Information Related to "Secular Humanism: Between the Ideal and the Lie"
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A war of philosophy and of what defines morality is being fought daily in the media, judicial benches and legislative halls across the Western world. Issues include separation of church and state, euthanasia, abortion, gay rights and whether "one nation under God" should stay in the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance or "In God We Trust" should remain inscribed on U.S. currency.
On one side stand fundamentalist Protestantism and conservative Catholicism and on the other side secular humanism. The "religious right" claims that humanism is dragging the United States into an abyss of crime and relativism. Secular humanists point to incidents like the pedophile priest scandal rocking the Catholic Church to trumpet that Christianity is discredited and has failed to produce a moral and safe society.
Many find themselves in the middle, accepting some traditional religious ideas while embracing many secularist positions. What is secular humanism, and what are its effects on cultural development in the United States?
In 1933 a small group of philosophers, educators and ministers issued the Humanist Manifesto. They presented their statement of 15 beliefs as concepts deeply rooted in the democratic ideals of American culture.
The document begins with assertions that progress in scientific knowledge has necessitated a radical change in the way humanity defines religion. The first statement of humanism is: "Religious humanists regard the universe as self-existing and not created." The cornerstone of the Humanist Manifesto is the belief that the universe is the result of mindless evolution.
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