What is the
impact of Humanism on the Christian or Jew?
What
are Humanists, how do they define themselves and what do they claim?
Humanism encompasses atheists and
agnostics, but prefers not to be defined by negative beliefs but by the belief
that people can and will continue to solve problems, and that quality of life
can be improved and made more equitable. Humanists aim to build a truly
human society in which the human being, with his needs and aspirations, is
central; a society in which human rights are completely realized: the right to
health, instruction, freedom, spirituality, search for the meaning of life, and
an existence with dignity. They affirm that we must take responsibility for our
own lives and the communities and world in which we live. Secular humanism
emphasizes reason and scientific inquiry, individual freedom and responsibility,
human values and compassion, and the need for tolerance and cooperation and
rejection of supernatural and authoritarian beliefs.
There are various strands to Humanism.
Cultural Humanism is the rational and empirical tradition that
originated largely in ancient Greece and Rome, evolved throughout European
history, and now constitutes a basic part of the Western approach to science,
political theory, ethics, and law.
Renaissance Humanism is the spirit of learning that developed at the
end of the Middle Ages with a renewed confidence in the ability of human beings
to determine for themselves truth and falsehood.
Philosphical Humanism is any outlook or way of life centered on human
need and interest.
Christian Humanism is defined "a philosophy advocating the self-
fulfillment of man within the framework of Christian principles." This more
human-oriented faith is largely a product of the Renaissance.
Modern Humanism, also called Naturalistic Humanism, Scientific
Humanism, Ethical Humanism and Democratic Humanism is defined, as "a
naturalistic philosophy that rejects all supernaturalism and relies primarily
upon reason and science, democracy and human compassion."
Secular Humanism is an outgrowth of 18th century enlightenment
rationalism and 19th century free-thought.
Religious Humanism emerged out of Ethical Culture, Unitarianism, and
Universalism. Religious Humanists define Religion as that which serves the
personal and social needs of a group of people sharing the same philosophical
world view. Human beings have personal and social needs that can
only be met by religion, but doctrine is never allowed to subvert the
higher purpose of meeting human needs.
Humanism had its roots in Greek
thinking, particularly in scepticism. While all great religions had
individuals who claimed to know the absolute truth, Socrates claimed to know
NOTHING. Socrates devised a method of questioning the rules of others, of
cross- examination. The Secular Humanist tradition is a tradition of
defiance. The best example being the character Prometheus, who defied Zeus and
stole the fire of the gods and brought it down to earth
Humanist thought found particular expression during the Renaissance
and the Enlightenment, and in the scientific, social and political revolutions
of the modern age.
The humanists believed that the Greek and Latin classics
contained both all the lessons one needed to lead a moral and effective life.
Both the republican elites of Florence and Venice and the ruling families of
Milan, Ferrara, and Urbino hired humanists to teach their children classical
morality and to write elegant, classical letters, histories, and
propaganda. The humanists also convinced most of the popes that the
papacy needed their skills. Sophisticated classical scholars were hired to write
official correspondence and propaganda; to create an image of the popes as
powerful, enlightened, modern rulers of the Church; and to apply their scholarly
tools to the church's needs. In the later sixteenth century, as the
church faced the radical challenge of Protestantism, some Roman scholars used
the methods of humanist scholarship to defend the Church against Protestant
attacks.
The French Revolution, with
its cry of, “Liberte, Equalite, Fraternite” was a reaction against the three
Estates structure of society under which 1 the Clergy and 2 the
Nobility oppressed 3 the 25 million common people. It was Age of
Enlightenment philosophy that taught the Frenchman to find his condition
wretched, unjust and illogical and to believe he could initiate a future with
humanist values, which would be the dawn of a New Jerusalem on Earth rather than
a future City of God.
http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/guide18/timeline01.html
In modern times, Salman Rushdie’s
novel The Satanic Verses gave the Secular Humanist world view, a secular,
humanist vision of the birth of a great world religion. His book
says, “there is an old, old conflict between the secular view of the
world and the religious view of the world,. . . . I distrust people who claim to
know the whole truth and who seek to orchestrate the world in line with that one
true truth. I think that's a very dangerous position in the world. It needs to
be challenged. It needs to be challenged constantly in all sorts of ways, and
that's what I tried to do.”
Humanism
claims the credit for,
Participatory
democracy in government, the workplace and education, civil liberties, human
rights, women’s rights, battles against the AIDS epidemic, protection of
the environment, advocacy of literary freedom and sex education. The
United Nations is cited as a specific example of Humanism at work
Humanism's rejection of the notions of sin and guilt, especially in relation to
sexual ethics, puts it in harmony with contemporary sexology.
Humanism is solely concerned with
meeting human needs and regard human values as making sense only in the context
of human life rather than in the promise of a supposed life after death.
http://www.secularhumanism.org
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7693
http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/vatican.exhibit/exhibit/c-humanism/Humanism.html
http://www.humanism.org.uk/site/cms/
http://www.jcn.com/humanism.html
How might we come into conflict
with Humanism as we move further into the End Times?
Humanism has permeated European, and thus Western thought and even Church
thought. Many values held by society, including Christians, belongs
to Humanism rather than the Bible. You will have noticed the number
of good things Humanism claims to have achieved – Christianity gets no credit
at all. Indeed Humanism claims to have liberated man. There is
considerable justification for this claim if one looks at the
history of the Church when it was in league with emperors and kings in the
pursuit of power and wealth and the subjugation of common man. Tolerance
is all important, and holding that there is one truth, which implies that other
people’s beliefs are false or wrong is not acceptable. It is regarded as
bigotry – we are regarded as bigots. This negative view of
Christians is reinforced by the conflict between our Bible and the Humanist
rejection of responsibility towards any god, the notion of sin and guilt and the
emphasis on personal human needs.
Humanists are not evil people, as
can be seen from their stated aims, but they are working from a different
starting point from the Christian. Remember; the Anti-Christ
is not the enemy of Christ but the substitute Christ. (Anti in the Greek
means substitute) The number of the Anti-Christ, 666, speaks of man’s
best achievement in contrast to perfection in God symbolized by the number “7”.
However, sin is basically a rejection of God and His way in order for “every
man to do what seems right in his own eyes.” Thus Biblical
Christianity and Humanism are incompatible and compromise cannot succeed – “You
cannot serve God and mammon.”
Conflict with governments can therefore be expected if the Church holds on
to Bible standards on morality and obedience to God. It is already
the accepted view that Evangelical Christians are the most serious threat to
world peace and stability. This view has been stated publicly by
European Union politicians and by Jeremy Bowen, the BBC “expert” on the
Israel / Middle East situation. Bible believing Christians are now
branded fascists and bigots if they refuse to accept the arguments of the “gay,
lesbian and bisexual” lobby. Evangelical Christians are religious
bigots to be prosecuted under Race Hate laws if they resist the demands of
Muslims whose religion has the declared aim of ruling the world. Political
Correctness is clearly rooted in Humanism. Only a couple of
decades ago Communism was the global threat to believers, but it was actually a
totalitarian manifestation of Humanism.
Clearly Tolerance is the world’s
most intolerant force and will increasingly be used against Bible believing
Christians.
See also Europe, Tribulation, Revelation, Post Modernismand GLB