President – Monette Richards

Secretary – Brittani Lenz

Treasurer – Jackie McCaman

Cleveland Chapter:

VP of Programming - Mark Tiborsky

Akron-Canton Chapter:

Chair – Paul Woodring

VP of Programming - Randy Pelton

CFI NE Ohio News & Views

CFI NE Ohio

News And Views

Thoughtful articles, letters, re-

views, reports, anecdotes and car-

toons are welcomed. Submit in

electronic format to editor Brent

Bowen at bbowen1005@aol.com,

or by mail to CFI NE Ohio News

& Views, P.O. Box 2379, Akron

OH 44309. Contributions for the

Jan., 2019 issue must be received

by Dec. 15, 2018.

CFI NE Ohio Officers

Reason Works. Science Works. Know Better. Volume 13, Number 4• Oct-Dec. 2018

Message from the President ...........2

Is Who We Were, Who We Are? .....3

Mark Your Calendars .................... 4

Letter to Kasich, DeWine ...............5

Book Review ....................................6

What’s Inside

Annual Traditions Continue for Cleveland Chapter

Celebrations are a major theme for the Cleveland chapter as we close

out our programming for 2018. Annual events like Carl Sagan Day and

the Winter Solstice meeting will provide the backdrops for November

and December, respectively. Please note the dates and locations of our

final meetings of the Cleveland chapter for this year, as we have shuf-

fled them a bit.

Starting off the fourth quarter programs is part two of the chapter’s dis-

cussion of freedom of speech on Wed., Oct. 10, 7 p.m., at the Middleburg

Hts. Library (16699 Bagley Road, Middleburg Hts.).

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or

prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,

or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to

petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Strangely enough,

the “freedom of speech” part of our 1st Amendment seems to become

more and more controversial (and important) as of late.

Join us at our October Cleveland chapter meeting for “Freedom of

Speech, Part Two: The Limits,” which will be an open floor discussion, as

was the well-attended (with great participation) Part One back in Janu-

ary. Cleveland chapter VP of Programming Mark Tiborsky will once

again be providing materials for the group to ponder for this essentially

unmoderated discussion - attendees are encouraged to suggest materials

to examine as well. For Part Two we’ll be focusing on the limits of free-

dom of speech, both those backed by jurisprudence and those simply per-

ceived, for the United States and elsewhere. (Continued on Page 7)

The Universe, Time, Bhutan – Oh My!

Come hear about the state of the universe, the nature of time, and member

Mel Vye's experiences in Bhutan during the last quarter of the year at the

Akron-Canton chapter meetings. All three meetings will be held at the

Stow-Munroe Falls Library, 3512 Darrow Road, Stow. Each will start at 7

p.m. in the library's second-floor meeting room.

The universe is big and getting bigger at an accelerating rate. How big?

How fast? How do we know? Join Dr. Glenn Starkman on Mon., Oct. 1, and

hear the latest thoughts on cosmic microwave background radiation, su-

pernovae, and other phenomena that give us information on the early uni-

verse, cosmic expansion, and the large-scale structure of the universe. Dr.

Starkman is Distinguished University Professor, Professor of Physics and

of Astronomy at Case Western Reserve University, where he directs the

Institute for the Science of Origins and the Center for Education and Re-

search in Cosmology and Astrophysics. He is a Fellow of the American

Physical Society.

Starkman was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and received his B.Sc.

in mathematics and physics, astronomy and astrophysics at the University

of Toronto. He completed his Ph.D. in Physics at Stanford University, fol-

lowing which he was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study, and a

postdoctoral fellow at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics.

(Continued on page 7)

Everything is on FIRE!

"Persons who violate the

law of our nation are sub-

ject to prosecution ... I

would cite you to the

Apostle Paul and his

clear and wise command

in Romans 13 to obey the

laws of the government

because God has or-

dained the government

for his purposes. Orderly

and lawful processes are good in themselves ... and

protect the weak and it protects the lawful." These were the words of United States Attorney

General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III in re-

sponse to criticism of the Trump Administration’s

policy of separating children from their parents at

the nation’s border. Some of these families are still

not reunited, months later.

The strike of a match. In a press release, CFI’s Vice President and General

Counsel, Nick Little, wrote of Brett Kavanaugh: “Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination represents another

installment in President Trump’s payoff to the evan-

gelical Religious Right who elected him. The Presi-

dent is seeking to cram the Court full of jurists who

will roll back hard won protections for women, the

LGBTQ community, religious minorities, and athe-

ists.”

Kavanaugh sided with the government in refusing

an undocumented minor immigrant abortion care,

declared that not allowing prayers over a megaphone

at a public school would lead to “the full extermina-

tion of private religious speech from the public

schools,” argued that having to sign a form saying

they did not want to provide contraceptive coverage

constituted an unacceptable burden on a non-profit’s

religious rights, wrote that use of religion in public

office (for example, “So Help me God”) is fine and no

way against the First Amendment. And Republicans are lining up to confirm him to the

Supreme Court. This will make a solid majority

pushing for the false idea of bigotry under the guise

of “religious freedom.”

A flame flares.

Families separated at the border months ago are still

not united, despite a court order to do so.

Embers glow. The government is denying passports to citizens born

in border towns. The government is revoking the

passports of transgender people.

So, when the flames are all around us, it can be diffi-

cult to see where we can make a difference. I mean,

where do you start when all four walls, the floor and

ceiling are lit? Would it be better to concentrate on

the curtains? But, what does that mean for the

couch?

Where can we start when everything needs our fo-

cus? How do we overcome our own paralysis? How

do we take that first step toward helping?

Obviously we vote. We all vote. In November, we go

to the polls and vote. That’s a given.

But is that really all that we are capable of? Do we

just sit here and wait for months? Meanwhile Kava-

naugh gets appointed to the Supreme Court. The

EPA dismantles climate protections. Families who

came here seeking asylum remain separated.

No way.

Calling your congress critters, writing letters, par-

ticipating in protests. These are just a few, small

acts that take minutes out of your life and can make

a world of difference.

Even volunteering for your favorite organization can

be the start to change. Seriously! The CFI NE Ohio

board has been missing a person doing marketing

and outreach for over a year. We are also looking for

a co-chair for the Cleveland chapter.

So, step up and offer a little of your time to help CFI

work toward its mission of fostering a secular soci-

ety. Use that as the baby step to shake off the pa-

ralysis. Use it to help extinguish the flames.

PAGE 2 CFI NE OHIO NEWS & VIEWS REASON WORKS. SCIENCE WORKS. KNOW BETTER.

Message from the President

Monette Richards

By Wayne Beckley

We are a young country, compared to many other

countries on this planet. Those older countries can

tell of thousands of years of so-called civilization in

which much human progress was made but also in

which many atrocities were committed. There were

times when strong countries preyed on the weak, kill-

ing and enslaving other peoples without mercy. Our

history as an immigrant nation is shorter, though for

its length of time, no less violent

than other countries. We pride our-

selves on being a progressive, wel-

coming country, but how far have

we really come? Let’s take a walk

through history.

We were not the first people here.

There were many millions of in-

habitants in the land that came to

be known as North America. From

the very first meetings between native peoples and

Europeans came tales of rape, murder and enslave-

ment. The operating principle was might makes

right, and if their god allows it to happen, god gives

his blessing. The indigenous population was treated

as animals – beasts of burden - and as slaves, their

families subject to separation. Along with the at-

tempt to corral them in reservations on virtually

worthless land, there were laws enacted to separate

the children from their parents and other members of

their tribe in an attempt to eradicate their language

and culture. There was no treaty with them that the

US government did not violate.

The treatment of Africans captured and brought to

America was no less brutal. They were also treated

as animals, property, and beasts of burden who were

not given the respect and dignity and rights under

our Constitution as human beings. Families could be

separated when they were auctioned to the highest

bidder. They could be separated at any time so the

slave owner could pay off debts or for any other rea-

son, with no regard to the pleadings of parents not to

separate them from each other or from their children.

Parents might never see those children again. They

had to live under this constant threat.

In the 1930s, due to rapidly increasing vicious perse-

cution in Nazi Germany, millions of Jews began to

leave their country of birth, seeking asylum in other

countries, including the United States. Many were

disappointed. In June 1939, a German ocean liner

named “St. Louis” with 937 mostly Jewish passen-

gers was not allowed to dock in Miami and was forced

to return to Europe. More than a quarter of these

people died in the Holocaust. They were turned

away because of fears that they posed a serious

threat to national security, despite the fact that all

refugees were subjected to a very thorough vetting

process. In 1942, one spy was found among refu-

gees after intensive interrogation and was given

the death penalty, but his very existence was used

to deny entry of thousands of refu-

gees, even though the vetting process

was shown to work!

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor

by the Japanese in 1941, internment

camps were set up to incarcerate

Japanese Americans, on the basis

that their ancestry was the same as

our attackers! There was no proof

that they posed any threat whatso-

ever. So as many as 120,000 people were forcibly

rounded up and placed in what amounted to pris-

ons. They lost not only their freedom, but also

most of their belongings and their trust in a coun-

try to which they were loyal - all because of sheer

racial prejudice against them. We used to say that

this could not happen again.

Not so! This so-called Christian nation, supposedly

overflowing with “family values,” has a lot to an-

swer for, not only for the past but for the present.

Despite the fact that there has been a steady de-

cline of people crossing the border from Mexico

over a number of years, some people in power have

declared that these refugees are the greatest out-

side threat America faces! Despite the laws allow-

ing for legitimate refugees who face extreme vio-

lence and persecution in their countries of origin,

which was caused mainly by America meddling in

their governments and also the results of our

“drug war,” many have been turned away at the

border. Some families who have gotten in have

been separated, with parents going to one deten-

tion center and children to another. Some parents

have been given the unconscionable choice of giv-

ing up their right to ask for asylum if they want

their children back! That is, if the government can

even find their children, due to the lack of record-

keeping. There have been reports of children as

young as one year old sitting in a courtroom with-

out a parent or lawyer being apprised of their legal

situation by the judge. Again we must ask: Is this

who we are?

PAGE 3 CFI NE OHIO NEWS & VIEWS REASON WORKS. SCIENCE WORKS. KNOW BETTER.

Is Who We Were, Who We Are?

PAGE 4 CFI NE OHIO NEWS & VIEWS REASON WORKS. SCIENCE WORKS. KNOW BETTER.

Mark Your Calendars

Cleveland Chapter Programs

“Freedom of Speech, Part Two: The

Limits”

Group discussion

Wed., Oct. 10, 7-8:45 p.m.

Middleburg Hts. Library

16699 Bagley Road, Middleburg Hts.

Carl Sagan Day Celebration

Tue., Nov. 13, 7-8:45 p.m.

Richmond Hts. Library

5235 Wilson Mills Rd., Richmond Hts.

Winter Solstice Social

Sun., Dec. 9, 1:30 p.m.

Independence Library

6361 Selig Rd., Independence

Cleveland Chapter Socials

(Café Inquiry)

None scheduled for fourth quarter,

2018. If you would like to assist in or-

ganizing these socials, contact Mark

Tiborsky at sponyak@gmail.com. .

Akron-Canton

Chapter Programs

“The State of the Universe”

By Dr. Glenn Starkman

Mon., Oct. 1, 7-8:45 p.m.

Stow-Munroe Falls Library

3512 Darrow Rd., Stow

“The Nature of Time”

By Vern Westfall

Mon., Nov. 5, 7-8:45 p.m.

Stow-Munroe Falls Library

“My Trip to Bhutan”

By Mel Vye

Mon., Dec. 3, 7-8:45 p.m.

Stow-Munroe Falls Library

Akron-Canton

Chapter Socials (Café Inquiry)

(All socials at Beef O’Brady’s, 3732 Darrow Rd., Stow)

Mon., Oct. 15, 6:30 p.m.

Mon., Nov. 19, 6:30 p.m.

Mon., Dec. 17, 6:30 p.m.

Akron-Canton Long Winded

Answers Meetings

(All meetings at Panera Bread,

2855 W. Market St., Fairlawn)

Tue., Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m.

Tue., Nov. 13, 6:30 p.m.

Tue., Dec. 11, 6:30 p.m

Book Chats

(All books TBA, Two Girls Café &

Bakery, 3707 Darrow Road, Stow)

Sun., Oct. 28, noon

Sun., Nov. 25, noon

Sun., Dec. 30, noon

Mel Vye guides his pontoon boat as he leads a tour of

the Portage Lakes during the annual summer picnic.

Past President Brent Bowen (left) and his partner,

Dave Grubb, enjoy the sights during a pontoon boat

tour of the Portage Lakes at the annual summer

picnic.

CFI NE Ohio members take in the scenery during a

pontoon boat ride along the Portage Lakes.

CFI NE Ohio members engage in conversation dur-

ing the annual summer picnic at the Portage Lakes

Enjoying the weather and camaraderie at the annual

summer picnic are, from left: Monette Richards,

Brandon True, Steve Schlosnagle and Brittani Lenz.

Nina Nickol (left) and Jackie McCaman at

the annual summer picnic.

CFI NE Ohio members climb aboard Mel Vye's pon-

toon boat prior to a tour of the Portage Lakes.

(Photos by Wayne Beckley)

For several years, members of CFI NE Ohio and other

freethinkers in Ohio have lobbied their state represen-

tatives and senators on behalf of proposed legislation

allowing for secular celebrants to be able to solemnize

marriages in our state. Current state law prohibits

this practice, although the restriction has been held

unconstitutional in nearby states. The Center for In-

quiry’s legal director, Nick Little, wrote the following

letter to Governor John Kasich and Attorney General

Mike DeWine to encourage their leadership in revers-

ing this discriminatory law.

Dear Governor Kasich and Attorney General DeWine:

I am writing to you as General Counsel of the Center

for Inquiry, a 501 (c3) charity whose mission is to fos-

ter a secular society based on science, reason, freedom

of inquiry, and humanist values. A major part of our

mission is to promote equal treatment under the law

for secular individuals. I am writing to you regarding the unconstitutionality

of Ohio’s marriage celebrants law, Ohio Rev. Code

Ann.3101.08. Under this law, a marriage in Ohio may

only be solemnized by various state officials and or-

dained or licensed ministers. This law continues to

discriminate unlawfully against these citizens in Ohio

who seek to have their marriage solemnized by secu-

lar celebrants, such as those trained by the Center for

Inquiry. As you may be aware, on July 14, 2014, the U.S.

Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit issued an

opinion in Center for Inquiry, Inc. & Reba Boyd

Wooden v. Marion Circuit Court Clerk….In this case,

the Center for Inquiry sued Indiana for refusing to

permit those individuals we had certified through our

program for training secular celebrants to solemnize

weddings in Indiana on the same basis as members of

the clergy. In his opinion, joined by Judges Posner

and Williams, Judge Easterbrook found that this dis-

criminatory behavior was impermissible under the

United States Constitution. He noted that “(i)t is ir-

rational to allow humanists to solemnize weddings if,

and only if, they falsely declare they are a

‘religion.’” Since this opinion, the trial court has is-

sued an injunction requiring Marion County to recog-

nize the right of CFI trained Secular Celebrants to

solemnize marriages. Most recently, the Center for Inquiry sought to extend

the scope of this verdict beyond Indiana, and worked

with the Illinois government to seek to change that

state’s laws. An amendment to the law was proposed,

and passed through the Illinois Senate without oppo-

sition. Because of timing problems, however, it failed

to get approval in the Illinois House. As a result, the

Center for Inquiry filed suit against the clerk of Macon

County, Illinois. After an expensive series of motions, all

of which were won by the plaintiffs, Macon County set-

tled the lawsuit, accepting the unconstitutionality of Illi-

nois’ statues, and an order recognizing this was entered

on January 4, 2017.

The Center for Inquiry, through lobbying and litigation,

has therefore won the right for secular celebrants to sol-

emnize marriages in Indiana and Illinois. The District of

Columbia has also passed legislation permitting

this. This year, Oregon passed similar legislation, which

Governor Brown signed into law on May 23. A lawsuit in

Minnesota, Atheists for Human Rights v. County of

Washington, Minnesota, resulted in a settlement permit-

ting secular celebrants to solemnize marriages there.

Most recently, the Center for Inquiry has filed suit on

behalf of two members who are certified secular cele-

brants in Michigan challenging the constitutionality of

that state’s law. We have no doubt that the courts will

decide, as they have in other situations, that Michigan’s

law unconstitutionally discriminates against secular

celebrants and individuals who want a secular wedding.

Ohio has an unconstitutional law on its books. The Cen-

ter for Inquiry will work to overturn that law. It is in the

interests of the Center for Inquiry and its membership,

the secular community of Ohio, and the taxpayers of the

state that this is done in a cooperative fashion through

an amendment to Ohio’s statutes….If such a change to

the law is not forthcoming, however, the Center for In-

quiry will file a lawsuit on behalf of its trained celebrants

in Ohio. Through this letter, I am seeking to give the

state of Ohio a further chance to avoid expensive and fu-

tile litigation, and to willingly grant secular celebrants

the right to solemnize marriages in the state.

While this issue has been raised in your state before, the

legislature has failed to act. In 2014, Representative

Foley introduced HB 591, which died in committee. In

2015, Senator Skindell introduced SB 50 which also

failed to get out of committee. Fortunately, a change in

the law has currently been proposed. On February 14,

2018, Senator Skindell proposed SB 52 which would rec-

tify this unconstitutional situation. It is essential in or-

der to avoid costly litigation that this bill is acted on im-

mediately.

It is important to note that the Center for Inquiry does

not seek to remove any rights or privileges from anyone

through this action. We do not seek to prevent anyone

currently permitted to solemnize weddings from continu-

ing to do so. (Continued on page 7)

PAGE 5 CFI NE OHIO NEWS & VIEWS REASON WORKS. SCIENCE WORKS. KNOW BETTER.

CFI Sends Secular Celebrant Letter to Kasich, DeWine

THE SOUL OF AMERICA by JON MEACHAM

“These are the times that try men's souls” said Thomas

Paine of a previous trying time in our history. The trying

time I have long feared has now come to pass: the rise of

a demagogic and tyrannical president who would bend

the presidency and the nation to his personal will, disre-

garding history and reason, preaching fear and hatred,

amassing a fanatical following of bigots, sycophants, and

the easily duped. History records other such dangerous

persons, and so I sought a historian who might allay my

fears somewhat by revealing the wisdom of past presi-

dents. Such a historian is Jon Meacham, professor and

Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Soul of America:

The Battle for Our Better Angels. He writes: “This book

is a portrait of hours in which the politics of fear were

prevalent – a reminder that periods of public dispirited-

ness are not new and a reassurance that

they are survivable.”

Meacham is not using the word “soul” in a

supernatural sense: “Philosophically

speaking, the soul is the vital center, the

core, the heart, the essence of life...a cen-

tral and self-evident truth.” Thus “the soul

of the country manifests itself in an incli-

nation to open our arms rather than to

clench our fists; to look out rather than to

turn inward; to accept rather than to re-

ject.” And when we follow this path, that

approach has helped to make us what we

are. President Harry Truman once said

“You have to appeal to people's best in-

stincts, not their worst ones.” In 1932, Franklin Delano

Roosevelt said “The Presidency is not merely an admin-

istrative office...It is pre-eminently a place of moral lead-

ership.” We can be thankful for the presidents who saw

this, but our current occupant does not.

It seems very difficult for some people to overcome their

fear of strangers. “Extremism, racism, nativism, and iso-

lationism, driven by fear of the unknown, tend to spike

in periods of economic and social stress – a period like

our own” writes the professor, which is why a country's

leadership must be wise and level-headed. But this is

not what we see. “Americans today have little trust in

government...Now, in the second decade of the new cen-

tury, in the presidency of Donald Trump, the alienated

are being mobilized afresh by changing demography, by

broadening conceptions of identity, and by an economy

that prizes Information Age brains over manufacturing

brawn.” Thus, extremists like David Duke, former KKK

grand wizard, are emboldened to stir up more hate.

Even in Congress, partisan divisions have become ex-

treme.

Actually, these sentiments are nothing new. In 1920,

the Springfield Republican newspaper in Massachu-

setts questioned: “Shall we sometime see Republicans

excluding Democrats and Democrats excluding Re-

publicans from our law-making bodies, on the ground

that the other party's principles are 'inimical to the

best interests' of the United States?’ During this time

there also was an upsurge in Klan membership. But,

as Meacham explains, there was push back: “The

courts, the press, and two presidents (Warren G.

Harding and Calvin Coolidge) took stands, however

limited, against the politics of fear.”

In 1933, there even was an attempted assassination

of FDR in Miami when a man with a gun opened fire

on him from about ten yards away, get-

ting off five shots but missing Roose-

velt. One bullet could have prevented

all the much-needed reforms that FDR

pushed for and enacted to soften the

blows of the Depression. Later that

year, wealthy businessmen, fearing the

remedies Roosevelt was proposing, met

to hatch a plot (thankfully, failed) to

“raise an army, march on Washington,

and take the capital,” supplanting

FDR! The ‘Wall Street Putsch' con-

spirators were planning to impose a

fascist state. That's not all, Meacham

writes: “In 1940, fearing a third Roose-

velt term, the Third Reich had sought

to influence the presidential election by placing news-

paper ads and paying for isolationist congressmen to

attend the Republican National Convention.” Cer-

tainly trying times to match our own!

So, to avoid our democracy being wrested from us,

there are things we must do: “the paying of attention,

the expressing of opinion and the casting of ballots

are foundational to living up to the obligations of citi-

zenship in a republic.” We must resist tribalism; citi-

zens with opposing opinions are not enemies. Eleanor

Roosevelt urged we “Find out what other people are

saying, what they are thinking, what they believe.”

Pay attention to the verifiable facts. Truman wrote,

“The dictators of the world say that if you tell a lie

often enough...people will believe it...if you tell the

truth often enough, they'll believe it and go along

with you.” Seek out and remember history; the past

holds the key to the future.

Reviewed by Wayne Beckley

PAGE 6 CFI NE OHIO NEWS & VIEWS REASON WORKS. SCIENCE WORKS. KNOW BETTER.

Book Review: The Soul of America

PAGE 7 CFI NE OHIO NEWS & VIEWS REASON WORKS. SCIENCE WORKS. KNOW BETTER.

Cleveland Chapter Programs (Continued from page 1)

One notable scientist who used his freedom of speech to

promote scientific literacy was our beloved Carl Sa-

gan. One of his many quotes we can relate to is this gem:

“Who is more humble? The scientist who looks at the uni-

verse with an open mind and accepts whatever the uni-

verse has to teach us, or somebody who says everything

in this book must be considered the literal truth and

never mind the fallibility of all the human beings in-

volved?”

Sadly, Carl Sagan passed away 22 years ago, but his

message continues to resound. He is widely considered

to be history’s greatest communicator of science, relating

the “poetry” of science in an eloquent manner that

sparked the careers of many a scientist. Join us on Tue.,

Nov. 13, 7 p.m., at the Richmond Heights Library (5235

Wilson Mills Rd) for our annual Carl Sagan Day celebra-

tion. In addition to examining some different Sagan-

related materials, we’ll be taking a peek at some of the

latest developments in both space exploration and as-

tronomy. And as usual, light refreshments will be

served! P.S. – Please take note that the November meet-

ing will be held on a Tuesday, as opposed to the usual

Wednesday.

Another annual tradition is in store with the Cleveland

chapter’s annual Winter Solstice celebration – but this

time it will be with a twist! The “Solstice Social” will be

held on Sun., Dec. 9, 1:30 p.m., at the Independence Li-

brary (6361 Selig Dr., Independence). Two differences

from prior years – nonmembers of CFI are invited to at-

tend this time around, and it will be a potluck type event

(with CFI NE Ohio providing a number of items).

There will be some brief chapter business at the start of

the event, as the nominations for CFI NE Ohio’s volun-

teer board for 2019 will take place. Anyone who would

like to be considered for co-chair of the Cleveland chapter

can nominate themselves at the meeting, or call current

Chair Mark Tiborsky at (216) 978-5821 or by email at

sponyak@gmail.com. Following the selection of the vol-

unteer board, it will be all food, fun and great conversa-

tion among fellow secular humanists. Please consider

bringing something to share – a main dish, side dish,

dessert, snack or drink… it’s all good. Hope to see you

there, and feel free to bring a friend or two!

Akron-Canton Chapter Programs (Continued from page 1)

In 1995, Starkman joined the faculty of Case Western

Reserve University’s Department of Physics where he

has worked, together with faculty colleagues, postdocs,

graduate students and undergraduates on diverse topics

in particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology ranging

from the invention and elaboration of occulting satel-

lites for exoplanet imaging and characterization to de-

veloping the BlackMax event generator for strong-

gravity events at the LHC’s ATLAS and CMS detectors.

Our meeting on Mon., Nov. 5, will feature a talk by

Vern Westfall on the subject of “The Nature of Time.”

His talk will be a general presentation of our changing

perspectives regarding time, how we define time, how

time defines itself, and how time defines us as humans.

The presentation includes audience participation, and

consists primarily of anecdotes, and interesting but lit-

tle-known facts. (Not lengthy scientific explanations).

Vern has had a long career outside of science in the

military, in industry as an engineer, and in teaching

and architecture, all the while pursuing a decades-long

interest in science and the history of science. Vern is a

published author of several books, including Darwin's

Paw and The Philosophical Pilot. He has a degree in

philosophy from Miami University, and attended the

Air Force Academy.

In our final meeting of the year on Mon., Dec. 3, mem-

ber Mel Vye will take us along on his recent visit to

Bhutan, a small landlocked country in South Asia. Lo-

cated in the Eastern Himalayas, it is bordered by Tibet

Autonomous Region of China in the north, the Sikkim

state of India and the Chumbi Valley of Tibet in the

west, the Arunachal Pradesh state of India in the east,

and the states of Assam and West Bengal in the south.

Bhutan is geopolitically in South Asia and is the re-

gion's second least populous nation after the Maldives.

Thimbu is its capital and largest city, while Phuntshol-

ing is its financial center. Mel will share with us his ob-

servations of this predominantly Buddhist and Hindu

nation as he traveled around it in September of this

year.

CFI Sends Letter to Kasich, DeWine (Continued from page 5)

We simply seek to ensure that secular humanists re-

ceive equal treatment under the law, and that when

secular humanists in your state marry, they are as free

as religious adherents to enjoy “a ceremony that cele-

brates their values.” We sincerely hope you will recog-

nize that inclusion harms no one, and join us in helping

all your citizens enjoy the wedding days they chose.

Sincerely,

Nicholas J. Little

Vice President and General Counsel, Legal Director

Center for Inquiry

Upcoming Programs

CFI NE Ohio News & Views

CFI NE OHIO

P.O. Box 2379

Akron, OH 44309

Our Purpose

To foster a community of secular human-

ists dedicated to improving the human

condition through rational inquiry, crea-

tive thinking and the scientific method,

unfettered by superstition, religion or any

form of dogma.

CFI NE Ohio P.O. Box 2379

Akron, OH 44309

On the web: https://cfineohio.org/

October Meetings:

“The State of the Universe” by Dr. Glenn Starkman,

Mon., Oct. 1, 7-8:45 p.m., Stow-Munroe Falls Library

“Freedom of Speech, Part Two: The Limits” group

discussion, Wed., Oct. 10, 7-8:45 p.m., Middleburg

Hts. Library

November Meetings:

“The Nature of Time” by Vern Westfall, Mon.,

Nov. 5, 7-8:45 p.m., Stow-Munroe Falls Library

Carl Sagan Day Celebration, Tue., Nov. 13,

7-8:45 p.m., Richmond Hts. Library

December Meetings:

“My Trip to Bhutan” By Mel Vye, Mon., Dec. 3,

7-8:45 p.m., Stow-Munroe Falls Library

Winter Solstice Party, Sun., Dec. 9, 1:30 p.m.,

Independence Library

Working to promote and defend reason, science, and freedom of inquiry

in all areas of human endeavor.

CFI of Northeast Ohio