  Meeting
Report
November 17, 2002
Mynga Futrell
Language Lessons for Humans
At this meeting, HAGSA member, Mynga Futrell, provided a lesson in
semantics. Mynga and her husband, Paul Geisert, have prepared a curriculum
on comparative religion and freethought. More information about that can
be found by accessing their
Teaching About
Religion website.
Mynga's talk dealt with the meanings of certain words as they apply to
and are used by humanists and with the connotations those same words have
in the broader community. Meanings of words can be different to different
people and fear of others' reaction to certain words can and has inhibited
many non-theists from "coming out of the closet." For instance, the
American Humanist Association failed to co-sponsor the recent Godless
March on Washington (in which Mynga participated), possibly because of the
connotations of the word "godless." A second dictionary definition of that
word is "wicked."
The other three words Mynga analyzed were atheist, secular and
faith, each with more than one possible meaning. For example, she
took issue with one sign that was displayed at the Godless March on
Washington. It read "Secular Humanists for a Secular America." The word
"secular" had two different meanings on that sign, but the sign's effect
was negative. An outsider might think from that sign that they were on a
mission to actively convert all religious persons to secular humanism.
That was not the case. The real purpose of the march was to assert our
rights to be regarded as legitimate American citizens and not be
stigmatized and silenced because of our lack of traditional religious
belief.
Report prepared by
Wayne Luney, Recorder
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