THE COWTOWN HUMANIST
A chapter of the American Humanist Association and
The Alliance of Secular Humanist Societies.
http://www.freeyellow.com/members6/aha-fw/
http://www.webalias.com/humanism
August 2001 Volume 3, No. 5
Next Meeting
This month's meeting will be
a special one for us. In honor of (or is it in opposition to?) the August
doldrums, we will be forsaking the usual speaker format in favor of a little
mischief . . . The gathering will be held at the Barnes and Noble
coffee shop, 401 Commerce Street, in beautiful downtown Fort Worth. If
you haven't been there before, the coffee shop has plenty of room for all of
us, along with some refreshing drinks -- and killer desserts.
Of course, there will be
plenty of time for casual conversation. But we will also have two important
issues to consider:
Jailhouse, Rocked
First, the organization
recently received a letter from a guy who is incarcerated for a
"non-violent DWI." In the letter, he noted that there are several
faith-based rehab programs in his unit, but he prefers the Secular Organization
for Sobriety (SOS) program. In addition, he asked if we had any Humanist
literature we might be able to send him.
It has been suggested that
we add this person to our mailing list. We also would like to find a way to get
him a subscription to the Humanist ($19.95). On a larger scale, this
gentlemen's request raises some good questions for us: Do we want to get into
the business of advocacy and recruiting? How would we pay for it? Will we
need -- I shudder to say the word -- a committee to handle this? We'll be
interested in hearing what group members have to say.
He must have crawled
out from under a rock
Second, last week's
Star-Telegram featured a "B.C" comic strip that was quite
interesting, to say the least. It showed two cavemen talking, and here's what
they said: First guy: "What do a dead agnostic, a dead atheist and a dead
saint all have in common?" Second guy: "They all KNOW there is a
God."
Should Humanists be upset by
the strip? One of our very own members, Shelly Hattan, was --
enough so, in fact, that she wrote a letter to the editor, voicing her
displeasure.
Shelly deserves a round of
applause for having the courage to act on her convictions. But what do other
Humanists think? Was the strip really offensive? Was it wrong to run it on the
comics page? Was it wrong to publish it at all? That's what we'll be
discussing.
All in all, it should make
for another lively night. As they used to say on "Saturday Night
Live," "We'll get together, have some cawfee, and we'll tawk."
Meeting time is 7 p.m. Wednesday, August 8. Come early --
finding a parking spot down there can be tough!
Last Month
Greg Hughes was our guest, speaking on city planning in Fort
Worth, and how it sometimes goes awry. He gave a wonderful talk, and was even
able to provoke some disagreement. Imagine that -- Humanists with conflicting
views . . .
In addition, the group voted
in favor of adding our name to the list of organizations supporting "The
Day That Counts". In case you missed it, this was a nationwide day
of activism designed to make our elected officials aware to the millions of
Americans who are agnostic or atheist. No word yet on how successful the event
was, but we're not going to hold our breath waiting to get a letter of thanks
from Joe Barton, either.
Start the Presses
If you're not happy about
not having a speaker this month -- or worried that we might NEVER have another
one -- fear not. Our September speaker is already lined up, and he is a good
one: Star-Telegram columnist Jack Z. Smith has agreed to join
us. Jack will be talking about his own experiences at the paper, explaining how
the news business works, and answering your questions. If you've ever had a
question or quibble with the Startlegram (and who among us has not?) this will
be your chance. Mark your calendars now . . . .
Every Litter Bit
Helps
We
also had another sucessful Adopt-a-Street cleanup last month. Special
thanks to all of our hard workers:Mike and Mary Haney; Bruce, Scott,
and Michelle Berggren; Jim Cather; Russel Elleven and Pennye
Lewis. The project only took about an hour, and was well worth it:
The unearthed treasures included a stuffed dog, a full can of tuna, and $5
(by Russell) -- proof that crime, or at least cleaning it up, really does
pay.
Welcome Mat
Lillie Henley has
been elected as the new minister of Westside UU. Lillie describes herself
as a "Religious Humanist." We offer her congratulations on the
appointment.
Yeah, well, if you
say so
"Do not believe in
anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply
because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply
because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything
merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in
traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after
observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is
conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to
it."
-- A random thought uttered by some guy
named "Buddha."
If you have
a particularly compelling quote you want to share, or would like to point out
an exceptionally good article you read, be sure to pass along the tip to us.
Is there a member of
the clergy in the house?
As a matter of fact, yes.
Here's a reminder that our own Russell Elleven is an ordained Humanist
Minister. He can perform wedding ceremonies for a variety of services, Humanist
or otherwise. If you're interested, you can contact him at 817-370-2171, or
e-mail him at r.elleven@tcu.edu.
Just for fun
Question: What happens when
you make a group of agnostics angry?
Answer: They burn a question
mark in your front yard.
Hope to see you Wednesday,
Jeff
How to reach us
Jeff Rodriguez, Chairman
817-732-4235
Mike Haney, Vice Chairman
mhaneyinfw@hotmail.com
Bruce Berggren, Treasurer