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Freethought Association of West Michigan

Meeting minutes for September 22, 1999; #55.

Charley Moore, who is coordinating the highway clean-up project our

group is involved in, asked that anyone who can make it, should meet @

the NE corner of Plainfield & 5 Mile to help out. This is @ 9AM,

Sunday, the 26th.

Skeptic Magazine editor, Michael Shermer's new book was recommended @

this meeting. It is called How We Believe; The Search For God in the

Age of Science. Many will recall his earlier book: Why People Believe

Weird Things; Psuedoscience, Superstition and Other Confusions of our

Time put out by Freeman Publishers. His latest book focus more on

religious belief.

Among the interesting items out for our perusal, were copies of a

March 12, '98 article appearing in the Grand Rapids Press by Atheist,

Margaret Downey, who heads a Philadelphia group of freethinkers. Two

main points made were that one does not need a belief in a

supernatural power to lead an ethical life and that our strength as

freethinkers is also our weakness. We are not lockstep, herd mentality

believers in a comforting but logically empty dogma, yet our

independent thinking makes uniting behind affiliations and forming

into large groups with clout more difficult.

One of our members distributed copies of a succinct and cogent letter

he had submitted to the GR Press, but had not been printed. It was

sparked for him by a May 29th picture and story of a boy drinking from

an ornate communion goblet and who is fascinated by vampires.

Our topic for this meeting was "Religion in the Media," moderated by

our guest, Charles Honey, religion editor of the Grand Rapids Press.

The Religion section of the paper is lengthy, relative to this

category, well- regarded and varied. Honey remarked that it had

stories ranging from abused women to tee- shirts and tattoos. In its

pages one can find features about archeological digs, items of

historical significance, the investigation of a local scandal of a

church, or more whimsical ones like a recent one about a Jesus

look-alike.

Honey surprised some of us when he told of his non-traditional

background in church attendance, including a Unitarian church and

Fountain Street Church. He married a Methodist and has since attended

a Methodist church.

He mentioned how it was beneficial for him not to have taken the job

with too much "religious baggage" as this can be a detriment to

objective reporting on the myriad of faiths one encounters in this

work. However, no matter the background and level of personal

conviction, one has to be truly interested in religion to write and

research this topic for a weekly section. He said he has gotten a lot

of on-the -job training from his research of faiths less-well-known

generally, and has had to learn a great deal of jargon specific to the

various groups.

He mentioned that this is the only reporting that generates the "God

will strike you dead for what you wrote!" type hostile epithets.

Reporting that has drawn these attacks were when he had written about

religious groups and worldviews other than their own or about

controversial issues. Nonetheless, he considers this the most fun and

interesting beat he has done, and he had worked as a journalist on

various other beats for some time before accepting his current

position.

Honey spoke of the intensity, the fervor and strong public expression

of belief found in this community, but also said that the area as a

whole is not nearly as far Religious Right as it would appear from

Public Pulse contributions, for instance. These people just tend to be

the most vocal.

Honey talked of the balance one has to maintain in non-judgmental

reporting on matters of faith and conviction. As an example, he

mentioned a person writhing on the floor, speaking in tongues, etc.

who claims to be under supernatural control. His job is neither to

refute nor promote these claims.

He said that unlike other topics, the Religion section provides the

journalist a means to canvass "the entire range of human experience"

including joyous expressions, the politics of church policies, and the

work of religious groups ministering to drug addicts and prostitutes.

Honey mentioned that overall, this beat carried with it a sense of

strength and hope instead of the despair and focus on crime that

leaves journalists reporting on different aspects of the human

condition more jaded and disheartened.

When asked about trends he saw, he mentioned the interest in churches

that provide more varied services beyond the basic religious one to

its parishioners and where people come together more for the social

aspects. Likewise he feels there are more people who do not claim

affiliation with any particular organized faith; who are not actively

involved but still attend church. He talked of the strong interest in

spirituality in general with some decrease of those who hold to

traditional religious doctrines. The issues of Church & State and

womens' ordination, among others, he sees increasing in intensity in

times to come.

Among issues brought up by our group: the link of hate groups to

religion, the Pope "easing up" on requirements of the Catholic faith

regarding time spent in purgatory, admittance to heaven, etc. Also

touched upon were religious views on homosexuality and womens' role in

the church and the possibility of more friction as minority religions

have increased presence via their growing numbers. We talked of the

perception by many of secular humanism as being another form of

religion and the pros and cons of humanists having a forum in the

Religion section. Some thought this would undermine the stance of

secular humanists as being apart from religion while others thought

the exposure to an alternate viewpoint would be good. It was suggested

that maybe it should have a different heading, so as not to associate

it so strongly with the religious worldview.

CALENDAR:

Highway Clean-up; Sept. 26, 9AM @ 5 Mile & Plainfield.

Richard Dawkins to lecture @ the Grand Valley State University

Allendale Campus; the Louis Armstrong Theatre, Performing Arts Center

on October 11 @ 7PM. Those interested in socializing following the

lecture may meet @ Afterwards Coffeehouse, located on the south edge

of the campus by the water tower.

NOTE: NO MEETING on October 13, due to Dawkins lecture!!

"Religion and the Founding Fathers; Are We a Christian Nation?"

moderated by Bill Jacobks, History Professor, Muskegon Community

College. October 27, 7-9PM @ the Wyoming Public Library.

"It's Elementary" This docuentary film on gay/lesbian issues in public

education will be presented @ the Trinity United Methodist Church,

1100 Lake Drive, SE, G.R. on November 3 @ 7:30PM. Sponsored by Dignity

of Grand Rapids

"Science & Religion" November 6, 12-6PM. We are invied to attend or

participate in this Fall Conference of the Interfaith Dialogue

Association.

"The ACLU on Vouchers" **tenative** November 10, 7-9PM @ the Wyoming

Public Library, moderated by Lee Weber & Charles Bearden, West MI

Chapter of the ACLU.

"The Science & Ethics of Human Cloning" December 8, 7-9PM @

the Wyoming Public Library. Moderated by Professor Paul Huizenga,

GVSU, who teaches biology courses including biomedical ethics and is

scheduled to present a paper on the ethical issues associated with

cloning at the National Association of Biology Teachers Convention

next month.

Winter Solstice Party! December 22, 7-9PM; location to be announced.

recorder: Charles LaRue