Roots of Humanistic Ideals
Erasmus of Rotterdam’s faith was significantly changed by
considering humanistic ideals. A sixteenth century priest, he was exposed to
the humanistic ideas of his friend Sir Thomas More, and through theological
discussions that seemed trivial, silly, and at times arrogant, Erasmus came to
believe that faith needed to be based on personal reflection and reading the
Bible, which was an outrageously radical idea at the time.
He felt everyone should read the Bible and derive their own
understanding of it, another preposterous notion. He believed that priests, who
were viewed as necessary interveners for laypeople to have access to God, were
dispensable. Erasmus felt that any person could talk to God in their own way;
thus, we all have access to God without need of any assistance.
His faith was based on compassion and love for one’s fellow
humans. And his faith was based on rational, even scientific, knowledge—too
often he saw the clergy make decisions about how nature functions without even
considering personal observation, direct experience, or scientific knowledge of
the time. Erasmus did not give up his Christian religion, and has been described
as a Christian Humanist.
Atheism, Agnosticism, or
Theism
We humans are an interesting bunch, capable of acts of great
selflessness and shocking greed, with minds that can achieve brilliant
scientific discoveries or be swayed by pernicious demagoguery. Yet, pretty much no matter where we fall in
the spectrum of humanity, people’s belief systems generally fall into three
categories: atheism, agnosticism, or theism. What do these terms mean? Do those meanings change through the spectrum
of humanism? How will a deeper
understanding of our beliefs help us “break out of the prisons of separateness”
that exist between us and other people?
Some definitions:
Atheist: one who does not believe in the existence of any
gods or goddesses.
Agnostic: one who is unsure whether there is a god(s) or
goddess(es); the existence of a divine being is unknown, and possibly
unknowable.
Theist: one who believes in the existence of a god(s) or
goddess(es), divine being.
It may not be easy to firmly place yourself in one of these
three categories. You might wonder how you would describe yourself given some
additional categories of religious traditions or spirituality: Buddhist, Humanist,
Hindu, Christian, Taoist, Jew, Pagan, Polytheist, Pantheist, Panintheist,
Muslim, Sikh, Jain, Sufi, Zoroastrian, Odinist, Deist, Unsure, Other. Some of
us may describe ourselves using multiple religious descriptors.
While reading this article I invite you to consider breaking
down your various belief systems into just one of these categories: atheist,
agnostic, or theist. Take a few moments; examine your current belief system and
pick a category.
Now, how does Humanism fit into your category? “Humanism is a
progressive philosophy of life that...affirms our ability and responsibility to
lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of
humanity . . . [Humanists are] guided by reason, inspired by compassion, and
informed by experience . . . [Humanists believe that] Life’s fulfillment
emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals”
(American Humanistic Association in their Humanist Manifesto III). There are some humanists who hold the belief
that someone cannot be a Humanist unless they are an Atheist. There are some people who consider themselves
Humanists and Theists. There are some
humanists who are Agnostic.
Fundamentalism--“My beliefs
are right and yours are wrong or stupid/ignorant”—are a barrier to being truly
Humanistic
When I attended the Beaumont chapter meeting of the
Anti-Defamation League, I heard a Rice University professor talk about how we
must be willing to be in dialog and relationship with those whose faiths are
different from our own. She suggested that if we cannot sit down at the table
with Muslim fundamentalists, Christian fundamentalists, Secular
fundamentalists, or anyone else whose beliefs are very different from our own,
we will not have peace in our world. Fundamentalism--“My beliefs are right and
yours are wrong or stupid/ignorant”—can occur in both secular and religious
ideology. And fundamentalism can be a
barrier to being truly Humanistic. We
can only build community by inviting everyone to the table, not by saying,
“they have beliefs I cannot tolerate, so let’s exclude them.” Inviting everyone to the table is a
fundamental Humanistic belief that we must adhere to whether we are Atheist,
Agnostic, or Theist, or our world will continue to struggle to maintain a
peaceful and just human community.
Whatever your belief system—atheist, agnostic, or
theist—whether you believe in a god, gods, goddess, or don’t, or don’t know,
whatever your “numerator” may be, we all share the common “denominator” of
trying to understand, at some level, what it means to be human. Atheists might
advocate for the separation of church and state, but as caring human beings
they also focus their attention on finding new ways to help those experiencing
nutritional, medical, and emotional poverty.
Agnostics may focus on their spiritual journeys, seeking
enlightenment, direction, or meaning, but they are also caring human beings
that live compassionate lives, integrating into their spiritual path aiding
those less fortunate than themselves.
Theists may focus on direction from or connection with the
divine, but they are also human beings who reach out to all people, including
non-theists, to actively advocate for causes like economic equality and ending
the death penalty.
No belief system is without weaknesses; no belief system is
without tunnel vision at times. And no belief system in and of itself can
possibly meet all of humanity's needs. We need a broader view of humanity and
of creation; one that incorporates change, process, and creativity. Raimon
Panikkar writes: “No culture, no religion, no tradition can solve the world’s
problems in isolation. The key word is pluralism.” I would suggest the key “term” that might
solve the world’s problems is humanistic pluralism.
Blessings, Rev. Tom
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