Tufts Freethought Society's president Stephen Goeman reflects on how nonreligious individuals respond to terrorism & Islamaphobia. Transcript below:
I'm Stephen Goeman, President of the Tufts Freethought Society, and I am a secular Humanist. The Humanist Manifesto describes Humanism as a lifestance that, without supernaturalism, affirms our responsibility to lead ethical lives of fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity. Humanism has no shared text, and few discernable public faces. As such, we are left to find solace and resolution in times of tragedy through introspection. This afternoon, I will reflect on how the nonreligious find inspiration in the religious pluralism which has developed in the wake of the September 11th devastation.
Like most people I know in the class of 2013, I was only 10 when the attacks of September 11th took place. What I remember most is asking my teachers and family members how and why this could happen, and the resulting silence. The authority figures in my life could barely rationalize the loss for themselves, let alone to someone in grade school. My father, now the Commander of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, was absent for months on end aiding the fight against a vague enemy, the rationale for which I didn't understand. It took years to comprehend the loss and our nation's reaction to it.
At the ten year mark, we seem to have accomplished closure. Osama bin Laden has been brought to justice and America has established itself as a force which liberates countries savaged by dictatorship. There is still much work to be done. There is a disturbing double standard present in American religiosity which reveals a dark side to our coping mechanism. According to a study released last month by Brookings and the Public Religion Research Institute titled "What It Means to Be An American; Attitudes in an increasingly diverse America 10 years after 9/11," 48% of Americans believe that Muslim extremists who commit violent acts represent their religion, while 83% believe that Christian extremists do not exemplify their faith. We are all familiar with the struggles "the ground zero mosque" has faced (despite being neither located at ground zero nor a mosque). Yesterday outside Tisch library, I witnessed one student react in disbelief upon viewing a flyer for the Muslim Students Association's meeting tonight—Is this a joke? She asked, flabbergasted that Muslims would dare commune and exist on this day. The grasp of Islamaphobia is great.
There is hope. Felix Adler, a hero of early Humanism, compelled all individuals to speak out against injustice against groups we ourselves do not belong to. Adler asserted, 'Every outcry against the oppression of some people by other people, or against what is morally hideous is the affirmation of the principle that a human being is not to be violated. A human being is to be respected and revered.' I have observed this to be a principle shared by my friends of faith, and a principle set in action by interfaith coalitions such as the Interfaith Youth Core and the Pluralism Project. Slowly, we are coming together as a nation of diverse religious backgrounds.
We are at war with an exclusionist ideology which seeks to divide our country, and the assaults against liberty aren't always hijacked planes and improvised explosives. Intolerance directed at any group of individuals must be vehemently opposed lest the principles of freedom and tolerance we uphold cease to carry meaning. Victory in the war on bigotry is a long way off, and will require the united spirit of every American. I have hope for the future, and faith in the ability of American citizens to do and be better together. As President Barack Obama put it, "We are the people we've been waiting for."
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@ TheJoshkutchinsky, you are wrong. Justice does not require a legal process.
For example, Stalin and Hitler caused the deaths of millions; if a relative of one of their victims assassinated Stalin or Hitler, then that would be justice.
Justice is the principle of moral rightness; based upon concepts of fairness, rationality, and ethics.
Civilised societies must have the rule of law, but we should not confuse "law" with "justice"; in fact, laws and legal processes can often be unjust.
IronbarkAussie 4 months ago
Good speech. Just want to share some thoughts from a humanist and an AHA member, but one who is not an American and who lives in Europe. I don't think Osama bin Laden was 'brought to Justice'. He was summarily executed. Justice requires a legal process. Whether this was the pragmatic wise thing to do is another matter. Personally, and along with European governments (and many Americans) I oppose the death penalty on principle.
TheJoshkutchinsky 5 months ago