Humanism can be the reinvention of culture, as we know it. Once we rid the world of a single-minded point of view such as religious views, we can move forward to becoming better individuals. Some of our greatest leaders were humanists, however this lifestyle has recently come under attack.
16% of Americans now identify themselves as Atheists however this is only the number reported. In many southern states there is a growing trend of “closet atheists”. Questioning religion has broken into the mainstream with various campaigns and feature films devoted to the absurdity of religion. In July the Freedom From Religion Foundation filed suit over plans to inscribe the Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” motto prominently in the Washington, D.C. center, charging that to do so would be unconstitutional and not representative of all Americans. This has been an ongoing fight in the U.S. and with the growing number of atheists, the fight will not die out.
The only real solution is constant awareness of the problem. We have to get the word out that Americans have other options than church. There also has to be an effort to protect the rights we already have because they are constantly under attack from the religious right among other political movements. There also has to be an outspoken mentality to what we think of religion. Not only does that mean spreading awareness but not being afraid to be the lone person in the room who doesn’t believe that there’s a man in the sky.
You turn on the evening news and yet another guy is behind a green screen with a tie that is so tight around his neck it’s making his double chin look like it’s eating itself. He’s telling you we must conserve our precious resources, that were in danger of losing “the very fabric of our nation” if we’re not careful. After dancing around the topic long enough for you to cook and eat your dinner, “Mr. I cover up my bald spot with Rogaine,” finally settles on something like coal, water, corn, or technology to pin the rest of humanity’s chance of existence on. Depending on if you’ve heard about the particular endangered resource or not you either switch the channel, or watch for two more minutes so you have something of substance to say on tomorrow night’s date or family dinner. Now I’m not here to complain about people caring about a water shortage, I’m actually here to complain about our double chinned friend who is giving this fine report. You see, whether we realize it or not freedom of thought is under attack. Whether it be through the media, or directly from our government, free thought has become an endangered resource. The grand marshal of this crusade on our precious resource is also what so many Americans use as a security blanket, religion.
The very rudimentary aspect of questioning religion and its practices has long been dabbled with even dating back to our founding fathers. As Thomas Jefferson once said, “Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear.” (Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, August 10, 1787) I wholeheartedly believe that free thought is our most precious resource because it’s really the only stable and independent form of knowledge we have left. Bias in the media has made it ok for religious zealots to begin preaching the word of the Lord in the middle of a football game. We have come to accept the fact that we swear on the bible in a court of law in a country where there is supposedly separation of church and state. While there are many who have seen we are heading down the wrong path, others seem to ignore the signs. When a country is run as a theocracy, it sets the entire civilized world back as well.
In August of this year, Ireland passed a law that made blasphemy illegal. The law specifies "A person who publishes or utters blasphemous matter shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable upon conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding 25,000 euro." (ABC News) For example, the law would include Jews being prosecuted for saying that Jesus is not the Son of God. Once the ball begins to roll, it has a chain reaction elsewhere. The disturbing thing about this law is it was voted on by Irish parliament. This is not a theocratic or totalitarian regime that imposes iron-fisted resolution. This country has representation in the European Union, and is well respected in that contingency. All this is happening just across the pond.
With Britt Hume’s recent comments about Tiger Woods Buddhist beliefs, it is clear we are far from learning from others mistakes. When someone can go on a news channel and tell a golfer that he should look to Christ in his time of trouble, we must begin to sort out our priorities as a nation. A recent Discover Magazine survey found a strong relationship between a country's religiosity and its economic status. In poorer nations, religion remains central to the lives of individuals, while secular perspectives are more common in richer nations. This relationship is generally found across regions and countries, although there are some exceptions, including most notably the United States, which is a much more religious country than its level of prosperity would indicate. Other nations deviate from the pattern as well, including the oil-rich, predominantly Muslim and very religious kingdom of Kuwait. These examples highlight the growing problem we are facing. So in the fashion of any adequate sounding op-ed I present to you a solution.
The basic definition of humanism is “A system of thought that centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth. Concern with the interests, needs, and welfare of humans.” A shockingly similar philosophy to that of John F. Kennedy who said, "And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Man's reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable - and we believe they can do it again." Every civilized human being can agree on these points from the definition and from JFK. However as soon as I insert a few crucial words into the original definition, everything changes. “A system of thought that rejects religious beliefs and centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth.” What really changed there? Does the absence of religion really change a steadfast system of thought that the majority of Americans can agree on?
So the next time you turn on the TV and Mr. mid-life crisis is on talking about how your very lively hood is in danger, try to remember what’s really at stake. Then proceed to turn off the television and maybe pick up a book. Preferably not one written by Britt Hume.
