[kristloken]

Are you a humanist?
◦Do you try to live an ethical and fulfilling life without religious belief?
◦Do you think science and reason lead to more reliable knowledge than faith?
◦Do you support secular government and an open society that guarantees human rights for all?
If you answered "yes" to these questions, you might be one of the millions of humanists on Earth -- people who live meaningful, fulfilling lives based on reason and compassion. http://www.humaniststudies.org/humphil.html

Ok, so...I'm confused. I understand that there can be "religion" in Humanist beliefs? Our church (Universal Unitarian) claims to be humanist but I thought humanist was Athiest? This above is from the Institute of Humanist Studies and leads me to believe that I am right in my assessment but the church made it sound like you can have or be both religious and humanist at the same time.

Also...Humanist seems to be a synonym for Rational Thought. Is Rational Thought subjective? And can Rational Thought be a part of religion?

[fluistulkn]

I am a humanists and been to their meetings....they just seem like a bunch of God haters and haughty taughty's too me ~shrugs~. Maybe that is just our area ~snickers~. It wouldn't surprise me ~grins~.

I will check it out, I'm sure I've been here before ~smiles~

[genna]

let me see if i can shed any light on this.

there are 2 different types of humanists that i am aware of,secular and spiritual.secular humanists are indeed atheists,but not hard line. they reject any deities,and other such things as unproven by science.spiritual humanists as i understand them are also atheists,but we would refer to them as agnostics.religion is allowed by both parties as a rule,so long as you don't try to interfere with someones basic human rights.or try to run the government that way.

rational thought can be a part of religion.some have found a way to reconcil both and find it quite fullfilling.

sorry you found them so unfriendly op.usually they aren't,unless you start preaching at them.

[kuzbaslachek]

http://www.spiritualhumanism.org/

Sure they can have religion. They even do free ordinations. Actually they used to have a really active Forum over there. I never did find out exactly why they shut it down. (It's better here though.)

~Edit~
Here is a link with their tenets:
http://www.spiritualhumanism.org/principles.htm

[Petwrenny]

http://www.humaniststudies.org/humphil.html

Ok, so...I'm confused. I understand that there can be "religion" in Humanist beliefs? Our church (Universal Unitarian) claims to be humanist but I thought humanist was Athiest? This above is from the Institute of Humanist Studies and leads me to believe that I am right in my assessment but the church made it sound like you can have or be both religious and humanist at the same time.

Also...Humanist seems to be a synonym for Rational Thought. Is Rational Thought subjective? And can Rational Thought be a part of religion?

Perhaps my mind wasn't focused during that part of the sermon? I don't understand UU to be a specifically Humanist church, but follower's of the path are accepted at all UU churches, and a particular congregation could designate themselves that way. Our particular church uses the standard UU hymnal, and includes the songs with "God" in them as well as the others. Within each UU church it is the individual who might be Humanist, or Christian, Pagan, Buddhist and Atheist.

From uua.org :

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion that embraces theological diversity.
While our congregations uphold shared principles, individual Unitarian Universalists may discern their own beliefs about theological issues. As there is no official Unitarian Universalist creed, Unitarian Universalists are free to search for truth on many paths.

We welcome people who identify with and draw inspiration from Atheism and Agnosticism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Humanism, Judaism, Islam, Paganism, Theism and Deism, and religious or philosophical traditions.
Following the "Humanism" link in the above text, the Humanist part of the church comes from the Unitarian half:


Almost half of Unitarian Universalists today may define themselves as Humanists, making Humanism the largest spiritual identity group within Unitarian Universalism.

[GfBTWMmV]

I seem to be in agreement with the Humanist principals. I'm just not sure of how that blends with my Pantheism. Its the perfect label game.

Jonathan Lobl

[N9u9ie4p]

Humanism has existed for a long time. Humanists come in all forms and shapes. It has been in recent years that Humanism has been associated with atheism.

Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536) was a Renaissance humanist, a Roman Catholic priest, and a theologian. He was called "the Prince of the Humanists".

Reason and logic have been used in theistic as well as non-theistic religions.

Hermano Luis
Moriviví Hermitage

[KitRittyTug]

I think emalpaiz is right.
I know you can get Christian Humanists.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_humanism

That is not the same as Secular Humanists and I guess that is where the confusion between the two lies. It is possible to be a Humanist and have a theist outlook but to be a Secular Humanist and have a theist outlook would be a contradiction of terms (IMO).

[Yarikoff]

I don't believe a life without contradiction or paradox is possible. The search for a perfect label is fun, but pointless.

Jonathan Lobl

[xochgtlm]

I think I'm for the most part rational and logical, but I don't consider myself humanist. The least reason being I don't entirely rule out magic as a valid practice. But that's if you consider humanism to be strictly in rational terms like it seems to be since the Enlightenment.

I really object to the idea of democracy in humanism. Democracy sounds great, and would be if more people were thoughtful and intelligent. Unfortunately, people aren't. For evidence, the U.S. keeps electing leaders from the same two political parties so that they make the same stupid mistakes term after term. Humanism has this assumption that everybody has a valid say in things, when some people are idiots and shouldn't be allowed even to breed, much less help decide on who gets to run the country.

Of course, the U.S. is a republic, not a democracy, but the election is democratic in principle.

I guess you can't necessarily legally discriminate against people without it becoming too hard to control (just because in any given, modern political system there are too many opportunities for an idiot to come along and misuse the law). But Humanism furthers this ideal that everybody is "equal", which is not something I don't ever remember accepting.

[Beedcardabeme]

http://www.humaniststudies.org/humphil.html

Ok, so...I'm confused. I understand that there can be "religion" in Humanist beliefs? Our church (Universal Unitarian) claims to be humanist but I thought humanist was Athiest? This above is from the Institute of Humanist Studies and leads me to believe that I am right in my assessment but the church made it sound like you can have or be both religious and humanist at the same time.

Also...Humanist seems to be a synonym for Rational Thought. Is Rational Thought subjective? And can Rational Thought be a part of religion?

Most humanist I know even here in Spokane are just a bunch of God Haters ~chuckles~.

The true altruism of "Humanism" is knowing that we are alone, yet using upstanding/ good principles and virtues in our lives, as a humanist understands that it isn't the fear or Gods or an afterlife that can make one good-willed and a person of integrity, but it is the principles that come from within us, even the Torah, Koran, and Bible have sayings like, "It is not that which goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out ~smiles~

Humanist have become God - Haters because Christianity, Islam and Jews all proclaim the only way to Creator, and this has been the cause of many deaths throughout the passages of time since the inception of these religions.

What I find funny is if you are a humanist and have the very will to change your reality or emotional/ spiritual paradigm anytime you want, then why even bother with them?! ~chuckles~

I guess everyone needs drama in their lives ~chuckles~

[stastony]

let me see if i can shed any light on this.

there are 2 different types of humanists that i am aware of,secular and spiritual.secular humanists are indeed atheists,but not hard line. they reject any deities,and other such things as unproven by science.spiritual humanists as i understand them are also atheists,but we would refer to them as agnostics.religion is allowed by both parties as a rule,so long as you don't try to interfere with someones basic human rights.or try to run the government that way.

rational thought can be a part of religion.some have found a way to reconcil both and find it quite fullfilling.

sorry you found them so unfriendly op.usually they aren't,unless you start preaching at them.

I don't preach at no one, all I know is they have billboards and advertisements that say "GOD IS A LIE" ~chuckles~.

Their meetings are usually full of snooties, not that the Christian Church isn't, just a different kind of snooty ~chuckles~

Oh I know there is good and bad in everything, just seems we got more bad ones over here...Most are athiestic or agnostic as you said, I just don't go to their meetings anymore cause they get boring after hearing the same story 8 million times ~chuckles~

[Pharmadryg]

and that op i can understand.
wasn't trying to accuse you of"preaching at anyone".it was just a general comment.the bill boards sound more like hard line aholes.but then again,they exist too.

[Dayreive]

Even the most rational of people are capable of resentment. Humanists don't like it when bullies keep coming at them. Humanists also have bad days. It comes with being human.

Jonathan Lobl

[GennadiyRom]

Occult Pizza: I don't preach at no one, all I know is they have billboards and advertisements that say "GOD IS A LIE" That's not hating god; that's saying there is no god in as few letters as possible. Now saying "Your god is evil" would be hating a god.

"Battle is the test of true manhood..."

And with that belief, there will always be plenty of suckers for any pre-emptive war that someone starts.

[ENGINESSQ]

That's not hating god; that's saying there is no god in as few letters as possible. Now saying "Your god is evil" would be hating a god.

"Battle is the test of true manhood..."

And with that belief, there will always be plenty of suckers for any pre-emptive war that someone starts.

This is true. An Atheist who hates God is not an Atheist. Confuesed, maybe.

Jonathan Lobl

[karkinadze]

The billboards are probably in response to this sort of bilge which is all over the internet.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...1t:429,r:1,s:0

and on the streets.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...:0&tx=90&ty=79

[Barryrich]

The billboards are probably in response to this sort of bilge which is all over the internet.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...1t:429,r:1,s:0

and on the streets.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...:0&tx=90&ty=79

I would like some clarification. what exactly do these billboards say? I do mean "exactly."


Jonathan Lobl

[Tjfyojlg]

The billboards are probably in response to this sort of bilge which is all over the internet.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...1t:429,r:1,s:0

and on the streets.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...:0&tx=90&ty=79

I had to laugh when I read the bill board that says "Evolution is a Lie and I can prove it".
That would of been an interesting conversation. Quoting the bible is no proof (IMO). Beliefs are not proof. Digging up the past would not help him and as he cannot take us back to see, all I can see is he has nothing but spin.
At least Darwin looked at what evidence there was available and made an unbiased judgment of what he saw.
I know someone who told me she thought it was funny how people can find a few bones and think dinosaurs existed. What can I say except I go more with Darwin's view.

[replicajoy]

I know someone who told me she thought it was funny how people can find a few bones and think dinosaurs existed. What can I say except I go more with Darwin's view.

A few bones? There are millions of them. Some were total and completely intact.

However, there has never been one single fossil of an angel's wing.

But they still believe in angels and refuse to believe that dinosaurs existed.

Sounds logical to me. Yeah, right.

Peace & Love!