Humanism
and how it Relates to Us

Are we really just Humanists?

Sometimes people ask, "Isn't the Church of Reality just Humanism?" No - but there is a lot of overlap between Secular Humanism and the Church of Reality. Humanism - as I understand it is a search for a natural social order without an omnipotent father figure creating the rules. If we were to create what we conceive as a healthy society, on what basis do we determine if we are on track? The Church of Reality is about the exploration of reality the way it really is. In order to do that, we need to explore it as a community. We rely on the information passed down to us through the Tree of Knowledge, which is the some total of all human understanding. We explore reality by growing the Tree. In order to do that, society has to move forward in what we call, "The Sacred Direction" based on the Principle of Positive Evolution which states that we choose that we will make tomorrow better than today. Out of this we derive the Sacred Principles, which form the basis of our moral code. When you look at the Sacred Principles, The Sacred Choices, and the Sacred Missions of the Church of Reality you will see that they create a basis for a society that would lead to Secular Humanism. The practice of Realism is the foundation that creates the reason why for Humanism to exist. Why is freedom preferable to slavery? Does right and wrong exist? After all - this planet is just a speck of dust in the universe and reality itself doesn't care what happens. It is because we choose to explore reality and that our progression is important to us that we have arbitrarily chosen to move to progress and to avoid extinction. We have chosen evolution over extinction. Other religions have made the opposite choice. We see Humanism as the natural lifestyle that would be the logical extension of the Sacred Principles put into practice in society. In that regard Humanism and the Church of Reality overlap. But Humanism is not a religion and is limited in scope to a natural social order based on reality. Although most Atheists are Humanists, not all Humanists are Atheists. Humanism doesn't exclude religion per se. It does however tend to exclude religion and/or holy texts as the basis for social structure. Many religions, including this one, have many of the same social principles. They come to the same conclusions in part because they have enbraced reality as the common element. And we in the Church of Reality support reality based thinking.

 

What is Secular Humanism?

I snagged this description of Humanism from secularhumanism.org Secular Humanism is a term which has come into use in the last thirty years to describe a world view with the following elements and principles: A conviction that dogmas, ideologies and traditions, whether religious, political or social, must be weighed and tested by each individual and not simply accepted on faith. (Our Principle of Self Scrutiny) Commitment to the use of critical reason, factual evidence, and scientific methods of inquiry, rather than faith and mysticism, in seeking solutions to human problems and answers to important human questions. (Same as our commitment to Reality the way it really is.) A primary concern with fulfillment, growth, and creativity for both the individual and humankind in general. (Our Principles of Wisdom and Bullshit) A constant search for objective truth, with the understanding that new knowledge and experience constantly alter our imperfect perception of it. (Our commitment to Reality) A concern for this life and a commitment to making it meaningful through better understanding of ourselves, our history, our intellectual and artistic achievements, and the outlooks of those who differ from us. (Our Principles of Inclusiveness, Preservation of History) A search for viable individual, social and political principles of ethical conduct, judging them on their ability to enhance human well-being and individual responsibility. (The Principles of Positive Evolution and Responsibility, and the Sacred Moral Question) A conviction that with reason, an open marketplace of ideas, good will, and tolerance, progress can be made in building a better world for ourselves and our children. (Positive Evolution and many others) As you can see, much of this is spot on. And it shows that great minds often do think alike. When people put reality first then they often come to the same conclusions.