Nov 09 2009
Is Humanism a Religion?
To call secular humanism just another religion is akin to calling a bicycle just another automobile. Oh sure, the two may have some common elements. But the most crucial, defining element is missing.
In the case of the bicycle — yes, it, too, has wheels. But without an engine you can’t call it an automobile.
In the case of secular humanism — yes, there are shared beliefs and values among humanists, however loosely so. And they sometimes gather together as a community. But lacking a supernatural element you can’t really call it a religion.
And speaking of humanism, the 45th Edition of the Humanist Symposium has been posted. I wonder — when I read the round-up of posts, will I find evidence of anything more than wheels?
