Reason/s & Belief

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

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

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

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

many people realize that they are already humanists and just did not know

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

moral values derive their source from human experience

humanists enjoy the open-endedness of a quest and the freedom of discovery

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.

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.

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

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.

identify and eliminate basic errors

For atheists, quoting passages from the Bible proves nothing about any gods whatsoever. At most, it may prove that the person doing the quoting doesn't have anything better to offer.

you can't prove anything to atheists by simply quoting the Bible

People making a positive claim have a burden of proof; this means that they voluntarily assume an obligation to support their claim

make your own arguments

many theists do something in particular: they offer arguments for the existence of their god and then ignore the various objections and rebuttals offered by atheists.

It's one thing not to agree with those rebuttals, but quite another to go on repeating the argument as if no objections had been raised at all.

do some research to learn what the most common objections and rebuttals are

atheists will challenge a theist to provide evidence to support their claims. The proper response is to actually provide evidence.

One way or another, the theist appears to be expressing superiority over atheists in a passive-aggressive manner. That suggests they weren't interested in serious conversation to begin with.

A second basis for challenge is whether or not the authority in question is making statements in his or her area of expertise

we can challenge an appeal to authority based on whether or not the testimony being offered is something which would find widespread agreement among other experts in that field

if this is the only person in the entire field making such claims, the mere fact that they have expertise doesn’t warrant belief in it, especially considering the weight of contrary testimony

look directly at the evidence they are offering

we cannot rely upon them

the support offered is completely inadequate to the task of supporting them

independently evaluate the data which they have used

Here we don’t even know if the so-called “experts” are qualified authorities in the fields in question — and that is in addition to not knowing who they are so we can check the data and conclusions.

check for ourselves

a good basis for their position

The insult comes in via the implication

Instead of identifying who this authority is, we get vague statements about “experts” or “scientists” who have “proven” something to be “true.”

who is this “they” who says so?

evaluate the claim

vacuous

vague

When “they” say things, that is just a rumor — it might be true, or it might not be. We cannot accept it as true, however, without evidence

find that evidence when asked

an anonymous authority isn’t sufficient to get us to believe the claims in question

provide more substantive support

a couple of causes are multiplied into many (exaggeration)

Although it is true that an explanation should be no more complicated than necessary, one must be very careful not to construct an explanation which is less complicated than necessary

assumes

can be attributed to a single cause

A myriad of other factors in society are completely ignored, as if the social and economic conditions haven't changed in any relevant way.

there is a wide variety of different factors which can influence the morality of individuals and groups

the sole or even primary cause

A common reason for oversimplification, especially in the political realm, is a personal agenda

taking credit

placing blame

The logical problem here is the dismissal of all the other factors which contribute

causal factors which contribute

often ignored by those who oversimplify the situation

its error lies in vastly oversimplifying

to the point where it becomes unrecognizable.

not the only process which is involved

a one-dimension theory which cannot possibly be true

portray

an identifiable effect

Usually, such an appeal is not made openly or obviously

prudential reasons