Humanism in General

The lecture began with a HAM representative singing the praises of both the organization and of Myers, reminding the audience of the humanists’ efforts to make the world a “better” place. “Reason, ethics and justice” we were told, are the core values of the humanist. So valuable and practical is the humanist philosophy and the humanitarian activities it inspires (i.e. food drives, etc.) that even religious people behave like humanists when they engage in acts of charity. What are we to make of such comments?

Let’s start with the claim that religious people behave like humanists when they perform acts of kindness. This is strange on the face of it. The vast majority of humanity has always believed in the supernatural (a belief that humanism flatly rejects). In light of this incontestable fact, wouldn’t it make much more sense to say that humanists are behaving like religious people when they perform acts of charity? Of course it would. The representative’s comments were nothing more than yet another attempt to deceive themselves and others into deeming humanism the superior worldview.

What of her claim that humanism’s core values are reason, ethics and justice? These values certainly sound commendable to all of us. The question is, why do they sound commendable? The answer is, these values were infused into Western society by Christianity and its belief in a rational universe designed and created by a rational, just and moral God. The humanists are trying to eject God from their worldview but somehow retain the rationality and morality that are inextricably anchored to him. Let’s consider reason, the first of the humanists’ core values.