Well, I had a post prepared that was a diatribe on how much I resent the state-sanctioned promotion of Christianity from November through December every year, but it’s been a few days and I’ve more or less mellowed out.
The X-Mas season is passed, and that is a good thing, for me.
It’s hard to be a secular-humanist singularitarian in a United States of America where the President is a born-again anti-science buffoon. Whine, whine.
I’m looking forward to the new year. Yes I am.
PS: Religious and conservative readers, aim your cross-hairs here. Comments welcome as always.
Possibly related posts:
I am very interested in what lead you to become a “secular-humanist singulatirarian”.
And…why you never told me.
psb
PSB:
I wouldn’t say I became a secular-humanist and singularitarian. More accurate to say that the world view of secular-humanism most closely matches my own, and that advocating and working toward the Singularity is, to me, the most exciting means to advance and preserve the human species.
Also, the ideals of the two are very complimentary.
As for why I’ve never told you… I don’t see it as something I have to announce. It’s just how I think, what I advocate, and how I try to approach life. That’s the kind of stuff that is reflected by everyday action, at least I hope it is.
You’ve long known (and I’ve made no secret of) my nontheist attitude, my skepticism, and my fascination with the positive potential of technology. It’s not like I had a conversion two years ago.
>>>Secular humanism emphasizes reason and scientific inquiry, individual freedom and responsibility, human values and compassion, and the need for tolerance and cooperation.<<< …taken from their website. Sounds very much what a religious person practices at their best.
I don’t see a lot of compassion, empathy or tolerance toward those less fortunate in their life endeavors, in you. Am I missing something?
Help me to understand, please?
Indeed, it is what many religions practice at their best. However, one does not need to believe in a deity to behave in a moral way.
Most religions (including many forms of Christianity) hold that since morals stem from the deity, a person who doesn’t accept the deity can’t be moral. Which I think is ridiculous. It’s like insisting that a deity created air… so if I don’t believe in the deity, I can’t breathe the air.
I’m not sure how to address your second-to-last paragraph. It reads like a veiled personal attack… especially since you have taken the quote from the Secular Humanism.org and refined it to the very specific “toward those less fortunate in their life endeavors.”
I’m not going to provide a scorecard of my compassion, empathy, or tolerance (in the secular humanist sense of the word meaning acceptance of different cultures, creeds, or beliefs… or your interpretation.) While no one, especially including myself, is perfect, I don’t find it necessary to defend myself.
It was not meant as a personal attack. What was in my mind apparently did not appear in my text. For that please accept my apology.
My Christian belief does not fit in with what you say that “morals stem from the deity” but then I was taught very differently from most Christians. I am thankful for that because it has given me a belief that is softer and more accepting than most.
I apologize if what I wrote seemed like a personal affront. It was not meant to be that at all. I am just curious. I was not looking for you to defend yourself, not at all.
Since I had never heard of secular humanism I wanted to learn about it.
Posting is never as good as talking in person.
Thank you for your response.
I hope all remains well with us now.