Talk:Humanism

This seems simultaneously excessive and simplistic. Erasmus, for example, was both pious and humanistic. --WOVcenter 22:07, 10 March 2007 (EST)

I'm not entirely sure how to do it, but could this page be renamed "Secular Humanism" and a new article called "Humanism" or "Christian Humanism" be started? There was a movement in the Rennaisance called "Humanism" (that WOVcenter refers to in the prior comment) that wasn't atheistic, and that had major effects on European history.--Epicurius 19:55, 29 March 2007 (EDT)

Because secular humanism and christian humanism are both merely sects of the humanist religion. There are undoubtably as many different variations as there are adherents to it. All are still fundamentally Humanist in their beliefs despite whatever additional doctrines they have added to it.--Roopilots6 10:31, 16 August 2007 (EDT)

Confusing humanism

The previous entry on humanism, confused it with many other secular or atheist philosophies. While e.g. socialism and communism are a secular, it doesn't mean that they are secular humanism. Humanism is decidedly pro-democracy and pro-human rights, so the would do badly under communism. User:Order June 8.

This may be a hard arguement to make, for example, Erich Fromm's collection of articles entitled Socialist Humanism. RobS 13:57, 12 June 2007 (EDT)

Institute for Humanist Studies

My apologies, we will not be able to use any links from this site: Intitute for Humanist Studies. The site readily admits it is involved in political spying. It even refers to "enemieis."

This operative, Larry Jones appears to have not been acting on his own, but at the direction and behest of the Institute for Humanist Studies. See HNN Podcast: Undercover With Christian Coalition, extracted,

Summary: Just how far would you go to keep an eye on your enemy? Larry Jones, president of the Institute for Humanist Studies served nearly four years as a co-founder of a local chapter of the Christian Coalition. A second generation atheist and tenured humanist, Jones spent his time with the Coalition helping a watchdog organization identify "stealth" Christian Coalition school board candidates.

This organization, which willfully admits to using deception and lies when good faith was extended to one of its operatives, appears to be something other than what it purports to be. It is engaged in political warfare, spying, and fraud, and not an advocacy group that it claims to be. It's links and any references to it will be removed. RobS 13:56, 12 July 2007 (EDT)

The Greatest Deception

Nothing about the Amsterdam declaration, the official statement adopted in July 2002 by the 50th Congress of the International Humanist and Ethical Union(IHEU). Nothing about the Humanist Manifesto of 2000, by Professor Paul Kurtz, International Academy of Humanism. Nothing about the Humanist Manifesto II of 1973 that was written by Paul Kurtz and Edwin Wilson. Nothing of the Humanist Manifesto I of 1933 that was written by Raymond Bragg and Roy Sellers with its fifteen affirmations that include a belief in evolution as well as socialism and proclaiming itself a religion. Nothing on how the Humanist religion being the foundation for socialism and currently Globalism. The similarities between all of the Humanist Manifestos and the U.N. Charter, Constitution of the U.S.S.R.(former) is a stunning revelation. It is a world religion being foisted upon the rest of the world with nobody even aware of it being a non-theistic religious ideology. That is what is referred to as being for the 'common good' of the rest of us that we not know what is actually happening. Let us not forget about their official logo, the Happy Human.--Roopilots6 11:28, 8 August 2007 (EDT)

Is Humanism really just a philosophy?

I don't know about you, but Humanism seems like more than a philosophy to me: it has comprehensive beliefs on every issue imaginable (read:liberalism) and its own canon (The Origin of Species) and values (hedonism, materialism), political applications (Socialism, corporatism), favored class (the elite), priesthood of sorts (professors and other public educators), and evangelists (the media). Not to mention that modern secular humanism, the only strand of the philosophy still existing, is mutually exclusive with religion. How can something be mutually exclusive with a religion and yet not be a religion of some kind?--AnthonyDW 22:12, 2 January 2011 (EST)

I agree with you. I would see it as broader than philosophy, and an entire worldview and religion. In rejecting God, humanism seeks to challenge and overturn theistic religion and its claim to authority. I've heard a few humanists try and deny that humanism is more than a philosophy, but what they forget is that one of the earliest books ever written on humanism (from 1930) was called Humanism: A New Religion (you can find it on Google books). I'd like to recast its scope more broadly in this article, but I'm not sure if my changes would be deleted. At least we are on the same wavelength Michael4 00:24, 4 February 2011 (EST)