However, it was not I who went to the Program Committee and insisted that they allow me to speak; they approached me. After conducting their established process, they invited me and published my name as an upcoming speaker in their October newsletter.
Further, the fact that it is the bureaucratic "right of the Board of Trustees to reach the decision to dis-invite me does not make that decision morally right, any more than the "right of California voters to ban gay marriage through made that decision morally or ethically defensible.
All suggestions on the part of EHSC Board or Program Committee, as made in their October 28th letter to me, that I would somehow endanger the "safe, peaceful, engaging atmosphere of their Sunday program is merely further character slander. This behavior from any organization is shameful, but coming from a group that avows itself to be rooted in ethics and humanism it is disgraceful.
If the Society continues to proceed in this fashion and does not reverse its decision to dis-invite, it would be more appropriate to rename itself the "Un-Ethical Society for Anti-Humanism.
In their October 28 letter, the Board of Trustees apologized for "any acrimony between the Ethical Humanist Society and [myself] that has transpired recently.
However, the conflict that has arisen between EHSC and myself was never about feelings of "acrimony but of profound matters of principle and ethics. I protest and condemn in the strongest terms their decision not out of feelings of personal acrimony or a sense of pride, but out of a firm commitment to matters of ethics and principle. Indeed, I do not believe I would be worthy of any platform to speak on matters of ethics or morality if I did not strongly object and condemn and call out such shameful behavior on the part of any organization.
I intend to fulfill my commitment to all who want to hear me speak. I will lead a workshop on the theme of "The Liberation of Women and the Emancipation of All Humanity on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2-4:00 p.m. at the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago, 7574 N. Lincoln Avenue in Skokie. Further, I will be available and prepared to speak to all and any willing to hear the content of my originally scheduled talk, "Morality Without Gods, on Sunday, November 1st.
I believe this is the only ethical thing to do.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
1
