What is Humanism?
I define it very simply, which is that for me Atheist Atheism, is kind of one answer, to one question. You know, do you believe in god?
No. Boom! You're an Atheist. And so if I tell someone I'm an Atheist. It tells them one thing about me. It tells them that I don't believe in god.
And I like that label. I've embraced that label for most of my life now. And I like it. I think it makes a good point. But a lot of times people want to know, well what DO you believe in?
Theoretically, if someone tells me they're a Christian. I should be able to deduce a number of things about them. Not only do I know what their religious beliefs are. But Ideally, I know about their moral upbringing, and I know, you know, how good of a person they are.
I'm not saying that always happens, we know it doesn't. But that's the idea. If I tell you I'm a Christian. You know certain things about me.
But if I tell you I'm an Atheist. All you have... are... I don't believe in god. And probably a whole bunch of nasty stereotypes. So for me, when I say I'm a Humanist. That kind of tells you.
At least I'm a secular humanist. You know I don't believe in god, there's the secular part of it. But Humanist tells you what I do believe in. And there is a humanist manifesto online that actually lays these things out in detail.
But to me, it means to look, I'm good without god. And here are the different ways in which I am good. It tells you that I have a moral code an ethical code.
That doesn't derive from religious holy books. I have a lot of reasons to believe the things that I do believe and hold the positions I hold.
It's not a political set of documents or anything like that, but it's a set of values that I live by. And that to me, is a simplistic version of Humanism.
So, I call myself an Atheist first and foremost. But if you ask me am I a humanist the answer is yeah absolutely.
Originally published by Hemant Mehta on the Atheist Voice. Published on Fadewblogs by Dave Martin.
Disclaimer: This article is published on Fadewblogs with the permission of the author.
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