Chiru in 1st political Press meet Telugu film Megastar Chiranjeevi on Sunday formally announced his entry into politics and also said that from now on he was dedicating his life to serve people.Addressing a crowded press conference at his newly inaugurated party office at the Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad, the actor said that he would announce the name and policies of his party at a public meeting o
The 23rd edition of the Humanist Symposium has been posted at Disillusioned Words. Be sure to check it out. The post I submitted to Carnival of the Godless this week was inexplicably ignored (the first time that has ever happened), so I am happy that I had something appropriate for the Humanist Symposium that made the cut.Tags: Humanist Symposium, blog carnival, Carnival of the Godless Atheist Re
On the British Humanist Association website on Monday morning, all the pages had a new title:
Humanism sux
Could this be an outbreak of humanist heresy? A conversion to religion (I'll ignore the Billy Graham-esque "What humanists believe" which starts the "what is humanism" page? Have they all been on an Alpha Course, perhaps?
Disappointingly for the straight down the line religious types, this d
Yesterday was a good day for atheist blog carnivals, as both Carnival of the Godless and Humanist Symposium were posted. You can find Carnival of the Godless at Atheist FAQ and Humanist Symposium at Mind on Fire. Check them out.Tags: atheist, blog carnival, Carnival of the Godless, Humanist Symposium
Humanist Symposium #12 is up now at evanescent, bringing you quality humanist reading from around the blogosphere. This edition is dedicated to Blue Linchpin who some long-time readers may remember as one of the blogs I used to feature here. I think this is a very nice gesture and a fitting tribute.Tags: Humanist Symposium, blog carnival, secular humanism, evanescent, Blue Linchpin, atheism
Humanist Symposium #12
DEDICATED TO BLUE LINCHPIN
Greetings one and all. It is my pleasure to present this Humanist Symposium, the last one of the year.
Before we go any further, I would like to take this opportunity to dedicate this Humanist Symposium to Blue Linchpin. Her last post was June 11th and she had been struggling with cancer for some time. This would be a tragedy no matter who it was, but when it happens to someone so young and so intellectually alive, it seems all the more unfair. After silence for so long, I think we all fear the worst.
I couldn't think of a particularly unique or clever way to present this Symposium (!), so I've decided to offer each submission with my personal reflections on each article.
Let's get started:
A Load of Bright presents a treatise On Patriotism. This is a brief but excellent summation of the arbitrary nature of nationality, and why the author identifies himself as a citizen of earth first and foremost, instead of re
Humanist Symposium #10 is up at Letters From a Broad. Hard to believe there have been 10 of these already, isn't it? Check it out.Tags: humanist, humanism, blog carnival, secular
The 8th Humanist Symposium is now up at Elliptica, and it is a good one. My recent post on the need for a secular community, which I wrote for the Humanist Symposium, is included.Tags: blog carnival, Humanist Symposium, secular humanism, atheism, secular community
California Congressman and atheist, Pete Stark, was honored on Thursday with the annual Humanist of the Year award from Harvard's humanist chaplaincy. Although I found it odd that he downplayed the bigotry atheist face from believers, I applaud his candid admission that expressions of religiosity by politicians tends to be about politics rather than superstition.According to The Boston Globe, Stark responded to a question about atheists being demonized by saying, "I have no evidence that they [nonbelievers] are 'demonized.' I think there may be a certain arrogance of certainty among some people . . . but I've never run across those who have been nasty about it." It sounds like he has been fortunate. Maybe Congressmen have it better than the rest of us.Stark expressed optimism that the influence of religion is waning. "I think as we mature . . . you're going to find people taking a less strident or literal position on religion."When asked about 21 other US representatives who ident
This week I have the privilege of hosting The Humanist Symposium. I would’ve liked to have done something creative, but that just isn’t me. So, let’s get this started.
First up is Eric Johnson of The Primate Diaries with his excellent article, The Sacrifice of Admetus, which is about altruism and how recent studies point toward it not only NOT being a mark against evolution, but something that we share with other animals, including the much maligned rat. I guess that leaves us with opposable thumbs and Shakespeare, eh?
Eric also submitted another article, The Rise of Forbidden Love, that seeks to explain the double standard that surrounds sexuality in certain cultures, especially those dominated by Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism where women are often singled out for severe punishment, even execution, for unauthorized sexual relations.
Next up is Evanescent of the same with a introspective article titled My Atheism where he explains what atheism means
Just a quick post to let you know that the Humanist Symposium, started by Adam of Daylight Atheism, will be hosted here September 2, 2007. Submissions can be made through the submission form on Blog Carnival or by sending a link to Adam at ebonmusings@gmail.com or a link directly to me at kcrene@gmail.com
The Guidelines:
1. The Humanist Symposium is open to atheists, agnostics, and freethinkers. Posts supporting or defending traditional, mainstream religions are ineligible. Posts written from the standpoint of a theistic but non-organized belief system (e.g., deism) are eligible at the host’s discretion, but should still follow the guidelines explained below for what type of entries we’re looking for.
2. The Humanist Symposium is not intended to be a forum for all types of atheistic thought, but original posts that specifically support the philosophy of humanism. Humanism is a way of thought that affirms the inherent dignity and worth of human life and ou
The Humanist Symposium blog carnival is now up at A Load of Bright. A perfect way to spend a Sunday.Learn more about The Humanist SymposiumSubmit a blog post to a future edition of The Humanist SymposiumTags: blog carnival, humanist, humanism, secular
Welcome one and all to A Load of Bright, and the 6th edition of the Humanist Symposium. The carnival has been growing in stature and, I have no doubt, will continue to do so. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be hosting an early edition which, I’m quite sure, will be followed by many, many more.
The standard of work submitted has been superb, and far from finding it a chore, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading everything that was sent in. Now, without further ado.
THE VALUE OF HUMANISM
Many theists truly don’t see any options beyond a life devoted to God. It is important for us to demonstrate how a life free of superstition can be rich, varied and fulfilling. Evanescent outlines this point with his article My Atheism. Tristan at Imagine uses wonderful imagery and narrative to explain why Paradise is here on Earth. Chris Flynn-Jones introduces his series exploring The Meaning of Life. La Marguerite shows us how material possessions are inadequate to provide fulfilment in T
Ready for some quality godless reading? The 71st Carnival of the Godless is now up at Aardvarchaeology. As if that wasn't enough, the 5th Humanist Symposium will soon be appearing at The Green Atheist. Just how I like to spend my Sunday mornings.Tags: Carnival of the Godless, Humanist Symposium, blog carnival, atheism, humanism
With the success of Planet Atheism as an aggregator of atheist-oriented blogs, it was inevitable that someone would think of utilizing the same approach for a somewhat different goal. Planet Humanism is now up and running. If you have a humanist-oriented blog, even if you are not an atheist, be sure to add your blog to this new aggregator.Tags: blogging, blog, Planet Atheism, Planet Humanism, atheist, humanist, blog aggregator
nullifidian » Humanist Symposium #4: “We might all be born atheists, but not all of us stay that way. Some people, for reasons usually beyond their own control, are—at a young age—convinced, pressured, tricked or forced into accepting claims that they can’t, through no fault of their own, verify.”
World Humanist Day is celebrated annually on June 21 throughout the world. According to the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), the day is a way of spreading awareness of Humanism as a philosophical life stance and means to effect change in the world. It is also seen as a time for Humanists to gather socially and promote the positive values of Humanism.At present, World Humanist Day isn't widely celebrated although several other groups and organizations are beginning to recognize the holiday and plan events and activities.
The second edition of the Humanist Symposium, which includes my post On True Atheists, is up at Confessions of an Anonymous Coward. The next one will be at Black Sun Journal on June 10th.
I've been waiting for this one since hearing about it earlier this month. With the rapid growth the atheist blogosphere is experiencing, it will be nice to have another blog carnival to complement Carnival of the Godless. This one focuses on posts that offer "a positive alternative to belief systems based on the supernatural." I think the Humanist Symposium is really going to take off. But don't take my word for it. The first edition is now up at Daylight Atheism.Check out the Humanist Symposium.Tags: atheism, secular humanism, blogging, blog carnival, Humanist Symposium
I am an atheist, but I am an atheist because I am first a secular humanist. Atheism is not my starting point but where secular humanism has led me. I focus this blog on criticizing religion and other forms of irrational belief, with Christian extremism spending the most time in my crosshairs. However, it is time to give secular humanism more of the attention it deserves.What is Secular Humanism?Secular Humanism is much broader than atheism and entails many things that atheism does not. This will be easy to grasp if you remember that atheism refers to nothing more than the lack of belief in any sort of gods. So what is secular humanism?Start with humanism itself. According to Paul Kurtz, "Humanism is an ethical, scientific, and philosophical outlook" which can be traced "back to the philosophers and poets of ancient Greece and Rome, Confucian China, and the Charvaka movement in classical India." Humanism is an optimistic stance, entailing "confidence in the power of human beings to solv
Christians believe that their holy text, the Bible, is the inerrant word of God. They believe it can be referred to as a complete guide on how to live your life and secure salvation. However, the religion has also produced an abundance of extra-biblical teachings and doctrines. Many of these reflect the cruelty and intolerance that dominate the Bible, but, just as the Bible has some teachings and values that we should proudly uphold and defend, so the post Biblical teachings have messages worth listening to, and I believe in giving credit where it is due. One such lesson worth saving, is the Prayer of Serenity.
The prayer was written by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930’s or early 1940’s. There is some dispute over the exact original text, but bar a few details of wording, the structure is always the same. This version may be cropped from the original, but is probably the most popular version in circulation today:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can
Daylight Atheism has created a new blog carnival, The Humanist Symposium, which will be of interest to many of you. With the growing number of atheist blogs and only one blog carnival for us, Carnival of the Godless, I think it will be great to have another. The key differences are contributions to The Humanist Symposium will be restricted to posts from atheists/agnostics/freethinkers that focus on supporting humanism. That is, contributions should focus on offering "a positive alternative to belief systems based on the supernatural" rather than purely criticizing religion. I think this sounds fantastic.The first Humanist Symposium will take place on April 29 at Daylight Atheism. Submissions are now being accepted through Blog Carnival.Tags: blog, blogging, humanist, atheist, secular, blog carnival, atheism
The Anti-Humanist Award Goes to Chris Simcox and the entire jerkoffs from Citizens Border Patrol.
T-Shirt says: “Some people are alive simply because it’s illegal to kill them.”
Think the Minutemen are just netting people, better think again. They are out for blood, they do not value human life, so lets call them what they really are, [...]
The Anti-Humanist Award Goes to Chris Simcox and the entire jerkoffs from Citizens Border Patrol.
T-Shirt says: “Some people are alive simply because it’s illegal to kill them.”
Think the Minutemen are just netting people, better think again. They are out for blood, they do not value human life, so lets call them what they really are, [...]
Stonehenge. The mere mention of the name invokes images of magic. Long thought to be some sort of ancient observatory, it has been associated with with Celts, Gauls and even Egyptians. In more legendary terms, Stonehenge has been also associated with druids, Merlin and even extraterrestrial aliens.
Considered one of the world’s most mystical places, Stonehenge has remained shrouded in mystery and wonder.
A recent project headed up by 100 archaeologist from around Great Britain has discovered some interesting new evidence which may suggest something entirely different for the Neolithic monument.
The scientists discovered a sister site just a couple miles away from Stonehenge called Durrington Walls. This site is once believed to have been similar to Stonehenge in construction but constructed out of timber and housing. Durrington Walls housed the people and Stonehenge was the burial site. An avenue connected the two sites and also followed along the river.
Apparently the two
Today we’re going to begin a four part series featuring each of the four parts of the Modern Humanist life path; Learn, Experience, Grow, Teach.
These four elements comprise the core of the Modern Humanist life path and are designed to guide each person as they move on their personal journey through life. By following the Modern Humanist life path, each person will hopefully not only achieve personal fulfillment and empowerment, but will also leave a legacy for their fellow humans and the earth.
Our first installment is a discussion of the first step: Learn.
The “learn” element is about education. Not only traditional book education but education of all things. Since it is also the core of the other three elements, it is the most vital of all.
Learning means bringing a level of awareness to everything you do. Each segment of life has the ability to be a learning experience whether that be in the form of formal education or educational “fieldwork” lik
Join Modern Humanist next week as we report from Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL.
See the Modern Humanist perspective on one of the pinnacles of human entertainment achievement and commercialism, as well as some thoughts on the entire theme park enterprise.
Reports begin early next week, so please stay tuned.
I've been a little lax in introducing my new tenant this week and for that I can only apologise.To quote the site, "The Modern Humanist is an Online Journal for Modern Humanism, Humanist Philosophy & Lifeblog". Some might question why I would advertise a blog which is at first glance promoting a philosophy of life that is directly opposed to mine. Humanist's deplores efforts to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, and to look outside nature for salvation. In other words, they don't believe in God whereas I do. The answer to this is simple...anyone can be wrong Seriously though, you should read this blog...take your time sifting through the many posts as they are incredibly well written and researched. This isn't your typical lighthearted, pithy blog that seems to inundate the web but a serious attempt to portray a way of thinking and I can respect that even if I disagree with it.
There are many activities that many people think they can perform, but most actually can’t because they are actually activities that require skill and talent.
There can be many examples of this, but the two that spring to mind are singing and writing. Most people think they can sing (to a degree) but most really can’t. Nothing against them, but in reality, singing is a developed skill requiring much practice to be decent, just like any instrument. No one would think they could sit down at a piano and just play without training, so why would singing be any different?
Writing is the other victim in this scheme. Almost everyone thinks they can write, and write well, but once again most can’t. These folks would never believe they could sit down and just draw a great masterpiece, but writing is something everyone can do easily. But in truth, writing is an art form that takes as much skill as any other.
I use these as examples, because there is one other place w
A special thanks to all those who have made great contributions to this discussion.
**WARNING: This post is a long diatribe, please prepare yourself.**
No imagined society can be complete without a discussion of government. Government controls the flow of society by regulating and protecting it’s citizens as well as (in theory) managing the resources and product of the people and representing their interests at home and abroad.
Up to this point, the Democratic society, while flawed, has provided the best form of government for the time being. The problem with that form of government and indeed most governmental functions in our current world is that because of their power they inherently lead to corruption. In addition television and other visual media combined with a less then fully educated and critical thinking populace have left the election process as little more than a combination popularity contest and beauty pageant. Added to this is the maddening and overwhelming bureau
We were going to be discussing the role and structure of Government in our Humanist Utopia today, but our newest commenter, Michael Bindner has brought up some discussion questions that I think are worthwhile to explore.
I thought we might explore this topic by making it more of an open discussion, since his questions pose some challenges that I am not fully clear how to mitigate.
Ultimately the question is what role religion can and/or should play in our utopian Humanist society.
This puts us in a bit of a conundrum because while we want to allow everyone to explore, learn and grow, some aspects of religion actually run in opposition to the society we would hope to create.
As Modern Humanists, we do not have the desire for or need for traditional religious practice and belief. As a result we tend to reject (sometimes vehemently) the idea of supernatural forces or personages as well as many of the attendant beliefs and activities of those who do subscribe to them. At the same time, w
So we have an aesthetically pleasing, culturally rich and centrally located village with ample pedestrian and cycling capacity as well as viable public transportation system leading to a vastly reduced pollution quotient.
The Village would also provide continued opportunity for growth. In our utopian village there would be free wi-fi capability as well as wiring throughout to ensure that everyone had access to global information. In addition, this would allow us to open the local learning centers to those outside of the village and participate in a true global community.
Each village would also be fitted with a healthcare center as well as several satellite stations for the health and well being of all. Within each Village, alternative health and health maintenance practices would be advocated and supported alongside traditional practice to allow people to maintain their health without always resorting to hospitals and medical doctors. In this way classes and facilities are ava
I wanted to spend a minute to recommend a blog to you. We spend a lot of time here on The Rudicus Report discussing what is wrong with the world. At Modern Humanist, they are talking about what is right, and more importantly how things would be if we could let go of the tensions that divide us all. The site talks about beautiful, inspiring and pleasant things and is a good place to go if what you read here gets your dander up (which it usually does).
While they are promoting a specific life philosophy, it is done in such a way as to not be antagonistic to anyone, and in fact, probably represents what is at the core of many religions anyway (assuming they could get out from behind their own rhetoric and polarizing speech.
Given everything that is going on, it’s nice to read something refreshing and uplifting even as many parts of the world seem to be crumbling. They have some bold perspectives and views on the future, and I can’t help but wonder if this Modern Humani
The next step in our discussion of a Modern Humanist Utopia is a discussion of The Village. The Village is a term we’ll use to describe the place where we live and the community involved. The Village also describes an alternative to the current urban sprawl and suburban landscape that has been consuming our living spaces. This is the lifeless sprawl of subdivisions, malls, and cookie cutter strips that turn our communities and towns into uninspired heaps filled with McMansions, chain stores and streets that contain nothing but large over-priced homes separate from everyone.
The Village model is based on the one that developed in the old world. It centered around a blend of independently owned shops and residential districts where everything was built around a centrally located center or green with agricultural offerings on the periphery.
The Village is our base for the modern equivalent and the foundation for what we see as the Humanist model. As always we stress the education, g
As education transitions to the world of work then so shall we. The discussion of work is really in two areas; the world of work - where and how we do our jobs and then what job we do and how we do it.
Work is a vital part of life, community and society. Work and vocation should flow with all the other aspects of life, but unfortunately for most people, work has become a matter of survival or at least requirement - and may in no way benefit humanity or society. As we tackle work in our Humanist vision, we need to see that work is important, but it is also a part of our lives and should never be the primary focus of our existence.
As society progresses there is an ever increasing need for work to be done. This can range from sweeping the streets to creating art to discovering new medicine and technology. Each person can use their particular talents and skills to help build a better society through their work. Unfortunately this has become less and less the case and community a
Since we’ve been talking about the Humanist Perspective on many aspects of life and society, the question has come up as to how things might be different if there was a larger Humanist population and if they had the power to change things. I’m not sure if that will ever happen in our lifetime. Nor do I know if those Humanists would become corrupt, but what I do know is that there are plenty of alternative choices to make across the spectrum of society and culture that could have a profound impact. I wanted to spend some time in the next few posts talking about what life would be like if true Humanists ran things and how everyone’s life might be different.
Humanists are often said to be controlling the school system and turning everyone into Humanists. If only this were true. But since Humanists are so often accused, I wanted to start this exploration by looking at what the education system would actually be like if Humanists ran the schools and universities.
