The New Humanism

I'm glad to see mentioning of social capital. This is an important concept when considering what the nonreligious need to acquire to get what they want in society. Here is a recent comment I made elsewhere, addressed to someone who was uncomfortable with atheists volunteering for social brownie points: "You hit on a lot of concerns of atheists that those who are seeking to volunteer under the label of godlessness are doing so to appease others. That is a possibility, and perhaps you are right. But you may also be wrong, and here is why: nontheists are not as wealthy as nearly every other group when it comes to social capital. Those who are volunteering may be looking to leverage social change, but to do that with little capital is futile. This is different from appeasement in that secular, social entrepreneurs endeavor to gain compromises and concessions with capital gained from socially valued action. In other words, trade and diplomacy. How have historically antagonistic groups, like the USSR and USA for instance, drawn closer together? Trade and dialog. We already dialog with the “other side,” but we are lacking in trade. We can trade social capital, but we need to have some in the first place. Well, why be part of “their” system, you might say? Isn’t that appeasement? I want to know what other system there is other than human relations. This is it. You must engage with your peers in order to gain power and respect. If you do not have respect, what reason would others have to protect your rights? This is more complicated than many make it out to be. Atheists are not really humanized in the world’s eye, we would benefit from it being different. Never compromise intellectually, but make concessions in a wise manner and profit from them."

Thanks for your comments Guitar and Tom - you both make excellent points, and make them well. Welcome to The New Humanism!

Thank you for this article about some of my favorite things (I love social capital). Exactly a year ago this weekend I attended a delightful meting at the North Texas Church of Freethought and went out to lunch with the group afterward. Most Sundays I attend the Northern Virginia Ethical Society (part of the American Ethical Union) and yes we do occasionally have "congregational" singing -- but not often enough for me. The Secular Student Alliance and Camp Quest are also providing essential services. For those of you who haven't done so already you might go to the SSA site (www.secularstudents.org) and make a contribution to help them with their $50,000 challenge. One quick correction, Ellen Johnson is the past president of American Atheists. Ed Buckner is the current president.

If you take the meaning of "secular" to be "without regard to religion", there are a host of worthwhile organizations where people can socialize while pursuing eminently worthy, secular goals. The Red Cross springs quickly to mind, as do most environmental organizations, Planned Parenthood, youth-activity groups, community-action agencies, service clubs like Rotary, bowling and other sports leagues, political parties,* dance clubs, and so on — to say nothing of bars, Greek life, and other concomitants of the college experience. The felt need to establish a social group around atheism per se is an artifact of the religious drenching that has permeated so much of American society, but I submit that most Americans are getting their social "fix" thru purely secular associations — and that includes those who attend church regularly every week. Surely that's not their ONLY social outlet. I'll bet that almost all of them have secular groups as well. ––––– *Well, SOME political parties are secular.

I think it's absolutely right that there are many secular organisations that might give one a social "fix", but for me they lack a certain "existential" quality which specifically non-religious or Humanist organisations offer. I personally want a space to discuss purpose in life, finding meaning, ethics etc. These are topics that religious organisations frequently tackle, but which groups like the Red Cross and Rotary may not.

This speaks to exactly what I've been feeling since I "lost" my faith and left church. I've never missed my faith, but the community that I had (and lost) left a gaping hole that I've not been able to fill. At least now I know it's not just me.

I'm glad I found this. I have been arguing this all day. Religion is not something that can be just thrown away or forgotten. Huge parts of it are archaic and the results of finding answers without the facts but it holds a position that can't be left vacant. Man is an emotional being that reasons. Dumping everything but reason and fact leaves us unfulfilled.

An excellent article and thank-you Emily and others for your insightful commentary. Like so many referenced in the article, my wife and I were brought up in a 'traditional' religious environment which equated to being of good, moral character. Like so many others we to evolved away from such teachings as we came to understand it to be more metaphor... a story if you will to teach the beliefs of a certain group - with all faiths having an equal story and a right to share such when asked. In truth we to are also reminescent to a degree of those days because of the level of social involvement; something we have replaced in our lives with our non-profit involvement over most of our lives. We also know and have a friend within the Freethought church mentioned who continues to try and recruit us to attend. As mentioned in your article regarding others, we to have resisted due to many of the same reasons with the exception of one: We are equally uncomfortable with the word 'atheist' as we would be (and were) with being labeled 'Christian' or 'Baptist'; we simply are not against anyone's right to believe whatever they want as long as they agree to share when asked but never preach. The word 'atheist' for us - and most we know and associate with, is a religion/belief system within itself, with its own 'preachers' such as Mr. Dawkins who has recently even began preaching his own form of dogma while agressively attacking the rights of those who don't agree. For us, this extremist approach to religion is just as negative as the teachings of our youth - and for far too many still today - against, Muslims... Jews... Buddhists... or Hindu, or the various races. In polling many of our closets friends as well as non-profit and business acquaintences over the past six months, we have found the majority to be accepting of the freethought doctrine and even 'church'. Where we have found strong emotions against is when the word 'atheist' is mentioned; as one friend put it... "That would be as bad as being called 'fundamentalist' for both are extremist beliefs with most of the rest of us somewhere between." Just our two cents.... Thank you again for a very insightful and thought provoking article

Religion seems to be an emotional and social thing to some folks, but to others of us it was an 'ideological' thing: belief and actions. (Perhaps this was just being raised as a Roman Catholic where 'saving your soul' was the object, and other folks were simply 'there' on Sunday....). Frankly, I'm surprised no one has mentioned Bokononism (cf. Kurt Vonnegut's 'Cats Cradle') inasmuch as the late writer was the honorary president of the American Humanist Association for years and years. I'm rather 'taken' by the sacrament of bokomaru ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokononism

In keeping with the secular principle of the Constitution and just in time for Christmas shopping, Kirkus Discoveries review says about this new book: The Religion Commandments in the Constitution: A Primer, by Gene Garman, M.Div. "Garman does a great service by bringing together many primary source texts crucial to understanding the American debate ... effectively argued ... required reading ... persuasive." "It is the religion commandments in the Constitution which should be hung on every court room wall, posted and taught in every American public school, and monumentalized throughout America, not the Jewish commandments of Moses, or of any religion," p. 19, The Religion Commandments in the Constitution, a textbook for understanding the three religion commandments in the Constitution for the United States of America. Available from Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. Contact: Gene Garman ggarman@sunnetworks.net Pittsburg, KS