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Sunny Jackson

Bundlr - Humanism 101 - 0 views

bundlr.com/humanism

shared by Sunny Jackson on 24 Jun 13 - No Cached
  • alternative to traditional religion and to authoritarian and other oppressive social attitudes
  • rights of religious and philosophical dissenters
  • Humanism is a life stance
  • ...85 more annotations...
  • Humanism aims at the fullest possible development of every human being
  • Humanism supports democracy and human rights
  • Human Rights Commission
  • Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief
  • achieved only with the strength of humanity's own moral and intellectual resources
  • rights to individual self-determination, human rights and freedom of belief
  • Humanists are committed to tolerant pluralism and human rights
  • Humanism provides a way of understanding our universe in naturalistic rather than in supernatural terms
  • a life stance rooted in rational thinking
  • Humanism insists that personal liberty must be combined with social responsibility
  • The similarities between the beliefs and values of the different groups - even ‘secular’ and ‘religious’ Humanists - is more fundamental and more important than the different groups
  • humanism Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality. See also the Amsterdam Declaration.
  • Humanism is undogmatic, imposing no creed upon its adherents. It is thus committed to education free from indoctrination.
    • Sunny Jackson
      Sunny Jackson on 24 Jun 13
       
      This means that is subject to change
  • fundamental principles of modern Humanism
  • British Ethical Union
  • Guided by the spirit of human solidarity
  • an alternative to dogmatic religion
  • Humanists promote free inquiry which is the basis of the scientific spirit
  • Humanism ventures to build a world on the idea of the free person responsible to society, and recognises our dependence on and responsibility for the natural world
  • seeks to use science creatively
  • Humanism is rational
  • Amsterdam Declaration
  • Coalition for Freedom of Religion or Belief
  • where people do feel that their beliefs are ‘Humanist’ they should use the word
  • Humanism is also a philosophy of human freedom
  • as a living philosophy, Humanism constantly enriches itself with the progress of knowledge
  • defends human rights and promotes humanist values world-wide
  • UN Human Rights Council
  • humanist A person who adheres to or advocates humanism, a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives.
  • Humanism is ethical. It affirms the worth, dignity and autonomy of the individual and the right of every human being to the greatest possible freedom compatible with the rights of others.
  • Human Rights Council
  • Humanists believe that the solutions to the world's problems lie in human thought and action
  • Humanism recognises that reliable knowledge of the world and ourselves arises through a continuing process. of observation, evaluation and revision.
  • ethics grounded in human values
  • Humanists aim for a social order in which individual freedom and dignity, social justice, fundamental rights and the rule of civilised law are protected
  • the outcome of a long tradition of free thought
  • human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives
  • Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance
  • Humanism advocates the application of the methods of science and free inquiry to the problems of human welfare
  • The Humanist movement has its symbol, the happy human, introduced by the BHA in 1965, and widely adopted both nationally and internationally
  • the official defining statement of World Humanism
  • human rights Universal rights to which every person is entitled
  • Commission on Human Rights
  • rationalist
  • humanist
  • rationalism The view that knowledge is aquired through reason, without the aid of the senses. Perhaps the best example of such knowledge would be mathematical knowledge, but rationalists typically argue that many other important truths can also be grasped by reason.
  • atheist
  • Humanists have a duty of care to all of humanity including future generations.
  • fundamentals of modern Humanism
  • Humanists reject absolute authorities and revealed wisdoms
  • freethought An intellectual and cultural movement. A freethinker is a religious unbeliever who forms his or her judgments about religion using reason rather than relying on tradition, authority, faith, or established belief.
  • freethinking
  • rationalist
  • justified by a moral standard that stands above the laws of any individual nation
  • European Humanist Federation
  • secularism A neutral attitude, especially of the State, local government and public services, in matters relating to religion; non-religious rather than anti-religious.
  • Humanists continuously explore ways of extending responsible freedom and happiness in our increasingly complex world
  • secularist
  • skeptic
  • laique
  • ethical cultural
  • freethought
  • rationalist
  • Humanists believe that morality is an intrinsic part of human nature based on understanding and a concern for others, needing no external sanction.
  • Humanists consider human experience to be the only source of knowledge and ethics
  • It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities
  • the application of science and technology must be tempered by human values
  • International Humanist Award
  • Humanism values artistic creativity and imagination and recognises the transforming power of art. Humanism affirms the importance of literature, music, and the visual and performing arts for personal development and fulfilment.
  • Humanists believe in intellectual integrity, and do not allow custom to replace conscience
  • Science gives us the means but human values must propose the ends
  • mandated to promote and protect the enjoyment and full realization, by all people, of all rights
  • Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  • skeptic A philosophical position in which people choose to critically examine whether the knowledge and perceptions that they have are actually true, and whether or not one can ever be said to have absolutely true knowledge
  • rationalist Rationalists believe that reason alone is sufficient to gain knowledge of the world.
  • Rationalists started with Plato, and include Descartes, Leibniz and Spinoza.
  • The mandate includes preventing human rights violations, securing respect for all human rights and promoting international cooperation to protect human rights.
  • Humanism is a lifestance aiming at the maximum possible fulfilment through the cultivation of ethical and creative living and offers an ethical and rational means of addressing the challenges of our times
  • buddhiwadi
  • rationalism
  • Humanism can be a way of life for everyone everywhere
  • utilising free inquiry, the power of science and creative imagination for the furtherance of peace and in the service of compassion
  • we have the means to solve the problems that confront us all
  • We have a world to change. We need your help to change it!
  • World Congress of Humanists
Sunny Jackson

Clarkesworld Magazine - Science Fiction and Fantasy : Another Word: Reading and Writing... - 0 views

clarkesworldmagazine.com/another_word_02_13

Fiction Stories Clarkesworld Magazine

shared by Sunny Jackson on 09 Jan 14 - No Cached
  • We learn about some of the most important things in our lives vicariously through fiction.
  • I’ve known a lot of people for whom books have been profoundly important
  • Fiction isn’t powerless. And if the author just ignores the politics of their work, that doesn’t mean the book becomes apolitical. It just means they wrote their own defaults.
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • Think Black people are lazy and violent, but your work isn’t about that? I’ll bet you dollars to donuts it’s in there.
  • Reading is the same way.
  • He’s trying to be a better man and to create (in a small way) a better world by the way he chooses what he reads.
  • And it was a moral statement, even if it was mostly a private one.
  • How we read and how we write will always have moral and political implications. The only choice we’ve got is whether they’re unconscious or considered.
  • beautiful and damning distinction
  • best self
  • authentic self
  • Wanting to live in a better world is great. Working for a better world is great. It only becomes a vice when it keeps us from loving the world we’re in—warts and all. My experience is that life is full of strong women and weak ones. Venal ones. Active ones. Passive ones. Complicated ones. Unhealthy ones. Men are just as varied and complicated and screwed-up. Their lives aren’t our societal best self, but they’re who we are
  • Treating moral issues as if they were craft is asking for a literature of beautiful sermons.
  • reading projects that pull you out into different kinds of authors and stories are wonderful so long as the moral aspects of your reading list don’t become more important than the joy you take in reading
  • I would never argue that the power of story—and it’s a real power—comes without responsibility. But I would say that responsibility is both to the better world to which we aspire and also the broken, compromised one we live in now.
Sunny Jackson

Council for Secular Humanism - 0 views

www.secularhumanism.org/index.php

Cached ≡ Humanism

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - Cached
  • secular humanists don't believe in a God or an afterlife
  • the remarkable thing about the United States is precisely that it was created as a secular republic organized around the rights and freedoms of its citizens
  • secular humanism says the morality of actions should be judged by their consequences
  • ...57 more annotations...
  • There is no central authority
  • People come to secular humanism by following their own curiosity and reasoning
  • secular humanism is not so much a body of beliefs as a method for reaching understanding
  • It is an approach to life that tries to be positive, rational, realistic, and open-minded
  • we are not expressing a doctrine
  • doing our best to state the consensus shared
  • Secular humanists believe morality and meaning come from humanity and the natural world
  • It is our human values that give us rights, responsibilities, and dignity.
  • We believe that morality should aim to bring out the best in people, so that all people can have the best in life.
  • morality must be based on our knowledge of human nature and the real world
  • treat others with the same consideration as you would have them treat you
  • the common moral decencies - for example, people should not lie, steal, or kill; and they should be honest, generous, and cooperative - really are conducive to human welfare
  • Humanists realize that individuals alone cannot solve all our problems, but instead of turning to the supernatural, we believe that problems are solved by people working together, relying on understanding and creativity
  • humanists are committed to promoting human values, human understanding, and human development
  • Humanists also emphasize the importance of self-determination - the right of individuals to control their own lives, so long as they do not harm others
  • freedom of choice
  • people create their own meaning and purpose in life
  • The value and significance of life comes from how we live life, not from some supposed transcendent realm
  • The moral differences between secular humanism and religion do not justify the allegation that secular humanist have no morals. This claim is not an argument, just an insult.
  • Nonreligious, humanistic moral systems existed before Christianity
  • the Epicureans, Skeptics, and Stoics of classical Greece and Rome
  • the common moral decencies are found throughout the cultures of the world
  • The most important moral and political concepts of the modern era have developed out of humanistic thinking
  • You will search the Bible in vain for opposition to slavery or support for democracy and equality
  • neither the Supreme Court, nor this circuit, has ever held that evolutionism or secular humanism are `religions'
  • they refused to reverse a ruling that secular humanism is not a religion
  • Secular humanism is not a religion by any definition: There are no supernatural beliefs, no creeds that all humanists are required to accept, no sacred texts or required rituals. Humanists are not expected or required to have "faith" in what is said by any authority, living or dead, human or "supernatural."
  • humanists derive their meaning and values from the natural world. Secular humanism is a naturalistic, nonreligious worldview
  • humanists don't worship anything
  • Humanity's constant challenge is to understand itself and improve itself
  • We don't pretend that our ethics and values are divine: we recognize that they are human, and therefore part of nature
  • individual secular humanists differ
  • the human species has evolved by the same natural processes as every other species
  • some of our most treasured traits, such as language and the ability to understand and care for others, are on an evolutionary continuum with communicative and cooperative behaviors of other animals
  • humans have a moral responsibility towards the rest of the natural world
  • secular humanists cover a wide spectrum
  • One political view that secular humanists do share is unswerving support for democracy, freedom, and human rights
  • All secular humanists are utterly opposed to totalitarian systems
  • The United States Constitution and Bill of Rights contain no references to God or Christianity. Their only references to religion establish freedom of religion and separation of church and state
  • The motto on the Great Seal of the United States, unchanged since its adoption in 1782, is E Pluribus Unum ("From Many, One")
  • The Pledge of Allegiance did not contain an oath to God, until it was added in the 1950s
  • In 1797 the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Treaty of Tripoli which stated that "the government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion."
  • secular humanism encourages people to think for themselves and question authority
  • on the basis of shared philosophical principles and ideals
  • The myth that secular humanists are unAmerican is an insult to the patriotism and distinguished service of millions of people.
  • all beliefs are fallible and provisional, and that diversity and dialogue are essential to the process of learning and developing
  • we value tolerance, pluralism, and open-mindedness as positive and beneficial qualities in society
  • Humanists are staunch supporters of freedom of religion, belief, and conscience, as laid out in both the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These rights protect the freedom of religious belief equally with the freedom of nonreligious belief, the freedom of religion equally with the freedom from religion.
  • the neutrality of a secular society
  • Secular humanists believe that a healthy society supports a variety of worldviews
  • We also believe that religious and philosophical views should be every bit as open to debate and discussion as political beliefs.
  • All these claims make the same mistake: they confuse neutrality with hostility
  • neutrality toward different worldviews is the best protection from persecution
  • Separating church and state doesn't mean that the state promotes atheism and humanism, but that it provides equal protection to all beliefs
  • The amoral, power-hungry "secular humanist" conspiracy described by some religious conservatives is a myth
  • the vibrant movement that champions a moral approach to living based on reason and happiness is alive and growing
  • there are secular humanists. But no, there is no bogeyman.
Sunny Jackson

As Religion Fades, Will Atheism Be Enough? | Psychology Today - 0 views

www.psychologytoday.com/...n-fades-will-atheism-be-enough

Humanism

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - No Cached
  • the atheist identity refers only to the singular issue of god-belief
  • approaches the world from a natural standpoint
  • rejects all supernatural beliefs, not just the singular issue of divinities
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • seeking truth and knowledge
  • accepts empiricism, science, and reason
  • holds certain values, including a support for human rights, peace, democracy, and personal liberty with a sense of social responsibility
  • humanism rejects outright the notion of dogma
  • humanism is a progressive, forward-looking lifestance that encourages creativity, critical thinking, and personal fullfillment within the context of social well-being
  • Many humanists, but not all, also identify as atheists; many atheists, but not all, also identify as humanists.
  • the "atheist" label is wrongly stigmatized in American society
  • My humanism is more important to me than my atheism
  •  we're doing a service if we can help the public to realize that atheists should not be feared
  • the important element will be the broad, affirmative values of humanism, not a singular notion of nonbelief
Sunny Jackson

i want the chance to chat with an atheist : atheism - 0 views

www.reddit.com/...chance_to_chat_with_an_atheist

shared by Sunny Jackson on 26 Jun 13 - No Cached
  • For me it was liberating because finally the Universe made complete sense. There was only matter and energy that followed constant laws...anything 'supernatural' was simply dreamed up by humans. When bad things happened, it was not punishment, just chance. It meant that we could make this world into what we pleased, for good or ill. My choices were on me alone.
  • I'm from the Bible Belt as well. My suspicion is that you actually do know some atheists, but you just don't know it. It's very difficult for atheists to be "out" in the Bible Belt. As to your question, I would first just point out that it's less that I "decided" there was no God, and more that I just "realized" there was no God. And for me at least, it wasn't "liberating" so much as terrifying. I wasn't frightened of God's judgment or anything like that. Having grown up in a fundamentalist Christian household, I was always taught that doubt, in itself, was sinful, so by the time I got to the point of not believing, I had already crossed the line of doubting God (and thus being subject to judgment) long before that. In that sense, when I finally realized there was no God, it actually erased any fear of judgment - there's no God to judge me, thus no fear. Instead, I was terrified of the reaction that I would get from people around me when they found out that I no longer believed in God. My number one concern was my grandparents, whom I am very close with. I knew that it would devastate them, and that was really tough for me. (To this day, I have never really "come out" to them, although my parents told them - something that I honestly think I will always be resentful towards my parents for.) Beyond that, literally everyone around me, friends, family, my whole community really, were Christians, and so there was a deep, deep sense of loneliness when I realized that I had basically become "evil" in all of their minds.
  • It is liberating not to follow any religion because I feel that most of them (the major ones i.e. Judaism, Islam, and Christianity) are oppressive, intolerant and encourage ignorance in one way or another.
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • Being open-minded means being able and willing to question one's own beliefs and consider those of others
  • You don't even have to change your mind, the very fact that you're asking questions and considering the ideas of those with whom you don't necessarily agree means you are open-minded (and is great, if you ask me).
  • It is kind of disheartening to know I have only one life to live and it is relatively short in the scheme of everything, but it makes this life I have more important. Alternately, I think the belief in an afterlife would make life feel cheap. I'm perfectly okay with knowing after I'm dead that will be the complete end of me. All I can hope for is that I "live on" in the memories of those that survive me.
  • The uncertainty of what happens after death is why humans are afraid of it.
  • I would just like you to know that there are places in this world where coming out as gay to one's parents is not viewed as the end of the world.
  • reality is reality whether I find it unnerving or not. Wanting something to be true has no effect on whether or not it actually is.
  • Many people have different "coming-out" experiences with their atheism. If their family is mostly composed of fundamentalist christians or muslims, they're going to have a much harder time than somebody who comes from a less irrational family.
  • There are atheists that are bigots
  • There are bigots in any group you can think of.
  • I think the scale of bigotry is tipped heavily in favor of those that are extremely religious.
  • Christianity has oppressed them, discriminated against them and has caused them all kinds of grief.
  • here is a quote from Steven Weinberg. Christopher Hitchens has also used the same idea in many of his debates: “Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.”
  • I can tell you with almost 100% certainty that people you know personally are atheists.
  • But it comes down to what makes you happy. As an atheist, I believe we only get one shot at this life. I think it is most important that you live a happy and moral life and as long as you do that, believe or disbelieve whatever you want.
Sunny Jackson

Fallacies of Ambiguity: Equivocation - 0 views

atheism.about.com/...blfaq_fall_equivocation.htm

shared by Sunny Jackson on 26 Jun 13 - No Cached
  • a single term is used with two or more meanings in the same argument
  • it is important to ask people to define their terms clearly
  • a conflict between common usages of terms (law, theory) and technical or scientific uses of those same terms. This conflict is a common source of equivocation and should be watched for.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • it starts out sounding reasonable and gets you to agree to certain ideas. But after that, the meanings of key terms are changed
  • always make an effort to define, or ask for definitions of, the most important terms - especially when you know that they can be used in multiple ways
  • When clear definitions are provided, it is harder to subtly or accidentally alter them later on.
Sunny Jackson

Do Atheists Choose Atheism? Evangelists are Wrong to Ascribe Choice and Free Will to At... - 0 views

atheism.about.com/...BeliefChoice_4.htm

shared by Sunny Jackson on 26 Jun 13 - No Cached
  • beliefs and the absence thereof are not acts of will which I had to consciously take — they are, rather, conclusions which were necessary based upon the evidence at hand.
  • Instead of focusing on the actual beliefs, which are not themselves choices, it can be more important and more productive to focus instead on how a person has arrived at their beliefs
  • it is the method of belief formation which ultimately separates theist and atheists
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • it is more important to try and encourage skepticism and critical thinking in people rather than to try and simply "convert" them
  • not by choice but instead simply because belief is no longer possible
arowynd

Humanism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

en.wikipedia.org/Humanism

shared by arowynd on 22 May 13 - Cached
  • Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view, or practice that focuses on human values and concerns, attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters
  • Secular humanism is a secular ideology that espouses reason, ethics, and justice, whilst specifically rejecting supernatural and religious dogma as a basis of morality and decision-making.
  • Secular humanism contrasts with religious humanism, which is an integration of humanist ethical philosophy with religious rituals and beliefs that center on human needs, interests, and abilities.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • humanity must seek for truth through reason and the best observable evidence
  • decisions about right and wrong must be based on the individual and common good
  • Humanism does not consider metaphysical issues such as the existence or nonexistence of supernatural beings
  • living up to one's potential is hard work and requires the help of others
  • The focus is on doing good and living well in the here and now, and leaving the world a better place for those who come after.
  • a comprehensive life stance or world view which embraces human reason, metaphysical naturalism, altruistic morality and distributive justice
  • Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities.
Sunny Jackson

What is Ethical Culture? | Ethical Society Without Walls - 0 views

www.eswow.org/what-is-ethical-culture

Humanism

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - No Cached
  • Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity
  • For Ethical Humanists, the ultimate religious questions are not about the existence of gods or an afterlife, but rather, "How can we create meaningfulness in this life?" and "How should we treat each other?"
  • In order for human beings to have good lives, love must prevail, truth must be respected, honesty esteemed, justice secured, and freedom protected.
  • ...21 more annotations...
  • Members are not bound by any community creed or dogma. Rather, Ethical Societies emphasize the importance of developing a clear personal philosophy that makes your life understandable and meaningful.
  • Learning to benefit from a diversity of viewpoints is one of the challenges of membership. Members encourage each other to think freely and to disagree without being disagreeable.
  • When we stimulate our thinking with new insights, information, and inspirations, our understanding of the world evolves, and we realize the full capacity of our human spirit.
  • It is by acting in a way that encourages the finest characteristics in others that we bring out the best in ourselves.
  • We treat all people as having an inherent capacity for fairness, kindness, and living ethically.
  • When we put into practice ethical principles such as love, justice, honesty, and forgiveness, we experience harmony within ourselves and in our relationships.
  • Ethics, most broadly, is the study of human behavior and its consequences in the light of what is ideally possible.
  • ethics define the social conditions necessary for human beings to thrive.
  • Ethics Begins with Choice
  • we choose to treat each other as unique individuals having intrinsic worth
  • We Seek to Act with Integrity
  • we learn to act with integrity. This includes keeping commitments, and being honest, open, caring and responsive.
  • The most central human issue in our lives is creating a more humane environment.
  • Creating a more humane environment begins by affirming the need to make significant choices in our lives.
  • We are Committed to Educate Ourselves
  • Personal progress is possible, both in wisdom and social life
  • Learning how to build ethical relationships and cultivate a humane community is a life-long endeavor.
  • Shape a More Humane World
  • people are social, needing both primary relationships and larger supportive groups to become fully human
  • Our social nature requires that we reach beyond ourselves to decrease suffering and increase creativity in the world.
  • respect for the worth of persons requires democratic process, which elicits and allows a greater expression of human capacities
Sunny Jackson

Amsterdam Declaration 2002 | International Humanist and Ethical Union - 0 views

www.iheu.org/adamdecl.htm

Humanism

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - Cached
  • the official defining statement of World Humanism
  • Humanism is ethical. It affirms the worth, dignity and autonomy of the individual and the right of every human being to the greatest possible freedom compatible with the rights of others.
  • Humanists have a duty of care to all of humanity including future generations.
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • Humanists believe that morality is an intrinsic part of human nature based on understanding and a concern for others, needing no external sanction.
  • Humanism is rational. It seeks to use science creatively, not destructively. Humanists believe that the solutions to the world's problems lie in human thought and action rather than divine intervention.
  • Humanism advocates the application of the methods of science and free inquiry to the problems of human welfare. But Humanists also believe that the application of science and technology must be tempered by human values.
  • Humanism supports democracy and human rights. Humanism aims at the fullest possible development of every human being. It holds that democracy and human development are matters of right. The principles of democracy and human rights can be applied to many human relationships and are not restricted to methods of government.
  • Humanism insists that personal liberty must be combined with social responsibility. Humanism ventures to build a world on the idea of the free person responsible to society, and recognises our dependence on and responsibility for the natural world.
  • Humanism is undogmatic, imposing no creed upon its adherents. It is thus committed to education free from indoctrination.
  • Humanism is a response to the widespread demand for an alternative to dogmatic religion. The world's major religions claim to be based on revelations fixed for all time, and many seek to impose their world-views on all of humanity.
  • Humanism recognises that reliable knowledge of the world and ourselves arises through a continuing process. of observation, evaluation and revision.
  • Humanism values artistic creativity and imagination and recognises the transforming power of art. Humanism affirms the importance of literature, music, and the visual and performing arts for personal development and fulfilment.
  • Humanism is a lifestance aiming at the maximum possible fulfilment through the cultivation of ethical and creative living and offers an ethical and rational means of addressing the challenges of our times. Humanism can be a way of life for everyone everywhere.
Sunny Jackson

Biblical Scholarship and the Right to Know | The Humanist - 0 views

thehumanist.org/...olarship-and-the-right-to-know

Humanism

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - No Cached
  • This is one of my goals as a scholar, to get people to think—to question what they believe, so that they can liberate themselves from whatever forms of ideology or religion may be preventing them from living life to the fullest and from showing love and concern for the wellbeing of others.
  • people should be free to embrace whatever religious or non-religious views they choose
  • so long as they don’t use their religious or non-religious views to silence, oppress, or harm others.
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • This is what we were taught and this is what we believed.
  • At some point seeing the small differences opened me up to seeing big differences.
  • I just got to a point where my previous solutions no longer made sense.
  • I think it’s important to consider and confront the deep philosophical issues without settling for easy answers.
  • I am interested in getting people to think and become more intelligent about their views of the world, whatever their views are.
  • I’m interested in seeing people reject religion that is harmful and oppressive.
  • everybody has the right to know which of its views can’t be squared
  • Humanism must make a positive impact on people’s lives and be looked upon, even by outsiders, as a good and healthy phenomenon.
  • When someone leaves the womb of the church, they need to have somewhere else to go.
  • vibrant and viable alternatives
  • people must be liberated not only from something but also for something.
  • Religious Liberty award
Sunny Jackson

"I'm a What?" Eliciting Latent Humanism - 0 views

www.americanhumanist.org/...what-eliciting-latent-humanism

Humanism

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - No Cached
  • indicators of humanist identity
  • “Can I believe in God and still be a humanist?” one young woman wanted to know. “Sure,” I replied. “Many humanists find that, over time, their need for a God fades away. They end up feeling that their humanism has freed them to outgrow God. But other humanists remain believers, and that’s OK.”
  • humanize our species
  • ...27 more annotations...
  • blind faith is tenacious belief in the absence or (or in the face of) the evidence
  • Wishful thinking is believing something because you want it to be true, or merely because you think it is beneficial to so believe (as opposed to having real evidence that it is true)
  • Tribal loyalty involves placing the interests of an “in group” ahead of those in some “out group”—a willingness to identify with one faction, even at the expense of others.
  • high regard for inquiry and open-mindedness
  • educating young people about the obstacles to fruitful inquiry goes a long way towards advancing the humanist cause
  • People empowered to see for themselves how nonsense—both religious and secular—inhibits moral progress are in a better position to help us realize our shared humanitarian ideals.
  • understand how inquiry works
  • inclusive of both secular and religious humanists
  • Does it express your core convictions?
  • regard "humanistic" as applying across the theist/atheist divide, but reserve "humanist" for nontheists
  • free ourselves
  • wear our labels lightly
  • Let them keep their faith alongside the Humanism for the meantime and eventually, when the children grow and become more mature, I think most of them would choose Humanism and leave dogma behind. 
  • this is what humanism is
  • in much more specific terms
  • Humanists long for and strive toward a world of mutual care and concern, free of cruelty and its consequences, where differences are resolved cooperatively without resorting to violence.
  • a theist can subscribe to humanist ideals
  • Man is at last becoming aware that he alone is responsible for the realization of the world of his dreams, that he has within himself the power for its achievement. He must set intelligence and will to the task. 
  • Deep inquiry requires that we look beyond the words
  • we can't communicate without words having meanings
  • Humanists believe in free thought and in free choice.   Anything else is oppressive.  
  • they're terrified of it
  • moral goodness exists within each of us
  • Scientific and moral progress really do depend on cooperation and a kind of cultural evolution to take place.
  • the central importance of human derived knowledge, as opposed to relying on claims of supposedly supernaturally derived knowledge, to our accurately understanding and improving the world
  • you may already be a humanist
  • Christianity is a tribalism that, for all the good it has caused, humanity must outgrow
Sunny Jackson

10 Questions Every Intelligent Atheist Must Answer « An Exercise in Futility - 0 views

emach.wordpress.com/...ntelligent-atheist-must-answer

Atheists

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - No Cached
  • Are you a moral relativist, or do you believe in absolute morality? 
  • do you believe that cultures, or even individuals, can define their own rules on what is moral and what is not, or do you believe that every action has one unique, absolute, and true moral assessment?
  • the morality as defined by the Old Testament is different than the morality defined by the New Testament
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  • who or what determines which actions are moral and which are not? 
  • I do not trust any human being, no matter how smart they are, including myself, to prescribe to me what is moral and what is not
  • Always minimize both actual and potential suffering; always maximize both actual and potential happiness.
  • how and why morality can be universal
  • where it comes from
  • Is your trust in science based on faith or based on science?
  • observed and interpreted the evidence yourself and drew your own conclusions
  • Science has the ability to self correct.
  • Is absence of proof the proof of absence?
  • What does the atheist position offer people?  How has it improved your life?  Why will it improve others’ lives?
  • When you attempt to use logic to conclude facts about religion, are you starting at the conclusion (God is not real), or are you starting at true premises? 
  • If you are starting at true premises, then what are they?  And how are they true? 
  • If all Christians believed that the Bible was entirely allegorical, what would you argue in support of your position?
  • Why is it important to you that everyone is an atheist?
  • Do you believe in extra-terrestrials?
  • I don’t want to hear about how religious people are more “moral” when their god slaughters all the first born male children of egypt.
  • Where does language, art, music, and religion come from?
  • always check your sources
  • if a new piece of evidence arises
  • The human brain. All our mental capacity for reason and creativity come from it.
  • damage to the brain’s structure affects the mind
  • I don’t know, but I do know that it was not the invisible man in the sky, because the invisible man in the sky is not an explanation.
  • Your mind does NOT survive your death.
  • damaged brain, damaged mind
  • Destroyed brain, destroyed mind.
  • The b**** says VERY SPECIFIC things about your god, things that are impossible.
  • I can now see reality from a clear perspective
  • there is no original sin
  • as a society I do think we need less god and less religion
  • you argue that god is real because of X. I take a look at X and it does not conclusively prove that god is real, so I go on being an atheist.
  • all the “proofs” provided by theists have already been refuted
  • I was a religious person when I was younger and I believed it
  • After I read all the arguments against it, I could not believe it anymore.
  • I would still be an atheist.
  • Other people’s beliefs do not affect my beliefs.
  • I can’t speak for every atheist.
  • Keep it to yourself and away from the government and small children.
  • the distances between planets are ENORMOUS
  • YOUR god is supposed to be EVERYWHERE
Sunny Jackson

humanism: Definition from Answers.com - 0 views

www.answers.com/humanism

Humanism

shared by Sunny Jackson on 01 Jun 13 - Cached
  • rejects religious beliefs
  • centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth
  • Concern with the interests, needs, and welfare of humans
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • concern for human interests, values, and dignity is of the utmost importance
  • philosophy
  • belief
  • an individualistic and critical spirit
  • a shift of emphasis from religious to secular concerns
  • any philosophy concerned to emphasize human welfare and dignity
  • either optimistic about the powers of human reason, or at least insistent that we have no alternative but to use it as best we can
  • a rediscovery of the unity of human beings and nature
  • a renewed celebration of the pleasures of life
  • philosophy or ethical system that centres on the concept of the dignity, freedom, and value of human beings
Sunny Jackson

Family of Humanists - 0 views

www.familyofhumanists.org/whatIsHumanism.html

Humanism

shared by Sunny Jackson on 07 Jun 13 - No Cached
  • our actions should be aimed at assuring the best life possible for all people
  • reliance on natural science and democracy
  • Morality should be judged by what is best for humanity and the world around us.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • People are more important than dogma or ideology.
  • Reason and the Scientific Method are the most trustworthy routes to knowledge.
  • Knowledge is a tool to be applied with compassion and empathy for humanitarian purposes.
  • Civil rights must be guaranteed for all segments of society and for unpopular as well as majority opinions.
  • Humanity is an interlocking community with enormous potential for both good and evil.
  • We are stewards of a world that belongs to all of life.
  • A healthy future for humanity and the rest of nature depends on friendly cooperation among all peoples and nations.
  • Humanism is a process of continuing inquiry. It evolves as we develop new ideas and reexamine the old in light of new experience.
Sunny Jackson

Bundlr - Humanism 101 - 0 views

bundlr.com/...humanism

shared by Sunny Jackson on 24 Jun 13 - No Cached
  • reliance on reason, evidence, and free inquiry
  • considers the welfare of humankind - rather than the welfare of a supposed God or gods - to be of paramount importance
  • affirms our ability and responsibility to lead meaningful, ethical lives
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  • people can find purpose in life and maximize their long-term happiness by developing their talents and using those talents for the service of humanity
  • human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives
  • a democratic and ethical lifestance
  • value knowledge based on reason and hard evidence
  • this is the only life
  • adding to the greater good of humanity
  • using human efforts to meet human needs
  • recognizes human beings as a part of nature
  • supporters of the principle of separation of church and state
  • humanity must take responsibility for its own destiny
  • individual freedom
  • represents a consensus of what all or almost all Humanists believe
  • universal human dignity
  • we owe it to ourselves and others to make it the best life possible for ourselves and all
  • values-be they religious, ethical, social, or political-have their source in human experience and culture
  • an uncreated universe that obeys natural laws
  • service to others is a major focus of Humanism
  • stands for the building of a more humane society
  • people's fulfillment by personal effort
  • knowledge can be obtained through rational thought and experimentation
  • advocates the extension of participatory democracy
  • Humanists believe in and value love, equality, peace, freedom and reason
  • derives the goals of life from human need
  • accept democracy
  • the preciousness and dignity of the individual person is a central humanist value
  • an approach to life based on reason and our common humanity, recognizing that moral values are properly founded on human nature and experience
  • a philosophy, world view, or lifestance
  • a rational philosophy informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by compassion
  • Humanist values are mainstream American values
  • when people are free to think for themselves, using reason and knowledge as their tools, they are best able to solve this world's problems
  • the open society, standing for human rights and social justice
  • Humanists take responsibility for their own lives and relish the adventure of being part of new discoveries, seeking new knowledge, exploring new options
  • a philosophy
  • Since most believe that an afterlife is non-existent, they regard life here on earth to be particularly precious
  • ethics based on human and other natural values in a spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities
  • nature is all that exists or is real
  • Affirming the dignity of each human being
  • many people realize that they are already humanists and just did not know
  • Humanists stand for the building of a more humane, just, compassionate, and democratic society using a pragmatic ethics based on human reason, experience, and reliable knowledge-an ethics that judges the consequences of human actions by the well-being of all life on Earth.
  • Although religious texts can teach good lessons, they also advocate fear, intolerance, hate and ignorance.
  • highly motivated to alleviating pain and misery around the world
  • Secular Humanism a non-religiously based philosophy
  • supports the maximization of individual liberty and opportunity consonant with social and planetary responsibility
  • Humanists view this natural world as wondrous and precious, and as offering limitless opportunities for exploration, fascination, creativity, companionship, and joy
  • All quotes from religious texts were checked by scripture scholars to ensure accuracy, context and proper translation. 
  • value freedom of inquiry, expression and action
  • have a history of combating bigotry, hatred, discrimination, intolerance and censorship
  • truth could be discovered by human effort
  • humans have the freedom to give meaning, value, and purpose to their lives by their own independent thought, free inquiry, and responsible, creative activity
  • moral values derive their source from human experience
  • humanists enjoy the open-endedness of a quest and the freedom of discovery
  • Humanism considers the universe to be the result of an extremely long and complex evolution under immutable laws of nature
  • Humanists seek to understand the universe by using science and its methods of critical inquiry-logical reasoning, empirical evidence, and skeptical evaluation of conjectures and conclusions-to obtain reliable knowledge
  • The rights of men and women should be equal and sacred
  • a philosophy centered upon the needs and interests of people
  • marriage should be a perfect partnership
  • love coupled with empathy, democracy, and a commitment to selfless service
  • secular humanist values are consistent with mainstream America
  • fundamentalist religion has no right to claim the moral high ground
  • Humanism is the idea that you can be good without a belief in God.
  • the lack of any evidence for an afterlife means this life should be lived as though it's the only one we have
  • When people view the Bible as the word of a just and omniscient God, and attempt to have society's laws and social practices reflect biblical teachings, serious error and harm will occur if the Bible was actually written by fallible humans who lived in an unenlightened era.
  • When the subjects involve governmental issues, all of society can be affected
  • In most communities, an opposing view is rarely, if ever, heard
  • It would instead perpetuate the ideas of an ignorant and superstitious past - and prevent humanity from rising to a higher level.
  • written solely by humans
  • it contains numerous contradictions
  • The Bible is an unreliable authority
  • The massive and incessant promotion of the Bible significantly influences the beliefs of millions
  • Humanists also reject the Bible because it approves of outrageous cruelty and injustice.
  • because so many people have been told the Bible is the "Good Book," biblical teachings shape the attitudes of millions
  • Humanity’s condition could be greatly improved if those resources were used for solving the world's problems instead of worshiping a nonexistent God.
  • Logically, if two statements are contradictory, at least one of them is false.
  • the suffering of the innocent is the essence of injustice
  • the book has many false statements and is not infallible
  • the Bible teaches that God repeatedly violated this moral precept by harming innocent people
  • Instances of cruel and unjust behavior by the biblical God are seen in the most basic Christian doctrines.
  • hundreds of contradictions mean there are at least hundreds of incorrect statements in the Bible
  • because the writers of the Bible lived in an unenlightened era, the book contains many errors and harmful teachings
  • Each contradiction is an instance where at least one of the verses is wrong.
Sunny Jackson

Karl Popper - Wikiquote - 0 views

en.wikiquote.org/Karl_Popper

Wiki Quote Book

shared by Sunny Jackson on 03 Jul 13 - Cached
  • The genuine rationalist does not think that he or anyone else is in possession of the truth
  • When I speak of reason or rationalism, all I mean is the conviction that we can learn through criticism of our mistakes and errors, especially through criticism by others, and eventually also through self-criticism.
  • A rationalist is simply someone for whom it is more important to learn than to be proved right; someone who is willing to learn from others — not by simply taking over another's opinions, but by gladly allowing others to criticize his ideas and by gladly criticizing the ideas of others. The emphasis here is on the idea of criticism or, to be more precise, critical discussion.
  • ...35 more annotations...
  • The genuine rationalist does not think that he or anyone else is in possession of the truth; nor does he think that mere criticism as such helps us achieve new ideas. But he does think that, in the sphere of ideas, only critical discussion can help us sort the wheat from the chaff. He is well aware that acceptance or rejection of an idea is never a purely rational matter; but he thinks that only critical discussion can give us the maturity to see an idea from more and more sides and to make a correct judgement of it.
  • True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge, but the refusal to acquire it.
  • The game of science is, in principle, without end.
  • if our civilization is to survive, we must break with the habit of deference to great men. Great men may make great mistakes
  • The open society is one in which men have learned to be to some extent critical of taboos, and to base decisions on the authority of their own intelligence.
  • paradox of freedom is the argument that freedom in the sense of absence of any constraining control must lead to very great restraint, since it makes the bully free to enslave the meek.
  • paradox of tolerance: Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.
  • counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion
  • We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant.
  • No rational argument will have a rational effect on a man who does not want to adopt a rational attitude.
  • It is our duty to help those who need help; but it cannot be our duty to make others happy
  • There is no history of mankind, there is only an indefinite number of histories of all kinds of aspects of human life.
  • A rationalist, as I use the word, is a man who attempts to reach decisions by argument and perhaps, in certain cases, by compromise, rather than by violence. He is a man who would rather be unsuccessful in convincing another man by argument than successful in crushing him by force
  • Only if we give up our authoritarian attitude in the realm of opinion, only if we establish the attitude of give and take, of readiness to learn from other people, can we hope to control acts of violence inspired by piety and duty.
  • it always takes two to make a discussion reasonable. Each of the parties must be ready to learn from the other. You cannot have a rational discussion with a man who prefers shooting you to being convinced by you.
  • Do not allow your dreams of a beautiful world to lure you away from the claims of men who suffer here and now. Our fellow men have a claim to our help; no generation must be sacrificed for the sake of future generations, for the sake of an ideal of happiness that may never be realised.
  • If we choose freedom, then we must be prepared to perish along with it.
  • we do not choose political freedom because it promises us this or that. We choose it because it makes possible the only dignified form of human coexistence, the only form in which we can be fully responsible for ourselves. Whether we realize its possibilities depends on all kinds of things — and above all on ourselves.
  • The more we learn about the world, and the deeper our learning, the more conscious, specific, and articulate will be our knowledge of what we do not know, our knowledge of our ignorance. For this, indeed, is the main source of our ignorance — the fact that our knowledge can be only finite, while our ignorance must necessarily be infinite.
  • The more we learn about the world, and the deeper our learning, the more conscious, clear, and well-defined will be our knowledge of what we do not know, our knowledge of our ignorance. The main source of our ignorance lies in the fact that our knowledge can only be finite, while our ignorance must necessarily be infinite.
  • I believe it is worthwhile trying to discover more about the world, even if this only teaches us how little we know.
  • What we should do, I suggest, is to give up the idea of ultimate sources of knowledge, and admit that all knowledge is human; that it is mixed with our errors, our prejudices, our dreams, and our hopes; that all we can do is to grope for truth even though it be beyond our reach. We may admit that our groping is often inspired, but we must be on our guard against the belief, however deeply felt, that our inspiration carries any authority, divine or otherwise. If we thus admit that there is no authority beyond the reach of criticism to be found within the whole province of our knowledge, however far it may have penetrated into the unknown, then we can retain, without danger, the idea that truth is beyond human authority. And we must retain it. For without this idea there can be no objective standards of inquiry; no criticism of our conjectures; no groping for the unknown; no quest for knowledge.
  • Science must begin with myths, and with the criticism of myths.
  • I believe it is worthwhile trying to discover more about the world, even if this only teaches us how little we know. It might do us good to remember from time to time that, while differing widely in the various little bits we know, in our infinite ignorance we are all equal.
  • If we thus admit that there is no authority beyond the reach of criticism to be found within the whole province of our knowledge, however far we may have penetrated into the unknown, then we can retain, without risk of dogmatism, the idea that truth itself is beyond all human authority. Indeed, we are not only able to retain this idea, we must retain it. For without it there can be no objective standards of scientific inquiry, no criticism of our conjectured solutions, no groping for the unknown, and no quest for knowledge.
  • Science must begin with myths, and with the criticism of myths.
  • The history of science, like the history of all human ideas, is a history of irresponsible dreams, of obstinacy, and of error. But science is one of the very few human activities — perhaps the only one — in which errors are systematically criticized and fairly often, in time, corrected. This is why we can say that, in science, we often learn from our mistakes, and why we can speak clearly and sensibly about making progress there.
  • There are all kinds of sources of our knowledge; but none has authority
  • more people are killed out of righteous stupidity than out of wickedness.
  • There are all kinds of sources of our knowledge; but none has authority ... The fundamental mistake made by the philosophical theory of the ultimate sources of our knowledge is that it does not distinguish clearly enough between questions of origin and questions of validity.
  • Always remember that it is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood: there will always be some who misunderstand you.
  • All things living are in search of a better world.
  • Our aim as scientists is objective truth; more truth, more interesting truth, more intelligible truth. We cannot reasonably aim at certainty. Once we realize that human knowledge is fallible, we realize also that we can never be completely certain that we have not made a mistake.
  • There are uncertain truths — even true statements that we may take to be false — but there are no uncertain certainties. Since we can never know anything for sure, it is simply not worth searching for certainty; but it is well worth searching for truth; and we do this chiefly by searching for mistakes, so that we have to correct them.
  • Good tests kill flawed theories; we remain alive to guess again.
Sunny Jackson

Carl Sagan - Wikiquote - 0 views

en.wikiquote.org/Carl_Sagan

Wiki Quote Book

shared by Sunny Jackson on 03 Jul 13 - Cached
  • Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.
  • If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you … On the other hand, if you are open to the point of gullibility and have not an ounce of skeptical sense in you, then you cannot distinguish the useful ideas from the worthless ones.
  • The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what's true. We have a method, and that method helps us to reach not absolute truth, only asymptotic approaches to the truth — never there, just closer and closer, always finding vast new oceans of undiscovered possibilities. Cleverly designed experiments are the key.
  • ...49 more annotations...
  • We live in a society absolutely dependent on science and technology and yet have cleverly arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. That's a clear prescription for disaster.
  • I would love to believe that when I die I will live again, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of me will continue. But much as I want to believe that, and despite the ancient and worldwide cultural traditions that assert an afterlife, I know of nothing to suggest that it is more than wishful thinking. The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there's little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides.
  • If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.
  • Who is more humble? The scientist who looks at the universe with an open mind and accepts whatever it has to teach us, or somebody who says everything in this book must be considered the literal truth and never mind the fallibility of all the human beings involved?
  • In science it often happens that scientists say, "You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken," and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
  • Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.
  • We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it's forever.
  • It is all a matter of time scale. An event that would be unthinkable in a hundred years may be inevitable in a hundred million.
  • The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion and politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no place in the endeavor of science.
  • With insufficient data it is easy to go wrong.
  • Human beings have a demonstrated talent for self-deception when their emotions are stirred.
  • For a long time the human instinct to understand was thwarted by facile religious explanations.
  • They (i. e., the Pythagoreans) did not advocate the free confrontation of conflicting points of view. Instead, like all orthodox religions, they practised a rigidity that prevented them from correcting their errors.
  • If we long for our planet to be important, there is something we can do about it. We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.
  • We embarked on our journey to the stars with a question first framed in the childhood of our species and in each generation asked anew with undiminished wonder: What are the stars? Exploration is in our nature. We began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still. We have lingered long enough on the shores of the cosmic ocean. We are ready at last to set sail for the stars.
  • If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.
  • A googolplex is precisely as far from infinity as is the number 1... no matter what number you have in mind, infinity is larger still.
  • The universe seems neither benign nor hostile, merely indifferent to the concerns of such puny creatures as we are.
  • The library connects us with the insights and knowledge, painfully extracted from Nature, of the greatest minds that ever were, with the best teachers, drawn from the entire planet and from all of our history, to instruct us without tiring, and to inspire us to make our own contribution to the collective knowledge of the human species.
  • Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors.
  • I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries.
  • Other things being equal, it is better to be smart than to be stupid.
  • As the ancient myth makers knew, we are children equally of the earth and the sky.
  • War is murder writ large.
  • Those afraid of the universe as it really is, those who pretend to nonexistent knowledge and envision a Cosmos centered on human beings will prefer the fleeting comforts of superstition. They avoid rather than confront the world. But those with the courage to explore the weave and structure of the Cosmos, even where it differs profoundly from their wishes and prejudices, will penetrate its deepest mysteries.
  • there are no sacred truths; all assumptions must be critically examined
  • We must understand the Cosmos as it is and not confuse how it is with how we wish it to be.
  • whatever is inconsistent with the facts must be discarded or revised.
  • Human history can be viewed as a slowly dawning awareness that we are members of a larger group. Initially our loyalties were to ourselves and our immediate family, next, to bands of wandering hunter-gatherers, then to tribes, small settlements, city-states, nations. We have broadened the circle of those we love. We have now organized what are modestly described as super-powers, which include groups of people from divergent ethnic and cultural backgrounds working in some sense together — surely a humanizing and character building experience. If we are to survive, our loyalties must be broadened further, to include the whole human community, the entire planet Earth.
  • Human history can be viewed as a slowly dawning awareness that we are members of a larger group.
  • the choice, as H. G. Wells once said in a different context, is clearly the universe or nothing.
  • Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another.
  • it is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true.
  • For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.
  • Do we, holding that the gods exist, deceive ourselves with insubstantial dreams and lies, while random careless chance and change alone control the world?
  • God for you is where you sweep away all the mysteries of the world, all the challenges to our intelligence. You simply turn your mind off and say God did it.
  • Humans are very good at dreaming
  • For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.
  • You can’t convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it’s based on a deep seated need to believe.
  • We wish to pursue the truth no matter where it leads. But to find the truth, we need imagination and skepticism both.
  • We're made of star-stuff.
  • The cosmos is full beyond measure of elegant truths; of exquisite interrelationships; of the awesome machinery of nature.
  • We wish to pursue the truth no matter where it leads. But to find the truth, we need imagination and skepticism both. We will not be afraid to speculate, but we will be careful to distinguish speculation from fact. The cosmos is full beyond measure of elegant truths; of exquisite interrelationships; of the awesome machinery of nature.
  • We on Earth have just awakened to the great oceans of space and time from which we have emerged. We are the legacy of 15 billion years of cosmic evolution. We have a choice: We can enhance life and come to know the universe that made us, or we can squander our 15 billion-year heritage in meaningless self-destruction. What happens in the first second of the next cosmic year depends on what we do, here and now, with our intelligence and our knowledge of the cosmos.
  • The sky calls to us. If we do not destroy ourselves, we will one day venture to the stars.
  • History is full of people who out of fear or ignorance or the lust for power have destroyed treasures of immeasurable value which truly belong to all of us. We must not let it happen again
  • By exploring other worlds we safeguard this one. By itself, I think this fact more than justifies the money our species has spent in sending ships to other worlds. It is our fate to live during one of the most perilous and, at the same time, one of the most hopeful chapters in human history.
  • Exactly the same technology can be used for good and for evil.
  • You can use your technology to destroy yourselves or to carry you to the planets and the stars. It's up to you.
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