Brief primer on Humanism

[Masked Dude]

A lot of people don't really get what Humanism (note the capital H) is. Also called secular humanism, it's a way of thinking that puts forward the idea that we as humans are not good or evil or superior. Humanism says we can have morals and ethics without a belief in a supernatural or divine dude.

It further says that all thinking - religion, life, politics, that weird uncle - should not solely be based on faith or upbringing. All ideas and beliefs should be taken apart and studied. Do you really believe in something because you were raised that way, or do you really think it's true?

One of the main goals of some Humanist groups is that we should work together as humans. They say since we're inherently linked to the world (being part of it), we need to shed our past problems and Us vs. Them ideas and finally work as a group to make a better world. If we're just worried about someone being evil because they don't believe in the same things, how the hell do we expect to make the world and the future better?

That's what Humanism is in a nutshell. I don't know if I'm a Humanist, but I play one on TV.

(Let's keep the discussions civil and friendly, dudes. At least that part's right. And I'm writing this as my brain is only halfway working. So don't expect this post to be deep and philosophical shit.)

[DigitalBuddha]

A lot of people don't really get what Humanism (note the capital H) is. Also called secular humanism, it's a way of thinking that puts forward the idea that we as humans are not good or evil or superior. Humanism says we can have morals and ethics without a belief in a supernatural or divine dude.

It further says that all thinking - religion, life, politics, that weird uncle - should not solely be based on faith or upbringing. All ideas and beliefs should be taken apart and studied. Do you really believe in something because you were raised that way, or do you really think it's true?

One of the main goals of some Humanist groups is that we should work together as humans. They say since we're inherently linked to the world (being part of it), we need to shed our past problems and Us vs. Them ideas and finally work as a group to make a better world. If we're just worried about someone being evil because they don't believe in the same things, how the hell do we expect to make the world and the future better?

That's what Humanism is in a nutshell. I don't know if I'm a Humanist, but I play one on TV.

(Let's keep the discussions civil and friendly, dudes. At least that part's right. And I'm writing this as my brain is only halfway working. So don't expect this post to be deep and philosophical shit.)

A worthy comment on Humanism, dude. Far out.

[Boston Rockbury]

All ideas and beliefs should be taken apart and studied.

I think we should take that idea apart and study it.

[Caesar dude]

I think we should take that idea apart and study it.

Stop being a dick!

Or if you're making a joke.... use a smiley!

peace.

[Masked Dude]

All ideas and beliefs should be taken apart and studied.

I think we should take that idea apart and study it.

Only if you promise to put it back together when you're done.

[forumdude]

ha ha. boston is so mild mannered and the sweetest guy in the world in person, but on the dudeism forum he has taken on sort of a snarky devil's advocate persona.

i wonder how many of us are very different in real life than we appear on this forum? or in general online?

i think when confronted by worldviews that i consider alien to my own (new agers with alternative everything and conspiracy theories on one hand, hard right wingers and their hard idealism and smug pseudo-rationality on the other) i can be a total fucking asshole behind the veil of the internet. it's just too hard not to take out the knives and cut up their arguments.

luckily i agree with almost everyone here. even this so called "conflict" between boston and whomever else seems to me very mild. it's more of a difference of rhetorical style than an actual disagreement.

[Masked Dude]

That's why I made a little joke reply to him. He's never wronged me, so I have no grind against him.

Live and let dude, I figure!

[cckeiser]

ha ha. boston is so mild mannered and the sweetest guy in the world in person, but on the dudeism forum he has taken on sort of a snarky devil's advocate persona.

i wonder how many of us are very different in real life than we appear on this forum? or in general online?

i think when confronted by worldviews that i consider alien to my own (new agers with alternative everything and conspiracy theories on one hand, hard right wingers and their hard idealism and smug pseudo-rationality on the other) i can be a total fucking asshole behind the veil of the internet. it's just too hard not to take out the knives and cut up their arguments.

luckily i agree with almost everyone here. even this so called "conflict" between boston and whomever else seems to me very mild. it's more of a difference of rhetorical style than an actual disagreement.

One of the reason I use my real name on the Internet....it's so easy to be a Dick when you are hiding behind an alias.

[Boston Rockbury]

Same reason I use my real name.

[DigitalBuddha]

ha ha. boston is so mild mannered and the sweetest guy in the world in person, but on the dudeism forum he has taken on sort of a snarky devil's advocate persona.

i wonder how many of us are very different in real life than we appear on this forum? or in general online?

In real life I am an unashamed strumpet.

[Rev. Gary (revgms)]

We need dicks, they are there to protect the pussies, even if they occasionally get the pussies all pissed off, they are still needed to fuck the assholes. Dicks may be a bit aggressive and sometimes break things they don't mean to, but assholes just shit on everything, and it takes a dick to fuck an asshole, to keep the assholes from shitting on our beloved pussies. see Team America

So feel free to dick out occasionally, it adds to the dynamism of life and progress, just try and not be an asshole.

I dunno, I feel Dudeism is very much the same as Humanism, dressed in a comfy robe. I wrote about it here http://godswillchurch.com/2012/09/humanism-in-a-bathrobe/

[A Stoned Buddha]

A lot of people don't really get what Humanism (note the capital H) is. Also called secular humanism, it's a way of thinking that puts forward the idea that we as humans are not good or evil or superior. Humanism says we can have morals and ethics without a belief in a supernatural or divine dude.

It further says that all thinking - religion, life, politics, that weird uncle - should not solely be based on faith or upbringing. All ideas and beliefs should be taken apart and studied. Do you really believe in something because you were raised that way, or do you really think it's true?

One of the main goals of some Humanist groups is that we should work together as humans. They say since we're inherently linked to the world (being part of it), we need to shed our past problems and Us vs. Them ideas and finally work as a group to make a better world. If we're just worried about someone being evil because they don't believe in the same things, how the hell do we expect to make the world and the future better?

That's what Humanism is in a nutshell. I don't know if I'm a Humanist, but I play one on TV.

(Let's keep the discussions civil and friendly, dudes. At least that part's right. And I'm writing this as my brain is only halfway working. So don't expect this post to be deep and philosophical shit.)

Yeah, that's cool man. That's cool. But, I get a little hung up on the whole people "should" work together to "make a better world" idea there. I mean, I get it. Shit sucks sometimes, and yeah, it'd sure be nice if it didn't, but I think a lot of harm is caused by people trying to "make a better world." It just sounds too unrealistic and Utopian on the one hand, and an excuse to fuck people over on the other, for their own good of course. I just don't think the true change people are really after is something that can ever be put in a big message and be outwardly broadcast as "this is what people should do," as much as I think it'd be slow internal, subtle change each person makes for themselves in their own way and pace. Which may just mean it'll never happen. And that's cool to. What is, is. I'd rather deal with what is now, right here in this moment, than daydream about a day when life is a Coca-cola commercial. Not to say that's wrong or anything, just giving my two cents. When toddlers learn to walk, they fall down many times. We've been learning this here game a long time, and it looks as if we still got a ways to go yet, be patient and abide.

[BikerDude]

We need dicks, they are there to protect the pussies, even if they occasionally get the pussies all pissed off, they are still needed to fuck the assholes. Dicks may be a bit aggressive and sometimes break things they don't mean to, but assholes just shit on everything, and it takes a dick to fuck an asshole, to keep the assholes from shitting on our beloved pussies. see Team America

So feel free to dick out occasionally, it adds to the dynamism of life and progress, just try and not be an asshole.

I dunno, I feel Dudeism is very much the same as Humanism, dressed in a comfy robe. I wrote about it here http://godswillchurch.com/2012/09/humanism-in-a-bathrobe/

What do you need that for Dude?

[BikerDude]

I always took it as a philosophy whereby the best course is measured as that which brings the most value to the most humans rather than a religious view where morality is judged by a set of "rules" (Leads ha ha, we got some leads) which may or may not be primarily directed toward people's well being.
Anticipating criticism this does not mean at the expense of non humans (critters that is).\
Specific definition....

sec-u-lar hu-man-ism 
Noun
Humanism, with regard in particular to the belief that humanity is capable of morality and self-fulfillment without belief in God.

I'd recommend this....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj9oB4zpHww

[BikerDude]

A lot of people don't really get what Humanism (note the capital H) is. Also called secular humanism, it's a way of thinking that puts forward the idea that we as humans are not good or evil or superior. Humanism says we can have morals and ethics without a belief in a supernatural or divine dude.

It further says that all thinking - religion, life, politics, that weird uncle - should not solely be based on faith or upbringing. All ideas and beliefs should be taken apart and studied. Do you really believe in something because you were raised that way, or do you really think it's true?

One of the main goals of some Humanist groups is that we should work together as humans. They say since we're inherently linked to the world (being part of it), we need to shed our past problems and Us vs. Them ideas and finally work as a group to make a better world. If we're just worried about someone being evil because they don't believe in the same things, how the hell do we expect to make the world and the future better?

That's what Humanism is in a nutshell. I don't know if I'm a Humanist, but I play one on TV.

(Let's keep the discussions civil and friendly, dudes. At least that part's right. And I'm writing this as my brain is only halfway working. So don't expect this post to be deep and philosophical shit.)

Yeah, that's cool man. That's cool. But, I get a little hung up on the whole people "should" work together to "make a better world" idea there. I mean, I get it. Shit sucks sometimes, and yeah, it'd sure be nice if it didn't, but I think a lot of harm is caused by people trying to "make a better world." It just sounds too unrealistic and Utopian on the one hand, and an excuse to fuck people over on the other, for their own good of course. I just don't think the true change people are really after is something that can ever be put in a big message and be outwardly broadcast as "this is what people should do," as much as I think it'd be slow internal, subtle change each person makes for themselves in their own way and pace. Which may just mean it'll never happen. And that's cool to. What is, is. I'd rather deal with what is now, right here in this moment, than daydream about a day when life is a Coca-cola commercial. Not to say that's wrong or anything, just giving my two cents. When toddlers learn to walk, they fall down many times. We've been learning this here game a long time, and it looks as if we still got a ways to go yet, be patient and abide.

I take it be be less about what kind of world etc..
It's just a metric by which to measure values.
As they relate to human well being.
The assumption being, that such a path will lead to a better beach community all around.
I think BTW that it is the normal state of human morals. This would develop normally if not co-opted by something else.
It is generally supplanted by religious nonsense, nationalism, racism or general parquatism (to our detriment IMO).

At any rate even this gets a bit complicated.
Seems to me that when we lived closest to our natures we were inherently tribal.
I'm not entirely sure that we have developed a notion (yet) of the "family of man".
(competition having been integral to our upward ascent and a fact of life)
Yeah I know a higher calling is very real. But it's very "front brain". We are basically cave men with Nukes.
Our natural instincts are still probably driven by tribalism.
Could be that's the higher calling that we should collectively work toward.
Then we may be like Captain James T Kirk or the founding fathers. Driven by Ideals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGO-SldLrNA