Secular Humanism

Anti-Christian worldview

Various forms of humanism

have been around since Eden

General Definition

1.The word "humanism"

was coined during the Renaissance.

2.The Encyclopedia of Philosophy

(vol. IV, p. 69ff.) defines humanism

as "any philosophy which recognizes

the value or dignity of man

and makes him the measure

of all things

or somehow takes human nature,

its limits, or its interests

as its theme."

3.A humanist was originally

one who focused his studies on man,

his art and thought, and nature,

as opposed to God, the spiritual and revelation.

Today such study of culture

is called the humanities.

4. It was originally an innocuous term.

The humanists of the Renaissance

were Christians.

This type of humanism

can be wedded to any religion

or philosophy,

for it only recognizes the value

and dignity of man and his art.

There are as many varieties

of humanism as there are of Christianity.

For example,

one of the most visible forms

of humanism today is a mystical variety known popularly as the New Age Movement.

== Specific and Contemporary Meaning ==

1.One who makes man his

ultimate concern,

his ultimate point of reference.

2.Today's humanist

is generally not theistic

or at most deistic or agnostic.

3.It was declared a religion

by the Supreme Court in 1961.

4.The best definitions

of contemporary humanism

can be found in the Humanist Manifesto

I and II (p. 16.).

"We find insufficient evidence

for belief in the existence

of a supernatural;

it is either meaningless

or irrelevant to the question

of survival and fulfillment

of the human race.

As nontheists, we begin with humans not God,

nature not deity."

What Humanism Is Not

Many confuse humanism

with humanitarianism.

The latter is simply one

who shows philanthropic concern

for his fellowman.

Anyone can be humanitarian.

An Overview of the History of

Modern Humanism

It is the second oldest

religion in the world.

In Genesis 3:5, Satan told Eve,

"...Your eyes shall be opened,

and ye shall be as gods,

knowing good and evil."

In Psalm 2, is the conflict between these two--

God and His kingdom

versus man and his schemes

to replace God.

Humanism denies

the sovereignty of God.

Revelation 17 & Revelation 18

predicts the outcome of the struggle.

Greeks: Protagoras

(5th Century B.C.) coined the phrase

"Man is the measure of all things."

The Greeks became known for their emphasis

on reason apart from superstition and religion.

It brought about the Golden Age of Greece.

They believed man could control his own fate.

The Romans:

They borrowed from the Greeks.

Caesar was worshipped as God.

The Renaissance (began about 1200 A.D.):

It was a revival of classical learning.

Greek thought and Christian doctrine

were synthesized.

Reason began to be

separated from religion.

St. Thomas Aquinas mistakenly

believed man's reasoning ability

was unaffected by the Fall.

The Enlightenment (1600-1800):

Humanism became secularized.

The enlightenment

became the foundation

of modern humanism.

They proclaimed reason a goddess.

Principle figures:

Rousseau and Voltaire.

The 20th Century:

After Darwin's theory of evolution,

humanism had all it needed.

Other notable events:

Founding of the Ethical Union in England in 1896.

It later became the influential British Humanist Association.

In America in 1933,

the Humanist Manifesto was published.

Later in 1949 a humanist society was formed.

The reisnowan international network of humanist organizations.

In 1973 the [[Humanist Manifesto]] was updated.

The Major Tenets of

Naturalistic Humanism

1. Concerning the nature of things:

All is material:

no spiritual dimension,

no life after death.

All events are natural and uniformitarian.

There is no supernatural,

no God.

2. Concerning man and his nature:

Man is central, sovereign and autonomous.

Man is the hallmark

of evolutionary development;

only a part of nature.

Man's dignity is derived

from his position

on the evolutionary scale;

the difference

between man and animals

is quantitative.

Man does not need salvation

Just more time.

Man can now control his own evolution.

3. Concerning Ethics:

Values are relative,

based on experience, human reason,

the will of the majority,

or based on the situation, i.e.

what will bring the greatest good.

4. Concerning the process of knowing:

Reason is supreme.

All that can be known

is known through the scientific method.

5. Concerning Government:

It is a positive force,

a tool to re-engineer man.

Internationalism:

goal is world government.

"We deplore the division of humankind

on nationalistic grounds.

We have reached a turning point

in human history

where the best option

is to transcend the limits

of national sovereignty

and to move toward the building

of a world community

in which all sectors

of a human family can participate."

from

THE HUMANIST MANIFESTO

p.22.

6. Concerning Social Concern:

Emphasis on education and

• (HEW)

changing the environment.

• (Gloal warming)

Equitable distribution of wealth,

• (Income Tax)

eliminating poverty,

• (War on Poverty)

eliminating disease, etc.

Ending oppression caused by religion.

Four Common Illusions about Humanism

1. Humanism is humane.

But humanism has no basis for human dignity.

Man was not created in God's Image

but rather evolved from the slime

by a purely chance operation.

There is therefore,

no clear demarcation

between human and animal rights.

Values are relative.

On what basis do we declare

Mother Teresa more humane than Himmler ?

No adequate reasons can be given

as to why survival is important.

There is no safeguard against manipulation.

2. Humanism is not a religion.

A non-theistic belief

is not necessarily non-religious.

Several Religions of the world

do not subscribe to a supreme being i.e. Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism.

The Supreme Court declared it to be a religion in 1961

in Torcaso vs. Watkins.

Humanist publications refer to it as a religion.

Julian Huxley predicted

that humanism would be

the ultimate religion

of the world.

3. Humanism is unbiased.

Neutrality is a myth;

we all have presuppositions or unprovable assumptions.

A school teacher with humanistic convictions

cannot help promoting humanistic values.

If humanistic objectives are

to be achieved it cannot allow

a pluralistic society.

4. Humanism is broadminded.

It ignores the facts

concerning the resurrection of Christ.

It ignores contradictory evidence

concerning evolutionary theory.

It ignores logical contradictions

in its worldview.

For example:

a. The universe is self-caused.

If it caused itself

it would have to exist

prior to causing itself

--a logical absurdity.

b. It says man must determine his own future

yet its scientists proclaim

all man's be haviour

is determined by his genes

and environment.

Free will is a myth.

c. They say there are no absolutes

yet that is an absolute statement.

It claims to be the only hope for man

yet it has no valid basis

for that hope.

The Current Influence of

Humanistic Philosophy

1. Education:

It is the major unifying factor

in public education today.

Children are viewed

as property of the state.

Their primary aim

is the social adjustment of children

into group-oriented mentality.

Education is social

and not content oriented.

Self development is stressed

rather than learning

from the wisdom of the past.

Secular does not equal neutral!

The public education system

from elementary to college

is a monopoly of the religion

of Humanism!

They are parochial schools!!

2. Media

• Newspapers -

Most newspapers are compiled

from two wire services.

• TV -

Most news is from 4 networks.

3 . Active Humanist Organizations:

The most active and visible are:

The American Civil Liberties Union

People for the American Way

The American Humanist Association

National Education Association

The Most Influential

Humanist Books

THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES by Charles Darwin

THE ESSENCE OF CHRISTIANITY by Ludwig Feuerbach

THE FUTURE OF AN ILLUSION by Sigmund Freud

HYIAMNOTA CHRISTIAN 

by Bertrand Russell

BEYOND FREEDOM AND DIGNITY by B F Skinner

THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO by Karl Marx

BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL by Friedrich Nietzsche

What can Christians Do?

Pray for our country and its leaders.

Take responsibility

for the education of your children

Boycott slanted news

or immoral TV programming

Share your faith

Be informed

Seek intellectual superiority

Learn to see all things

from a Christian perspective. C.I.M.

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