09 AUG 2014 by ideonexus
Juan Mendez Secular Invocation
Most prayers in this room begin with a request to bow your heads. I would like to ask you not to bow your heads. I would like to ask that you take a moment to look around the room at all of the men and women here, in this moment, sharing together this extraordinary experience of being alive and of dedicating ourselves to working toward improving the lives of the people of our state.
This room in which there are many challenging debates, many moments of tension, of ideological division, of fr...Folksonomies: secularism
Folksonomies: secularism
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notes
notesuan Mendez, member of the Arizona House of Representatives, delivered a humanist invocation to the Arizona House of Representatives on May 21, 2013.
08 JUN 2013 by ideonexus
Science Can Comfort in Times of Stress
Science and religion are often taken to offer competing explanations of the world (Preston & Epley, 2009). That science can be a source of meaning, similar to religion, is not a completely new idea; it has been raised by philosophers (Ziman, 1978/1991) and scientists (Dawkins, 2006) alike. While many have attempted to understand the emotional or social underpinnings of religious belief, the possibility that science might serve similar psychological functions has received less attention. E...
1 Scientific evidence that secular individuals can turn to their belief in science when faced with stressful situations just as the religious turn to their faith.
22 MAY 2013 by ideonexus
Representative Juan Mendez Atheist Prayer
Most prayers in this room begin with a request to bow your heads. I would like to ask you not to bow your heads. I would like to ask that you take a moment to look around the room at all of the men and women here, in this moment, sharing together this extraordinary experience of being alive and of dedicating ourselves to working toward improving the lives of the people of our state.
This room in which there are many challenging debates, many moments of tension, of ideological division, of fr... 1 notes
notesGiven as the opening-prayer for the start of the Arizona Legislature.
13 APR 2012 by ideonexus
Religion and Science Do Not Conflict
Many people find the topic of evolution and religion troubling and confusing. Some were raised in very strict churches that preached that evolution is atheistic and that to even think about the evidence of evolution is sinful. Fundamentalists have long tried to drive a wedge between traditional Christians and science, arguing that their interpretation of the Bible is the only one and that anyone who accepts the evidence for evolution is an atheist.
But this is not true. The Catholic Church,... 1 notes
notesMany religious organizations accept evolution and science.
28 MAR 2012 by ideonexus
The Virtue of Honesty
Honesty is the essence of secularism. It is a willingness to set aside any and every comfort in order to know the truth that allowed us to see our way out of religious belief. Somewhat more difficult is ensuring that we practice the same level of honesty in all other aspects of our lives. I say “somewhat more difficult” because in truth most of the humanists and atheists I know are relentlessly, exhaustively honest, sometimes to a comical extent. We are often paralyzed by our obsession with h... 1 notes
notesNot only honest to the truth, but honest with others about our non-belief.
28 MAR 2012 by ideonexus
The Virtue of Empathy
Continually pushing out the empathy boundary is a life’s work. We can help our kids begin that critical work as early as possible not by preaching it but by embodying it. Allow your children to see poverty up close. Travel to other countries if you can, staying as long as possible until our shared humanity becomes unmistakable. Engage other cultures and races not just to value difference but to recognize sameness. It’s difficult to hate when you begin to see yourself in the other. And why sto... 1 notes
notesWe must have an empathetic impulse, even for the impulse to believe in religion.
28 MAR 2012 by ideonexus
Parenting Means Having Explanations at "A Moment's Notice"
There are many outstanding resources for adults wishing to consider the arguments in support of and in opposition to religious belief itself. And that’s important work: Intellectual and ethical maturity can be measured in part by a person’s willingness to engage in constant reflection on what he or she holds to be true and good. Parents in particular must be able to articulate the foundations of their own values and beliefs at a moment’s notice—and what better describes the appearance and dis... 1 notes
notesSo it's important for parents to have a strong philosophical ground and have spent time reflecting on issues.
04 JUN 2011 by ideonexus
Atheism is on Par With Religious Belief
If you were to ask me, if I believed in god. Since I am a professional scientist, I would want to give you two answers. In my capacity as a professional scientist I would have to--I would be required to--be agnostic on the subject since I couldn't cite with scientific certainty say that there is a god and I couldn't with scientific certainty say that there isn't.
But if I were allowed to respond as just a regular non-scientist and if you allowed me to take the very same indulgences that all...Atheism is as unscientific as theism. Scientists are concerned with reality, when they take a position on theology, they are not acting within the bounds of science.
