Another face of atheism in the modern world is the worldview known as secular humanism. Two words here: “humanism” and “secular.” Humanism, broadly viewed, can either be hostile toward God or accepting of God. Five hundred years ago in the European Renaissance, an interest in understanding humanity gave us Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and his many inventions, as well as Michelangelo’s matchless art and sculptures. This kind of humanism also promoted the study of ancient texts, including the Bible in its original languages (Hebrew and Greek), and the printing of books with the new invention by Johann Gutenberg: the printing press. But sometimes “humanism” has meant the rejection of any dehumanizing philosophies or religions, of which there have been many. The Christian faith would agree that we are obliged to respect humanity as a creation of God and to stand against any dehumanizing forces.
There is a kind of humanism that is hostile to belief in God, however. If you say that humanity is the highest and only worthy reality—if you divorce respect for humanity from respect for God, if you make humanism secular—then you have something that is trying to stand on its own two feet without the help of God. ”Secular” comes from the Latin word saeculum, which means “age” or “this age.” Secular humanism is a belief that reflects an interest in humanity in an exclusively “this world” sense. As the Greek philosopher Protagoras said, “Man is the measure of all things.”
Secular humanism has been expressed and defined in the Humanist Manifestos of 1933 and 1973, and 2003’s Humanism and Its Aspirations: Humanist Manifesto III, which were signed by highly influential philosophers, authors, economists, political leaders, psychologists and educators. To a large extent, secular humanism shapes the agendas of our schools, government, mass media, courts, and even many churches. Secular humanism says that human freedom is the only sacrosanct principle, and if there are problems, we need to find human solutions instead of looking for salvation from God because religion can only be divisive. If we want peace, we must find common ground in our common humanity.
To believe there is no God is a frightening proposition—not just emotionally, but also logically. Malcolm Muggeridge said that if God is dead, something is going to take His place; it will either be megalomania or erotomania—the drive for power or the drive for pleasure, the clenched fist or the phallus, Hitler or Hugh Hefner. The evidence is not hard to find. Read a book on history. Read any day’s newspaper and follow the global stories of the day. A humanism that seeks to liberate the God-created abilities of people, ultimately to the glory of the Creator, elevates us. But a secular humanism that makes humanity the center of and the highest authority in the universe—that makes humans gods—places us in a job for which we are woefully unqualified, as history shows.
to be continued…
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enlightening- thanks
Well written, Mel.
Makes one mindful of Francis Schaeffer, “And how shall we then live.”
Anne Owens
This write-up is very insightful, educative and thought -provoking.
Well done Mel. Good job!
Clear and concise.
Thank you,
Valeree
Why do all atheists always associate religion with God they are at either end of the scale and have absolutely nothing in common religion is of man not God. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.” Then God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. All created according to their kind.
Then and only then did God create mankind. In his own image,
in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you (Humans ). every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food
This was Creation Everything other than Man was created first and comes united as one and progressed through evolution as Darwin’s theory proves But man was created differently each one individual but all in the image of God but Man does not evolve they have always been man. There is no scientific proof that man evolved from monkeys or apes or from any other form of life other than the creation. I believe that creation and evolution are both correct and that evolution applies to all things that breath except Man. Man was given dominion over the earth.