Humanist Manifesto 1; the rest

I've decided now to finish up the rest on the humanist manifesto 1 here. There are two reasons for this one is I'm taking away study time to do this, and the other is I thought it would make more sense to speak on the very few things that I disagree with for the last few points. By in large I agree with the other twelve points of the humanist manefesto. The very few disagreements that I had are with points six and eleven. With point six I still roughly hold to a type of Deism I think. While I tend not to teach or preach any type of deism what I belive is that I cannot exlain this thing we call God whatever that maybe. So I don't know if that excluedes me from this point or not. Point eleven while I agree that sentimental and unreal hopes and wishful thinking are things to be discouraged, sometime these things are nessacary. Lives of faithful people in various times in history seem to prove this for me. An example would be something like a Jew in WWII Germany. While the hope and faith of rescue may have been wishful thinking it was helpful for those in hiding as well as those in the concentration camps. So I really don't think that such thoughts are to be avoided alwasy. Sometimes it is nessacary for the person.
So I don't know if these things exclude me from being a relgious humanist, I have no desire to hijack the term for my own beliefs when I wouldn't be considered one. I do find myself more and more coming into agreements with the priniciples that I disagree with while I am here in seminary. So I belive that this will be a growing process for me and who knows what will happen in years to come.

Comments

Anonymous said…
The "sentimental and unreal hopes" you are speaking of - in Point 11 - have to do with the those directed towrad the supernatural, or toward supernautral solutions to human problems. The rescue in your example (Jew in WW11) has little to do with point 11's statements.
2:46 PM
wes said…
Thanks for clarifying that, then I really don't have a problem with it mark another one down as fine :)
3:43 PM
Anonymous said…
:)
4:18 PM
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