Dwight

The Humanist movement is about to become a dominant credo for our species, as the age of orthodox and fundamentalist religion fades in the face of the Internet’s expansion of education to Everyman.

Humanism  originated in Greece classicism and was revived during the Italian Renaissance by Petrarch and his followers. In the ensuing five centuries of struggle Humanists had to keep conservative religious oligarchies at bay, defending its distinctive free-thought initiatives. Man’s new-found freedom from supernatural interlopers and priesthoods embodied the  Humanist philosophy.  That battle is now largely won, with nothing to be gained by continuing it. True Humanists must first deal with anti-religion’s trophy hunters.

It is incumbent on us to welcome a 2nd generation Humanism – an inclusive sensibility for our species, planet, and lives.  To be inclusive, it is vital that we not be judgmental about a fellow human’s religion. The criteria that concern us lie elsewhere, private beliefs do not determine whether or not someone can be a good Humanist and a species/planet partner.

Today Humanism is a captive and exploited philosophy, shot for its antlers and hijacked for its name by aggressive atheists. Their inverted religious obsession has obscured Humanism from wider acceptance and misbranded it as moral nihilism or worse.  This must end immediately, while we work to earn trust and respect for Humanists as critics and champions of our own species, toward our destined brotherhood.

Can we not pause for a thousand years to harmonize our planet –  and utilize our powers to bring forth the paradise that lies within, and all around us?