Thoughts about thought

As the world enters the second millenium of the Common Era, thinking seems to be an extremely rare activity. Enormous numbers of people seem to believe palpable absurdities and ridiculous (and often destructive) myths. The results for the inhabitants of this planet (human and otherwise) are disastrous. Replacing belief with rational thought would go a long way toward solving many of the world's problems. Many individuals and organisations work toward encouraging rational thought. This page includes links to some of them. Some of those individuals and organisations identify themselves as humanists. Here are the "Affirmations of Humanism" that used to appear inside the cover of Free Inquiry magazine.

 

The Affirmations of Humanism: A Statement of Principles

  • We are committed to the application of reason and science to the understanding of the universe and to the solving of human problems.
  • We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, and to look outside nature for salvation.
  • We believe that scientific discovery and technology can contribute to the betterment of human life.
  • We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities.
  • We are committed to the principle of the separation of church and state.
  • We cultivate the arts of negotiation and compromise as means of resolving differences and achieving mutual understanding.
  • We are concerned with securing justice and fairness in society and with eliminating discrimination and intolerance.
  • We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the handicapped so that they will be able to help themselves.
  • We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based on race, religion, sex, nationality, creed, class, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, and strive to work together for the common good of humanity.
  • We want to protect and enhance the earth, to preserve it for future generations, and to avoid inflicting needless suffering on other species.
  • We believe in enjoying life here and now and in developing our creative talents to their fullest.
  • We believe in the cultivation of moral excellence.
  • We respect the right to privacy. Mature adults should be allowed to fulfill their aspirations, to express their sexual preferences, to exercise reproductive freedom, to have access to comprehensive and informed health-care, and to die with dignity.
  • We believe in the common moral decencies: altruism, integrity, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility. Humanist ethics is amenable to critical, rational guidance. There are normative standards that we discover together. Moral principles are tested by their consequences.
  • We are deeply concerned with the moral education of our children. We want to nourish reason and compassion.
  • We are engaged by the arts no less than by the sciences.
  • We are citizens of the universe and are excited by discoveries still to be made in the cosmos.
  • We are skeptical of untested claims to knowledge, and we are open to novel ideas and seek new departures in our thinking.
  • We affirm humanism as a realistic alternative to theologies of despair and ideologies of violence, and as a source of rich personal significance and genuine satisfaction in the service to others.
  • We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of ignorance, joy rather than guilt or sin, tolerance in the place of fear, love instead of hatred, compassion over selfishness, beauty instead of ugliness, and reason rather than blind faith or irrationality.
  • We believe in the fullest realisation of the best and noblest that we are capable of as human beings.

  • Return to top of the statement of humanist principles


    Links

    Here are some links to humanist and rationalist sites:

    www.secularhumanism.org the Council for Secular Humanism
    The Secular Web
    The Freethought Ring
    The Skeptics Society
    CSICOP
    Critical Thinking
    The Critical Thinking Community
    The Skeptic's Dictionary Home Page

     

    Australasia/Oceania

    Freethought New Zealand
    NZCSICOP Inc (NZ Skeptics)

     

    North America - regional/local

    Arizona Secular Humanists
    www.rthoughtsrfree.org
    Secular Humanists of Los Angeles
    Atheists of Florida
    Gainesville Humanist Society Florida
    Humanist Association: St. Petersburg Florida
    Secular Humanists of South Florida
    Atlanta Freethought Society Georgia
    freeinquirynetwork Illinois
    Shreveport Humanists Louisiana
    Freethought Association of West Michigan
    www.mnatheists.org Minnesota
    Family Freethought Alliance Missouri
    Capital District Humanist Society New York
    Corvallis Secular Society Oregon
    Humanist Association of Salem Oregon
    Humanists of the Low Country South Carolina
    Upstate South Carolina Secular Humanists
    Rationalists of East Tennessee
    Freethinkers Association of Central Texas
    Washington Area Secular Humanists District of Columbia
    Milwaukee Freethought Society Wisconsin

     

    Europe

    Skeptica Denmark


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