The Defeat of Secular Humanism?

[Makalakumu]

I've heard it said that the election of 2004 was the great defeat of secular humanism. What do you think? Is this right for our society? Is this what the left really espouses?

Here is a link that describes Secular Humanism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_Humanism

Here is a link that gives a breakdown of Secular Humanism from a Christian POV.

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-sum/sum-r002.html

Can Agnosticism Improve Public Life?

http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/exclusive/kezirian_07_00.htm

A Humanistic View of Faith in America.

http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/bishop_19_3.html

The Evils of Secular Humanism

http://www.humanistsofutah.org/1996/letter2may96.htm

A Christian Warning about Secular Humanists

http://www.secular-humanism.com/Secular-Humanism.htm

A pro-life view of Secular Humanism

http://www.cin.org/cf2-3.html

 

[TonyM.]

Since most faiths actually practice secular humanism, this has to be the most hypocritical BS I've read in a long time.

 

[hardheadjarhead]

Since most faiths actually practice secular humanism, this has to be the most hypocritical BS I've read in a long time.

How do you figure? The term "secular" means worldly rather than spiritual.
It means something isn't specifically relating to religion or to a religious body.

I don't think this election is a defeat of secular humanism at all. I think the right mobilized effectively, I think they got the Christians out to vote in large numbers with a campaign of fear, and I think that tipped the balance.

But our culture isn't changing.


Regards,


Steve

 

[Makalakumu]

I don't think this election is a defeat of secular humanism at all. I think the right mobilized effectively, I think they got the Christians out to vote in large numbers with a campaign of fear, and I think that tipped the balance.

Yet, they claim it is a victory. I think this means that our President has shown his hand. Can we can expect rule from the hard right for the next four years?

There was an interesting interview on Meet the Press this morning. Five ordained ministers debated the current state of politics. Two from the right (one of which was Jerry Falwell), two from the left, and one from the middle (who happened to be a Catholic by the way).

The message on the right was that they believe that they should not be forced to make policy decisions without being informed by their faith and that this election gave them a mandate to do so.

upnorthkyosa

 

[RandomPhantom700]

The message on the right was that they believe that they should not be forced to make policy decisions without being informed by their faith and that this election gave them a mandate to do so.

Filter, filter, filter: If we want to push out religious beliefs into public policy, we should be able to do just that!

 

[hardheadjarhead]

Yet, they claim it is a victory. I think this means that our President has shown his hand. Can we can expect rule from the hard right for the next four years?

Probably not. The moderates in the Republican party won't tolerate it.


Regards,


Steve

 

[Makalakumu]

Probably not. The moderates in the Republican party won't tolerate it.


Regards,


Steve

I've done a bit of research on what the Right thinks of secular humanism and the rabid hatred took be aback. I was surprised that such rhetoric survives in the modern age.

 

[hardheadjarhead]

Interesting. On that second to the last site mentioned (http://www.secular-humanism.com/Secular-Humanism.htm) it stated that George Washington said in his farewell speech the following:

"It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

I downloaded the speech from another site, and can't find the above quote as stated. "God" and "Bible" are nowhere in the speech. The other parts are cut and pasted from various parts of the text.

The quote by Patrick Henry is also spurious, even though it is quoted widely elsewhere:

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/r/religious-depictions.htm

Regards,


Steve

 

[Feisty Mouse]

Since most faiths actually practice secular humanism, this has to be the most hypocritical BS I've read in a long time.

How so? And why is it hypocritical?

 

[Phoenix44]

It doesn't surprise me that "faith" or "values" apparently played a major role in the election. I voted according to my values--didn't you all? It surprises me that so many people seem to think that the Bush Administration exemplifies their values.

I was never interested in what consenting adults do in the privacy of their own home. But I'm VERY interested in lying, cheating, stealing, and killing on an institutional level, because that affects us all, and it affects children and the powerless as well--people we should be protecting. I'm surprised that so many people are so invested in other people's private behavior that they feel the need to legislate it--this is their "values." Yet they have no particular concern for very public sin and corruption.

 

[TonyM.]

Does anyone actually think these clowns are practicing the will of God? Apparently they have read a different book than me. Their reward is here on earth.

 

[heretic888]

Does anyone actually think these clowns are practicing the will of God?

They do, apparently.

Also, not to nitpick, but there are strands within said Book that justify what they're doing (just like there are strands that justified slavery) --- even though it basically betrays the general spirit and principles of the tradition.