Journal of the Leicester Secular Society March/April 2014 no 60. HAPPY 133rd BIRTHDAY SECULAR HALL!

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1 Leicester SECULARIST Journa of the Leicester Secuar Society March/Apri 2014 no 60 HAPPY 133rd BIRTHDAY SECULAR HALL! Aice Toon, Barey Roscoe and Georgina Matby cut the cake to ceebrate the Ha's birthday & renovation The refurbished Gimson Room at the Secuar Ha was formay opened on March 9th. In attendance, were descendants of those present at the opening of the Secuar Ha in March These incuded: Mrs Aice Mary Toon nee Farnsworth. Aice is the great granddaughter of Wiiam Henry Hoyoak, ( ) a founder of the Secuar Society. Aso there was Barey Roscoe, a descendant of the Gimson famiy, Michae Wright and his sister Georgina Matby, both descendants of Michae Wright ( ) Among those present were Lars Tharp (Antiques Roadshow), Counciors Lyn Senior, Manjua Sood and the City Mayor, Sir Peter Sousby. A presentation was made to Harry Perry in recognition of a the hard work he put into making the modernisation such a success. Inside: Fying Spaghetti Monster Banned - Are There Victimess Crimes? - Goodbye Mr Cheese - Annie Besant Report

2 W H AT S O N at the S e c u a r H a 2 Sunday 23rd March, 6.30pm Annie Wiiamson and Hamish Whiteey entertain. Top-quaity foksong, witty poetry and stories from this accaimed pair of oca artistes. 5 on the door ( 4 concessions). Sunday 30th March, 6.30pm Can You Be Good Without God? Member Peter Thompson reviews the fiction of George Eiot and Iris Murdoch for a demonstration of the ways in which peope create moraity in their everyday ives. Sunday 6th Apri, 11am The Sunday Assemby foowed by unch. The Sunday Assemby is a godess congregation for peope who want to get together to ceebrate ife, to ive better, hep often, and wonder more. Sunday 6th Apri, 6.30pm Jihadism: Then and Now. Ghaffar Hussain, senior researcher at the Quiiam Foundation, reviews the deveopment of Isamic jihadism. Sunday 13th Apri, 6.30pm Arts and Crafts, Ernest Gimson and the Cotswod Group. Jane May of Leicester Museum reviews the history and character of the Arts and Crafts movement and its infuence on buidings ike Secuar Ha. Sunday 20th Apri, 10.00am Leicester Secuar Society s Traditiona Spring Wak. Led by Terry Larkin. Starting at Newtown Linford. See page 3 for more detais (There is no evening meeting.) Sunday 27th Apri, 6.30pm Freedom of Thought in the Word. Bob Churchi from the Internationa Humanist and Ethica Union speaks on the Freedom of Thought Report This is the first report to focus specificay on the rights and ega status of Humanists, atheists and the nonreigious in every country in the word. Sunday 4th May, 6.30pm A musica fundraising event with Chris Loyd and Keith Buck. They wi pay a range of songs with acoustic guitars. Detais to foow Sunday 11th May, 6.30pm How democratic is the European Union? A joint event with Unock Democracy. Hustings for the European eections. Sunday 18th May, 6.30pm A tak about Jack Jones by Lee Soomon. Leicester Secuarist PASTAFARIANS AND DARWIN Let us sing praise to the Fying Spaghetti Monster, for He is a oving God. Of His might and dominion, there is no compare; of His mercy and deiciousness, there is no equa. No other god can chaenge Him; in the taste test, He is invincibe. Through His pasta, He has bessed us with everasting ife, and hoy is His Name. -Ishmai Camuwundra Pastafarian prophet Barry gave this expanation as to why Our Creator designed the word in such a way that we woud be confused and ed astray by the overwheming "evidence" supporting the theory of Evoution. Many have wondered at the wisdom of such design, and why He fet the need to deceive His curious chidren, when He coud have provided evidence that woud prove without a doubt that He indeed did create a species, therefore sating the curiosity of those who seek the truth and etting them ive in peace with the sure comfort of faith, and avoiding such division, prejudice and hatred among His chidren that has instead resuted from the discovery of Evoutionary evidence. Prophet Barry's concusion is succinct: "We, obviousy He's a bit of a dick. There are various known sects of Pastafarianism, one is a sect caed Moundarianism. Its adherents beieve that the Mound, a sacred ump of moud and accumuated dirt that resides at the end of the 96th St and Broadway subway station in New York City, is a Prophet of the Fying Spaghetti Monster. The Mound is appeased by sacrifices of various pastic-based items and offerings of green-favored soda.

3 Pastafarians Fa Victim to Yet More Frivoous Varsity Censorship FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER BANNED It was meant as a humorous poster to promote a secuar society during a university start of term event, but the image of Micheangeo s famous Creation of Adam fresco featuring the satirica deity the Fying Spaghetti Monster has sparked an unikey freedom of speech row. The Church of the Fying Spaghetti Monster came about as a humorous response to the teaching of inteigent design in American schoos in It has since caught on as an anti-reigion statement and become popuar with secuar societies on British university campuses. The church s adherants are known as Pastafarians. The offending poster was put up at London South Bank University by non-reigious students from the South Bank Atheist Society, ony for it to be reportedy removed by student union officias for being reigiousy offensive. Adam s Genitas Initiay students union officias said it was Adam s genitas were the issue, then changed their mind, saying that the posters caused reigious offences and banned the sta from the start-of-term student event. Uttery Ridicuous The British Humanist Association has condemned the poster s remova as uttery ridicuous and part of a rising tide of frivoous censorship at British universities. Andrew Copson, BHA chief executive, said This siiness is unfortunatey part of an on-going trend. In the ast few years we have seen our affiiated societies in campus after campus subjected to petty censorship in the name of offence often even when no offence has been caused or taken. The offending poster which was banned at the London South Bank University - see opposite page for more on the Pastafarian Church. Annua Spring Wak The annua LSS Spring Wak wi take pace on Sunday, Apri 20. It wi be a fourmie circuar wak starting at 10 am from Newtown Linford. Terry Larkin wi be eading it. The wak wi be mainy through woodand. There wi be severa sties and one cimb. There wi be no road waking. What to wear Waking boots are best, worn with a second pair of socks, though stout trainers woud be adequate; a coat/jacket which is warm and waterproof; a sweater, worn, or carried if not immediatey required; trousers best for both men and women, ideay ightweight, jeans not good as they take a ong time to dry if they get wet; headgear and goves to suit the weather. What to bring: hot and cod drinks and something to nibbe, e.g. biscuits or a banana, carried in a sma rucsac which coud aso hod a sweater. How to get to the wak start point From centra Leicester, drive north up the A50. On reaching the A46, turn right. After ess than a mie to eft on to Leicester Road, which amost immediatey brings you into Anstey. Drive into the centre of Anstey where there is a we-signposted eft turn to Newtown Linford. Drive on, passing the entrance to Bradgate Park, the church and the Bradgate pub, a on the right. The wak start is in Markfied Lane, on the north side of Newtown Linford, marked by a signpost which says (M1) Markfied (A50). It woud be best to arrive around 9.45 am to aow time to don boots. Parking There is free parking space in Markfied Lane, in Newtown Linford main street and in the Bradgate pub car park. We can use the pub car park, because that is where we wi have unch afterwards, at reserved tabes. There may be the opportunity to pre-order unch if the pub has opened. The Bradgate has a specia weekend menu. It woud be usefu for Terry to know if you pan to go on the wak, aso to the Bradgate for catering purposes: te , emai terryee74@taktak.net Leicester Secuarist 3

4 133rd Anniversary of the Secuar Ha Our New Home Members of the Secuar Society took to the boards in a dramatic depiction of the opening of the Secuar Ha in Our New Home was written and researched by Eeanor Davidson. In two acts and, with a itte artistic icence, Eeanor s production gave the audience an taste of C19th Secuarism - even down to the singing of a Secuar hymn. The narration was by Christine Keen and the cast consisted of Mike Burden (Josiah Gimson), Ji Cunningham (Harriet Law), Heen Everett (Annie Besant and Michae White), Michae Gerrard (George Jacob Hoyoake), Bessie Hayes, (Mrs Gimson), Lyn Hurst, (Wiiam Hoyoake), Terry Larkin (Chares Bradaugh and B.V. Thompson), Ned Newitt (Ernest Gimson), Sue Skyrme (Sarah Gimson) and Hamish Whiteey (Sydney Gimson and Mrs Theodore Wright) Photos courtesy of Ambrose Musiyiwa Heen Everett as Michae Wright Lyn Hurst as Wiiam Hoyoak, beow the Gimson brothers potrayed by Hamish Whiteey & Ned Newitt Above: Ned Newitt, Hamish Whiteey, Bessie Hayes, Sue Skyrme and Mike Burden. Beow: Michae Gerrard, Ji Cunningham and Mike Burden 4 Leicester Secuarist

5 Gender Discrimination in the Name of Reigion FAITH SCHOOL S MEN ONLY JOB AD Foowing concerns raised by the Nationa Secuar Society, three Musim state schoos have been tod not to discriminate against job appicants on the basis of gender. Nationa Secuar Society In January, the NSS submitted evidence to the Department for Education that a number of adverts paced by the Leicester based Madani Schoos Federation which prohibited women from appying from teaching and non-teaching jobs at an Isamic boys' schoo. Adverts incuded one requesting a "mae science teacher" and another for a 'Mae ICT Technician'. Additiona adverts were paced for the Madani Girs' Schoo requiring 'femae ony' teachers. The Nationa Secuar Society described the Madani Schoo as opening the door to sex discrimination in schoos. Leicester City Counci Schoos with a reigious ethos are aready permitted to discriminate against teachers who do not share the faith of the schoo. Exceptions to equaity egisation that permits singe-sex schoos to admit pupis of ony one sex appy ony to admissions, and do not appy to the appointment of teachers. A spokeswoman for the City Counci confirmed the advert did not compy with the act, saying: Exceptions to the 2010 Equaities Act do not appy. Madani High Schoo. The Madani High on Evington Vaey Road is pubicy funded and has 300 paces for boys and girs each. The buiding was designed by Leicester firm Pick Everard and is state-of-the-art with an Isamic design incuding an Arabic-stye courtyard. There is aso an associated community centre and madrassa. The schoo recenty announced that non-musim girs woud be forced to wear the hijab. The schoo aso attracted controversy after it went back on a commitment that it woud take 10% of its intake from a non- Musim background. Nationa Union of Teachers Peter Fack of the NUT commented: The idea that reigious views shoud take precedence over equaities egisation is a dangerous one. Statutory reguations are supposed to appy equay to a citizens. When reigious groups seeks to avoid equaities aws, they are in practice seeking the right to discriminate. They are aso seeking to impose their own reigious views on the wider community, thereby denying the rights of that wider community. The notion that women are in some way either inferior to men or that they cannot be aowed to perform certain roes is deepy objectionabe in my view. Sippery Sope If we aow some kind of cutura reativism to determine which communities are bound by equa rights egisation then we wi be stepping on to a sippery sope. We have to ask, what wi happen when some fundamentaist white reigious group expresses a desire to be exempted from racia equaities egisation? The fundamenta bindings of our society are dependent on respect for others. That means a others and it means never attempting to discriminate against someone because they are different from you, whether that be by gender, by ethnicity, by age, by sexua orientation, by disabiity or by socia cass. Prejudice and discrimination are aways wrong. from the editor Has the renovation of the Secuar Ha had a knock on effect? It is a ong time since the Ha coud sustain two packed Secuar events in one day. The Sunday Assemby meeting fied the ha to capacity and brought many newcomers to the new godess assemby. The meeting in the evening saw the first drama production in y e a r s. I t m a y n o t b e transferring to London s West E n d, b u t i t s h o w s t h e deveoping confidence of the Society. The Ha Manager aso reports that bookings are up and assistants have been taken on to spread the work oad. The first months of the year has aso brought a sma surge in membership appications. The better faciities have aso enabed some very successfu socia events to take pace. Anu s Feast, the Comedy Festiva and the Burns Night have a been good fun and they have created a good spirit amongst the members. What has gone wrong? Surey it must be time for a good od fashioned row between riva factions of Secuarists. That ought to sort our membership figures out. JOKES FOR INTELLECTUALS Pavov is sitting in a pub enjoying a pint. The phone rings and he jumps up shouting "Oh shit! I forgot to feed the dog." Leicester Secuarist 5

6 Femae Genita Mutiation (FGM) is not an easy subject to hear about or to discuss. The joint meeting organised by the Leicestershire Fawcett Group invited two speakers on this topic on Sunday 2nd March. Detective Inspector Mark Parish from Leicestershire Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit and Sadiyo Siad from Leicester based Eva Organisation for Women. Heen Everett chaired this we-attended meeting. DI Parish is the ead for FGM in Leicestershire. His unit deas with at east 50 high risk Domestic Vioence cases each month and up to 18,000 incidents in any one year. FGM is a crimina offence in the UK and has been so for 20 years. However in a this time there have been no crimina convictions. Some investigations have gone to the Crown Prosecution Service but have not proceeded. He knows that there are women in Leicestershire who have suffered Femae genita mutiation and if this is done to a chid it is Chid Abuse. He expained the difficuty of intervening without putting the chid at greater risk of harm if the poice take action. His unit is in charge of safety panning and has to take decisions on how best to intervene. The biggest chaenge is to get reporting and to provide wraparound support to the young women who do report it. In a famiy where one chid has been cut the other gir sibings then become at high risk. This eads to more difficuties in how best for poice to work within communities on famiy based crime. Success in France One speaker from the foor tod us about the regime in France where there have been 100+ prosecutions. French girs are routiney physicay examined throughout their schoo career resuting in a much ower incidence of cutting. However, such routine physica examinations are not aowed under U.K. aw. Sadiyo then spoke with a presentation. She tod us of her experience of witnessing FGM being carried out on her own nieces in Somaia and how she has been cut hersef. She became an activist against FGM when she moved to Denmark and became invoved in giving taks to Danish nursing schoos. She decided she woud become a bridge between her community and campaigning to end the practice. What is Femae Genita Mutiation? FGM is a controversia procedure that invoves partia or tota remova of the externa femae genitaia, or other non-medica injury to the femae genita organs. FGM is carried out for cutura and reigious traditions, but is internationay recognized as a vioation of the human 6 Leicester Secuarist Femae Genita Mutiation - A Lecture Report - Gi Tayor Many Crimes - But No Prosecutions rights of girs and women. Sadiyo showed some graphic pictures of the toos used and some girs being hed down to be cut. Their pain and bood oss were appaing and very evident. She spoke franky about the difficuties of working with a community who have strongy hed beiefs about why FGM is sti required in this modern word. There are reasons of cutura identity; gender identity; sexua contro and beiefs that it eads to greater sexua hygiene and ceaniness. There are 4 types of FGM a of which invove citerodectomy and some much more extreme which eave women a matchstick sized hoe for urine and menstrua bood. A forms resut in extreme physica and psychoogica outcomes. Girs Taken Abroad by their Famiies Sadiyo expained the strong pressure in many communities from men and women to continue the practice. Girs are often taken abroad from the UK to be cut, often to Egypt. Sadiyo said that her position was that FGM is iega, wrong and competey unacceptabe in any cuture; however peope who practice it think they are doing something good. It is reay important not to isoate the community as this wi just push the practice further underground. She spoke about the work of her organisation Eva. They provide education and training to professionas; advocacy on behaf of girs and promote community diaogue. Protecting the Vunerabe One speaker from the foor suggested that young men shoud witness the cutting or videos of it so that they can hear the screams and understand exacty what is being done to their sisters and future wives. Another suggestion was that parents need to know that they wi be prosecuted if they go abroad for this reason. If we can take action to prevent grooming of chidren on the internet then we shoud be abe to work on preventative actions in this area. It is not good enough to wait unti the girs are cut as this is another ife bighted. A agreed that the current aw is not working. One added difficuty for FGM is that the sufferers are vunerabe young girs who, if they tak, are being asked to criminaise their own parents, and risk compete ostracisation from their ethnic community. It paces girs in an impossibe position. Professionas, teachers or socia workers must testify in court, not the chid victims. This wi not be an easy path forward but we can educate and support campaigning organisations ike Eva Organisation for Women.

7 The Sunday Assemby A GREAT SUCCESS Wow, we did it, we hed our first Assemby! We had been worrying about it for ages, but it went so we. Our own band payed 2 guitars, piano, fute, trumpet and had 7 singers (5 payed instruments too). Most of the band were under 25 but ranged from 15 to a pensioner. We sang four songs: Waking On Sunshine, Happy (Pharre Wiiams), Here Comes the Sun and Don t Stop Me Now (Queen) Pippa was way over the top with repeat choruses, which went down a storm! Our reading, A New Dawn, was written and read by Aan Hayes. We earnt why woves shoud be reintroduced to this country from Macom Hunter. Sanderson and Pippa were briiant as aways. To finish we served kidney bean curry and rice for unch foowed by Indian sweets. A in a everyone enjoyed themseves and we re a ooking forward to the next one! This wi take pace on Sunday 6th Apri from 11am to midday, foowed by unch. Photos courtesy of Ambrose Musiyiwa Leicester Secuarist 7

8 Gush Bhumbra Asks: Why Do We Sti Have Victimess Crimes? So what's a crime? As a rationaist, I want aws to be based on the utiitarian principe of causing harm. So steaing is harmfu to the person osing something, as is fraud. Indecent, tasteess, insuting, or other such behaviour is sometimes harmfu so we restrict that, particuary in pubic. Trading is restricted, so that taxes can be coected to pay for things in the common good. Empoyers are restricted from expoiting workers to prevent harm to the atter. Reducing others rights or freedoms is aso harmfu in some situations. Activities contrary to these aws are crimes. A crimes must have victims, not necessariy individuas, nor even identified. Victims coud be groups of peope, or companies, or animas, or even the environment. Very reasonaby, we have aws to prevent murder, destruction, poution or cruety to animas, etc. The ist is reay quite ong! So what is a victimess activity? Firsty, anything which ony incidentay restricts someone ese's freedoms or rights and causes no reasonaby foreseeabe harm is victimess. This woud incude making one person wait at a road crossing whie riding a bike. The bike riding obviousy affects other peope's rights and freedoms but ony to the norma give and take we a consider acceptabe. Secondy, where an activity has the potentia to harm others, such as hitting someone with your car, we can say that if the participants appy norma considerations of due care, heath and safety, etc., that activity wi be victimess. Regarding harm to the participants, where ony a singe individua is invoved, (s)he shoud be free to do whatever (s)he considers safe enough providing there is no risk to others as previousy discussed. With many participants, each has a duty of care to the others, but once that condition is satisfied, consenting aduts shoud be free to take whatever risks they conscientiousy choose. I incude here boxing, cimbing mountains, motor racing etc. Finay, I am ony considering the situation of consensua adut activities. Obviousy, anything invoving minors or vunerabe peope wi aways require reguation or prohibition. So now what activities are victimess but sti (non-utiitarian) crimes? Taking recreationa drugs. The taking of the drugs doesn't cause harm to others, ony potentiay to the sef, so every person shoud be free to do this. If the restriction is to prevent harm to the individua then we shoud have consistency or the aw oses respect. 8 Leicester Secuarist Why aow acoho and tobacco which are more harmfu than many other proscribed recreationa drugs? Why not reguate sugar, or fat, or other known harmfu things? Some wi say that an addict harms his famiy by wasting money and not performing his responsibiities. But this wi be worse where the addict pays more for iega drugs than ega ones. So egaising is sti better, and by not making the addict a crimina, he can sti be around to hep as soon as he gets his act together instead of anguishing in prison. Provision of sexua services. This harms no one at a when performed between consenting aduts. I agree that forced, or chid prostitution is a probem but we have so many other aws to prevent this. Kidnapping, ensavement, money aundering, etc. are a invoved but are independent of the prostitution. In some European countries, it is now iega for men to buy sex from prostitutes under the mistaken idea that criminaising men (the primary users) is somehow better than criminaising women (the primary providers). But it is perverse to criminaise a consensua adut activity. Why is it that a woman providing toiet ceaning services to a man is ega and taxed but a sexua service is iega? A ot of peope may find one or both services disgusting and degrading but if someone is prepared to do it for money who are we to criminaise them? Basphemy We are seeing this re-introduced by the back door by miitant reigionists prepared to take offence where none exists. What more need I say in the Secuarist magazine? The rea issue What causes probems is the crimina activity inked to the suppy of the drugs, or sexua services. But the thing is that no user of the drugs nor prostitute nor cient can report crimina activity for fear of being criminaised themseves so the rea crimes are we hidden. This is a viciousy circuar state of affairs. The fix If we permitted pharmacies to se recreationa drugs to aduts, crime woud be unnecessary, just as it is for acoho and tobacco. The reguated suppy of drugs woud prevent poisoning due to pouted products. If we had icensed brothes with mandatory heath checks for prostitutes, we woud a be better off. Legaising the activities woud raise tax revenues, free up prisons, prevent peope receiving unnecessary punishment, free poice to investigate propery crimina activity, and improve heath. Why not do it?

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11 The study of genetics has reveaed some uncomfortabe truths. Not just about the identity of criminas and murderers. It has shown that a U.S. president fathered a chid with his save. It has shown that 20% of the current popuation of the Iberian Peninsua has Sephardic Jewish ancestry, and 11 percent bear Moorish DNA signatures. These genetic signatures refect the forced conversions to Christianity in the 14th and 15th centuries after Christian armies wrested Spain back from Musim contro. However, the most uncomfortabe truth for any racist is the evidence which shows that our ancestors were dark skinned peope who spread from Africa to the rest of the panet. 30 years ago, anti-racist campaigners in Leicester used the sogan: One Race the Human Race. At the time, the idea that there were separate Negro, Indian, Chinese and races with distinct genetic identities was sti current. Years earier, Teddy Roosevet even argued that Americans and the British were two substantiay simiar branches of the great Engish Race. With the genetic evidence now avaiabe, it now turns out that the ony reay Engish race is one invoving an egg and spoon. The Growth In Knowedge When Bertrand Russe gave the Society s first Darwin Lecture in 1909, the mechanism of natura seection was increasingy under attack and evoutionary theory was in disarray. In those days, the idea of using genetics as a means to understanding human evoution and woud not have been thought possibe. How things have changed. Such is our present eve of knowedge, it was a foohardy exercise even to precis the sheer Ned Newitt - The Darwin Lecture report - 9th February A Message From Our Ancestors Professor Mark Jobin. University of Leicester voume of information that Professor Jobin was abe to give during his Darwin Lecture. Four Questions The professor showed how the use of genetics has provided new evidence in the study of human evoution. He set out to answer four questions. ŸHow are humans reated to other species? ŸWhen and where did homo sapiens originate? ŸHow did homo sapiens spread? ŸHow can we expain the differences between homo sapiens? Professor Jobin said that DNA was more ike a computer programme than a bueprint. Since there was a 99% simiarity between human DNA and that of a chimpanzee, the key factor in differences between species was how DNA is reguated. This governs key differences which cause humans to have bigger brains, (causing difficut chidbirth), to be bipeda and to be abe to run. Unike other primates, human women have the menopause and we can be eft or right handed. How We Spread Humans originated in Africa and spread from there and moved out of Africa at a time when the continents were not separated by the oceans. The idea that humans were a conquering species is contradicted by the fact that 20% of the Neandertha genome is aive and we in humans. We interbred. Apparenty there is more genetic diversity amongst humans in Africa that amongst any other group of humans on the panet. The further a popuation is from Africa, the ower is its genetic diversity. There is itte geneticay which is specific to Asia or Europe, however there are cear Professor Mark Jobing. Ten years ago, the University of Leicester team, ed by Professor Mark Jobing, together with internationa coaborators, showed that Thomas Jefferson had fathered at east one of the sons of his save Say Hemings. Image courtesy of University of Leicester differences between different popuations in th e word. Race A Cutura Concept? Professor Jobin was asked about race. His view was that race as a concept was much more to do with cuture and traditions and coud not be expained soey by genetics. The major stereotypes, based on skin coour, hair coour and form, and facia traits, refect very superficia differences. There is ony a 0.1% difference in DNA between humans and bioogica adaptation pays a more significant roe in bodiy features and skin type. This has been demonstrated recenty by the anaysis of a man, who ived in modern-day Spain about 7,000 years ago. This shows that ight-skin genes in Europeans evoved much more recenty than previousy thought. It appears that ight skin evoved not to adjust to the oweright conditions in Europe compared with Africa, but instead to the new diet that emerged with the growth of agricuture. The cerea-rich diet of Neoithic farmers acked vitamin D, so Europeans rapidy ost their darkskin pigmentation because they had to synthesize vitamin D from the sun. As Darwin said: we are a one species. Leicester Secuarist 11

12 On 16th February we aunched our first foray into Dave's Leicester Comedy Festiva now the argest comedy festiva in Engand. The recent refurb of the ground foor for the first time aowed us to offer reasonabe faciities to paying customers. The panning had in fact started severa months ago even before the minimod was competed. Meetings hosted by The Big Difference Company expained the system to new venues and strict deadines were aid down for incusion of shows in the festiva brochure. The one I attended gave me just about a week in which to find a suitabe act, agree terms with them and then enter the detais on the Festiva website before the discount guiotine came down. It's at times ike this that the internet comes into its own. A search for atheist comedians soon found Kate Smurthwaite, a message to her on Facebook received an amost immediate positive response and a few messages ater we had agreed terms. This aowed me to submit the detais within the deadine so that we were abe to take advantage of a discount for eary-bird promoters. The Comedy Festiva branding and promotion cost us just 66. Entertainment Licence In addition to that and Kate's fee we had to appy to the Counci for a temporary entertainment icence. These are aso done on-ine and cost 21 a throw. We're aowed to do just tweve of these each year. If we want to do more entertaining than that we woud have to make a fu acoho and entertainment icence appication with a named icensee. With that granted it was then fu-steam ahead with the rest of the pans for the event, working out the aocation of tickets between ourseves and Curve (40/35), tabe ayouts, consideration of a stage, auxiiary ighting, bar stocks etc. Mike and I then signed up with Makro cash and carry to buy in various things, incuding some of the drinks. Reguar checks on ticket saes with Curve (which started ast November) showed a sow start but Mike's frequent promotions at the Ha got our saes moving and we sod our aocation and got more in from Curve over a week beforehand. A coupe of days ater it appeared we had a se-out audience and so no extra advertising or promotion seemed necessary. This was amost true as it appears that we ended up with three unsod tickets at Curve and then severa peope phoned to say they weren't we and their tickets coud be resod. On the 12 Leicester Secuarist Harry Perry refects on the Comedy Festiva at the Secuar Ha The News At Kate My Professiona Opinion night we counted 68 in the audience but that was enough to fi the Ha and create a great convivia atmosphere around the 'cabaret' stye tabe ayout. Kate's performance was ivey and entertaining with poitica humour to the fore but one or two audience members found the references to intimate body-parts a itte too near the knucke. But at east there were few if any expetives! A Heathy Surpus As an organiser of events I am usuay too preoccupied with the mechanics of the evening to be abe to sit back and enjoy it and it was just the same for this event. Even with that caveat, however, I thought my ticket price was good vaue as were the bar prices! I certainy enjoyed seeing everyone ese enjoying themseves. Quite a few peope hung around afterwards in the bar and Gimson Room to catch up with each other. Tota receipts from the bar were just under 150. I do not yet have an exact reckoning for the event but am quite certain we made a heathy surpus and the very positive response from the audience to my questioning whether we shoud do it again next year gives me a warm feeing inside. Many other comedy festiva venues were taken over for severa shows by outfits ike Botte Rocket and Just The Tonic. I assume they get a fat rate payment pus bar takings but we did it a aone for just one night and that gave us more contro. I think next year we might even dispense with the Curve ticket sae service as I think we woud have more certain contro if we did it ourseves. Thanks for your support

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14 O U R H I S T O R Y ITEMS FROM SECULAR SOCIETY S PAST Researched and edited by Ned Newitt MRS ANNIE BESANT: THE POPULATION QUESTION Leicester Chronice - Saturday 29th March 1879 On Saturday evening, Mrs. Annie Besant deivered a ecture at the Wateroo Ha, Wateroo-street, under the auspices of the Secuar Society, on "Poverty: Its Causes And Cure." There was a crowded audience. Mr. Homes presided. Mrs Besant aid it down as a rue that it was the duty of every citizen to try to understand the causes of poverty, so that they might be abe to discover a cure. She beieved that poverty was reay the faut of society, and that it coud be remedied by the exercise of wisdom and reason. She did not, however, pretend that the whoe root and cause of poverty were to be found in the popuation question. It had many roots, and if they wanted to earn how it coud be aboished, they must take into consideration the two great sources of weath - and and abour - and ascertain if the former was used to the greatest advantage, and if the atter was proportionate to it. If they aowed the and question and the popuation question to be separated from each other they woud have a one-sided view of the matter. There was no other country in the word, where the and-hoder was aowed to take the arger portion of the produce, whie the cutivator had a smaer share, or where the weathy man was aowed to make deserts for game whie poor men were starving for want of food. (Hear, hear.) She peaded for the ives of the many, against the uxury of the few, and for the producers of Engand against those who consumed everything and gave nothing back. The popuation question was a very simpe thing, and was understood by everyone in a common sense way. Man was under the aw of the anima word, and was bound to it by many ties. His prerogative was that he was not the save of bind instinct, but that by reason and thought he coud use nature to his own good. In his savage state they discovered checks to popuation of a most terribe kind. In China infanticide was made into a virtue of socia ife, and from India the present Viceroy had said recurring famines were a certainty. But were there no checks to popuation amongst ourseves? A checks might be divided into two casses - ife destroying or birthrestricting. High death-rate meant high birth-rate, and vice versa. The positive checks in this country were a destructive of ife. Infantie mortaity must be incuded, for among the poorer casses three times as many chidren died is among the weathier casses. It was a fact which she attributed to the overcrowding of the dweings of the working peope. But in addition to the preventabe mortaity amongst chidren they must take into consideration the premature death of those who did attain something ike manhood and womanhood. If peope were propery cothed, housed and fed, they woud not hear of so many dying in the prime of their ife. (Hear, hear.) Disease and sow starvation were positive checks, which aso meant intense human suffering. It was asked:- why did not peope emigrate? But how were they to ive, with their famiies, Annie Besant was 31 years od when she gave this ecture. A year earier, she had been on tria, with Chares Bradaugh, for pubishing an obscene ibe in a pamphet advocating birth contro. They conducted their own defence and were found guity. The indictment was eventuay quashed on appea. Annie s unprecedented performance in court inspired many women to study aw. In what was seen as an act of revenge, her daughter Mabe was taken from Annie because she had deprived her of reigious instruction and was now an unfit person to ook after her. Soon after this ecture, she found that it was egay impossibe for her to get a divorce from her cergyman husband. whie they ooked for work! Because, if they were ony going out to starve they might as we starve here. (Hear, hear.) Seeing a these terribe difficuties, Mathus, who was a cergyman of the Church of Engand aid down the doctrine that no man or woman was justified in bringing into the word more chidren than they were abe to support, to feed, and to cothe. (Hear, hear.) Mathus's next rue was that no one must marry unti they had saved up money sufficient to support a famiy in comfort. To the working casses, however, that meant 14 Leicester Secuarist

15 continued universa ceibacy and they preferred rather to have poverty and a home, than more comfort, soitude and hard sefish ives. (Hear, hear.) If Mathus's doctrine on that point were adopted, nothing coud be worse either for the state or for the individua. Late marriages generay meant an increase of socia vice, and the degradation of individua character both in men and women. Eary marriages were the most to be desired, home being the best schoo for every virtue. Without them, men grew hard, cod, and sefish and women thoughtess, frivoous, and narrow-minded. But without a imitation of famiy, eary marriages signified poverty. With such a imitation any disproportion between those who produced weath and those who consumed it without working was prevented. From another point of view it reieved the bread winner from a heavy burden and the wife from that which she ought not to do. It was wrong that a woman with chidren at home, shoud be obiged to toi for her ife and coud never afford a chance of peasure or recreation. (Hear, hear.) It woud thus be better for husband, wife, and chidren, and yet it was urged that such teaching (birth contro) was immora. She contended that it was more mora for one chid to be we fed, we cothed, we trained into a good citizen - trained to be a bessing to society, than a famiy of ragged, starving i-fed chidren trained to be thieves, or feons, and a curse instead of a bessing to the race. (Appause.) Mrs. Besant then spoke of the ate prosecution against her and Mr. Bradaugh, and referred to the fact of her being deprived of the custody of her chid as a consequence of her teaching. A few questions were asked at the cose and answered by Mrs. Besant. Leicester SECULARIST Advertising Rates Coour or back & white 1 8 Vaentine from one who coud ove another - but which one where when here then there now no then why how we one day which every which way another such when won by so so why why not by so much more than ever before such an one and me makes us one page: 5 ¼ page: 7 ½ page: 12 fu page: 20 Ji Cunningham Payment in advance and Cheques payabe to Leicester Secuar Society. Board Meeting 26th January 2014 It was agreed to send a press reease regarding the Society s hep to the Mustard Seed Humanist Schoo in Uganda. It was agreed to thank Adeene and Mark Lucas for the work they had done on making the new curtains. The curtains have a ight proof ining and have been fireproofed. Leicester Secuar Society The use of car sharing as a soution to reduced bus services on Sunday was discussed A vounteer minute secretary was sti needed It was agreed that the free speech issues raised by the Jesus and Mo cartoons shoud be discussed by members at the next review meeting in June. Support for the Sunday Assemby was discussed. It was anticipated that the Assemby woud take pace once a month. The LSS participation at the Faith and Beief Day had not proved to be very productive. Six membership appications were reported. There were 163 members. PAT testing of eectrica items is to be carried out. The repacement of the viny bench covers was discussed and a budget agreed The buiding manager reported that he was sti waiting for Severn Trent to fush out the sewer pipes. The treasurer reported on the Society s finances. The AGM of the Secuar Society was fixed for 2nd November Leicester Secuarist 15

16 Discaimer, Code of Conduct and Copyright The Leicester Secuarist is a not-for-profit undertaking of Leicester Secuar Society. Pease note that the views and proposas expressed in this journa are not necessariy those of the Editor or the Board of the Society, and the Editor, the Society and its officers accept no iabiity for views expressed. As the journa of a Freethought organisation any member s views may be pubished subject to the usua constraints of avoiding ibe, occasiona editing to fit the space avaiabe and intrinsic merit. When writing pease abstain from gratuitous bad anguage and avoid being unnecessariy offensive, especiay to other members! We express our thanks for non-society images sourced under the fair use convention for the purposes of debate and education. Resoution is reduced to prevent onward commercia use. The contents may be reproduced at wi uness the item is accompanied by a copyright symbo. An acknowedgement of the source (for origina materia) woud be appreciated - with a ink to the Society website. 16 Leicester Secuar Society Contacts A can be reached by post via the Ha address President - Gush Bhumbra Te: Emai: gbhumbra@eicestersecuarsociety.org.uk Chairperson - Anthony Matthew Te: Emai: anthony.matthew@tiscai.co.uk Membership Secretary/Treasurer - John Catt: Te: Emai: memsec@eicestersecuarsociety.org.uk Company Secretary - Kate Housden: Te: Emai: kmhousden@eicestersecuarsociety.org.uk Ha bookings/maintenance - Mike Burden: Te: Emai: secuarha@gmai.com Events Coordinator - Harry Perry Te: Emai: harry.perry1@btinternet.com Secuarist Editor - Ned Newitt: Te: Emai: secuarist@eicestersecuarsociety.org.uk Website and news - Frank Friedmann: Te: Emai: web@eicestersecuarsociety.org.uk Library and archives - Giian Lighton: Te: Emai: giianighton@hotmai.com Keyhoders: Mike Burden, Harry Perry and Giian Lighton Audio-visua kit: Normay hed by Mike Burden. Leicester Secuar Society Registered Office: Secuar Ha, 75 Humberstone Gate, Leicester LE1 1WB Emai: mai@eicestersecuarsociety.org.uk Website: LSS is a company imited by guarantee Reg. No NEED A LIFT TO MEETINGS? Reduced bus services on Sundays are making it difficut for members to get to and from Secuar Society meetings. Can you hep? If you are abe to give someone a ift or need one yoursef, pease get in touch with John Catt, te: Emai: memsec@eicestersecuarsociety.org.uk Leicester Secuarist Leicester SECULARIST deadines The copy deadine for the next edition is 12 noon, on Friday Apri 18th We wecome new artices, etters, jokes, poems, news, cartoons, book reviews, etc. Pease send via the Ha or emai to Ned at the address in the adjacent box. P e a s e i n c u d e p h o t o s o r iustrations where you have them. Aim to write ess than 500 words, athough onger artices may be accepted if appropriate. Pease ensure they are submitted we ahead of the deadine. If you submit handwritten artices, pease give us enough time to type your artice into the computer. Ned Newitt (editor) BOOK THE HALL The Secuar Ha can be booked for morning, afternoon or evening sessions. The ha offers a fuy equipped kitchen, wi-fi and an accessibe toiet. The rates for booking are: Large Ha (the Gimson Room) seats up to 75 or up to 60 diners. Kitchen and muti media faciities are avaiabe. 30 per session, ( 5 extra to use the kitchen for catering) Sma meeting room (the Harriet Law Room) wi seat 10 peope. 12 per session. The times of the sessions are: Morning: 9-1pm Afternoon: 2-6pm Evening: 6:30-9:30pm Contact Mike Burden on to book or for more detais.