I would like to dedicate this week’s Music Monday to a very special friend of mine who will go unnamed. A little while ago this person informed me that they received their official letter from their church announcing that thier request to be removed from the church was granted. It is a weird that such a move is so important (who needs a letter to be allowed to not participate in something like that?), but I know that this action is a very profound and almost spiritual experience for some.

This person is especially important to me as it relates to Music Monday because it was with him that I attended my first local shows. Shows where I was inspired, by the raw passion and commitment to a religious life in some of the bands that I saw, to make a decision to pursue an, albeit brief, impassioned journey as a young fervent Christian. It isn’t much of a stretch for me to say that both of our spiritual growth was catalyzed by the music we listened to. In the same respect it was music that gave me the courage to abandon my religious beliefs. 

So why today’s song? Well, over the weekend I was able to go see a another good friend of mine who is touring with one of my favorite bands of all time, Every Time I Die. My friend’s band goes by the name Former Thieves and you should definitely check them out if you get a chance. One of the other bands that they are on tour with I had never heard of before, Stray From The Path. They killed it and I checked them out yesterday and found a little gem that goes by the name “Damien”. 

So here is to my friend, and to the hope that young little punks in the US and Canada will be inspired by Stray From The Path to start thinking for themselves. 

As always, if you get a chance, send your suggestions for future Music Mondays to me at chashman@centerforinquiry.net, leave a comment below, or @tweet us at @CFIOnCampus. Your suggestions, along with future and past songs, may end up in the official Course of Reason Music Monday Grooveshark playlist or Spofity playlist that anyone can listen to.    

Joe Bochinski leads a group of skeptics and secularists at Bowling Green State University called Bowling Green Secular Society. They recently were the focus of an article in their school’s paper, and they are busy planning to host James Croft for a debate in March. Details aren’t set yet, but we’re excited to be working with them on this event! Read the article at BG News.

Several groups had successful celebrations for Darwin Day, on or around February 12. There is a very active group at Broward College that always looks for the most fun and educational content. See Darwin Day–Broward College to check them out.

Illinissa is a group that continues to wow CFI supporters by being dedicated to community service and rigorous inquiry. We love them. Find out more about Darwin Day at Illini Secular Student Alliance.

University of Kansas Society of Open-Minded Atheists and Agnostics (KU SOMA) recently held ReasonFest, a regional event to promote reason and critical thinking in the square states. Check their website or Facebook as they post content from the awesome speakers they hosted.

University of Northern Iowa Freethinkers and Inquirers (UNIFI) are almost finished with Darwin Week. They have worked hard to put on this event for several years now, and I heard that the talks were as good as ever. They even set up a video stream for people around the world to enjoy the outcome of their hard work. Check the Darwin Week at University of Northern Iowa website for all of the info and post-event media.

Students For Free-thought in Flint, Michigan (a new group, headed by super-energetic Daniel Grasso) is another group that has been busy with their regular events and hosting a talk for Darwin Day. Check their Facebook page for more information.

The staff at CFI On Campus works to promote the Center for Inquiry mission among students and young people. We think that young people are our future, and secularism will not exist if we do not foster, mentor, and utilize the passion of the next generation. Students are some of our most active and inspirational members, and they’re capable of more than we even know. Check CFI On Campus for updates, or donate to help us continue to grow this program. Thanks for reading!

Many are unaware of (or conveniently forget) this, but our pledge did not always contain the words “under God.” When it was originally written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Christian Socialist, it read: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” It was only during the height of McCarthyism and the Red Scare that, in 1954, the government added the words “under God” to the Pledge in response to the Communist hysteria and the intense lobbying from the powerful, male-only Catholic organization, the Knights of Columbus. 

In November, I learned the Knights of Columbus, through a group called the Becket Fund, had filed a motion to intervene in the case. They claim that the phrase “under God” is similar to the statement in the Declaration of Independence that humans are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” Furthermore, they assert that, in the Declaration’s case, the concept of a creator is not religious because it refers to philosophical deism—the belief that an entity created the universe, but has not interfered with it since. This view is not religious because it rejects revelation as a way of knowing in favor of reason and the observation of nature (Cyrus brief p. 16). Furthermore, they claim that if this was not the case, “reading aloud the Delcaration [sic] of Independence would be unconstitutional” (Cyrus brief p.17).

No one is arguing that merely reading aloud the Pledge or the Declaration of Independence is unconstitutional. Rather, they are arguing that the government has no business in pushing religion on people. While they are right about the Declaration, their claim that the phrase “under God” in the Pledge is not religious in nature is disingenuous at best, especially given the historical context in which it was added and the fact that the Knights of Columbus spent more than any other organization or individual on pushing through California’s recently overturned Proposition 8. In fact, they spent nearly half a million dollars more than even the National Organization for Marriage, whose sole purpose is to prevent the government from recognizing unions between gays in the name of God.

The Knights of Columbus shows little restraint in using the government to impose their religious views on other Americans. Given this, do they expect us to believe that in 1954 they were referring to the secular political philosophy of the Enlightenment or the interventionist God of Christianity? Their argument is eerily similar to the strategy Creationists tried to use to sneak Creationism into the science curriculum in public schools under the guise of intelligent design (the wedge strategy). These groups want to use the government to push their religion, and they will use any means at their disposal to do so.

Those who assert that the students who do not believe in the Christian God can simply skip the words “under God” are missing the point. If a Muslim group or a Hindu group managed to change the pledge to “under Allah” or “under Vishnu,” would these people be okay with that? I highly doubt it. The solution is simple: the government should leave religion to churches, mosques, temples, and individuals. There is no need for our government to cross that line and push religious beliefs on its citizens. That is why you can pray in school, but the school cannot tell you to pray. The same logic applies here.

It just so happens to be the day before Valentines day. So how about a love song for this week's Music Monday? Perhaps a song about loving reality and how that might affect how you love others? I can't think of a better song that fits this criteria other than The Flaming Lips' song "Do You Realize??"

Being the science fan that I am, at one point in my life I jokingly said to my wife "I love you... and science." Of course, she made fun of me, rightfully so and called me a huge nerd, but I actually think there may have been some scincerity in my statement. It just so happens that I find that accepting reality as it is helps me to appreciate how blessed I am to get the chance to live and to love those who are also sharing this experience with me.

Obviously, I believe that music is a medium that may be able to convey this message more efficiently than simple words can, so with no further ado here is a live version of "Do You Realize??"

As always, if you get a chance, send your suggestions for future Music Mondays to me at chashman@centerforinquiry.net, leave a comment below, or @tweet us at @CFIOnCampus. Your suggestions, along with future and past songs, may end up in the official Course of Reason Music Monday Grooveshark playlist or Spofity playlist that anyone can listen to.    

We have announced dates for our Student Leadership Conference! CFICon 2012 will be June 21–24. If you're a CFI student group leader, or if you're starting a skeptic, secular, or freethought group at your college or high school, we invite you to attend the conference at the CFI Transnational headquarters in Amherst, NY.

The event brings together student and community activists from across North Americafor four days packed with leadership training, workshops, networking, educational presentations, and more!

Students can count on meals being provided for all four days, as well as subsidized dorm rooms that cost much less than a hotel. Plus, we will provide shuttle service between the conference facility, the dorms, and the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport.

We will publish the speaker list and schedule as the event approaches. Feel free to contact us if you have questions or need help acquiring funding from your school/group's budget. We'll do everything we can to help!

Want to know what a CFI Con is like? Read the student summaries from James Croft or Carly Casper, who attended in 2011.

On January 31, Planned Parenthood’s President, Cecile Richards, sent an email with the news that Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation had “announced that it will stop supporting lifesaving breast cancer screening for low-income and underserved women at Planned Parenthood health centers.” They cited “politically motivated groups and individuals” as the sources that had “undermine[d] women’s access to care.” It was profoundly disappointing and disturbing news. I wondered, as many people did, why a group whose mission is to “save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures” would want to cut off funding that went toward providing preventative care for low-income and underserved women.

The next day, February 1, Cecile Richards sent another message that thanked everyone for the outpouring of support that they had received in the wake of the Komen announcement. It included a link to a letter that pledged supporters would stand with Planned Parenthood, and I think it worked because I saw iteverywhere. Okay, it wasn’t up on telephone poles, but it was all over the internet.

That same day, The Los Angeles Times published an article by Amina Khan which discussed some of the problems with Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation hiring the “pro-life Christian” Karen Handel as vice president of public policy. “There’s no proof that Handel had a role in the foundation’s decision to end a relationship between two major women’s health organizations that’s paid for some 170,000 breast exams and 6,400 mammogram referrals since the groups began their partnership,” but the article points out that “Handel has made no bones about her anti-abortion—and anti-Planned Parenthood—position” and quotes a blog post Handel wrote that explained her pro-life and anti-Planned Parenthood stance.

One day later, February 2, Planned Parenthood sent a message that thanked their supporters again, specifically mentioning Mayor Bloomberg. Mayor Mike Bloomberg reportedly “made a generous offer to match donations to the Planned Parenthood Breast Health Fund” to the tune of $250,000. Some people do care about women’s health.

After getting tons of support, attention, and props for what they do, Planned Parenthood won. Well, I’d call it a win for Planned Parenthood, and for women. Cecile Richards sent a message on February 3 with the subject “BREAKING: Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation restores partnership.”The email saidl that Komen “announced that it will continue to make grant funds for breast health and education available to Planned Parenthood health centers.” Boom. Roasted.

I received an email from the WeAreUltraviolet campaign on February 6 which went into further detail about Karen Handel. They quoted a line that Handel allegedly said (which was cited in this HuffPo article): “If we just say it’s about investigations, we can defund Planned Parenthood and no one can blame us for being political.” Now that’s class. The Ultraviolet email urged supporters of Planned Parenthood and women’s health to sign a petition “telling Komen’s CEO that Handel must go.” That petition reportedly collected more that 37,000 signatures, and a similar petition by CREDO Action garnered 50,000.

With all of the criticism of Komen and Handel, and support for Planned Parenthood, it’s no wonder that Handel resigned on February 7. Forbes published her resignation letter.

Here is a mash-up of her statements with my thoughts (Handel’s in italics):

As you know, I have always kept Komen’s mission and the women we serve as my highest priority.

As long as they are Christian.

We can all agree that this is a challenging and deeply unsettling situation for all involved in the fight against breast cancer.

It is deeply unsettling that you care more about your own politics than the health of women, yes.

As you will recall, the Board specifically discussed various issues, including the need to protect our mission by ensuring we were not distracted or negatively affected by any other organization’s real or perceived challenges.

Perceived challenges are a bitch, especially when they are made up.

I am deeply disappointed by the gross mischaracterizations of the strategy, its rationale, and my involvement in it.

Translation: I am deeply disappointed that people found me out. [Wario laugh]

What was a thoughtful and thoroughly reviewed decision – one that would have indeed enabled Komen to deliver even greater community impact…

Deliver even greater community impact by cutting off the icky parts of the community.

There is quite a bit more to the resignation letter, but those are the highlights.

So, that’s my run-down of the Planned Parenthood/Komen drama, but there’s even more good news! A California court overturned Prop 8!

Reuters reported that “an appeals court on Tuesday found California’s gay marriage ban unconstitutional in a case that may lead to a showdown in the Supreme Court.” The ruling is beautiful:

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.”

Supporters of marriage rights for same-sex couples know that this is definitely not the end, and not even the end for California. Several sources are claiming that it will likely lead to a Supreme Court case, whereas others believe that the Supreme Court justices may decline to hear it. I don’t know how likely either outcome is, but I look forward to hearing more, and for now, I am celebrating the ruling of Prop 8’s unconstitutionality.

I wish I had more to report on the Prop 8 ruling because it looks like it is less important than the Komen/PP results based on how much material I have listed. The truth is that it is definitely not lesser news; I just don’t have as much drama to share. I hope to learn more as the fight continues.

(Feeling angsty and in need of something to fire you up for activism? Read about the possibility of the Obama administration allowing for religious exceptions to birth control mandates in future health care plans.)

This post is also available at WeAreSkeptixx. 

I have been told on multiple occasions by at least two different people that if God asked them to murder me, they would do it without question. I suppose this is all in a day's work as a secular student activist, because my favorite instace of this was on Blasphemy Rights Day 2009 when a "mob of people" gathered in front of our school library, where I found myself in an impromptu debate in front of about 60 people. I always find it enlightening when people's convictions overpower social pressures. Interestingly, this was the first thing I thought of when I was sent today's Music Monday song of the week by a band by the name of Low called "Murderer".

"But, Cody," you say, "I did a Google search and found out that the members of Low are devout Mormons?" Then I'm all like, "Dude, I know right? I did the exact same thing. Isn't that a bummer? I quite liked the song, too, as it was was a clever rhetorical tactic to examine the nihilistic nature of Christian ethics. Wait what were those lyrics again?":

One more thing before I go

One more thing I'll ask you Lord

You may need a murderer

Someone to do your dirty work

Don't act so innocent

I've seen you pound your fist into the earth

And I've read your book

It seems that you could use another fool

Well I'm cruel

And I look right through

You must have more important things to do

So if you need a murderer

Someone to do your dirty work

So yes, I am not sure how to interpret this song and I will subjectively maintain that it is, in fact, commentary on religious ethics. I should also mention here that I struggle a lot with this dilemma. I will like a song, such as "I Used to Hate Cell Phones, But Now I Hate Car Accidents," but find myself with an uneasy feeling when considering the message. Regardless, my subjective experience of this song elicited a sense of ethical contemplation in a world where people claim to follow every command of God no matter where it may lead, and in that respect I hope you find value in this song. 

This is also a good time to note that the artists on Music Monday do not necessarily endorse the message or goals of CFI, and as always, if you get a chance, send your suggestions for future Music Mondays to me at chashman@centerforinquiry.net, leave a comment below, or @tweet us at @CFIOnCampus. Your suggestions, along with future and past songs, may end up in the official Course of Reason Music Monday Grooveshark playlist or Spofity playlist that anyone can listen to.    

The bill passed 28–22 according to a Courier-Journal article. Apparently some senators “raised questions about the measure’s constitutionality,” but the bill passed and is now on to the House.

I am hopeful that the bill will die, or be challenged and removed later, because precedent has proven over and over again that teaching “creation” as a scientific basis for life is unconstitutional and predicated upon religious belief. And, sorry friends, but promoting religion is still not allowed in public schools.

To learn more about evolution education, visit the National Center for Science Education. 

Note: I previously posted this interview, but would like to repost today with an update. Tabitha has announced performance dates for February and March. View the flier!

This week's interview is with Tabitha Esther. Tabitha is a scientist and artist who created the stage show Seas of Science to get kids excited about science and learning. Tabitha shares details for the 2012 shows, as well as how and why she decided to create an interactive show.

Listen here!

Related Links:

• Seas of Science on Facebook
• Visit their website
• Contact Tabitha

Learn more about CFI On Campus 

Email us with suggestions for future interviews.  

The song is called "Glory Hallelujah" can be found on his 2011 album England Keep My Bones. Frank Turner has quite the tour ahead of him, so if you like today's tune I would suggest trying to make it to one of his shows. However, notice that he is one of those weird people who write the shorthand for dates the "correct" way (DD/MM/YYYY). Enjoy! 

As always, if you get a chance, send your suggestions for future Music Mondays to me at chashman@centerforinquiry.net, leave a comment below, or @tweet us at @CFIOnCampus. Your suggestions, along with future and past songs, may end up in the official Course of Reason Music Monday Grooveshark playlist or Spofity playlist that anyone can listen to.