Newsletter #11 – The Church of Spiritual Humanism
June 25, 2003 – Philadelphia www.SpiritualHumanism.org
The newsletter is a little late this month; things have been busy here at the church. With the arrival of the Summer Solstice it’s officially summer here in the Northern Hemisphere. Our celebration and regular religious services were very spiritually moving. I hope your Solstice was just as fun.
Even if you missed the Summer Solstice http://spiritualhumanism.org/solstice-and-equinox/ this year it’s still a great time to get out and appreciate nature and the wonders of life and evolution. Find a few hours to spend in a quiet wooded glen or other local wilderness area. Life is coming into full bloom. Reconnecting with it and recognizing humanity’s place as the caretakers of the biosphere can be very spiritual rewarding.
IN THE NEWS
EPA Issues Environmental Overview
Critics Describe Report As Overly Politicized
By Guy Gugliotta Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, June 24, 2003
The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday released its first statistical overview of the national environment, but the near absence of any discussion of global climate change or other sensitive matters caused advocacy groups to dismiss the report as a self-serving Bush administration political document.
see full story at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
EDITORS NOTE:
We cannot let mega-corporations and their “profits at any cost” motivations control our government. Each of us must do all in our power to avoid a “Tragedy of the Commons” scenario.
READERS WRITE IN
If you have a question feel free to email me at info ( at ) spiritual humanism.org
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Dear Sirs
May I bring to your attention that Islam is the religion of reason. It is also the religion of logic and science. It does not need updating as it is already up to date with scientific thought of today, and much of the Quoran is being confirmed by recent discoveries.
Regards Jake
REPLY
Islam is a revealed religion. It relies on the supernatural visions of a prophet. This is not compatible with the scientific method and therefore it is not a religion of science. The Quoran does not make logical arguments, it makes arguments of faith.
Science relies on the free exchange of ideas and the ability to challenge popularly held beliefs so that the truth may be discovered. Such challenges are generally forbidden in Islam.
The advances in our understanding of the universe are due to our use of the scientific method. It is the best way we have to discover the truth and what reality actually is. http://spiritualhumanism.org/method/
The Quoran reveals nothing about electricity, the microbiological nature of disease, the basic laws of physics, or really anything else that helps us advance as a civilization. If we relied solely on the Quoran and rejected the scientific method we would still live in a dark age. Sterilization before medical procedures would be unheard of. Vaccines against diseases would be undiscovered. Anesthesia? Mass communications? Airplanes? These simply would not come in existence without the scientific method and the freedom to challenge contemporary beliefs.
The world is not a perfect place, but it is slowly getting better. It’s a painstaking process that requires the life’s work of billions of people. There is no magic answer from the sky for this. Its our job as intelligent creatures, as humans to make it better, to reduce suffering, and to embrace the truth. https://spiritualhumanism.org/ordained/
CONCLUSION
Yes the Ordained Clergy Packages are still available in our online store http://www.spiritualhumanism.org/shop/ We print the Ordination Certificates on acid free paper to give them extra long life, and Clergy Wallet ID Cards are a great item to have. Our book, The Officiant’s Manual includes information on celebrating the Solstices as well as marriage laws for all 50 states, sample ceremonies, etc. The fees charged for these packs
are our only income and help defer the cost of the web site, advertising, PO Box, and incorporation fees.
RA Zorger
President, The Church of Spiritual Humanism
www.SpiritualHumanism.org