The Humanist Association of Orange County is a chapter of the American
Humanist Association.
Please visit our website at http://www.ochumanists.org
HAOC Board
President: Pete Anderson
Vice President: Dave Silva
Treasurer:.Harry Becker
Secretary: Jerry Parks
Member at large: John Cones
Member at large: Benito Franqui
Editorial
- by Benito Franqui
As
I write this piece, just before the beginning of a new year, I reflect on the
many contributions which have been made by HAOC members past and present. First
of all, Pete Anderson, Lou Regal, and Frank Farsad deserve credit for launching
the HALA ( Humanist Association of Los Angeles ) Out-reach Discussion Group,
which eventually morphed
into HAOC in September 1997. Since that time, Dave Silva and Frank
Farsad have been faithfully cranking out one newsletter every month. I
hope I can continue to benefit from their expertise as I settle into my new
duties as editor.
Jerry Parks has also served faithfully as HAOC secretary, librarian, and
host for the HAOC board meetings.
And so has Harry Becker as
treasurer, and so has Gene Barmore, who has been keeping
track of
the membership.
Paul Ricci, Juan Bernal, Dave Silva, Clay
Costner, and Carol Copp have made extensive contributions by making
presentations at the monthly meetings and/or submitting articles for publication
in the newsletter. Victor Tanious helped to launch the ochumanists.org website.
..
Fast-forwarding
to the present, I reflect on our latest meeting, at which John
That's
it for now. See you all at the next meeting.
Happy New Year!
Our Latest Meeting
- by Benito Franqui
On December 21, 2003, John Cones spoke about
The Key to the Future of Humanism.
John began by describing how he arrived at his
own present personal philosophy or worldview. He has decided that the best way
he can describe himself is as a humanist - although other labels such as
skeptic, non-theist, or rationalist also
apply.
According to Johns own interpretation,
humanists should actively
participate in the spreading of the humanist message. This leads to the issues:
What is the humanist message? and How should this message be spread?
Both of these issues have led to debates (
sometimes acrimonious ) within the humanist movement. This confusion has
resulted in schisms and has inhibited the growth of humanist organizations and
attendance to their meetings. HAOC is no exception.
What can be done to enhance the appeal of
humanism for the general public? In spite of
the publication 55 years ago of a
book in which precisely this issue
was addressed in detail by Professor Corliss Lamont, and the active promotion of
this book by the American Humanist Association, the humanist movement in the USA
has hardly grown at all since then.
Either Professor Lamonts vision is
unrealistic ( the humanist view will always be held by too small a percentage of
the USA population to have any significant impact on society ),
or we should explore new ways of making ourselves heard. John
One of these new ways could be the formal
recognition of the close interplay between reasoning, communication, and some of
our most basic emotional needs ( John cited some recent research which seems to
support this claim ). The Unitarians
provide for these needs ( no wonder
theyre 33 times bigger than the
AHA!!! ) How to take into account those emotional needs - without excessively
diluting our rational message - then becomes the 64-kilo-buck question!!!
In order to better support the members need
for fellowship, John proposed some
changes to the format of our monthly
meetings, as well as holding additional
meetings. The old and/or the new
meetings may now feature: greeting
new visitors, printed agenda, better
time management, designated presenters, shorter oral presentation, pledge of
allegiance, readings of humanist affirmations, songs and songbooks, counseling,
celebrations ( members
birthdays, holidays, other significant events ), snacks after formal meeting.
Once our meetings become more
user-friendly, other venues for spreading our
message should be initiated or improved: public
lectures, radio/TV shows, documentaries, Toastmasters, speakers bureau,
published essays, story-telling, newsletter ( already being improved ), AHA
liaison, scholarship fund, public service, faith-based grants, memorials, ethnic
outreach, planetarium visits, handbook, role playing.
(The full text of Johns presentation is
available at the website).
Toastmaster's Club Meetings
- by John Cones
You Are Invited to Visit . . .
The ongoing organization meetings for the Orange County Community of Reason Toastmasters Club*
We meet every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays from 7:00 to 9:00 PM
at Hofs Hut Restaurant 18850 Douglas Drive in Irvine
off MacArthur Blvd. across from John Wayne Airport
*A Toastmasters Club for Humanists, Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Free
Thinkers, Non-Theists, Non-Believers, Rationalists and other persons of reason
For more information contact:
John W. Cones
949/706-2093
jwc6774@cox.net
The
HAOC Lending
Library
-
by Jerry Parks
HAOC
library list of books closely related to Humanism:
Blanshard -
Classics
of Free Thought
Hutcheon -The
Road to Reason
Kitcher -
Abusing
Science
Kurtz -
Science
and Religion
Lamont -
Freedom
of Choice Affirmed
The
Illusion of Immortality
Larue -
Freethought
Across the Centuries
The
Way of Ethical Humanism
The
Way of Positive Humanism
Ancient
Myth and Modern Life
Lynn -The
Right to Religious Liberty
Madigan -
Fighting
Back
McWilliams -
Aint
Nobody's Business if You
Do
Morain -Humanism
as the Next Step
Paine -The
Age of Reason
Thomas
Paine Reader
Sagan -The
Demon Haunted World
Shermer -
Why
People Believe Weird Things
The
Borderlands of Science
There are over 60 other books related to Humanism in some way - (Culture,
History,
Politics, Religion, Science, etc.) - as well as VCR tapes and audio
tapes.
A full list is available on request.
To borrow any of these items, become an HAOC member, come to our monthly
meeting
and sign it out. Just remember to return it at the next monthly
meeting. Only a few of the items are available at each meeting, so if you
want
a particular item, please call 949-644-2170 and leave a message.
by Benito Franqui
We're
all activists of one sort or another.
The following outline may help you clarify:
1. where you presently fit in
2. where you may want to go from there
3. whether HAOC is for you.
Stage
1: Private ruminations
Practically
everybody philosophizes about the puzzles of life.
In particular, we like to speculate about the human condition. How did it come
about?
Some propose hypothesis #1:
The present human condition is the result of
"original sin", a "fall" from an original state of
"perfection" -
a fall brought about by the disobedience of the
original human beings to a divine edict.
Others ( particularly those who quibble about the precise meanings of words )
find a logical flaw in hypothesis #1. If "perfection" literally means
the complete absence of any imperfections, how could it have been possible for
the original human beings to have "sinned" at all? Such
"sinning" would be possible only if human beings were from the very
beginning afflicted with an imperfection - namely, the inability to make wise
choices - including choices which could result in their eternal damnation (
hence a rather HUGE
imperfection!!! )
Proponents of hypothesis #1 often defend it with hypothesis #2:
"God" wanted to give man free will - if
he had wanted to make humans "sin-proof", "His" only
alternative would have been to create robots
which were completely lacking in free will.
This hypothesis is a good example of a false dichotomy, which is often
presented, not as such, but dressed up as a particular application of a
grandiose-sounding "Law of Non-Contradiction" or "Law of the
Excluded Middle". The latter law is usually stated as:
"Either A or ~A" ( either a proposition is true, or the opposite
proposition is true ).
So
far, so good. The fallacy ( which the proponents sometimes take great pains to
hide from the target audience ) consists of a failure to precisely state what A
and ~A are really asserting.
If A asserts that: "Man has
free will",
then ~A asserts that: "Man does
not have
free will".
If B asserts that: "Man
has
enough wisdom to refrain from making decisions which may result in our
eternal damnation",
then ~B asserts that: "Man does
not have
enough wisdom to refrain from making decisions which may result in our
eternal damnation".
A and B are independent logical propositions. This is equivalent to asserting
that:
"(~A and ~B) or (~A and B) or (A and ~B) or (A and B)"
( that is, there are
four
distinct
cases which need to be considered.)
Proponents
of hypothesis #2, however, would like us to believe that
"if A then ~B"
( in other words, if man has free will, then man cannot have enough wisdom
to refrain from making decisions which may result in our eternal damnation. )
This would be equivalent to asserting
"(~A and ~B) or (~A and B) or (A and ~B)"
In other words, proponents of hypothesis #2 are claiming that there are only three
distinct cases which need to be considered. In making this fallacious,
completely unjustified claim, proponents have conveniently swept under the rug
the fourth case (A and B) - that is, the possibility that ( if an omnipotent and
omnibenevolent God really exists ) "He" could have granted to man, from
the very beginning
, both
free will and
the wisdom to refrain from making decisions which might result in our
eternal damnation.
The
so-called "rational arguments" presented by believers certainly
betray, according to the laws of logic, a lot of human imperfection!
There
is another logical difficulty with the premise that the ability to make wise
decisions is inconsistent with free will: what will be the condition of those
humans who, according to believers, will be spared from eternal damnation, and
will therefore make it to Heaven? Will those in Heaven have free will, or not?
If yes: how will they avoid making mistakes similar to those which got them
kicked out of the "Garden of Eden" in the first place?
If not: why did not God create men to be obedient robots in the first place, and
thereby save us from the misery of making mistakes and then having to
undergo gruesome punishments because of them?
Skeptics therefore reject hypotheses #1 and #2. They prefer hypothesis #3:
From the very beginning of mankind, man has been in an imperfect state - a state
which includes, in particular, our tendency to make ( or at least to
appear to make ), strictly on our own, decisions which are
detrimental ( sometimes quite so ) to our own well-being.
This hypothesis is supported by an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence.
There are no signs that any traditional deity has been involved in any way in
bringing about this state of affairs. Whether or not man has free will is a
topic that is still being hotly debated among philosophers.
Assuming that we agree that the present human condition is unsatisfactory - and
having rejected, for the reasons given above and many others, the traditional
theological hypotheses - what can we do to improve the human condition?
A good starting point could be Benjamin Franklin's observation that "God
helps those who help themselves".
Franklin certainly did much more than just philosophize. Through his scientific
research, his inventions, his promotion of education and communication, his
diplomacy, and his pivotal role in the founding of the United States, he amply
demonstrated how the human condition can be improved.
How he would relish being alive today and being able to utilize the modern
technological marvels ( such as the Internet, which his own discoveries helped
to pave the way for ), to further improve the human condition!
Since Franklin doesn't seem to be around any more ( in spite of his belief in
reincarnation ), we'll have to do the best we can for ourselves, but making use
as much as possible of his legacy and that of other freethinkers.
Stage
2: Peaceful public expression
In written form
Publications
Letters to the editor
Limited distribution: newsletters (see 1
below)
General circulation: newspapers and magazines
Advertisements
Letters to authorities
Public officials
Regulatory agencies
Education
Other bureaucracies
Business leaders
Postings
Internet (see 2
below)
Bulletin boards
Advertisements
On telephone poles (not
recommended!)
Picketing
In verbal form
Calls to authorities (see above)
At meetings at which the audience is:
Sympathetic (see 3
below)
Mildly
dissenting
Definitely hostile
In radio and television interviews
Stage
3: Militant activity
Civil disobedience
Sabotage
Armed insurrection
Suicide bombings
So - is HAOC for you?
If you're at stage 3, the answer is easy:
WE
STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU LOOK ELSEWHERE !!!
If you're at stage 1, HAOC may help you enhance your own private philosophical
ruminations.
If you're at stage 2, HAOC provides the following channels through which you can
make your public expression more effective:
1:
you can submit articles to be published in
HAOC
newsletters
2:
you can submit articles to be posted at www.ochumanists.org
3:
you can attend, participate in discussions, and may make your
own presentations, at
1. HAOC meetings
2. Toastmasters Club meetings
On
the Light Side : Thoughts
to Ponder...
1. Never raise your hands to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected.
2. I'm not into working out. My
philosophy is no pain, no
pain.
3. I'm in shape. Round is a shape.
4. I'm still desperately trying to
figure out why Kamikaze pilots
wore helmets.
5. Do illiterate people get the
full effect of alphabet soup?
6. I've always wanted to be
somebody, but I should have
been
more specific.
7. Ever notice when you blow in a
dog's face he gets mad at
you, but when you take him in a car he sticks his head out
the window?
8. Ever notice that anyone going
slower than you is an idiot,
but anyone going faster is a maniac?
9. You have to stay in shape. My
mother started walking
five
miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 now and we
have
no idea where she is.
10. I have six locks on my door, all in a row. When I go out,
I
lock every other one. I figure no matter how long somebody
stands there picking
the
locks, they are always
locking
three of them.
11. One out of every three Americans is suffering from
some
form of mental illness. Think of two of your best
friends.
If they are OK, then it must be you.
12. They show you how detergents take out bloodstains. I
think
if you've got a T-shirt with bloodstains all over it, maybe
your laundry isn't
your
biggest problem.
13. Ask people why they have deer
heads on their walls
and
they tell you it's because they're such beautiful animals.
I think my wife is beautiful, but I
only have photographs
of her on the wall.
14. A lady came up to me on the
street, pointed at my suede
jacket and said, "Don't you know a cow was murdered
for that jacket?" I said "I didn't know there were any
witnesses. Now I'll have to eliminate you
too".
15. Future historians will be able
to study at the
Jimmy
Carter Library, the Gerald Ford Library, the Ronald
Reagan Library, and the Bill
Clinton Adult
Bookstore.
Quotes of the Month - by John Cones
I
believe that happiness consists in having a destiny in keeping with our
abilities. Our desires are things of the moment, often harmful even to
ourselves; but our abilities are permanent, and their demands never cease.
Madame de Stael (Anne-Louise-Germaine de Stael; 1766 - 1817) French writer
What
one has to do usually can be done.
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962)
American
author, diplomat and humanitarian
Life
only demands from you the strength you possess.
Dag Hammarskjold (1905 - 1961) Swedish statesman, Secretary General, United
Nations
We
have what we seek. It is there all the time, and if we give it time, it will
make itself known to us.
Thomas Merton (1915 - 1968) American religious writer
A
man must not deny his manifest abilities, for that is to evade his
obligations.
William Feather, The Treasure of Franchard
( John has written a book of quotations which he hopes to publish soon )
Cartoon of the Month
HAOC APPLICATION FORM
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Please hand this application to an HAOC board member, or
mail to:
Harry Becker
420 Sonoma Aisle
Irvine, CA 92618
NEXT MEETING :
On Sunday, January 18, at 1:30 P.M., at the Irvine Ranch Water District
building located at 15600 Sand Canyon Ave. in Irvine.
NOTICE :
The Irvine Ranch Water District neither supports nor endorses the
causes and activities or organizations which use the Districts meeting rooms, which are made available
as a public service.
HAOC
2609 Fernside St.
Orange, CA 92865
Your membership expiration date is shown at the end of your
address label.