The Weekly SPI Fellows Update
by Julie Esris
Did Ben Affleck’s ancestors own slaves? Apparently so. Should he hide this fact out of shame? No, says lawyer, social critic, and SPI Fellow Wendy Kaminer. Why not? Presumably because Affleck┬áhas nothing to do with his ancestors’ embarrassing deeds. That’s part of it, but Kaminer’s perspective is actually more interesting– and a unifying one┬áfor humanity.
Religion is experiencing┬áa rapid decline, says philosopher and┬áSPI Fellow Daniel Dennett. But why? There is actually not┬áone┬áreason. Rather, there are many reasons for this phenomenon, and Dennett’s answers may surprise you.
SPI Fellow┬áMichael Shermer‘s new book┬áThe Moral Arc is a huge hit among secular circles. In this fascinating interview, Shermer talks about his the evolution of morality– and his┬ápassion for distance cycling.
We at SPI would like to wish novelist, philosopher, and Fellow Rebecca Goldstein┬áa very happy birthday! Check out her latest book,┬áPlato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away
SPI is pleased to introduce our three new Fellows:
Steve Hill is┬áa comedian whose routines touch on current events as well as his own life experiences as a black man. And he does have quite the background: He’s been in the U.S. Marine Corps, has worked at two maximum security prisons, and has even worked in the aerospace industry!
Jeremiah Camara is an accomplished filmmaker, author, and video blogger. A former Christian, Camara rejected the church only to return to it, but as an investigator. He has now authored books Holy Lockdown: Does the Church Limit Black Progress? and The New Doubting Thomas: The Bible, Black Folks & Blind Belief.
As a filmmaker, Camara has created two documentaries. Psychological Wars exposes the negative attitudes towards black people portrayed in American sitcoms. Contradiction: A Question of Faith explores the psychological effect faith has on people, particularly African-Americans.
Richard Haynes is┬áa writer and public speaker. An atheist-turned- fundamentalist-Christian-turned-atheist, Haynes is now the president of Atheist Nexus International, Inc. He dedicates much of his work to building secular communities and encouraging atheists to “come out” of the closet.
Come learn more about them!