Monday, April 02, 2007

Your right to believe . . .

.

Humanism . . .


"Humanism" is a religion (of sorts).


As Spiritual Humanists believe that every person has innate right to make a spiritual connection to the rest of the cosmos.

They cannot abandon ancient traditions and practices but they can adapt them to new understanding of the universe.

Religion must be able to adapt to new knowledge about the universe without rejecting the deep spiritual connections to human history and the natural world that we are a part of.

All of us have an inalienable right and duty to practice our own religious traditions.

Spiritual Humanism allows everyone to fuse their individual religious practices onto the foundation of scientific humanist inquiry.

They accept people from all religious backgrounds and recognize the validity of all peaceful religions, as being helpful and necessary in developing the spiritual nature of humanity.

A direct quote from ~~ Carl Sagan. "A religion old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the universe as revealed by modern science, might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths, sooner or later, such a religion will emerge."

9 comments:

none said...

That was the premise of my fathers spiritual teacher and what he passed on to me. So what if they find bacteria on Mars? That shouldn't have to upset any religions right?

Excellent post!

Kirsten N. Namskau said...

No, they shouldn't. Cosmos is full of microbes and beings of all kind. We only don't have the technology to discover, view or experience them.

BobG said...

I'm quite familiar with them; my younger brother is a member.

Kirsten N. Namskau said...

bobg: I had a look at his page. It is very interesting.
As I have said many times before ... All believes holds something of the truth, and religion does not show through how many time you go to church, but through your thoughts, words and action. (Behavior)
I think a big part of me is also humanist, simply because NO religion cover it all.

Lexcen said...

Maybe I should clarify my position regarding religion. It is all churches and structured religions that practice weird rituals and ceremonies that I disapprove of.
If I was religious I would lean toward Gnosticism, a spiritual belief system where nothing comes between God and the worshiper.

Kirsten N. Namskau said...

Lexcen: HEY ... I did not know I was a gnosticer. I did not even know the word.
But, I'm a Sufi-muslim, very much into Kabbalah and educated Antroposoph.
When I read about Gnosticism ... I'm totally at "home".
You will see a part of what I mean in my next post. I think we are on the same path there too.

This is weird...really weird. I wonder if I have a chance to "find myself" before I die.

Lee Ann said...

That is very interesting, thank you!
Have a great week!
~xo

Anonymous said...

Science will eventually explain everything. No room for religion.

Religion is a personal belief, science is the universal explanation to everything. Not now ofcourse but in a millenia from now.

concerned citizen said...

I am a humanist, but a secular one.
acually i call myself an agnostic secular humanist to anybody that asks.

My philosophy is, it is the human spirit that is the focus no matter what or how we seek. One of my problems with some religions(among other things) is the idea that we are born as sinners & need redemption. Humankind does not love itself anough.