An invitation to New Humanist readers

Looking for somewhere in central London to relax, meet people, read, work, eat,

drink or be entertained? Not all clubs are stuffy, smug or sexist. The National Liberal Club occupies a magnificent building in Westminster overlooking the Thames and the London Eye. Its interior has the grandeur and comfort of a stately home, while its terrace is one of London’s most enviable places to eat and drink outdoors.

Since George Bernard Shaw presented The Case for Equality at a dinner in 1913,

the Club has welcomed a variety of stimulating speakers. It was one of the first

London clubs to open its membership to women, and its tradition is one of tolerance and open-mindedness.

For a more modest annual subscription than many of its competitors, the National Liberal Club offers superb dining, a reading room, business room with free internet access, function and billiards rooms, plus reciprocal membership rights to more than 100 clubs round the world. There are social and sporting circles, political, economic and arts functions, musical evenings, a summer barbecue and numerous other special events.

“An oasis of tranquillity” Charles Kennedy MP

For further information, or to arrange a visit, please contact Rosemary Tweddle, Membership Secretary

National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HE Tel: 020 7930 9871 Fax: 020 7839 4768 membership@nlc.org.uk www.nlc.org.uk

The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, St Edmund’s College, Cambridge

Science, Religion and Atheism

Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, Friday 30th March - Sunday 1st April 2012

Is the discussion between science and religion affected by its narrator, be they theist, atheist or agnostic? This course is not to debate the existence of God but to explore answers to this question presented by speakers themselves coming from these different perspectives.

Speakers and Topics include: Dr Mark Vernon and Prof. Keith Ward Perspectives on the Philosophy of Science and Religion Dr Allan Chapman and Prof. Ronald Numbers : Does the History of Science and Religion depend on the Narrator? Prof. Simon Conway Morris FRS and Dr Fern Elsdon-Baker : Does the Evolutionary Narrative Support Theism or Atheism? Revd Dr Rodney Holder and Dr Stephen Law : Is the Universe Designed? Prof. Michael Ruse : A Plague on Both Your Houses www.faraday-institute.org or call +44 (0)1223 741281 JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2012

REGULARS 5 Editorial OhmyAmerica 6 Godless globe 9 Witness FrederikStjernfelt,

LyndseyJones,Padraig Reidy,MyraZepf 12 Yours sceptically Readers’

letters 49 Chris Maslanka’s Quiz 50 Endgame Laurie Taylor talks sadly to himself

FEATURES 14 In God they trust Abby

Ohlheiser assesses the Republican presidential hopefuls 20 Return of the moral minority Evangelists are enjoying a TV revival, finds Francis Beckett 23 A time to sow Paul Sims talks to veteran Middle East watcher Fuad Nahdi about the future of the Arab Spring 26 D’oh my God Andrew

Mueller on faith in The Simpsons 28 Burden of proof Is evidence-based policy a realistic expectation? asks Richard Wilson 33 Inside the heresy files

Cullen Murphy on how the Inquisition ignited the modern police state 36 Heavenly bodies

Dieting can harm your humanism, argues Sally Feldman 38 Obscure charms

Medicine and superstition at the Wellcome Collection 40 Memory loss Holocaust history is under attack in Hungary, finds Thomas Land 42 A tale of two Dickens

Claire Tomalin tells Matthew Adams about the author’s conflicted life

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The Republicans vying for the God ’n’ Guns vote

[42]

Best of men, worst of men

COLUMNS

13 Q&A: Andy Hamilton The comedian and writer on his sympathy for the Devil 19 Kitty Ferguson In praise of

Stephen Hawking 22 Chown’s Cosmos Jupiter’s volcanic moon, Io 32 Jamila Bey Black, female and atheist

BOOK REVIEWS

44 Michael Binyon revisits Cold

War brinksmanship 45 Poem Martin Harrison 46 Natalie Haynes enjoys a

Nigerian travelogue 46 Owen Jones explores redneck

America 48 Adam Rutherford tires of Zombie creationist arguments 48 Nina Power puzzles over a heavyweight intellectual partnership

[26]

D’oh my God: Religion in The Simpsons

The Simpsons

[38]

[38]

Saints, charms and folklore