Just came across this opinion piece in the Huffington Post. I am interested in your thoughts about it. "Start With Humanism."
[huffingtonpost.com]
As for me, it is a semantics game to begin with, but I am pleased with the notion of starting first with a label for one's values, which Humanism does, rather that one's beliefs or lack thereof.
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.As some of you pointed out, "secular humanist" is an actual label, whereas "humanist secularist" or what have you is not and seems destined to cause people to squint at you funny. Muddying th waters more is the fact that for years now "humanist" has been understood by most to be shorthand for "secular humanist." I rather picture people saying simply that they are a humanist and only adding further designations if asked for clarification.
MikeInBatonRouge
Level 8
Dec 4, 2017
0
Her heart seems to be in the right place but maybe I'm out here in the sticks because I've never heard anyone call themselves: Humanist Muslim, Humanist Christian, Humanist Buddhist, Humanist Atheist, Humanist Agnostic or Humanist anything. The only label I've heard and one I consider myself as is a Secular Humanist. I think your right in that she is playing a semantics game but I really don't see much purpose in it. She could have more impact just saying, cut the other titles and stick with Humanist.
gearl
Level 8
Dec 4, 2017
0
Humanist. Well, yes. I should think that most of us are humanist to one degree or another and I don't think it requires a declaration. It would seem to me that for anyone other than the total sociopath, that would be like a default position for almost everyone.
I say I'm an atheist/evidentialist/rationalist and I just assume that others understand that I am also humanist in my own way. I think the article puts too much emphasis on the title and not the action. I see someone hurting, I feel their pain. I see someone in need and my first reaction is a desire to help. That is just a part of being the social animal we are -- humanist. Why give it any special recognition? I don't see that it is either necessary or helpful in the descriptive sense.
evidentialist
Level 8
Dec 3, 2017
0
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