How Does One Become a Humanist?

[spiritually inclined]

Is there a certain way to become a Secular Humanist? Are there certain characteristics that would automatically disqualify someone from being a Secular Humanist?

James

 

[Kungfuzed]

You just need to take the Secular Humanist Initiation Test.

 

[eudaimonia]

You have to know the secret handshake.

 

[doppelganger]

Can one do so by becoming a part of the activities of the American Humanist Association?

 

[michel]

I may be quite wrong, but I would have thought that you don't become a humanist; either you are one or you aren't.

I may, again, be completely wrong, but I see a humanist as a good, moral upstanding person of the community who cares about mankind and the world in general. (without being a theist).

 

[Pinecone]

You start acting like a Humanist, doing the right thing without hope of reward or fear of punishment (Kurt Vonneguts definition). You don't need to be baptized or anything silly like that.

Wikipedia actually has a lot of great information on Humanism (I'd link you to it, but I don't have enough posts) you ought to check it out.

Now if you're actually looking to get involved in a community of Humanists, the best way to probably go would be Unitarian Universalists or some other very liberal church, you'll find that the congregations there almost always have a Humanist outlook on life (but not necessarily secular), although they may not call themselves Humanists.

By the way, a lot of people (but not all) don't really like the addition of the word secular. Humanists come in all sorts of flavors with all sorts of beliefs.

 

[Pinecone]

Also I want to tell you that if what you're looking for is spiritual fulfillment, you won't find it in the Humanist life stand, but it's a great way to live your life, and it can give you a sense of fulfillment.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Also I want to tell you that if what you're looking for is spiritual fulfillment, you won't find it in the Humanist life stand, but it's a great way to live your life, and it can give you a sense of fulfillment.

Not sure what you mean by that.

People who consider themselves "humanist" offer a variety of philosophical definitions of "humanism," making "humanists" just as varied as any other group. Many humanists argue that humanism is quite spiritual, and I certainly agree... Buddhism would be the almost universal example, being I think the most attractive religion to secular humanists, but there are humanists who follow just about every religion under the sun and have a quite healthy spiritual life.

EDIT: Nevermind, I just saw your previous post.

 

[Pinecone]

Yeah, but that's in addition to Humanism. By itself it is a philosophy. You won't find the supernatural or worship in Humanism by itself, but you can easily find it else where in beliefs that you hold in addition to Humanism. I find my spiritual fulfillment in nature, but that's not because I'm a Humanist, it's because I love nature.

Maybe we're using different definitions of what is spiritual, or what a spiritual experience is.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Yeah, but that's in addition to Humanism. By itself it is a philosophy. You won't find the supernatural or worship in Humanism by itself, but you can easily find it else where in beliefs that you hold in addition to Humanism. I find my spiritual fulfillment in nature, but that's not because I'm a Humanist, it's because I love nature.

Maybe we're using different definitions of what is spiritual, or what a spiritual experience is.

Yes you will, if your humanist anthropology includes divinity - that humans on their own are naturally divine. It took a long time for humanism to become completely atheist on its own.

 

[Pinecone]

Well, I guess that's the thing about Humanism, you can find whatever you want or need in it. I don't find my spiritual fulfillment there, just a good way to live my life, but if you do, that's wonderful.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Well, I guess that's the thing about Humanism, you can find whatever you want or need in it. I don't find my spiritual fulfillment there, just a good way to live my life, but if you do, that's wonderful.

Interesting. Spiritual fulfillment is the most I've gotten out of humanism. I guess it's where you begin.

 

[Pinecone]

Well, according to the IHEU:

As a life stance rooted in rational thinking, modern Humanism provides a way of understanding our universe in naturalistic rather than in supernatural terms. It offers men and women, both as individuals and as members of society, a secular ethics grounded in human values.
Drawing inspiration from their rationalist and freethinking heritage, Humanists reject absolute authorities and revealed wisdoms. Humanists consider human experience to be the only source of knowledge and ethics. Humanists believe in intellectual integrity, and do not allow custom to replace conscience. Humanists promote free inquiry which is the basis of the scientific spirit; and as a living philosophy, Humanism constantly enriches itself with the progress of knowledge.

of course, that is a very very basic overview of Humanism and not all of us agree with it, although I happen to. You can be a Humanist and bring all sorts of beliefs to the table with you. That's one of the things that I find so attractive about Humanism, you will have a hard time finding two with the same beliefs.

You seem to be a Christian as well as a Humanist. I, personally, am an atheist (not of the Dawkins or Harris variety, unless I hear something I think is particularly dangerous or distasteful).
I guess I do find some spiritual fulfillment in Humanism, the universe is a magnificent place (I'm glad I live here :-D). I guess it all comes down how you define spiritual. I don't think most people would look at my particular flavor of Humanism as having a particularly spiritual component, but maybe, by some definitions of the word, it does.

I call myself a Humanist, because defining myself by what I am NOT seems kind of silly, and I follow Humanist philosophies. Also I find myself more and more annoyed with Atheists, they seem to have gotten very dogmatic lately.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Humanists reject absolute authorities and revealed wisdoms. Humanists consider human experience to be the only source of knowledge and ethics. Humanists believe in intellectual integrity, and do not allow custom to replace conscience. Humanists promote free inquiry which is the basis of the scientific spirit; and as a living philosophy, Humanism constantly enriches itself with the progress of knowledge.

That's about where I fit in too, with some minor adjustments.

EDIT: I do see an inconsistency in this statement because the guiding assumptions underlying humanism serve as an absolute authority for militant humanists.

 

[Valjean]

I agree with Pinecone's suggestion that a Unitarian Universalist congregation would be a good place to meet humanists. I'm always impressed with UU's idealism and their involvement with community and human-rights issues, something I don't always find in mainstream churches.

I see humanists as having a strong, internalized morality, rather than a set of external, authoritarian rules and regulations. Humanists, thus, do not need constant reminders and re-enforcements to behave properly

Perhaps you could think of a humanist as one who has internalized and actually lives the principles advocated by Jesus in the New Testament.

 

[Pinecone]

That's about where I fit in too, with some minor adjustments.

EDIT: I do see an inconsistency in this statement because the guiding assumptions underlying humanism serve as an absolute authority for militant humanists.

Is there such a thing? I've never encountered it.

 

[jrbogie]

Is there a certain way to become a Secular Humanist? Are there certain characteristics that would automatically disqualify someone from being a Secular Humanist?

James

being a humanist is like being pregnant. you either is or you ain't. if you derive your moral standards from common sense without regard to religious dogma you are a humanist whether you know it or not. some characteristics of humanists:

• Humanists make sense of the world using reason, experience and shared human values.
• Humanists see no convincing evidence for gods, the supernatural, or life after death.
• Humanists believe that moral values are properly founded on human empathy and scientific understanding.
• Humanists believe we must live this life on the basis that it is the only life we'll have -- that, therefore, we must make the most of it for ourselves, each other, and our world.

 

[KnightOwl]

Others have covered it pretty well however I would not suggest UU as a place to go if you're interested in organized humanism. Instead, I would go to americanhumanist dot org and find your nearest chapter/affiliate.

A few years ago I decided I wanted to go to "church" again (I was raised Protestant) but I wanted to go to atheist "church" where we would do the organized charity thing and socialize amongst others like us. I looked into UU and decided it was a little too Kumbaya for my tastes. I didn't need the moments of silence and reflection and hand holding while people said nice things.

I was also appreciative of UU's "we take the best from all religions" thing and the non-judgmental thing, but for my tastes, I really didn't want to get any of my guidance from the Bible or Qu'ran etc per se. While they have good guidance in them, there's really too little between all the other stuff like fairy tales and appalling behavior to be something I want to follow. Maybe that's not the way their services are run, but that's what I gathered from reading their website.

I know several people who belong to both AHA and UU and most of them are pretty disgusted at least with our local chapter if not the organization as a whole as they seem to be a little less accommodating to atheists lately.

Now if you're looking for a spiritual-like setting, I don't think the AHA will necessarily provide that and UU would be the closest thing to a humanist church I could recommend.

If you're looking to be involved in secular charity work there are a lot of organizations that are secular by nature but don't call themselves secular. If you want to be involved in charity run by non-religious people, try atheistvolunteers dot org

 

[KittensAngel]

Is there a certain way to become a Secular Humanist? Are there certain characteristics that would automatically disqualify someone from being a Secular Humanist?

James

It's rather involved actually. Firstly you must acquire a homemade Boston Cream Pie, made from the finest quality ingredients. Then you must take hold of the sacred fork and give yourself an undisturbed block of time in which to commune with the spirit of the pie and relish the religious experience afforded to your taste buds while repeating quietly to yourself; this is proof the universe loves me and want's me to be happy. (Of course there's the added post script for the daring secularist that goes; because the universe has a sick twisted sense of humor as it chuckles watching me try to fit into last years jeans, after worship!)

In all seriousness, (puts away pie) , I arrived at Humanism after taking a long deep inventory of my self. I was raised in a religious family and even attended parochial school for a time. I was Baptized at 12, but always refused communion. As a very young child attending Sunday school, I adored of all the stories that of Noah's ark. Simply because of the animals, while the mass murder of the whole world by God escaped my notice. It just didn't click that what I'd been led to believe was holy would commit an act more in keeping with that of Satan.

I'd been forced to attend church all my life, from the time I was three. I attended parochial school, which was assaulting in many ways, because my parents thought it would afford a better opportunity than what was becoming a violent public school system.

When I was old enough to free myself from the oversight of my parents, I stepped away from what I was taught was expected of me by my folks and sought to enter into a deep relationship and communication with my own sense of self. As such, I set aside fable thinking it truth. I realized that nonsense does not serve and self-deprecation is insulting to anything worth being labeled higher consciousness, much less sacred.

For me, Humanism is a deep sense of self respect and as such is a communion with nature and the unknown. I'm not arrogant enough to imagine anything cares about me exclusively, while inhabiting a speck of area in a vast galaxy full of wonders. I do however recognize that I am solely responsible for my choices and my actions as both an individual and as a fellow member of a diverse society.
If someone needs to relate in religious terms so as to find a connection to humanism, I see it like this.
I am living proof of what others hope exists as creator of all that is. My life is my religion. My actions are ritual. My hopes and dreams are like unto prayers and my striving to accomplish them are the answers to them. The planet is my altar upon which I stride with all respect, for the gift of living moment to moment. And while I do not think myself special, amid all that is and inspires awe in this mere mortal, I do know that what I do and who I am matters right now. And when I'm finished this journey, the path I strove to walk with grace and the lightest of steps, will be but a mere foot path that matters not to me any longer and may be grown over and disappeared to others who I leave behind.

Because while I've lost people in my life to the unknown that awaits on the other side of living, I realize we who are left behind have to live on but in a different place for the lack of their presence in it now. I believe we no longer matter to the dead, and so the peace that I arrived at in that aforementioned self-inventory so as to arrive at Humanism, was achieved in part when my parents died, but years later. When the obvious made itself known through the grief that was still alive.

Their opinion no longer matters.

True and yet obscured for one who inherited their house, my place of growing up, and the memories that lived on there. The lesson was profound however, and so it was worth the wait. What matters is who I know myself to be. What I do set's the tone for the present and the future, but after I'm gone I can imagine it will survive me, as what my parents and passed over friends have survived in their legacy of children, businesses, memories, foundations, etc... And yet the one truth is me. This life is all about me. I take in everything that happens through my personal filter of identification and bias. And from that interpretation I then live my life and with others.
Humanism therefore, is self-gratification with respect for all that entails that supports, enables, sponsors, sustains beingness. I love me. And I shall never be here again. So this life is what I make it and that depends on what I think of me, as to what I think is worth doing to make it the best place I can inhabit and enjoy the effort and that ritual then gives back and to everyone I encounter.
Nearly 7 billion individuals inhabit this planet and I'll only meet a mere handful in this lifetime. Who I know myself to be, the respect I hold for that relationship, is what makes those encounters all that they can be for the sake of all of us who come together.
I'm charitable, kind, giving, supportive, loyal, independent and a humanist atheist. I'm awesome. I'm a b***h. I'm whatever anyone else thinks I am. And I shall never be here again.
But that I'm here now, means something and what that is others take on faith. While I simply take it a moment at a time, until there's no more time allowed. :camp:

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I find the best way to be a humanist is to turn a blind eye to humanity and imagine what humanity could be capable of.