‑harassment policies at gatherings or, more
affirmatively, a conference code of conduct. This is a
new code of conduct for American Atheist conferences.
Interestingly, it mentions being dedicated to
providing a harassment‑free conference experience for
everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual
orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size,
race, or religion (italics mine). Depending on attendees,
some might view several talks as a form of religious
harassment.
Both theists and nontheists know there are right
ways and wrong ways to treat others. Some people just
need reminders.
Herb Silverman is the founder and president of the Secular
Coalition for America .

Quote
What religious language can often do is allow us to
get outside of ourselves and mobilize around a common
good. On the other hand, what those of us of religious
faith have to do when we=re in the public square is to
translate our language into a universal language that
can appeal to everybody. And both Lincoln and King
www.freeinquirygroup.org
did this and every great leader did it, because we are
not just a Christian nation. We are a Jewish nation; we
are a Buddhist nation; we are a Muslim nation; Hindu
nation; and we are a nation of atheists and nonbelievers.
B Barack Obama, 18 April 2008
Unquote
September 2012 Vol. 21 #8
7
Fig Leaves
Pictures from our
Annual FIG Picnic
Great Talk,
Great Food,
Great Weather!
A Good Time
Was Had by All!
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September 2012 Vol. 21 #8
www.gofigger.org
Fig Leaves
In time for the Democratic National Convention, the
Freedom from Religion Foundation (FfRF) has placed a
patriotic message with a secular twist on two prominent
billboards in Charlotte, NC. The billboard, drawn by
editorial cartoonist Steve Benson, depicts Uncle Sam
wagging his finger and warning: AGod fixation won=t fix
this nation.@
Those traveling from the airport to the convention
will be treated to a highly visible view of FfRF=s redwhite-and-blue message on a billboard on Interstate 77
and another near Charlotte=s downtown. The billboards,
which FfRF refers to as an Aelection-year caveat,@ were
scheduled to go up on August 30.
AOur equal-opportunity message to both political
parties and all public officials is: Get off your knees
and get to work!@ said FfRF Co-President Dan Barker.
AGod fixation, the preoccupation by our nation and its
elected officials with religion, is holding back progress
scientifically, intellectually and morally.@
FfRF put the same message up in Tampa on August 23
for the benefit of this year=s Republican convention. FfRF,
a nonpartisan state/church watchdog group, is continuing
a tradition started in 2008, when it placed a billboard
message saying AKeep religion out of politics@ in Denver
and Minneapolis for the national party conventions.
FfRF spokeswoman Annie Laurie Gaylor cited
as an example of the dangers of religion in politics and
government the Apandering@ decision by both parties to
give in to a request by the head of the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops to deliver convention prayers. Cardinal
Timothy Dolan gave the closing prayer for the Republicans
and will also pray at the Democratic convention.
AThe Catholic bishops are trying to unduly influence
and interfere with U.S. politics, particularly by trying to
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kill the health care contraceptive mandate despite the fact
that most American women are not Catholic and most
Americans use and support contraception,@ Gaylor noted.
AIt=s disturbing that both parties kowtow to Timothy Dolan.@
FfRF ran hundreds of TV commercials this summer in
regional markets featuring actress and playwright Julia
Sweeney, a well-known former Catholic, objecting to the
bishops= anti-contraceptive attacks.
The Madison, WI based group represents more than
19,000 freethinking members nationwide, including 485
members in North Carolina, and an active NC chapter, the
Triangle Freethought Society.
(The Separationist, Newsletter of the Secular Humanists of the
Low Country, September 2012, p.7)
September 2012 Vol. 21 #8
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BOOK REVIEW
50 Popular Beliefs That People Think are True.
By Guy P. Harrison
(Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2012)
review by Peter Boghossian
Rarely has a skeptic gone to battle against nonsense
with the warmth and humor found in 50 Popular Beliefs
That People Think are True. Author Guy P. Harrison,
an award‑winning journalist and long‑time advocate
for science and reason, delivers a grand tour though the
bizarre ecosystem of irrational beliefs and extraordinary
claims. Harrison deftly and compellingly demonstrates
how science and reality are preferable to superstition
and delusion. Who needs make‑believe, he asks, when
nature offers so much excitement and so many mysteries
waiting to be solved?
Readers will find first‑rate skeptical treatments
of UFOs, psychics, ESP, Atlantis, Bigfoot, astrology,
Nostradamus, the Moon landing hoax, Area 51, and other
usual suspectsCbut they will also discover topics that
are not as well considered by the skeptical community,
but should be. For example, skeptical perspectives
on biological race categories, and the race‑sports
dynamicCcovered in the pages of Skeptic Magazine
in the 1990s but not discussed recentlyCare thoughtful
additions to the skeptical canon. Moreover, his arguments
about how television news distorts our view of the real
world, even for smart people who should know better, is
yet another topic that further differentiates this book from
the available literature. Add to this his analysis of how
global warming is assessed as a political issue rather than
a matter of science, and readers have a comprehensive,
provocative tome that will captivate as it educates.
Still another differentiating characteristic of 50
Popular Beliefs That People Think are True, is that
it has the potential to make a lasting impression on
those who harbor beliefs that are out of alignment with
reality. Harrison genuinely attempts, and succeeds,
at being gentle and sympathetic toward people who
hold unwarranted beliefsCeven as he mercilessly and
systematically annihilates justifications for the beliefs
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September 2012 Vol. 21 #8
under examination. He articulates how we are all
vulnerable to falling for bad ideas and misinterpreting
reality due to the influence of culture and the way our
brains routinely deceive us about reality. For example,
Harrison explains how vision and memory can be
misleading. He writes that human memory is not the
biological version of a DVR playback system that most
people imagine; memory is more like having a little
old man who lives inside your head. When you want
to remember something, you have to tap him on the
shoulder and then listen to the creative tale he weaves
about your past. And like most storytellers, the old man
adds a bit here, subtracts a bit there, embellishes, distorts,
and even lies in an attempt to deliver to you the best
story possible. For an individual, however, memories can
feel like a perfectly reliable replay of what happened,
no matter how inaccurate they happen to be. All of this
has obvious implications for UFO encounters, ghost
sightings, psychic readings, and so on. But beyond this,
Harrison helps people feel as if it was not their fault
that they were unduly influenced and that this influence
skewed the mechanism of belief formation; now that
they are aware of influences that take them away from
reality they can realign their beliefs on the basis of
reliable evidence, and do so without shame, guilt or
recrimination.
Harrison=s gentle touch doesn=t mean he won=t play
rough when it=s needed. Chapters on alternative medicine
and the anti‑vaccine movement include scathing
condemnations of those who promote medical quackery
over evidence‑based healthcare at the expense of human
lives. Through detailed examples, he explains the gravity
of what=s at stake because of the tragedy of unreason. For
example, Harrison reveals his understandable frustration
and anger regarding the strange phenomenon of torturing
and killing Awitches@ in the 21st century. From the
abuse of Achild witches@ by Christians in Africa to the
murder of Asorcerers@ in rural India by people who fear
magic, he shows that humankind has not completely
exited the Dark Ages. However, rather than simply
state the obviousCthat killing people for being witches
is tragically ignorant and morally repugnantCHarrison
goes further to clearly explain how faith‑based thinking
in all forms is non‑thinking and therefore risky. He shows
how even believing in something that seems benign on
the surface, such as Bigfoot or the Bermuda Triangle, is a
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Fig Leaves
symptom of sloppy thinking that could lead one directly
into the grip of a belief that=s pernicious or even fatal.
Fortunately, Harrison does not sidestep religion. He
pulls no punches in thorough skeptical assaults on prayer,
prophecies, miracles, faith healing, angels, heaven, and
gods. He avoids condescension toward believers, but
provides the necessary brutal frankness regarding the
weakness of their claims. Like any well‑versed skeptic,
Harrison does not claim to disprove or to know that many
of these misaligned beliefs are definitively false. Rather,
he shows that a multiplicity of claims people believe as
true do not have sufficient evidence to warrant belief.
(His personal observations at a Benny Hinn faith healing
spectacle are informative and highly entertaining. He
also shares his own experience of being prayed for after
a cycling accident and his encounter with a Aspirit guide@
during a vision quest).
This is a book that both believers and skeptics
should read. Many believers are likely to enjoy having
Science Cafes are free monthly events that bring
together scientists with their community to share stories
about their research and discoveries. Cincinnati is home to
many working scientists who are performing breakthrough
studies in our own backyard, but these scientists rarely have
a chance to speak about their amazing research to members
of the community. Everyone is invited to attend, enjoy a
dinner of fish and chips, drink a frosty lager, and learn
about the wonders of scientific progress. How cool is that?
Science Cafes generally follow the schedule: 6pm
‑ Dinner and Pre‑Talk Discussion 7pm ‑ Speaker (talks
usually run 45 minutes‑1 hour) 8pm ‑ Q&A, Trivia, Prizes
and Speaker Meet & Greet Feel free to join us for all or
part of the event. The ACincy Science Cafe@ will always
encourage our speakers to allow plenty of time for questions
and answers. The organizers want these events to be a
conversation, and not a lecture. We often save time for fun
trivia and correct answers are awarded door prizes!
ACincy Science Cafe@ is put on by The Skeptical Society
of Cincinnati, a member of the NOVA ScienceNOW
network. We also are partnering with University of
Cincinnati=s Sigma Xi organization, the Free Inquiry Group,
and the Association of Rational Thought to bring these
events to the Cincinnati Area.
www.freeinquirygroup.org
their beliefs challenged in this often gentle and always
thoughtful way. Seasoned skeptics will find plenty of fresh
information and new ways to approach conversations
with believers. Readers will also appreciate his vigorous
defense of the skeptical worldview, in particular how it
protects one from harm and frees one up from empty
distractions in order to live life more fully. Finally,
numerous interviews with prominent scientists and
notable people add to the book=s comprehensiveness.
Each chapter ends with a useful list of recommended
books, documentaries, and Web sites related to the
particular topic of that chapter. 50 Popular Beliefs That
People Think are True also includes humorous cartoon
illustrations, as well as some photographs and statistical
illustrations. It is an ideal text for an introductory Science
and Pseudoscience or Critical Thinking course. It is clear,
comprehensive, non‑threatening yet thought provoking
while remaining accessible. It=s also a much welcomed
and needed addition to every skeptic=s reading list.
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September 2012 Vol. 21 #8
11
October FIG Meeting
September FIG Meeting
Tuesday Oct. 30 7-9 pm
Hannaford Suites Hotel
Tuesday Sept 25, 7-9 pm
Hannaford Suites Hotel
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FIG
The Free Inquiry
Group, Inc. (FIG) is a nonprofit organization founded
in 1991. FIG is allied with
the Council for Secular
Humanism as well as an
affiliate of the American
Humanist Association and
of the American Atheists.
Though most of our
members are secular
humanists, we welcome
to our meetings anyone
interested in learning about
or furthering our purpose.
Our Purpose
To foster a community of secular humanists dedicated to improving the human
condition through rational inquiry and creative thinking unfettered by superstition,
religion, or any form of dogma.
In accordance with our purpose, we have established the following goals:
• To provide a forum for intelligent exchange of ideas for those seeking
fulfillment in an ethical secular life.
• To develop through open discussion the moral basis of a secular society
and encourage ethical practices within our own membership
and the community at large.
• To inform the public regarding secular alternatives to supernatural
interpretations of the human condition.
• To support and defend the principles of democracy, free speech, and
separation of church and state as expressed in the Constitution
of the United States and the Bill of Rights.
For more information, write the Free Inquiry Group at the address
above, e-mail - figmessage at gofigger dot org, or visit our web site at
gofigger.org or freeinquirygroup.org.