An Open Letter to my Secular Humanist Colleagues

I recently sent in a letter to the editor of a publication ran by the SH society to which I belong. I thought it might be an interesting topic for debate.
.................................................................I would describe myself as a non-conformist. I have always been skeptical of orthodoxy and always question my deeply held views as well as those of others. Over the past couple of years I have found myself growing increasingly disenchanted with the Secular Humanist movement. It appears it has morphed into a sect of ideologues who have created a very dogmatic and authoritarian structure that I have always held in contempt. I have a great disdain for any institution or system that attempts to dictate to the individual which positions or beliefs are acceptable to hold. Unfortunately, I see the secular humanist movement slowly evolving into the very thing I despise - a dogmatic, orthodox institution who’s primary task is to maintain the status quo and suppress any form of dissent - whether real or apparent.I find it disturbing to see the tone of the rhetoric now employed by many prominent Secular Humanist scholars. The most troubling trend seems to be the growing implication that the worth of a human being is reduced to his or her ability to employ reason. It also is obvious that many of these same scholars have become increasingly condescending and crass in their approach to the opposition. Within the society itself the public debates and forums seem to be filled mostly with individuals who enjoy driving their Bentley through the Ghetto smirking at the lives of the genetically inferior mutants deluded by religious belief and other intellectual maladies. I also sense that many in the movement have become too awestruck with the intellectual and academic achievements of the leaders. In awe of the elite one hesitates to form any opinion that goes against the grain as one fears this would be perceived as a sign of weakness by the status quo. Witin the community I currently see little original or creative dialogue when it comes to discussing the issues of importance to the Secular Humanist. I also have noticed that in the public forums there has been an increasingly dogmatic and rigid demand for adherence to semantics. Employing words such as faith, teleology, purpose, and belief are strictly taboo and politically incorrect. Their very mention, regardless of the context, is enough to bring about a serious lounge lashing.On the public front many prominent secular humanists have taken center stage as the High Priests of reason and are apparently speaking for us all. They are the new Prophets of doom crying out from the wilderness warning mankind of the apocalypse to come. We are told if we do not change our ways and repent of our intellectual sins we are doomed. The command comes forth to go among the nations to spread the good news. The world must be purged of the intellectual blasphemers and the mind of man must be cleansed of the seditious tales of belief. Even agnostics such as myself are guilty of intellectual treason and have a corrupting influence on the common good. In short, any individual who does not march in unison is deluded, inferior, and intellectually deficient.We are further warned that the deranged genetic mutants have run amok and at this very moment have their finger on the button waiting to vaporize mankind. What is never mentioned, however, is that it is our ability to reason and inquire into the workings of nature that have made it possible to bring about such a nightmare of epic proportions. Our rational inquiry into the nature of physical reality has given Man the ability to annihilate the human race with one press of a button.Of course nobody would seriously suggest since Science and reason in the hands of Man has produced such a tool that they should be purged from the collective consciousness. Instead, we need to ask whether or not a species such as Man is emotionally mature enough to temper the products of his intellect. It is very easy to envision billions of years of evolution coming to an end in a whirlwind of destruction when an emotionally retarded but technologically powerful species has a temper tantrum.This is where I believe both the Secular Humanist and the Theist miss the mark wildly. The Secular Humanist would have us believe our current predicament is the result of irrational thinking and the childish reliance on the supernatural. Religious leaders blame the situation on our lack of morality and knowledge of God. It is my contention, however, that our emphasis on reason and belief has blinded us to the instinctual driving forces that can dominate and ultimately shape our destiny. As Carl Sagan pointed out - our long term survival may ultimately depend not on reason but on our ability to reign in the ”reptilian instincts’ that lie deep in our psyche.The ability of man to let his emotions dominate his reason is legendary. Whether scientist, theologian, philosopher, or king we all succumb to our instincts. To deny this would be to deny our humanity. Our instincts and emotions cannot simply be reasoned out of existence anymore than we can pray them away. Neither reason nor religion can squash the impulse to lash out that arises suddenly in response to a perceived threat. Although we cannot ignore our primal instincts we can learn to control them through a conscious effort. In the nuclear age the only enemy we need to conquer if we are to survive is our own arrogance. The advice I would give to my Secular Humanist colleagues is before we set off to chastise the intellectual heathens for their indiscretions we might first find it prudent to take note of the mote that exists in the collective eye of humanity.Through his creative imagination and intellect man has created such wonderful institutions as science, art, music, and philosophy. They stand as a testament to the ability of our species to employ reason and put them to good use for the common good. We have learned to harness the forces of nature and have come to an understanding of the inner workings of matter on such a fine scale as to be unimaginable only a century ago. Unfortunately man has never learned how to adequately deal with his internal constitution or foment the seeds of content among human beings. Our scourge is that we have always found increasingly sophisticated methods to destory our fellow man yet we have never been able to find a means to bring us all together.As General George Patton noted in his memoirs - “If History teaches us anything at all it is that the natural state of Man is war. Peace has just been a period of preparation for that endeavor.” Throughout history Man has found many pretexts to satiate his aggressive instincts that drive him to conquest - religion, territory, oil, power, greed. Removing any one of these as a pretext for waging war will do nothing to achieve the goal of coming to terms with our innately aggressive nature. The naively simplistic view among many in the movement that religion is the main reason for our condition is ludicrous. Equally ludicrous is the notion that removing religious belief and irrationality from the public square will suffice to overcome or negate our instincts for aggression.I see many within the Secular Humanist movement accomplishing nothing more than creating another pretext for conflict and discord. By demonizing the opposition one makes any civil dialogue or understanding impossible. The militant call from some luminaries within the movement to rise up and get angry with the establishment is self defeating. Anger leads to hate and hate leads rational people to do very irrational things. To make matters worse any individual who does not propose such a stance is often taken to task for for aiding and abetting a perceived enemy. This only furthers my point that even rational beings will often let their emotions and instincts get the better of them. We should be wise enough by now to realize an eye for an eye just leaves everyone blind. I had hoped that we would all maintain our composure and not resort to the same type of polemic that is common of many in certain intellectual circles. We all need to recognize that the ultimate problem lies deep within us all in a world that exists between faith and reason.It is becoming increasingly apparent that Man has learned nothing from history and is destined to repeat it. Unfortunately I look with great angst on what the future holds for our species. We have learned much and have fulfilled some of our wildest dreams but we have never learned to live with ourselves. We are filled with triumphant jubilance over our intellectual and technological achievements and have become confident in the ability of reason to resolve all our problems. It is as if we are a conquering hero riding atop our chariot failing to heed the warning - "Remember thou art mortal"..............................................................Edited by Grizz, : No reason given.

So if we're allowed neither reason nor emotion, what is left, exactly? Suicide? I read your entire polemic, where you criticize atheist luminaries for taking the same tone you just did, and I see neither where you explain exactly how those figures are wrong, nor how we're supposed to fix whatever problem you think we have.

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And I find it hilarious that, while you fault others for a misplaced emphasis on reason, it's clear that you believe you've used reason to arrive at your own position. How does that work, exactly? Hi,Emotion and instinct will always be part of our nature just as reason will. I am not downplaying our ability to reason at all. What I am saying is we do not have to let emotion overpower our ability to reason. Instincts and emotions cannot be eliminated but they can be controlled through a conscious effort by delibarately refusing to act out in innaproproate situations. Just because I become angry with someone for being struck does not mean I have to act on this feeling. I have the conscious ability to refuse to respond in like manner.Is this just an unrelasitic pipe dream? Is it possible to really put this in practice? I don't know. I am not claiming to know. I am simply saying up to this point in history we have not been sucessfull in coming to grips with our aggressive and destructive nature. It appears Mankind has always desperately been in need of a lesson in anger management.Yes our reason has propelled us to vast heights but our volatile instincts combined with our technolgical sophistication definately is a prime candidate for the Darwin Award. In the nuclear age all species get the award - we not only take out ourselves but will take everything else along for the ride.It is ironic that the aggressive instincts that once helped us compete and survive might also be the reason for our demise. It is also ironic that should this come to fruition then had we not developed the ability to reason we would probably still be around in a million years-maybe the lack of higher reason is healthy for the long term surivival of a species where competition for survivial is paramount. Once a species reaches a certain technological sophistication it self destructs - the Fermi Paradox? Time will tell.Regarding your second point - Yes I have used reason to arrive at my conclusion and yes I was driven partly by emotion and yes one could construe parts of my monolauge as polemic. However, my intent was not to insult but simply point out my honest opinion that I believe certain groups are starting to stray quite a bit from their original intent.You do not have to aggree with me and obviously you don't - fair enough. I am presenting my opinion. I would like to hear the opinions of others as well. Has the Secular Humanist movement become increasingly dogmatic and authoritarian? Have the internal debates stagnated and morphed into an obsession with opposing views rather than inquires regarding the issues that were once important to secular humanists? Are some of the positions becoming too militant for some people's tastes?By radical I mean the calls to put on the brass knuckles and start cracking heads or the connotation that the worth af a human is judged by which camp they fall in - if they accept athiesm or theism for instance. To display a hatred for someone simply because of their position on an issue is irrational and emotionally immature - whether it comes from a theist or an athiest.Edited by Grizz, : No reason given.

But that's exactly what you're faulting people like Dawkins and Harris for saying. These are people who are saying that religion is irrational because its based on emotions rather than on evidence and facts - and you're saying those guys are being authoritarian.

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I don't get it. You're criticizing them for what they're saying, and then you're turning around and saying the exact same thing.

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Yes unbridled emotion is bad. Yes the results of doing things based on emotions rather than reason is usually bad. Harris's point is that having faith in God is just one more thing people do because of emotion rather than reason. Nobody who believes in God does so except because they have a feeling that they should.

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Isn't that what you're saying is negative? Why are you saying Harris and others are out in left field when they're saying the same thing you are?

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Do you understand my puzzlement? Is it just that you have no idea what Harris and Dawkins are trying to tell people, perhaps? I would not argue with you that instincts for survivial and our emotions such as fear play a large part in the religious experience and the desire of an indiivudal to accept belief in a deity. If man lived forever and was happy all the time he probably would not need to envision such things. I was referring to anger, hatred, aggression ect..What I find impossible to accept is the assumption by Dawkins and Harris that removing religion from the public spectrum will somehow fix the problems we now see. What is ignored are the social and politcial contexts that allow those in charge to recruit the religious fundamentalists to be used as a means to an end - usually the retention and/or expansion of power by those in control. Does religion play a part in this? Of course - but to believe the ultimate source of the problem is religion istelf I feel is a gross simplifciation of the problem.I greatly admire Dawkins for the work he has done in his field; however, as with Harris I simply find his positions on social and religious issues a bit shallow. He brings up many points that I aggree with but the tone of his rhetric IMO does more harm than good when it comes to the acceptance of the SH within mainstream society.
It appears he is looking for a fight and he comes accross as condescending and arrogant. It just rubs me the wrong way. Also, it was interesting to note as an agnostic I am part of the problem - I guess I am not allowed in the club Also, I could debate the polticial aspect of the subject on philosophical grounds - I am not a Marxist(no disrespect intended to those who do hold this philosophy). For philosophical reasons(i can esposue if you like) I believe that every indivdaul has the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I believe in religious freedom and do not believe governmental regulation of belief systems is tenable in the long term.Pragmatically I also believe it is impossible to remove religious belief from the public sector. Man has shown a fierce resistance to any opposition in this regards. Trust me - if a man is willing to be burned to death for their beliefs he certainly will not readily drop those beliefs under coercion or mandate by any insitution.Instead of running after superspooks we should be addressing issues that are more manageable - for one the deplorable state of Science and Math education in this country. It is terrible - it is dry and uninspiring as well as poorly taught. Edited by Grizz, : No reason given.Edited by Grizz, : No reason given.

Hi AllI will get to responding to some of the replies to my OP in a moment. First I would like to bring up a subject that is really in need of addressing:An argument is Rational if it is valid.An argument is rational and deductively valid if the conclusion neccesarily follows from the premise.All apples are green.
I have an apple in my hand.
Therefore the apple in my hand is green.The above is a perfectly rational argument. One would show the argument to be unsound and therefore false by demonstrating the premises to be false - not by proclaiming the argument to be irrational. There is nothing irrational about the argument itself. It just happens to be unsound.An argument is rational and inductively valid if the conclusion follows from premises that are a posterei(experience based) and cannot be deductively arrived at.The sun rises every day.
Tomorrow is another day.
The sun will rise tomorrow.An argument is irrational and invalid only if the conclusions do not follow from the premise.Mcintosh apples are round and red
I am holding a round and red object in my hand.
Therefore the object in my hand is a Mcintosh apple.One need not prove the premises to the above argument false as it is invalid and irrational.There is nothing irrational about many of the statements present in arguments employed in the athiesm/theism debate as most are merely stated as propositionals:- The laws of nature do not need to account for their own existence.- God does not need to account for his/hers/its own existence.I have seen many use the above both as premises in arguments but never as conclusions of an argument. They really are not rational or irrational as they are not arguments - they are simply propositionals and accepted as a valid premise.I often hear someone say it is Irrational to hold The laws of Nature or God do not need an account for their own existence. Many attempt to demonstrate by appealing to causality that all things require a cause; however, they really succeed in negating both of the above statements and end up in an infinite regress of cause and effect.As Wittgenstein pointed out - All arguments have to end somewhere.

Hi Grizz and a hearty welcome to EvC. From what I've read here I am hoping you will find this board a place where you will want to hang out. Thanks Buzz. The moderators here appear to be doing a good job of keeping things civil and productive. It appears that you need us and we need you.
You have stated that you are an agnostic. I am a Biblical Christian fundamentalist. That makes us quite different idiologically but you and I are so much in agreement regarding the excellent OP of this thread that as soon as I finish this message I'm going to nominate your message in Post Of The Month (POM) for June. To me secular humanism has been a philosphy that alligned with my views - I did not allign my views with secular humanism. I enjoyed reading the views and opinions of others because we shared many of the same ideas. Now it seems more like an exclusive club that has morphed into a platform for young militant atheists to rage against the machine. Those of us who are more moderate in our approach to addressing social and religious issues are becoming the exception rather than the norm. Though I'm a Biblical fundie, certainly agreeing with you regarding your comments about secular humanism, I agree also with you on other counts including religion, yes, even so far as including major Biblical fundamentalist churches, universities and other groups where divinity degreed doctorated devines dominating educational domains determine doctrine deemed credible.

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Likely it is needless to warn you that nonconformity is not conducive to winning friends but hopefully will influence people to be less restrictive in what information is acceptable regarding education, science, debate, discussion, media, et al

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The greatest challenge for the non-conformist is to present enough evidence to refute ingrained conformist ideology to such a degree so as to overcome the prevalent majority viewpoint. In some cases, regardless of how much evidence is produced, one might better go at breaking into a boulder with a tack hammer. I have always had a rebelious streak in me I guess. Rather than direct opposition I always find it more interesting to inquire into ideas that are on the fringes of acceptance within an establishment.I aggree non conformity does not win you many allies or friends. It does have its advanatges, however. Following the herd gets boring. Spending all ones time and effort agreeing with those who aggree with you also gets boring and leads to complacence."Doubts, additional questions, argument and criticism contribute to the strength, not the weakness, of scientific thought". ” Robert Macchiarelli

Not everybody agrees that's what "rational" means, friend. I, for instance, would call that a "logical" argument, but an irrational one - because of its obviously false premise.

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Rational is not synonymous with logical. Indeed, if it were, we would be forced to conclude that all science (empiricism being illogical) was irrational.

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There are no arguments supporting the existence of God that follow as valid deductions from true premises. None whatsoever. It is irrational to believe in God. Frog..My apologies to the forum. I probably should not have posted my thread as it is going to take the argument off topic - my fault. It would be interesting to open this up as a new thread in the beliefs forum as then all can get in on the debate.OK...I have started the new thread here..http://EvC Forum: Rationality -->EvC Forum: RationalityEdited by Grizz, : No reason given.

The answer is simple - nobody has to spend time contemplating what they see as a failed philosophy. One is free to engage in their own intelectual pursuits.btw..I started the new thread as noted above in my earlier post.Edited by Grizz, : No reason given.

Hi IcantAlthough I do not subscribe to the Christian Theology I have a great admiration for Jesus the man and have always held his social and ethical philosophy in high regard. Surely one would need to be a cynic to not find a bit of wisdom in many of his teachings on ethics.It is what people have done with his teachings(or not done)that I find discourgaing.Edited by Grizz, : No reason given.

To begin let me say I am presenting my OPINION on what I have observed through my correspondence and discusions with others as a member of the organization to which I belong. My observations also come from the popular literature and academic publications of those who identify themselves as secular humanist.Religion points to divine revelation as the basis of all morality, ethics, and law. Secular Humanism is a nauturalistic philosophy that advocates the use of of human reason, justice, and ethics as the basis for our morality and conduct.Let me refer to the the tenets of Secular Humanism that have been around since the beginning of the movement. One can find the below at the following location: Home | Free Inquiry#- 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.- 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.- A primary concern with fulfillment, growth, and creativity for both the individual and humankind in general.- A constant search for objective truth, with the understanding that new knowledge and experience constantly alter our imperfect perception of it.- 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.- 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.- 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.These are the principles that allign with my philosophy and years ago the debates and discussions within the community centred around how to really bring about positive changes in society while respecting the views and beliefs of others. One of our conclusions obviously is in order to accomplish this religion should have no place in government or the science class. We never advocated(until now)a view that religion should have no place in society or those who hold opposing views are the problem. While there are still serious discussions that allign themselves with the original tenets they are being drownded out by an increasing majority whose goal appears to have simply become a debasement of those who hold opposing views. More attention is being paid to denegrating the opposition than attempting to really bring about something positive.
Secular Humanism has really become synonymous with militant athiesm and has strayed from its original goal. An open marketplace of ideas, good will, and tolerance no longer find its home here. Any current SH publication or forum will demonstrate.1) You say that these "Secular Humanists" are "dogmatic". What is their dogma?Militant Athiesm(2) You say that their "task" is to "maintain the status quo". What, in your view, is the status quo?Militant Athiesm(3) You say that they "suppress any form of dissent". How do they do this? Have any people been killed?Just as with a religious establishment - Demonizing anyone who does not conform to a specific doctrine that is in the norm and thus removing them from any serious objective consideration.(4) You say that they "dictate to the individual which positions or beliefs are acceptable to hold". How do they do that? Do you not live in a free country, and can you not think what you like?See all my above.

If you are uncomfortable with my statement then I will rephrase it to:'I have a great admiration for the philosophy atributed to Jesus the man and have always held this social and ethical philosophy in high regard.'. Alright, to make peace I will rephrase it once again to:'I have a great admiration for the philosophy atributed to the fictional character Jesus the man, and have always held this social and ethical philosophy in high regard.'Edited by Grizz, : No reason given.