Green Gaia
Veteran Member
Secular Humanism is the most prominent branch of Humanism and being that it is grounded in secular philosophy by rejecting supernaturalism, it fundamentally conflicts with religious belief. Secularism may or may not be opposed to religion per se, but as a social movement it is especially concerned with religious law, whereby a strict doctrine is imposed upon the citizenry dismissing the concept and practice of freedom of religion. Regarding political matters, Secular Humanism seeks to keep the government separate from the influence of any particular religion in order that rules developed under secularism may be universally applied.
Secular Humanism can be (over) simplified thus:
Humans matter and can solve human problems
Science, free speech, rational thought, democracy and freedom in the arts go together
There is no supernatural
There are now nine Humanist Manifestos and Declarations:
Humanist Manifesto I (http://www.americanhumanist.org/about/manifesto1.html) (1933)
Humanist Manifesto II (http://www.americanhumanist.org/about/manifesto2.html) (1973)
A Secular Humanist Declaration (http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=main&page=declaration) (1980)
A Declaration of Interdependence (http://www.iheu.org/modules/wfsection/article.php?page=1&articleid=281#globalethics) (1988)
IHEU Minimum Statement on Humanism (http://www.iheu.org/modules/wfsection/article.php?page=1&articleid=6) (1996)
Humanist Manifesto 2000: A Call for a New Planetary Humanism (http://www.secularhumanism.org/manifesto/index.htm) (2000) condensed version
The Affirmations of Humanism: A Statement of Principles (http://www.secularhumanism.org/intro/affirmations.html)
Amsterdam Declaration (http://humaniststudies.org/humphil.html) (July 2002)
Humanist Manifesto III (Humanism And Its Aspirations) (http://www.americanhumanist.org/3/HumandItsAspirations.htm) (2003)
The two individuals who have done the most to promote Secular Humanism in the 20th Century are Dr. Paul Kurtz and Gene Roddenberry. Secular Humanism often finds itself in conflict with Christian fundamentalism, especially over the issue of state involvement in religion. Secular Humanists tend to see Christian fundamentalists as superstitious and regressive, while Christian fundamentalists tend to see Secular Humanists as the work of Satan as a means to direct society away from God. Secular Humanists counter that religious factionism will never be a solution to human problems, and claim Humanist principles are adequate to address the same issues as religious principles (for example, ethics and morals).
Religious Humanism may be seen as a division of the philosophy of humanism that forms a counterpart to the more common example of secular humanism. While retaining a number of religious beliefs and/or practices, religious humanism still gives human interests, values, and worth a central place.
One approach to religious humanism, promulgated by the Church of Spiritual Humanism, recognises the necessity of religious behaviour while it rejects supernatural explanations. Thus, it endorses religious ceremonies, rituals, and rites. Since these religious behaviors have endured from before recorded history, they hold it probable that they are integrated and "hard wired" into humans. By redefining the meanings of these behaviors in the light of rational and reasoned scientific processes, humanist values can be instilled into existing cultures and societies.
Another approach, promulgated by the Liberation Fellowship, is to observe the best of human traits and elevate them to a level that theists would attribute to the divine. Thus, the human being's senses become the tools of creation and the rituals, ceremonies and rites of religion become the avenues for human expansion and growth.
http://en.wikipedia.org
Secular Humanism can be (over) simplified thus:
Humans matter and can solve human problems
Science, free speech, rational thought, democracy and freedom in the arts go together
There is no supernatural
There are now nine Humanist Manifestos and Declarations:
Humanist Manifesto I (http://www.americanhumanist.org/about/manifesto1.html) (1933)
Humanist Manifesto II (http://www.americanhumanist.org/about/manifesto2.html) (1973)
A Secular Humanist Declaration (http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=main&page=declaration) (1980)
A Declaration of Interdependence (http://www.iheu.org/modules/wfsection/article.php?page=1&articleid=281#globalethics) (1988)
IHEU Minimum Statement on Humanism (http://www.iheu.org/modules/wfsection/article.php?page=1&articleid=6) (1996)
Humanist Manifesto 2000: A Call for a New Planetary Humanism (http://www.secularhumanism.org/manifesto/index.htm) (2000) condensed version
The Affirmations of Humanism: A Statement of Principles (http://www.secularhumanism.org/intro/affirmations.html)
Amsterdam Declaration (http://humaniststudies.org/humphil.html) (July 2002)
Humanist Manifesto III (Humanism And Its Aspirations) (http://www.americanhumanist.org/3/HumandItsAspirations.htm) (2003)
The two individuals who have done the most to promote Secular Humanism in the 20th Century are Dr. Paul Kurtz and Gene Roddenberry. Secular Humanism often finds itself in conflict with Christian fundamentalism, especially over the issue of state involvement in religion. Secular Humanists tend to see Christian fundamentalists as superstitious and regressive, while Christian fundamentalists tend to see Secular Humanists as the work of Satan as a means to direct society away from God. Secular Humanists counter that religious factionism will never be a solution to human problems, and claim Humanist principles are adequate to address the same issues as religious principles (for example, ethics and morals).
Religious Humanism may be seen as a division of the philosophy of humanism that forms a counterpart to the more common example of secular humanism. While retaining a number of religious beliefs and/or practices, religious humanism still gives human interests, values, and worth a central place.
One approach to religious humanism, promulgated by the Church of Spiritual Humanism, recognises the necessity of religious behaviour while it rejects supernatural explanations. Thus, it endorses religious ceremonies, rituals, and rites. Since these religious behaviors have endured from before recorded history, they hold it probable that they are integrated and "hard wired" into humans. By redefining the meanings of these behaviors in the light of rational and reasoned scientific processes, humanist values can be instilled into existing cultures and societies.
Another approach, promulgated by the Liberation Fellowship, is to observe the best of human traits and elevate them to a level that theists would attribute to the divine. Thus, the human being's senses become the tools of creation and the rituals, ceremonies and rites of religion become the avenues for human expansion and growth.
http://en.wikipedia.org
