Author: Wayne Wilson

Know It Or Repeat It

Utah’s State Historic Preservation Officer and Director of the Division of State History/Utah State Historical Society, Brad Westwood, presented “What Part History Plays in Utah’s Future” in April.

With degrees in American Studies and Historic Preservation, Brad has been engaged in applied history and the management of historical resources for over thirty-five years. He is always looking for places that need preserving, and ways to make history more understandable and accessible to the public.

Brad has asked us to complete a survey to help him do that. (bradwestwood@utah.gov or Utah State Historical Society, 300 S. Rio Grande Street, 84101, telephone: 801-245-7226). He is personable and listening to his amusing stories is a good way to spend an hour. He wants to spread the information he has garnered. Speaking to a group that you think might like to hear him would please him. Contact him and let’s be the state that keeps our history on the front burner.

—Lauren Florence, MD

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How We Got to Now:
Six Innovations That Made the Modern World

Flo Wineriter recommends this book in which Steven Johnson looks at innovations over centuries and some surprising unintended consequences that have affected who and where we are today. Connections are made between seemingly unrelated events and discoveries. For example would you think that pendulum clocks would be a trigger to the industrial revolution? This book accompanies a six-part PBS television series.

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President’s Report

Guns and Violence

When it comes to guns, I have a split personality, as I suspect many of us do, in that I don’t believe in banning guns, or anything else for that matter. But I also don’t believe in the unrestricted ownership of whatever firearm you want.

Several years ago, in contemplation of some part time security employment, I obtained a concealed carry permit. The requirements for this permit, in my opinion, are grossly inadequate, consisting of a class with no test, application and picture taking. Whereas, I feel that anyone wishing to carry in any way should pass a written test regarding safety and the laws. They should also be required to show the ability to safely load their weapon, fire it at a target, unload it and stow it away. Plus I think it would be a good idea to require this of all weapons purchases. You have to do this for a driver’s license, why not for deadly weapons.

But as I think about all that I have say about this subject, I see that it is one that may need to be dealt with in more than one average message of mine. So excuse me if I have to “cut it off” and finish it next month.

Anyway, in my case, this somewhat moderate view, this split personality comes from having “Guns and Ammo” as a significant thread in my life. It runs from my childhood days through my years in the Air Force up to today. I would like to talk about parts of that thread a little and it might be mildly entertaining to read about me as a delinquent causing trouble in the Bear Lake Idaho region.

I grew up in an LDS family that fished and hunted quite a bit, as did our relatives in southern Idaho. It is there, (Paris, Idaho) that I experienced some “Huck Fin” like adventures and some delinquent behavior that can make you cringe in hindsight.

When I was 7 to 11, in the mid 1950’s, I spent a few weeks each summer at my uncle’s farm in southern Idaho, where my Tomboy cousin and myself would roam the “bottoms” (as we called the area around the north end of the lake) having lots of fun with homemade sling shots and our pockets filled with penny candy and fireworks. It’s true, at that age, I was having the time of my life blowing stuff up with firecrackers and M-80s, at the Paris dump and anywhere we found something worthy of destruction.

I was always there for the 4^th of July and in the mid 1950’s fireworks of all kinds could still be purchased, even by children, in Idaho and Wyoming. Cherry bombs, Roman candles and fountains that make today’s junk fireworks look pretty crappy. But what I really loved were the M-80s, those little dynamite like pieces of destruction. And I always bought a whole box of a hundred and forty four and my cousin had her box as well. As a pre-teen it was total bliss to have such an arsenal. Plus I always brought some home to wow my Utah friends and continue the mayhem.

But we were schooled pretty well about safety by watching our older brothers and parents. Plus, strange as it seems, blowing something up with an M-80 is loud and you can SEE what it would do to your fingers. So we always knew that if you had a problem, drop it and start over. Later in life when I attended United States Air Force Munitions and Weapons Technical School, explosives safety instruction had an adage “With explosives, no do-overs or second chances.” A bit obvious but always wise to be mindful of.

The one thing we did though that makes me cringe a little even now is the thought of the times when we snuck my uncle’s over and under gun out and took it down to the dumps to shoot at the rats. If you don’t know what an over and under gun is, it is both a shot gun (.410G) under and a 22 cal. Rifle on top. Both of them single shot. It was what they used at the farm for unwanted guests like skunks and other animal thieves that frequent a rural farm in the 1950’s. As an 8 to 10 year old it does make me cringe a bit, but it is where I first became a good shot. With rats, you just kind of follow them around with your sites for a bit, then when they stop to look around, BAM! Sorry, hope nobody has too much sympathy for rats.

Well, that’s about enough about my childhood for now, so I will cut it off here. Next month I will finish by writing about police shootings, which is where my split personality on the subjects is most apparent.

So bye for now and I hope to see you next week at our general meeting. I’ll bring the cookies.

—Robert Lane
President, HoU

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Joni Mitchell

I was a freshman at the University of Utah living in the dormitories on campus in the 1968-69 school year. One evening I was bored and wandered into the Student Union Building. It became apparent that there was going to be a concert or something so I hung around to check it out. The event turned out to be one of the most delightful evenings in my life.

The folk singer Joni Mitchell performed. She was the archetype of the upcoming “make love not war, flower children” of the 60s movement that didn’t come early to Utah. She was shy and unassuming between songs, but when she sang it was totally amazing. She was alone on stage sitting on a 3-legged stool with her acoustic guitar and a microphone. When she sang she swayed to the music and giggled at her own lyrics and shook her head to make her long blonde hair wave. She was absolutely delightful and yes I guess she charmed this young man. I am smiling now as I remember the experience.

Recently there was a piece in the Salt Lake Tribune noting that her personal affairs were being attended to by a long time friend. A Google search turns up all sorts of “issues” that are being ranted and raved by Paparazzi-esque websites; cancer, mental illness, etc. Her official website, jonimitchell.com notes that she is suffering health issues but wishes to keep these issues private. I wish her the best and hope that she is not suffering.

—Wayne Wilson

 

Big Yellow Taxi

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot SPOT

Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
‘Til it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They took all the trees
And put them in a tree museum
Then they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see ‘em

Don’t it always seem to go,
That you don’t know what you’ve got
‘Til it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Hey farmer, farmer
Put away that DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But LEAVE me the birds and the bees
Please!

Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
‘Til its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Come and took away my old man

Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
‘Til it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

I said
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
‘Til it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

 

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Women’s Resources

In Like a Lion, The Women’s Resource Center at the University of Utah
If there is a social problem on the University of Utah campus, the go to organization to solve it is the Women’s Resource Center. This they do with the same annual budget they received from the school when they started in 1972. And yet, Jennifer Netto, the Program Director and Kristy Bartley, the Clinical Coordinator, were upbeat and delightful to listen to when they came to speak to us in March. These talented women gathered us into a circle and were able to encourage everyone there to ask questions and generally get involved with the interaction.
The Women’s Resource Center provides support in the form of scholarships and grants from $300 to $2,000 per semester to more than 90 students each academic year. There is advice and general counseling for all students and faculty of the University of Utah, helping them negotiate the campus as well as the community.
The Center has support groups named “Women of Color”, Hand to Hand (General Support)”, “Body Politics”, “LBQQ (Lesbian, Bisexual, Queer and Questioning)” open to all students, staff and faculty.
The program UStart, sponsors 30 incoming freshmen (men and women) to participate in a service learning program for group facilitation and curriculum development skills, as well as taking classes to assist working with diverse populations.
The Go-Girls Community Initiative works with girls in grades 6-12 to expose them to the empowerment of a higher education curriculum.
The Center has the only comprehensive feminist multicultural counselor training program in the country.

Honoring the complexities of women’s identities, the Women’s Resource Center (www.womenscenter.utah.edu) facilitates choices and changes through programs, counseling, and training grounded in a commitment to advance social justice and equality.

—Lauren Florence, MD

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Experience the World Without Leaving Home

Ever wonder what you can do to help change the world? This is an opportunity to open your home and family to a high school student from another country and help build bridges of intercultural understanding at a time when the world really needs it. This year, through AFS Intercultural Programs, more than 2,500 young people from 60 countries will arrive in the U.S. to study at local high schools, charter schools and even some private schools. They will live with families just like yours, sharing in day to day activities. Hosting families provide a bed and meals and the same guidance and support they give their own children; students have health insurance and bring spending money with them. All receive the support of local AFS volunteers.

AFS is a worldwide, nonprofit organization that has been leading international high school student exchange for more than 60 years. Each year, AFS-USA sends more than 1,400 US students abroad, provides approximately $3 million in scholarships and financial aid, and welcomes 2,500 international high school students who come to study in US high schools and live with hosting families. More than 6,000 volunteers in the US make the work of AFS possible.

To learn more about our organization and explore opportunities for hosting, studying abroad or volunteering call AFS-USA at 800-876-2377, email hosting@afs.org or check out our website http://www.afs.org. Locally you can call Barbara Calney at 801-942-4014.

“As a humanist and former AFS student to Belgium, I can attest to the life-enhancing experience of being a host family or student abroad.”

—Mark Bedel
HoU Member

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Robert Lane’s “President’s Report “will return next month.

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Darwin Day

Our eighth annual celebration of Charles Darwin, honored the great mind of the evolutionary theorist, natural historian, and geologist, with an intellectual journey into the stars. Our speaker, Paul Ricketts, spoke on February 12, the 206th anniversary of Darwin’s actual birthday. Mr. Ricketts took years of study with the University of Utah Physics and Astronomy Department and distilled it into a cogent and humorous discussion which he started with gorgeous photographs of many of the large gaseous nebulae which condense into stars. He then brought us out of the star nurseries and into our own galaxy and the galaxies surrounding ours. Single protons (helium) are fused together with other protons and neutrons into larger and larger molecules. Mr. Ricketts walked us through stars, giants, supergiants, even megasupergiants and finally dying stars called white and red dwarf stars and supernovae. Stars like our own Sol don’t have enough mass to combine any molecules larger than carbon. The really big stars can make elements as large as iron.

This fascinating discussion kept our audience enthralled because Mr. Ricketts was able to distill the abstract concepts of astrophysics into simplified, yet intriguing ideas. With such a brilliant mind, Paul Ricketts truly made Darwin Day an intellectually engaging experience.

—Lauren Florence, MD

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Culbert L. Olson

Secular Humanism and Culbert L. Olson, Past President of The United Secularists of America and previous Governor of California. (1939 to 1943)

Religion and Humanism background: Humans have two characteristics that separate us from all other animals. We have heightened self-awareness and a spoken, written language. We are the only animal species that have built civilizations. We have based these civilizations on stories. Whatever story the group believes will define their civilization. To have a good story it must have one essential ingredient. It must be a story that most of the group desire to be true. Of all the stories mankind has desired to be true the most consistent is the story of an eternal life. Humans want to believe that life goes on after death. Humans do not want to believe that when they die they no longer exist. That all their plans and dreams come to an end. Since human beings want this to be true they choose to believe it. The various religions then, have used this as a basis of constructing many different stories of how one gets to eternal life after death. Most often these stories are written down in bibles or books.

A particularly interesting story was written by Joseph Smith in the early 1800’s, The story promised eternal salvation to anyone who would believe and be baptized in the “recently revealed” new religion. The story included a visitation of God and Jesus Christ, to Joseph Smith in a grove of trees. It included golden plates delivered by an angel, which told the story of the lost ten tribes of Israel, which went on to become the American Indians. It is hard to believe unless you want it to be true. Many early Americans at the time wanted it to be true. There had not been any such straight forward visitations from God or new written scripture since the time of Jesus and the writing of the New Testament. Many were thrilled with the prospect of new revelation and new written scripture, the Book of Mormon, or “Mormon Bible”.

With this background we can relate to the life of Culbert Olson whose parents where taken with Joseph Smith and his new revealed religion. They joined the church in New York and followed first Joseph Smith to Kirtland Ohio and Nauvoo, Illinois and eventually Brigham Young to Utah. Culbert was born into a Mormon family in Fillmore Utah in 1876. He was raised in a Mormon family. However, Culbert by nature was a skeptic.

Human nature can be divided into two major groups skeptics and true believers. Quoting from Chet Raymo’s book Skeptics and True Believers. “Skeptics are children of the scientific revolution or enlightenment. They are always a little lost in the vastness of the cosmos, but they trust the ability of the human mind to make sense of the world. They accept the evolving nature of truth and are willing to live with a measure of uncertainty. (as if we have a choice-comment my own). Their world is colored in shades of gray. They tend to be socially optimistic, creative, and confident of progress. Since they hold their truths tentatively, skeptics are tolerant of cultural and religious diversity. They are more interested in refining their own views than in proselytizing others. If they are theists, they wrestle with their God in a continuing struggle of faith.

True believers are less confident that humans can sort things out for themselves. They look for help from outside—from God, spirits, or extraterrestrials. Their world is black and white. They seek simple and certain truths, provided by a source that is more reliable than the human mind. True believers prefer a universe proportioned to the human scale. They are repulsed by diversity, comforted by dogma, and respectful of authority. True believers go out of their way to offer (sometimes forcibly administer) their truth to others, convinced of the righteousness of their cause. They are likely to be “born again,” redeemed by faith, and apocalyptic. Although generally pessimistic about the state of this world, they are confident that something better lies beyond the grave”.

Culbert’s parents, particularly his mother were true believers. Culbert in his own words was skeptic. “It may be that I was naturally a skeptic, for, notwithstanding the religious influence of my early youth, I did not join in the emotion that other children seemed to enjoy in their emotional response to the passionate sermons of the church teachers who told of revelation from God and the appearance of an angel to the prophet, seer, and revelator and founder of the church. Reason forced me to conclude that the founder was a bold, ambitious impostor whose revelations did not make sense. My conclusion was not reached easily because of my desire to conform with the religion on my Mother whom I dearly loved – the kindest, most humane and self-sacrificing person I have ever known.”

Of the two world views rational skepticism is the only one that will lead to human advancement and peace on earth. True believing and religious faith leads to tribalism and wars. Science and reason lead to verifiable truths that we can all trust. If an argument ensues we must hold that he who has the most mutually verifiable facts wins the argument, otherwise we just back off twenty paces and see who is the best shot.

Culbert became a secular humanist. After his governorship of California, he was elected to the President of the United Secularists of America. One of the credos of secular humanism is that all human beings matter, and matter equally. All human beings have rights, and are not to be treated as a means to an end. To quote Culbert, “We should believe in the brotherhood of man, not the fatherhood of God.”

In this context we understand Governor Culbert L. Olson’s vision for California in 1939 during the Great Depression. As he described in his inaugural address, “we point the way forward- toward the achievement of the aspiration of the people for an economy that will afford general employment, abundant production, equitable distribution, social security and old age retirement, which our country, with its ample resources, great facilities and the genius of its people, is capable of providing.”

We can understand his feeling when the California state legislature passed two bills in 1941, one to give free transportation to students attending Catholic schools, while the other would release Catholic children from public schools in the middle of the day in order to attend catechism, leaving the schools and other students idle until the Catholic students’ return. Olson signed into law the first bill, however he vetoed the second (“early release”) bill.

In a 2006 study, recently updated in 2014 by University of Minnesota sociologist Penny Edgell found that non-believers were the most mistrusted minority in the United States. Non-believers, secularists, atheists are seen as immoral because they are without fear of hell or hope of heaven. In a 2007 study 68% of Americans said they would not vote for an atheist candidate for president. This was certainly true in 1939 when Culbert Olson was elected Governor. He was open about his non-belief and refused to say “so help me God” in his inauguration oath. He said “God as never helped me and never will”. Instead he used the term “I affirm”. There are other known atheists in office today but none were open about it during their election campaigns.

All of this leads us into a very interesting life of Culbert Levy Olson. A brilliant lawyer, a compassionate man, a good legislator and politician, and a non- believer. Secular humanism is not inconsistent with compassion and leadership. (If you can get elected).

—Craig Wilkenson, MD

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Spirituality

I found Flo Wineriter’s discussion of religion and spirituality (January Utah Humanist) very interesting. He paraphrases Emile Durkheim’s suggestion that the original purpose of religion was to put people in touch with one another (not just or necessarily with god). Durkheim’s observation was made more than a hundred years ago but more recent scholars have advanced the idea further. A recent book by Bruce Hood entitled Supersense: Why We Believe the Unbelievable presents a scientific basis for our supernatural beliefs. According to Hood psychologists now agree that there are two discrete mental systems for processing sensory input. The first is a primitive, intuitive method which finds patterns in nature and tries to decide if they represent threats to us. This method of thinking provided much help to primitive humans, allowing them to recognize dangerous animals or other threats. Supernatural thinking was a side effect that evolved with human culture. The second mental system developed later and evolved with rational intelligence. Both systems continue to work in modern humans with the rational brain inhibiting the more primitive, intuitive brain.

The important message of Hood’s book is that both systems of thinking survive today in contemporary humans. That is why even very intelligent people often exhibit superstitious beliefs in things like lucky charms or ritualistic behavior before important events. So we are all prone to hold irrational thoughts, though obviously some are far more prone than others.

What I take from the book is that spirituality is hard wired into the human brain. Our rational minds can evaluate spiritual experiences and discount their truthfulness, but we may still feel their effect. Like feedback loops, They may be telling us physiologically to rejoice in being part of something larger (our social unit, our tribe, our “religion”). But as evolved rational intelligent people we should be able to take these feelings for what they are: thrilling primitive emotions like anger or lust, a permanent, though dubious part of being human.

Actually I like the word “spiritual”. Nature can be spiritual to me. Scientific discovery can be spiritual. Sex can be spiritual. It just doesn’t happen to involve invisible, omnipotent, or omniscient agents operating behind the scenes. Something that is spiritual to me is deeply thrilling in a positive way.

—Rob Duncan

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President’s Report

I want to thank all the board members and chapter members for helping make our Darwin Day celebration a success. An extra thank you goes to Bob and Julie Mayhew for helping order, pick up, prep, and deliver the catering items. Again thanks to all who helped in the kitchen and with setup and clean up and to Leona for overseeing the merchandise sales.

Paul Ricketts from the Physics and Astronomy department at the University of Utah was our Speaker. His presentation, “The Lives of Stars,” was quite enjoyable. It is most satisfying to me to learn a few new things about how stars form, live and die. I am sure those who attended felt the same way, as we went a little long with a lot of questions at the end of his presentation.

It was a long day and it wore me out, but it was definitely worth it, as it always is. I’m already thinking about what theme to choose for next year. Any suggestions?

Our speaker for March comes to us from the University of Utah’s Women’s Resource Center. With that in mind, I thought I’d say a thing or two about women.

I have for a long time agreed with the assertion that humanity would be a lot better off if women were empowered. That is to say, be given the authority to run their own lives as they see fit. Specifically to have control over their reproductive lives. To not be considered property, and to have the opportunity to get an education. To have equal pay for equal work. I may be forgetting something important, but I think those three things would improve, quite obviously, life not just for women but all humanity. Plus isn’t it just the fair thing to do. Fairness, now there’s a concept that is only rarely applied today.

One thing that I’m sure would happen, would be a cut in the population growth rate. Slowing population growth is essential in my mind, to solving many problems such as pollution and a growing scarcity of resources. Additionally, education and better pay for women will improve the lives of the women and their families. I know, I know, I’m stating the obvious, but it bears repeating.

It’s rather sad, frustrating and infuriating that so many cultures are still so male dominated. That our primitive behavior of male dominance based mainly on greater physical strength still prevails in the modern world. But it’s not just physical strength, as the insertion of religion into the equation solidifies male dominance. As a young teenager I fell into those feeling of dominance. But as an adult I never felt like I needed to be “The Boss” in a relationship. I love to cook and never felt like domestic chores were solely women’s work.

I guess the hard question is how to change these old entrenched proclivities. And if we are making progress in some of these areas, I feel that it’s moving far too slow.

Last month I stated that I was going to start a series on guns and gun violence. However, our newsletter deadline arrives a little sooner this month. So that project I will endeavor to start next month.

Bye for now, hope to see you at our meeting on March 12^th.

—Robert Lane
President, HoU

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Ebola!

At our January meeting, Dr. Jay Jacobson, MD, Professor Emeritus in Ethics, Medicine and Infectious Diseases gave us tools to talk about Ebola and other infections.

He started with definitions of words we would need to discuss infections: 1) state produced by the establishment of an infective agent in or on a suitable host 2), a disease caused by germs that enter the body.

The Ebola virus is less contagious (capable of being easily spread to others) or communicable (capable of being communicated) than air borne diseases such as influenza. Ebola is only spread by infected body fluids coming into contact with mucous membranes (such as in eyes, nose, lips, mouth, or genitalia) or open wounds.

Ebola has infected and killed so many fewer people than other infections such as influenza, pneumonia, malaria etc. that we don’t have to get hysterical. Case in point, one person has acquired Ebola in the US. He came into contact with many people on his trip to Texas from Liberia. Only 177 of them were judged to require isolation (separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick). Two nurses who cared for him were infected, yet he was the only person who died.

“Quarantine” is a 40 (thus the stem “quarant”) day isolation. The term was developed to describe the duration of time that a ship arriving in port and suspected of carrying contagious disease is held in isolation from the shore, a restraint upon the activities or communication of persons designed to prevent the spread of disease, a state of enforced isolation. Technically, the 21 day isolation period for Ebola is not a quarantine but functions like one.

Dr. Jacobson described the R0 of Ebola (R naught, is a measure of how easily an infection spreads) as being much much lower than many other diseases (R0 of Ebola is 1, which means 1-2 people will be infected by each person with the viral infection) and thus, Ebola really is much less frightening than the media makes it out to be. For comparison. With SARS 2-5 people will be infected for each case. Same with HIV. In Mumps 4-7 people will be infected by each person who is sick. For Smallpox 5-7. Pertussis will spread to 12-17 people and Measles to 12-18 people. Measles is so contagious because, besides being airborne, the viral particles can hang in the air, where a sick person has been, for hours.

For Ebola, there is no known cure (a complete solution or remedy) but prevention is rather easily accomplished since the R0 is so low. This is one of the main reasons that the West Africans were caught flat footed in this current epidemic. Ebola has never gotten to 20,000 people infected with almost 9,000 people dead before. In the rural environments where it has surfaced, it has died out before it killed very many.

The ethical questions for discussion are: What is the right action? How do we allocate our resources? Who decides? Who counts as ethically significant? These questions are not yet answered for Ebola. We, as Humanists, need to keep them in mind during the progression of the Ebola epidemic (affecting a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community, or regions at the same time).

During the influenza season (a more pertinent infection to us), Dr. Jacobson recommends that everyone get vaccinated, and take precautions when in groups: Don’t touch hands unless you can get to soap and water or antiseptic gel before touching mucous membranes. Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water. Stay away from people who are coughing and otherwise elaborating viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other “germs”. Stay home when ill.

For further reading see “Nature” Volume 514, 16 October 2014.

—Lauren Florence, MD

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Hope For Humanity

I am holding a hope in my heart…
a hope for this human race, in which we all take part.

My heart is hurting with…
that Eric Garner, age 43, was not murdered for naught;
that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., age 39, was not assassinated in vain;
that Darrin Hunt, age 22, was not shot dead for nothing;
that Michael Brown, age 18, was not attacked and killed for no reason.

My mind is mourning each of these merciless murders…and many more,
while my heart, heedless to these repeated horrors, adheres to a faint
but palpable hope that there will not be yet another senseless, cruel death
next week, tomorrow, or this very next hour, minute, or second.

I am raising my reasoning and respect for all Americans—and all human being—
who refrain from answering pleas of “I Can’t Breathe!” with chokeholds!

I am pleading with the peace-keepers to please, please pardon
the pejorative insults persistent youth are hurling at systems of injustice.

I am begging every brother, sister, father, mother, daughter, son, boy, and girl alive
to treasure life—all life—so fiercely…to respect and guard and honor
every human being as they would their very own girl or boy, daughter or son,
father or mother, sister, or brother.

As we listen to every excruciating cry of these, our fellow humans who are dying,
May we hold this hope in our hearts, that their harrowing, heartrending cries
will never fall on apathetic hearts, numbed to injustice, or blighted by dispassion.

May our hearts hold up hope, as a beacon to obliterate apathy, injustice, and dispassion.

May our minds maintain the momentum needed to turn this hope into action.

May our human race collectively humanize the de-humanized.

May our journeys collide, and may all our hopes ignite the fires of compassion,
to heal all the hopeless hearts.

—Elaine Stehel

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In Defiance of Mob Rule

The slaughter in Paris a few weeks ago at the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine and a kosher grocery market highlights both the necessity and the dangers of speaking out when faced with political idiocy, senseless violence, and irrational dogma. People were killed over some cartoons in a low-circulation satirical rag, for Pete’s sake! A German tabloid that ran some of the same cartoons in tribute to those killed was firebombed.

This brings up the obvious point that religion fears a sense of the ridiculous. Since religion is always a matter of unquestioning faith in a creed with little or no basis in logic or fact, calling attention to its silliness or fictitious nature is explicitly verboten. A sense of ridiculous in the congregation cannot be tolerated and must be suppressed lest the clergy be laughed out of the pulpit. As H.L. Mencken said “One horse-laugh is worth ten thousand syllogisms. It is not only more effective; it is also vastly more intelligent.” The cartoons in question were intended to invoke laughter, and we can’t have that, can we?

In these relatively tolerant United States it is considered merely bad taste and impolite to lampoon or even question someone’s religious beliefs. This was not always the case and old blasphemy laws are still on the books in some states. And even now the writer Sam Harris must travel with bodyguards, having been the subject of numerous death threats from Christians offended by his books The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation. Speaking out against the unreasonable takes courage, for people cling quite desperately to their beliefs, often willing to defend them with violence.

But in most countries where Islam is the predominant religion, such blasphemy is a capital offense. To publicly question even the most absurd poppycock can get you killed if that poppycock has anything to do with the Q’uran, the Prophet, or religious tradition. A blogger in Saudi Arabia was recently sentenced to 1,000 lashes, years in prison, and a huge fine for promoting tolerance. And in Pakistan, blasphemy accusations against Christians seem to be common, with false charges being used for revenge after simple street disputes. The accused are then subject to mob violence as well as the civil violence of the courts. One girl was sentenced to hang even though the accusations against her have all the hallmarks of hearsay and slander.

What is particularly galling is that the Islamists are demanding that we submit to their own mob rule, respecting their blasphemy decrees across international borders. A cleric in Yemen can inflame a crowd over some alleged insult to Islam, and the alleged offender will be assaulted or worse. The members of the mob will held blameless. The Islamists are threatening us with this same mob rule across international borders, demanding that our own private citizens curb their tongues or risk violent death by a sleeper cell of jihadi with no regard for our local laws, customs, or constitution. This type of criminal coercion is intolerable.

The cartoonists at Charlie Hedbo were publicly defying this absurd demand, loudly, vociferously, and rightly. They were courageous and correct in their defiance, the bad taste of the cartoons notwithstanding.

—Stephen Hanka

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President’s Report

On February 12^th our chapter will host its eighth annual “Darwin Day with Humanists of Utah.” As I ALWAYS say, “I’m looking forward to an enjoyable evening celebrating Science with friends and other like-minded people.” I’m also proud of the fact that we have maintained this event for eight years now. Plus, I have always come away from these events having learned something new. But science is more than just cold hard facts. Science imbues the mind with understanding (if you put it to use). It touches our senses and fills us with awe as we humans explore amid the beauty, complexity and vastness of the universe. But the awe we feel is different from that of the religious sort whose awe is toward a deity and all that that entails. For me, at least, my awe is the, “Wow, That’s really cool!” sort. Like the first time I saw the Hubble deep Field images of nearly countless galaxies in this small little piece of the sky that is in the neighborhood of 13 billion light years away. Now that’s awesome. Those images also helped us realize that an understanding of deep time is not unfathomable but an essential part of understanding the “workings” of the Universe. Now that’s awesome.

When I was thinking about this year’s theme for Darwin Day some months back, I enjoyed revisiting what we did at previous D. Days. So just for fun, here’s a quick rundown. In 2008 our first celebration had afternoon speakers Professors Kristen Hawkes and Henry Harpinton on biology and Darwin’s insight. Then in the evening Professor Scot Sampson talked about the need to educate about deep time and evolution. Our second D. Day featured Professor Frank Brown, Dean of Earth Sciences at the U of U who talked of the Hominid discoveries in the Turkana Basin in Africa he has worked on throughout his career. Our third featured Bruce Dain from the U of U who gave a historical presentation of Charles Darwin. Our forth had Professor David Goldsmith speaking paleontologically. Our fifth was at Westminster with Dr. Alan Rogers talking anthropologically. Our sixth Darwin Day was with Jon Seger on evolutionary biology. And last year our seventh, we cohosted with Utah Friends of Paleontology and featured Utah State Paleontologist James Kirkland speaking about Utah’s vast dinosaur quarry and collection.

After looking at the past years speakers I thought it would nice pick a subject other than the same ones from previous events, so I suggest Astronomy. The Board agreed so we decided to make Astronomy the theme for Darwin Day this year. To that end we have invited Paul Ricketts from the University of Utah to give us a presentation. He accepted and will give a presentation on “The Lives of Stars.” (See full details elsewhere.) As we usually do, we will have a reception with finger foods before the presentation, then the presentation followed by birthday cake. Again, as I always say, “Please join us for good food, enlightenment and good conversation.”

One more thing before I go. In the next few months I plan to write a series in the newsletter about guns and gun violence. It is a subject that needs more than one 500 word column, and it is a subject which I am squarely on both sides of the fence, which can be uncomfortable at times. I invite your comments and feelings about this subject and would love to consider them and even present them as part of the discussion. So call me or email me with your thoughts.

—Robert Lane
President, HoU

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The Future of Immortality

This article that was originally published ten years ago in our January 2005 newsletter.

Our society’s youth orientation has created a consumer culture devoted to prolonging our vitality and lives. Perhaps someday soon scientists will learn how to extend the human life span indefinitely, which may lead us to create a race of human “immortals.” This will inevitably change our attitudes towards family and aging, not to mention our understanding of life itself. Are we prepared to answer the questions this possibility will raise?

This question is raised by Brian Trent in his article, “The Future of Immortality,” in the May/June, 2004, issue of the Humanist.

“Death is natural, but not everything natural is good,” he says. There is a time-honored tendency to erect an altar to nature while simultaneously rebuking human civilization for its ingenuities. We choose to imagine the natural as a sort of Disney character filled with benevolence and tenderness, and in doing so we evade the more brutal, red-in-tooth-and claw reality. The scavenging life AHA of our earliest human ancestors who tread the narrow threshold between survival and extinction is forgotten–the winters that drove them into caves, the mortal combat with wooly titans of yesteryear, the young aspirations of a being who could hope for 20, maybe 25 years of life

“With no claws, no fur, no poison sacs or natural armor, the naked ape was headed for early and permanent retirement: a dead-end of evolution. Instead this vulnerable being made use of the only asset that distinguished it from its unforgiving environment: a three-pound organ housed within a delicate skull. And with this tool it enacted a legacy spanning from the first flint knife to the surgeon’s scalpel forever remaking the world to suit its needs. With its meteoric ascension came an increase in longevity.”

Brent Jones, says Trent, doesn’t exist, but one day someone like him most likely will. He wakes up each day with the perspective that tomorrow is forever because he is forever. Yesterday he celebrated his 800th birthday though he looks barely more than 30. He has lived longer than the entire history of the Roman Empire. He is the living example of homo sapiens’ most enduring dream: he is an immutable being. Perhaps he takes a weekly dose of youth drugs, or maybe his own genes have been permanently engineered to keep him perpetually youthful.

Perhaps someday soon, scientists will learn how to extend the human life span indefinitely. To a growing number of scientists and commentators, this is neither wild dreaming nor science fiction. The mechanics of aging and death are being laid bare in laboratories around the world. Evolutionary biologist Michael R. Rose of the University of California at Irvine has bred “immortal” fruit flies. While an average fruit fly lives several weeks, Rose possesses flies that have lived 24 years and still have a daily metabolic rate which is the same as that of normal flies. Trent says, “The Holy Grail of this research will be to discover what enzymes allow the insects to enjoy these stellar life spans and then find an equivalent dose for human beings.” Or it might be 62 enzymes plus DNA treatments.

As the human genome gets mapped, attention has fallen on two Upload genes that seem to be managers of the death process–Mortality 1 and Mortality 2. These genes seem to be responsible for ordering the body to wither and die. The Grim Reaper is truly under the microscope. It may bring to life a dream as old as civilization.

Death was an obsession to the brilliant Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, who devoted much time in his Meditations to proclaiming that “human lives are brief and trivial; yesterday a blob of semen, tomorrow embalming fluid and ash.” The ancient Egyptians interest in eternal life is well documented and & formed the basis for their mummification rituals. In China the self-proclaimed First Emperor Ch’in Shi Huangdi was so obsessed with finding immortality that he sent thousands of explorers to seek it out. When their efforts failed, he commissioned a full-body suit of pure jade to be his funeral cerements (Jade was believed to have magical powers of rejuvenation.)

Can we build a race of immortals? At what cost? But should we? Trent asks.

The first chorus of objections will hail from di a familiar source: the major parties and religions. They will parallel the vociferous objections bandied about when it was first suggested that the Earth wasn’t flat, that the sun was at the heart of the solar system, and that humanity evolved from early primates. After all, religion’s greatest strength is in OUR providing hope for the life beyond the one we now have. But if science suddenly could gives eternal life, then scientists would become the new priests, handing out eternity in pills rather than prayers.

Today the cosmetics industry offers an array of makeup, concealers, moisturizers, and other treatments to make wrinkles go away. Is it likely that consumers who fuel this global market will back off if eternal youth comes in pill form?

Secular opponents will raise their voices, too. The fear of overpopulation is the most immediate quandary. Already more than six billion strong, a race of immortals inevitably strain the planet’s resources to the breaking point. The prospect of constructing permanent settlements on the moon and Mars has found its way into the political spotlight. Would there be a ceiling for human population?

There’s something else to consider. If forever pills went on the market tomorrow, not everyone would take them. Many people are perfectly content to cash in their chips and go forth to whatever fate they believe awaits them–pearly gates, Valhalla, or the happy hunting grounds. There will likely be people who, after a full life of 200 or two million years, will decide that enough is simply enough.

General social upheaval is the next and biggest concern. What do you do when a company has an immortal board of directors? Or when you’re married to someone for nine centuries and finally become bored with it all? Or when you have a senator who has lingered in the government for five thousand years? With the possibility of immortality, the fabric of society may be stretched and pulled until it breaks and will have to be rewoven. Even the scientific community could raise objections. Immortals could represent an affront to and the end of evolution. But this is nothing new. We don’t surrender to nature; we fight back. Not just biological evolution but creative and social evolution as well will be under threat. Will immortal nations enter a state of torpor, devitalized by a lack of ambition and innovation? Or will limitless horizons be seized with new force? Will a poet’s lament be not over death but be over the vastness of eternity?

Life isn’t always pleasant, even if we subtract the dread of dying from the equation. If 80 years is difficult to cope with how would Brent Jones handle 800? With newscasts showing him the latest wars, disease and human cruelty, does there ever reach a point when he decides to cancel his dose of eternity? If the doors of the brave new world swing wide, everything will be transformed. We might perish like bacteria in a petri dish. Or an undying race might achieve a perennial Golden Age even the most inspired Greek dared not imagine.

Either way,” says Trent, “the immortals are likely coming… There may be people alive right now who could live to see endless sunrises. Dreaming of the reality for so long, humanity won’t back away when the creeping dawn of attainment can already be seen brightening the attainment.”

—Richard Layton

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Spirituality

This article that was originally published 23 years ago in our January 1992 newsletter.

I was recently requested to moderate a panel of religious leaders discussing “The Spiritual Aspects of Death and Dying.” The panel was composed of representatives from four different denominations. I was challenged by the opportunity, but could find no resource material on the subject of humanistic spirituality. Apparently humanists have discarded the use of the term, along with the words prayer and religion because they have such strong connotations of mysticism. I refuse to give orthodox religions exclusive use of these poetic terms so I did a little research and found resources and definitions that I find humanistically comfortable.

In the book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, the author Harold Kushner refers to the French sociologist Emile Durkheim’s 1912 publication “Elementary Forms of the Religious Life” in which he suggested that the primary purpose of religions at its earliest level was not to put people in touch with god, but to put them in touch with one another. Religious rituals taught people how to share with their neighbors the experiences of birth and bereavement, of children marrying and parents dying. There were rituals for planting and harvesting, for winter solstice and for the vernal equinox. In that way, the community would be able to share the most joyous and the most frightening moments of life. No one would have to face them alone. (Page 119)

As a humanist I find that definition of religion completely compatible with the social passion of Humanist Manifestos I & II

A recent issue of “The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care” (Sept/Oct 1991, Page 17) Thomas Welk says:

It is important to make a distinction between spirituality and religions. In explaining the issue of spirituality it becomes necessary to emphasize that this is the most central, deepest and most complex of human needs. It is often referred to as the integrative, creative function. It is our way of making sense, meaning, and significance out of life.

In the same issue of the magazine (page 33) another author, Richard Dershimer, writes, “I used spirituality in the secular sense, that is, humans turning their attention away from worlds beyond and toward this world and this time without, necessarily, recourse to religious creeds or doctrines. The spirit can be described as that force within each person that fosters good, the just, the beautiful and the truthful in life. It is both mysterious and consciously concrete, but it results in maximizing human awareness and connection to life.”

After finding this material on religion and spirituality and with the late Harold Scott’s definition of prayer, “The expression of the highest of human aspirations.” Recalled to consciousness, I was able to comfortably accept the offer of moderating the panel on “The Spiritual Aspects of Death and Dying.”

—Flo Wineriter

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President’s Report

Happy New Year everyone! I hope your all well and enjoying the holidays. It gets kind of busy for me, because as many of you know, I bake a lot of cookies this time of year; but I do enjoy sharing them with others during the holiday season. Even if it means rolling out a couple thousand! I’ll be bringing some to our January meeting also.

Last night, New Year’s Eve, I called Flo Wineriter, to wish him a happy 90th Birthday. He sounded good and said he was feeling a bit better. He will be spending much of his time in St. George but will visit back here in the Salt Lake area monthly.

Humanists of Utah owe much to Flo. He was one of the co-founders of Humanist of Utah and served as President for many years. We greatly appreciate his wisdom and leadership, his knowledge of humanism, and that through the years and that he is always friendly to all. So again, Happy Birthday and Happy New Year Flo. As we were saying good bye, he told me to go out and make Humanists of Utah successful again this coming year. I told him we would do our best.

We have a good start this year as our January 8^th general meeting will feature Dr. Jay Jacobsen as our speaker and of course some of those cookies I’m always bragging about and good conversation to go with them.

Then in February we will host our 8^th annual Darwin Day with Humanists of Utah. This year we will be hosting the event at Eliot Hall. We are hoping to have astronomy as the theme, and I am currently working on finalizing our speaker. This year Darwin’s birthday, February 12th, actually falls on our usual second Thursday meeting day. It is an event I always look forward to because of my love for science. I always enjoy celebrating and advocating for science on Darwin’s birthday.

Our chapter will also have several opportunities to participate in events throughout the year, such the Utah Pride festival, street fairs, and perhaps the state fair as well. But participation in some events will only be possible if we get a few more members to volunteer to help. Please give it some consideration.

It would also please me to just hear from some of the membership. Wayne would love to include a letter or book recommendation or tell us about an interesting web site.

One possibility to get something going with members might be to start a new recommended book list. In the past we have had a printed list, but it hasn’t been updated in a few years, so maybe we can start a new one. Which reminds me that our web site is being upgraded, and a recommended book page can surly be one of the features. Anyway, Think about your favorite books and let us know.

Bye for now and see you next week for our January meeting, and bring a friend.

—Robert Lane
President, HoU

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