Free Inquirers Club - 2010 - January
Free Inquirers Club will be moderated by Al Szczepek , who has chosen the following two articles from the December 2009/January 2010, vol. 30 No. 1 issue of FREE INQUIRY magazine
CAVEAT EMPTOR
by S.C. Hitchcock (pg. 49-50)
1. Should atheists come "out of the closet" and demand respect akin to other minorities as Dawkins advocates? Does it matter if atheists are "the same type of minority" as others in the way we approach the issue?
2. The author advocates promoting atheism by starting with young people and giving them something "easily digested". Is this an ethical approach? What age is "too young" to understand?
3. The author claims God's nonexistence is not a viewpoint, but a fact. Thoughts?
4. The author states "logic, when properly understood, naturally leads to atheism-every time." Thoughts?
5. Will this approach result in heightened awareness as the author claims? What are some of the other possible outcomes?
6. The author does not want to coexist with religionists, but live in a world without religion. What other approaches could be utilized to achieve this end?
KIDNEYS FOR SALE?
by Peter Singer (pg. 14)
1. In Singapore, it is legal to obtain the kidney of an executed murderer, and the author contends this creates an incentive for convicting and executing those accused of capital crimes. Thoughts?
2. They have also legalized payments to reimburse organ donors for costs only, and not as an "undue inducement". Thoughts?
3. The most common objection to organ donation is that it exploits the poor. Thoughts?
4. Can a legal market in body organs be regulated? Would this meet the demand?
5. If Iran has indeed "eliminated the waiting list for kidneys in that country without giving rise to ethical problems", would such a program work in the United States?
As always, moderators will be making an effort to keep the conversations "on-subject", so please take some time to read the articles before the meeting so you can follow the arguments and better contribute to the discussion.
Where
: the CFI Tampa Bay office in the Bridgeport Center,
5201 W. Kennedy Blvd., Ste. 124
Tampa, FL 33609-1851
(813) 849-7501
Click for the Map
.
Admission
: No charge to CFI members and first time non-members; $5 for all others.
If you will attend, please RSVP to
David Vangsness sellonlyne[AT]gmail.com
. We must have 6 RSVP's by the deadline of noon on the previous Thursday, or the meeting will be cancelled. Please do not RSVP to the CFI office.
Free Inquirers Club members discuss topics of interest, including article(s) selected by each month's moderators, then branch out. Members bring light snacks and finger foods; coffee, tea, soda, and water are available ($1). Usually attendees go out for lunch in a local restaurant nearby. It makes for another enjoyable social interaction for like-minded friends.
