Secular Humanism We Live in a World

Secular Humanism

We live in a world that is so dictated by religious politics. Religion has seemingly become a defining characteristic of who we are. Yet, there are many who choose to free themselves from limited notions of religious doctrine. Many believe in what is known as secular humanism, where the human is at the center of each of our lives, not a religion or God. Secular humanism is a branch of humanism that focuses not on mans connection with God as the primary origin of life, unlike other branches of humanism (Weider & Gutierrez, 2011). Here, the human being is the center of each individual's life and not a God or religion in this perspective humans originate much like other animals, their evolution and existence does not depend on a religion. The human identity is just another biological identity. According to the research, "secular Humanism is an attempt to function as a civilized society with the exclusion of God and His moral principles," (Secular Humanism, 2013). This perspective has unique moral and ethical beliefs, despite no presence of a religion to guide ones moral compass. Yet, there are still strong moral principles; they are just dictated by each individual condition. When each one of us lives and dies it is thus on our own accord. Each individual is born out of unique circumstances, and as such they have their own unique path in life. When they die, they are destined back to the earth, not to the judgment of some deity.

Part 2

This philosophy thus is dramatically different from other religions around the world, especially in regards to the Judeo-Christian faiths which follow the path set out by them in the Bible. The biggest difference is the question of where humans originate from. Christianity asserts that we are all God's children, and that we come from His grace. In this, our physical lives are only being borrowed, and we will eventually return to our maker. Upon our death, humans are believed to return to God to be judged o the morality in which they lived their lives. This assumption does not make sense in Secular Humanism because this asserts that each individual is born into unique and different circumstances, therefore unable to be judged from an outside perspective. In secular humanism, humans are not innately good or evil, as in some Christian denominations like Protestantism, which believes in the notion of predestination. Rather, humans are a product of their environment, and thus their values and morals are relative to their particular situations. In this, the notion of the meaning of life changes dramatically when comparing Secular Humanism with religions based on the Bible. Essentially, the meaning of life in the Bible is to live by God's rules and to live a Godly life. In Secular Humanism, there are no notions of a set of rules laid out by a deity. Rather humans live their lives according to their own purposes. Here, the research suggests that "Secular Humanism refers to an ideology that bases its morality and decision-making on the humanist values of reason, justice, and ethics instead of the spiritual and supernatural claims of most religious traditions" (Patheos, 2012). Humans are part of the earth, not a religious doctrine, according to the tenants of Secular Humanism. As such, Secular Humanism can be seen as a way to still remain ethical within individual circumstances without the need for a third party judge in the form of a deity.