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Meetings are held the 2nd Saturday of every month (Sept. thru June) at the: Maurice M. Pine Public Library 10-01 Fair Lawn Ave., Fair Lawn, NJ
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Letter to The Villadom Times While I can write a book on Mr. Koster’s article of 5/14 I prefer to recap the debate that has taken place in the past couple of months. As a Humanist (I’m sure Mr. Koster will have a comment about this – thus giving me a chance to explain the benefits of Humanism and his misconceptions about it), I felt obligated to respond to his constant diatribes that purport to be science and fact. They are not. Mr. Koster does not believe in scientific method. Pseudo-scientific method is his forte. He really does not deal with all the issues. He denigrates the man (Darwin) as a way to dispose of his science. He runs down a group of people (19th scientists) as a way of disproving their ideas. He does sometimes try to use science and history to prove his point, but does so rather ineffectually. Mr. Koster points out that Alfred Russel Wallace was in Asia When Darwin presented their joint paper in 1858 and on this point he is correct, however, both names were on it and it is considered to have been “presented” by both. A minor point but it does show how people who are so devoted to using the supernatural to explain natural events think. Mr. Koster wants facts, no problem: FACT: There is no scientific proof for the existence of God, miracles or an afterlife (people seeing light during a near death experience is not considered scientific proof). FACT: Not all scientists who believe in evolution are clinically ill. FACT: Beliefs and faith do not constitute scientific fact. There are many more “facts” that can be pointed out to Mr. Koster, but let’s leave it at that for now. If Mr. Koster wishes to believe in a certain religion, he has that right (and I will support that right). However, whet he should not do is state things as scientific fact when they are not. Nor should he corrupt science and history into becoming realms of his own fantasy. He also should come to realize that all his ideas about how great it was (and could be-?) when the church and state were closely linked are absurd. Whenever this happened in the past learning and enlightened thinking were crushed. I will end this with a quote from Voltaire, “Nothing can be more contrary to religion and the clergy than reason and common sense”. Andy Rosen |
