Humanist Manifesto III (HM3): WARNING #1 – The opening statement could not be any more offensive to the God of the Bible than it is already. The phrase “without supernaturalism” clearly defines any god as, worse than non-existent, completely irrelevant (see Romans 1 for Biblical consequences). What is more, it is incongruent with the empirical data. No human has ever accomplished the set of feats described.
“The lifestance of
Humanism—guided by reason, inspired by compassion, and informed by experience— encourages
us to live life well and fully. It evolved through the ages and continues to
develop through the efforts of thoughtful people who recognize that values and
ideals, however carefully wrought, are subject to change as our knowledge and
understandings advance.”
HM3: WARNING #2 – The water is
starting to get deep here. For example, suppose,
being subject to change, the present value of reason is greatly diminished and
the ideal of compassion is severely eroded.
The lifestance of Humanism is then washed away by its own decree. In other words, you can’t have it both
ways. If you want relativism, then you
can’t have any secure place to hang your hat.
You can’t take a stance at all, and as the adage goes .. you will fall
for anything.
“Knowledge of the world is
derived by observation, experimentation, and rational analysis. Humanists find that science is
the best method for determining this knowledge as well as for solving problems
and developing beneficial technologies. We also recognize the value of new
departures in thought, the arts, and inner experience—each subject to analysis
by critical intelligence.”
HM3: WARNING #3 – I point out
here that: “The fear of the LORD is the
beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” – Proverbs 1:
7
HM3: WARNING #4 – Most manifestos
come to a place where logic breaks down completely. It must be part of the curriculum in
Manifesto Writing 101. We have come to
that place in HM3. Does the humanist
know everything? By their own manifesto;
the answer is NO. Does the humanist know
half of everything? I would guess they
would say NO. Let’s assume the humanist
knows half of everything. Is it possible
that God is in the half of everything that the humanist does not know? The answer is YES. So, when the humanist deliberately and repeatedly
ignores things like billions of individual experiences of supernatural
influence, empirical evidences of guided or designed processes, and probabilistic
analysis of intelligent first cause; yet, claims they are “distinguishing
things as they are from things as they might wish or imagine them to be” and
claims they “are drawn to and are undaunted by the yet to be known” it is hard to take them seriously.
“Ethical values are derived from
human need and interest as tested by experience. Humanists ground values in human welfare
shaped by human circumstances, interests, and concerns and extended to the
global ecosystem and beyond. We are committed to treating each person as having
inherent worth and dignity, and to making informed choices in a context of
freedom consonant with responsibility.”
HM3: WARNING #5 – Might just as
well have said; Humanists ground values in shifting sand. Let’s be clear. The humanist is now saying that since the
dawn of the first human, who was brought about through an unguided process from
nothing, each and every one of them had the permanent characteristic attributes
of ‘worth’ and ‘dignity’ and this is pronounced by the authority of the
Humanists a small sect of homo sapien sapiens (wise wise man) or humans
themselves. The only trouble is, some of
the humans disagree. In fact, most of
the 10 to 15 billion humans throughout history would probably disagree. At the very least they would demand that the
humans had varying degrees of ‘worth’ and ‘dignity’. Why should we believe the humanists? Oh yea, they found it out by the gods of
Science and Reason which may prove to be bogus once our future understanding is
refined.
"Life’s fulfillment emerges from
individual participation in the service of humane ideals. We aim for our fullest possible
development and animate our lives with a deep sense of purpose, finding wonder and
awe in the joys and beauties of human existence, its challenges and tragedies,
and even in the inevitability and finality of death. Humanists rely on the rich
heritage of human culture and the lifestance of Humanism to provide comfort in
times of want and encouragement in times of plenty."
HM3: WARNING #6 – “The fool hath
said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable
works, there is none that doeth good.” – Psalm 14: 6 But what kind of fool says it does not
matter? “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor
as yourself.’ All the Law and the
Prophets hang on these two commandments.”” – Matthew 22:37-40
“Humans are social by nature and
find meaning in relationships. 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. The joining of individuality with
interdependence enriches our lives, encourages us to enrich the lives of
others, and inspires hope of attaining peace, justice, and opportunity for all.”
HM3: WARNING #7 – This sounds
great and I agree 100%. Just
remember: Jesus said, ““I am the vine;
you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much
fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5.
“Thus engaged in the flow of life, we aspire to this vision with the informed conviction that humanity has the ability to progress toward its highest ideals. The responsibility for our lives and the kind of world in which we live is ours and ours alone.”
HM3: WARNING #10 – Man had some high ideals at the Tower of Babel. Our ways are not His ways. I would recommend the humanist read Romans 3. And yes we are responsible for our actions. That is why each and every one of us needs a savior. JESUS saves!
“Working to benefit society
maximizes individual happiness. Progressive cultures have worked to free humanity
from the brutalities of mere survival and to reduce suffering, improve society,
and develop global community. We seek to minimize the inequities of
circumstance and ability, and we support a just distribution of nature’s
resources and the fruits of human effort so that as many as possible can enjoy
a good life.”
HM3: WARNING #8 - “For by the
grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly
than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance
with the measure of faith God has given you.” – Romans 12:3
“Humanists are concerned for the
well being of all, are committed to diversity, and respect those of differing
yet humane views. We work to uphold the equal enjoyment of human rights and
civil liberties in an open, secular society and maintain it is a civic duty to
participate in the democratic process and a planetary duty to protect nature’s
integrity, diversity, and beauty in a secure, sustainable manner.”
HM3: WARNING #9 – Ok, I wonder
how the following would play out if the humanist was in charge. We have a six year old boy misbehaving in
Walmart. His parents verbally correct
the youth to no effect. The boy’s father
comes over gives the boy three quick sharp smacks on the back end. The boy cries convincingly for two whole
minutes and discontinues the bad behavior.
The father is swiftly reported to the humanist authorities. What happens next?“Thus engaged in the flow of life, we aspire to this vision with the informed conviction that humanity has the ability to progress toward its highest ideals. The responsibility for our lives and the kind of world in which we live is ours and ours alone.”
HM3: WARNING #10 – Man had some high ideals at the Tower of Babel. Our ways are not His ways. I would recommend the humanist read Romans 3. And yes we are responsible for our actions. That is why each and every one of us needs a savior. JESUS saves!
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