God would be an atheist... A rational look at religion, morality, politics and daily life

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Review Humanism, What's That? Helen Bennett Prometheus Books, New York (2005) A longer version of this article appeared on January 1, 2006. This new publication from Prometheus Books is an attempt to introduce ten year-olds and above to a sense of reality and the idea that maybe there isn’t an Awesome Father Figure staring down at us from the sky.   Written by Helen Bennett, a former children’s librarian, Humanism, What’s That? presents a dialogue between Mrs Green, a science teacher, and the children in her class on the day they learn that one of their classmates, Amanda, has been injured in an accident and may die. One of the students suggests that if the class prays God will be persuaded to make the girl well. Mrs G explains that they can’t do so, because the United States Constitution ensures the separation of Church and State. Thus endeth the Introduction. Three more chapters, plus a Humanist Creed and a few poems follow. I wish I could wholeheartedly recommend this book. Its heart is in the right place. Bennett states her case as inoffensively as possible, less denying God than pointing out that many people do not accept that God exists. But in making her point, Bennett tries to too hard to cover every base. The conversation – as conversations tend to do – wanders all over the place, from anti-Semitism to Mother Nature, from abortion to criminal rights. This is realistic, but it’s not helpful. No sooner has one point been made than it is forgotten and another takes its place. If each chapter had been shorter and stuck to just one issue it would have helped budding minds focus and develop a capacity for clear thinking. Instead of which they are offered a collection of ideas tossed in the air like a salad.  But it’s the Festive Season, the middle of Yule, and I don’t want to be churlish. There are some good points in Mrs Green’s dialogue and the questions at the end of the book are one way of stimulating young people’s thinking. It will do some good and little harm. Above all, we have few enough weapons to defend our offspring against ignorance. Look out for Humanism, What’s That? Buy it for your school library – it’ll be interesting to see if they accept.  More reviews

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