MARCH & APRIL 2013
MARCH & APRIL 2013 MARCH & APRIL 2013 MARCH & APRIL 2013
REGULARS
5 Editorial Nobody knows
Nobody knows anything 6 Godless globe 9 Witness Terry Sanderson, Adam Smith, Rory Fenton 12 Yours sceptically Letters 47 Chris Maslanka’s Quiz 50 Endgame Laurie Taylor
Terry Sanderson, Adam Smith, Rory Fenton
Letters
47 Chris Maslanka’s Quiz
Laurie Taylor has a drinking problem has a drinking problem
FEATURES
13 Q&A: Isy Suttie A
peep at the life of the comedian and actor 14 Islam’s evolution problem peep at the life of the comedian and actor 14 Islam’s evolution problem
Alom Shaha meets the Muslims trying to reconcile their faith with science 18 Cover story: Wild love Our love for nature reveals the Muslims trying to reconcile their faith with our true humanity, says Hugh Warwick 22 Facing the future Physicist
Jim Al-Khalili is the new President of the British Humanist Association. Caspar Melville meets him 26 Top five myths of self-help
Self esteem, assertiveness, owning your feelings. Stephen Briers debunks the language of selfimprovement 28 The case for humanist churches London’s Sunday Assembly offers a new kind of church without god. Alom Shaha joins the congregation 31 Flaming swords & gossamer wings Why do people believe in angels? Sally Feldman finds out 34 The fiction of humanity Why is atheist philosopher
John Gray such an critic of humanism? JP O’Malley meets him to find out 38 The dark side of Buddhism
Is Buddhism really the acceptable face of religion? asks Dale DeBakcsy
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[31]
Hug a hedgehog
Hug a hedgehog
[31] [18]
Angels rise again
41 The shock of the old
41 The shock of the old Toby
Saul visits the new British Museum exhibition and finds that Ice Age art is neither primitive nor cold
Saul visits the new British Museum exhibition and finds that Ice Age art is neither primitive nor cold
COLUMNS 17 Opinion
COLUMNS 17 Opinion Organ opt-out is the best option, says Craig Purshouse 30 Chown’s Cosmos the best option, says Craig Purshouse 30 Chown’s Cosmos Home sweet home sweet home
BOOK REVIEWS
BOOK REVIEWS 44 Andrew Mueller
44 Andrew Mueller on John
Sweeney’s brave exposé of Scientology 46 Rory Fenton
Sweeney’s brave exposé of Scientology 46 Rory Fenton sheds a tear for an atheist memoir 46 Richard Wilson an atheist memoir 46 Richard Wilson finds that
Christianophobia is more than a myth 48 Philip Womack on a surreal master of menace 49 Stephen Howe remembers
Fanon
[28]Aflockwithouta shepherd?
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Face to face with the past
MARCH APRIL 2013 New Humanist 3
