The Humanist Advocate

BOOK REVIEW: Free Will

BOOK REVIEW: Free Will

By Sam Harris The latest from Sam Harris is Free Will, a title that is self-explanatory. From his perspective as a neuroscientist, Harris examines the latest evidence regarding free will, and considers some of its social and political implications. This book is quite short, serving mostly as an introduction to a complex question that still needs a great deal of work. Harris’ key point is based on empirical tests. These show that the decisions we make moment by moment are…

To Live at All Is Miracle Enough

To Live at All Is Miracle Enough

I came across this by chance the end of December and had intended to post it sooner. (You can see the original post by  Faisal Saeed Al Mutar.) It reminds me how lucky I am, we all are, in fact, and is something that I should read every once in a while when I’m feeling stressed about what I’d like my world to be. Doesn’t Monty Python have something similar to say? But Richard Dawkins is eloquent in his observations and everyone…

One of Us

One of Us

  “Isn’t that so sad,” I said more as a declaration than expecting someone to agree. “Well, not really. I mean, it was expected,” said my always witty friend, so matter-of-factly. “It would have been sad if it wasn’t, don’t you think?”   I had to admit, my friend was right and his perspective made me pause to think more about the heartache that was palpable on the web. It would have been stupefying if he had passed away suddenly…

Want to present at the AHA Conference in New Orleans, June 2012?

Or do you know of someone local who might be an excellent candidate? The AHA is proud to hold its 71st Annual Conference in the great city of New Orleans, hosted by the New Orleans Secular Humanist Association (NOSHA). Call for Speakers Now Open If you are interested in leading a breakout session, speaking on a panel, of if you are an entertainer, send a proposal, outline, complete text, audio, video or web link to Brian Magee at bmagee@americanhumanist.org  (Please include…

BOOK REVIEW: The Grand Design

By Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow Perhaps you are one of the lucky few who is naturally gifted with mathematical genius or at least has advanced training in the field. No? Me either. I think I understand that our reliance on energies such as light to observe the universe around us places limits on what we can know about the sub-atomic realm, yet it often seems to me that physicists take a little too much pleasure in emphasizing the mysteriousness…

It’s Important, So Let’s Not Talk About It

This article is too important not to pass on to anyone and everyone who can read above a 3rd grade level. And because the original link to the article is botched, I wanted to make sure that everything came through with ease. If I find a llink that works, I’ll repost it. Because death with dignity is a hallmark of most secular creeds that I’m familiar with, we are constantly fighting the interference of religious people who feel they have the answer about death…

Fun With Words

 Below is the American Family Association’s Statement of Faith, which was mentioned in an article on Rick Perry’s prayer rally a few months back. My friend, Will, made some changes to it which are worth passing along. AFA STATEMENT OF FAITH 1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God. 2. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus…

BOOK REVIEW: The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution

By Richard Dawkins Richard Dawkins’ 2009 book The Greatest Show on Earth: the Evidence for Evolution is an excellent explanation of what Evolution is, how it works, and why it must be true. It is written with clarity for the non-specialist, and should be accessible to any college-educated reader. In a few places Dawkins relies a little too much on references to his other, copious writings, but he has mostly managed to find a good balance between length and readability….

Taking A Leap Of Faith

Some movies are never meant to go very far or make much of a splash, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t make you think about their message long after you leave the theatre. I have a soft spot for films that can do that in spite of any lack of critical support. I must admit I felt some trepidation about seeing The Ledge because I didn’t want it to be a movie that I regretted seeing and sharing with friends….

The Freethinker In The Mirror

Rusty, a friend of mine from our secular humanist group, wrote an interesting piece that several people think is a pretty good challenge to non-believers: “Are you a Freethinker? A Freethinker is a person who thinks free from delusion, deception, misperception, fantasy, fiction and religious, political, cultural and even familial bias. For the sake of this discussion we will simplify it to freedom from religious philosophy. There are two primary Christian philosophical concepts: 1. The obsessive and debilitating fear of Yahweh and Hell. 2….

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