====================================================================== MITAAH News -- Volume #2 / Issue #1 -- August 28, 1997 (sent sporadically to mitaah@mit.edu mailing list) Pseudo-random samplings of information that may relate to atheism, agnosticism, humanism, freethought, or church-state separation issues. Please send any promising material to reagan@mit.edu. http://www.mit.edu/~mitaah/ ====================================================================== In this issue: * Welcome! * MITAAH September activities * Order your MITAAH merchandise today! * Distributing this newsletter could result in one year in jail * Retreat! * AANews-of-the-Week * 'Net links ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome! Welcome to the mitaah@mit.edu mailing list! MITAAH-NEWS takes all announcements, news, and current issues and delivers them right to your mailbox in a nice, neat package. You can expect a copy about twice a month. We have other mailing lists that could be of interest to you. There is mitaah-discussion, which is for members to discuss group activities, current events, or pose questions to the group as a whole. We also have a joint discussion list, mitaah-gcf-forum, for discussion of issues relating to Christianity with members of the Graduate Christian Fellowship. To add yourself to either of these lists, use... blanche mitaah-discussion -a $USER ...or... blanche mitaah-gcf-forum -a $USER ...at any athena% prompt. These lists are currently unmoderated, so please use common sense and common courtesy when posting! Right now, mitaah@mit.edu is used for official announcements to the membership, mitaah-discussion for freethought/humanist issues and group feedback, and mitaah-gcf-forum for atheist/Christian debates. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- September Calendar of Events Tuesday, September 2: Dinner out with MITAAH We'll be meeting in lobby 10 (Great Dome) at 5:30pm and then heading out to the Kendall T stop for a trip into Boston's North End and the original Pizzaria Regina. Wednesday, September 10: 1st General Meeting, 7pm (location TBA) Other upcoming events: Movie Night Chat with Harvard Humanist Chaplain Tom Ferrick AAH-GCF lunch forum ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Merchandise! We've placed an order for the first batch of MITAAH t-shirts. These shirts, at a mere $12 apiece, will raise cash for the MITAAH treasury. The money will fund publicity, group activities, and guest speakers. * See the shirts: http://www.mit.edu/~reagan/shirts.html * 100% cotton * L or XL The first 25 shirts are on their way, and already selling fast! We'll have some available for sale at MITAAH September events, and we'll order more once the first 25 sell out. Be visible! "Come out" as an atheist, agnostic, or humanist! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ One year in jail? If you didn't see the handout at the midway... Here is what you can find in the latest edition of the Massachusetts General Laws: MA ST 272 s. 36 "Whoever wilfully blasphemes the holy name of God by denying, cursing or contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, government or final judging of the world, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching or exposing to contempt and ridicule, the holy word of God contained in the holy scriptures shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars, and may also be bound to good behavior." Blasphemy is legally defined "as 'the malicious reviling of God or religion.' The purpose of this statute has been said to be the protection and preservation of the Christian religion." (Corpus Juris Secundum, 1997) To prove a charge of blasphemy, one must prove "a willful denial of God, the intention being to impair or destroy the veneration due to Him." (Massachusetts Practice, 1987), or to prove that the defendent "[spoke] evil of the Deity with an impious purpose to derogate from the divine majesty, and to alienate the minds of others from the love and reverence of God." (Mass. General Laws Annotated). An example of a statement of "blasphemous libel" is taken from Commonwealth v. Kneeland (1838): "The Universalists believe in a God, which I do not, but believe that their God, with all His moral attributes (aside from nature itself), is nothing else than a chimera of their imagination." The jury's instructions in this case was that this public denial of the existance of any God except the material universe constitutes a violation of the statute. Therefore, the MITAAH homepage, back issues of this newsletter, our upcoming t-shirts, and many of our legitimate discussions and activities are technically subject to criminal indictment through this statute. This statue was determined to be constitutional in the cases Commonwealth v. Kneeland (1834) and Commonwealth v. Kneeland (1838), although CJS claims that, in today's legal climate, this would certainly be held unconstitutional. But, it's still on the books! It hasn't been used, therefore it hasn't come up for challenge, and the legislature (like the legislatures of CO, LA, MD, MI, OK, and RI) hasn't specifically removed it. Both pro-choice activist Bill Baird and professional skeptic James Randi have made attempts to provoke arrest and prosecution under this law, but to no avail. Also interesting one is 272 s. 37: "Whoever wilfully interrupts or disturbs an assembly of people met for worship of God shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars." Non-religious gatherings do not share this priviledge. Something to think about in Massachusetts. From now on, MITAAH materials will have to carry appropriate warning labels. Web page labels and a copy of this information can be found at: http://www.mit.edu/~reagan/illegal.html (Thanks to Sarah for the research that uncovered these details) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Retreat! Things are looking great for the first annual MITAAH retreat to the White Mtns. of New Hampshire. Ten people have expressed definite interest so far, and we have room for more! Cabin pictures: http://www.mit.edu/activities/mitoc/interpict1.htm Date: November 8-9, 1997 (Veteran's Day weekend) Estimated Cost: a mere $20, including dinner and breakfast. The cabin is about 1/2 mi. from the road on top of a hill near Intervale, NH. It may lack electricity and running water, but includes a mountain spring, LP gas heat and stove, and two acres of fine woodland. You bring: lunch and snacks, warm clothing, containers for water, backpack, sleeping bag (bags and packs can be rented from the MIT Outing Club for less than $5 per day). The space situation: there is room for 12-15 people in the padded sleeping loft (depending on friendliness!) and room for a few more people downstairs. There is also a Mongolian yurt for people with cold-weather sleeping bags and a sense of adventure. Right now, we're planning a Saturday-Sunday trip, but if enough people are interested we can extend it to a Friday-Sunday event. What's on the agenda? We're putting together a weekend of secular stuff, including both outdoor activities and philosophical fun. * Get to know a group of fellow skeptics and heathens! * Learn about secular alternatives to our traditionally religious culture. * Food, fun, campfires, cooking... * Explore the beautiful White Mountains National Forest, with its woods, waterfalls, and views (http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/whites/). * Follow Matt and fellow mountain goats on a hike up one of the Presidentials (http://www.mit.edu/~reagan/trips.html). * (Or) Check out the shops and outlets (tax-free) of North Conway, NH. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ AANews of the Week This section of MITAAH-NEWS includes excerpts from American Atheists weekly news bulletins. AA represents some of the most vocal atheist activists, and is often involved in controversial court battles promoting atheism and the absolute separation of church and state. MITAAH is not affiliated with AA, nor do their views necessary align with the views of our membership. (excerpts from AANews #322) COURT STRIKES DOWN RELIGIOUS SCHOOL VOUCHERS Decision Could Fuel Effort To Enact Religious Freedom Amendment Proponents of government aid to religious schools suffered a defeat on Friday when the 4th District Court of Appeals ruled that Milwaukee's "Parental Choice Program" was unconstitutional and violated the separation of state and church. The 2-1 decision was based on the Wisconsin Constitution. Judge David G. Deininger cited the section of that document that prohibited the flow of government money to religious organizations. His decision noted that in private, religious schools, doctrinal instruction with intertwined with the teaching of mainstream, secular subjects. Deininger noted that Milwaukee's controversial voucher program would give religious schools up to $40,000,000 annually in tax revenues which could be used for any purpose. The Wisconsin voucher program is considered a bellwether on the constitutionality of proposals elsewhere that would include religious schools along with private, nonsectarian educational institutions as recipients of taxpayer largesseThe voucher experiment began in 1990 when the state initiated a program to allow some poor children to attend private schools in Milwaukee at public expense. At a cost of about $3,600 per student, the program was to eventually expand to cover nearly 15,000 students, requiring about $55 million in subsidies. Critics charged that the scheme had little to do with choice, but instead diverted money away from public schools. Friday's decision let stand an earlier ruling by Dane County Circuit Judge Paul Higginbotham. In January, Higginbotham struck down the voucher plan which had become a major agenda item for religious groups and Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson. Higginbotham noted a provision in the Wisconsin Constitution which states that no "money be drawn from the treasury for the benefit of religious societies or religious or theological seminaries." He noted that the state Supreme Court already considered religious schools of any kind to be seminaries and places of worship, and wrote that "Millions of dollars would be directed to religious institutions that are pervasively sectarian with a clear mission to indoctrinate Wisconsin students with their religious beliefs." He added that the "most offensive" feature of the voucher scheme was that it compelled "Wisconsin citizens of varying religious faiths (to) support schools with their tax dollars that proselytize students and attempt to inculcate them with beliefs contrary to their own." . . . More Litigation Ahead? Friday's ruling is the third defeat for the Wisconsin voucher scheme. Prior to Higginbotham's decision, the state Supreme Court split in a 3-3 decision in March, 1996. Attorney's for the Thompson administration said that "Nobody expected that the lawsuit would end here," and suggested that the voucher fight could go back to the State Supreme Court. The Milwaukee Journey Sentinel notes that the court's political makeup has changed since the last voucher hearing, and that then-Chief Justice Roland Day, a voucher opponent, has retired. The paper adds that "If the Supreme Court rules (against vouchers)...religious school choice proponents will have few if any avenues for further appeals." U.S. Supreme Court -- RFA, RFRA But while voucher programs in states like Wisconsin may seem to be at a judicial impasse, religious school boosters really aren't out of options. Federal voucher schemes could invade state houses across the country; the Wisconsin Constitution prohibits funding of religious schools and seminaries only by the state treasury. Even then, school choice activists could attempt to amend the state constitutions in order to make funding more accessible. A second scenario involves the passage of state-level equivalents of the discredited Religious Freedom Restoration Act, "mini-RFRA" enacted in state legislatures throughout the nation. That legislation required that government demonstrate a "compelling interest" in placing any burden on religious exercise or groups. The U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down the RFRA in the BOERNE v. FLORES case, but that was a narrow interpretation. Similar acts could be enacted by individual states and would not be affected by BOERNE. And "mini-RFRA" laws could make it easier for individuals states and municipalities to float voucher schemes and pour public money into private, religious schools. A third possibility is the Religious Freedom Amendment currently stalled in the powerful House Judiciary Committee. RFA would have the effect of overturning a considerable portion of state-church separation decisions, including LEMON v. KURTZMAN; it would legitimize "student initiated" prayer in public schools, and and would amend the U.S. Constitution to prohibit the denial of "any benefit" to churches or other religious groups. Critics note that RFA would open the floodgates for voucher schemes and even direct aid to "faith-based" organizations, including social service programs and religious schools. ----- THEISTWATCH SHORT SHOTS James "The Amazing" Randi, that indefatigable debunker of psychic bunkum and pseudoscience has some interesting news about -- get this -- divine revelation in a potato. Confused? Read on... Most the more high profile stories we've covered about religious miracles or apparitions have involved the Christian religion. "Our Lady of the Metro," for instance, was a water stain (although some insist it was urine, human or otherwise) many faithful insisted was a miraculous revelation depicting the Virgin Mary. It appeared on the floor of a subway stop in Mexico City. Mary and/or Jesus have both been "seen" in tortillas, outlines of yucca plants, on the side of a rusty grain silo, in an oil slick in a garage, even in the reflected light of a '57 Chevy and a Florida office building. Tens, even hundreds of thousands of people (many, perhaps, admittedly curious) have flocked to such spectacles -- perhaps a reaction to the existential uncertainty of the hypermodern world, or some deeper "search for meaning." Who knows? Maybe it's just lack of critical faculty. But Mr. Randi informs us that fresh (baked?) on the heels of the Mother Theresa-in-a-bun hysteria, a woman in Gauhati, India has sliced open a potato and seen the words "Allah" and "Mohammed" in its contents. Randi adds that "More than 10,000 panting pilgrims, to date, have made their way to her door as a result." The local Muslim cleric has apparently pronounced this as an authentic supernatural event. We cannot say whether or not the potato lady, Momina Ahmed, is a sincere (if someone misguided) true believer, or just running a scam. But it is a bit significant that 10,000 or more persons take the time and effort to view this spectacle. ----- Make Your Support For The First Amendment Known! SUPPORT THE AD In October, American Atheists will be hosting a special display ad in USA TODAY, "The Nation's Newspaper," with an estimated total audience of nearly 5 million readers. You can participate in this unique, historic public statement on behalf of state-church separation, the First Amendment and freedom FROM religion. For details, check out the FLASHLINE section of our website at: http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/index.html ----- About This List... AANEWS is a free service from American Atheists, a nationwide movement founded by Madalyn Murray O'Hair for the advancement of atheism, and the total, absolute separation of government and religion. For subscribe/unsubscribe information, send mail to aanews-request@listserv.atheists.org and put "info aanews" (minus the quotation marks, please) in the message body. (end of excerpts) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Links, links, links New students: test out your new athena accounts and check out the wide world of web resources for freethinkers. ----- The Internet Infidels: http://www.infidels.org/ The Council for Secular Humanism: http://www.secularhumanism.org/ The American Humanist Association: http://www.infidels.org/org/aha/ American Atheists: http://www.atheists.org/ Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP): http://www.csicop.org/ The TalkOrigins Archive http://www.talkorigins.org/ Freedom from Religion Foundation: http://www.infidels.org/org/ffrf/ Harvard Secular Society: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~daraujo/hss.html Campus Freethought Alliance: http://www.secularhumanism.org/cfa/ People for the American Way: http://www.pfaw.org/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------