Newsletter Blogs

December 2022

Posted on | by Wayne Wilson

Contents

Silver and Gold

George Will, well-known conservative and libertarian columnist opines that our Constitution is a “Frame” to protect the more valuable document that is our Declaration of Independence. The Declaration arose from the Enlightenment, that period of history which marked a return to Renaissance principles that human knowledge is more important than the dogma of authoritarian rule which has dominated most of human history. “Frames are important, and silver is precious, but what is framed is more important and gold is more precious,” writes Will in the in the July 2019 issue of the National Review. (https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/07/declaration-of-independence-illuminates-constitution/). Our Constitution is silver, but the Declaration of Independence is gold.

Self-described Constitutional Originalists, perhaps valuing silver more highly than gold often dismiss the Declaration. A couple of examples will serve to illustrate my point: Consider the phrase oft used by Originalists, “Life, Liberty, and Property,” which is derived found in the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. The “golden” version of these points is of course, “Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness” from the Declaration. Please note that the Founders who created the Constitutional Frame were all white, male, landowners. It should be no surprise their personal prejudices leaked into the building of the Frame. The Electoral College vote is perhaps the most glaring example of the Constitution being out of step with the Declaration. The 17th Amendment, which called for State’s populations to elect National Senators directly; before it’s passage in 1912 Senators were elected/appointed by State Legislatures. Without Electoral College George W. Bush would not have been elected President; much less the twice-impeached one.

Why are rights enjoyed by some citizens not enjoyed by fellow citizens who live in different state? Isn’t the right to vote shared by all? Why don’t we have national standards about how elections are administered; voted on, counted, and accepted. Why are all women not able to make determinations on how, when, and if they reproduce?

The United State of America is a wonderful place to live, but not quite perfect. One of the finest features of our Constitution is that it can be amended. I support the concept that is the first line: We the People. Couple this with Lincoln’s, “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” from his Gettysburg Address and the result what I think should be philosophy of our government.

—Wayne Wilson

Meltdown

I’ve been enjoying this fall season a lot the last couple of weeks. Living where I do, in Holladay at the foot of Mt. Olympus, the view is spectacular. The mountain itself is awesome as you must look up to see the top of the mountain from where I live. While most residents in this valley are seeing the sun rise, it’s nearly an hour or more before we see the sun here. Lately, in the late afternoon and near sunset, the sun really brings to life the autumn colors. And for the last couple of days, the foliage colors are enhanced by the mountain being snowcapped. It’s delightful to be able to sit and take a good long look.

I chose Meltdown as the title of this column because Amy bought me the latest Scientific American titled “Meltdown,” which is referring to the main article, “The Coming Collapse.” The article is about the ongoing study of the Thwaites Ice Shelf and glacier on the Antarctic continent and how those studies have them predicting that the shelf will break off a lot sooner than previously predicted. The shelf covers about 1,000 square kilometers extending out some 50 kilometers and is part of a much larger glacier which holds enough ice to raise sea levels by about two feet. This coming collapse would be more surprising if we hadn’t been seeing news about giant icebergs coming off Antarctica for decades. One thing the findings of these studies points to is that things are happening sooner than the estimates from thirty years ago. The article is well written, fairly long and packed with information.

Thinking about thirty years ago reminded me of one of the dumbest examples ever used to poo poo the scientific prediction that melting ice will raise sea levels. It goes something like this. If you have a glass of water with ice in it and the ice melts, the level in the glass does not rise. Well, that is basically right, but the fact is that most of the ice on this planet is not in the oceans, it is on land, i.e., mountain glaciers, Antarctica, Greenland, northern areas of Canada and Russia. That’s the kind of crap you hear on talk radio and garbage web sites where real science is nowhere to be found.

Another Magazine I have been reading lately is the one I now receive as a member of the Population Connection. It’s a high-quality magazine with articles like “New United Nations Population Estimates and projections.” This latest issue also states the prediction that the global population will reach 8 billion on November 15 this year. I feel this group is also on the right track as they advocate for the empowerment of women as one of the main ways to slow population growth. I think you should check them out.

—Robert Lane

October 2022

Posted on | by Wayne Wilson

President’s Message

Beloved Friends,

As fall is now upon us, my thoughts are heavily moved to gratitude, family and friends, and the pending end to this year. It has been a busy one for sure, personally. But it seems that life is moving faster these days despite efforts to slow us down. This said, I am happy to announce we will be starting to meet in person again next month and will be picking up our fun activities. The November newsletter will announce next month’s meeting and location. We will also be doing a records update soon to refresh all of your contact information. We respect your privacy and your info will not be used for any other purpose other than to send our content to you.

With the holidays fast approaching and all the hustle and bustle that accompanies them, be sure to take time for yourself to study, learn, and do what makes you feel happy and while. It is important to remember who YOU are in your life, what it is that you stand for and how you present yourself in your life. There is no one else who is just like you. There is no perfect answer, aside from what YOU decide. And it is absolutely okay to not know all the answers while you are figuring it out.

We hope October is an amazing month for you on your journey. We are excited to see you all very soon. I personally cannot wait!

You are seen. You are heard. We are here. Let’s go out and have fun!

Kindest regards,
Melanie White-Curtis
HoU President

Chaplain’s Corner

Human(ist)s in the World

You’d think focusing on reality would be obvious, but as it turns out, most humans default to commitment to fantasy or delusion. Most of us sacrifice ourselves to our stories about how we want the world to be or how we wish the world was or how we wish our lives were, or how we wish we were.

Christianity and other religions sometimes encourage adherents to be “in the world but not of the world” (inspired by John 15, for example). This idealistic tension can have benefits, but it also can encourage avoidance and denial. A primary function of religion is to overlay fantasy onto reality, in part to facilitate emotional regulation and cooperation (all of civilization is also fantasy, but that’s a topic for another time).

As humans and humanists, we are stuck in the world, stuck in reality. There is nowhere else to be.

The problem is the world kind of sucks. More precisely, humans are easily overwhelmed and all of us are embedded in corrupt institutions. I want to share more about my experience as a humanist going through Divinity School. More on that later. For my Constructive Theology final, we used the framing “saved from”, “saved to”, and “saved how”. My “saved from” was “Humans suck, and institutions are corrupt”. My “saved to” was “human thriving and institutional transformation,” and my “saved how” was “pivots, tipping points, and infecting systems” (happy to share the whole paper with anyone who requests it. And as always, I’m happy to continue the conversation if you want to email me).

All of us want to be good. We want to be healthy. But we also live in a largely toxic, exploitative environment. I call the current predominant worldview a “consumerist death cult” because our top global priority is the illusion of economic growth at any cost, even the cost of civilization itself.

This is why I believe that Fortitude is the foundation for all virtue, ethics, and character. We need the emotional endurance to acknowledge and engage with our reality. One of the framings that has brought me the most clarity is to discern the “idea of the thing” vs. the “reality of the thing.”

When people ask me how I handle dealing with death and tragedy in my Chaplain job, I tell them that all the hard and sad things are happening already, whether or not I am looking. Since all the hard sad things are already happening, I might as well help. I realize that I have the luxury of being trained and paid to help people, but I believe this remains a perspective we all can adopt to our benefit.

Let’s get back to reality. So how do we thrive in reality, thrive in this world, which is all we have? In my experience as a Chaplain, one of the hardest things to do in life is to be honest to ourselves. As the show “The Good Place” cleverly illustrates, all of us are complicit in deeply problematic and harmful systems (I highly recommend Michael Schur’s audiobook How to be Perfect, which explores the ethical philosophy underlying the show. The audiobook is the best way to experience it.)

Next, we have to resist the temptation to engage in surface level performance. This is what I most want you to remember from this column, back to this idea vs reality of things (a major reason our culture is so messed up is because those who make the decisions aren’t the ones implementing the decisions, who aren’t the ones primarily impacted by the decisions.)

Two quick provocative but hopefully constructive examples: anti-racism and veganism. Being aware of social power dynamics and systemic injustice and historical oppression are all very good, needed things. Vegetarianism and particularly reforming animal agriculture could do a tremendous amount to literally save the world, or at least our place in it.

That said, these two areas are particularly vulnerable to dogmatism, getting lost in ideas rather than constructively engaging in reality. I highly recommend John McWhorter’s “Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America.” It’s important to acknowledge that though the “Black Lives Matter” movement has impacted cultural conversation in needed ways, most white participation remained at the level of social status motivated performance, or virtue signaling. It is easier to attend a rally than to do the hard daily work of examining our own biases and remaining humble in our own relationships.

Now, on to veganism (I suppose I could tackle CrossFit in a future column). I myself cook and eat mostly whole food plant based (more of a privilege than it should be,) and often cook vegan. I remain flexible mostly for social reasons; I don’t want my diet to be divisive. My older three children have been vegetarians their entire lives. Identifying as vegan is seductive because it enables us to feel superior and less complicit, which can lead us to avoid the deeper issues relating to health and sustainability.

I am enthusiastically supportive of living as healthy and ethical lives as possible. I do think we need to remain humble, curious, and open, and make sure that the way we think of ourselves does not get in the way of facing the reality of how we move through the world. I believe that we all can commit to a form of redeemed reality, where we fully engage with the world as it is, as a first step in working to make it better.

—Chaplain Jared Anderson

Strange Days

A week or so ago I started thinking of what to write about for the newsletter. I have some scraps of paper that I make notes on from time to time. Often, they are something from the news that I think I might want to include in my submission. But as I begin writing this article, I’m also watching this Category 4 hurricane named Ian start to come ashore near Tampa, Florida or there abouts. For me, a massive storm like this has a way of bringing back to focus issues like climate change and other on the ground issues, so to speak.

Right now, most of the news stations are focused on the storm, politics are gone, and the disaster is shown to us who are safe and far from the storm. But no one storm is proof of climate change or proof that there is no climate change. As a geographer I understand that climate is always changing. The questions are many, but we now know that humans do have an impact on the environment. Good old Mother Nature will get our attention as extremes become more widespread.

I think I have admitted that I watch too much news and it obviously can increase one’s anxiety. So, I have forced myself to watch less and get back to doing some reading. But I still like to stay informed, so I had to shake my head when I saw that the new PM of Italy is part of the rebirth of the Mussolini Fascism. I had to say to myself,” Are you shitting me, are we going to have to fight World War II again?

Anyway, back to my doing more reading. I have gone back to reading a few of my favorite science fiction novels and authors. One that is at the top of any top ten list I might make is Rama. (reviews on our website at: https://humanistsofutah.org/newsletter-archive/2014-newsletters/december-2014/?highlight=Rama#Rama_Series_Arthur_C_Clark_Book_Report) Rama is actually a series of books about an alien ship big enough to have cities inside with room to spare. But more than that it is about the character Nicole De Jardins life from being raised in France and the Ivory, to becoming an astronaut who eventually becomes stranded on this alien spaceship. Three of the four nearly five-hundred-page books follow her life and the lives of a few others aboard this ship as it travels to the Node where many of these ships go back and forth throughout the galaxy sampling life forms and have been bringing them back to the Node to study for millions of years. Some of my other favorites that I may revisit include Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series (reviewed on our website at: https://humanistsofutah.org/newsletter-archive/1996-newsletters/august-1996/?highlight=Foundation%20series#The_Foundation_Series_by_Isaac_Asimov)  and Robert A. Heinlein’s books that feature His character Lazarus Long, Like, Time Enough for Love.

I usually write my article at the last minute before Wayne’s deadline. But this month I started early. So, I was able to take a break for a few days. Hurricane Ian has finished cutting a huge swath of death destruction across Florida and Conservatives are still trying to destroy democracy. But I want to continue writing about what I am doing other than watching too much news.

Along with reading I have been going through my collection of music for what I call message songs. I have been collecting albums and then CD’s since I was an adolescent. I have about four hundred albums and probably three hundred CD’s, so there a lot to pick from. I decided to include the lyrics of a message song now and then in my articles. One of my favorite Rock and Roll groups is named Rush. There drummer’s name was Neal Peart. Some of the songs he wrote the lyrics to were called part I, II, III and IV of fear. The song “Witch Hunt,” is part III of fear. It was copyrighted in 1981, but unfortunately, its message is still relevant today. Here are the lyrics from the album Moving Pictures.

Witch Hunt

The night is black
The air is thick, and still
The vigilantes gather on
The lonely torchlit hill
Features are distorted in the flickering light
The faces are twisted and grotesque
Silent and stern in the sweltering night
The mob moves demons possessed
Quiet in conscience, calm in their right—
Confident their ways are best
The righteous rise
With burning eyes
Of hatred and ill-will
Madmen fed on fear and lies
To beat, and burn, and kill
They say there are strangers, who threaten us
In or immigrants and infidels
They say there is strangeness, too dangerous
In our theaters and bookstore shelves
Those who know what’s best for us—
Must rise and save us from ourselves
Quick to judge
Quick to anger
slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear
Walk hand in hand

*Watch / Listen here:*

—Robert Lane
HoU Board Member

Letter to the Editor

I read September Newsletter, filled with so much praise for wealthy white men who enslaved people and lived as wealthy settler-colonialists during the ‘beginning years’ of our United States of America, without mentioning any of the more problematic aspects of who they were, the lives they lived, and the many harmful policies they enacted. I just wanted to submit a …. hmmmm …. piece of clarification/contestation? Or perhaps a challenge to the perspective of ‘honoring’ our ‘founding fathers,’ mixed with an optimistic view of how our past is continuously intertwined with current events:

Notes on James Madison, Past and Present:

“Lizzo Plays New Notes on James Madison’s Crystal Flute from 1813” — NYT, 09/28/22

In addition to being hailed as the “Father of the Constitution,” the fourth President of the United States (from 1809-1817), James Madison also played pivotal roles in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights, and served as a close advisor to our nation’s first president, George Washington. Both men were born into wealthy, slave-holding planter families in Virginia—and neither of them freed any of the enslaved people they inherited or purchased during their lifetimes, or in their wills.

Now, is it more important to us, today, to remember James Madison as: one of the organizers of the Constitutional Convention; one of the authors, alongside Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, of the Federalist Papers; the Secretary of State, under our third president Thomas Jefferson (another wealthy plantation owner and slaveholder—who regularly raped one slave in particular, Sally Hemmings, the half-sister of his late wife, beginning when she was only 14 years old,) who supervised the Louisiana Purchase; or perhaps as the enslaver of over 100 humans over the course of his life, who also directly influenced the agreement known as the “Three Fifths Compromise,” giving greater political power to slaveholders. I prefer to see our “Founding Fathers” as the settler-colonialists and upholders of white supremacy that they were, and to acknowledge the reality that this country we now call the United States of America was ‘created,’ developed, founded, and built by genocidal, racist men born into positions of power and privilege enabling them to murder, displace, and/or enslave millions of people around them, directly and indirectly.

The more we learn about who they were, how they were raised, the lives they led, and the beliefs and values they held as they were founding this country, the more I believe we can put into a more honest context all of their actions—not only those we have been taught for the past few generations to admire.

—Elaine Ball
HoU Chapter Member

Response

Our history lessons are colored by glamorizing people and events that we deem important. The same stories told from a different perspectives read differently. Therefore, it is important to review history and learn details of what happened and why.

The context of the founding of the USA was in period of time known as the Enlightenment; a time, like the Renascence, when humans described the world around them and took responsibility instead of blaming god(s). I would like to think that if the men being discussed here were living today that they, and their female comrades, would likely be leading the movements cited by Elaine. The were forward thinkers and indeed the fruits of their work resulted in the creation of the Great American Experiment.

Elaine’s objections are valid today and now, but maybe not so much in the late 18th century. She is correct to point out their shortcomings, after all they were, like us, human and saw and addressed societal weakness that they saw and felt. They certainly were not perfect, but then neither am I and am certain that you have shortcomings too.

The purpose to study them is not only to honor their achievements but by recognizing their shortcomings learn to avoid those issues in the future.

Knowledge is supreme.

—Wayne Wilson
HoU Chapter Member

Some Good News

These are trying times for Secular Humanists, as well as anyone else who favors the rule of law, the scientific method, separation of church and state, and other humanist principles. For just one example, the Supreme Court is currently (and for the foreseeable future), stocked with religious fanatics who have already gutted reproductive health care for women, and have set their sights on marriage equality, the right to use contraceptives and other fundamental rights. Zeus knows what other 21st century rights they’ll get rid of order to achieve their goal of sending us all back to the 19th century. But a short time ago I received a small dollop of hope that I’d like to share with you.

On Sunday August 21, I went to the SHSNY Sunday Brunch and Conversation at the Globe. Just before noon, in walked a young man and a young woman (I’d guess they were each about 20) who were looking around shyly, as if this was the first time they’d been to a SHSNY event, which indeed it was. I wanted them to feel welcome and at home, so I sat down with them to chat. I told them about SHSNY and the things we believe (and don’t believe) in, including the fact that pretty much all of us are atheists.

Then I braced for their reaction. I’m from an era where stating my atheism feels like a dangerous act. Even people who are not particularly religious expect some kind of vague deity belief in others, and I’ve been the recipient of both shock and anger when expressing my non-theist views. Now comes the good part. These two young people Maybe even more importantly, they expressed surprise that I had been concerned about how they would react to my lack of religious beliefs. People their age, they told me, have all sorts of religious (and non-religious) beliefs, and so, to them, meeting a person who is a non-believer is to be expected and is cause for neither alarm nor pre-judgment.

And that, I think, is good news!

—Jonathan Engel
PIQUE, September 2022

HoU Chapter Opportunities

Our Chapter needs volunteers to serve on the Board of Directors. Specifically, Leona Blackbird, who has been chapter secretary for as long as anyone can remember, needs to retire, and hand the reins over to someone before she dies. Not that she is expected to die soon, but she would like to see a smooth transition of our financial records. The job requires a good understanding of Microsoft Excel, ability to access bank accounts online, and work with the State to maintain our Non-Profit status. Her feet may look small, but her shoes are huge.

Wayne Wilson is in much the same position as Leona. His responsibilities include maintaining a Microsoft Access database of our membership records. He also edits, prints, posts to our website WordPress database, and mails/emails out the monthly newsletter. This position has evolved quite a bit in the past 20 years. It started out an MS DOS WordPerfect merge file to send the monthly newsletters out. He moved the database to FoxPro and then to Access. Somewhere in there he got a website up and running; it is currently in it’s fourth iteration. The point here is that the need to distribute a monthly newsletter is what needs to be done and whoever assumes this responsibility will have wide latitude on how to get it accomplished. Like Leona, Wayne would like to ensure a smooth transition by working with the new resource. It is also worth mentioning that the duties have been split between two people for several stretches of time.

If you are interested please contact any Board Member

September 2022

Posted on | by Wayne Wilson

President’s Message

Autumn Greetings!

Back to school is upon us and a level of normalcy is coming back around as the heat starts to subside. It’s interesting, the term “normalcy”. With the pandemic, it shook all of our lives to the core and redefined what we all knew and counted on in our societies, our personal and also professional lives. With this, comes responsibility and defining what your comfort level is in engaging with others. These have been tough questions. Especially if you are a social person, like me. I am so grateful for technology that has allowed us to stay in contact with others and to try to maintain a positive forward outlook, but it all still misses the human element. I believe that is critical for our connections to include sharing physical spaces with each other and face to face interactions. But how do we do this safely? Again, what are your comfort levels? Do you ever think that we will be able to go back to the way things were? Can you feel comfortable in open spaces with lots of people? These are good questions? I know there are so many other factors too, in each of our own lives. Sometimes, timing is a key element to how much we can participate in social gatherings and events.

As a board, we are going to be evaluating the current situation and heavily discussing where we stand as a group. Many of you have reached out and asked if we will be meeting again soon. This is a very good question and will be a main focus at our meeting. We will be discussing the upcoming holiday season, possibly having our annual BBQ (a little later than usual) and many of the suggestions that you, as our humanist community has asked about. We are excited to explore the next chapter of our organization and see if it is time for us to hybridize as we work to going back to the activities and meetings that we all enjoy and love.

We would love to hear from you. We miss you and hope you are all happy, safe, and well. We hope that back to school season is a good one for your reflection and studies on things that are important to you. As humanists, we are looking forward to helping those around us and to continue on our paths of learning, action with ethics and reason and continued knowledge.

I send my best wishes to you all. See you very soon!

Kindest regards,
Melanie White-Curtis
HoU President

James Madison

Remembering the Founders

There has been so much discussion during the political turmoil over the past decade about the Constitution, rights, responsibilities, and the Declaration of Independence. However, most do not know or even understand how they came into being and who actually constructed them.

James Madison Jr. is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for his crucial role in drafting and promoting both the Constitution of the United States and The Bill of Rights.

He was born in Virginia to a prominent planter family. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the Continental Congress during and after the American Revolutionary War.

James Madison

Due to his disillusionment of how weak the national government was (it was established by the Articles of Confederation), he helped organize the Constitutional Convention, where a new constitution was produced. Madison was one of the most influential individuals at the convention. His Virginia Plan served as the basis for the convention’s deliberations. It was during this convention, that he pushed heavily to strengthen the states unity and to establish laws and protections for America, her lands and her people. He said, “a crisis has arrived which was to decide whether the American experiment was to be a blessing to the world, or to blast forever the hopes which the republican cause had inspired.” He committed to an intense study of law and political theory. He sought out works on international law and both ancient and modern constitutions. He came to believe the US could improve upon past experiments by its size. With so many district interests competing against each other, James hoped to minimize the abuses of majority rule. This is one of the many motivations he returned to Congress in 1787.

He became one of the leaders in the movement to ratify the Constitution and along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, created and wrote The Federalist Papers. This series of pro ratification essays are still considered one of the most influential works of political science in American history.

James emerged as an important leader in the House of Representatives and was a close advisor to President George Washington. in the late 1790’s James opposed the economic program and it’s accompanying centralization of power favored by current Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton. He organized the Democratic-Republican Party in opposition to Hamilton’s Federalist Party. When Thomas Jefferson was elected president, James served as his Secretary of State from 1801-1809. While in that position, he supervised the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the US.

James Madison won the 1808 presidential election after he contested it. Due to the diplomatic protests and trade embargo failures with the British seizures of American shipping, he led the US into the War of 1812. The war was ultimately inconclusive and more of an administrative mess, but a majority of the American people saw it as a successful “second war of independence” against Britain. As the war progressed, James won the next election in 1812. One of the best things of the war was that he realized that it was critical to create a stronger federal government.

He presided over the creation of the Second Bank of the United States and the enactment of the protective Tariff of 1816. In 1817, James Madison retired from public office and returned to his plantation in Montpelier, VA where he passed away in 1836.

Kindest regards,
Melanie White-Curtis
HoU President

· Feldman, Noah (2017). The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President. Random House.

· “The Life of James Madison”. The Montpelier Foundation. Retrieved February 14, 2017.

· The White House Presidents—James Madison

What Is Not and What Is Happening

I’ve probably already mentioned this before, but the Congressional hearings into the January 6th insurrection have been quite interesting. Being retired I have the flexibility to be able to watch them all. It’s the one thing lately that gives me hope that the truth will and is being presented to the public. It is becoming clear to me that the former (fake) president and his cadre of fools committed several crimes. I’m hopeful that many will be charged in the coming months. That’s what’s happening lately for the good.

One thing that really surprised and delighted me is that finally we have real movement on the environmental front. The passage of the “Inflation Reduction Act” looks like we are finally starting to have meaningful action on the environment. At last, there is a sense of urgency about a crisis we quite literally are already experiencing. Climate change is not just a theory anymore and time is running out. If humanity doesn’t get its act together soon, politics will not matter much if we are facing famines, droughts, severe weather, etc. presently we are seeing record breaking head and the subsequent and inevitable fires. The coral reefs are dying, the South American rain forest is still being cut down at an increased and alarming rate. Acidification of the oceans is ongoing and if we lose the oceans ecosystems then we are pretty much toast as the saying goes. That said it is hard for me to understand what inflation reduction has to do with the environment.

Amy and I have been busy lately, we’ve traveled, and we have visitors as I’m writing this note for the newsletter, and we will have other visitors soon. We are happy to have friends and relatives visit us. Reconnecting, reminiscing, and partying with loved ones are some of life’s greatest pleasures. We have both decided we need to do more visiting and being visited and are going to make sure we do it. Being around friends and relatives also reminds me of how this ongoing pandemic is keeping us, as a group of humanists, from being able to have gathering. I’m not sure how but I hope we can get together soon. I keep saying it, but I do miss our socials and Darwin Day and all the interesting speakers we have had through the years.

That’s about it for now, stay cool and safe and I hope to see you soon.

—Robert Lane
HoU Board Member

Christian Nation?

Not According To These Founding Fathers

More than half of the residents in 11 Southern states believe the United States was founded as an explicitly Christian nation, according to the Winthrop Poll Southern Focus Survey. This doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone who lives in the Bible Belt. You probably don’t have to think back too far to remember the last time someone made that claim.

While humanists aren’t surprised by the results of the poll, religious southerners might be shocked by the truth.

Many of the founding fathers were so skeptical about religion they would have a hard time getting elected today.

George Washington

George Washington was technically an Anglican, but many of his contemporaries referred to him as a deist, a label that Washington himself seemed to embrace when you consider the way he described god and religion. While deists do believe in god, they don’t believe he intervenes in the universe. Basically, they don’t see god as some supernatural entity that interacts with humans. He referred to god as a “supreme architect,” showing that while he believed in god, he didn’t necessarily believe that god was pulling the strings on the earth.

This isn’t just about his belief in god, though. It’s also about the way he viewed religious freedom. Washington was a staunch advocate of religious freedom for all regions, not just Christians. He stated he wouldn’t have signed the constitution if it had endangered the religious rights of any group, not just Christians.

“All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.”

It’s clear that Washington didn’t believe the United States was founded as a Christian nation, and he did everything in his power to embrace all religions.

John Adams

When Christians talk about the United States being founded as a Christian nation, they must be ignoring John Adams. While he was part of the Congregationalist church, he was actually a Unitarian who didn’t believe in the divinity of Jesus.

One just has to turn to Adams’ own diary to see how much he rejected this core Christian belief. “A pleasant morning. Saw my classmates Gardner, and Wheeler. Wheeler dined, spent the afternoon, and drank Tea with me. Supped at Major Gardiners, and engag’d to keep School at Bristol, provided Worcester People, at their ensuing March meeting, should change this into a moving School, not otherwise. Major Greene this Evening fell into some conversation with me about the Divinity and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ. All the Argument he advanced was, ‘that a mere creature, or finite Being, could not make Satisfaction to infinite justice, for any Crimes,’ and that ‘these things are very mysterious.’ (Thus mystery is made a convenient Cover for absurdity.)”

Adams also signed the Treaty of Tripoli, which states, “The government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion.”

So, it’s probably safe to say Adams wasn’t into the idea of a Christian nation.

Thomas Jefferson

If you want to know Thomas Jefferson’s religious views, you don’t need to look any further than the “Jefferson Bible.” Jefferson edited the New Testament, taking out all the miracles while leaving behind Jesus’s moral teachings. Basically, he liked what Jesus had to say from a moral standpoint, but he didn’t care for all the supernatural miracles that didn’t make any sense.

He was also concerned about religion creeping into the government, and famously used the phrase “wall of separation between church and state” when talking about the First Amendment. Many members of the religious right like to say that the founding fathers didn’t intend to have a separation of church and state, but Jefferson made it very clear that was the intention.

And Many More

The list goes on and on. James Madison, Thomas Paine, and others made it clear that they had no interest in forming a Christian nation. The next time someone tells you otherwise, show them this post and let the facts do the talking.

—by Amy Blue
Mississippi Humanist Association
December 2018

This subject was addressed in HoU’s 2006 Newsletter:

How Religious Were America’s Founders?

August 2022

Posted on | by Wayne Wilson

President’ Message

We are not publishing an August newsletter this year, but I have some thoughts that I want to pass along to the group.

Warmest greetings to you all! It has been a hot month. For me, with this kind of heat, I find discomfort in my routines and look for ways to slow down and get cool. One of the perfect ways to do this is research, reading, going to the library (they have amazing air conditioning) and reaching out to friends to visit with them. Lately, I have been researching stoicism. A new friend introduced me to this concept a couple of months ago and I was intrigued. I love how this philosophy works in alignment to humanism and my personal code of ethics.

The Stoics elaborated a detailed taxonomy of virtue by dividing it not four main types: wisdom, justice, courage, and moderation. They believed that we are all equals and that our external differences, such as wealth, status, power, possessions, and stature have no social importance with respect to our relationships with each other.

For me, this helps eliminate even further dividers from our fellow human family to help create a stronger community, society, and world.

We, as humanists, are a beacon to those around us, who are searching for a different way. One that does not guilt and shame us, as people. One that gives us the freedom to live out good ethics without fear of reprisal or damnation. One that gives us a community to learn and grow in.

I admonish you to take the heat this summer as a motivator to find something cool to lean into. Learn something, spend time with someone, rest—whatever makes you happy and gives you fulfillment.

I send my best from me, and the board and we hope to see all of you in person soon.

Kindest regards,
Melanie White-Curtis
President, HoU

July 2022

Posted on | by Wayne Wilson

Chaplin’s Corner

Divided States of America

Doesn’t it seem like most post-apocalyptic movies are set in the United States? (Mad Max is set in Australia, but Australia can already wrestle an apocalypse).

I read a joke that said that perhaps the reality of those movies is that every other country is totally fine and functional, while only the United States descends into an apocalyptic hellscape. “Should we tell them?” the other countries ask. “Nah,” they conclude. The depressing thing is, that’s pretty much our current reality. Many other countries have mostly figured out how to you know, actually be decent humans and care for each other, while in the US women have fewer rights than guns and corpses. And those guns end up killing our children, with no end in sight.

It is understandable if you are feeling that way right now, that civilization is burning around us. But at least we can pray in school, right? “Is that how they are going to stop school shootings?” my 19-year-old asked darkly.

Accepting the Truth

It is demonstrably true that the United States is in a dark place. We are a global embarrassment. The reality is that we are more the Divided States of America, experiencing a Cold Civil War. The overturning of Roe v. Wade is deadly horrifying, and both reveals and intensifies cultural divides that we need to face and address. As surreal and terrifying as the Capitol Riot of January 6 was, we need to sit with the fact that 35% of Americans don’t believe the 2020 election was legitimate, including 65% of Republicans. It is maddening that our government cannot make meaningful progress on gun regulation even though almost 90% of Americans support mandatory background checks, for example.

For all its challenges, the present provides unparalleled transparency. We are hearing about the literal ketchup-splattering temper tantrums that Trump threw in the wake of the election. The Supreme Court is overturning rights considered established for decades. This transparency is a challenging gift for each of us. We are seeing these issues. It is harder to ignore them. They have entered mainstream conversation for all of us. The wider threat to our rights and privileges can remind us that marginalized communities have been suffering and combatting injustices for decades and centuries. I hope that we can unite and help those who have experience working from the margins.

Presence over Performance

The most urgent thing we can do right now is take care of ourselves. I’ll share a Chaplain training secret… Chaplains cultivate what is called a “ministry of presence” or “healing presence”. The science behind that is that we train ourselves to regulate our nervous systems and remain calm in almost any situation. That is something all of us can do, care for ourselves well enough to show up for ourselves and those close to us. I hope that we can be gentle with ourselves. If it is too much to watch the news or worry about the big problems, we can lean in and show up for the moment.

Caring for ourselves can help us get to the next step, which is the day-to-day hard work of supporting those in our lives who suffer from the problems I’ve brought up. For example, the challenge to Roe v. Wade can invite listening to women, better understanding abortion, and discussing birth control options. Social media encourages performance such as sharing memes about Handmaids Tale rather than digging in and doing the daily work. Our brain rewards both behaviors, but only one makes a difference.

Work within the System

It’s understandable that pretty much all of us are overwhelmed, because we are embedded in overwhelming systems. Each of us needs to do the best we can to live an aligned and ethical life, but in a very real way, the emphasis on individual responsibility is a corporate conspiracy. A handful of individuals and corporations hold the most money, power, and influence. It also doesn’t help that natural selection targets systems, not individuals. That’s why we need to work together to create systems that take care of us–in a word, civilization. Let’s keep that going. Back to the focus on presence, as we practice remaining calm and present in challenging circumstances, we become a healing and constructive influence in the systems we belong to.

Courageous Conversations

We need to talk to each other. Softening the divisions between us happens best between individuals. I think one key to addressing our divided state is to have open, compassionate, curious conversations with those who have differing beliefs. We live in a time of trigger words and superficial gut reactions. And the media capitalizes on this superficiality to increase ratings and profits. Most people are responding to the word and idea “abortion” for example, without understanding the medical and ethical nuances relating to actual abortions. Multiple life saving procedures are counted as abortions.

It is relatively rare that arguing changes anyone’s mind, as much time as some dedicate to doing so on social media. It is much more effective to learn why people believe what they do, understand the underlying values, and build connection, compassion, and perhaps even constructive responses based on those shared values. And when there are not many shared values, even respectful understanding goes a long way. Recently I’ve been thinking about three powerful questions that are always productive: 1) What is it like to be in your mind and body? 2) What do you want to do with that? 3) What resources and support do you need? These questions focusing on the human experience can bridge our divides and connect us across divisions.

Even in this divided and sometimes apocalyptic country, we can take a deep breath and show up to the moment. As Humanists, we don’t have the luxury of delusion or saving myths. It is up to us to show up to life and make this world, and this country better.

—Chaplain Jared Anderson

President’s Report

Wow! So much has happened in the past few weeks. This seems to be the general statement for the past few years. Just when we think it is time for a break to relax a bit, another huge “something” happens. The country is very triggered with the Roe vs. Wade decision. It doesn’t matter what political party you belong to….this impacts us all. As we watch this unfold it is clear that it affects every single one of us, even those who are not in our country that are watching closely. My friends, this is such a blow to human rights issues. Because of the umbrella element to this, the decision to overturn it just opened doors and conversations that will harm more folks if allowed to overturn more protections we have as a nation. Utah, our own backyard, is a hotbed for such legislation. So much so that the ACLU has named us as one of the top five states that they are assisting in the fight to keep protections for our people. I know I encourage peace and harmony. I am a believer in goodness and justice. Our organization promotes these things as well through solid ethics, knowledge, accountability, and truth.

That said, we are also called upon to fight the good fight. Or as the beloved, John Lewis said, “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year. It is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” Now is the time. It is critical for us to establish support for the things we believe in, to throw down if you are called to. I am watching the cycle of human nature over this issue and am hopeful that if we all stand together, get loud, lock arms and not be afraid – we will prevail in helping get things back on track and stopping the madness from continuing. This is not just a political thing. Take this message to heart and apply it where you feel there is injustice and darkness. We are strong. We are not along. We are unbelievably brave. This is what we have been made for. Standing in our sense of humanity and protecting each other.

I admonish you to get as involved as you are able. For me personally, I am called to open my mouth more, attend more legislation, protest, support and come out of the comfort zones that are in my world. I was sad/shocked at first. Then I was sick about it. Now I am angry. Mad as hell, in fact. And now, I am going to get loud. Not hurtful toward people (not necessary), but not standing down until the result is fair and just for all. I love you all, as I do this community, this state, and this country. I love this planet and my life’s mission is to make the world a better place. Well, now is the time. My sleeves are rolled up….GAME ON!!!

During this month of our nations Independence Day, reflect on exactly what that means. It is time to do it again. Join me in the fight. Check out the ACLU’s website. There is much there that you can support and participate in. The AHA’s site is a good one too. We will be updating our social media much more often on what is going on and opportunities to participate.

See you on the front lines, we got this!

Kindest regards,
Melanie White-Curtis
HoU President

Ups and Downs

The month since my last newsletter submission has been one of ups and downs. Amy and I attended the life celebrations for two people dear to us, a family member and a friend we have known for decades. These events are themselves an up and down sort of thing. On the one hand we are saddened that someone we love has died, and on the other hand we are happy to celebrate lives well lived and share that celebration with others who loved them as well. Plus, I am happy they were celebrations rather than mournful funerals with viewings and burials. Rather, they both were cremated, and their ashes are in the hands of family members to be dealt with whenever and however they choose.

Last month I said that the SCOTUS was about to overturn Roe vs. Wade, and as you know they did just that. The Supreme Court’s decision has emboldened the right-wing conservative totalitarians and the conservative majority of the Court is in fact a part of this totalitarian movement. The court is already hinting that other past decisions could be up for review and reversal. Decisions that could affect same sex marriage, transgender rights, contraceptives, and on and on.

While thinking about this decision I had an absurd thought, almost as absurd as the notion that other people should have power over a woman’s reproductive rights. To force them to have a baby when they might choose not to. I thought, why not go all the way with controlling human reproduction. Can we say that if you can be forced to have a baby, then we ought to be able to say when you can’t have any more babies. Sounds more logical than absurd the more I think about it. Being that much of the poverty and hunger around the world is generated by, in my opinion, overpopulation. Therefore, we should be able to restrict people to only replacing themselves or said another way, “only two per couple.” Truth is, that no government or zealous religious group should have any power over a person’s reproductive rights. Instead, we should strive to provide health care that will help people avoid the need for an abortion. While in regards to overpopulation we should also strive to help people world wide out of poverty and empower women to make their own decisions about their healthcare and reproduction.

In the last month, the most positive thing has been the January 6th congressional hearings. Being retired gives me the luxury to be able to watch these hearings as they occur in real time. I’m grateful to the committee for presenting in detail and in order the events before, during and after the Insurrection at the Capitol. I’m starting to feel like the criminality of Donald Trump and his enablers is coming to light. I’m also hopeful that some of them will be indicted, and ultimately punished for their misdeeds.

In closing I want to suggest that you check out a guy named Jordan Klepper. This man goes around to Trump events and gatherings and asks questions of Trumps supporters. The results are often hilarious and at the same time make you shake your head in amazement at how vacuous, ill-informed, and unwilling to face facts they are. For example, when he asked two young women about what happened on January 6th, they said, “the election?” They had no idea there was an Insurrection or that there are hearings taking place about the incident. That’s why I call them willful idiots.

With that I’ll say so long for now.

—Bob Lane
HoU Board Member

Subrogation

Healthcare in the USA is more expensive and less efficient than in most other industrialized countries in the world. I received a letter from my health insurance provider the other day that explains part of the reason. The subject of the missive was “subrogation.” They wanted to know if several of my recent visits for care might have been due to negligence of businesses or other people so that the insurance company could sue those institutions or people to cover the costs for my medical care.

Insurance companies have cadres of accountants and legal professionals ready and willing to “cut my costs.” Paying for this information is part of the cost of my medical care. This amounts to accountants and lawyers practicing medicine.

The letter stated that all insurance companies obtain and use this type of data. I am sure that they do. I am also sure that this contributes to the high cost of health care. I also believe that this negatively affects the quality of healthcare here in the USA. Medical providers spend many hours learning ever changing billing coding numbers to capture this type of information. I would prefer that medical providers were keeping up on medical advances rather than staying current on billing numbers.

We really need a single-payor healthcare system that covers everyone and includes comprehensive longitudinal medical records.

—Wayne Wilson
HoU Board Member