THE vision of secular humanists is so much a part of our surroundings, it’s hard to believe it was ever dogmatically defined in detail. But it was. The first Humanist Manifesto was completed in 1933. The second Humanist Manifesto was published in 1973. They were signed by dozens of authors, academics, psychiatrists, scientists and business leaders. Betty Friedan was not surprisingly among them.

According to secular humanists, human beings are self-created. The proofs of the Greek philosophers for the immortality of the soul and the existence of God have been rendered irrelevant by the advance of science. Though scientists never can explain, and never have explained, why we are here in the first place, the humanists believe they have answered ultimate questions once and for all. All focus on God is escapism. The humanist is not, however, without an object of worship. He reveres man, in a highly idealized form. He reveres man, while conveniently ignoring his evil tendencies. He reveres man, without offering any satisfying explanation for why man suffers. With world government and “maximum individual autonomy,” the cult of man will somehow lead to lasting peace on earth. Secular humanists are busy people. There is always something undone toward this ultimate goal. Secular humanism is secular madness. Secular humanism is secular superficiality. It is the end of thought enshrined in seemingly logical manifestos.

We live in a secular humanist world. Even our religious ceremonies are impregnated with it. There is no hereafter, only now. Whether this vision of life is an actual religion or not is much debated among humanists. What difference does it make? It is a compelling worldview, one that accounts to a large degree for the superficiality of modern life. In the declarations of the humanists, we can see the escapist thinking that is all around us. It is not surprising that secular humanism has brought us “assisted suicide.” Dying cries out for answers. From Humanist Manifesto II:

In the best sense, religion may inspire dedication to the highest ethical ideals. The cultivation of moral devotion and creative imagination is an expression of genuine “spiritual” experience and aspiration.

We believe, however, that traditional dogmatic or authoritarian religions that place revelation, God, ritual, or creed above human needs and experience do a disservice to the human species. Any account of nature should pass the tests of scientific evidence; in our judgment, the dogmas and myths of traditional religions do not do so. Even at this late date in human history, certain elementary facts based upon the critical use of scientific reason have to be restated. We find insufficient evidence for belief in the existence of a supernatural; it is either meaningless or irrelevant to the question of survival and fulfillment of the human race. As nontheists, we begin with humans not God, nature not deity. Nature may indeed be broader and deeper than we now know; any new discoveries, however, will but enlarge our knowledge of the natural.

Some humanists believe we should reinterpret traditional religions and reinvest them with meanings appropriate to the current situation. Such redefinitions, however, often perpetuate old dependencies and escapisms; they easily become obscurantist, impeding the free use of the intellect. We need, instead, radically new human purposes and goals.

We appreciate the need to preserve the best ethical teachings in the religious traditions of humankind, many of which we share in common. But we reject those features of traditional religious morality that deny humans a full appreciation of their own potentialities and responsibilities. Traditional religions often offer solace to humans, but, as often, they inhibit humans from helping themselves or experiencing their full potentialities. Such institutions, creeds, and rituals often impede the will to serve others. Too often traditional faiths encourage dependence rather than independence, obedience rather than affirmation, fear rather than courage. More recently they have generated concerned social action, with many signs of relevance appearing in the wake of the “God Is Dead” theologies. But we can discover no divine purpose or providence for the human species. While there is much that we do not know, humans are responsible for what we are or will become. No deity will save us; we must save ourselves.

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