Teaching 'Humanism'

Humanism is a word that has many meanings and covers such a diversity of view, that many British Humanists now will not use the word without the qualifying word 'secular'.

Humanists are non believers and all Humanists campaign against religious promotion in state schools, and organise the provision of secular and humanist ceremonies, weddings, gay affirmations, baby namings and funerals, for those who want them, as they did for adoption services in the past.

They also support a range of human rights issues, humanitarian pressure groups and secular charities. As individuals they are likely to be interested in politics, but the organisation, although it lobbies politicians on issues of particular interest to humanist, is are not party political. There is a strong emphasis on environmental issues, animal rights and many are vegetarians or vegans. They also strongly support Voluntary Euthanasia and women's rights.

Humanists join the British Humanist Association or the National Secular Society and many secular humanist join only the NSS or both organisations. [1] [1]www.secularsites.freeuk.com/Organisations.htm

Humanism

There is the Enlightenment idea of religious humanism, which was a not insignificant move away from the earlier more savage practice of Christianity. But this is a long way from humanists as positive non-believers with a distinctively secular outlook and opposition to aspects of religion that they see as against the best interests of individuals or society. It is not a view that most of today's humanist would accept.

Today many Humanists, like agnostics seem to have their own personal definitions of those words that can vary enormously, which is a source of confusion and continual argument between non-believers.

It ranges from humanists who either do not believe in god, but are not against religion, or believe in god but do not want religion - many of whom would call themselves and be more at home with Quakers or Unitarians than the humanist movement, to strong secular humanists who are vehemently against the effects of superstition and sectarianism.

Humanists may or may not call themselves atheists, some objecting to the positive significance of that word and no doubt mindful of the traditional hostility to and demeaning of atheism. Sometimes their reasons are personal and due to family and friendship relationships or other pressures.

Some will also call themselves secularists, because like many religious believers they see the value of a secular society that does not favour any one religion over any other, or over non belief.

When asked what is different about humanism vs atheism or secularism humanist usually suggest that humanism implies a greater degree of commitment to moral and ethical development in the absence of religion, and a greater emphasis on humanitarianism. This is of course countered by atheists, and particularly secularists who consider that their opposition to superstition and sectarianism are of the utmost importance to human well-being and actively support secular humanitarian policies.

For a long time Humanism was used as an umbrella term but as their views diverged from atheism and secularism, that became no longer acceptable to some. More recently there have been moves to invent a new word 'Brights' for use as an umbrella word, but is not finding general acceptance yet, because no-one knows what it means or see the use of it ! Those who support it think that a word without any baggage will be useful in engaging people in discussion, while others see it as a diversion from the challenge of explaining the rationale of atheism, secularism and humanism. Yet other find it vaguely ridiculous as a word! I personally use the 'British Secular Humanist Movement' the BHSM. We will see.

Secular Humanism

In my view this covers the range of ideology that is acceptable to atheist, secularist, humanists - because it includes all the aspects that are necessary components of an intellectually coherent ideology -

a) Atheist - disbelief in the supernatural, superstitions and god beliefs for which there is no evidence, and the religions that are base on irrational beliefs, holy books, myths and legends. [2]

b) Secularist - firstly because of its support for a non-religious point of view, and a society based on rationalism, research and evidence and not faith in superstition, prejudice and discrimination based on belief. and

secondly because it supports the secular state in which there is freedom for religion, freedom from religion and no privileged position for one religion over others or faith over non belief. Link [3]

c) Humanist - in its support for the development of non religious institutions, and moral and ethical decision making in a society based on humanitarianism, human rights and political evidence based solutions to human problems

Secular humanists differ on how best to promote their views. Because non-belief has been systematically suppressed throughout the centuries many intelligent, and well educated and otherwise rational people are completely ignorant of the well developed rational of secular ideology. In addition there are strong pressures to conform to traditional beliefs that have been instilled from childhood and that have come to dominate many aspects of our culture and society.

Secular humanists use many approaches to the problem of explaining the rationale of their opinions. They try to do this without offending the sensibilities of people for whom any opposition to religion is taken as a personal attack! They do it by this concentrating their opposition to the effects of religious doctrine and practices, the effects of specific religious doctrines on the individual, the family and the society, national and international

Examples:-

The consequences of not using contraception to limit population growth, and condoms for the prevention of STDs and especially the control of the spread of HIV/AIDS,

The effects that religion has on attitudes to women and gays.

The Caste System in India, the ill treatment and killing of women for infringing religious limitations on their freedom in Muslim countries.

The role of religion in international conflict - in British and world history and current conflicts.

The effects of the domination of clerics on political and social institutions.

Sources of Information:-

[1] Organisations www.secularsites.freeuk.com/Orgs.htm

[2] Teaching Atheism

[3] Teaching Secularism

[4] www.secularsites.freeuk.com

[5] www.workshop3.freeuk.com

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