The Spiritual Sanctuary Celebrates Humanism and Atheism

What do Atheists and Humanists Believe?

Humanists and Atheists do not believe in a Superior Supreme Deity that exists for the purpose of controling Man and Nature and the Cosmos. However, in contrast to the myth, Humanists and Atheists do not believe in nothing. For the most part, Humanists believe that the will of life and love and change comes from within people and within the community of people coming together for a common cause. Atheists believe that while there is no God, there is mystery and wonder to the universe and that is worthy of awe and honor. There are Humanists and Atheists who consider themselves religious and individuals who consider themselves spiritual. Both groups believe that the goal for their faith is to work toward developing a world that is better for everyone.

If there is no Deity/God figure, what figures do they see as sacred?

Often, Humanists and Atheists will revere the words of scholars and philosophers who have worked toward creating better understanding between people and civilizations. There is no worship or specific reverance for individuals in this belief system. For example, Albert Einstein is not prayed to nor are there any rituals per se performed for him or any other revered scholar/philosopher. Anyone who has made a significant contribution to the human condition is honored by the Atheists and Humanists, including religious figures such as Mother Theresa.

What Holy Days do Atheists and Humanists celebrate?

Most Atheists and Humanists do not celebrate Holy Days, per se. Most will contribute to secular holidays such as American Thanksgiving and familly celebrations which may include religious holidays like Easter, Christmas, Hannukah, etc. Some Atheists and Humanists honor days such as Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday, UN Sunday, Memorial Day and other holidays that were created from the work of people doing work for the world.

Are All Humanists and Atheists believe the same thing?

No, there are variations amongst these people just as any other faith path. There are Secular Humanists, Religious Atheists, Progressive Humanists, Existentialists, and many others. Please review the links section which will guide the reader toward all manner of variations of Humanist and Atheist perspective.

The Following Literary Pieces are from the Unitarian Universalist Hymnal, called

Singing the Living Tradition which poetically demonstrate an essence of Humanism.

TO BE OF USE

I want to be with people who sub merge in the task,

Who go into the fields to harvest and work in a row and pass the bags along,

Who stand in the line and haul in their places,

Who are not parlor generals and field deserters but move in a common rhythm when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud. Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.

But the thing worth doing well done has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident

Greek amphoras for wine or oil, Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums but you know they were made to be used.

The pitcher cries for water to carry and a person for work that is real.

Marge Piercy

OUT OF THE STARS

Out of the stars in their flight, out of the dust of eternity,

here have we come, stardust and sunlight,

mingling through time and through space.

Out of the stars have we come, up from time;

Ponder this thing in your heart, life up from sea:

Eyes to behold, throats to sing, mates to love.

Life from the sea, warmed by sun, washed by rain,

life from within, giving birth, rose to love.

This is the wonder of time; this is the marvel of space; out of the

Out of the stars have we come.

Time out of time before time in the vastness of space1 earth spun to orbit the sun,

Earth with the thunder of mountains newborn, the boiling of seas.

Earth warmed by sun, lit by sunlight:

This is our home; Out of the stars have we come.

Mystery hidden in mystery, back through all time;

Mystery rising from rocks in the storm and the sea.

Out of the stars, rising from rocks and the sea,

kindled by sunlight on earth, arose life.

Ponder this thing in your heart; ponder with awe:

Out of the sea to the land, out of the shallows came ferns.

Out of the sea to the land, up from darkness to light,

Rising to walk and to fly, out of the sea trembled life.

stars swung the earth; life upon earth rose to love.

This is the marvel of life, rising

to see and to know; Out of your heart, cry wonder:

sing that we live.

--- ROBERT T. WESTON

Religion

Let religion be to us life and joy.

Let it be a voice of renewing challenge to the best we have and may be;

let it be a call to generous action.

Let religion be to us a dissatisfaction with things that are,

which bids us serve more eagerly the true and right.

Let it be the sorrow that opens for us the way of sympathy,

under-standing, and service to suffering humanity

Let religion be to us the wonder and lure of that

which is only partly known and understood:

An eye that glories in nature's majesty and beauty,

and a heart that rejoices in deeds of kindness and of courage.

Let religion be to us security and serenity because of its truth and beauty,

and because of the enduring worth and power of the loyalties which it engenders;

Let it be to us hope and purpose, and a discovering of opportuni-ties

to express our best through daily tasks:

Religion, uniting us with all that is admirable in human beings every-where,

Holding before our eyes a pros-pect of the better life for human-kind,

which each may help to make actual.

--- Vincent B. Silliman

Read right here online the words of some notable authors on subjects related to Humanism and Atheism:

Clarence Darrow: Facing Life Fearlessly

Clarence Darrow: Absurdities of the Bible

Thomas Paine: On Dream

The Secular Web

What is Humanism by Fredrick Edwords

Our Inspiration: Quotes from Albert Einstein

10 Myths about Secular Humanism

William Murray on Religious Humanism

Read these texts at Sacred Texts.com : (you will need to use your browser back buttons to come back here )

What is Man by Mark Twain

Thomas Paine: Age of Reason

Corlis Lamont: The Philosophy of Humanism

Albert Einstein: Conversation on Religion and Anti-Semitism

Albert Einstein: Religion and Science, Science and Religion

An Introduction to Ethical Humanist Religion by Edward Erickson

The Coinherence Symbol

Religious Tolerance.org on Humanism

Humanism.Org

Common Sense : A Journal of Humanism Online

Biblical Theism presents: World Views in Conflict: Humanism

(describes Humanism as an enemy of Christianity)

IGC Internet, Connecting People Who Are Changing the World

American Ethics Union - Eight Commitments to Ethical Culture

Religious Liberty and Religious Extremeism, an article by Bill Moyers

It's OK not to believe - a site created for those who are emerging from religion

Progressive Humanism - A New Approach to Humanist Philosophy...

Progressive Humanism

Religious Humanism - from Humanists of Utah

Religious Humanism from Humanist Today

Secular Humanism -

"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the
unlimitable superior who reveals Himself in the slight
details we are able to perceive with our frail and
feeble minds. That deeply emotional conviction of the
presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed
in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God."
- Albert Einstein

Come visit a fan of the Sanctuary and quite a wonderful site indeed.... Darwin Day... Have you seen those fish shaped logos on people's cars that say Darwin? Want one? This would be the place to go... I had to get one, myself!!

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