|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Freethought Association of West Michigan
Jeff asked for volunteers to help coordinate refreshments, setting up social events and getting tables and chairs set up and taken down before and after meetings. He passed out a sign-up sheet for these items.
We agreed to go to Applebees restaurant after the meeting. This was a fun time for those who were interested and able to attend. Paul C., prestidigitator, even entertained us before going with some magic tricks.
The topic for this meeting was "Religion & the Founding Fathers" moderated by Muskegon Community College history professor, Bill Jacobks. He mentioned straight away that he disliked the phrase "founding fathers." preferring Constitution writers and in dispelling the popular myth of our nation being founded as a profoundly Christian one by devout men- of- God.
One has but to look to the writings of Madison to see his virulent opposition to the establishment of religion of any kind, Jefferson's numerous statements for reason, questioning of religious authority, or even his self-truncated Bible, with all supernatural events and magic thinking excised. Or read Paine's Age of Reason for a sharply critical view of Christianity, or any of the other myriad statements by the Constitution writers, eschewing the entanglement of government and religion and against establishment of one religion over another, being cognizant of the "1,000s of different religions" that would thereby lose religious freedom. And, as Professor Jacobks also pointed out, most of the founders were deists (not holding to a personal, intervening god), freethinkers or agnostics and had, at best "rational religious beliefs." This is to say, not believing in the divinity of Jesus, miracles or the biblical supernatural events. Many were very outspoken in their regard of the hypocrisy and predatory aspects of organized religion and Christianity in particular. Also telling, was that when B. Franklin proposed a minister to pray for them in their work, this was unanimously voted down.
So the question that Prof. Jacobks quickly went to was how did the myth come to be and why has it remained so popular? He made a strong argument that the writings had to be looked at hermeneutically; what do they actually say. He pointed out how the interpretation was bent to the temperament of the American Puritan movement, where character was seen as more important than law and intentionality more significant than what was actually stated.
Religion was seen as central to character and morality. Sinful human nature needed to be controlled, it was felt, and Christian morality was just the tonic for reining in the harmful passions. These sentiments helped erode the concepts of no governmental aid to religion, not favoring one religious sect over another and other misinterpretations that weakened religious freedom.
Conflicting arguments emerged, such as Locke's "Religion does not sustain a critical review over time" and Kant maintaining that religion provided a regulatory principle for the unity of self.
Professor Jacobks got into other factors-- the market forces that emerged in the 20th century, consumerism and self interest; consumption over learning and, again, ways to restrain the run-away compulsions. The discussion evolved into one dealing with other cultures and times and the use of a naturalistic religious philosophy to instruct youth and help assimilate them into adult culture. It was mentioned that youth becomes disconnected and disaffected in today's society.
He proposed government aid to religious institutions for training in the humanities and at the family level. He also talked about ethics being grounded in a sense of transcendence, which met with some criticism by some members of our group. He pointed out that this was not necessarily a reference to a god figure but to a sense of high civic duty and virtues hat could be derived outside of traditional religious beliefs. Basically: principles seen as greater than one's self.
As we got deeper into Truths and cooperative strategies, and socio-cultural concepts of justice, the talk turned to such esoteria as game theory (with the "tit for tat" strategy being the most effective) and even Heisenburg's Uncertainty Principle, regarding the theoretical limit to the precision with which a particle's position and momentum can be measured. A couple members took us back to nitty-gritty behavioral cooperative realities that would emerge from the evolution of humanity and culture.
This was an extremely bare-bones survey of some of the points raised, many too rarefied for this recorder to extract effectively from his copious notes, but hopefully a flavor of the evening is presented herein.
Our next meeting will be November 10 @ the Wyoming Public Library; 7-9PM: "The ACLU on Vouchers" moderated by Lee Weber and Charles Bearden, from the West MI chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Between then and now is the documentary film on gay/lesbian issues in public schools "It's Elementary" shown at Trinity United Methodist Church, 1100 Lake Drive, GR @ 7:30 on Nov. 3rd. Sponsored by Dignity of Grand Rapids.
Also the Fall Conference of the Interfaith Dialogue Association with topics relating to Science & Religion, from 12-6PM on Nov. 6th.
Check our website for more information on these and coming events: http://members.aol.com/faowm. --------------------------------------------------------------- "The government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion." Treaty with Tripoli, 1797.
"The 'establishment of religion' clause of the First Amendment means at least this: Neither a state nor the federal government can set up a church. Neither can pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another. Neither can force nor influence a person to go or remain away from church against his will or force him to profess a belief or disbelief in any religion..." Justice Hugo Black, 1947.
recorder: Charles LaRue |
|
Home
| Meetings | Calendar
| Past Meetings | About
Us | Membership | Volunteer
| E-mail Lists |
Message
Board |
