¶ … Atheist
An Analysis of Secular Humanism and Christianity
Critical Analysis:
Secular humanists would answer the question of the origin of man by referring to the scientific field of biology, which is centered on the ideas put forth by Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution. Human beings do not have a special role or purpose in the world, they simply originated through an evolutionary process that took place over millions of years. The question of identity is less sure in atheism than Christianity. According to the Theory of Evolution, humankind has slowly evolved over many generations from primordial primate species into modern humanity, as it exists today. This is far less satisfactory than the identity of man as being created by God in the Garden of Eden.
The question of meaning of man's existence is answered by Secular Humanists by suggesting that human intelligence is simply a twist of fate, that humans were essentially just as intelligent as animals until mankind developed several tools which further allowed mankind to develop, tools such as language, farming, animal herding, and fire. Secular humanists believe humans are moral simply by virtue of existing in a society that holds present day human morals to be important, rather than having morals granted by God.
Finally, secular humanists do not believe in destiny, heaven or hell. Instead, they believe that humans simply decay back into Earth just like any animal, and once a human dies, they are dead for all eternity. This is a cold hard fate that is uncharacteristic of what Christians believe to be true, that is that all humans are judged by God to be good or evil, and then each soul is sorted justly in accordance to her or her actions on Earth.
Part Two
Secular humanism removes all aspects of the metaphysical realm from Religion, and denies thousands of years of history in the process. It is a way for atheists to act as if their moral alignments are guided by some code of conduct provided by society, rather than given by the Bible and God. Secular humanists reject religion because of its power over much of the decision-making processes within the country. This misplaced fear is based on the fact that secular atheists simply believe that since no God exists to them, then no God should exist to anyone within the public realm.
Christians see the world in a very different light than secular humanists, seeing God's work in the marvels of daily life, and allow them to be immersed in the idea of heaven as a just reward for dutiful service. The Christian worldview is based on the idea that Jesus will reward those who are obedient and who believe in his message, and will punish or at least ignore those who do not choose to be Christian.
Many scientists claim to be secular humanists, rejecting for fact the many facets of Christianity. This is due to the nature of their work, however, and the strict following of scientific method. Since these scientists are in the real world held accountable for every new discovery they make, and whose reputation depends on the correct dissemination of such discoveries, they cannot possibly offer any measurable evidence for God, and thus have become non-aligned observers of religious practice.
These scientists should be commended for their ability to stick to the scientific method in their pursuit of natural discovery, but cannot be said to be representative of society and humanity in a broad sense. Christianity has comforted and supported civilization for thousands of years, and will continue to do so for centuries to come, even despite controversial ideas such as secular humanism.
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