Should atheists promote SECULAR HUMANISM as a positive alternative to faith & superstition?

Question

Secular humanists reject supernatural and authoritarian beliefs. They affirm that we must take responsibility for our own lives and the communities and world in which we live. Secular humanism emphasizes reason and scientific inquiry, individual freedom and responsibility, human values and compassion, and the need for tolerance and cooperation.
(From http://www.secularhumanism.org )

Atheist in R&S are sometimes accused of offering nothing in place of faith.

If those who agreed with the philosophy described ourselves as secular humanists, would people perceive us as having more to offer to the world?

Answer 1

Are you SURE secularists reject supernatural beliefs?

The idea of a government or anything else being secular is that it keeps religious beliefs out of the way, lets them be private.

Morality based on rationality has to be better than the dogma based on a holy book - no court in America has ever sentenced a child to death for insulting their parents but thats what the bible prescribes.

OK I looked at their site and it does say that - that must be the 'humanist' part - I'd be happy with an american government that was secular, if not humanist. Bush telling people God told him to Iraq does not excuse anything and its pretty scary to most people. He does what the voices in his head tell him to...

Basic answer to the question really is not necessarily, atheists arent a group really, you cant define a group by what it is not. Secular humanism should be promoted but I'm not interested in it myself. I don't think we really need to work those things out. We know the difference between right and wrong and we sure don't get it from the bible.

**atheists are accused of not offering anything in faith's place? So if I told you that your imaginary friend, Mungo the monster wasnt real... you'd want... a real monster to take its place? Sorry don't see where you're going with that. If people need comfort in spite of rationality then they can stick to the kindly (not often!) sky-fairy. Atheism is about truth, not pandering to what people would like to be true.**

Answer 2

I don't have to offer anything "in place of faith". I tried to promote secular humanism, but it turned out that it really wasn't my thing. I'm an atheist, and I don't need adopt the secular humanist philosophy to be responsible, rational and free. I don't care how the world perceives me because I know what I have to offer to the world, and that's good enough.

Answer 3

Why? Secular humanism is an ethical philosophy. Atheism is a theological perception. (or disbelief because the case my be.) If i pick to communicate philosophy i'm critique and argue adverse to humanism. If i pick to communicate the perception in a god or deities, then i'll communicate atheism. they're 2 diverse matters. besides, an earthly humanist may be an atheist (or an agnostic) yet that does no longer advise all individuals atheists are Secular humanists. ;-)

Answer 4

I think, to Christians, "humanist" is a a dirtier word than "atheist" for the simple reason that humanism does refer to an organized system of beliefs which run counter to Christianity. While I don't agree with it entirely, humanism makes a lot of sense.

Answer 5

I believe that there is no God. I'm beyond atheism. Atheism is not believing in God. Not believing in God is easy -- you can't prove a negative, so there's no work to do. You can't prove that there isn't an elephant inside the trunk of my car. You sure? How about now? Maybe he was just hiding before. Check again. Did I mention that my personal heartfelt definition of the word "elephant" includes mystery, order, goodness, love and a spare tire?

So, anyone with a love for truth outside of herself has to start with no belief in God and then look for evidence of God. She needs to search for some objective evidence of a supernatural power. All the people I write e-mails to often are still stuck at this searching stage. The atheism part is easy.

But, this "This I Believe" thing seems to demand something more personal, some leap of faith that helps one see life's big picture, some rules to live by. So, I'm saying, "This I believe: I believe there is no God."

Having taken that step, it informs every moment of my life. I'm not greedy. I have love, blue skies, rainbows and Hallmark cards, and that has to be enough. It has to be enough, but it's everything in the world and everything in the world is plenty for me. It seems just rude to beg the invisible for more. Just the love of my family that raised me and the family I'm raising now is enough that I don't need heaven. I won the huge genetic lottery and I get joy every day.

Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good; it makes me want to be more thoughtful. I have to try to treat people right the first time around.

Believing there's no God stops me from being solipsistic. I can read ideas from all different people from all different cultures. Without God, we can agree on reality, and I can keep learning where I'm wrong. We can all keep adjusting, so we can really communicate. I don't travel in circles where people say, "I have faith, I believe this in my heart and nothing you can say or do can shake my faith." That's just a long-winded religious way to say, "shut up," or another two words that the FCC likes less. But all obscenity is less insulting than, "How I was brought up and my imaginary friend means more to me than anything you can ever say or do." So, believing there is no God lets me be proven wrong and that's always fun. It means I'm learning something.

Believing there is no God means the suffering I've seen in my family, and indeed all the suffering in the world, isn't caused by an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent force that isn't bothered to help or is just testing us, but rather something we all may be able to help others with in the future. No God means the possibility of less suffering in the future.

Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-O and all the other things I can prove and that make this life the best life I will ever have.

Answer 6

Yes, at least for now
I was actually just thinking of how christians are correct, 'atheism' is not a complete solution by any means, and i would say 'its only a good start'

I was christian for 20 years now atheist 12 months, and I can see that most atheist really are just simply rejecting christianity, and thats it. As a christian I could see that sounds like, 'dont care about anything','Eat drink for tomorow we die'

Many of the 'traditional' christian churches are attempting to lead their flock down that path anyway, by using agnosticism. Problem is they keep the bible alive by doing so. So it will continue to feed fundamentals

Answer 7

It would be a good antidote to the religious animalism practiced in the Middle East.

Answer 8

as long as we do not turn it into a new religion, I'm with you, though I prefer "reasonable humanism", since reason is the best trait of humans.

Answer 9

Secular humanism asks me to trust people above God. The Bible has been dissected and examined and scrutinized for hundreds of years, and I trust this book more than any person on the planet.

People have hurt me very badly, but God's Word has never steered me wrong. This is my choice...

Answer 10

I enjoy your positive approach to life without god. Unfortunately, I find that god needs enemies that are not tied to abrahamic morality. Still, by all means, preach the good word of (no) Lord!