FUSsa-talk Mailing List: Fwd: Humanists and the Manhattan Declaration

[Robert Tapp (tappx001]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Robert Tapp <tappx001 [at] umn.edu>
> Date: November 21, 2009 6:01:00 PM CST
> To: Humanist Institute Discussion List <hidisc [at] humanistinstitute.org>
> 
> 
> This unbelievable document can help clarify many issues that affect our 
> society and humanist strategies. Some, like Sam Harris , have been arguing 
> that moderate religionists simply provide cover for more extreme religionists 
> -- and thus intelligent nonbelievers should not ally with or support moderate 
> religionists. Others of us, noting the increasing weaknesses of what were 
> once called mainline Protestants in the face of Catholic and Evangelical 
> growth, doubt that intelligent religion has much future.
> 
>       http://manhattandeclaration.org/
> 
> The Declaration is a masterpiece of historical distortions and linguistic 
> slipperiness. For instance
> 
>> In Europe, Christians challenged the divine claims of kings and successfully 
>> fought to establish the rule of law and balance of governmental powers, 
>> which made modern democracy possible.  And in America, Christian women stood 
>> at the vanguard of the suffrage movement.  The great civil rights crusades 
>> of the 1950s and 60s were led by Christians claiming the Scriptures and 
>> asserting the glory of the image of God in every human being regardless of 
>> race, religion, age or class. 
> 
> In fact, most Christians -- and certainly most Christian leaders -- actually 
> took stands opposite to these! Most Europeans were Christian -- and the 
> Enlightenment that attempted to put outdated internal bloodbaths behind us -- 
> was opposed by most Christians. To claim <Christian> support, historically, 
> for democracy, anti-slavery, gender and racial equality is simply laughable.
> 
>> We understand that many of our fellow citizens, including some Christians, 
>> believe that the historic definition of marriage as the union of one man and 
>> one woman is a denial of equality or civil rights.
> 
> 
> <Some Christians> may be a clever phrase but hardly does justice to the 
> current discussions going on in the modern world. 
> 
> What now? Christians who believe in historical honesty and accuracy need to 
> take on these distortions. Humanists too should be speaking out. Academic 
> historians will, but their chances of being heard in evangelical and 
> megachurch circles are slim.
> 
> In the meantime, humanists and liberal religionists should choose their 
> alliances very carefully. If I am correct that this Manhattan Declaration 
> will be a landmark (check the status of the original signers), we should 
> cooperate ONLY with groups that have rejected and dissociated themselves with 
> the claims of the Declaration. Our commitment to science makes us reject 
> creationism and <intelligent design> as dangerous nonsense. Do these 
> historical fantasies deserve any better?
> 
> Bob