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The Dangers of Purity?

In Autumn 1996 man was effectively sentenced to death in Kuwait. His horrendous crime was that he had changed his faith. He was no longer a Moslem! Of course his wife, children and job were all taken away. Who could have thought of anything less! But the point I would like to make, sickening though this story be, is that there are still a large number of people out there that think it is justified to force purity on a people -- the perfect purity they and their friends alone can see. And although we seem a long way off in Croydon from that harsh Islamic regime, and although we seem cosy in our multi-faith tolerant society, we hear stories from time to time of those who would like to make us wholly or mainly Christian in all that we do. And we also hear stories from time to time of how Humanists and their allies have thwarted the efforts of extremists, here and there, in many modest ways. That is what makes me proud to be a Humanist

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Humanism in Oxford

In Autumn 1997 Les Braken received details of study from "The Centre for Critical Studies in Religion, Ethics and Society" at Westminster College Oxford. They claim that it is an international centre for the study of Humanism within the religious and cultural context of the twentieth century. It is an associated society of Oxford University and offers accredited degrees. It is also connected with the International Humanist and Ethical Union. It is good to see Humanism given credit at the highest academic level and with this the respectability that Humanism so rightly deserves.

Musings

A Miscellany of Writings by Humanist Les Braken

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The Dangers of Purity?

In Autumn 1996 man was effectively sentenced to death in Kuwait. His horrendous crime was that he had changed his faith. He was no longer a Moslem! Of course his wife, children and job were all taken away. Who could have thought of anything less! But the point I would like to make, sickening though this story be, is that there are still a large number of people out there that think it is justified to force purity on a people -- the perfect purity they and their friends alone can see. And although we seem a long way off in Croydon from that harsh Islamic regime, and although we seem cosy in our multi-faith tolerant society, we hear stories from time to time of those who would like to make us wholly or mainly Christian in all that we do. And we also hear stories from time to time of how Humanists and their allies have thwarted the efforts of extremists, here and there, in many modest ways. That is what makes me proud to be a Humanist

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Humanism in Oxford

In Autumn 1997 Les Braken received details of study from "The Centre for Critical Studies in Religion, Ethics and Society" at Westminster College Oxford. They claim that it is an international centre for the study of Humanism within the religious and cultural context of the twentieth century. It is an associated society of Oxford University and offers accredited degrees. It is also connected with the International Humanist and Ethical Union. It is good to see Humanism given credit at the highest academic level and with this the respectability that Humanism so rightly deserves.

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Tactical Strategies?

Not much good came out of the war in Bosnia. It was a pretty sordid affair. But it did give us an example of a three sided war. There were the Serbs, the Croats, and the Moslems. None of them trusted each other. But never the less there were times in which any two of these sides were fighting alongside each other to attack the third. To some extent, the relationship between Humanists, Moderate Christians, and Extremists is like this. A three way affair. At times we join forces with moderate Christians to fight extremists and to do good deeds. At other times extremists join forces with moderate Christians to deprive us of our rights, such as non-religious or multifaith assemblies in schools.It is a messy business. We all want to get along together, and yet in some ways we are forced apart. Some would say ' Can't we just pretend there is a God, - or that the world is flat - if that is what it takes to keep everyone happy?' The answer is NO! We can't sort out our global problems without thinking of them in global, round-world terms. And we can't sort out world religious conflicts without the honesty that comes from unpretentious scientific reason.

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CATHOLIC EVOLUTION !

In the beginning (+/- 7 days) God created everything, including Man in his own image.

In 1950, Pope Pius XII said that he had no objection to people discussing evolution, but cautioned that it played into the hands of communists eager to cut out God.

In 1996, Pope John Paul said that evolution is compatible with Christian faith! He told a group of Catholic scientific advisors that it was more than just a theory and that the fact that many people had reached the same conclusion constituted a significant argument in its favour. But never-the-less, he still regards the soul as of immediate divine creation.

Feb. 2002 Evangelical Christian Teachers oppose the National Curriculum teaching of evolution at a non denominational Christian, city technology college in Gateshead !

(Reported in the Guardian 9/3/02 More on www.secularism.org.uk)

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The Parable of the Mice and the Mousetrap

A group of mice were having a chat one day. The first one said, "Just look at that piece of cheese, look at its colour, look at its shape, and doesn't it smell good as well. Isn't it magnificent!". The second mouse said "No! Its attached to a mouse trap - just like the one that killed my mum. It makes me feel sick!". A third mouse said that he sympathised, but that any reasonably intelligent mouse should have the intellectual capability of dissociating the supreme artistic qualities of the cheese from the attributes of that horrible mousetrap below. A fourth mouse said he was just fascinated by mouse traps - weren't they so fiendishly ingenious, and what was the fuss about anyway!

Much of this sentiment goes for our feelings of the dear old English Church. There are some who can't keep away from its stained glass windows. There are some who have bad memories from the days they were inside. And there are those that are just sickened by the hypocrisy they perceive to be enshrined in all it stands for.

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"In 1999, two Muslim schools joined the RC and Cof E largely paid for by the British government. I am sure the pupils and staff are very nice people, and as such may I wish them every success with their studies. If other religious schools are state funded , it is very difficult to see why they should not be. And as the present Church schools are so popular with so many parents, it is difficult to think of any government changing things. BUT, and it is a very big but! it was the separate schools that helped to bring about the troubles in Northern Ireland. It is the separate schools that are dividing up people in other nations and paving the way to trouble. By all means let religions have their little differences. But in the important field of education, let us all try to learn and live with each other and be one happy family"

Edtors note:- Much has happened since then, over the winter of 2001/2002 we watched the sectarian strife in Belfast over Holy Cross, a primary school that segregates school children by sex and religion. We watched the civil strife in Northern England as sectarianism fanned the flames of racism, and we witnessed the Twin Towers attack in New York and the subsequent war in Afghanistan, and now threats by a US Government driven by a strong Christian Evangelism against 'the evil axis' of the Muslim world. Things don't look so good and yet we are powerless even to integrate children in schools. see www.c.s.e.freeuk.com

In fact things are going from bad to worse. In March 2002 it is reported that the government has allotted £121million to build 15 more denominational schools, Cof E, RC, Muslim, and Sikh!

Latest on this on www.secularism.org.uk

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The above is an excellent mathematical table!! I can tell this because it gives me the right answer almost every time! People say similar things about their religion. They say that they know their religion is right because it has given so many right answers. But sometimes little inconsistencies can be important. It is not a good idea to believe that 2x6=13. I would not like to fly in an aeroplane that had been designed on such a principle. There are many small details that are incorrect in most, if not all religions. As a consequence a child can be denied a life saving blood transfusion. A school teacher can be prevented from teaching about evolution. A man in the middle east can be executed for minor transgressions against Islam. We all have a job to do - not to fight against the faith of sweet little old ladies - but against those little untruths that stand in mankind's way.

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* * Tactical Strategies? Not much good came out of the war in Bosnia. It was a pretty sordid affair. But it did give us an example of a three sided war. There were the Serbs, the Croats, and the Moslems. None of them trusted each other. But never the less there were times in which any two of these sides were fighting alongside each other to attack the third. To some extent, the relationship between Humanists, Moderate Christians, and Extremists is like this. A three way affair. At times we join forces with moderate Christians to fight extremists and to do good deeds. At other times extremists join forces with moderate Christians to deprive us of our rights, such as non-religious or multifaith assemblies in schools.It is a messy business. We all want to get along together, and yet in some ways we are forced apart. Some would say ' Can't we just pretend there is a God, - or that the world is flat - if that is what it takes to keep everyone happy?' The answer is NO! We can't sort out our global problems without thinking of them in global, round-world terms. And we can't sort out world religious conflicts without the honesty that comes from unpretentious scientific reason. *
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	* CATHOLIC EVOLUTION ! In the beginning (+/- 7 days) God created everything, including Man in his own image. In 1950, Pope Pius XII said that he had no objection to people discussing evolution, but cautioned that it played into the hands of communists eager to cut out God. In 1996, Pope John Paul said that evolution is compatible with Christian faith! He told a group of Catholic scientific advisors that it was more than just a theory and that the fact that many people had reached the same conclusion constituted a significant argument in its favour. But never-the-less, he still regards the soul as of immediate divine creation. Feb. 2002 Evangelical Christian Teachers oppose the National Curriculum teaching of evolution at a non denominational Christian, city technology college in Gateshead ! (Reported in the Guardian 9/3/02 More on www.secularism.org.uk) *
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* The Parable of the Mice and the Mousetrap A group of mice were having a chat one day. The first one said, "Just look at that piece of cheese, look at its colour, look at its shape, and doesn't it smell good as well. Isn't it magnificent!". The second mouse said "No! Its attached to a mouse trap - just like the one that killed my mum. It makes me feel sick!". A third mouse said that he sympathised, but that any reasonably intelligent mouse should have the intellectual capability of dissociating the supreme artistic qualities of the cheese from the attributes of that horrible mousetrap below. A fourth mouse said he was just fascinated by mouse traps - weren't they so fiendishly ingenious, and what was the fuss about anyway! Much of this sentiment goes for our feelings of the dear old English Church. There are some who can't keep away from its stained glass windows. There are some who have bad memories from the days they were inside. And there are those that are just sickened by the hypocrisy they perceive to be enshrined in all it stands for. *
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	* "In 1999, two Muslim schools joined the RC and Cof E largely paid for by the British government. I am sure the pupils and staff are very nice people, and as such may I wish them every success with their studies. If other religious schools are state funded , it is very difficult to see why they should not be. And as the present Church schools are so popular with so many parents, it is difficult to think of any government changing things. BUT, and it is a very big but! it was the separate schools that helped to bring about the troubles in Northern Ireland. It is the separate schools that are dividing up people in other nations and paving the way to trouble. By all means let religions have their little differences. But in the important field of education, let us all try to learn and live with each other and be one happy family" Edtors note:- Much has happened since then, over the winter of 2001/2002 we watched the sectarian strife in Belfast over Holy Cross, a primary school that segregates school children by sex and religion. We watched the civil strife in Northern England as sectarianism fanned the flames of racism, and we witnessed the Twin Towers attack in New York and the subsequent war in Afghanistan, and now threats by a US Government driven by a strong Christian Evangelism against 'the evil axis' of the Muslim world. Things don't look so good and yet we are powerless even to integrate children in schools. see www.c.s.e.freeuk.com In fact things are going from bad to worse. In March 2002 it is reported that the government has allotted £121million to build 15 more denominational schools, Cof E, RC, Muslim, and Sikh! Latest on this on www.secularism.org.uk
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	* The above is an excellent mathematical table!! I can tell this because it gives me the right answer almost every time! People say similar things about their religion. They say that they know their religion is right because it has given so many right answers. But sometimes little inconsistencies can be important. It is not a good idea to believe that 2x6=13. I would not like to fly in an aeroplane that had been designed on such a principle. There are many small details that are incorrect in most, if not all religions. As a consequence a child can be denied a life saving blood transfusion. A school teacher can be prevented from teaching about evolution. A man in the middle east can be executed for minor transgressions against Islam. We all have a job to do - not to fight against the faith of sweet little old ladies - but against those little untruths that stand in mankind's way.