A couple of days ago, a 21 year-old student asked me: Is it a contradiction of terms to be a Humanist but not an Atheist? I replied approximately as follows:
It depends on how you define your terms. I believe that the essence of humanism is a sense that humanity as a whole is more important than any of its subgroups. Basic to humanism is an attitude that starts with a sense of togetherness, a sympathy and a sharing, accompanied by a sense that you as an individual share responsibility for our collective future with all the rest of humanity.
If you believe there is a God specifically dedicated to the protection or care of the group you happen to belong to, whether that group is defined by religion or race or whatever, and that your god supports your group as opposed to other groups, I dont think you can properly be considered a true humanist.
If you believe that there is a God up there someplace that you can invoke to alter specific things that are going to happen, you are not a true humanist. You are in effect passing the buck to an entity whose existence is unverifiable. The humanist says, in effect, the buck stops here.
If you dont submit to either of those two beliefs, however, you can be a humanist in practice even if you choose to believe in some higher power. Some atheists might dispute this, but I believe they are being unnecessarily exclusive, and underrate the need for all of us to work together to combat the pernicious forces of the conservative religious types. Issues like the separation of church and state are very important, and non-believers need to work together with sensible believers to make sure we suffer no return to theocratic tyranny.
******To put it in technical terms, there is a great gap between theists and deists, where deists believe there is a power up there but basically we are on our own. That gap is far more important, in practical terms, than the gap in belief between deists and atheists. As long as you recognize that human destiny is made here on earth, by us humans, and that we are solely responsible for what happens, whether you believe in God (the deist approach) or dont (atheism) is a matter of choice, and an individual seriously concerned with the future of humanity can go either way. A deist with strong humanist leanings is likely to be a person that makes a positive contribution to humanity as a whole. I am a humanist who prefers not to believe in any superior power, but I welcome humanism wherever I find it. We need each other.
CSC 7/16/00
See the original post:
Humanism vs. Atheism | Progressive Humanism
- Chapel Hill police: Parking dispute may have led to triple shooting [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Chapel Hill killings shine light on particular tensions between Islam and atheism [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism and obesity - Main Page - Conservapedia [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Demographics of atheism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism - Main Page - Conservapedia [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- science against atheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Conversations Regarding Atheism & Theism - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- My Journey to Atheism - Part 5: Faith in God as an Adult - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Russell Brand Rips Stephen Fry's Atheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Book about Jaclyn Glenn @jaclynglenn #freespeech #atheism #freethought - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Response to Atheism Episode 6 - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheist Analysis S04 E07: Interview With Peter Boghossian/ Street Epistemology /Atheism Evangelism - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism Unleashed Presents.. 5 Stupid Questions... - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Follow-up to "Defining Atheism" - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism Implodes Hard - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- God, Science & the Big Questions: Leading Christian Thinkers Respond to the New Atheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Does Atheism Lead To A Bad Society? - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism vs India Revisited 9 - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Robert Richert 'Communicating Atheism' - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- John Lennox exposes Peter Atkins and the truth of his Atheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- My Testimony - from Atheism to Biblical Christian - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- How to Convert a Theist to Atheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Materialism begets atheism removing inherent spiritualistic realization *Nouman Ali Khan* - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Creation,Evolution, Christianity and Atheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism, World Religions 1 - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- How I Got Saved From Evolution/Atheism To Christ - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism - Why Atheists Are Atheists - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism Not Belief - War on Easter - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- A Christian defines Atheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheist Dan Barker proves Atheism is madness - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- St. Athanasius & Why Atheism in on the Rise - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- LIVE Multi-Topic Hangout. Atheism, Christianity, My Personal Life With Sarah - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- The Deceit Of Atheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism-is-Unstoppable-2: What a moronic video! - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Cool People in Heaven Song #freespeech #atheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism-is-Unstoppable-2 is a douche. - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism - Man's Biggest Delusion - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism Unleashed Presents.. The Animated Atheist. - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Atheism is Irrational - Crazy Atheists Compilation - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Response to Atheism Episode 5 - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Neil deGrasse Tyson Talk Science Religion Morality and atheism. - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Is Atheism of the Devil? - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Is Atheism a "Man Thing"? - The Stats (+ muslims) - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Fr. Barron on Atheism and Philosophy - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2015]
- Part 1 Election: Jacob and Esau; Atheism & Agnosticism Debunked - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- A Short Talk About Christianity VS Atheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- The Rules Of Atheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- A few current events relevant to atheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- Finish Drive Into City Of Lancaster, PA 2/11/15, Atheism Is An Ideology - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- 'The Atheist Experience' Responds To Me - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- Atheist Psychologist Admits Atheism is Unscientific - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- Understanding Atheism | Session 1 | Asadullah Ali - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- Atheism: No Good, No Evil, No Hope | Big Objections | Andrew Wilson - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- Atheism vs India Revisited 9a - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- Atheism is... - Video [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2015]
- Hamza Tzortzis vs Lawrence Krauss - Islam or Atheism which one makes more sense? The Big Debate - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Stupid Anti-Vaxxers - Eric Hovid on How Atheism Causes Suicide - Stupid Ads - DPP #83 - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Theism vs Atheism with Christjahn Beck - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Session 1|| Understanding Atheism|| Asadullah Ali - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- New Atheism and a Meaningless Universe | William Lane Craig, PhD - Video [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2015]
- Richard Dawkins slams video that claims to 'destroy atheism' [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Atheism - New World Encyclopedia - Info:Main Page - New ... [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Does Atheism Exist? - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Understanding Atheism | Session 5 | Asadullah Ali - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Understanding Atheism | Session 3 | Asadullah Ali - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Meeting of the Minds: Eve Reele - Moderate vs. Extreme Atheism 2/3/15 - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Understanding Atheism | Session 2 | Asadullah Ali - Video [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2015]
- Don't blame Atheism. - Video [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2015]
- Bibles atheism moms why me? - Video [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2015]
- A C Grayling - Atheism, Theism and Proof - Video [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2015]
- 2 reasons why it's a bad week to be an atheist [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2015]
- North Carolina shootings do not represent Atheism [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2015]
- Godless Voices Podcast 2/10/2015: Atheism is a Suicide Risk - Video [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2015]
- Religious Atheism - Video [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2015]
- Session 3|| Understanding Atheism|| Asadullah Ali - Video [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2015]
- Muslims targeted in the US [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2015]
- Atheism can't CAUSE anything - Video [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2015]
- Atheism is a Terrible Motivator - Video [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2015]
- Oh No Is Atheism Destroyed - Video [Last Updated On: February 21st, 2015] [Originally Added On: February 21st, 2015]