Is Secular Humanism Really a Religion?

by Kathy Brown on May 18th, 2009 | 0 comments

Suppose you agree that public schools, by default, have educated a generation of children with the secular humanist worldview. Perhaps you are not convinced that secular humanism is a religion or that there is a "Bible" for the Secular Humanist. . Here are some excerpts from the "Humanist Manifesto I (appearing in "The New Humanist", May/June 1933):

"Religious humanists regard the universe as self-existing and not created."
"Humanism believes that man is a part of nature and that he has emerged as the result of a continuous process."
"Holding an organic view of life, humanists find that the traditional dualism of mind and body must be rejected."
"Humanism recognizes that man's religious culture and civilization, as clearly depicted by anthropology and history, are the product of a gradual development. . ."
"Humanism asserts that the nature of the universe depicted by modern science makes unacceptable any supernatural or cosmic guarantees of human values."
"We are convinced that the time has passed for theism, deism, modernism . . ."
"Religion consists of those activities, purposes, and experiences which are humanly significant. Nothing human is alien to the religious. It includes labor, art, science, philosophy, love friendship, recreation. . .the distinction between the sacred and the secular can no longer be maintained."
". . .Reasonable and manly attitudes will be fostered by education and supported by custom."
"The intelligent evaluation, transformation, control and direction of such associations and institutions with a view to the enhancement of human life is the purpose and program of humanism."
"The humanists are firmly convinced that existing acquisitive and profit-motivated society has shown itself to be inadequate and that a radical change in methods, controls, and motives must be instituted. A socialized and cooperative economic order must be established to the end that the equitable distributions of the means of life be possible."
"So stand the thesis of religious humanism."