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Secular humanism became prominent in the 1970s and was coined to describe a branch of humanism strongly influenced by secularism that attempts to avoid the dogma encouraged by faith-based initiatives, such as traditional religion, through a conviction that dogmas and ideologies whether religious, political or social, must be analyzed and tested by each individual and not simply believed. Secular humanists may be atheists who reject all supernaturalism or anti-dogmatists who see existing localized religions as divisive rather than inclusive and antithetical to the core principles embodied in humanism. Secular humanism, like humanism in general, emphasizes the use of critical reason, factual evidence, and scientific methods of inquiry, rather than faith and mysticism, in seeking solutions to human issues and answers to human questions.
Secular humanists affirm the possibility of an objective truth and accept that human perception of that truth is imperfect.
Secular humanism is a eupraxophy (or non-religious) worldview, which embraces "atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, rationalists, materialists, skeptics," acording to the Council for Secular Humanism [1] (http://www.secularhumanism.org/intro/index.htm).
Secularists may or may not be opposed to religion, but secular humanism as a social movement is especially concerned with religious law, whereby a strict doctrine conflicts with religious freedom. Regarding politics, secular humanism advocates separation of government from influence of religion in order to facilitate adoption and application of secularist rules.
Secular humanism may be simplistically described as:
- Humans matter and can solve human problems.
- Science, free speech, rational thought, democracy and freedom in the arts go together.
- There is nothing supernatural.
There are now ten Humanist Manifestos and Declarations:
Two notable individuals who have done much to promote secular humanism in the 20th century are Dr. Paul Kurtz and Gene Roddenberry. Secular humanism often finds itself in conflict with Christian fundamentalism, especially over the issue of state involvement in religion. One issue in particular, state funding (and thereby de-facto control) of institutions such as schools, managed by churches and other religious organisations, excites continual debate and controversy world-wide.
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