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- Parenting Beyond Belief: The "Equal Time" Gambit
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Humanist Network News
is the free e-zine of the Institute for Humanist Studies.
Subscribe at http://humaniststudies.org/lists/
This article can be found at: http://humaniststudies.org/enews/?id=348&article=2
GUEST COLUMN BY ED BUCKNERFor HumanistNetworkNews.org
May 14, 2008
(HNN's Parenting Beyond Belief column provides a forum for humanist parents and parenting experts to share their wisdom, advice and knowledge of parenting and family issues. Edited, and occasionally written, by Dale McGowan, the monthly column features guest writers who provide information and support about issues affecting freethought parents and children in the 21st century.)
How should parents respond to other parents (or even to a teacher) about a claim that the law—in the interests of fairness, balance, and religious liberty—should require the teaching of intelligent design in public school biology classes?
The key is that biology class curricula must be controlled by biologists and science educators, not
by religious leaders and not based on religious teaching. This is a matter both of law under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and of wise education.
Sincere religious believers may indeed disagree with scientific conclusions of all kinds, and their beliefs should not be scorned or ridiculed in public school classrooms. But the Christian Scientist who says that prayer rather than modern medicine is the cure for diabetes must not be allowed to impose that belief on public school health classes.
For exactly the same reason, someone with the religious belief that an Intelligent Designer created life on earth must be free to hold and defend the belief, but not to impose it on biology classes in public schools.
There are, of course, those who claim that intelligent design (ID) constitutes a serious scientific alternative to the modern Darwinian evolutionary synthesis. Moviemakers like Ben Stein ("Expelled") would even have us believe that ID is the only reasonable theory and that there is a giant conspiracy afoot to expel good science in favor of evolutionary theory.
Whether or not this makes for a good movie—the consensus seems to be that it does not—it does not make for good science. ID is neither well supported, new, nor even a scientific theory at all. It does not effectively explain the hundreds of thousands of known facts nor provide any explanation beyond a religious one. Science cannot, by its very nature, accept a series of "And then a miracle occurred," statements as constituting a scientific explanation or theory.
And to a fellow parent who exclaims that the world is so well designed it must have a designer (or that such a claim is scientifically supported), it is legitimate to ask, "Well-designed," compared to what?"
The universe is almost unimaginably complex, vastly interesting, awe-inspiring—but, as far as anyone knows, it is the only one. Since we can all imagine a better-designed universe, even though none of us is divine (ask the folks in areas now suffering from floods or from droughts if they couldn’t design a better water distribution system, or contemplate your own appendix or your poor pet’s fleas or West-Nile-virus-bearing mosquitoes), it is a little hard to know if our universe is "well designed". And, even if it is, would not a God necessarily be even better designed—so who designed Him, and then who designed that designer, ad infinitum?
Your fellow parent may not realize just how old ID really is, or how thoroughly it has been rebutted long ago. The one usually credited with popularizing or developing the design argument (the not yet really improved precursor of ID) is William Paley, who described it in Natural Theology (1802).
Daniel C. Dennett (1995) argued convincingly that David Hume anticipated and defeated Paley’s argument, having Cleanthes, one of Hume’s three fictional characters in Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion(1779), show why intelligent design does not make sense.
In any case, the real problem is that design and a "designer" with a purpose are not necessarily connected. The natural forces at work in the universe do change things, and at least in the case of organic matter, those changes are in a particular direction, or directions. But that does not imply purpose or an intentional destination.
Organisms with inheritable characteristics that work better in whatever environment they are in are more likely to survive and reproduce—so "Nature," or evolutionary forces, does "design""organisms that are increasingly well adapted and thus that are often increasingly complex.
Given a few million generations over a few billion years, such design forces can create an astonishing variety of interesting products—but that in no way suggests an omnipotent, omniscient, purposeful Creator. Those who claim otherwise are making a religious claim--and they are certainly entitled to hold such beliefs. They are not entitled to impose those beliefs on public school science classes.
For much more on the subject, see:
Dennett, Daniel C. Darwin’s Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life, Simon and Schuster, 1995, especially pp. 28-34 and 68-80.
Dawkins, Richard. The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design, W.W. Norton & Company, 1996.
Hume, David. Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Prometheus Books, modern reprint of 1779 work.
Paley, William. Natural Theology; or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity; the 12th Edition (1809), is available online: http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?viewtype=text&itemID=A142&pageseq=1
Pigliucci, Massimo. Tales of the Rational, Freethought Press, 2000.
Shanks, Niall. God, the Devil, and Darwin: A Critique of Intelligent Design Theory, Oxford University Press, 2003 (paperback, 2007).
Shermer, Michael. Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design, Times Books, 2006.
Stein, Gordon, ed. An Anthology of Atheism and Rationalism, Prometheus Books, 1980, pp. 55-59 and 88-104.
Ed Buckner has been a professor, a school administrator, and executive director of the Council for Secular Humanism. He and his wife, Lois Bright, have edited several books and published Oliver Halle’s Taking the Harder Right (2006). He wrote the concluding chapter of Kimberly Blaker’s Fundamentals of Extremism (2003) and co-edited, with his son, Quotations that Support the Separation of State and Church (second edition, 1995). Buckner has debated and spoken across the US, often about the Treaty of Tripoli and "This Is a Free Country, Not a Christian Nation." He serves on several national advisory boards and committees.
Editor's Note: For more information on humanist parenting, click the "Parenting" tab in the left-hand sidebar that appears on every page of the Institute for Humanist Studies website, or visit: http://humaniststudies.org/parenting
The Institute for Humanist Studies encourages readers of Humanist Network News to forward articles freely, including to list-serves. Please read our terms of use, however, before republishing anything contained in HNN. http://www.humaniststudies.org/terms.htmlThursday May 15, 2008 - 09:25pm (EDT) Permanent Link - Sweet Reason: Guest Columnist Dr. Susan Perry Discusses Why Couples Should Not Play Tit-for-Tat
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Humanist Network News
is the free e-zine of the Institute for Humanist Studies.
Subscribe at http://humaniststudies.org/lists/
This article can be found at: http://humaniststudies.org/enews/?id=348&article=1
For HumanistNetworkNews.org
May 14, 2008
Do unto others is a fine general principle to live by, though for couples I suggest a better one: from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.
Never mind the Marxist connotations--what I like to call the Couple's Manifesto of Love works beautifully in two-person intimate relationships. Mates of good-will usually find it provides both of them with the fairest and best outcomes.
Couple satisfaction goes downhill when one or both of them start the numerical recording process. Lists of who does what rarely look right even on paper, let alone in practice. How do you compare daily carpool duty with weekly vacuuming? Backrubs with checkbook balancing? Feeling unexploited is not about a number of hours, nor about an expenditure of calories.
If you're constantly on the lookout for when you'll get "yours," a habit psychologists call "reciprocation wariness," that will only get in the way of a successful long-term relationship. It works best not to hold back from giving or doing what might feel like more than "your half" at any particular time. Payoffs come in unexpected ways. If you feel you're not getting your needs met, it's time to talk.
If this philosophy is going to work, you have to be willing to try to see the world through your partner's eyes. Those whose mates complain they aren't doing enough, for example, argue that the neater one's standards are unfair and that the less tidy mate hasn't had a say in setting the criteria. If he does what she wants (i.e., becomes an ideal husband from her standpoint), is she willing to do the same from his standpoint?
Say Kingsley has spontaneous bursts of energy and applies that zest to large projects. It's a waste of time for Amanda to keep cajoling him into emptying the dishwasher routinely. Amanda may also consider dishwasher duty to be drudgery, but she finds it impossible to prepare dinners--her turf in this marriage--unless it's done. So she does it, ungrumpily, and when it's time to re-stain the balcony--a huge, messy, three-day task--she lets Kingsley know she'd appreciate it if he'd take care of it soon. And he does the job within the month.
Different activities exact disparate amounts of psychic energy from each of us. You may prefer giving a half-hour massage to untangling a garden hose. Psychologist Andrew Christensen told me in an interview that his wife hates making business phone calls, so he makes them. "If I can do a thing easily," he explained, "then I do it. It's an individualized system. You can't just take a template and apply it."
To each according to his needs means no more tit-for-tat. Accept each other's subjective view of how much is being contributed. It took me a while to trust, for example, that it's a valid use of his time for my husband Stephen to spend countless hours maintaining the garden he loves. He's never criticized my choice of ways to procrastinate writing. Actively supporting your partner's view of the world is a way of showing love. And you can always avoid the "you owe me" quandary by re-jiggering the system when necessary.
Many couples love to use humor as a tool to work out what's fair. One woman who'd been with her partner for 18 years told me they'd evolved an informal routine in which, when one mock-grudgingly accommodates to the other, she gets points. "Every now and then when one of us does something really good for the other one, like cleaning up sooner than I want to, or leaving sooner to go out than I think is necessary, I'll just say, 'OK, but I get points for this.'"
"The one thing I came up with when we were going through therapy," another woman told me, "was that marriage is never equal." That is, "equality" often does not mean "symmetry." "What's important is that with the two of us together," she continued, "the life we create, is more than just the sum of us."
One of the more constructive ways of expressing your needs, rather than simply stating them or asking (let alone demanding) that they be met, is to show gratitude when your partner does fulfill them in his or her own unique way. For example, I've often told my husband that he makes me laugh. I've also explained to him that what I mean is much more than finding his jokes funny. It's about his sharing my existential aloneness, joining me mentally and emotionally in the ideas that dominate my life.
Finally, leave the tit-for-tat accounting to your dealings with utility companies. A gratifying sense of couple "flow"--the effortless ease with one another that helps balance out the rest of life's stresses--comes most readily from a fluid give-and-take. Aiming together for such a state of graceful flexibility leads to genuine intimacy.
Susan K. Perry, Ph.D., is a relationship expert and the author of several books, including Loving in Flow: How the Happiest Couples Get and Stay That Way (Sourcebooks) from which this column was adapted. She is also a writing consultant. She recently completed her first novel, Kylie's Heel, about the trials of a rational woman. Visit Susan at www.BunnyApe.com/susan.htm.
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The Institute for Humanist Studies encourages readers of Humanist Network News to forward articles freely, including to list-serves. Please read our terms of use, however, before republishing anything contained in HNN. http://www.humaniststudies.org/terms.htmlThursday May 15, 2008 - 09:22pm (EDT) Permanent Link - Citizens uniting against fluoride
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This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which
follows.
To view this item online, visit
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=64168
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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WorldNetDaily Exclusive
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Posted: May 13, 2008
10:22 pm Eastern
By Chelsea Schilling
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WorldNetDaily
A group of private citizens in San Diego County is planning to file a
large-scale lawsuit in federal court against public water districts
and challenge the constitutionality of using industrial-grade
hydrofluosilicic acid to fluoridate drinking water.
Jeff Green, national director of Citizens for Safe Drinking Water in
San Diego, told WND, "We are raising funds for a lawsuit that has
been prepared for plaintiffs who are asserting their constitutional
rights under the Ninth and 14th Amendments to be free of what they
term 'bodily intrusions' by a water wholesaler adding an unapproved
drug into their water."
Specific details about the lawsuit such as names of plaintiffs will
not be revealed until the suit has officially been filed. However,
Green said the filing parties are private citizens in Southern
California who are seeking an injunction against public water
districts to stop use of unapproved drugs in the area drinking supply.
"They are individuals who will be claiming that they shouldn't be
taking an unapproved drug because they already have adverse effects
happening," he said. "They already have things like kidney disease,
thyroid disease and other health issues that make it important for
them to have the right to control what they are exposed to."
As WND previously reported, there is growing and fierce opposition to
plans to fluoridate public drinking water after shocking new studies
that seriously question a practice routine among U.S. municipalities
for nearly the last 50 years. Green said many citizens are usually
unaware of how dangerous the chemical can actually be.
"Most people think that fluoride is what you have in your toothpaste
or water, but they are unaware of the fact that Prozac and Zoloft are
fluoride products," Green said. "Almost all psychotropic drugs are
fluoride products.
"Baycol, the drug that was pulled off the market because of muscle
degeneration, is a fluoride product," he continued. "Cipro, the
product they were going to use for the Anthrax vaccine, was a
fluoride product. In Fen-Phen, the diet drug that got pulled of the
market, the fluoride in it is what created the thickening of the
heart valve. Rohypnol, the date-rape drug, is a fluoride product. If
someone goes into surgery, and they use anesthesia gas, they would be
using fluorothane or halothane or one of these other fluoride
products."
(Story continues below)
Contrary to popular belief, Green said medical and scientific
research indicates water fluoridation does not prevent tooth decay
and that U.S. water districts have asked chemical suppliers to make
statements that fluoride is effective at doing so.
"There's not one chemical supplier in the entire United States that
will make that statement," he said.
He hopes the lawsuit will send a message to chemical suppliers and
water districts across the nation that citizens will not tolerate
general poisoning of their water supply with fluoride or a variety of
other contaminants.
"It's not OK for them to come out and say it's the greatest thing in
the world, and then we find hazardous waste that has arsenic, lead,
cadmium and mercury in it," Green said. "Where did they get the
ability to add these toxins? There wasn't anything people voted for,
anywhere, that said it was a reasonable implementation of public
policy of fluoridation to add arsenic. The levels that are allowable
would allow as much as one in every 3,000 people to have lung or
bladder cancer over a lifetime of use."
Green said donations to support the lawsuit are being made to Keepers
of the Well, an organization committed to promoting safe drinking
water. The plaintiffs expect to file soon and assert their rights to
protect themselves from poisoning.
"In essence, we're saying that these water districts may have made a
determination that they want to fluoridate; that's public policy, but
when it comes down to implementing it and actually pushing a
substance that has never been approved by the FDA, they are actually
treating people and intending to prevent disease with an unapproved
drug."
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Previous stories:
Fluoride: Miracle drug or toxic-waste killer?
600 pros urge Congress to stop fluoridation
Florida company recalls 'toxic' Chinese toothpaste
Feds eye control of vitamins, supplements – even water!
Food supplements targeted by trilateral deal
Texas House: We won't force vaccine on schoolgirls
Civilians could be facing mandatory anthrax shotsThursday May 15, 2008 - 09:20pm (EDT) Permanent Link - Mayo Clinic's Top 10 Complementary Therapies
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Amit Sood, MD
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
Dozens of US hospitals and major medical centers now offer complementary
treatments in addition to conventional medical care* -- and some of these
therapies are covered by health insurance.
Problem: With so many conflicting claims being made regarding complementary
therapies, how do doctors at these institutions decide which to recommend to
the patients they treat? At the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, the following
four criteria are used...
Is it safe? If a complementary treatment is completely safe, then it may be
worth trying, even if its effectiveness has not been proven definitively by
scientific studies.
Is it standardized? Herbs and dietary supplements are subject to limited
regulatory oversight by the FDA. Therefore, these products frequently are
not standardized to contain a consistent level of ingredients, potency and
purity. Some herbs and dietary supplements do provide benefits, but you
should work closely with a knowledgeable doctor when using them.
Does it meet a need that cannot be met by conventional medicine? When it
comes to stress, for example, conventional medicine includes treatments,
such as anti-anxiety drugs or antidepressants, that potentially can help
people. But such medications often have side effects and may not be suitable
for long-term use. Complementary therapies, such as yoga, massage and
meditation, can help relieve stress without the risk for serious side
effects.
Does it positively affect not only patients, but also those with whom they
interact? The calming influence of several complementary treatments, such as
meditation and music therapy, promotes a feeling of relaxation and
well-being that helps bring harmony to one's interactions with family and
friends. Positive, supportive relationships, in turn, are believed to help
speed recovery from many types of illness.
Here is an alphabetical listing of Mayo Clinic's top 10 complementary
treatments -- and the research that supports their use...
BEST TREATMENTS
1. Acupuncture. In this treatment from traditional Chinese medicine,
acupuncturists insert thin needles into strategic, energy-balancing points
on the body. Acupuncture can prevent and treat nausea and vomiting and help
relieve many types of pain, including that from osteoarthritis, low back
pain, neck pain, headaches and postsurgical pain. Patients who receive
acupuncture typically receive up to 12 treatments, usually given once or
twice a week.
Standout scientific evidence: German researchers tracked more than 3,000
patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis and found that those receiving
acupuncture experienced significantly more pain relief than those who did
not receive acupuncture treatments.
2. Guided imagery. Patients imagine a beautiful, soothing environment, such
as a warm beach. Guided imagery, also referred to as visualization, helps
reduce anxiety in patients who become claustrophobic during magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) scans, who are having outpatient surgery without
general anesthesia or who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening
disease, such as cancer.
Standout scientific evidence: In a study conducted at the University of
Akron in Ohio, a group of 53 women receiving radiation therapy for breast
cancer either listened to guided imagery tapes once a day or did not. The
women listening to the tapes felt more comfortable and less anxious,
particularly during the first three weeks of treatment.
3. Hypnosis. The patient is led into a state of deep relaxation and focused
attention by either a hypnotherapist or an instructional audio
(self-hypnosis), and verbal suggestions are made to help relieve anxiety,
pain, tension headaches and insomnia.
Standout scientific evidence: Doctors at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine
in New York City analyzed 20 studies on hypnosis and surgical patients. In
89% of cases, surgical patients who were hypnotized had less pain, used less
pain medication and recovered faster.
4. Massage. A massage therapist manipulates the body's soft tissue --
muscle, skin and tendons -- using fingertips, hands and fists. Massage
treats anxiety and low back pain and improves postsurgical healing.
Standout scientific evidence: Studies conducted at the University of Miami's
Touch Research Institute show that massage can help relieve back pain and
strengthen the immune system in women with breast cancer by increasing
levels of natural disease-fighting cells.
5. Meditation. Attention is focused on breathing and/or on a word, phrase or
sound (mantra), leading to a more relaxed body and calmer mind. Doctors at
the Mayo Clinic use meditation to treat patients with anxiety and high blood
pressure and to help people quit smoking without medication.
Standout scientific evidence: An analysis of 20 studies on meditation found
that this treatment could help patients cope with epilepsy, premenstrual
syndrome (PMS), menopausal symptoms, autoimmune disease and anxiety during
cancer treatment.
6. Music therapy. Many complementary medical centers employ music
therapists. However, you can use music therapy on your own by listening to
soothing music or your favorite music.
Standout scientific evidence: At Abbott Northwestern Hospital in
Minneapolis, a study of 86 patients recovering from heart surgery showed
that those receiving music therapy experienced less anxiety and pain.
7. Spinal manipulation. Practiced by chiropractors, osteopaths (medical
doctors whose training allows them to correct structural problems in the
musculoskeletal system) and physical therapists, this hands-on technique
adjusts the spine to properly align the vertebrae with muscles, joints and
nerves. Spinal manipulation is an accepted medical practice for low back
pain, but the evidence supporting its use for other medical problems has
been somewhat conflicting.
Standout scientific evidence: At the University of California, Los Angeles,
School of Public Health, a study of 681 patients with low back pain showed
that chiropractic care was as effective as medical care, including
painkilling drugs, in relieving discomfort.
8. Spirituality. For some people, this means religious observance, prayer or
faith in a "higher being." For others, spirituality can be found through a
deep appreciation of nature or art or participation in a secular community.
Standout scientific evidence: Researchers in Virginia who conducted an
analysis of 16 studies on illness and "religious intervention" -- praying or
attending religious services -- found that spirituality can decrease the
length of hospital stays and fever in patients with severe infections...
increase immune function... help relieve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms...
reduce anxiety... and improve outcomes in people with heart disease.
9. Tai chi. This gentle exercise, derived from Chinese martial arts,
consists of a series of defined postures and movements performed slowly and
gracefully. Medically, it is used to improve balance in older people who are
prone to falls.
Standout scientific evidence: In a study of 278 elderly people at Vrije
University in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, those who performed tai chi three
times a week for six months had 50% fewer falls and fewer injury-causing
falls.
10. Yoga. These stretching postures and breathing exercises, which
originated in India, help calm body and mind. Yoga is particularly effective
for stress relief, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis,
anxiety and depression.
Standout scientific evidence: In a study conducted at All India Institute of
Medical Sciences in New Delhi, 98 people with heart disease or diabetes who
practiced the postures and breathing techniques of yoga had significant
reductions in total cholesterol and blood sugar.
*To learn more about complementary therapies, go to www.nccam.nih.gov, the
Web site of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.Sunday May 11, 2008 - 12:55pm (EDT) Permanent Link - Humanists Need To Go Public
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Dear Friend of IHS,
For too long secular Americans have stood on the sidelines of American politics. We stood by and watched the most intolerant and unreasonable voices in our society hijack the language of values.
No more. Now we are moving off the sidelines and getting into the action. We are making humanism more visible and more influential.
Let me give you two examples from last month that back up this claim.
First is the wonderful New York Times article all about our humanist lobbyist, titled "A Pragmatist and a Lobbyist on Atheism." The article covered a typical day lobbying by Jennifer Lange, legislative liaison for the Institute for Humanist Studies. The reporter was very positive, saying that "In Ms. Lange, the institute found an experienced legislative tactician and a disarming public face."
We agree.
We also know that we, and the humanist movement, would never have received this very public praise if it wasn’t for another experienced professional – our communications director Duncan Crary, who worked with the New York Times for six months to secure this article.
We are only able to hire and support these outstanding professionals because of donations from people like you. If you want to support this work then please go to http://www.humaniststudies.org/support.html
The second example is the first ever Humanist Legislative Awareness Day. On February 12, Darwin Day, we brought twenty humanists to the New York State Capitol and had them visit the offices of twenty two legislators. Coming from all over New York State, these humanists were able to tell their legislators that the non-religious are growing in number and that they care about public policy issues. We got a very positive response from almost everyone we met. And all the humanist activists who took part gave us rave reviews about how empowered they felt by the whole event.
But we can only continue to do this with your support. If you want to see humanists gain more visibility and influence then I hope you will back this up with some financial support. Go to http://www.humaniststudies.org/support.html to make a fully tax-deductible donation on our website.
IHS promotes a more active and positive public voice for all humanists and freethinkers. We are always working to raise the public profile of humanist causes. And you are a part of the effort when you donate to our organization. Your contribution recognizes our efforts and makes new initiatives possible.
We will continue to fight for your right to be heard if you continue to support us. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your convictions by making a donation to the Institute for Humanist Studies today.
You can donate online: http://www.humaniststudies.org/support.html
If you prefer to mail your donation, our address is:
48 Howard Street, Albany, NY 12207.
You can print our mail-in form here: http://humaniststudies.org/ihs_donorForm.pdf
Thank you for your support.
Yours sincerely,
Matt Cherry
Executive Director
PS. You can read the full New York Times article by going to our website: http://humaniststudies.org/media/news.html?link=a-pragmatist-and-a-lobbyist-on-atheism.Sunday March 16, 2008 - 06:48pm (EDT) Permanent Link
