This paper offers a comparative analysis of Secular Humanism and Christianity, examining how each worldview addresses foundational questions about identity, the origins of human life, morality, purpose, and destiny. The paper first outlines the core tenets of Secular Humanism — its rejection of creeds, its grounding in Enlightenment rationalism, and its relativistic ethics — before contrasting these with Christian beliefs rooted in divine revelation, the Genesis account of creation, and the covenantal theology leading to redemption through Jesus Christ. Drawing on sources including Howard Radest and the Council for Secular Humanism, the paper highlights the fundamental philosophical divergence between the two systems.
The first thing to remember about Secular Humanism is that it does not have a creed — in fact, it rejects them. The Nicene Creed of the early Christian Church, for example, would not be accepted by a Secular Humanist, for their framework of understanding is grounded in science rather than doctrine. Secular Humanists have no defined beliefs concerning the origin of the human race, because they have encountered no empirical data convincing enough to prove any single account definitively: some may believe in evolution, and some may even believe in a Creator. What unites them is a commitment to the right of free inquiry — whether "ecclesiastical, political, ideological, or social" (Stevens et al. 2011).
Identity, therefore, is subjective and follows largely in the tradition of modern philosophical thought. Humanism, after all, truly "exploded" in the West following the Renaissance and became the skeptic's preferred system of belief. Identity is determined, like Secular Humanism itself, through the employment of rationality and scientific inquiry.
The meaning and purpose of life are also evident in the source from which Secular Humanism draws its values. As Howard Radest states, "Humanism is the incarnation of Enlightenment values and the legitimate descendant of an age of reason and freedom" (Radest 1990, 10). By this measure, the purpose of life according to Humanism is idealistic: it is to achieve a standard of living as close to paradise as possible — it is, in a word, utopian.
Morality follows in the same vein: it rests on a humanist ethic that is predominantly relativistic. Many modern philosophers have attempted to define morality, but no single system serves as a universal moral guide; individuals are largely left to formulate their own moral frameworks. Destiny, too, is a concept that Secular Humanism cannot accurately accommodate: if destiny is understood as a force that shapes human actions, Humanists are unlikely to accept it.
Christians, while they do not neglect human reason and scientific inquiry — Thomas Aquinas, for example, personified both — are also open to divine revelation. Indeed, the entire Christian belief system is founded upon divine revelation and the central claim that God became man in the person of Jesus Christ. From this foundation follows an entire body of doctrine, including the Nicene Creed.
Christianity has a clear account of the origins of life. The Book of Genesis — believed by Christians to be the divinely revealed word of God — states that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1). The creation of man followed, and God made a covenant with man in the person of Adam. Adam broke that covenant, the consequences of which were death, suffering, and the loss of control over concupiscence. God renewed his covenant with humanity through Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, and others, promising to send a Redeemer who would pay the debt owed to God and open the gates of Heaven to mankind.
"Fundamental divergence on divine purpose and morality"
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