Sincerely yours, and I expect a reply
-- Laura X, founder/director of the former
National Clearinghouse on Marital and Date Rape
Women's History Library, Berkeley , CA
To ECSC:
Let me say up front that Sunsara Taylor is one of six regular hosts (including myself) on the radio program I produce for WBAI-NY (Pacifica), 'Equal Time for Freethought' (ETFF). And while I want to mention here that Ms. Taylor's interviews have been among the best the program has had to offer, ETFF does not pretend to share all of her world views. Indeed, all six of us have different political philosophies (though I admit we are all left of center), yet we ALL share the common core message of philosophical humanism. In the proud humanist tradition of respecting the diversity of thought, let me then say this.
I have to admit that while I am disappointed that the Ethical Culture Society of Chicago would UN-invite Sunsara Taylor to speak on clearly humanistic topics, I am not surprised. Organized humanism in America has developed over the last 50 years or so as a mirror image of American society itself, which means it's more concerned with it's popularity, mainstream "image," and ability to appeal to the most possible individuals it can. In other words, organized humanism has more often than not traded it's principles for profit (albeit sometimes required just to stay alive in a capitalism system).
This ineffective and neutered 'humanism' has too often turned a blind eye to the sociopolitical and economic heart of humanism, while creating in its absence either a sort of flaky New Age "spirituality," or a narrow-minded, bitter atheism. And while humanism IS about heart, and a naturalistic world view, it's so much more than either.
At its core, I feel humanism is about humanity's drive toward real freedom, social equality, and individual liberty...both of mind and body. Humanism is therefore opposed to that which reduces our chance of obtaining such, including reactionary or authoritarian forms of religion, authoritarian styled power concentration (whether governmental or privatized), and economic systems which are inherently exploitive, oppressive or unfair. In this regard, Sunsara Taylor's message agrees with humanism where it critiques Imperialism, Capitalism, Organized Religion, and Religious Fundamentalism (no matter what one calls the latter).
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