by David Birchall

Created on: June 20, 2008

Humanism supplants Christian moral values onto a secular society. As such it is system of values as similar to a political ideology as a religion. In its core beliefs it is fundamentally opposed to religious doctrine. There is no after-life, we were not created by God, there is no other world. However it fails to separate itself from a undeniably Christian heritage.

Though it preaches freedom, particularly political freedom, it is moral relativist freedom. Commonly accepted pagan ideas of free love would be condemned by most humanists, just as the sanctity of marriage would be upheld.

A key humanist belief is in progress. Humanity can improve itself by looking at the past and learning from its mistakes. Apart from within science, this view seems to lack evidence, and it is only the new religions that have ever preached it. Religious thought in the ancient world held myriad viewpoints, but the belief that humanity is somehow perfectible, or even improvable, is a Christian one.

Pre-Christian Europe advanced scientifically in the much the way we did, though less dramatically, but they believed the ethical life to be imperfectable. There would and will always be good, wise people and bad, selfish people. Humanism ignores humanities natural flaws and tries to argue that knowledge alone is enough for the good to conquer the bad. Unfortunatly that a is faith as blind as any religions.

Where humanism really fails is in its blind acceptance of the current globalised order. Most would agree that politicians, rich businessfolk and other such wealthy and powerful people are rich in 'bad' virtues. Yet humanism, like Christianity, seeks to uphold this order, while teaching people to be, in biblical terms, meek.

A religion must be defined by an aspect of faith. Atheists trust their faith that God does not exist, anywhere. Dawkins, as he has admitted, is really agnostic because he simply says there is no evidence for God, thus I do not believe. Were God one day to present himself, he admits he would gladly be swayed. All religions have faith in something. But Nazism put largely unreasonable faith in the perfection of the Germanic people, Communism in equality.

To me, therefore, Humanism is clearly not a religion in the accepted definition. It does however put faith in obscure ethical progress of humanity, and takes a doctrinaire view of morality. These are religious elements, but to then conclude it to be a religion is fallacious, unless ideology, even personal family values, are to be included too.

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