Secular Humanism
http://www.secularhumanism.org/
Secular Humanism is a term which has come into use in the last thirty years to
describe a world view with the following elements and principles:
- A conviction that dogmas, ideologies and traditions, whether
religious, political or social, must
be weighed and tested by each individual and not simply accepted on faith.
- Commitment to the use of critical reason, factual evidence,
and scientific methods of inquiry,
rather than faith and mysticism, in seeking solutions to human problems and answers
to
important human questions.
- A primary concern with fulfillment, growth, and creativity for
both the individual and humankind
in general.
- A constant search for objective truth, with the understanding
that new knowledge and
experience constantly alter our imperfect perception of it.
- A concern for this life and a commitment to making it
meaningful through better understanding
of ourselves, our history, our intellectual and artistic achievements, and the
outlooks of those
who differ from us.
- A search for viable individual, social and political
principles of ethical conduct, judging them on
their ability to enhance human well-being and individual responsibility.
- A conviction that with reason, an open marketplace of ideas,
good will, and tolerance, progress
can be made in building a better world for ourselves and our children.
The Affirmations of Humanism:
A Statement of Principles
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- We are committed to the application of reason and science to
the understanding of the universe
and to the solving of human problems.
- We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, to seek to
explain the world in supernatural
terms, and to look outside nature for salvation.
- We believe that scientific discovery and technology can
contribute to the betterment of human
life.
- We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that
democracy is the best guarantee of
protecting human rights from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities.
- We are committed to the principle of the separation of church
and state.
- We cultivate the arts of negotiation and compromise as a means
of resolving differences and
achieving mutual understanding.
- We are concerned with securing justice and fairness in society
and with eliminating
discrimination and intolerance.
- We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the handicapped
so that they will be able to
help themselves.
- We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based on
race, religion, gender, nationality,
creed, class, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, and strive to work together for the
common good
of humanity.
- We want to protect and enhance the earth, to preserve it for
future generations, and to avoid
inflicting needless suffering on other species.
- We believe in enjoying life here and now and in developing our
creative talents to their fullest.
- We believe in the cultivation of moral excellence.
- We respect the right to privacy. Mature adults should be
allowed to fulfill their aspirations, to
express their sexual preferences, to exercise reproductive freedom, to have access
to
comprehensive and informed health-care, and to die with dignity.
- We believe in the common moral decencies: altruism, integrity,
honesty, truthfulness,
responsibility. Humanist ethics is amenable to critical, rational guidance. There
are normative
standards that we discover together. Moral principles are tested by their
consequences.
- We are deeply concerned with the moral education of our
children. We want to nourish reason
and compassion.
- We are engaged by the arts no less than by the sciences.
- We are citizens of the universe and are excited by discoveries
still to be made in the cosmos.
- We are skeptical of untested claims to knowledge, and we are
open to novel ideas and seek
new departures in our thinking.
- We affirm humanism as a realistic alternative to theologies of
despair and ideologies of violence
and as a source of rich personal significance and genuine satisfaction in the
service to others.
- We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather than
despair, learning in the place
of dogma, truth instead of ignorance, joy rather than guilt or sin, tolerance in
the place of fear,
love instead of hatred, compassion over selfishness, beauty instead of ugliness,
and reason
rather than blind faith or irrationality.
- We believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest
that we are capable of as human
beings
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Committee For The Scientific Examination Of Religion
http://www.secularhumanism.org/cser
CSER examines the claims of Eastern and Western religions and of
well-established and newer sects
and denominations in the light of scientific inquiry. The committee is
interdisciplinary, including
specialists in biblical scholarship, archaeology, linguistics, anthropology, the
social sciences, and
philosophy who represent differing secular and religious traditions.
The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the
Paranormal
http://www.csicop.org/ encourages the
critical investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims
from a responsible, scientific point of view and disseminates factual information
about the results of
such inquiries to the scientific community and the public. It also promotes science
and scientific
inquiry, critical thinking, science education, and the use of reason in examining
important issues.
Skeptical Inquirer - The Magazine for Science and Reason
http://www.csicop.org/si/
Free Inquiry Magazine
http://www.secularhumanism.org/fi/
The Humanist and Skeptical Website of Steven Schafersman
http://www.freeinquiry.com/
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