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THE
2.50
AMERICAN ATHEIST
A Journal of Atheist News and Thought
(VoI.2S, No.3) March, 1983
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1963 1983
. . _
AMERICAN ATHEISTS
is a non-profit, non-political, educational organization, dedicated to the complete and absolute separation of
state and church. We accept the explanation of Thomas Jefferson that the First Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States was meant to create a wall of separation between state and church.
American Atheists are organized to stimulate and promote freedom of thought and inquiry concerning
religious beliefs, creeds, dogmas, tenets, rituals and practices;
to collect and disseminate information, data and literature on all religions and promote a more thorough
understanding of them, their origins and histories;
to encourage the development and public acceptance of a human ethical system, stressing the mutual
sympathy, understanding and interdependence of all people and the corresponding responsibility of each
individual in relation to society;
to develop and propagate a culture in which man is the central figure who alone must be the source of
strength, progress and ideals for the well-being and happiness of humanity;
to promote the study of the arts and sciences and of all problems affecting the maintenance,
perpetuation and enrichment of human (and other) life;
to engage in such social, educational, legal and cultural activity as will be useful and beneficial to
members of American Atheists and to society as a whole.
Atheism may be defined as the mental attitude which unreservedly accepts the supremacy of reason and
aims at establishing a lifestyle and ethical outlook verifiable by experience and the scientific method,
independent of all arbitrary assumptions of authority and creeds.
Materialism declares that the cosmos is devoid of immanent conscious purpose; that it is governed by its own
inherent, immutable and impersonal laws; that there is no supernatural interference in human life; that man -
finding his resources within himself - can and must create his own destiny. Materialism restores to man his.
dignity and his intellectual integrity. It teaches that we must prize our lifeon earth and strive always to improve
it. It holds that man is capable of creating
a
social system based on reason and justice. Materialism's faith is in
man and man's ability to transform the world culture by his own efforts. This is a commitment which is in very
essence life asserting. It considers the struggle for progress as a moral obligation and impossible without noble
ideas that inspire man to bold creative works. Materialism holds that humankind's potential for good and for an
outreach to more fulfilling cultural development is, for all practical purposes, unlimited .
. . . . . . _
AMERICAN ATHEISTS P.O.BOX 2117 AUSTIN, TX 78768-2117
Send 40 for one year's membership. You will receive our Insider's Newsletter monthly,
your membership certificate and card, and a one year subscr iption to this magazine.
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ON THE COVER
(artwork courtesy of Clayton Powers)
School days, school days. Dear old
Reagan rule days Apparently the first
half of 1983isgoing to be a rabid rerun of
the first half of 1982 - you remember,
the episode where Reagan/Helms/
Falwell ministries did everything except
cavort in the nude to have prayer co-
erced into the public school systems. My
initial reaction to Falwell's infamous
bumper sticker Kids Need To Pray
was Kids Need To Defecate Too - But
Not In Class (although the difference,
ofcourse, isthat kids really
don't
need to
pray).
This year Reagan ishuffing and puffing
even harder. his prayer song-and-
dance routine willnow be accompanied
by an allied sanction of the sometime
hostile congress: The Year of The
Bi-
ble Perhaps some of you still think
those three (religious) stooges are
ki d
ding when they talk about praying in
America.
Meanwhile, the dream of our founding
fathers, universal free public education is
under attack from religion everywhere.
As Confucius say, One picture worth
10,000 words. and so it is with our
cover. The rabid christian amidst us,
disguised as a human being, is going to
give the final thumping blows to that
Little Red Schoolhouse dream of the
nation.
What ison the agenda, in The Year of
The Bible? The introduction of scienti-
fic creationism, straight out of genesis;
removal ofsex education classes, restric-
tions in the per-student grants offederal
revenue sharing, display of religious arti-
facts and symbols, censorship of books,
growing restrictions against birth control
availability for teen-agers, prayers, reli-
gious instruction, and priests and nuns
heading up the school boards are instore
for the public schools.
And what do the good parochial
schools have coming up? Tuition tax
credits for religious schools, bussing for
religious school students, books for reli
gious schools, teachers for religious
schools, free land for religious schools
and funding for both repair and building
of religious schools.
Perhaps things may never improve if
Atheists do littlemore than hide-out until
better times arrive. We caution you
that is equivalent of praying. The reli
gious nut with the gleam in his eye is
going to do in our public school system
unless you become active in the fray.
Your education, probably in a public
school, got you to where you are today.
You must stay in the fight to assure a
better, secular, education for your kids
and your grandchildren.
(VoI.2S, No.3) March, 1983
REGULAR FEATURES
Editorial
J
2
American Atheist Radio Series: Geology and Religion
18
Dial-An-Atheist 20
FEATURED COLUMNISTS
The Big Bang Cosmogony - G. Stanley Brown 4
ISKON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness)
Mimics Christian Propagandists - Margaret Bhatty 22
ARTICLES
Looking at the End of the World ~ Dyson Carter 10
Censorship of Textbooks Mentioning Evolution
Continues in Texas
13
The New Right: The Movement and Its Impact
- Ben Brodinsky 25
An Engineer Looks at the Creationist Movement
- John W. Patterson 34
The
American Atheist
magazine is
pub-
lished monthly at the Gustav Broukal
Ameri
can Atheist Press, 2210 Hancock Dr.,
Aus-
tin, TX 78756, and
1982 by Society of
Separationists, Inc., a
non-profit, non-politi-
cal, educational organization dedicated to
the complete and absolute separation of
state and church. Mailing address: P.O. Box
2117/Austin, TX 78768-2117. A free sub-
scription isprovided as an incident ofmemo
bership in the American Atheists organize-
tion. Subscriptions are available at $25. for
one year terms only. Manuscripts submitted
must be typed, double-spaced and accom-
panied by a stamped, self-addressed envel-
ope. The editors assume no responsibility
for unsolicited manuscripts.
Editor in Chief
Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Managing Editor
Jon G. Murray
Poetry
Robin Murray O'Hair
Angeline Berinett
Gerald Tholen
Production Staff
Art Brenner
BillKight
Richard Smith
Gerald Tholen
Gloria Tholen
Lex Stevens
The American Atheist magazine
is indexed in
Monthly Periodical Index
ISSN: 0332-4310
Non Resident Staff
G. Stanley Brown
Jeff Frankel
Merrill Holste
Margaret Bhatty
Fred Woodworth
Clayton Powers
Page 1
arch, 1983
ustin, Texas
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JUSTICE
THE TRICKLE-DOWN THEORY
Just a little while ago I received a letter at the American Atheist
Center from Robert Zauner the new Chapter Director of the
Northern Virginia Chapter of American Atheists. Bob is an
attorney and he sent with his note a copy of president Reagan's
remarks at the annual convention ofreligious broadcasters held at
the Sheraton in Washington DC January 31st, '83. I sat and read
through the text ofthat speech carefully and Igrew more angry as I
read, line by line.
Over approximately sixty years now, since about the 1920s, the
federal courts and the Supreme Court of the United States have
been arduously laboring over the defining and delimiting of the
meaning of the establishment and free exercise clauses of the
First Amendment to the Constitution. The litigation over separa-
tion of state and church issues has been long and hard and well
fought by a variety ofgroups over these many years. The seventh-
day adventists and the jehovah's witnesses have been more
responsible than any other religious group over the years for trying
to maintain separation of state and church. These two groups
have sponsored numerous cases on the free exercise question.
The jews and the baptists have been much less active - although
more active than some ofthe rest ofthe denominations. One case
has built up upon the other to form a set ofguidelines for the lower
courts bythe United States Supreme Court and federal Appellate
courts for what is and is not constitutional when it comes to
religion and the First Amendment. Considering all the circum-
stances and the complexity of the fact-situations of the various
cases over the years, the Supreme and Appellate Courts have
done a pretty good job in establishing those guidelines so far.
During allof this legal process the religious leaders ofour nation,
and the politicians sympathetic to them, have been eroding those
judicial guidelines in terms of the practical and logistical applica-
tions thereof. A good example of this is the battle over religious
ceremonies in public schools. The Supreme Court in two major
decisions laid down a fine and succinct outline of constitutionally
permissible activity in the public schools only to have that outline
overstepped on the local levelover and over again, but politicians
and religionists obfuscate the clear thinking of the courts with
semantic games - such as the redefining of the word prayer
with the synonymous terms of meditation (silent or transcenden-
tal) and silence or thought (moment of - or secular).
In real terms, then, all of the perspiration and inspiration of the
courts has become functionally advisory in nature. Getting the
local yahoos to heed that advice has been quite a different story.
The moral to the story is that the religious never give up.
Fanaticism, in all of its glory, is basic to christianity and the
christian ethic. There is littledifference between being willingto die
en
masse
in a crusade or for a Jim Jones and being willingto sink
your teeth into the posterior of a principal or a school board
member until junior has the right to be forced to pray or watch
prayer or has the right to be free of intelligent reading material.
Religious tenacity and fanaticism make good bedfellows. The
intellectual and scientific set has, on the other hand, traditionally
disdained the street fighter image and style, preferring the
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March,1983
Johnny-corne-lately armchair type of combat. In the street they
obviously lose the day.
The blame for the failure of judicial wisdom to trickle down to
the rank and filelieswith the court itself. Criminal, as distinct from
civil, law attaches penalty, either monetary or physical, to
noncompliance. Civillaw makes itthe province, for the most part,
of the injured party to sue again to force compliance on an issue
that has already been decided in an overall manner on the
appellate level. Ifsome teeth could be put into the civillaw, such as
fines or imprisonment, then perhaps civilrights and state/church
separation issues could be more easily and permanently resolved.
Say, for example, that a fine of perhaps $100.00 a day were levied
on a school district or principal where religious ceremonies were
conducted in the schools in violation of standing court decisions.
Would this not help preserve the efforts ofthe courts which took a
great deal oftime and money on both sides inthe first place? Teeth
have been put into religiously based law already as we see in the
blue laws. A store owner can actually be fined or jailed in some
states for selling certain items or for being open on Sunday. If the
religious community can have punitive enforcement of blue laws,
why can't First Amendment separation of state and church
guarantees have punitive enforcement as well?
This issue is a central one on which is focused the future of
effective separation litigation. Chief Justice Burger has recently
proposed a division of Supreme Court jurisdiction with a coequal
appellate review court which would handle the many intrastate
disputes now clogging up the Supreme Court docket - a great
number of which are separation cases. The reason so much of the
high court's burden is now separation cases stems from the fact
that no teeth were ever put in their earlier decisions and now they
must handle the state by state religious attempts at circumventing
them. Congress may eventually have to get into the act to resolve
these issues. Inorder to resolve them properly they would have to
give some of that badly needed bite to judicial review in civil and
civil rights matters. Politicians, being what they are - which is
essentially populists, are not about to vote for the same kind of
enforcement for separation of state and church as they are for,
say, blue laws. Can't you just see congress voting to withhold
federal revenue sharing funds from any county that uses county
school buses to transport parochial school students? How about
fines for teachers who teach biblical creationism in any -public
school science classroom? There have been, and still are, laws to
prevent the teaching of evolution alone, however. The shoe has
never been on the other foot.
How does all of this relate to Reagan's speech before religious
broadcasters? In the course of his remarks Reagan made it
perfectly clear (remember that presidential line?) that he would,
as the executive branch ofgovernment, fight to his last breath the
putting of that shoe on the other foot when itcomes to separation
issues. As I have said earlier, politicians have been classically
receptive to the whining ofthe religious voter, but never before in
our nation's history to such a degree. Most of the support for
religionist positions have come from congressmen - and more on
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. . 1 1 -
b
.
.
r
THE BIG BANG COSMOGONY
This paper is the culmination of a series of papers designed to lay a foundation for presenting the current best
description of events in the very distant past. Those papers discussed topics in relativity, distance determinations, stellar
evolution, and cosmological observations. They appeared
in
this journal
in
Volume
23,
Numbers
8,11,12
and Volume 24,
Numbers 3,6, and 11. Other writers, Thomas Gurley, William Reynolds, and Ralph Shirley have written papers on the
subject which appeared in Volume 22, Numbers 10 and 12. This paper will discuss the astronomical evidence, give a
history proceeding chronologically backward and deal with theistic
implications
some individuals find
in
the physics of the
Big Bang.
. . ~ . . * : :
. .
. .
THE COSMOLOGICAL EXPANSION
Astronomers have methods to estimate the distance to
galaxies of stars (American Atheist, Vol. 23, No. 12, p. 9).
They can also measure the speed of those galaxies (Amen-
can Atheist, Vol. 24, No. 11, p. 18, Red Shift ). They find
that in all directions, there are galaxies and clusters of
galaxies and they are moving away from us. The speed of
movement depends directly on distance, so that any galaxy
increases its distance from us by 1%in two hundred million
years. Thus one galaxy which istwice as far away as another
willmove twice as far and twice as fast as the other during
any period of time. The fact that galaxies appear to be
This 1 increase in two hundred million years applies
only to distances between clusters ofgalaxies. Galaxies and
clusters of galaxies are places where the expansion of the
universe has been halted locally by gravity. The expansion
also does not apply on the scale of terrestrial experience. A
rock does not grow by 1%in two hundred million years.
Let us use some numbers to dramatize this expansion
effect. Ifwe use a realistic situation, we willneed very large
numbers. Keep in mind that a billion (10
9
) is one thousand
(10
3
)
times a million (10
6
),
and a trillion (10
12
)
is one
thousand (10
3
) times a billion (10
9
). A trillion (10
12
) is also
one million (10
6
) times a million(10
6
). Now we pick a galaxy
which is 1.00 billion trillion (10
21
)
miles from earth. In two
hundred millionyears itwillbe 1.01billion trillion (10
21
) miles
from earth. We pick another galaxy which is 2.00 trillion
billion(10
21
)
miles from earth and after the same time lapse it
willbe 2.02 trillion billion (10
21
) miles from earth. Ifthe clock
were to run backward long enough and these two galaxies
rush toward us at constant but unequal speeds, they will
arrive here at the same time. That time is approximately
twenty billion years in the past. Other distances could be
selected, such as 4.00 billion trillion (10
21
)
miles, but all
galaxies would arrive here at the same time.
We see a problem in continuing this idea to ever greater
distances. The further away a galaxy is, the faster it must
travel to get here at the same time. Eventually a galaxy far
enough away would have to travel at the speed of light to get
Astronomers ... find that inall directions, there are galaxies ... moving away from
us. The speed of movement depends directly on distance, so that any galaxy
increases its distance from us by 1%in two hundred million years.
here in twenty billionyears. Einstein said that matter cannot
travel as fast as light. This is a problem in special relativity
which has been discussed (American Atheist, Vol. 23, No.
8). The light from the most distant galaxies willbe very weak
and very red. It will not suddenly disappear at some
distance. Rather it will show the effect of the slowing of
clocks at high relative speeds. The apparent speed will
remain less than the speed of light, but apparent time
moving away from us does not indicate that we are located
in the center of the universe. Rather, the proportionality of
speed to distance indicates that the same expansion would
be seen by any observer in any galaxy. For example, we can
imagine five equidistant galaxies moving along a line, as
indicated inFigure 1.The viewofthe inner three isindicated
for each. They see their adjacent neighbors (A) inopposite
directions all receding with the same speed.
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O f---+
kind. They calculate temperature and the effects of radia-
tion. They use giant multimilliondollar particle accelerating
machines to provide experimental evidence to check their
calculations. They check each other's work and investigate
at ever higher energy levels.
~ The work so far indicates that hydrogen atoms, the most
abundant element in the universe, were formed between
three hundred thousand and one million years after the
start of the expansion. Prior to this the temperature was so
--+
hot and the radiation so intense that electrons could not
combine with protons to form hydrogen atoms. Such
conditions create strange physics. Before atoms existed the
energy density of radiation was greater than the density of
matter. Radiation effects became a primary consideration.
Prior to the attachment of electrons with protons, the
universe was not transparent. Itwas a hot fog. The reason is
that when the electrons and-protons are zipping around by
themselves, their electrical charge interferes with light. The
direction and energy of light rays is altered with each
encounter with a charged particle. After electrons and
protons get together and cancel each other's charge, light
can pass on unimpeded. So if we are ever able to peer
deeply enough into space to see far enough back in time to
this atom-forming stage, wewillsee this fog.And we willnot
be able to see events at an earlier time because they are
beyond the fog.
An atom is an entity complete with at least one proton
and one electron. These separate components formed at
the earliest phase of the expansion. Within one second
electrons appeared out of the intense radiation field.Within
one millionthof a second from the start ofthe expansion the
more massive protons and neutrons appeared. The temper-
ature at this time was so high that particles and their
antiparticles were being continuously created and annihi-
o
o
o
Fi gur e 1
passage rate in the distant galaxy willget slower and slower
with increasing distance. It willnever slow to a stop. This
effect explains Olber's paradox (Arnericcn Atheist, Vol. 24,
No. 11, p. 18). The distant galaxies of stars do not make the
night sky bright because their light has been red shifted and
weakened so far it is invisible to the eye.
COSMIC HISTORY
If we consider the universe with time going in reverse,
then we have a contracting universe. It is interesting to
consider the changes that take place in such a world. The
most important change willbe in the density, or amount of
matter per unit volume. As the volume goes down, the
density goes up. An accelerating increase in density is
inevitable, because volume depends on the cube of the
distance. Consider children's building blocks. Eight are
required to assemble a block twice as high, wide, and deep
as a single block. Thus, if the distance between galaxies is
reduced to one half, they willbe crammed in a space one-
eighth as large, and the density of space will go up by a
factor of eight.
lated. We exist today because there was a slight excess of
particles over antiparticles. (Such antiparticles are the same
as normal particles except that they have opposite
charge. An electron, for example, has a negative charge,
but its antiparticle, the positron, has a positive charge even
though it has exactly the same weight, dimension, etc. as
the electron.) If ten antiparticles and eleven particles are
created, ten of each willusually get together and turn into
radiant energy, and one particle willremain.
Going back still further, we realize that temperature,
radiation density and gravitational field become ever more
intense. One area of investigation has focused on whether a
. . . hydrogen atoms, the most abundant element in the universe, were formed
between three hundred thousand and one million years after the start of the
.
expansion.
Research indicates that the universe is about twenty
billion years old. So ten billion years ago there was eight
times as much matter inlarge volumes ofthe universe. And
fifteen billion years ago there was sixty-four times as much
matter. The present average density of the universe is
approximately one hydrogen atom per cubic meter. The
third power law indicates that ifwe go back within the first
fewdecades ofthe expansion wewillfindan average density
as high as the density ofair. But other effects invalidate this
estimate. The collapse of space will increase the energy'
density of radiation (light, heat, radio, etc.) and temperature
and pressure willrise dramatically.
Withinone second electrons appeared out of the intense radiation field.Within one
millionth of a second from the start of the expansion the more massive protons and
neutrons appeared.
Nuclear physicists have a field day when they work on
problems of what was going on in the earliest phases of the
expansion. They calculate when the atoms and elementary
particles appeared and the relative abundances of each
Austin, Texas
sufficiently intense gravitational field could create matter
and radiation out ofa vacuum. Apparently this ispossible, if
the initial expansion proceeds at different rates in different
directions. So our journey backward in time arrives at an
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A more careful reading of the Second Law of Thermo-
dynamics informs us that there are two kinds ofenergy _The
first is ordered and is available to do useful work. The
second isdisordered and cannot be applied to create order.
The sum of the two is constant in an isolated system, with
the disordered part always increasing with time. But the
ordered part can be applied to create more complex
systems. There isso much energy available inthe universe
that we can use a lot to create more order, and ignore the
even greater amount of energy put to useless disorder
during our efforts.
our universe with the condensed situation seen in a black
hole. But a black hole issurrounded byboth space and time.
There is an outside and a past to a black hole's existence.
But initial cosmic expansion was not surrounded by space
and time. Rather space and time were created with the
expansion. There was no space to grow into, no time to
mark a birthdate.
How well do we know how much time has passed since
the Big Bang? There is some hope of a common sense
answer to this question. Measuring the speed and distance
of receding galaxies is not all that is involved in estimating
... a clear distinction should be made between two kinds of universe: the universe
and the visible universe. The universe is all there is, but a visible universe expands at
the speed of light starting at the time of expansion.
The formation of elementary particles represents an
increase in order, which was accompanied by energy
becoming unavailable to create particles. The formation of
galaxies was an increase in order, accompanied by still
more energy becoming disordered and unusable to make
anything. The sun converts mass to usable and unusable
energy. Ifthe earth were isolated from the sun, things would
get more disorganized here quite rapidly. But the sun keeps
pumping usable energy to us, and we use some of it to get
more organized, while simultaneously converting some ofit
to permanently unusable disorder.
OBVIOUS QUESTIONS
The foregoing has been a discussion of what is now
known about what preceded the present. Astronomical
data, given the best available interpretation, indicates that
the universe is expanding. By reversing the process in our
minds, we finda very hot dense universe. So what preceded
this inhospitable phase? Science has yet to provide the
answer. Trying to give an answer to this question is
somewhat liketrying to say what isnorth of the North Pole.
Our universe in both space and time had a beginning and
that beginning isthe BigBang. Ifthere was a prior universe,
all information about it was obliterated during the extreme
conditions which have been described.
the age of our universe. Although the far, farther, and
farthest galaxies we can see started their journey at the
same time, we are not seeing galaxies with the same age.
The far galaxies are old, but the farthest galaxies we see are
young. The light from them left on its journey to us soon
after they condensed. Young galaxies, due to stellar
evolution, may be brighter than old galaxies. If we do not
allow for this, we may assume distant galaxies are closer
than they actually are. Underestimating distance decreases
the age of the universe. If distant galaxies are dimmed by
matter between us and them, the opposite error will be
made. We willthink the distant galaxies are more distant,
and the calculated age of the universe willbe too large.
Even gravity contributes to the problem. The expansion
of the universe is retarded by gravity. Gravity has been
pullingon the far galaxy for a longer time than ithas on what
we see as the farthest galaxy. Thus the closer and brighter
appearing of the two has been decelerated, that is, itmoves
slower than would be expected from its distance. The
slower speed indicates too great an age of our universe. The
farthest galaxy is a better indicator, but its faintness makes
itdifficultto determine its distance, and with the velocity, its
age. If the deceleration effect were accurately known, it
could be corrected for. But this result of gravity depends on
the mass of galaxies and ultimately on the density of the
Theformation of elementary particles represents an increase inorder, which was
accompanied by energy becoming unavailable to create particles. The formation of
galaxies was an increase in order, accompanied by still more energy becoming
disordered ... the sun keeps pumpingusable energy to us, andwe use some of it to get
more organized, while converting some of it to permanently unusable disorder.
If our universe had a super condensed phase, then
perhaps it can be known where in the present larger
universe the smaller universe once was. But this is not so.
Densities can be given for matter inspace at various times.
But no boundaries have been given for that space. You
cannot say where something is if you cannot identify its
boundaries. Our visible universe has boundaries which
recede as our technology improves and we see to fainter
levels. But our larger universe need never have boundaries.
At most itcould be finiteand unbounded, like the surface of
a ball.
It is tempting to compare the early condensed phase of
Austin, Texas
universe. Much research effort has been spent trying to
determine the density of the universe.
This leads to another obvious question. Will the expan-
sion continue forever? Itwillifthere isnot enough density to
provide enough gravity to stop it. Then space willbe infinite
and unbounded. Current research points to this situation.
Some of the evidence rests on efforts to measure the mass
of galaxies and the abundances of deuterium. Massive
galaxies mean a higher density. Plenty of deuterium means
a lower density during the first minute and a lower density
now. More effort will be expended on this problem when
NASA launches the space telescope in a year or so. Its
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Who made all this? ..
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gravity and Chaos
made all this. Gravity was born north of the
north pole and Chaos was born south of the
south pole. They both grew up, fell in love,
and the sparks of their love-making can be
seen in a clear sky every night.
Austin, Texas
Believers are often seen grasping at the physical world of
science to support their cherished values. They will use
science where it helps them and ignore science where it
goes against them. They say a creator is inferred by
creation, as a watchmaker is inferred by a watch. However,
the physical necessity of the complex watch requiring a
watchmaker is not allowed to put a requirement on the
watchmaker that (s)he have parents. Some people do not
want the creator to have its own creator. Too bad. If the
creation must have a creator, as the watch a watchmaker,
then the watchmaker must have parents, or the creator is a
bastard.
Believers areoften seen grasping at the
physical world of science to support their
cherished values. They will use science
where it helps them and' ignore science
where it goes against them.
Another example of the believer's selective adoption of
physical reality is found in a rebuttal to Figure 3. The Big
Bang is said to be no barrier to a spiritual god, who
transcends physical limitations. But that same god is
supposed to interact with the physical world to prevent
harm from coming to the believer. Does this mean that the
god can penetrate underground to a trapped miner and also
be able to stop when he gets to the miner? Does this mean
that the god can throw a rope to a drowning believer, and
when the believer pulls on the rope, the rope willnot pullon
god? These questions illustrate physical problems and
appear foolish to the believer. This isbecause the believer's
primary interest is in defending his reality, rather than
investigating it. The believer does not see a need to
consistently deal with physical considerations.
The Big Bang idea has been enormously enhanced by
intensive application of scientific methodology. The pro-
ductivity of this technique suggests that it continue to be
applied with increasing vigor. Selective application is not
suggested by its success rate.
So what can you say when you get the question Who
made all this? I answer Gravity and Chaos made allthis.
Gravity was born north of the north pole and Chaos was
born south of the south pole. They both grew up, fellin love,
and the sparks of their love making can be seen in a clear
sky every night.
REFERENCES
The Big Bang, by Joseph Silk, W.H. Freeman & Co. 1980.
Cosmology
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When Ronald Reagan swept into the presidency, millions
of those who voted for him believed that he had the ability,
and determination, somehow to bring back the good old
days . The former Hollywood western star seemed to be
the ideal leader to restore those fondly remembered times
of cowboys, good guys and bad guys.
After he took over the White House, USA economic
policies were turned back to older forms offree enterprise,
in the hope of regaining lost prosperity.
Then, in world affairs the recent policy of detente with
the Soviet Union gave way to confrontations ofthe cold war
variety.
The new president threw his weight around vigorously,
threatening even his allies if they didn't fall in line with his
new program.
Toback up his demands Reagan announced an un-
precedented military build-up, including a rapid deploy-
ment force which could be rushed into action anywhere in
the world, simply at Washington's command.
There are things more important than peace we,
were told.
A nuclear war could be won.
As for the USSR and its allies, they were unceremonious-
ly told they could either get out of socialism, or be
doomed to all-out nuclear holocaust (with USA winning).
Intelligent people everywhere greeted these astonishing
ideas with skepticism, then real alarm.
The people of the US did not count on Mr. Reagan's
backwards program leading the nation into an arms race
of unbelievable proportions and cost. There are things
more important than peace. Such as what? Exterminating
humanity, laying waste to all the Earth in a nuclear war?
Wiping out both the US and USSR?
Page 10
March,1983
by Dyson Carter
Those who had voted for Reagan's promised sweeping
changes had not even imagined that the good old days' he
talked about included horrifying new weapons never
before seen on our planet.
What about
prosperity?
What about lower taxes?
What about
full employment?
These features of bygone times the new White House
didn't recognize.
Reagan's tough attitude towards West Germany,
France, Italy, Japan, Britain and Canada took the form of
ordering them
to lineup behind his new program - or else.
Or else what? This dictatorial attitude proved shockingly
stupid. All these allies insisted on policies drawn up not
inside the White House but by mutual agreement. And they
were strong enough to give their views power enough to
get attention.
Where it counts heavily - in economics, in production
and finance - the major countries closest to the USA now
wield tremendous resources. They rival the USA in world
trade. Intechnology, Japan, West Germany and Britain are
competing successfully against Washington in several
fields.
Business
Week
(July 12, '82) went so far as to say The
US will be facing danger less from confrontations with
the Soviets than from those with its allies and friends.
Who wants to give up immensely profitable trade with
socialism?
Our media try to distort the quarrel between the USA
and other NATO countries, by making out that the USA
wants to
weaken
the USSR, in the interests of all con-
cerned; whereas the allies by trading with the Soviets, are
strengthening the enemy for the sake of making a fast buck.
But the allies have quite a different tale to tell.
For years, the USA has been weakening them. By
drastic economic attacks, such as sky-high interest, infla-
tion, prohibiting free trade by heavy customs charges on
imports, etc.
The American Atheist
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CENSORSHIP OF TEXTBOOKS MENTIONING
EVOLUTION CONTINUES IN TEXAS
from the Texas Council for Science Education
Recent textbook adoptions by the Texas State Textbook
Committee continue the state's suppression of the topic of
evolution in science textbooks. On September 8,1982, the
Textbook Committee refused to adopt the top-rated world
geography textbook Land and People (Scott, Foresman
&
Co.) because it contained the following sentence: Biolo-
gists believe that human beings, as members of the animal
kingdom, have adjusted to their environment through
biological adaptation. The book also contained many
passages stating that the earth and its features were millions
ofyears old and that the universe began in the way stated by
the Big Bang theory. These items were heavily criticized by
world geography textbook were that Most people do not
consider themselves animals, Many people, including
scientists, do not believe the earth is millions of years old,
and The text is biased in favor of evolution. By not
including other theories, the text implies that evolution is
the only credible one ... Many people, including scientists,
believe that the mammals were created, not 'developed.' ...
The text contains evolutionary speculations presented as
fact [and] violates [Section] 1.3 of the [Texas Textbook]
Proclamation. During the Textbook Committee's discus-
sion, a member from Longview and one other spoke against
the book, claiming it overemphasized the Big Bang theory,
the theory of evolution, and violated the Proclamation
dealing with evolution. He said the book was the most
controversial book on the entire list and that we willbe in
trouble all around Texas ifwe put it on the [adoption] list.
Because of the attack by religious fundamentalists, the
book failed to be adopted, despite its high quality. The other
world geography textbooks, all adopted, were mostly
inferior to the Scott, Foresman book, but they did not make
the mistake ofsaying something about evolution and the Big
Bang theory. Michael Hudson, representing an anti-moral-
majority group, was present at the Textbook Committee
meeting and made the following observation: It seemed
apparent to all in the room - especially the publishers -
that the treatment of evolution had condemned an other-
wise excellent book to be sole casualty of the seven books
that were bid.
The Texas Textbook Proclamation contains the rules
that textbooks must followifthey wish to be adopted by the
State of Texas. Texas is the second largest purchaser of
textbooks in the country. Its centralized book-buying policy
controls 8%of the total school textbook market in America
and itspends $60milliona year to buy textbooks for Texas's
1150school districts. Since only a few titles of each subject
are selected at six year intervals, publishers vie ferociously
to get their textbooks on the adoption list, and since the
Texas adoption choices can make or break a publisher, the
publishers bend over backwards to comply with the Pro-
clamation. Furthermore, the textbook designed for the
... The textbook designed for the lucrative Texas market is used throughout the
country, so the enormous influence of Texas shapes the contents of America's
textbooks.
a religious, fundamentalist, creationist husband-and-wife
team whose sole business is reviewing textbooks. This
couple is known in education circles throughout the nation
as the most effective textbook censors in the country. They
have been promoting their narrow fundamentalist views for
over twenty years by criticizing and influencing the removal
of textbooks that contain material opposed to their views.
Some of the Gabler's objections to the Scott, Foresma~
Austin, Texas
lucrative Texas market is used throughout the country, so
the enormous economic influence of Texas shapes the
contents of America's textbooks. Concerning evolution,
the only scientific topic the state feels compelled to regulate
at present, the Proclamation states the following:
1.3 Textbooks that treat the theory of evolution
should identify it as only one of several explanations of
the origins of humankind and avoid limiting young
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Furthermore, this requirement is again unconstitu-
tional, since its inclusion was motivated by religious
concern rather than any secular purpose, its intent is
to promote the doctrine of creation by suppressing
the teaching ofevolution, and it excessively entangles
the State of Texas in religious affairs, specifically,
belief in creationism.
The president of the Texas Council for Science Educa-
tion has stated that No scientific theory has ever needed
legislation, resolutions, lobbying, or state agency regulation
to make itacceptable as good science which deserves to be
taught to students. If a theory has this need, as does
creationism, this is evidence that it is not legitimate science
and thus should not be taught in school science class-
rooms. He states that he is convinced that Section 1.3was
promulgated for religious reasons, is a violation of church-
state separation and is therefore unconstitutional. He is
convinced of this because he talked to some of the State
Board of Education members who were responsible for
writing and passing Section 1.3. Former Board member
Johnnie Marie Grimes believes that evolution is a powerful
force against the spiritual dimension ofman, and that ifwe
teach it as a demonstrated scientific fact, then our public
schools will be a barrier to the christian and jewish
religions. Board member William Kemp calls scientists
narrow-minded and bigoted for preferring to accept
evolution rather than believe creationism. He made these
remarks to the president of the Texas Council for Science
Education when the latter suggested that Section 1.3was a
misrepresentation of science. He also threatened that
scientists willonly get something worse ifyou try to change
the current regulation. Board Chairman Joe Kelly Butler
says that scientific knowledge is only the opinions of
scientists and that such opinions are irrelevant to how the
State Board should treat the topic of evolution. He main-
tains that the present policy is about as good as we can
do. He was not interested in a statement signed by
scientists protesting' Section 1.3, saying that the opinion
of scientists would not change his mind; however, a
statement signed by the regents of the University ofTexas
and Rice University against the Proclamation might cause
him to alter his view. Presumably, the other Board members
share these fundamentalist anti-scientific sentiments.
The most important evidence for the religious intent
behind Section 1.3, however, isthe history of its adoption in
early 1974. The facts of the origin of Section 1.3 were
recently discovered by the Texas Council for Science
Education during research into the history of the Texas
Textbook Proclamation and textbook adoption policy. It
was discovered that Section 1.3 was adopted largely in-its
present form at the urging of the couple from Longview In
their letter to the Commissioner of Education, dated
August 10, 1973, the couple protested the teaching of
evolution in the State's schools. They complained that the
biology textbooks taught evolution as a fact, not a theory,
and omitted any reference to creation. They asserted that
textbooks completely censor the fact that there is more
scientific evidence against than for evolution. THIS DE-
NIES STUDENTS THEIR ACADEMIC FREEDOM TO
LEARN ... Strictly speaking, evolution is not a science
because it cannot be proven - it must be accepted on
FAITH as a philosophy or as a religion. . . Textbooks
include evolutionary DOGMA with none of the important
Austin, Texas
. : . . ~ ~ : ~ S < . . - > ; ~ :
-. -i- _, ..
,
-
~ > ,,'
;
:JiIP
~ 1
evidence for special creation. WHY? ... At present all
evidence and assumptions are directed toward evolution
being the only explanation for life.But the theory of special
creation isjust as scientific and requires equal treatment. ..
EITHER include equal space for scientific evidence FOR
special creation, OR delete all evolutionary dogma
Ironically, the letter justified their demand for equal time
by asking for fairness and objectivity and for teaching all
the facts about evolution, including allthe bad facts. This
justification directly conflicts with all the well-known cou-
ple's demands to remove the bad from textbooks dealing
with other topics and present only the viewpoint favorable
to their desires. Their remarkable letter reveals that they
are not above arguing for presenting two opposing topics in
one instance and for eliminating certain opposing topics in
another, depending on which argument suits their pur-
poses. Perhaps the most ironic example of this intheir letter
istheir analogy ofthe treatment ofevolution and the history
of the United States. They say that We're often told that
students must be given the bad about our country, so let's
do the same about evolution and discontinue the present
DOUBLE STANDARD ... Supposedly, students who
reach college without having been told 'all the bad' about
our country are so disillusioned to find the 'truth' that their
confidence is shaken. Let's begin telling them 'all the bad'
about evolution if we want to be fair. During the August,
1982textbook adoption hearing, the couple from Longview
objected to a Scott, Foresman civics text because it
presented the United States in a bad light, criticizing the
American system and slighting American achievement. If
their opinion about fair play and equal time for topics in
American history has changed during the past nine years,
why hasn't it changed for topics in biology as well? The
March,1983
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table. Textbooks include equivocations and misrepresenta-
tions about evolution, have reduced coverage of evolution
to a couple of pages or nothing, omit any connection
between evolution and other biological phenomena, and
even include pro-creationist statements. The result has
been that high school graduates have received a censored,
second-rate biology education in most schools in the
country. It isregrettable that a state agency can unilaterally
regulate the content of science textbooks; it is tragic that
this censorship has had a dramatic and pejorative effect on
the quality ofbiology and geology education for students all
over the United States. Dr. Steven Weinberg, Nobel
Laureate and Professor of Physics at the University of
Texas, stated in an interview with the University magazine,
~
~------
-
,
-
UTMost, that the textbook publishers have behaved like
whores in their rush to put profit before scientific
integrity. The Texas Council for Science Education asks, If
we can describe the textbook publishers as whores, what
term can we use to describe those individuals on the Texas
Board ofEducation that have forced the publishers to act in
so immoral a fashion? Both the publishers and the Board
members should have some respect for scientific integrity.
The scientific method places extraordinarily high demands
on an individual's moral integrity and respect for truth, an
attitude which desirably should find its way into science
textbooks. It is a pity that this attitude is not reflected in
most of today's biology textbooks due to a few persons'
intransigent religious attitude toward evolution.
-
-
, ,
+,
_2
y o u v e GOT TO CHEW ON THESE STRAWsl /
Austin, Texas
March,1983
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forced upon Galileo a hundred years before.
What was it that Buffon had to repudiate? The earth's
rotation upon its axis One hundred and fifty years were
required to secure for this idea even a fair hearing - for the
prevailing doctrine of the church was that all things were
made at the beginning of the world and to say that stones
and fossils were made before or since the beginning is
contrary to scripture.
Strange as it may seem, the theological war against a
scientific method in geology was waged more fiercely in
protestant countries than in catholic. The older, roman
catholic, church was beginning to learn by her costly
mistakes, especially inthe cases ofCopernicus and Galileo,
what dangers to her claim of infallibilitylay inmeddling with
a growing science. So, inItalysome progress was made with
Geology while inEngland the most fierce opposition to this
science was made.
way hurt one another, that the spider was then as
harmless as the flyand did not then lie in wait for blood.
The only results of John Wesley entering this argument
was to put the force of the purpose of these men's lives and
influence against the thrust of science. Those who would
have found faith in the observation and investigation of
natural phenomena were thrown back to solving all prob-
lems by phrases deduced from theology. At the close of the
eighteenth century the English opponents of geology - on
the basis of biblical grounds - were so entrenched that the
science could go nowhere. The threat that the earth was
over
6,000
years old was too great to be handled by christian
theologians and therefore had to be suppressed. The
charge was that such researches led to infidelity and
Atheism, and are nothing less than an effort to depose the
almighty creator of the universe from his office.
The church had to compromise simply because it was
The church had to compromise simply because it was overwhelmed by the
evidence of science.
Generally speaking there are three periods or phases ina
theological attack upon any science. These are:
....that the first ismarked by the general use ofscriptural
texts and statements against the new scientific doc-
trine,
....the second or intermediate period between isfrequent-
1ymarked by the pitting against science of some great
doctrine in theology,
....the third by attempts at compromise by means of
far-fetched reconciliations of textual statements with
ascertained fact.
InEngland John Wesley came to the rescue of the bible
in the quarrel. He followed Augustine, Bede and Peter
Lombard. He insisted that death entered the world by sin,
by the first transgression of adam and eve. In his book,
Cause
and
Cure
of Earthquakes
he asserts that no one who
believes the scriptures can deny that sin isthe moral cause
of earthquakes, whatever their natural cause may be. He
elaborates, earthquakes are the effect of that curse which
was brought upon the earth by the original transgression of
adam and eve. He turns to paul and says that the whole
creation groaneth and travaileth together inpain until now
and finds additional scriptural proof that the earthquakes
overwhelmed by the evidence of science. The compromise
is curious. The first crack in the wall came when the church
admitted that fossils may exist because of the deluge of
noah. But the steady work of science went on, and nothing
could stop it. The foundations of theological theory began
to crumple away. The immediate fiat of the almighty was
made to account for the only two things which had affected
our earth: the creation and the deluge. The battle
continued up through 1830, when Charles Lyellpublished in
that year his Principles of Geology.
In America it was not until
1841
that Dr. Samuel Turner,
Professor of BiblicalLiterature, of the protestant episcopal
church somewhat accepted the new view, and published a
modified summary of the proofs from geology, astronomy,
and zoology that the deluge of noah was not universal. In
France this same admission came in
1856
and again in
1875.
In the Russian Orthodox churches the admission came in
1869 and in the Greek churches in 1876. It was finally
accepted in Britain in 1872, in Germany in 1876.
Do you hear what Ihear? This is
1970.
And, the churches
were fighting the science of geology up to
1880 -
which is
just
90
years ago. Yet, Mr. Gladstone, a powerful British
statesman, took time out from his labors and cares in the
There were, and there are perhaps still, two modes of reconciliation of scripture and
science, which have been each in their day attempted, and each has totally failed.
were the result of adam's fall. He declares in his sermon on
God's Approbation of his Works that before the sin of
adam there were no agitations within the bowels of the
earth, no violent convulsions, no concussions of the earth,
no earthquakes, but all was unmoved as the pillars of
heaven. There were then no such things as eruptions of fire;
no volcanoes or burning mountains. He goes further and
insists that earthquakes are god's strange works of
judgment, the proper effect and punishment ofsin. Wesley
took this same attitude about death and pain, even as these
appertain to animals. In his Fall of Man he says of birds,
beasts and insects that before sin entered the world by
adam's fall, none of these attempted to devour or in any
Austin, Texas
Parliament ofthat nation to take the fieldagainst the science
of geology and to support, as he could, the account of
genesis.
But nothing could suppress the findings of Charles Lyell
finally. In the memorial sermon after the funeral of this man,
the dean ofWestminster, Arthur Stanley, was forced to say:
It is now clear to diligent students of the bible that
the first and second chapters of genesis contain two
narratives of the creation side by side, differing from
each other in almost every particular of time and place
and order.
This is obvious to us all today. He continues:
It is well known that, when the science of geology
March,1983 Page 19
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first arose, it was involved in endless schemes of
attempted reconciliation with the letter of scripture.
There were, there are perhaps still, two modes of
reconciliation of scripture and science, which have
been each in their day attempted, and each has totally
and deservedly failed. One is the endeavor to wrest
the words of the bible from their natural meaning and
force it to speak the language of science. It has been
followed in later times by the various efforts which
have been made to twist the earlier chapters of the
dluaUon
a.1111ons
of y.ar.
l'1od h rox)
+ -
ut
toe.n.
55
ae
a1eet 50
fOnMtioa of 8&rtl . .Gruet 4,'00,000,000 p n 890
GEOLOGICAL TIME SCALE :\.
book ofgenesis into apparent agreement with the last
results of geology - representing days not to be days,
morning and evening not to be morning and evening,
the deluge not to be the deluge and the ark not to be
the ark.
Those persons who are religious and honest must admit
that the bible fails. Geology is here to stay, and we willget
back to a finer delimitation of the arguments in respect to
genesis on another program.
DIAL-AN-ATHEIST
CHAPTERS OF AMERICAN ATHEISTS
DIAL- THE-ATH EIST (512) 458-5731
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Detroit, Michigan (313) 721-6630
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Page 20 March,1983
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ISKON
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS)
MIMICS CHRISTIAN PROPAGANDISTS
[Author's preface: Following the example of maharishi
mahesh all the Indian godmen with a vast followingabroad
now bring in westerners with high-sounding scientific
degrees from well-known universities. These people write
erudite pieces in the English press and make it seem as
though the ancient hindus knew alllong, before anyone else
ever did, what modern science is now discovering to its
astonishment. Nothing flatters the racially-minded Indian
more than to see these white witless morons flat on their
faces at the feet of gurus and godmen. Prabhupad simply
had to be right if even Einstein, quoted out of context,
supports his view. Perhaps Eccles, Wigner and Wald
might be surprised to know that they are making a valuable
contribution to the idea of atmagyan, (the science of the
soul), simply by talking about consciousness.]
The international society for krishna consciousness,
iskon, that money-spinning religious multinational corpora-
tion thought up by his divine grace, the late AC.
bhaktivedanta prabhupad (The last two words are not really
proper names, but mere religious titles equivalent to holy
book-believingworshipper ofthe feet ofthe lord. ), incarna-
tion of the hindu god krishna, has a flourishing center in
Bombay. The research and education wing is the bhakti-
vedanta institute, whose director is the 45-year old bhaktis-
varup Damodar swami. In an interview for a Bombay
weekly, he explained the institute's purpose to propogate
atmagyan,' or the science of the sou .
by Margaret Bhatty
vedic hinduism to a world of modern scientific technology,
since scientific-sounding explanations for religious phenom-
ena are more compellingly attractive in convincing the
younger generation of today, according to bhaktisvarup
Damodar.
How was the idea first conceived? Back in 1970, when
director bhaktisvarup Damodar was working for his doc-
torate, he met the iskon founder, AC. prabhupad, and
sometimes went on morning walks with him inLos Angeles.
A prominent evolutionist, Stanley Miller, held a seminar
called The Origin of Life which the young man also
attended. He was talking of life as a chemical principle,
said bhaktisvarup Damodar, There is no god, no creation
- everything comes about by random chemical combina-
tions. In other words, maybe you are familiar with Darwini-
an evolution? It is completely a material concept of life;
doesn't have any spiritual meaning ...
This heresy so outraged the young scholar that during
the question and answer session he bluntly accosted the
prominent evolutionist and demanded to know why hu-
mans with all their know-how had not yet been able to
assemble even the smallest lifesystem in the lab. Ifthey can
synthesize amino acids, DNAs, RNAs, protein molecules,
lipids and other biochemicals, can they not produce the
smallest organism?
This profound question flummoxed the eminent evolu-
tionist, who sheepishly answered, Well, I don't know
whether it's possible or not.
These scientific heresies were duly reported by the
earnest young man to his mentor, prabhupad, on their
morning walk. And, said he, his divine grace was extremely
angry that modern scientists should talk thus in the name of
scientific knowledge.
It was very harmful for propagating proper knowledge to
the younger generation. Because in a way you are simply
teaching them how to be Materialist, how to be Atheist; you
are simply teaching them there is no creation, or there is no
Nothing flatters the racially-minded Indianmore than to see these white witless
morons flat on their faces at the feet of gurus and godmen.
Bhaktisvarup hails from Manipur in northeast India and
after passing his M.Tech. from Calcutta University, went on
to an M.S. in Chemistry from Canisius College, Buffalo. In
1974he was awarded a Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemis-
try from the University of California. Later he became a
Research Fellow at Emory College, Atlanta. With such an
impressive string of qualifications he manipulatively implies
that it was inevitable that he should devote all his
experience to the science of religion The institute was
founded with the divine purpose of presenting ancient
Page 22 March,1983
design in cosmic manifestation. So any way it was against
the principles of religiosity, this complete commitment to
material understanding. He (AC. prabhupad) talked very
seriously that in our modern civilization the breakdown of
moral and ethical principles especially in western society
like the United States, the coming of the hippie movement,
the degradation of the quality of life, is due to this sort of
teaching in the colleges and universities (From whom else
do
we
hear this line? - Ed.).
He felt there was a genuine
necessity of projecting spiritual knowledge, or about the
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science of the self, the science of the soul called 'atmagyan.'
This plum job fell to bhaktisvarup Damodar who as a
highly trained scientist could spread atmagyan through
the medium of modern scientific terminology. However,
whilehe took every opportunity to toss into the interview as
much terminology as possible, the actual science ofthe soul
was left exactly where he found it - up in the air.
What is the bhaktisvarup's grouse against modern sci-
ence?
Director bhaktisvarup Damodar says he finds himself in
excellent company. About the beginning of this year, said
he, you may have seen, there was an article by Hoyle, the
British astronomer, and Bikram Singe, the Sri Lankan who
is also working in the UK. By their calculations, although
they say they do not believe in the existence of god, but by
their mathematical calculations there must be a god. They
are publishing this in popular science magazines and
journals.
But how can a totally nonmaterial, nonexistent, non-
He (the hindu godman) talked very seriously that in our modern civilization the
breakdown ofmoral and ethical principles especially in the western society ... is due
to this (Materialist and Atheist) sort of teaching inthe the colleges and universities.
It doesn't teach us self-reliance - only about atoms and
molecules. And when those atoms and molecules finish, we
also finish. In other words, it ignores the spiritual
existence. Scientists study life superficially, from outside
and ignore the spiritual spark of the spiritual atom inside.
This stupid refusal on the part of modern science to
discern the non-visible through the microscope, and believe
inthe non-existent inthe laboratory is its greatest defect.
Otherwise we would not need bhaktivedanta institutes
However, the director was prepared to concede that
scientists are doing a great job. There is nothing wrong
with science. Itis a special genius. But allthis could be much
more meaningful if they realized that life has a spiritual
element.
At which point does scientific religious research on the
soul really start?
At zero actually, because, according to the bhaktisvarup,
We first agree that there is a nonphysical entity. This
nonphysical entity is called life. It is nonphysical and
nonchemical, but itinteracts with the material and chemical
elements.
On this unshakable, unverifiable, no-nonsense founda-
tion rests the entire scientific edifice of atmagyan. You
simply cannot go wrong once you acquire the genuine
understanding that life is a nonphysical phenomenon and
the spiritual atom or the atrna is quite distinct from the
material or physical atom
In all this woolly pontification, nowhere did the bhaktis-
varup reveal exactly what laboratory tests were expected to
prove the science of the soul's existence. But evidently it
takes a particular kind of scientist. Only that individual
who understands the physical molecule of lifeas well as the
spiritual molecule can see how one complements the other,
how knowledge and material phenomena interact. He then
proceeded to explain how even enzymes display a certain
intelligence. Say, when you take a protein molecule. In
each stage certain types of special enzymes are required.
These enzymes have to be there at the right time and at the
right place, they can never be replaced byanything else. But
there are innumerable enzymes. How does that selection
take place at that particular time and place and everything
inperfect order, perfect systematic organization? Byseeing
that, you can come to the sensible conclusion that there is
an intelligence even in the molecular leve ' What I mean is
that there is some intelligent system that organizes and
directs even in the cellular platform or molecular and
submolecular leve '''
Austin, Texas
visible entity like the soul be set out in a mathematical
calculation? The thing is we do not need mathematics,
replied the bhaktisvarup. (In politics this is known as
double-talk.) We try to understand what life is. Modern
science does not give the answer. So there must be some
spiritual science. This does not have to be understood in
terms of mathematics. So although we use modern tech-
niques, it is not completely a vital element which we must
use. It is because we have to communicate that we have to
speak a similar language.
In short, the scientific bit is just a front to sugar-coat the
same old pill. But the bhaktisvarup is confident he is
working incollaboration with the best scientific brains of the
century. I want to show you this journal Science Digest,
he said, You know about it? Published from the US? Ihave
the July issue with me. There is an article called 'Scientists
March,1983
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were on themselves and on the rush of developments in
education and in society, large groups of parents and
taxpayers were becoming increasingly disillusioned with
their schools. They began to look at educators and their
doings with mounting distaste.
(The author omits that the roman catholic church, in
pursuit of public funding for its parochial schools, has
deliberately, with malice aforethought, mounted both an
overt and covert campaign against universal free public
education
beginning
immediately after World War II and
continuing now for 40 years. The success of this black
propaganda war against the schools has been so great that
the author himself lists a multitude of whiles, all of which
were carefully planted in the public mind insidiously by that
church. - Ed.)
Year by year the distaste grew and turned to anger.
Anger turned to rage. And rage spurred many of these
parents and taxpayers to band together for attacks on
education. (The roman catholic church, through John
W .
McCormack of Massachusetts, Speaker of the House,
managed to bottle up federal aid to education in a House
committee for over
20
years, demanding as its ransom
price that
roman
catholic parochial schools
be
included
in
the largesse. During all of that time the virulent and
unprincipled attack on the public school system was kept in
high gear. The unwary in our culture were turned sour on
our schools, and the schools - not willing to identify any
religion as a villain - blundered and erred. - Ed.) They
looked for and found leaders to voice their hatred for the
goals of modern public education, its methods, its tools and
materials.
The public schools in 1982 are the target of so powerful an
attack that their very existence is in jeopardy. Radicals of
the new right are working toward exactly that end, that is,
the remaking of the public schools in the image of the new
right - or else their destruction.
Attacks on public education have been commonplace for
a century or more. Are the attacks orchestrated by the new
right any different? Consider these seven points:
1.
The new right leads the president of the United States,
and the president of the United States leads the new right.
Each energizes the other. Ronald Reagan will do just about
anything the new right wants him to do insofar as public
education is concerned. The president has tilted in favor of
creationism, prayer in public schools, and tax exemption
for schools that select their students on the basis of race. He
firmly intends to dismantle the Education Department. Of
the monstrous Family Protection Act, which most educa-
tors believe contains the worst of fundamentalist thinking,
Reagan said, I'll sign it when it comes to my desk. Seldom
in US history has any cause such as that espoused by the
new right for education had such powerful backing at the
highest level of government.
2. The new right can rely (at least as of this writing) on the
Congress to do much of its work. The Senate is a staunch
advocate of new right causes in education. Its Republican
majority and the senators closest to the president believe
that they can enact the kind of legislation the new right
wants with regard to busing, segregation, prayer, vouchers,
tuition tax credits, aid for christian and other private
schools, and the Education Department. The House does
Attacks on public education have been commonplace for a century or more.
(Once soured on the school system, the
75
of our
populace which
is
t
roman
catholic had nowhere to turn
to placate their artificially stimulated grievances. And so,
the disgruntled part, protestant and fundamentalist,
looked to their religion,for they knew instinctively that their
concerns
against public education had
a
religious base,
a
base offundamentalism which is, after all,what the roman
catholic church represents. - Ed.)
not seem to know what to do about education; consequent-
ly, it is doing little but waiting for signals - from someone.
3. The new right controls and uses potent tools for
propaganda, promotion, fund raising, and proselytizing.
The mailing list (2 5 million names ) developed by Richard
Viguerie has become legendary, and rightly so. Through its
use, conservative organizations have built large member-
ships and raised millions of dollars.
The new right controls and uses potent tools for propaganda, promotion, fund
raising, and proselytizing. The mailing list (25million names ) developed byRichard
Viguerie has become legendary, and rightly so .... it would be foolhardy to
underestimate the numbers who are reached by new right preachers and evan-
gelists.
Even more powerful in these causes is the electronic
church - close to 40 television stations and more than
1,000 radio stations claiming an audience of 40 million. The
last figure is probably bloated, but it would be foolhardy to
underestimate the numbers who are reached by new right
preachers and evangelists.
The new right produces more than 100 nationally circu-
lated magazines, tabloids, and newsletters on a weekly,
monthly, or quarterly basis. Let Our Children Pray, a film
aimed at putting prayer in the public schools, is being
distributed through the network of preachers in politics. A
The alienated, the disappointed, and the irate gathered
under the banner of an aberrant conservative movement -
a movement that includes concerned mothers and fathers
but is led by zealots and extremists. Some manifestations of
the movement are rational. But its rabid core, now known
as the new right, has loosed the dogs of war against the
public schools, using the accumulated ire of some segments
of the population as a justification to wage warfare against
the schools for what they have done and are doing, as well
as for what they are not doing that the zealots wish them to
do.
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7. The attacks from the new right come at a time when
public education is at a low point - ravaged by inflation,
declining enrollments, high operating costs, decreased
public confidence, and diminishing numbers ofcitizens with
children in school. New right leaders have done their
homework. They know in detail how school boards func-
tion, how textbooks are adopted, how to remove courses
from the curriculum. They also know the weaknesses and
mistakes of the public schools - and they exploit them. As
Marshner did in her book, The Blackboard Tyranny, they
list problems that public school educators are coping with
and trying to correct - and then charge the public schools
with total failure. Among reasons schools have bungled
their job Marshner lists lack of discipline, lack of study,
teachers unprepared in subject matter, social promotion
policies, subjective grading systems, and, in general, too
much pedagogical faddism.
allow anyone to use the appropriations process to.change
the law.
Yet just such efforts will occur during this session of
Congress, and the ones that follow. This approach proved
effective in 1981, a few months after Reagan came to the
White House. Remember the so-called Omnibus Education
Reconciliation Act of 1981? Reagan sent it to Congress
disguised as a money bill.Yet, when enacted byCongress, it
repealed the historic Elementary and Secondary Education
Act; it changed the statutory provisions for aid to college
students, for vocational education, for land-grant colleges,
and for families living in areas affected by federal installa-
tions.
By the same token, the 1983budget, now being shaped in
Congress, does not refer to the Education Department
(ED), an agency still legally alive. In the minds of White
House officials, ED is already dead and has been assigned
the title of Education Foundation in the budget proposal.
This scheme has infuriated educators who have an
interest in the fate of ED - and even those who do not.
Although school board members across the US have little
love for ED, listen to Thomas Shannon, executive director
of the National School Boards Association: Through this
strategem (using budget bills to change law), the entire
public hearings process will be subverted. Members of
Congress would not have the chance to vote on the merits
of the proposed disestablishment of the Department of
Education. Instead, that issue would be buried deep in a
complex budget bill, and Congress would be required to
vote only once on whole package.
Finally,leaders of the new right believe that parents and taxpayers can be
stampeded into supporting frontal attacks on school courses, textbooks, and
educational procedures.
Finally, leaders of the new right sense that public
education has lost its way and willeasily fallin linewith their
ideas. They also believe that parents and taxpayers can be
stampeded into supporting frontal attacks on school cour-
ses, textbooks, and educational procedures.
This fallnew right leaders are concentrating their efforts
on Congress, where they hope to gain signal victories, the
biggest being the shackling ofthe judiciary to prevent courts
and judges from interfering with ultra-right objectives.
In the weeks remaining before the November 1982
elections, conservatives in Congress worked zealously to
push through as much of their social-issues agenda as
possible. Whatever was left undone by November, the
conservatives planned to complete after the elections -
with, they hoped, a Congress in which they will have
replaced many liberals and middle-of-the-readers with ultra-
conservatives.
Right-wing legislation on desegregation, busing, prayer,
tuition tax credits, affirmative action, vouchers, the Educa-
tion Department, tax exemption for private schools, and a
dozen other school-related topics has been piling up in the
House and Senate at an unprecedented rate since Reagan
took office. The bulk of these billsare introduced simply to
show the folks back home that those legislators elected with
conservative help are doing their jobs. Legislators who are
actively involved in the conservative movement do not
expect much from these measures. They take other
approaches. They announce plans for constitutional amend-
ments as a way of gaining publicity. For more practical
results, they seek to tie substantive educational measures
to appropriations or budget bills.
It is this kind of action that makes Sen. Lowell Weiker
(R-Conn.) see red. For many months he has fought virtually
alone against attempts to establish right-wing policy on
school busing and on prayer by tacking amendments to
budget bills. He has filibustered; he has issued angry
statements against such tactics. Other liberal senators, who
are in the minority, often agree with this view. As Sen.
Charles Mathias, Jr. (R-Md.), said recently, We must not
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March,1983
Equally dear to the hearts ofconservatives isyet another
legislative strategem. Conservatives want legislation that
willmake it impossible for the US Supreme Court, or any
federal court, to assume jurisdiction over programs affec-
ting schools, or for the Justice Department to defend liberal
principles.
Attorney General William French Smith, with Reagan's
support and to the applause of conservatives, has led
attacks on judicial activism. He has accused unelected
judges of substituting their own policy preferences for the
determination of elected representatives. Smith contends
that federal courts have gone beyond their proper role in
cases involving school busing, prayer, desegregation, and
other issues.
And so the Senate produced (early in March) a money bill
for the Justice Department expenses for 1983 that also
serves as the most sweeping antibusing legislation ever
passed in either House. It contains amendments that, in
effect, tell the federal courts and the Justice Department:
Hands off. You have no power when it comes to busing for
desegregation purposes. In retaliation, Speaker of the
House Thomas P. O'Neill (D-Mass.) and the chairman of
the House Judiciary Committee, Peter W. Rodino, Jr. (D-
NJ), have sworn that the Senate amendments willbe killed.
But there are other bills - dealing with prayer, for
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example - and these too seek to bind the hands of the
federal courts and the Justice Department. S. 1742 and S.
481 are designed to enable state courts to sanction volun-
tary prayer inpublic schools. They also forbid the Supreme
Court to review state court decisions. Should this legisla-
tion ever pass, itwould turn the constitutional clock back to
1803, when the principle of federal judicial supremacy in
matters of constitutional interpretation was first established
in
Marbury v. Madison.
1. Secular Humanism
... The term, secular humanism is used by the new
right as an all-purpose, all-inclusive charge that covers sins
both real and imaginary, actions committed or not com-
mitted. This smear word marks the alleged humanist as
an enemy to be eliminated from the educational system.
It may annoy the new moralists that the humanistic
concept antedates the christian era ....
Humanism has inspired such great christians as Erasmus
... new right leaders are concentrating their efforts on Congress, where they hope
to gain signal victories, the biggest being the shackling of the judiciary.
But such matters do not perturb the gurus of the right,
such as Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah and Sen. John East of
North Carolina, both Republicans. They are now thumping
for legislation that would authorize the reopening of every
segregation case since Brown v. Board of Education. The
original order against segregation inevery case since Brown
could be dissolved