Asanta & group

Awww Gary, I would miss you. I have never been to a CFI meeting, and only occasionally go to a CFI sponsored event. We are not involved here in any way in any thing that went on in that meeting. Just a (mostly) friendly bunch of people who get together to chat at each other, learn from each other, and refute the occasional woomeister that shows up….why don’t you just stay here on the boards with us..

Thanks for all the compliments. But if you go back and read the original posting, It wasn’t my intention to leave the forum.  The posting was a copy of what I sent to several friends that I have made through activities at the Amherst Center, to explain to them why they may not see me there any longer. 

I will still drop in here as time allows, which may be more often as among other things I did this week is put in for retirement as of July 1.

(I see I have just become A Senior Member, I guess it fits.)

I am upset at what’s happening at CFI, I have seen ego problems destroy good organizations in the past have not liked the experience

Ronald:

.

As I stated that evening, we believe wholeheartedly in free expression at CFI, so if Kurtz wants to denigrate the organization he can do so, even at a CFI-sponsored event. But our defense of free expression does not demand that we adhere to a vow of silence when someone states despicable falsehoods about the organization. Respect for free speech does not require an organization to become a defenseless punching bag

.

First, I am not holding you 100% responsible for what happened, IMO Dr. Kurtz was as responsible as anyone for what happened.

I am not questioning anyone’s right of free speech, what I am upset about is the venue that was chosen to express it.  The lecture was to was billed as an adjacent part of the course Dr.  Shook is running and I am participating in on line. 

We are trying to build an organization to express our right to be non-religious.  This function was to be a discussion of humanist ethics, not swapping of insults on how CFI is being run.  There is a major problem with an organization whose leadership lets non-related administrative problems interfere with the programs that are currently active. 

If it necessary to get these problems out to the general membership a different forum is necessary,  Perhaps a thread in this forum presenting the various positions for all interested parties to present their position so that we may all consider which direction CFI is heading and our comments and suggestions for the direction the membership wishes to proceed.

PN:

That “someone” happens to be the founder of CFI.  He made “the organization” what it is today.  He is a great and wise philosopher, and, he has clearly been the biggest champion of humanism and secular values in the latter half of the 20th and the early part of the 21st centuries.

Yes, Dr Kurtz is the founder of CFI,  as for his contributions to Humanism, they have been major IMO, but it is for future generations to determine who has made the “greatest contributions” not us and destroying the organization that he has built is not going to help his standing.

As a side note:  This hero worship that I have often observed among intellectuals, whether it given to Dr. Kurtz, Plato, or Dewy, etc. is IMO not much better than the religious worshipping their various supernatural beings.  In fact, the religious have an advantage in this area in that their views of their mythical beings can be rewritten to remove the faults. 

I’m down in NYC, so far be it from me to weigh in on exactly what is going on up there in Amherst, or lay blame on anyone, but suffice to say this is all a bit disheartening. I thought these bridges had been mended.

FWIW I haven’t noticed any significant drift in CFI’s positions or policies since the changeover of leadership, with one exception. CFI and its sister organizations are now much more willing to work with other, allied organizations like the SCA and the JREF. I believe that that change is a direct result of the change in leadership.

Re. the public sniping about internal politics, agreed with Michael and Gary. It’s unprofessional and destructive. The appropriate way to push for political change is privately, through the board, who are in legal control of the organization.

dougsmith - 25 April 2010 10:53 AM

FWIW I haven’t noticed any significant drift in CFI’s positions or policies since the changeover of leadership, with one exception. CFI and its sister organizations are now much more willing to work with other, allied organizations like the SCA and the JREF. I believe that that change is a direct result of the change in leadership.

I agree.

dougsmith - 25 April 2010 10:53 AM

...The appropriate way to push for political change is privately, through the board, who are in legal control of the organization.

Doug thanks for your insights which are always helpful.

I think there is a place for public discussion, but it should be issue-based and policy-based.  The POI podcast ads invited us to join a “reality-based community”—

Jackson - 25 April 2010 11:40 AM

I think there is a place for public discussion, but it should be issue-based and policy-based.

Right, and to be clear, I wasn’t talking about the general public but rather the “insiders”. Of course, the public should complain about whatever moves them.

I also have to agree with Doug too and I think that if the various organizations work together, it could be a good thing.

This forum is such a nice island of sanity in my life, where I can say things about the craziness of some religious practices without hurting feelings….or my career…

asanta - 04 October 2010 03:54 AM

This forum is such a nice island of sanity in my life, where I can say things about the craziness of some religious practices without hurting feelings….or my career…

We know your IP-address…
We know your email address…
We know your profession…
We’ll find you…

NO! I’m joking! But everything is relative, also anonymity.

BTW, in the ‘View new postings’ your posting looks funny: ‘This forum is such a nice isla..’ Thought you had posted something about islam…

GdB

Richardson is almost certainly a spambot trying to get enough posts so it can slip the spam though.  It won’t work.

Occam