Religious Humanism. A non-religious philosophy, based on liberal human values. It doesn't need any sort of pseudo-authority to say it is, as the only thing truly necessary is the idea that one can believe certain things, and if one can classify those into a group then something is a religion. Humanism has been a religion since its inception. Is secular humanism a religion as a Duke professor declares? Humanism is a religious system, the deity of the worldview being man himself. I call … Humanism is a broad worldview which describes a number of shades of opinion, but the core set of beliefs and values can be summarised as follows. Humanism is a positive approach of life that harps upon human values and morality more than a religion and lays emphasis upon life’s experiences. Humanism is a response to the widespread demand for an alternative to dogmatic religion. Generally the term Humanism, when used today without qualifier, references a nonreligious life-stance, that is, a set of values, not how those values are expressed or practiced. Absolutely abjectly awful. I have seen attempts to substitute atheism or even transhumanism for religion. Email from a Humanist about this page: "I am a humanist--a card-carrying, dues-paying Associate Member of the Council for Secular Humanism.Let's not get into philosophical or religious discussions here--I just wanted to let you know that the information on that page is very accurate and well done. Thank you for stopping by and reading! Humanism Encarta Dictionary says that Humanism is a system of thought that centers on human beings and their values, capacities and worth. It is often thought to be a religion as "the mother of dreams." In my “Secular Humanism Defined” I note the irony here. Humanism may attempt to answer many of the same questions that religions attempt to – existential questions about identity, reality, meaning, and ethics – and its answers may, like religion, lead to a set of beliefs and values for human beings to live by. Humanism is an umbrella term that is applied collectively to a group of theories or philosophies that emphasize our shared humanity and a life based upon reason. Unfortunately, certain facts offered support for accusations that humanism was a religion: The Humanist Manifesto (1931), widely viewed as the founding document of American humanism, explicitly described humanism as a new religion. According to the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), “Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance that affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. Humanists hold … It has no mysteries, no mummies, no priests, no ceremonies, no falsehoods, no miracles and no persecutions. Humanism is undogmatic, imposing no creed upon its adherents. The purpose of this blog is to begin some of this unmasking. That creed is embodied in its Humanist Manifesto, proclaimed in 1933. 1 Humanism rejects religion. Secular Humanism is a religion "for free exercise clause purposes," and it is not a religion "for establishment clause purposes." Humanism, system of education and mode of inquiry that originated in northern Italy during the 13th and 14th centuries and later spread through western Europe. If you understand that religion = "positive conduct indicating a belief in a divine power," then humanism is not a religion. Now, to be fair to the religionists, this is not just a gloating assumption. Whether you’re doing research, exploring a personal philosophy, or are simply curious about humanism, the resources here are a great place to start: […] Members of twentieth-century and 21st Century Humanist organizations disagree among themselves as to whether Humanism is a religion or not, categorizing themselves in one of three ways: religious humanists, in the tradition of the earliest Humanist organizations in the UK and US, saw Humanism as fulfilling the traditional social role of religion. However, only in the last few years have its advocates admitted it. The term is alternatively applied to a variety of Western beliefs, methods, and philosophies that place central emphasis on the human realm. The Religion of Humanism. There are atheists who have religion-shaped holes in their minds. And the result is invariably awful. Religious humanism is an integration of humanist ethical philosophy with congregational rites and community activity which center on human needs, interests, and abilities. Encarta also goes on the say that, in philosophy, humanism is an attitude that emphasizes the dignity and worth of an individual. φησὶ γάρ που πάντων χρημάτων μέτρον ἄνθρωπον εἶναι, τῶν μὲν ὄντων, ὡς ἔστι, τῶν δὲ μὴ ὄντων, ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν. John Staddon, an emeritus professor of biology and psychology at Duke University, authored an article that engendered a wee bit of controversy when he claimed that “secular humanism” was a religion. Please subscribe if you have not done so already. It is thus committed to education free from indoctrination. Secular humanism thus exhibits both features (1) and (2). Humanism serves, for many humanists, some of the psychological and social functions of a religion, but without belief in deities, transcendental entities, miracles, life after death, and the supernatural. Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good. Although religion is notoriously difficult to define—and psychologists of religion generally avoid doing so for this reason—Staddon gives it three properties that would be acceptable to most: a belief in the supernatural, truth claims about the world, and morality. Hvmanism: A New Religion (Humanism: A New Religion) A humanist… trusts to the scientific method when it comes to understanding how the universe works and rejects the idea of the supernatural (and is therefore an atheist or agnostic) Humanism is a response to the widespread demand for an alternative to dogmatic religion. Humanists consider man to be the measure of all things. Like other secular movements, for instance Auguste Comte’s Religion of Humanity, historic Humanism in the US, with a capital ‘H’, was designed as a brand new naturalistic religion. Humanism has beliefs, as many things do, and as such qualifies. Religious humanists were convinced that religion was created by humans, not gods, who always speak the words of humans. Humanism: The Atheist's Religion!!! The question of whether secular humanism is a religion is, of course, a matter of how one defines religion. (If Objectivism isn’t really a religion, damned if I can understand WTF it is!) Rejection of religion in favour of the advancement of humanity by its own efforts. What is Humanism? According to some secular humanists, religious humanism is a contradiction in terms. Others consider it a non-theistic religion and for legal reasons it is often referred to as an ethical life stance. ). Humanism has been called "a religion minus theology". Humanism. The world’s major religions claim to be based on revelations fixed for all time, and many seek to impose their world-views on all of humanity. The nature of religious humanism and the relationship between humanism and religion is of profound importance for humanists of all types. The only national humanist organization existing at that time, the AHA, held a religious tax exemption. Modern science and organization are in a sense only too natural. Yes and No. "Theology" means religious belief methodically arranged, and since Humanism is an organized "religion", it has a creed. They believe it is possible to live a good and fulfilling life without following a traditional religion. He says somewhere that man is the measure of all things, ** Religion. Christian humanism, otherwise known as humanistic Christianity, is thus a religion (or a kind of religion). Humanism is a religion that can be understood. The question really is whether Humanism can perform all the functions of religion. Humanists do not believe in a god. Some Humanists think of Humanism as a philosophy. Self-described religious humanists differ from secular humanists mainly in that they regard the humanist life stance as their religion and organise using a congregational model. This is clearly seen in a document created by many of the first leading Humanist thinkers, scientists and activists: the First Humanist Manifesto 1933 . Hvmanism: A New Religion (Humanism: A New Religion) [Potter, Charles Francis] on Amazon.com. Humanism Is A Religion. It depends on who you ask. Nine times, the Humanist Manifesto I (the humanist bible) clearly calls its beliefs a religion and concludes with the words, "So stand the theses of religious humanism… It sounds well enough until you examine it closely. These humanists provided a functional interpretation of religion: it was created by humans to serve certain purposes. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Humanism is a philosophy, world view, or lifestance based on naturalism-the conviction that the universe or nature is all that exists or is real. That is, the human mind is considered to be the ultimate standard by which all claims are judged. ... Humanism is an approach to life that is found throughout time and across the world in many different cultures. Secular humanism combines the humanist ethic with the metaphysical doctrine that God does not exist (or the epistemological doctrine that knowledge of God is moot). There is a certain problem or challenge to modern thought. Religion and Humanism, The Sophists to Secular Humanism. Starting off, I plan to publish one blog post per week on this topic. The Humanism religion hides behind a variety of veils and masks, such as “civil rights,” “science,” and others. It called humanism a new “religion” to replace magic-based supernatural faiths. – Collins Concise Dictionary. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools , {23} And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. It is the problem of whether Humanism can satisfy humanity. Some people consider Humanism to be a religion, while others do not. It is only religious humanists of this second type who truly qualify as religious, by virtue of the faith commitment their view requires. According to Staddon, religions are defined by three elements they possess in common, including, Belief in invisible or hidden beings, worlds, and processes – like God, heaven miracles, reincarnation, and the soul. Utterly awful. Cosmic Humanism and New Age basically rejects traditional Christianity, and embraces Eastern Religion, but attempts to remove what they feel are superstitions or myths associated with each religion's roots (Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. Related: "A Philosophy of Universality," "The Great Divorce," "For Couples Only," "God at the Speed of Light," "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis.