News and Opinion

Richard Dawkins - The Root of All Evil Channel 4 Monday 16th January 8.00pm I caught the tail end of Richard Dawkins' programme last night. He put forward an interesting idea: Yes, we are all going to die. That's because we have been lucky enough to have been born. With the enormous gene-pool available, it's a magnificant chance that each one of us, as we are, is here at all. So we have this wonderful opportunity to be alive, to be ourselves and to enjoy the world around us ... in the here and now. The programme has inspired me to go back to his books. I read the "Blind Watchmaker" years ago, perhaps I shall try the fat "The Ancestor's Tale" next. Dawkins has written many books, if you'd like help deciding which one to try, here's a helpful webpage (although it doesn't list The Ancestor's Tale, published September 2005): http://tinyurl.com/bvo29

London Review Bookshop I visited the London Review Bookshop for the first time on Thursday, and what a delight. James and I spent some time trying to imagine how we could achieve a similar sized space for our own bookshop housed at Leicester Secular Hall. Even then, the books would still have to be packed from floor to ceiling as at LRB. The LRB was something of a revelation when it opened. It stunned people by saying that it would only carry one or two copies of each title (most are available to order from suppliers within twenty-four hours, so not quite as risky as it sounds). The policy was unheard of at the time, with the headlong tumble towards the three-for-two-pile-em-high approach pursued by the High Street multiples. The LRB is a classic bookshop: a beautiful, tranquil space with conveniently placed chairs, and none of the razzmatazz of popular culture - fizzing expresso machines, dubious celebrity biographies and badly-written bestselling novels, appealling to the modern mind...

Our Spring Programme I'm pleased to be able to report that the Leicester Secular Society programme of free lectures for the January - April period is now ready. The first meeting is on the 15th January. This will be one of our 'Headstrong' evenings of open discussion, on this occasion devoted to 'The Threat Of Fundamentalism To Enlightenment Values', led by Allan Hayes. The Society's 'Anniversary Lecture' is held on the first Sunday in March every year to mark the opening of Secular Hall on that date in 1881. This year the lecture, by Jim Herrick, will also mark the 125th anniversary of the founding of The Freethinker magazine. The series concludes with the Society's Half-Annual General Meeting on 2nd April. There is an impressive array of speakers for the other lectures. Too many to list on this page. For full details see here .

Atheists on the March The first three items are courtesy of contributors to secular newsline. I've added a fourth from the Brights forum. Luigi Ascioli : In Italy there is a spat between an atheist who says jesus never existed and a priest who says he's still about. 'Prove christ exists judge orders priest' is the headline in the Times . His book is ' The Fable of Christ '. With regard to the note at the end of the Times article: There are two passages in Josephus that possibly refer to Jesus. One is refers to James, brother of Jesus. The other, quoted from, is a forgery added by Bishop Eusebius to his copy in the 4th century. Richard Dawkins : Channel 4, announces a provocative programme: 8:00pm Monday, 9 January 2006. "The Root of All Evil? - The God Delusion". Professor Richard Dawkins, Chair of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford, decribes God as the most unpleasant fictional character ever and launches a whole-hearted attack on religion...

New Year, New Hangover According to certain academics this week is supposed to be the most depressing of the year. Then again I'm sure I remember hearing the same said about other days and weeks of last year. So just be glad that whenever you're feeling depressed there's probably an academic out there who has worked out a formula to tell you that, on your specific day of feeling like it's not worth getting out of bed, then the majority of the world's population are feeling the same (those of them that have beds of course). This is, of naturally, notwithstanding certain academics in my own circle who are frequently the cause of said depression and homicidal tendencies. Just so as to avoid coming across as a complete misery guts, I actually had a fairly good (i.e. quiet) Xmas with my family, and a great (i.e. loud and alcoholic) New Year. Thanks to the RMT several of my London-centric friends opted to join me and others in Brighton (we're all ex Sussex Uni studen...

Hurrah, It's the New Year I always love this time of year, especially if we get a brilliantly sunny mild 1st January. I usually go away on 26th or 27th December to somewhere inspiring - mountains or the sea. My most favourite start to a New Year was sitting on top of a mountain in the Lake District, feeling invigorated and healthy and enjoying a packed lunch after a demanding climb. The world felt very good. One of the things I enjoyed was walking along ancient paths - places where people had been walking for thousands of years - although for a different purpose to my wish to have an inspiring start to the New Year. There's something about throwing off the old year - with all its faults and drawbacks and disappointments and starting again, with fresh paper, fresh breath, fresh aspirations. I like the midwinter feasting: the time off from work to relax, meet friends and do a vast amount of cooking and eating. This year has been especially rich with good friends and good food and...