Atheist Celebrates 250th Birthday
Old philosophers never die, they just get stranded in seminars. This seems to be true
of Jeremy Bentham, the founder of my alma mater, University
College London (UCL) - known as "the ungodly hole on Gower Street." The
great utilitarian philosopher helped establish the college as a secular alternative to the
Christian universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Bentham famously declared that ethics
should aim to produce "the greatest happiness for the greatest number." I was
pleased to learn that on his 250th birthday, in 1998, Bentham took part in a University of Houston conference on his life and legacy. Of
course Bentham, who died in 1832, wasn't there in person. Instead he joined proceedings by
videophone.
Bentham ordered his body preserved after his death. He believed it could be a
thought-provoking presence at philosophy meetings. His mortal remains are now on display
at UCL, from where his image was transmitted to Houston.
Jesus, Mary and Donuts
This October, while 100,000 believers flocked to Conyers, Georgia, to hear homemaker
Nancy Fowler read a supposed public message from the Blessed Virgin Mary, in faraway Bras
D'Or, Novia Scotia, a rather more skeptical response was given to a similar
"miraculous" appearance. An image appeared on the side of a Tim Horton Donuts
shop that many took to be the face of Jesus. Hundreds of people came by to take a look,
causing - much like in Conyers - massive traffic jams. With many of the pilgrims
purchasing coffee and muffins while viewing the apparition, the company went against its
own pecuniary interest and came up with a rational explanation: the image was caused by
faulty light bulbs. "We kinda felt a little bit of responsibility to make sure that,
if that was just a reflection from one of our lights, that we should probably change them
just to see what kind of difference it would make," said company spokesperson Rob
Forbes. Tim Horton Donuts should be commended for its willingness to face reality and
encourage people to wake up and smell the coffee.
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