Humanist evolution

A couple of weeks ago the folk who encouraged me to get into this blogging lark closed their site. I meant to praise and wish them well for the future at the time, but things got in the way, so I will do it now.

The PTT Blog (see right of page) started a few months before me, and their feisty and … slightly less Marks & Sparks shall we say... attitude to humanism inspired me to have a go too. They had, as we used to say, an attitude, one shared by some of their allies.

They were saying things other humanists weren’t, and that needed saying. They were doing it in a way that was less…well…reverential, less London media village, and oddly enough with a whiff of something I haven’t seen since old school punk fanzines, so I thought I should join in.

So I did, and I was never prouder in the early days than when they noticed, gave me a plug and even offered help if I got stuck with some techno wizzbang thingy or other.

They have now decided to call it a day, and throw their efforts behind the new Pink Triangle Trust website and The Pink Humanist, online magazine of the same organisation ,which is all excellent, and being overseen by the equally energetic and uncompromising Barry Duke (also editor of The Freethinker).

This is all good. This is humanism evolving as it should. So you should check it out (see new link to right), and maybe even play a part in it.

I'm planning fun, not a funeral, for a friend

I was sorry to hear of the death of one of my friends yesterday, though glad that at least in death he got some of the local recognition he richly deserved in life (see http://www.manxradio.com/newsread.aspx?id=56742 ).
At 93, Denys really was my oldest friend, and since I moved back here one of the dearest. I first met him at a party to launch Fermi’s Paradox, an extraordinary CD by the quite unique Sulby Phantom Band. Denys, even then over 80, was the narrator of an extended poem by his son(and essentially the Sulby Phantom Band), Roly, around which the CD was based. While most of the island’s self-described cutting edge thinkers were there to look cool and hang out with Roly, I was there at Roly’s suggestion specifically to meet Denys and chat about another matter.
Denys wanted to form a Manx group to mercilessly mock local religious hardliners until the Manx public stopped letting them get away with murder (or at least rape, fraud and propagation of general ignorance). Roly, knowing I had similar ambitions, thought his dad and I should talk and see what might be done.
We had a lively chat; I recognised a similar spirit and that night found a role model for my autumn years. Though nothing happened immediately, and neither of us can take credit for calling the meeting which lit the fire, a few months later Denys, Roly and I were amongst a small group of folk who became the Isle of Man Freethinkers. And the rest, as they say, is history.
What I shared with Denys was a belief that satire is the best – sometimes the only –weapon which can neutralise blind belief. If, like us, you chose to balance the joys of Manx life (the scenery, the laid back pace at which anything -or usually nothing- happens) with the mindbogglingly stupid antics of Manx politicians, civil servants and their religulous mates, you also need to be able to laugh.You will never stop the hardcore few who choose such belief, but in poking fun you might limit the damage done by the hypocrites whose wages they pay, and those who we all pay to produce the obscenities which become Manx government policy.
Denys (so I recently found out) had a longer record for top-flight relentless satire than most. He had served as a Royal Artillery officer in World War Two, so saw the savage stuff which fuelled the English post-war satire boom, from Pinter and Theatre of the Absurd at the high culture end to That Was The Week That Was and Monty Python at the lower end.
But arguably this boom was launched well before that by another ex-RA wit, Spike Milligan, with the Goon Show. And in researching some stuff about the Goons and the English Theatre of the Absurd a few weeks back I discovered something amazing. I’d always known Denys was once a plummy-voiced BBC announcer in the days when they wore evening dress to read the shipping forecast, but he was also the narrator of at least one series of the Goon Show.
I can’t claim to have done anything so grand with Denys, but we did launch the League Against Cruel Schmaltz ( a spoof campaign to get Manx radio to play less MOR muzak and find at least one point in the day when Denys’s frail wife, along with many similar housebound oldies, could enjoy some tunes they knew too).
We also harangued the military misfits who turn ‘national remembrance’ days into Bridge Over The River Kwai torture-fests. Pointless two hour prayer dirges, with six hymns, bible readings by dignitaries and a sermon from the Anglican Area Manager, rather than the beer, sandwiches, Vera Lynn and Glen Miller anybody, like Denys, who actually saw off Rommel really wanted.
Sadly, chinless ex-officers who, in their own careers, were too young to have seen a gun fired in anger at anyone but Belfast 10 year olds never listened, and now it’s too late. But we tried, and we definitely had fun, as we also did in the most unlikely campaigns on the most serious issues, such as the assisted dying campaign run by another founder Freethinker, the late Patrick Kneen.
At one point Denys and I had a bit of a private competition going as to who could get the most outrageous letter in the Manx press. When he moved away that stopped, but I would hate to finally win by default, so maybe I’ll take up that baton again just as a tribute to Denys.

Good news and inspiration

As nothing in the Isle of Man seems worthy of ridicule (or even note) this week, and what passes for UK atheism still seemed as irrelevant and up its own Little Englander backside as it was when I went off on holiday I wasn’t going to blog today.
Then I checked out the Pink Triangle Trust blog and read something positive, about an organisation and individuals whose boots British humanists will not be fit to lick for decades.
The PTT (see http://ptt-blog.blogspot.com/2011/09/ptt-donates-1000-to-nigerian-humanist.html ) has just donated £1,000 towards the cost of a conference being arranged by the Nigerian Humanist Movement.
I don’t recall now how I first came across the work of the brave and inspirational Leo Igwe, head honcho at the NHM, who has faced everything (libel actions and death threats from the powerful quacks and charlatans of Nigeria’s infamous, US-backed evangelical industry, beatings of family members and arrest courtesy of that country’s equally dishonest and unhinged police and politicians....) yet continues to talk sense, act for change and, in general, be everything a civilized human being could aspire to be. I only know that discovering his work, and just seeing e-mails with his name on, lifts and inspires me on even the worst day.
The blog quotes from the NHM website, which tells us that: “The Nigerian Humanist Movement was founded in 1996 to promote Humanism, defend secularism and provide a sense of community to all non-religious and freethinking Nigerians – atheists, skeptics, rationalists, agnostics and freethinkers. Nigeria is a deeply religious society. And in most cases people relate, interact and marry along religious lines. Religious affiliation becomes a decisive factor when one is seeking employment, doing a business or wants to be admitted into a school or university. Those who do not profess any religion are treated as second class citizens. So in Nigeria most non-religious people are in the closet. They lack any association or community they can call their own. The rights of non-religious people are not recognized. The voice and interests are not represented at public debates and discourse. So NHM was formed to fulfill this important need – to defend the rights and interests of Humanists and the general public and to realize a Humanistic society.”
As the website (see http://www.nigerianhumanists.com/ ) also says:” In a country plagued by poverty, ignorance, religious fanaticism and superstition, NHM will continue to work and campaign for intellectual awakening, social reform, cultural rebirth and renewal.”
As should we all, in countries perhaps less plagued by extreme poverty but equally riddled with other stuff and nonsense that none of us should have to abide.

Gay humanism's own goal

I have to post an item in support of my fellow freethinkers over at the Pink Triangle Trust blog. Seems they’ve been the victims of censorship – ironically by others in the gay and humanist community.
It seems GALHA (Gay & Lesbian Humanist Association) refused a post to their discussion forum alerting people to the latest edition of the PTT e-magazine ,Gay & Lesbian Humanist. It’s a publication I’ve endorsed, and even written for, just as I’ve endorsed GALHA for years and written a couple of pieces for GHQ (Gay Humanist Quarterly), their now discontinued magazine. I’ve supported both enthusiastically because I consider gay rights to be a good litmus test of contemporary secularism.
The censorship seems to be over a reference to Gaytheist, PTT’s own discussion forum, which itself partly came about because PTT thought setting up another forum, where free speech was a higher priority than GALHA’s, might be useful. Funnily enough, I’ve also blogged on the earlier little censorship battle which led to that!
You can see more on the latest row at http://ptt-blog.blogspot.com/2009/11/censored.html, and as I didn’t previously mention the latest G&LH is out, I’ll also tell you that there’s a direct link to the issue and the Gaytheist forum (equally open to gay or straight contributors alike) from that item.

Happy Birthday PTT Blog

I thought today I was going to have to lay into the old toot about binge drinking that’s been polluting the Manx and UK press in recent days (e.g. http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/Manx-teenagers-among-the-worst.5117461.jp and http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/27/teenage-drinking-alcohol-binge) .
It annoyed me that people who actually get paid to research and find news are too bone idle to do anything except lift press releases about government and drinks industry sponsored pseudo-research word for word.
It annoyed me even more when, as part of my planned demolition, I was going to refer you to something I did for another website over a year back which would have handily pulled the rug from under this crap. Then I discovered that (possibly in the interests of beigeness, boredom and governmental bum-kissing) they’d pulled it and all similar balanced or properly researched items from the site.
Hmm – who’s been promised a nice seat on a QUANGO then?
So, I wasn’t a happy bunny.
Well, folks, this is your lucky day, and that bit of literary semtex can wait for another one. I just discovered something way more positive.
So, I’m sitting here with a bottle of champers instead, and if this entry meanders off into the valley of purple prose it’s because I’m getting stuck into it.
The Pink Triangle Trust blog is one today,and I’m celebrating. It’s on the sidebar, so go take a look.
Don’t let heterosexuality stop you either. This isn’t just some gay blog; not even just some gay humanist blog. This is one of the best things to happen in the British humanist/secularist/freethought community in ages.
Just at the point when (perhaps with the honourable exception of the Freethinker blog and Mediawatchwatch website) UK humanism was descending into some sort of mealymouthed, middle of the road secular Methodism, along comes the PTT blog like a freethought firework display. I caught it by chance on the first day and have been back every day since.
It’s even one of the reasons I took the leap and started blogging myself. And I have to say in passing it helped the PTT guys were supportive of me too.
Look at the links – shedloads of new sources of inspiration for truly independent thinkers. Look at the contributors – I’ve only met two in person but all seem like friends who have cheered me up on bad days and egged me on to further ripostes against the beige puritans.
Right, half a bottle down – got to get this up on the blog before I start babbling.
Many happy returns Andy, Dean, Diesel, Balaam, Roy, George and everyone else who contributed to the joy of the project.
Slainte, and have one or two for me wherever you’re celebrating today!

Stop Honour Killings

I'm sick to the back teeth of armchair humanists who'd rather waste time arguing with Christians about how many angels could dance on a pinhead - if there were angels - than stopping human rights abuse caused or excused by religious 'thought'.
Put your poxy Dawkins or Harris tomes down and look at the International Campaign Against Honour Killings site at http://www.stophonourkillings.com/index.php instead.
Look, for example, at the story from September 27th about women being buried alive in Pakistan.
Now get off your fat, pontificating arses and send an e-mail to some Pakistani officials.
There - isn't that better?