he Council for Secular Humanism is sponsoring a Free Expression Cartoon Contest . The Council – publisher of Free Inquiry, the first major U. S. publication to republish a selection of the Danish cartoons – invites professional and amateur artists to submit their sharpest, cleverest, and most ingenious creations touching on that most sensitive subject: religion. (Though secular humanism is not a religion, cartoons about secular humanists and other activists who live without religion are welcome, too.)
Showing posts with label secularism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label secularism. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Are There Any Artists Out There Reading This Blog?
T
he Council for Secular Humanism is sponsoring a Free Expression Cartoon Contest . The Council – publisher of Free Inquiry, the first major U. S. publication to republish a selection of the Danish cartoons – invites professional and amateur artists to submit their sharpest, cleverest, and most ingenious creations touching on that most sensitive subject: religion. (Though secular humanism is not a religion, cartoons about secular humanists and other activists who live without religion are welcome, too.)
he Council for Secular Humanism is sponsoring a Free Expression Cartoon Contest . The Council – publisher of Free Inquiry, the first major U. S. publication to republish a selection of the Danish cartoons – invites professional and amateur artists to submit their sharpest, cleverest, and most ingenious creations touching on that most sensitive subject: religion. (Though secular humanism is not a religion, cartoons about secular humanists and other activists who live without religion are welcome, too.)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Proposed Burqa Ban in France
A call by French President Nicholas Sarkozy to prohibit women from wearing the notorious Muslim body garb, the burqa, has led to heated debate and the creation of a government commission to investigate the proposed policy.
On June 22, Sarkozy -- who in the past has opposed restricting the public proselytizing and display of religious symbols in the public square -- described the burqa as "a problem of liberty and women's dignity" that was "not welcome in France." He added that the full-body covering was less a religious symbol than "a sign of subservience and debasement of females" that resulted in "women prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity."
While many secularists may agree, Sarkozy's proposal puts the government in the position of essentially creating a "dress code" for French citizens. It also raises serious questions about the strategies and limits in upholding the French cultural and political tradition of LAICITE, a term that refers to a robust separation of government and religion. As a political policy ensconced in French law, Laicite grew out of the effort in the 19th century to reverse the power exercised by the Roman Catholic Church over the country's educational and cultural institutions.
The Jules Ferry laws established free, secular education in 1881.
Separation was re-enforced in 1905 with new legislation, including the French Law on the Separation of the Church and the State.
This measure stressed the separation of government and religion, freedom of and from religious exercise, and restrictions on the public power of religious groups.
Today, LAICITE is supported by a wide range of civic and even religious groups, including anti-clerical movements, civil libertarians, freethought and Atheist/Humanist societies, and the Grand Orient of France, the nation's largest Masonic body. There are disagreements, though, on how far LAICITE should go; indeed, the dispute over the burqa highlights the conflict of individual freedom and "inappropriate" proselytizing in the public sphere.
Intelligence sources report that an "affiliate" of al Qaeda has
already threatened violence if the burqa ban becomes law. On the
other side of the political spectrum, Human Rights Watch warns that
such a law would be counterproductive. Islamic religious groups
say that the proposal stereotypes Muslims and is "insulting."
Ronald Sokol, international attorney and author of "Justice After Darwin," examined the proposed burqa prohibition in a recent op/ed piece in the New York Times ("MY Burqa Is None of Your Business, July 3, 2009). Sokol points out that the public display of burqas is not a widespread phenomenon in France, and may be, in fact, a guarantee of privacy and anonymity in public. "A state that proclaims democratic values cannot justify telling its residents what to wear or not to wear any more than it can justify telling them what to think or what to say or to which god to pray when no harm comes from the behavior, save the shock felt by those whose views and customs differ," warns Sokol.
There are other problems as well. Banning the burqa may fuel the ambitions and stature of a small coterie of Islamic fundamentalists who already criticize their brethren for being lax in religious practices. Muslims would see secularism, laicite, as a policy that must be enforced by government force rather than reason. And the policy could fuel the arguments of strident fundamentalists that "Islam is at war" with modern society.
A commission has been appointed by lawmakers to examine public policy is respect to the body garb. A report is expected in the next two weeks.
On June 22, Sarkozy -- who in the past has opposed restricting the public proselytizing and display of religious symbols in the public square -- described the burqa as "a problem of liberty and women's dignity" that was "not welcome in France." He added that the full-body covering was less a religious symbol than "a sign of subservience and debasement of females" that resulted in "women prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity."
While many secularists may agree, Sarkozy's proposal puts the government in the position of essentially creating a "dress code" for French citizens. It also raises serious questions about the strategies and limits in upholding the French cultural and political tradition of LAICITE, a term that refers to a robust separation of government and religion. As a political policy ensconced in French law, Laicite grew out of the effort in the 19th century to reverse the power exercised by the Roman Catholic Church over the country's educational and cultural institutions.
The Jules Ferry laws established free, secular education in 1881.
Separation was re-enforced in 1905 with new legislation, including the French Law on the Separation of the Church and the State.
This measure stressed the separation of government and religion, freedom of and from religious exercise, and restrictions on the public power of religious groups.
Today, LAICITE is supported by a wide range of civic and even religious groups, including anti-clerical movements, civil libertarians, freethought and Atheist/Humanist societies, and the Grand Orient of France, the nation's largest Masonic body. There are disagreements, though, on how far LAICITE should go; indeed, the dispute over the burqa highlights the conflict of individual freedom and "inappropriate" proselytizing in the public sphere.
Intelligence sources report that an "affiliate" of al Qaeda has
already threatened violence if the burqa ban becomes law. On the
other side of the political spectrum, Human Rights Watch warns that
such a law would be counterproductive. Islamic religious groups
say that the proposal stereotypes Muslims and is "insulting."
Ronald Sokol, international attorney and author of "Justice After Darwin," examined the proposed burqa prohibition in a recent op/ed piece in the New York Times ("MY Burqa Is None of Your Business, July 3, 2009). Sokol points out that the public display of burqas is not a widespread phenomenon in France, and may be, in fact, a guarantee of privacy and anonymity in public. "A state that proclaims democratic values cannot justify telling its residents what to wear or not to wear any more than it can justify telling them what to think or what to say or to which god to pray when no harm comes from the behavior, save the shock felt by those whose views and customs differ," warns Sokol.
There are other problems as well. Banning the burqa may fuel the ambitions and stature of a small coterie of Islamic fundamentalists who already criticize their brethren for being lax in religious practices. Muslims would see secularism, laicite, as a policy that must be enforced by government force rather than reason. And the policy could fuel the arguments of strident fundamentalists that "Islam is at war" with modern society.
A commission has been appointed by lawmakers to examine public policy is respect to the body garb. A report is expected in the next two weeks.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Oppose HR 397
American citizens: Please email your member of Congress and ask them to refuse to co-sponsor "House Resolution 397" and oppose all efforts to move this resolution forward. This "Christian nation" resolution states that YOU AND YOUR GOVERNMENT:
"recognize the religious foundations of faith on which America was built are critical underpinnings of our Nation's most valuable institutions and form the inseparable foundation for America's representative processes, legal systems, and societal structures."
It tries to form a legal basis for introducing religion to the "Nation's public buildings and educational resources" and tries to solidify keeping "under God" in the pledge.
Your help is needed! Contact your congressional representative now!
http://action.secular.org/t/5367/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27204
"recognize the religious foundations of faith on which America was built are critical underpinnings of our Nation's most valuable institutions and form the inseparable foundation for America's representative processes, legal systems, and societal structures."
It tries to form a legal basis for introducing religion to the "Nation's public buildings and educational resources" and tries to solidify keeping "under God" in the pledge.
Your help is needed! Contact your congressional representative now!
http://action.secular.org/
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The End of Christian America
Interesting article in the latest issue of Newsweek leads off stating "The percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 points in the past two decades."
Later in the article we read: ...the number of Americans who claim no religious affiliation has nearly doubled since 1990, rising from 8 to 15 percent....while the unaffiliated have historically been concentrated in the Pacific Northwest, the report said, "this pattern has now changed, and the Northeast emerged in 2008 as the new stronghold of the religiously unidentified."
Another clip: This is not to say that the Christian God is dead, but that he is less of a force in American politics and culture than at any other time in recent memory. To the surprise of liberals who fear the advent of an evangelical theocracy and to the dismay of religious conservatives who long to see their faith more fully expressed in public life, Christians are now making up a declining percentage of the American population.
I sincerely hope this trend continues. Personally, I think it displays people's dissatisfaction with ardent religiosity moreso that it shows any rising tide for atheism or agnosticism. My guess is that many Americans who do not go to a church or voice any specific religious belief still "believe" in a god (probably a flavor of the Christian god and Jesus). That's cool, as long as they keep it out of the public arena in terms of it impacting policy and requiring taxpayer support of religious belief...
Later in the article we read: ...the number of Americans who claim no religious affiliation has nearly doubled since 1990, rising from 8 to 15 percent....while the unaffiliated have historically been concentrated in the Pacific Northwest, the report said, "this pattern has now changed, and the Northeast emerged in 2008 as the new stronghold of the religiously unidentified."
Another clip: This is not to say that the Christian God is dead, but that he is less of a force in American politics and culture than at any other time in recent memory. To the surprise of liberals who fear the advent of an evangelical theocracy and to the dismay of religious conservatives who long to see their faith more fully expressed in public life, Christians are now making up a declining percentage of the American population.
I sincerely hope this trend continues. Personally, I think it displays people's dissatisfaction with ardent religiosity moreso that it shows any rising tide for atheism or agnosticism. My guess is that many Americans who do not go to a church or voice any specific religious belief still "believe" in a god (probably a flavor of the Christian god and Jesus). That's cool, as long as they keep it out of the public arena in terms of it impacting policy and requiring taxpayer support of religious belief...
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