Rationalists of East Tennessee Newsletter

July 2008

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July 6, 2008 Until early afternoon

Lake Hypatia Advance

Trip to Lake Hypatia Advance in Alabama
July 4-6,2008

For years, some members of RET have traveled to Lake Hypatia, in Alabama, during the July 4th weekend, to attend the annual freethought conference.

You, too, may be interested in attending.

More information is available at:

http://www.ffrf.org/lakehypatia/

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July 13, 2008 ; 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Book Club; Barnes and Noble Booksellers, 8029 Kingston Pike

"Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War "


Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War by Joe Bageant is an analysis of "The Heartland" mentality by one who grew up there.  He provides important insights into the religous rightwing working class.

He presents a clear picture of why liberals are not liked by this group. He also relates their strengths and their weaknesses. He is a liberal who points out the ignorance of liberals in relation to this group, a group that thinks that it is the middle class but isn't. He provides answers as to why they vote against their own best interest and how the right manipulates them.

It is an entertaining and sometimes emotional journey.


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July 20, 2008 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

"Daniel Dennett's Intuition Pumps"

Michael Lance will give a talk on the philosophy of Daniel Dennett and how he uses metaphors to explain philosophical concepts or to 'pump' our intuition.

Dennett is a well-know author and philosopher.
Co-Director
Center for Cognitive Studies
University Professor
Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy
Tufts University

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From Pique, Newsletter of the Secular Humanist Society of New York, July 2008

The folowing quoted excerpts are from "The lesson of Gilgamesh" by George Rowell.

The author notes that the story of "Gilgamesh" "distinguishes it from later Middle Eastern myths." Noting that "Gilgamesh finds the plant of  immortality, but a serpent steals it form him, and he learns that death is the ultimate reality for all men an women.

'Gilgamesh, where are you roaming? You will never find the eternal life that you seek. When the gods created mankind they also created death, and they held back eternal life for themselves alone. Humans are born, they live, then they die, this is the order that the gods have decreed. But until the end comes, enjoy life, spend it in happiness, not despair.'" (Translation by Stephen Mitchell)

Often the reasons for religion include a need for an afterlife but this has not been (and is still not in some places) necessarily the way humans think. So, we shouldn't feel that this is an insurmountable barrier to a naturalistic live culture.

As the author, Rowell states, "... the Enlightenment, humanism, and the modern scientific worldview will never go away now: they are too powerful in our modern world. Many people are probably more humanist than they realize, and science continues to advance our knowledge of the previously unknown, both on the microscopic and macroscopic levels, from prions to multiverses."