How God Evolves

by Ken Burrows

An age-old debate pits evolution against creation-by-God. But what if God himself was created by others? And what if God evolves?

Religious history scholar Reza Aslan engages such questions in his book God: A Human History. Here he documents that people’s compulsion to “humanize the divine” dates back many millennia and has resulted in continually shifting concepts of “God.” In this sense humans have indeed created God as an entity on an evolutionary journey.

Conscience and Religious Freedom

by Groff Schroeder

Most Americans probably think that our medical and religious decisions – especially with regard to sex and reproduction – are deeply private, and that the only people who can legally make these decisions for us are ourselves, our families, and our physicians. Others think US law should force everyone to obey the mandates of [insert religion name here] beliefs – especially with regard to sex and reproduction – no matter what anyone else's [insert religion name here] beliefs (if any) may be. Unfortunately, corporations, employers, governmental agencies, organizations, religious institutions, and individuals already appear to leverage various forms of societal power to force the directives of their church onto their patients.

I pay a medical professional whose religion prohibits birth control/blood transfusion etc. They deny me birth control/blood transfusion etc. "Free exercise of religion" means I follow their religion? And I pay too?

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/politics/2018/january/trumps-firewall-of-faith-pro-lifers-and-lawmakers-praise-new-religious-freedom-division

https://twitter.com/FreethinkersCS/status/954168120196841472

Detecting Reality

by Groff Schroeder

What is real, and how can we know? Do unidentified flying objects (UFOs) prove aliens exist? Do "EMF spikes" or garbled audio clips prove ghosts exist? Does the survival of a loved one after helicopter airlift, emergency surgery, and extended intensive care prove the power of prayer? Virtually no one wants to spread false information, so it is important to determine whether we are deceiving others – or ourselves.

My creed:

By Robert G. Ingersoll

To love justice, to long for the right,
to love mercy,
to pity the suffering, to assist the weak,

Movie Night: Idiocracy

December 19, 2017
6:30 to 8:45 pm
Aspen and Pine Rooms
Penrose Public Library
20 North Cascade Avenue

You are cordially invited to join the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs for Movie Nights on the third Tuesday of each month at Penrose Public Library, 20 North Cascade Avenue in Colorado Springs.

Freethinkers of Colorado Springs movie nights are free and open to the public.  

Not burying my conscience

By Ken Burrows

Preplanning one’s post-death rituals is never fun. Religious intrusions can make it even less so, as this true account will show.

Type true?

by Groff Schroeder

There appear to be two types of politicians: type 1 politicians who serve "The" people (with a capital T), and type 2 politicians who serve the American People (with a capital P). Since at least the 1952 "Checkers" speech, American politics appears to have been crafted to profit type 1 politicians, thwart type 2 politicians, and make it extremely difficult for the American People to tell them apart.

Justified?

by Groff Schroeder

Trump Administration policies including the president's self described "Muslim Ban," Attorney General Sessions' apparent abandonment of protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination, and the president's ban of transgenders from the US military, etc., appear to violate the "golden rule," and America's Constitutional rights to equality, privacy, due process, freedom of association, and freedom of religion. Furthermore, the armed neo-Nazi protests in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 11 and 12, 2017 – as well as President Donald J. Trump's repeated divisive statements about them – are deeply saddening, dismaying, disturbing, and troubling.

Profit conflicts

by Groff Schroeder

Virtually every developed nation on earth successfully provides high quality health care to their citizens routinely, economically, and equally with government operated not-for-profit systems. In America, political conflicts of interest, rigid ideology, and campaign "donations" have evolved a "market based" public not-for-profit (Medicare/Medicaid/Tricare) private for-profit (corporate insurance based) health care "partnership"characterized by inferior medical outcomes, relentless market upheaval, unequal access, conflicts of interest, bizarre legislative maneuvers, unprecedented public expense – and almost unimaginable private profit.

Believing in doubt

By Ken Burrows

The title of this essay may, at first glance, sound oxymoronic. It is not. Because doubt, properly acted upon, is often a needed step to reach truth. Valerie Tarico, Ph.D., a former evangelical Christian, is one of many who have traveled this path. In her book Trusting Doubt, she describes not only the personal enlightenment that doubt helped lead her to but also the psychological dynamics at work in human beings when they choose to either embrace doubt or refuse it entry into their decision-making about what they believe.

Doing the "right" thing?

by Groff Schroeder

Chances are, pretty much anybody and everybody sets out to do the correct thing when they decide to take any action – and virtually everyone seeks to take actions that provide positive outcomes for themselves and or others. Unfortunately, there appear to be many people on earth willing to use deception to manipulate the decisions and actions of others. Therefore, the success or failure of any decision or action to achieve the desired positive outcome depends upon access to complete and correct information.

The Freethinkers of Colorado Springs statement to KOAA News Five in response to President Trump's May 4, 2017 executive order "Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty" follows.

The "Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty" Executive Order does not appear to make any substantial change to IRS 501c3.

E Pluribus Unum

by Groff Schroeder

In 1776, Congress directed Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson to design the Great Seal of the United States. Although other committees followed, two of the Franklin committee's design elements appeared on the final seal, the Eye of Providence and the motto "E Pluribus Unum," meaning out of many, one. When Congress adopted America's seal in 1782, the words e pluribus unum celebrated the joining together of America’s people and former colonies into a democratic republic, and symbolized the American People's shared feelings of respect and responsibility to our nation, our Constitution, and our fellow citizens. Seven years later, Congress ratified the Bill of Rights and its First Amendment, the first two clauses declaring, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” E Pluribus Unum was the de facto motto of the United States of America for 174 years.

Respect for Whose Life?

By Janet Brazill

Our newly elected president has just rushed to reinstate the “Mexico City policy,” otherwise known as the “global gag rule.” This prevents non-governmental organizations working abroad from receiving federal funding for family planning if they perform abortions or even talk to their clients about abortion. (The rule applies even though clinics are prohibited from using U.S. funds for abortions anyway.)