Newsletter #21 - The Church of Spiritual Humanism

June 3, 2004 - Philadelphia www.SpiritualHumanism.org

MARK YOUR CALENDER

The Summer solstice is on June 21st this year. It's the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has a far-reaching association with many ancient religious rites. Be sure to hold your own Spiritual Humanist religious services to celebrate this powerfully inspirational natural event. Of particular religious importance are the observance of the rising and setting of the Sun on the Solstice. Here is a short invocation you can use for your Solstice rituals:

In memory of those who have passed before and in the promise of those who shall follow:

With the rising of the Sun on this longest day, we acknowledge our debt to those uncountable multitudes who labored and struggled though tens of thousands of years to advance human civilization, knowledge and reduce suffering and misery. We are natural organisms that proudly trace our lineage to when life first appeared two billion years ago.

With the setting of the Sun on this longest day we light a candle to brighten the future. The generations that follow us in one thousand, five thousand, even ten thousand years are the heirs to our civilization and accumulated wisdom. We are thankful for the small part we have played here, now, and during our lifetimes in the universal quest for spiritual enlightenment.

The Offiicant's manual, available on our web site, has more information about celebrating Solstice and Equinox.

IN THE NEWS

Life under sharia, in Canada?
By MARGARET WENTE May 29, 2004

Homa Arjomand knows what it's like to live under sharia law. In Iran, she endured it until someone tipped her off that she was about to be arrested and imprisoned. Many of her activist friends had already been tried and executed. She, her husband and two small children (the youngest was barely one) escaped on a gruelling trip by horseback through the mountains. That was in 1989.

Today, she lives in a suburb northeast of Toronto. Her job is helping immigrant Muslim women in distress. And now she is battling the arrival of sharia law in Canada.

"We must separate religion from the state," she says emotionally. "We're living in Canada. We want Canadian secular law."

Sharia law in Canada? Yes. The province of Ontario has authorized the use of sharia law in civil arbitrations, if both parties consent.

see full story at

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040529/COWENT29/TPNational/Canada

EDITORS NOTE:

A great example of why there must be absolute separation of church and state. Stoning people to death for committing adultery, amputation for theft, and for caning public drunkenness are all barbaric practices. Any religious leader that adheres to, promotes, or enforces such a system of laws deserves no special accommodation in any civilized country.

READERS WRITE IN

If you have a question feel free to email me at info ( at ) spiritual humanism.org
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Dear Sir:
Greetings & salutations in the holy name of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ in whom we find no fault. Does this organization believe in God? Does it believe that a person should be saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Sprit? That is what I believe.
Respectfully yours, L. Jones

REPLY

L,
The Church of Spiritual Humanism is a humanist church, and does not endorse christian theology. Christians are welcome to join but the tenets of the church are not based on the christian belief system. Our central tenet is that Religion must be based on Reason. The church will only endorse beliefs for which ther is evidence verifiable by the scientific method. Since belief in gods is still a matter of faith rather than science we do not yet endorse it. If verifiable evidence of the supernatural is discovered the church be happy to adopt it into our religious system.

Best regards, RA Zorger
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ANOTHER READER'S LETTER

Dear Sir,
I here by wish to express my heart felt appreciation on my recent ordination as a member of the clergy of the C.S.H. But I'd also wish to be enlightened on some aspects like invocation.
The uses and applications of invocatory rites, and its probable relationship with satanism.
Uzezi

Uzezi,
While some satanists may use invocations so do christians, jews, wiccans, pagans, and Spiritual Humanists. High school graduations and governmental functions, like the opening of a meeting of the US senate, all start with invocations. An invocation is a religious ritual. Our rituals have nothing to do with satanism.
Best regards, RA Zorger

CONCLUSION

Yes Ordained Clergy Packages are available in our online store http://www.spiritualhumanism.org/shop.htm The Ordination Certificates are printed on acid free paper for extra long life, and Clergy Wallet ID Cards are nice to have. As I mentioned the Officiant's Manual includes information on celebrating the solstices, sample ceremonies, etc., and the companion CD has marriage laws for all 50 states. The fees charged for these packs are our only income and help defer the cost of the web site, advertising, PO Box, and fund the purchase of a permanent location for our regular religious services.

RA Zorger
President, The Church of Spiritual Humanism

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