lunachick

Interesting. Yeah, I think I pretty much do. I consider myself to be a Secular Humanist - among other things - but I believe in the interconnectedness of everything, right down to the real geo/bio nitty gritty. ie: me'n'the earthworm - we're like - >< - that.

Daggah

How would you feel if you stepped on a cockroach?

Now, how would you feel if you accidentally ran over a little girl while driving?

DMB

I have never come across evidence that humanism implies a worship of humanity. OTOH, many religions do seem to incorporate this idea when they cite the sacredness of human life as an objection to abortion. For me a human blastocyst is worth considerably less than a mature, living chimpanzee.

Marduk

“Originally posted by marduck
A casual glance at history shows humans to be the most violent, destructive beast in the woods.



"Care to guess why?"

I suppose you are going to say religion is the cause of all violence and war but it isn’t. The bloodiest times in history WW II, WWI, The Civil War, Cold War, the Bush oil wars, Stalin, Hitler etc. were hardly the result of Religion.
The Abrahamic religions did come up with the concept of the ‘religious war’ but they have only been around 2000 years or so. And the Christians & Muslims have done most of the damage, to each other (Crusades). The ancient Jews kept their squabbles to the area of Israel and went on no major campaigns to invade surrounding Kingdoms as the major players of the day did; Rome, Egypt, Assyria, Persia etc.These were wars of territory and financial gain, The Romans didn’t give a hoot if you worshipped Ra or Zeus as long as you forked over your taxes.
Politics (and religion IS politics) has more to do with it.

Infidelettante

quote: pariahSS
That makes no sense. I see no reason to elevate humans just because they are human...why shouldn't I use its technologies?

quote: marduck
Exactly. I don’t understand why observing the fact that humans have no more significance to the universe than field mice, other than to themselves, has anything to do with not being able to play with our toys.

I regret that the irony of your respective positions escapes you. By availing yourselves of human technology you place us at the apex of evolution, a position you deny we occupy.

I do not call for the worship of humanity. I do raise my voice against the idiocy of assigning existential equivalence to humans and insects.

I think the universe has no scale of significance regarding the humans, insects, beings or objects within it. It is up to us to value what we will. Should either of you ever crawl out of the woodwork in my home be forewarned, you are fair game.

JT

Rousseau_CHN

You got that right. Humanism, like theism, is irrational.

It is absurd to based your belief on something that is always changing like man.

Men are good, that is true, but they are also evil at the same time, that is true as well.

Humanism is half blind, seeing just what it wants to see, the good side of man. While theism is schizo, seeing what isn't there.

MollyMac

Rousseau, that is the most remarkable misrepresentation of humanism I have ever seen but to respond to it would mean having to repeat much of what has already been said by humanists in this thread and I don't care to do this as I think it is unfair on people who have taken the trouble to read all through the posts. I suggest you do the same.

Kuu

Humanism doesn't just see the good side of man. As I see Humanism it sees the bad side of Humanity but thinks that man is capable of conquering his bad side.

The fact that man can change is the basis for Humanism. It is up to Man to overcome his problems without having to rely on some imaginary being in the sky for guidance or help.

pariah

You see people? He capitolizes the M in man. You may not be, but he is deifying humanity.

MollyMac

Oh I see. Capitalising the M in Man (one time out of three) is 'deifying humanity'. Of course it is!

You are joking....aren't you?