Society for Secular Humanists in Calgary

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SHIC Quarterly

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We are always on the look out for articles to publish in future issues. If you have an article for us, contact the SHIC chick!

April - June 2005 Issue 1

July - September 2005 Issue 2

October - December 2005 Issue 3

January - March 2006 Issue 4

April - June 2006 Issue 5

On Site Articles

Comment by Mike O'Brien, SHIC Vice President (April 19, 2007) See the comment here.

You may recall that last year the President of our group was vilified in the Calgary Herald for having had the gall to suggest that taxpayers should not be paying for a religious display in the City Hall Atrium. When asked if the practice would continue this year the office of the mayor sent a letter which may be light-hearted and humourous -- or disrespectful. What do you think? See the letter here. Let your alderman or newspaper editor know how you feel about this.

Robert G. Ingersoll's famous vow.

The Creed of Henry Louis Mencken (1880 - 1956).

A collection of quotes acquired by Eric.

A report of the "Does God Exist?" debate at Missoula, Montana

Our first official article: the Declaration of Humanist Principles.

Desktop wallpaper. Designed for a 800x600 windows desktop... enjoy!

Dr. Roger Gibbins' address to SHIC on November 11 2003.

Speaking of letters to the editor... The final rumblings of the nativity fiasco were felt in the FFwd in January. Eric finally managed to get a word in edgewise. Read about it here.

Okay everyone! It is finally complete! Both Pat and Eric went to James Randi's Amazing Meeting 2. Here is their long awaited report on the event: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and the wrap up. I hope you all enjoy it.

Eric takes a trip to the fringes of science itself.

Straight from Activism 101, Glenn Hardie talks about how to write letters to the editor.

Humanism/Atheism

If you missed Ellen Johnson on Larry King Live's "What Happens After We Die?", here's the transcript.

A review of Buckman's "Can We Be Good Without God? Behaviour, Belonging and the Need to Believe."

Publically funded school refuses entrance to children of atheists or humanists

Activists make plan during Easter convention

Secular rites of passage

The Manitoban asks: Are you a Humanist?

James Randi shares his views on religion

Do the social pressures which influence people to say 'Happy Holidays' instead of 'Merry Xmas' constitute discrimination?

Well-known Canadian Secular Humanist Dr. Henry Morgentaler honoured with his own TV Special which aired Jan. 5/05.

Atheist murdered for his disbelief

A free downloadable book by fellow humanist Francis Hardy called "The Aggressor's Way"

Presenting a deity for all atheists: The Invisible Pink Unicorn! Blessed Be Her Holy Hooves

American Atheists form GAMPAC

Anger over teaching atheism to children

Eddie Tabash on theist bashing

[Satire] Atheists pack theatre to see ... guess who!
[Not Satire] Read more about "Him" here or here.

Freethought Poetry:
What A Friend We Have...
From the Walrus himself, "IMAGINE"
By William F. Denton, "The Freeman's Resolution"

One atheist's perspective on abortion.

UK among most secular nations.

A plea for an atheist homeland.

For the curious... presenting "Kissing Hank's A**".

Larry Jones, founder and president of the Institute for Humanist Studies, named Humanist of the Year.

A review of "His Dark Materials", a trilogy by Philip Pullman.

We've recently made contact with a pair of freethinking atheists from Calgary. They both have personal sites dealing with the topic of religion. (Note: Not for the faint of heart!) Here's Steve's site. This is Larry's site. By the way, Eric first met Larry at the Amazing Meeting II. In addition to being of Promethean bent, he is also an accomplished magician.

Given the recent media events regarding our group, here's an article likely close to all our hearts... Freedom from religion

Article by the 'Godless Geeks' of Silicon Valley entitled "Why Atheism?".

Religion

The Unitarian Jihad! Get your Jihad name here

Witch denied right to open government meeting with prayer

Pope John Paul II: Actor Extraordinaire

Did the Pope really end communism?

Will god lead us to oil?

Unitarians fall out with Boy Scouts

Tough questions for Christians

Religious pressures close IMAX movie

The Italians are not amused by blasphemous advertising

Biblical death sentence overturned

Australia under pressure to rescind religious hate laws

Northern Cheyenne level suit alleging exploitation against church

Religious militants in Britain

Jesus: sober unamusing saviour or funny guy

Ten Commandments? Okay, but which ones?

Intelligent Design: Creationism redesigned?

Anglican Church faces schism over homosexual policy

Christians block donations to cancer charity

Dr. Younus Shaikh, formerly on death row in Pakistan under the charge of blasphemy writes about Islam and women.

Is the Christian religion merely a copycat of other religions? Try shopping for a personal saviour at Betty Bowers' site

Religion: For Dummies! An interview with Richard Dawkins

13 year old girl faces the death penalty for giving birth to "unholy child"

Who wrote the Bible? by The Straight Dope

A very disappointing case of religious intolerance

Nominate your favourite deity in "The Great God Contest".

Well, I'd be remiss if I didn't post at least one article on Mel Gibson's latest exercise in self importance. "Who Really Killed Jesus?" by Tim Callahan.

Physicist Puts the Odds of God at 2-to-1!

Mark Morford asks, "Is Your Religion Unsanitary?".

A well researched article by Margaret Knight entitled "Christianity - The Debit Account".

From the fine folks at Religious Tolerance it's "Christian Reconstructionism, Dominion Theology, and Theonomy".

Beware the rise of the righteous army.

Worship your God, by all means, but we don't all need to

A book review of Alan Wolfe's "The Transformation of American Religion: How We Actually Live Our Faith". It's by Amy Sullivan and is titled "Revival of the Fittest".

Euthanasia/Dying with Dignity

Living wills in Canada

California opens the door to physician assisted suicide

The myth of dying

Senate brief

Religious Tolerance presents: Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide

Oregon's physician assisted suicide reports

The fight for the right

Senate committee's final report on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

Separation of Church and State

A Presbyterian pastor praises the separation

Catholic ban on royal marriages under attack

Religion creeps into Britain's elections

Air Force Academy attempts to deal with religious discrimination

What exactly is the separation of church and state?

U.S. Lawsuit over teaching 'Intelligent Design' theory in Science classes

Stockwell Day continues to mix his religion with our country's politics

U.S. church/state separation in danger

55% of Nova Scotia voters decide to impose their beliefs on the other 45%

A history of clashes between church and state in Canada

Separation of church and state defined

An overview of church/state separation in Canada

New prayer policy for Fruit Heights

The Village Voice speaks on the separation of church and state.

Skepticism

Skeptics, Forteans and their relation to science

One of the last interviews with a Flat-Earther

Shroud of Turin thoroughly debunked

A little Skeptical Inquirer April Fool!

How to spot quacks

City tries to deal with a curse

B.C. psychic help Nelson police find hiker's body. Perhaps the police should consider hiring this psychic full time to find dope fields too.

Calgary's Tavian Barnes strikes a blow for skepticism

Proof that being a skeptic and an authority still has it's limits

Psychic 'misled actress to hopeless cancer death'.

Francis Wheen's recent book, "How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World: A Short History of Modern Delusions", has a series of excerpts in The Guardian:
The bunkum stops here
Twaddle unswaddled
Francis Wheen's top 10 modern delusions

An excellent list of logical fallacies with explanations and examples.

Politics

Nazis, the Holocaust and the Vatican bank

Bill C-25, Whistleblowing, and you

All about landmines

The G-8 explained

The Gujarat 'eliminated' Muslims

BC court orders blood transfusion for 14 year old Jehovah's Witness

Ban the 'precautionary principle'

Spys dead wrong

My sense of irony is in overload over banning the abortions of gay children

Can we hope for respect internationally by standing up to the States?

Ernst Zundel bound for Germany

Is our country going to hell?

U.S. government must prove that Guantanamo prisoners are not P.O.W.'s

Garry Trudeau has obviously been collaborating with James Randi. Would you like $10,000?

A tongue in cheek look at the relationship between Saddam Hussein and the U.S.A.

Are the Americans beginning to question political ethics? Bush's Desolate Imperium

Blogging for peace. Check out some blogs by Salam Pax.

Science

For those of you who love kickin' it old school with that gangsta rappin' physicist MC Hawking, you're going love this! The Hawkman has released "A Brief History of Rhyme", MC Hawking's greatests hits. View the promo trailer here. Be sure to click on "WATCH THIS MOVIE!". Word! Also check out the Hawkman's newest music vid: "What we need more of is Science". Remember to click on "WATCH THIS MOVIE!".

Universal Deja Vu: Is the Universe cyclical?

Global warming hits the Antarctic

What questions could a Bio-Einstein answer? Part 1 and Part 2

3 reasons for humans in space

The top 10 inventions of life

The World Multiconference on Systematics, Cybernetics and Informatics gets pranked with nonsense

What is the Scientific Method?

13 ways to confound a scientist

SEX! It's the worth the hassle

Intelligent design does not belong in schools

T. Rex tissue discovered

Canada to promote stem cell research

Do religion and science overlap

Oldest upright ancestor's fossils discovered

NASA finds strong evidence for life on Mars

Sea levels could rise 23 feet over the next century due to the Arctic melt

Human belief, global warming and denial

The Synchrotron opens in Saskatoon

I know it sounds very "New Age", but here is an actual scientific study into Global Consciousness

Ann Druyan Talks About Science, Religion, Wonder, Awe . . . and Carl Sagan.

Catholic Churches Say Condoms Don't Stop AIDS

Activism

Hate crime defined

How to start a Non-profit

101 tools for tolerance

10 ways to fight hate

From Protest.net, it's the Activist's Handbook

Tools for activists by the Saskatchewan Eco-Network

The Humanists of Florida on "Raising Awareness"

Miscellaneous

The fine art of complaining

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A new magazine endorsed by the fine folks at Candil: The Walrus