Volume 1, No. 4 webalias.com/humanism July 1999

Our featured speaker this month will be Ole Anthony. Ole is president of the Trinity Foundation and is most well known for appearing with Diane Sawyer on ABC’s Prime Time Live. His comments lead to the downfall of the infamous TV minister, Robert Tilton and others.

While Ole Anthony is not a humanist, his organization serves as a watchdog group for religious organizations and ministries that are fleecing unsuspecting believers.

Please feel free to bring snacks as we continue to get to know one another. In the future we plan to have Humanist social events. Also, if you have an e-mail address, please write it down on a slip of paper. I think we can do more as a group if we have easier access to one another through communication.

Dr. Ron Flowers, a noted expert on Church/State issues, has agreed to speak at an upcoming meeting of the Humanists of Ft. Worth.

WHO: Humanists of Ft. Worth

WHAT: Monthly Meeting

WHERE: First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church

WHEN: August 4^th 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Think about sharing your ideas about humanism with the readers of the Cowtown Humanist. No doubt we all have opinions we’d like to let others no about…do it in your newsletter. An example appears below. Dick Trice, one of our re-founding members, re-wrote the old hymn "Amazing Grace" with a more humanistic flair…nice job Dick!

Amazing truth! How great the quest…That liberates humankind; I lived in fear, but now can rest In sacredness of mind.

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear…But thought my fears relieved…How precious did that thought appear, when reason was received.

When we’ve been here ten thousand years…Perhaps we’ll wake one morn…To reason’s reign in love’s domain…And hear old Triton’s horn.

Russell Elleven is certified as a humanist minister by the Humanist Society of Friends. He can officiate weddings, naming ceremonies, and other life celebrating events. He is also available during periods of grief and to officiate for humanist memorial services.

817.370.2171 – hm

817.257.7870 - wk

Each month we will attempt to help you get to know one of the organization members. This month we meet Jean Tant.

Someone asked Jean's mother, "How long has Jean been a women's Libber?" Her mom said, 'Hmm I guess since she was about two years old." Now at 70 years, Jean is still going strong in supporting liberty for everyone.

She has been a Humanist member for over 20 years. Jean has been a Psychotherapist in private practice for 25 yrs. Jean has been active in politics, the art community and professional pursuits most of her life.

Jean has one son who lives in Chapala,Mexico. She lives with her husband of 31 years and their pets at 2325 Edwin, Ft. Worth, 76110. She is now semi-retired and spends as much time as possible at their other home in the mountains of northern New Mexico especially in the hot summer.

A new feature to the Cowtown Humanist with be written by an member of the Campus Freethought Alliance. While the articles will not always be about the university humanist movement, they will be written from a college student’s point of view. More information about the organization can be found at www.secularhumanism.org/cfa or by sending e-mail to the editor, Chris Mooney at chris.mooney@yale.edu.

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LAW PROPOSED TO PROHIBIT JOB DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HOMOSEXUALS

WASHINGTON - Democratic and Republican lawmakers from New England revived efforts Thursday to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a federal law prohibiting job discrimination against homosexuals. Such protections are already afforded to people on the basis of race, religion, gender, national origin, age and disability. ENDA would extend basic civil rights protections in the area of employment to cover sexual orientation.

In 1996, the Senate defeated a similar bill by one vote. This time, ENDA supporters have inserted language into the measure stipulating that the law gives no "special treatment."

Still, opponents aren't buying the argument that the bill won't confer special rights. "What if that person was representing a company and it became known that that person had wild and bizarre sexual tastes?" asked Robert H. Knight of the conservative Family Research Council. "That reflects on his employer. An employer should have the right to say, 'I don't want to have that kind of person working for me.'"

Russell Elleven

Dennis Burke

Jeff Rodriguez

After all, without dogma there is no need to gather. Right? Well, not quite. By joining a Humanist group, you become part of a group of people who share a basic outlook and you

help support Humanism as an alternative to traditional religions. You can meet people in a place where you will not be pressured to believe in supernaturalism, but are free to investigate and draw conclusions on what you find valuable and true in this world. A rational and Humanist-oriented society certainly won't magically appear. It needs to be explained, supported and lived

as the good life it is. If we don't make a stand for who we are, the vocal Religious Right will marginalize the voices of

millions of freethinkers and Humanists. We must become involved.

First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church is located at 1959 Sandy Lane between Meadowbrook drive and Brentwood Stair Road. Anyone needing assistance to the meeting should contact Russell

Our mailing list has grown to almost 50 people while our attendance is around only 10-12 folks each meeting. In an attempt to save both money and paper I ask the following:

• PLEASE let me know if you’d like to continue receiving the newsletter by the end of September. You can call (817-370-2171), write (see return address), or e-mail me (r.elleven@tcu.edu). Unfortunately, if I’ve not heard from you, your name will be dropped from the list. Those who attend our meetings need not respond. They will automatically receive the newsletter.
• If you can receive the newsletter via e-mail please contact me at r.elleven@tcu.edu
• From this issues on, the Cowtown Humanist will be printed on plain ol’ white paper.

Subscribe at gofreemind@aol.com

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NEW NEURONS -- IF YOU USE THEM

Princeton University neuroscientist Elizabeth Gould reports the retention of new neurons in the brains of adult rats. Earlier studies by a number of researchers have found new neurons in bird and human brains. The hippocampus (involved in learning and memory) is the site of most of the identified new neurons.

Earlier studies found few new neurons living longer than a few weeks. Gould's new study injected rat brains with a marker substance to track new neurons. The rats were then divided between tasks that would and would not activate the hippocampus. Twice as many new neurons survived in rats given visual-spatial and noise-shock tasks known to activate the hippocampus.

Fred Gage of the Salk Institute for biological studies in La Jolla, California conducted similar experiments and found no differences in retained new neurons. Gould hypothesizes that the different finding might arise from her group tasking their rats two weeks after new neurons were marked while the Salk group tasked their rats earlier. Gage's group also reports that mice exercised on a running wheel produced more new neurons and with more of them surviving. [From "New Scientist," 3/6/99 p. 15, reporting an original article in Nature Neuroscience, vol., pp. 260-266]

If you have access to the internet, take a look at our homepage. Professional it ain’t…but we continue to receive sporadic inquiries. Hopefully, some of our friends from cyberspace will join us at our meetings. The page has the following long address: webalias.com/humanism. You can also reach us via e-mail at r.elleven@tcu.edu

I look forward to meeting you and, together, watching the Humanists of Ft. Worth grow!!!

Humanists of Ft. Worth are encouraged to join the American Humanist Association. An special introductory membership rate of $25 is now available. The Humanist magazine and Free Mind newsletter are benefits of membership.

AHA

7 Harwood Drive

P.O. Box 1188

Amherst, NY 14226-7188

(800) 743-6646