Why secular humanism matters

[bluequill]

I wanted to share my thoughts on this topic, and ask all of you for your thoughts. I understand that as non-believers, skeptics, freethinkers, atheists, agnostics (or whichever other title you've adopted for your own purposes) you might not necessarily consider yourself a secular humanist. That's okay. But here's why I think it's important:

"Secular humanism is a humanist philosophy that espouses reason, ethics, and justice, and specifically rejects supernatural and religious dogma as the basis of morality and decision-making. Like other types of humanism, secular humanism is a life stance that focuses on the way human beings can lead good, happy and functional lives."

- the first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry, which is good enough for the purpose of this post.

I am primarily a secular humanist because, although I don't believe in God, it goes deeper for me than just being an atheist. I wholeheartedly believe that we, as humans, are capable of good. I believe that leading 'good, happy, and functional lives' is a worthy goal. I believe that helping one another live richer lives is worth it. I also know from personal experience that this isn't any kind of pipe dream. I'm a pretty happy person. I've grown to deeply, deeply appreciate the people I love, the diversity of those I encounter, the community I live in, and the chance I've got every day to make the most of the day, and to reach out to anyone I can.

As a secular humanist, I also reject the notion that there is anything we need to be 'saved from', although I understand that of course, humans are capable of evil actions -- but performing evil actions are choices people make, and many never choose that. All of us make mistakes as humans who are not omniscient and do not have 20/20 hindsight, but I believe that mistakes are learning opportunities, and that they offer us chances to change and grow. I reject the notion of sin (in terms of it being something offensive to a divine being) and I do not believe that my actions offend anyone other than the humans who live around me. In my view, it is my fellow human beings who I need to be considerate of, and apologize to when I wrong them.

Life is worth living, and exploring, and learning about. It's worth celebrating, because it's so precious and such a unique experience, out of all the possible outcomes we COULD have had -- I wholeheartedly side with Carl Sagan, when it comes to that.


~~~~~

All of the above was whirling through my mind a couple weeks back, when a coworker asked me, straight out, if I was an atheist. When I said yes, he responded with "so, you basically live, you die, you become worm food, and that's it?" and I thought "no, that's not it. What a depressing synopsis!" My coworker is a believer in some form of a higher power -- I think he actually created his own convenient god, but there are many people I have met who do believe in God, or in Christ, and they might innocently assume the same kind of thing -- that ultimately, my life has no meaning and I'm doomed to futility.

I don't miss that mentality. There are aspects of Christianity I do miss, sort of. If I'm honest with myself, it's the 'warm fuzzies' I miss - the feeling of trusting something higher than myself, the feeling that there is a 'unifying purpose' to everything, the feeling that our actions have eternal significance, the feeling that an eternal being loved us enough to die for us and save us. In other words, it's the cosmic ego stroking that took me a while to get over. I got over the guilt, the self-disgust, and the depression far more quickly.

I think I traded up, honestly. I realized, after leaving the faith, that it's not about me. Nobody is going to save me. I'm in this boat with everyone else, but we've got to row it, as the saying goes -- and to me, that is freeing. In 150 years, nobody will know I lived, most likely -- and I'm okay with that. My name isn't going to be written in any eternal book, and what I do now remains on this earth alone. So, why be good? Why care about other people? Why make the effort, if there's no reward? I think it boils down to it being worthwhile simply because we all happen to be here together now, and we're all trying to make life meaningful, and we can all use some help, some love, some encouragement while we're here. What we do matters now, and to me, that's enough. We also have future humans to think of. Our actions impact them. We have a huge responsibility to leave this world a better place than it was when we entered it. People of all belief systems alike could agree with that... but as a secular humanist, I believe that we get one shot, while on earth, at giving our lives meaning. I am honoured to have somehow gotten the chance.

What do you folks think? If you are secular humanists, or if you at least find some or most of those goals ones that you follow even without claiming the title.... what's valuable about the ethical system in it, to you? I'm curious to see your thoughts!

[Kiwi]

I really like where you're headed with this, Bluequill. I'm still finding my way in this large new universe with no God and you've touched on a lot that's been on my mind, or at least, in the back of my mind.

Essentially I agree wholeheartedly with everything you say. The only thing I'm uncomfortable with is the label 'secular humanist'. I'm sure it's appropriate and accurate but it sounds either too boring or too pretentious. Maybe I'm just a Human, trying to figure out what that means and how to be the best Human possible.

(Labels were much easier when I was a Christian: saved, unsaved, good, evil, christian, non-christian, saint, heretic . . . )

[marcuspnw]

I am primarily a secular humanist because, although I don't believe in God, it goes deeper for me than just being an atheist. I wholeheartedly believe that we, as humans, are capable of good. I believe that leading 'good, happy, and functional lives' is a worthy goal. I believe that helping one another live richer lives is worth it. I also know from personal experience that this isn't any kind of pipe dream. I'm a pretty happy person. I've grown to deeply, deeply appreciate the people I love, the diversity of those I encounter, the community I live in, and the chance I've got every day to make the most of the day, and to reach out to anyone I can.

Hi bluequill. I am having difficulty with the way you phrased this. What do you mean "deeper than just being an atheist"?
Did you have to adopt secular humanism to believe that leading good, happy and funtional lives is a worthy goal? Wouldn't you
agree that most humans desire this as well as the many other noble ideas that you mentioned?

Your coworker seems to be a real work of art! Has he no imagination? He sucked all the poetic beauty out of
Hamlet's conversation with Claudius with that unworthy paraphrase. Shame on him!

[NH Baritone]

Our Christian upbringing leaves us with an almost Skinnerian training that "good behavior" will lead to a reward. If you perform the pigeon dance, then you will please the trainer and earn your food pellet; if you live a good life, then you will please God and earn your reward in heaven.

(Admittedly, there are those who argue that "God looks at the heart" and "you are saved by faith, not by works." But those same believers will then say that, if you have faith, then your behavior will show it. And failure to behave in a Christ-like manner signals that perhaps you really don't have sufficient faith. This argument is really immaterial. Christians of all stripes are expected to behave charitably, chastely, and devoutly, whether to earn their coming deathless state or display their acceptance of it.)

So having left this God-scam behind, some of us then grapple with questions about our behavior. Why be ethical? For those left in the Skinner Box, they don't understand the motivation. For those of us who escaped, however, we learn that ethical behavior imparts its own reward, either in the here-&-now, or in helping to create a suitable society.

Thus, secular humanism delineates and promotes principles that help mold a society where all can thrive.

Many of these principles we also learned in church, where we followed them because we thought that was what God wanted. However, others were never aired in church because they didn't serve the religious meme. But now, upon reflection, we can align ourselves with these ideas simply because they benefit the human race. And this is a more clear-headed approach to ethics, because it eliminates the superstition that you and God read one another's minds.

[bluequill]

Hi bluequill. I am having difficulty with the way you phrased this. What do you mean "deeper than just being an atheist"?
Did you have to adopt secular humanism to believe that leading good, happy and funtional lives is a worthy goal? Wouldn't you
agree that most humans desire this as well as the many other noble ideas that you mentioned?

Your coworker seems to be a real work of art! Has he no imagination? He sucked all the poetic beauty out of
Hamlet's conversation with Claudius with that unworthy paraphrase. Shame on him!

Heya, marcus!

Sorry, I should clarify: I didn't mean "deeper than just being an atheist" in an insulting way at all, and I apologize if that's how it came off. I meant it more as a way of differentiating atheism, which doesn't necessarily make any moral claims other than its claim that no god(s) exist, from humanism, which puts an emphasis on supporting fellow human beings. I have met atheists who do not consider themselves humanists. That's completely, totally their right. And no, I don't believe that you have to officially OR unofficially adopt secular humanism to make your life meaningful. That would be akin to having to adopt a secular religion, and to have to jump through all the hoops. Not needed.

I am sure that most humans, religious and non-religious, desire to lead good, happy, functional lives. And that's awesome.

What I meant to do with my post -- and I know it's flawed, and likely naive, and unfortunately condescending although I never meant it that way.... is that as a person, I see value in being a humanist. In particular a secular one, but I find I get along swimmingly with ANYONE who tends to make it one of their life's priorities to care about others. The philosophy works for me. It's totally true that others might not want to identify with it. But I was trying to determine how much value the philosophy of humanism actually has.

And yes... Hamlet and Claudius would be rolling in their graves, had they ever lived and were they capable.

[bluequill]

I really like where you're headed with this, Bluequill. I'm still finding my way in this large new universe with no God and you've touched on a lot that's been on my mind, or at least, in the back of my mind.

Essentially I agree wholeheartedly with everything you say. The only thing I'm uncomfortable with is the label 'secular humanist'. I'm sure it's appropriate and accurate but it sounds either too boring or too pretentious. Maybe I'm just a Human, trying to figure out what that means and how to be the best Human possible.

(Labels were much easier when I was a Christian: saved, unsaved, good, evil, christian, non-christian, saint, heretic . . . )

Kiwi, I am very much in the same boat you're in, and I think that we tend to stay in that boat for a good while -- it takes that 'good while' to navigate the world looking through an ENTIRELY different kind of telescope, if you know what I mean. We see it in a whole new way. Not a bad way, or even a scary way (well, maybe a tad)... but mostly, a new way.

That being said, if you're uncomfortable with "secular humanist", I can understand. Believe me, I totally 'get' the desire to JUST be a human, no labels attached. And one of my favourite phrases is "labels are for jars, not people!" (another favourite phrase of mine is "normal is just a setting on the washing machine!" )

So, why do I use the 'label' secular humanist? Good question. I guess because it KIND OF describes what I currently believe: the term secular means I don't attach anything religious to my outlook, and the term humanist means I'm focused on making the world a decent place for those around me. The last thing I want to be is boring, snooty, or pretentious. "Human who cares about others without throwing God into the mix" totally works well enough for me, too. And if it REALLY comes down it it, I AM just a human who cares about others.

A lot of my friends have religious beliefs. But more importantly, they care about others, too. And I think that's the most important part.

[Brad]

Bluequill,
Your original post was GREAT in my view, and of course, your anecdote about your coworker all too typical.

The point, as the vast majority of non-believers will attest, is that atheism - the very word itself - simply denotes non-belief, and though it's an important word, it's insufficient as a basis for a life. All thoughtful and reasonably whole people live by some sort of general or specific ideas and principles, and for atheists those go way beyond the mere negation of superstition, although a refusal to accept ideas that don't hold up to critical scrutiny may certainly be among the principles a person adopts.
That's a bit of knowledge and awareness your coworker apparently lacks. But also, he's apparently one of those sad and childlike folk who have been taught - no, brain-washed - into believing the absurdity that this life has no value unless there's another, and endless, life later. Or maybe he's just your basic jerk who wanted to tweak you or put you on the spot for fun?

Humanism is a great tradition that includes principles such as those you've admired and adopted. "Secular" humanism is a relatively recent moniker intended as somewhat of a clarification or distinction for those of us who either aren't comfortable with "religious" humanism such as that found in some UU groups and in Ethical Culture Societies, or who want to emphasize that our own humanism is in no way founded or bounded by belief in imaginary friends.
As a specific philosophy or "movement" or whatever, "Secular Humanism" was started, if I'm not mistaken by Corliss Lamont and Paul Kurtz and perhaps one or two other individuals along the way.

In any event, I think we'd all agree that in the end, it's not the label that's important, but the principles, and the quality and dignity of life made possible by those principles.

[bluequill]

In any event, I think we'd all agree that in the end, it's not the label that's important, but the principles, and the quality and dignity of life made possible by those principles.

Thanks for your thoughts, Brad!

As for the above.... I will rebel against typical 'secular' speech, and say "AMEN!"