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Contents contributed and discussions participated by Sunny Jackson

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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

Humanism - Wikiquote - 0 views

en.wikiquote.org/Humanism

Humanism Quotes

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - No Cached
  • The personal virtues which humanism cherishes are intelligence, amenity, and tolerance
  • I am a humanist, which mean, in part, that I have tried to behave decently without any expectation of rewards or punishments after I'm dead.
  • Kurt Vonnegut, in God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian (1999)
Sunny Jackson

HOW DO HUMANISTS FIND MEANING, PURPOSE, VALUES, AND MORALS IN LIFE - 0 views

cybercomputing.com/...humanists-meaning.html

Humanism

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - No Cached
  • Humanism is a philosophy, worldview, or life stance based on naturalism--the conviction that the universe or nature is all that exists or is real
  • Humanism serves, for many humanists, some of the psychological and social functions of a religion, but without belief in deities, transcendental entities, miracles, life after death, and the supernatural
  • 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
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Humanists affirm that humans have the freedom to give meaning, value, and purpose to their lives by their own independent thought, free inquiry, and responsible, creative activity
  • Humanists stand for the building of a more humane, just, compassionate, and democratic society using a realistic 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
  • umanists stand for the building of a more humane, just, compassionate, and democratic society using a realistic 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
  • it depends on how you define religion
Sunny Jackson

Humanism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

en.wikipedia.org/Humanism

shared by Sunny Jackson 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

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

Great Minds: Atheist Quotes - 0 views

www.atheistempire.com/...quotes.php

Atheists

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - No Cached
  • "I am an atheist, out and out. It took me a long time to say it. I've been an atheist for years and years, but somehow I felt it was intellectually unrespectable to say that one is an atheist, because it assumed knowledge that one didn't have. Somehow it was better to say one was a humanist or agnostic. I don't have the evidence to prove that God doesn't exist, but I so strongly suspect that he doesn't that I don't want to waste my time."
Sunny Jackson

Great Minds: Atheist Quotes - 0 views

www.atheistempire.com/...quotes.php

Atheists

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - No Cached
  • "The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." Treaty of Tripoly, article 11
Sunny Jackson

Pro Women's Basketball Player Comes Out as an Atheist - 0 views

www.atheismresource.com/...player-comes-out-as-an-atheist

Atheists

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - No Cached
  • People often make assumptions that I am Christian because I am a moral young woman that may serve as a role model as others.
  • I have grown up in a society where good = Christian, and I am uncomfortable with that.
  • The assumption is that Atheism = bad. But why is there this assumption about atheists?
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • They truly allowed us to think freely for ourselves
  • When I was younger, I believed in God like I believed in Santa Claus. I had blind faith that he was real because that is what I’ve been told and led to believe.
  • I didn’t believe it before and no matter how hard I tried to pray or have a relationship with God, I never felt like anyone was listening.
  • I didn’t want to be seen as a bad person.
  • I didn’t want anything ruining my reputation.
  • if you look at the scientific evidence, there is no doubt that evolution is real. I am not an extremely scientific person, but that has always been very apparent to me.
  • My lack of faith was constantly being strengthened by my world around me, although all my friends were Christians.
  • Atheists have always been looked down on in the world around me
  • “in the closet” about my lack of religion
  • How could I tell anyone? I didn’t want people to judge me for not subscribing to a religion.
  • I never made the connection. I just enjoyed the stories of the triumphs of good people.
  • It was very hard for me to tell anyone that I was an atheist
  • I never wanted anyone to see our relationship as being lesser because it had no faith involved in it.
  • I respected their desire and faith.
Sunny Jackson

First Church of Atheism - 0 views

firstchurchofatheism.com

Atheists

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - Cached
  • With the First Church of Atheism you can become ordained quickly, easily, and at no cost.
Sunny Jackson

Great Minds: Atheist Quotes - 0 views

www.atheistempire.com/...greatest.php

Atheists

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - Cached
  • "Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color." --Don Hirschberg
  • "Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?" - Epicurus
  • "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." - Carl Sagan
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • "And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that He would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence." - Bertrand Russell
  • "Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense." -- Chapman Cohen
  • "Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned."
  • "Only Sheep need a shepherd!"
  • "It ain't the parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand." - Mark Twain
  • "In Christianity neither morality nor religion come into contact with reality at any point." - Friedrich Nietzsche
  • "The world holds two classes of men - intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence." -- Abu Ala Al-Ma'arri
Sunny Jackson

Hopeful☀Heathens - 0 views

hopefulheathens.tumblr.com

Atheists

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - No Cached
  • When you’re religious, you see the world through a lens. You have an entirely different mindset.
  • You become condescending and feel as though yourself as an entity is worth more than whoever you’re talking to.
  • Every accomplishment of yours is not technically yours
  • ...20 more annotations...
  • You’re not an individual
  • Nothing matters because you’ll be going to heaven eventually, which causes you to miss out on many of the joys in life that you’ll never get back. 
  • When I finally decided that I didn’t believe in God anymore, it freed my mind. It freed me of living in constant guilt
  • It made me appreciate and marvel at nature so much more because there was nothing to attribute its beauty to other than the scientific processes that resulted in it.
  • I had a much more open mind
  • I stopped judging people
  • I am now an individual with my own morals and ethics and philosophy and achievements that I have accomplished through my own means.
  • I’m really happy to be an atheist, and I don’t plan on changing that any time soon.
  •  We adapted in such a way that we can thrive in the world around us.  In such a way that we can observe it and make decisions about what we like about it.  And I think that is part of the reason why beauty even exists.
  • in order to be genuinely happy, you have to find happiness in yourself
  •  If a doctor is telling you a treatment plan, you should probably listen.
  • I know your brain is telling you that there is no hope, but you cannot listen to yourself.
  • there are plenty of things to be hopeful about
  • you need to live in the moment
  • worrying about the future ruins the moment, and the moment is what the future is built on
  •  If you’re not living for happiness in the moment, your future is going to be spent wondering where you went wrong
  • if you are depressed, you cannot listen to your brain
  •  You have to train yourself to be happy, and that can be the biggest challenge there is.
  • I am always here to listen if you are having a rough time, because I know how hard it can be, and I would have given anything to have a shoulder to cry on
  • if I can be that shoulder for you now, I will gladly assume the role.
Sunny Jackson

Hopeful☀Heathens - 0 views

hopefulheathens.tumblr.com/3

Atheists

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - No Cached
  • I try to approach all people with equal amounts of respect.  But if I am approached with unjust rudeness, condescension, or disrespect, I will sometimes (if the situation calls for it) answer in the fashion I was addressed.
  • because people don’t get to be respectfully reasoned with if they’re going to insult me from the get-go
  •  One theist being rude to you does not say anything about theists
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • In terms of atheism, I will always show respect to people who are curious, even if their curiosity seems intrusive or easily solved by looking at Google.  I will always answer genuine questions in a genuine fashion.
  •  If someone addresses me or atheists in general in a derogatory way, however, they usually don’t deserve any graciousness on my part.
  • Because we already fight such a daunting stereotype
  • everyone is an individual person who is responsible for their actions and no one else’s
  • there’s a time to be nice and then there’s a time to be real
  • Conversely, a theist griping about how rotten atheists are is really saying something about himself: that he’s biased, unjust, and silly for generalizing.
  • remember that people will usually treat you the way you treated them
  • they were the ones setting the tone
  • people like this are not indicative of all
  • If you’re using their individual behavior as an excuse to dislike their entire group, you’re the one who is really adding to the stereotypes
  •  Blanket assumptions work both ways.
Sunny Jackson

Wired 11.10: VIEW - 0 views

www.wired.com/...view.html

brights Humanism Atheists

shared by Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13 - Cached
  • Sunny Jackson on 22 May 13
     
    Religion Be Damned Richard Dawkins defends the godless among us.
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