From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ronald A. Lindsay
Ronald A. Lindsay
Ronald A. Lindsay is president and CEO of the Center for to attack nontheists. Kurtz also challenged the chaplains’
Inquiry and of its affiliates, the Council for Secular Hu- refusal to allow him to open a Senate or a House session
manism and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He has as a “guest” who would deliver solemn, nonreligious re-
held this position since June 2008. marks. The federal district court judge who reviewed the
prayers was troubled by the Senate chaplain’s remarks.
Philosophical Work This claim was resolved when the Senate chaplain wrote
an apology to Kurtz and pledged to refrain from dis-
Lindsay has a PhD in philosophy from Georgetown paraging nonbelievers.[12] The second claim was ulti-
University, with a concentration in bioethics. He is the mately dismissed on appeal with the appellate court find-
author of the book Future Bioethics: Overcoming, Taboos, ing that Kurtz lacked standing.
Myths, and Dogmas (Prometheus: 2008).[1] The book was Lindsay also submitted amicus briefs on behalf of the
favorably reviewed by the journal Nature, which de- Center for Inquiry or the Council for Secular Humanism
scribed it as “reasoned, readable, and accessible.” [2] In in various Supreme Court cases, such as the Ten Com-
the book Lindsay argues for, among other things, legal- mandments case, McCreary County v. ACLU.[13]
ization of assisted suicide and a removal of restrictions
on embryonic stem cell research. He has published a
number of articles in peer-reviewed journals, including
Lindsay’s Tenure at the Center
the Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal and the American Jour- for Inquiry
nal of Bioethics. These articles, like his book, focus on top-
ics in bioethics, including the morality of assisted suicide In March, 2011, the Center for Inquiry launched an ad-
and human enhancement technology.[3][4][5][6] vertising campaign in various cities, with billboards and
Lindsay has also written several articles on ethical is- subway ads proclaiming "You don’t need God–to hope,
sues for Free Inquiry, the publication of the Council for to care, to love, to live." The campaign received signif-
Secular Humanism. These articles include a vigorous de- icant media attention. A second phase of the campaign
fense of equal rights for LGBT individuals. was launched in the fall of 2011 based on donor support
for the campaign.[14][15]
In August, 2011, the Center for Inquiry and its affili-
Legal career ate, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, submitted peti-
In addition to his PhD in philosophy, Lindsay has a law tions to the Food and Drug Administration, authored by
degree from the University of Virginia. Prior to joining Lindsay and Barry Karr, executive director of the Com-
the Center for Inquiry, he practiced law for twenty-six mittee for Skeptical Inquiry. The petitions requested the
years with the law firm of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. He concen- agency to require homeopathic drugs to be tested for ef-
trated in employment law and his appellate cases indi- ficacy.[16]
cate he represented employers.[7][8] Lindsay and Center for Inquiry founder Paul Kurtz
Lindsay, however, also represented clients pro bono had disagreements over the operation of the organiza-
in church-state matters, which is where he made his ac- tion which drew the attention of The New York Times.[17]
quaintance with atheist and humanist leaders. He repre- Kurtz eventually resigned all his positions with the Cen-
sented the well-known atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair in ter for Inquiry and its affiliates in May 2010.
a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of chaplains in Both Kurtz and Lindsay were interviewed in October
Congress. Although O’Hair initially received a favorable 2010 by the blogger Eric Veith.[18][19] These interviews
decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District provide more detail about their differing perceptions of
of Columbia Circuit, her case was later mooted by the their conflict.
Supreme Court decision in Marsh v. Chambers.[9]
Lindsay subsequently represented humanist leader, References
and founder of the Center for Inquiry, Paul Kurtz in a
lawsuit, Kurtz v. Baker,[10][11] that challenged certain as- [1] Lindsay, Ronald (15 July 2008) Future Bioethics:
pects of Congress’s practice of having official chaplains Overcoming, Taboos, Myths, and Dogmas Prometheus
that had not been addressed by the decision in Marsh [2] "Bioethics laid bare" 23 October 2008 Nature
v. Chambers. Specifically, Kurtz argued that the Senate [3] Lindsay, Ronald Enhancements and Justice:
chaplain used his government-funded opening prayers Problems in Determining the Requirements of
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ronald A. Lindsay
Justice in a Genetically Transformed Society March [16] Petition Seeks FDA Review of Homeopathic Drugs
2005 Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal [17] Oppenheimer, Mark; 1 October 2010 "Closer Look at
[4] Lindsay, Ronald Slaves, Embryos, and Nonhuman Rift Between Humanists Reveals Deeper Divisions"
Animals: Moral Status and the Limitations of Common [1]The New York Times
Morality Theory December 2005 Kennedy Institute of [18] Departure from CFI Dangerous Intersection
Ethics Journal [19] Responds to Claim of Kurtz Dangerous Intersection
[5] Wiley Online Library Persondata
[6] March 2009 American Journal of Bioethics
Name Lindsay, Ronald A.
[7] Summers v. Howard University Open Jurist
[8] White, Gaskins v. BFI Waste Services Alternative names
[9] Murray v. Buchanan Open Jurist Short description
[10] Kurtz v. Baker Open Jurist Date of birth
[11] Kurtz v. Baker Leagle
Place of birth
[12] "Letter from the Senate chaplain"
[13] McCreary County v. ACLU, Center for Inquiry Date of death
[14] Esmonde, Donn; 18 September 2011 "A billboard Place of death
nonbelievers can believe in" The Buffalo News
[15] Wingrove, Rick; 22 September 2011 "Living
Without Religion" The Washington Post
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ronald_A._Lindsay&oldid=465833697"
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