Herb Silverman
President, Secular Coalition for America

Herb Silverman

Silverman is Founder and President of the Secular Coalition for America, and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the College of Charleston.

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Faith in reason

This weekend, Jon Stewart is holding "a rally to restore sanity" on the mall, two months after Glenn Beck's religion-infused "Restoring Honor" rally. Beck said he was called by God to hold the rally. Now atheist groups are planning to use Stewart's event to promote "reason."  Are "reason" and "sanity" the opposite of religious belief? Is taking religion out of the political debate the answer for restoring reason? Or do we need more faith?

Full disclosure: The United Coalition for Reason, sponsor of the godless bus ads, is an endorser of the mission statement of the Secular Coalition for America, www.secular.org, the organization for which I'm president.

The bus ads simply invite people to come out of the closet to their friends and neighbors about their lack of religious beliefs. Atheists and humanists don't fear a judging God, but many fear the judgments and the stigma placed on them by a mainly religious society. Some are concerned that their jobs as well as their relationships and good will of neighbors may be at stake, and unfortunately they sometimes are. Much as with the gay rights movement, the more that come out the easier it is for others to come out and find a sense of community. That's the essence of what these ads are about.

What we nontheists want, consistent with our founders, is freedom of conscience for all. Government should not be in the religion business, even if Glenn Beck believes God told him it should. Government should not favor one religion over another or religion in general over non-religion.

As an example, the legislature in my home state of South Carolina authorized the car license tag motto, "In God We Trust," available to all at no extra cost. My local secular humanist group applied for "In Reason We Trust" tags. It carried a fee, but our members and others, too, now have such tags. Frankly, I would rather my state promote reason than God, especially given the dismal state of education here. Individuals should be able to promote the god of their choice, but not the state.

I have trouble understanding why some people think secular Americans are insulting those with religious beliefs when we mention we don't believe in any gods. A church-sponsored billboard near my house asks, "Got religion?" It certainly doesn't offend me to see this by the highway. Are Methodists insulted when Presbyterians promote their theological views?

We may have different views on religion, but I hope we can at least agree on one fundamental good--the marketplace of ideas. Some may think reason and sanity are the opposite of religion, and some may not. Let arguments be heard, not stifled. That, to me, is the most sane and reasonable way to act.

By Herb Silverman  |  October 25, 2010; 6:47 PM ET Save & Share:  Send E-mail   Facebook   Twitter   Digg   Yahoo Buzz   Del.icio.us   StumbleUpon   Technorati  
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OYE: WHY DO WE, The People Need To Know About This 'Plot' that did't Kill 1 fly!???

Instead:
Where are the All those "WALL-STREET Robber Barons aka [Economic] Terrorists???? DONATING To YO Campaign?

more B R E A K I N G -- N E Ws (16/17:00 hrs) Another BIG GOV'T LIE!

Excerpt: Desperado & Patsy; DEMOCRAPs of CA. & wannabe U.S. Congress Woman Jane Harriman Covered Up and said,

"A WOMAN 'SUSPECT' being Interrogated lalala ....the cartridge... was packed w/ pentaerythritol tetranitrate or PETN, confirming what Jane Harman, a Democratic ... had told the New York Times newspaper earlier." OYE...!

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/10/2010103017926499781.html

Another Gov't Plot With Promises & BRIBERY of a Sovereign Nation [YEMEN Officials, the 4th Poorest Nation on Earth]. Talkin bout Persuasion and PROPAGANDA based on FALSE Conspiracy's (And Planted Real Chemicals) & attempting to Fool "The PEOPLE."

DEATH to the LYING DEMOCRATIC PARTY & their Accomplices!

Maybe it was the Jealous/Desperate Democrats who Caused 911? After what they hath done lately, i[WE] Wouldn't pass that thought up, so Maybe Ishlami's have/had it right. Aye?

VOTE: Hell{NO to bad Apple [DEMOCRAP] OYE...! B O O M & B U S T!

Where are the All those "WALL-STREET Robber Barons aka [Economic] Terrorists?
__ Point:

NO GOV'T Has Any Business to Inform The Free Walking Public About Any Threat from Any Ishlami's From Within nor Abroad!

The JOB Of The GOVERNMENT is to Fight Them Terrorist Quietly: Just Go After Them. It's NOt like Hitler is invading or China etc..

More People in America Die of Car Accidents + Drug Overdoses + Violence Annually Then The total Amount Of Soldiers Died in Vietnam (50k) During the Entire Campaign! In 2 Weeks more People Die Hear than on 911 (3k) etc.. SAVE LIVES Here!

Where are the All those "WALL-STREET Robber Barons aka [Economic] Terrorists?
__

YES, WE KNOW, "IF Ye See Something, Then Say Something".

But WE Don't Need To Hear The same ole Crapo, "Terrorist This", Levels That, Osama's Momma so n so etc.!

WE The People Don't Need to Hear about (COULD've). Plus LESS Publicity Is How Yo Eradicate more Terrorism (or inflame it; or implants such thoughts etc..).

STOP THE MEDIA/ANXIETY PROPAGANDA CARD/GAME! The Public Does Not Need To Know! It's All Bulll!

STOP USING THE MEDIA/ANXIETY PROPAGANDA CARD/GAME!

STOP USING THE MEDIA/ANXIETY PROPAGANDA CARD/GAME! DO Your Fkn-JOBS!
Don't Boast. DO silently! GO! Leave Us Citizens alone already

WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT CREATING JOBS! Not some weak Bombs News

YES, WE KNOW, "IF Ye See Something, Then Say Something".

WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT CREATING JOBS! Not False Bombs News!!

YES, WE KNOW, "IF Ye See Something, Then Say Something".

Where are the All those "WALL-STREET Robber Barons aka [Economic] Terrorists??? DONATING??

NOt Osama Bin Laden Who's Been dead since Summer 2007!???

Posted by: woodstock-41 | October 30, 2010 9:58 PM
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GOTCHA!

A Self inflicted DEATH TO the American DEMOCRATIC-PARTY aka the Jock-Oss Party!

B R E A K I N G -- N E W S: (07 hrs today.)

Excerpt: "The government of Yemen has expressed astonishment at the cargo plane bomb plots, claiming there were "NO" UPS or [Fed-Ex] cargo planes that had taken off from Yemen on Friday or any indirect or direct flights to British or American airports.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/8098148/Cargo-plane-bomb-plot-Yemen-doubts-its-link-to-the-plot.html

WHO NEEDS "Wikileaks"!

iMPORTANTO:: For the same reason that Delusional (Nepotist, Usurper & "POWERCRAT" of OUR not their Constitution) via Ex-Senator Hillary Clinton, who illegally became the "Sec. of State" or Wicked-Witch Of The West, under OBAMA's/Pelosi Tutelage and once-upon a time FALSELY claimed she had to literally 'Duck' Gun Fire (imaginary Bullets flying over her/their head) while in KOSOVO or Albania airport etc..(She Should'v said That When Visiting Israel, not Kosovo) THAT

The LIAR's Of the OBAMA Regime are Goin DOWN! So are Their Foreign Leaderships CO-Partners in Crime by the 'THE BIG LIE'rs Club].

Pleazza, Don't be DENIAL to "THE PEOPLE"!

WE[i], Automatic Citizenz/Denizenz of S.pace S.hip Earth; Thank The [Qausi Secular] Government of YEMEN for Exposing them 'Satanic Versus Lovers (not only applies to iShlami's) within our [Abrahamic infested] Government! Thus Catching them in Their Own Game. YES BELIEVE [The Ishlami Govs] This time Only [but not all the time]!!

Shaame on England! Shaame on Israel! Shaame on France...

Note: Maybe France Should Take-Back their 'Statute Of Liberty'? (or [WE] should Ship it back).

GOOD BYE DEMOCRATS. You Should've Been Honest from the 'Get-Go'! aye?

___ N O W;

.......... . WHO NEEDS ‘LiBERTY’?
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..... . . . OUR NATION IS BROKEN!
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__

Credits "JJ"

http://onwapo.wordpress.com/2010/05/27/w-e-l-c-o-m-e/

Posted by: woodstock-41 | October 30, 2010 3:44 PM
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IN "MATHEMATICS & PROBABILITY'...

HOW To Catch FRANCE, Israel, England and now U.S. in a B I G -- L I E!

Psychologically spakething; Suddenly ALL Before The Elections:

First it started with a FALSE & phony, concocted 'Bin Laden message [WHO is In Fact DEAD; an they know this] message BUT YOU (voting Suckers) DON'T] now

Pleasa Oyevay!

Another BIG LIE!

"Cargo-plane bomb plot alert: w/photos of self-serving explosive devices 'designed to harm US synagogues'" Oye...!??

[Self Serving] BOMBS Found In or near Borack Obama's Home Town... la la, but Obama is Not Afraid to gout on the campaign trail. Oye...!????

Found Bombs at or Near Sinagogues, lalala Oye...!???

CIA Head? Said, lalala... Oye...!???

[Coalition Created] Al Qaida; from YEMEN did it etc.. etc.. OYE...!??

like the IShlami's are really coming at US (Keffirs) All at Once?? as forewarned? Pleazza!

Oyevayzmeer!! Weak Weak weak!

Nice Try OBAMA Admin & Desperado's!

Shame on MEDIA involved!
__

Note: Between this Hour & by Monday There will be More BOMB, TERRORISTS stuff Fed to Unsuspecting Voters!

Maybe Prez Obama will be Assassinated by an "inside-Job" before Tuesday? Now In AMERICA (The 1 We used to know) Anything is Possible!

This Time, Shame on The U.S. Government & CO!

END the lies lies lies! yet More Lies r aComing ye/Yo ways! (not OUR way).

VOTE: GOOD RIDDANCE! BOY/Gal who Cried WOLFE!

VOTE: NO D-E-M-O-C-R-A-P-S Party!

STOP THE LiE's, REVEAL THE TRUTH!

STOP THE LiE's, EXPOSE THE TRUTH!

STOP THE LiE's, REVEAL THE TRUTH!..
__

Remember: PRE- ELECTION -- P-R-O-P-A - G-A-N-D-A

BIN LADEN ids DEAD!

BIN LADEN is DEAD!

BEN LADEN IS DEAD!

BEN LADEN IS DEAD!

America created Him, Now They created othew's Bin Ladens??: O' Shame on DEMOCRACY!

Vote: HELL-NO DEMOCRATS! NO To ENGLAND'S QUEENS & KINGS Yoke!

The BRITISH [r the Biggest Trouble Makers on Earth; Not JU's/Israel, Not MUSLIMS!]

VOTE: BRITISH must GO not Come here! Let Them (Includes Australia & New Zealand) Fight the New Bin Ladens & Extinguish their Lamps!

NO MORE USA!

AMERICA 1st!

ENGLAND LAST!
_

POiNT: ISLAM will Defeat ITSELF in near Time:

WE[i] VOTING AMERICANS {The Real JURISTS} Don't Need to see The LIE's Perpetrated by "Democracy's! Current ADMI!?

Their Act & Behavior Is Blasphemous and an Abomination on a National/Conscious Level: Hint: It will surely Boomerang with a Vengeance!

BEHOLD: The Great OIL EMBARGO IS COMING! And Revolution In Many Nations! Thank You OBAMA! Thank You CLINTON's! Thank You PALOSI's, BIDENS, SCHUMER & Evil Officials, aka Satanic VersUS Lovers!

YE art Surely gonna Shoot Selves W/out shooting a Shot. And it will start in Ye/Yo SLEEP! Ye/Yo Will Be talking in Tongues, like the folks of Sodom & Babel did long long ago!

Posted by: woodstock-41 | October 30, 2010 1:03 AM
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On the headline: I move to table this discussion for the time being, pretend we're capable of reason, anyway, and and use what we've got?

Someone can take the credit later.

Posted by: APaganplace | October 28, 2010 4:47 PM
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Ooops. That was meant for TOM FLYMM & CO.

Posted by: woodstock-41 | October 28, 2010 11:57 AM
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OyeVazemeer! eye givolt!

Amazing, NO Grace!

As Predicted & Expected via "iNSIGHT & PATTERN RECOGNITION" abilities (power), THAT

The "Pre-Apocalyptic Run "JPOST", aka the "JERUsalem Post" [The Original Secular 1] played into our hands and is once again 'falsley' creating artificial [intel] News or Stretching the TRUTH (opposite Myth) by attempting to COUNTER the REVEALATION (opposite Secret or Hidden Manna, aka Hidden UMMAH or Hidden Karma..) That in Fact: OSAMA BIN LADEN IS TRULY DEAD!

Pleazza see This

'France says Bin Laden tape appears authentic??? .. in a new tape, al Qaida leader threatens to kill French citizens because of their support for war in Afghanistan and new law banning burkas.

http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=193123

OYEVAY(O' Lordy)! FarVoos(Why)? FarVoos "IT"?

SEcret (opposite Revelation) Note: This is the 4th Time or 5th that some Syndicate (can't Mention now) who've Responded with some 'Bin Laden's Message (not Messenger) within a 24/72 hour period!

Talkin about Counter INTELi, Pleazzza!

Note: This NOt a 'wicked-Leak' copycat (un)kinda thing.

THE WORLD WILL KNOW THE TRUTH [About the Death Of Bin Laden & how He Died with PROOF, beyond a Reasonable Doubt!!!) So Help me/i EKLAHt-i!

As a Duty; It's A SCOUTS PROMISE (of the Dispensation) Especially to me/my/OUR Dear Fellow sweet sweet AMERICAN(s) et al!

Dear Governments:

STOP THE LiE's, REVEAL THE TRUTH!

STOP THE LiE's, REVEAL THE TRUTH!

STOP THE LiE's, REVEAL THE TRUTH!.....

SHAME on 'JPOST" & CO.!

Posted by: woodstock-41 | October 28, 2010 11:55 AM
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Hear Ye, Hear Ye: STOP THE VOTES!

Something On "BLOOD TITHES" within our Governments, not only 'Blood Diamonds or 'Blood Mineral's.

Those ReLIGIONics within the White-House and in Congress & the Senate who slip & grease their 'Constituents?' via their their Mega-Churches moneys or Congregation's [Tithes] BLOOD-MONEY , aka UNCLE-SAM EXEMPT Money should be ARRESTED & Tried FOR "Corrupting many of Our Government Officials. And The Officials should be "Impeached" Not Censured!

The ELECTION SHOULD BE STOPPED by the CIA or FBI or the NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY, or Even the PENTAGON; now!

America Needs a Serious FIX!

Note: Since AMERICANS are beating-up each other this campaign, and since Americans are Mistrusting Of both their FEDERAL & STATE Politicians & Government; Then It is Time For ISOLATION! WHY?

How can the so-called Beacon of Democracy [WE are a REPUBLIC, not a Democracy by the way] be respected when they "LOST RESPECT FOR GOVERNMENT & THEIR FORE-FATHERS"are fighting each other; as the World watches in both Mistrust of America & in Laughter [a Joke]!?????
___

Theory: IF The N.Y.C. BLOOMBURG ADMIN & His TAMMANY CRONY's Can Usurp & Wave The N.Y. State Constitution & Bend the Federal (includes Senator Hillary Clinton quiting her senate job, "INSTEAD OF CONSTITUTION"; Who Usurped the U.S. Constitution to become SEC of State??) and then audaciously got to be a MAYOR for a THIRD-Term (w/out VOTERS O.K. 1st)

THEN; IT's Time to STOP THE RACE. And Like The COMMY Scare; Bring Forth The USURPERS & NEPOTIST & ROBBER BARRONS Before OUR (not Their) COURT SYSTEM based on "RULE OF LAW"??? Oye..., Oye...
___

Dear Fellow Americans; HARK!

DO NOT BE DISTRACTED by this Admins "TERRORIST" or PHOBIA Card!

This Government and their Co-Crony in Public Crimes, are guilty of "INSTEAD OF CONSTITUTION" & INSTEAD OF TRUTH" & OPEN GOVERNMENT!

Grasp the Underlying Great Anti-American Conspiracy! EXAMPLE:

FACT: "BIN LADEN IS DEAD"! [Since Summer of 2007]

DO-NOT Believe Otherwise!

VOTE: STOP The ELECTION (After a National Investigation of our incumbents & their Constituents) NOW! ELSE

DO NOT VOTE! DO NOT SHOW-UP AT THE VOTING STATIONS/BOOTHS! IF Anything

PROTEST For a 1-Year [Mid-Term Election] DELAY//FREEZE now!
___

AND besides Not Trusting most Politicians, Do NOT TRust The {rigged] NEW 'TOUCH SCREEN COMPUTERS"!

[i]m not talking about "Chads", please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad_(paper)

But [WE] are talking about: DANGER//DANGER, THEFT OF GOVERNMENT, HIJACKING OUR NATION!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_voting

BETTER NOT-TO-VOTE & BETTER TO BE SAFE, by DELAYING THE Midterm Elections, Instead of Being Sorry [again] Later"!

NOTE: CONSTITUTIONALLY AMERICAN's have a right To POSTPONE THIS Mid-Term Election" Under a NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT & other viable Reasons that the Electorate can fathom & ride-out!

Posted by: woodstock-41 | October 26, 2010 10:06 PM
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Valuing reason over faith
The Washington Coalition of Reason have put up advertisements on bus shelters around the DC area just in time for Jon Stewart’s rally to “restore sanity” and Stephen Colbert’s rally to keep fear alive.

I think it should be pointed out that the Washington Coalition of Reason is not promoting reason with these advertisements. They are promoting their organizations… which promote reason. The distinction is that these ads are not designed to get religious people to think rationally about there religion. That might take more then a few words on words on a bus shelter.

You can read the rest of my response to this topic:
http://exm.nr/cAYuVB

I will be responding to every issue posted in the 'On Faith' section. If you would like to be notified when my new response is up, please subscribe.

Posted by: dangeroustalk | October 26, 2010 8:35 PM
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It may be a violation of the First Amendment for South Carolina to charge more for a nontheistic slogan on the license plate than a theistic one. That seems to constitute a forbidden governmental preference for religion over non-religion.

Lou Altman

Posted by: LAltman | October 26, 2010 6:10 PM
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Re: Glenn Beck, I think the observation by psychologist Thomas Szasz says it all: "If you talk to God, you're praying; if God talks to you, you're schizophrenic."

Posted by: RichardSRussell | October 26, 2010 1:25 PM
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I definitely agree with Professor Silverman that the government should not be in the religion business. I also know that, as an atheist, if I "come out" it is very likely that I will suffer some social consequences from doing so in this society. There are somewhat subtle ways of doing this, such as the license plate "In Reason We Trust." I, however, got rid of my car 12 years ago and can't really fit this message on my bike!

Posted by: jonesm2 | October 26, 2010 11:44 AM
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Is there any creature more dangerous than a man who believes that "God" has told him what to do? He can justify anything he wants to do.

Posted by: fhay26 | October 26, 2010 11:40 AM
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Reason is based on facts. Religion is based on faith. Sanity requires that we recognize this distinction.

On a tangent, VA was once confronted about refusing to issue vehicle tags denoting non-faith, e.g. "ATHEIST." Their response was that they refuse ALL faith and non-faith based tag requests. They were of course lying their butts off. At the time I knew of tags including "BLEST 1" and "ALMS ALAH"--and, that's just in my neighborhood. This double standard is rooted in bigotry. Such bigotry is institutionalized in the US. Is this reasonable? In light of the First Amendment, is it sane?

Reason requires that we recognize an appropriate role for religion in government. Sanity requires that we recognize there's never been a consensus on what that is.

Posted by: beersnob11123 | October 26, 2010 11:10 AM
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This past weekend I visited friends in another state who attend a liberal Episcopal church. Although a member of the humanist group in my community, I have always enjoyed attending their church while visiting, and gladly joined them on Sunday morning at their church, which is a part of their family ritual. We talked about many of the ideas that we discuss in our humanist group, some of the ideas that a friend of theirs discusses in their humanist group in New York City, and much of what their church is discussing in trying to do in providing social services to their community. It was a sane and reasonable discussion and the fact that I do not believe in a literal interpretation of the bible or a hereafter were part of that discussion. That type of discussion, however, is not always possible in the religious community, but should be, and that is why I support the rally to restore sanity.

Posted by: LorettaHaskell | October 26, 2010 10:43 AM
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