Secular Humanism
Corliss Lamont Page (Off site)
10 Myths About Secular Humanism (1997) by Matt Cherry & Molleen Matsumura
Includes responses to claims like, “The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that secular humanism is a religion” and “Secular humanism is the official religion of the public education system.”
The Affirmations of Humanism (Off Site)
A statement of humanist principles.
Atheism and Humanistic Value Theory (1996) by Michael Martin
“Atheism and humanistic value theory . . . are distinct and separable positions. . . . [Humanists must] defend their humanistic values without support from either atheism or theism. Since humanistic values can be supported by both camps, both belief and nonbelief in God are irrelevant.”
Genesis of A Humanist Manifesto (1996) by Edwin Wilson [ Index ]
A history book on the first half-century of humanism.
The Higher Religions (1996) by Emmett Fields
Fields argues that, contrary to Paul Kurtz, humanism is a religion.
Humanism, Reason, and the Arts (1996) by Frederick Edwords
“A greater appreciation and use of the arts in liberal religion and among Humanists would go a long way toward promoting not only joy and pleasure, but the expansion of the movement as well. Human beings are not mere intellects on legs, as Beverley Earles once put it. The traditional faiths have long known this and used it. Now we can too.”
Humanist Ethics by Ambassador Carl Coon (Ret.)
The Humanist Philosophy in Perspective (1995) by Frederick Edwords
“Never before has interest and talk about humanism been so widespread and rarely has the humanist philosophy been so poorly understood by both supporters and opponents. What kind of philosophy is humanism? To listen to its many detractors, one would imagine it was a doctrinaire collection of social goals justified by an arbitrary and dogmatic materialist-atheist world view. We often hear leaders of the New Right say that ‘Humanism starts with the belief that there is no god,’ that ‘evolution is the cornerstone of the humanist philosophy,’ that ‘all humanists believe in situation ethics, euthanasia, and the right to suicide,’ and that ‘the primary goal of humanism is the establishment of a one-world government.'”
Life is to be Lived Now! A Vital, Personal Humanism (1986) by Frederick Edwords
“When one hears the word Humanism, one thinks of that philosophy spelled out in documents called ‘Manifestos,’ a philosophy critical of traditional religion and which advocates reason, science, and civil liberties. What one too often does not think of is a philosophy of joy, personal fulfillment, and emotional liberation. Yet Humanism is all of these things. That the focus of discussion of Humanism has been largely on the Manifestos is unfortunate, since such discussion hides the vital and personal Humanism that means so much in the individual lives of so many.”
The Need to Teach Secular Humanism in the Schools (1996) by Kaz Dziamka
It is time to recommend the adoption of secular humanism in the curricula of all public educational institutions, particularly high schools and junior colleges.
Positive Humanism (1978) by Gerald A. Larue
“Humanism provides the acme of freedom to experience, enjoy, and appreciate the many dimensions of being human.”
The Promise of Humanism (1989) by Frederick Edwords
“The promise of Humanism is a good life here and now.”
A Secular Humanist Declaration (Off Site)
Issued in 1980 by the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism, this declaration addresses free inquiry, separation of church and state, freedom, ethics, religious skepticism, reason, science and technology, evolution, and education.
Tai Solarin: His Life, Ideas, and Accomplishments (1995) by Richard Carrier.
The most famous and controversial atheist and secular humanist in African history (if not the only one of any real renown) was the Nigerian nationalist Tai Solarin, who sadly passed away at the age of 72 in 1994. This is a story of his life, ideas, and accomplishments, which are a lesson to us all.
What Is Humanism? (1989) by Fred Edwords
“The most critical irony in dealing with Modern Humanism is the inability of its advocates to agree on whether or not this worldview is religious. Those who see it as philosophy are the Secular Humanists while those who see it as religion are Religious Humanists. This dispute has been going on since the early years of this century when the secular and religious traditions converged and brought Modern Humanism into existence.”