Georgia Skeptics - Vol 05 No 04

Magazine Overview

Title: ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER OF THE GEORGIA SKEPTICS
Issue: VOLUME 5, NUMBER 4
Date: JULY/AUGUST 1992

This issue of the Georgia Skeptics newsletter features a variety of articles, including a report on a seminar, a book review, a fictional supplement, and an informational piece on tax-deductible contributions. The newsletter also includes minutes from a board meeting and details about the organization's mission and membership.

Contents and Articles

MAGIC FOR SKEPTICS, by Anson Kennedy This article is an 'Initiate's Report' on a recent Institute for Inquiry seminar titled "Magic for Skeptics: Trickery and the Paranormal." The author, along with two other members of the Georgia Skeptics, attended the seminar in Lexington, Kentucky. Approximately sixty skeptics were present. The seminar was hosted by CSICOP Fellows Joe Nickell and Dr. Robert Baker. The content covered a history of magic, demonstrations, and instruction in magician's tricks, with the stated purpose of exposing false psychics. The author humorously notes that Dr. Baker's historical accounts were so vivid they suggested he might have witnessed them personally, or perhaps even traveled back in time. Joe Nickell demonstrated 'psychic abilities' like levitating small objects and telepathy, which the author suggests are applicable to debunking. The author concludes the weekend was well worth the time and effort.

BOARD MEETING MINUTES

• A meeting of the Georgia Skeptics board was held on Sunday, May 10, 1992, at Becky Long's home, with 20 regular members attending. Key discussion points included:
• Attracting New Members: Strategies discussed involved distributing complimentary newsletters to local libraries and offering a special gift subscription rate of $12.00. Specific libraries were assigned to board members for contact.
• Public Access Television: Two members volunteered to take a qualification class to produce programs, though the format was undecided.
• Tax Exempt Status: The group's income is below the threshold requiring formal tax-exempt status for basic exemption, but formal status is needed for grants. Larry Johnson volunteered to investigate the requirements.
• Bylaws Committee: Anson Kennedy was appointed to chair a committee to draft bylaws, with plans to solicit examples from other skeptic groups.
• Annual Picnic: The first annual picnic was planned for September at Dale Heatherington's house.
• Press Releases: The group decided to issue press releases in response to paranormal or fringe-science events, such as the alleged apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Conyers.
• Astrology Columns: Hugh Trotti agreed to contact local newspapers to request disclaimers for astrology columns, stating they are for entertainment only.
• Guest Speaker: A committee was formed to plan for a major guest speaker, with the aim of inviting The Amazing Randi for the fall.

BOOK REVIEW: _UNEARTHING ATLANTIS: AN ARCHEOLOGICAL ODYSSEY_ by Charles Pellegrino Reviewed by Hugh Trotti. The book is described as a scientist's engaging presentation of controversial subjects. Pellegrino connects the Greek island of Thera (Santorini) with Plato's tales of Atlantis, suggesting it was a lost civilization, possibly Minoan Crete. The review discusses the historical context, including the work of archeologist Marinatos and the connection to Plato's dialogues. The volcanic destruction of Thera around 1628 B.C. is detailed, with the author's claim that the blast was the "oldest sound ever heard by human ears." The review explores the debate over whether Plato's Atlantis was a real place or a philosophical allegory, noting that modern scholars often dismiss it as untrue. Pellegrino's work is praised for linking advanced plumbing in Minoan architecture with ancient trade routes across Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. The review also touches on the historical meaning of "Asia" and the potential identification of Atlantis with Crete or Thera. It mentions Arthur C. Clarke's foreword and recommends the book as instructive, while acknowledging that most scholars reject the concept of Atlantis as real, citing William H. Stiebing Jr. as an example of this dissenting view.

ME, GRANDFATHER, AND PROFESSOR FREE, Special Fiction Supplement by Diane O'Rea This is a fictional account where the narrator visits Professor Free at the Avalanche Mountain Parapsychological Foundation. The narrator claims her dead grandfather has been calling her phone, with calls accompanied by tinkling bells. Professor Free, surrounded by metaphysical paraphernalia, encourages her to speak. The narrator describes hearing strange sounds, like millions of flapping wings, which Professor Free suggests might be bird wings. The narrator insists they sound like locust wings trying to send a message. Professor Free takes notes. The narrator recounts her grandfather asking for her grandmother, who had also recently died. The narrator believes she picked up fragments of the "locust language." Professor Free dismisses the idea of a war, suggesting the combined minds of gifted people are enough to stop one. He advises the narrator to wait by the phone. Later, while drinking cola, the narrator hears flapping from inside the can. A large green bug emerges, and the narrator questions it about the spirit world and a potential war. The bug crawls away, and the narrator attempts to spray it, believing she sees her grandfather's shape in the resulting fog. The story ends with the narrator feeling she has a story for Professor Free, despite lacking proof.

TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS AND THE GEORGIA SKEPTICS, by Rip Strautman, Treasurer This article addresses common questions about the tax deductibility of contributions to the Georgia Skeptics. Key points include: * Cash donations are deductible as charitable contributions on Schedule A. * Membership dues are likely not deductible because members receive the newsletter in return. * The Georgia Skeptics has not sought formal recognition from the IRS for tax-exempt status because its annual gross receipts are under $5,000, meeting the requirements for automatic exemption under section 501(c)(3) without needing to file Form 1023. * The organization does not seek formal recognition due to the $150.00 user fee required by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 for determination letters.

LAWSUIT AGAINST CSICOP DISMISSED This is a brief mention that a lawsuit against CSICOP has been dismissed.

A NEW WAY OF THINKING, OR ABONDON ALL REASON, YE WHO ENTER HERE? by Anson Kennedy This title appears in the table of contents but the content is not provided in the scanned pages.

Organization Information

The Georgia Skeptics is described as a non-profit local group that promotes critical thinking and scientific inquiry, aligning with CSICOP's philosophy. They encourage the investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims from a responsible, scientific viewpoint and disseminate the results. Material from the newsletter can be used with attribution. For more information, contact the Georgia Skeptics via the Astronomical Society of the Atlantic BBS at (404) 321-5904 or by mail to Becky Long, President, 2277 Winding Woods Dr., Tucker, Georgia 30084.

Membership dues are $17.50 for individuals, $21.00 for families, and $12.50 for full-time students, with the funds used to disseminate skeptical inquiry results and hold educational events.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around skepticism, critical thinking, and the scientific investigation of paranormal claims. The Georgia Skeptics organization actively promotes these values, as evidenced by their seminar reports, book reviews that scrutinize extraordinary claims (like Atlantis), and their general mission statement. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of rational inquiry and the debunking of pseudoscience, while also engaging with topics like fiction and historical mysteries from a skeptical perspective. The inclusion of a fictional piece suggests an openness to creative expression within the broader context of their skeptical mission. The organization also demonstrates a practical approach to its operations, as seen in the board meeting minutes and the article on tax matters.

This document is an issue of the Georgia Skeptics Newsletter, identified as GS05-04. It contains information relevant to skepticism, the critique of paranormal claims, and legal matters concerning organizations that investigate such claims. The issue includes a Q&A section on charitable donations, a report on a dismissed lawsuit, and a commentary piece analyzing a newspaper column that promotes New Age beliefs.

LAWSUIT AGAINST CSICOP DISMISSED

The primary news item is the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by self-proclaimed psychic Uri Geller against The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP). The lawsuit, filed in May 1991 for fifteen million dollars, alleged defamation by James Randi in statements reported by The International Herald Tribune. U.S. District Court Judge Stanley S. Harris ruled in favor of CSICOP, granting their motion for judgment and imposing monetary sanctions on Geller for prosecuting the case.

CSICOP Executive Director Barry Karr stated that the lawsuit was likely filed for harassment and intimidation, aiming to dissuade CSICOP from encouraging critical discussion of paranormal claims. CSICOP publishes the quarterly journal 'Skeptical Inquirer,' which has previously examined and commented on Geller's paranormal claims.

Judge Harris's decision to impose sanctions was based on a federal court rule mandating sanctions for litigation "interposed for any improper purpose such as to harass or cause unnecessary delay or needless increase in the cost of litigation." CSICOP Chairman Paul Kurtz commented that such lawsuits "threaten to chill debate on scientific issues" and are a challenge to First Amendment rights, sending a warning that using libel suits to harass can carry a heavy penalty.

VIEWS AND COMMENTARY: A New Way of Thinking, or Abandon All Reason, Ye Who Enter Here?

This section, authored by Anson Kennedy, critiques a new feature in the free weekly newspaper 'Creative Loafing' called "Paradigms." The column, written by Cliff Bostock, explores New Age practices. Kennedy argues that the New Age movement has co-opted the term "paradigm" to justify their beliefs, often dismissing the need for evidence and claiming that "each person's reality is as valid as another's."

Bostock's introduction to the series appeals to the uncertainty of quantum physics, misinterpreting it to suggest that consciousness is inseparable from the object of examination and that "science is not, after all, value-free." This, according to Kennedy, allows Bostock to disregard scientific limits that conflict with his own values.

The first column discussed, "Breathing Old Life," details "holotropic breathwork therapies" developed by Stanislav Grof. These therapies involve deep breathing and evocative music to induce altered states, claimed to facilitate spontaneous healing and resolution of emotional conflicts, and encounters with spiritual entities. The column notes a warning about contraindications for individuals with certain medical conditions, which Kennedy suggests is a way to lend a scientific-sounding basis to the therapies.

A subsequent column, "Your Psychic Knows," is criticized for its distorted portrayal of Nietzsche's life and death, suggesting that consulting a psychic could have helped him. Kennedy highlights the New Age theme of validating personal truth regardless of external reality.

Bostock's own experiences at a psychic fair in Atlanta are recounted, where he found consistency among psychics but also noted contradictions. Kennedy points out that Bostock seemed impressed by general predictions while glossing over specific, inaccurate ones. The article criticizes the New Age tendency to present fringe beliefs in the language of science to appear "reasonable," a practice also noted by William Evans and detailed in Robert Sheaffer's book "The Resentment Against Achievement."

The Georgia Skeptics intend to continue monitoring the "Paradigms" column.

Tax Deductions for Donations

The newsletter includes a Q&A section addressing whether donations to Georgia Skeptics can be deducted as charitable contributions. The answer is yes, under specific circumstances: the organization must accept the items, retain control over them, and the deduction must be based on the fair market value of the item(s). Donors claiming high non-cash contributions should be prepared to provide substantiation.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards paranormal claims, the critique of New Age philosophies that prioritize subjective reality over empirical evidence, and the legal defense of scientific inquiry against what are perceived as harassment tactics. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of critical thinking, scientific evidence, and the freedom of expression necessary for scientific research, as demonstrated by the support for CSICOP and the critique of the "Paradigms" column. The organization also provides practical advice on charitable donations for tax purposes.