Secular or Religous Humanist, whats the difference?

[Garyzenuf]

I use the diest faith icon as it sort of reflects my beliefs (generally), but the more I read, the more I think I may be in the Humanist camp. I just found out there is also religous humanists, (Universlist?), what are the differences between the two, and what generally speaking do you think a Humanist is?

 

[platzapS]

Humanists generally value reason and the scientific method as the best way to gain useful knowledge, and tend to think that most of humanity's problems can be solved through secular compassion and cooperation rather than divine intervention or recourse to sacred texts.

Religious humanists believe in the supernatural or God or gods or something like that, but still think human effort, science, and empathy are the means to solve problems here on Earth. Secular humanists ignore the supernatural altogether.

 

[Kalimar]

Humanism is a recognition of the aspect of faith in human life, and secularism is the acceptance of pluralistic religion.

If one were a humanist, they'd recognize the history of religious beliefs in humans as a species and the requirement of "religion" in daily life. Neanderthals, while a separate species from homo sapien would bury their dead with flowers and fruits with the idea that they'd require the sustenance in their afterlife. "Religion" then is a celebration of humans and their genetic disposition toward a spiritual aspect under humanism.

Humanism however recognizes basic tenets of morality and secular morality while respecting religion.

Secularism states that a state itself must remain separate from religion, and that religion. Religion is tolerated, but its tolerance is limited to its toleration toward different perspectives (notably agnosticism and atheism).

Hope this helps.

 

[Garyzenuf]

If one were a humanist, they'd recognize the history of religious beliefs in humans as a species and the requirement of "religion" in daily life. Neanderthals, while a separate species from homo sapien would bury their dead with flowers and fruits with the idea that they'd require the sustenance in their afterlife. "Religion" then is a celebration of humans and their genetic disposition toward a spiritual aspect under humanism.

Humanism however recognizes basic tenets of morality and secular morality while respecting religion.

So Humanism includes religion as part of the make-up of what it means to be human?

 

[Kalimar]

So Humanism includes religion as part of the make-up of what it means to be human?

Yeah, there is a subgroup of humanists known as religious humanists. These adherents to humanism find reason alone insufficient in their moral lives.

 

[Rauffenburg]

A humanist in my sense recognizes the divinity in man as his potential. A nice example for such a position can be found in the Renaissance philosopher Giovanni Pico della Mirandola who wrote a speech about "the dignity of man". He states that man was created by God in such a way as to define his own nature and thereby his place in creation according to his own free will and not in accordance to some god-given essence of himself.

That is in fact why I would deny the title "humanist" to anyone who has no concept or impression of the devine. But of course this impression is much different from most of what orthodox christianity is teaching.

 

[The Nihilist]

Why mess with all this pretentious nonsense? Have you never heard of plain old atheism?

 

[Garyzenuf]

That is in fact why I would deny the title "humanist" to anyone who has no concept or impression of the devine. But of course this impression is much different from most of what orthodox christianity is teaching.

So do you think being a Christian Humanist is possible, but not practiced widely, or not possible to practice at all?

 

[Garyzenuf]

Why mess with all this pretentious nonsense? Have you never heard of plain old atheism?

Yes I have as a matter of fact, I was wondering what the difference is between Atheism and Humanism? It seems the most apparent difference is Atheism is based on a negative(not morally speaking), of there is no God, and Humanism is based on a buildable positive; humans are great on their own.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Why mess with all this pretentious nonsense? Have you never heard of plain old atheism?

What is so great about "plain old atheism"? It's fine in and of itself, but it does not a worldview make.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Received]

Shocking as it may seem, humanism initially flourished as a religious doctrine during the Renaissance -- a getaway from living for the next life, and an emphasis on living this one to its fullest.

Christendom needs a neo-Renaissance. Yep.

 

[Eudaimonist]

Christendom needs a neo-Renaissance. Yep.

Yep, indeed. I'd love to see that.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Rauffenburg]

So do you think being a Christian Humanist is possible, but not practiced widely, or not possible to practice at all?

In principle, yes. But it depends on your understanding of Christianity. It may be the case, that some ways of Christianity that are compatible with this humanist idea, are traditionally regarded heresies. In fact, if man's freedom consists in choosing his own nature, I frankly do not see how this can go togehter with any idea of the fallen state of that very nature. Which is why I have a certain interest the the ideas of Pelagius, who held that there is no such thing as an original sin.

 

[billwald]

"World view" has become a gnostic Protestant right wing phrase that only insiders can understand.

 

[CGL]

Well, a secular misanthrope is far from a religious humanist.

 

[Im_A]

I use the diest faith icon as it sort of reflects my beliefs (generally), but the more I read, the more I think I may be in the Humanist camp. I just found out there is also religous humanists, (Universlist?), what are the differences between the two, and what generally speaking do you think a Humanist is?

i find the definition of humanism from wikipedia to be quite effecient.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism

the difference between the secular and religious humanist, i imagine at least, would see "God" as the source that instituted all these things that are in humanism, the secular humanist would deny that "God" or anything supernatural or divine is the source of things that defined in humanism.