Preview

Analysis Of A Secular Humanism: The Question Of Origin

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
634 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Analysis Of A Secular Humanism: The Question Of Origin
Secular Humanism

The Question of Origin-
As a secular humanist, the origin of life is nothing spectacular. Human life is a product of thousands of years of evolution. Man evolved from matter that simply was; there is no god who created life, it just is.

The Question of Identity-
A secular humanist identifies equally with all life, “Mankind is simply a more sophisticated animal” (Weider & Gutierrez, 2013). Because man has evolved from animals, we are not above them and should treat all life with the same respect.

The Question of Meaning/Purpose-
A secular humanist believes man gives his own meaning to life (Weider & Gutierrez, 2013). It is merely man’s responsibility to leave the world a better place after he is gone. A humanist
…show more content…
A secular humanist does not believe in an all-knowing god; you are simply free to be your own judge. If it feels good and does not hurt anyone; you should be able to do it.

The Question of Destiny-
A secular humanist believes existence is over at death. There is no afterlife; you cease to exist when you die, and all that lives on are your accomplishments while on this earth. Your legacy is a measure of the amount of success and happiness you achieved in your life.

Biblical/Christian worldview vs. Secular Humanism

Question of Origin-
In contrast to the secular humanists belief that humans have evolved from non-living matter (Hindson & Caner, 2008), Christians are confident that although we were created from nothingness it was God who created man and breathed life into
…show more content…
Their morals are personally decided whereas a Christian believes in an absolute moral standard defined by God. In complete contrast to a humanist, Christians know “each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12a, NKJV).

CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENT

The Question of Destiny-
According to Christianity, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13, NIV). Christians believe once a person accepts the Lord Jesus as their savior and are cleansed of their sins they are guaranteed everlasting life. For a humanist death is the absolute end; when they reject the word of the Lord they are sealing their fate not to the finality they believe in, but instead to an internal sentence of life in Hell.

Bibliography
Hindson, E., & Caner, E. (2008). The Popular Encylopedia of Apologetics. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers.
Weider, L., & Gutierrez, B. (2013). Consider. Virginia Beach, VA: Academx Publishing Services,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Origin - Buddhists do not believe in a divine entity; therefore, their teaching on the origin of man greatly differs from that of Christianity. Buddhists seem to take a more philosophical view when it comes to explaining that man was a product of millions of years of evolution. In contrast, the origin of life according to a Biblical worldview centers on the creation of the heaven, earth, and all organisms by creator God (Gen 1:1).…

    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This reading, written by Donald Eugene Smith, communicates his perspective on what being a secular state means, and what a secular state should encompass. Smith’s key idea is that a secular state includes the individual, the state and religion, and that these three factors have interconnected relationships with one another. However, in their relationships it is vital, or ideal, that there is exclusion of the third factor in each relationship. For example, Smith states that in the relationship between religion and the individual, it is vital that there is no interference from the state, thus ensuring freedom of religion.…

    • 240 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Module 4 Blank Study Guide

    • 2907 Words
    • 12 Pages

    1. How might the shift from religious to secular thinking make the individual more important?…

    • 2907 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is up to him or her to give any true benefit to their life, by making an impact in their life (69). Through this, they are able to make a clear and confident impact in another human beings life. However, since “man is a machine and ultimately not in control of what happens, life cannot have any real value or significance.” (69). Morality and ethics asks what is morally and ethically right versus wrong and how a human being should live, then God must exist to deliver what is right and wrong (71). That being so, secular humanism does not believe in a God, and nor does He exist. Secular Humanists believe that there is no “absolute truth”, and relies heavily on the fact that “truth is dependent upon the individual or society and is subject to change” (71). Secular Humanism is not worried about the question of destiny. Once a human being has passed on, all that matters is what…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    One definition of death is the the complete and permanent cessation of all vital functions in a living creature, the end if life. All philosophers agree that our earthly life in our physical form will end; however philosophers disagree on the meaning of end of life as many people agree on death as the end of our existence however while others argue that we continue in some form after death. Many ideas relating to our existence after death include; the continuation of our genes thought our descendants, immortality of the soul, resurrection of the body, reincarnation and the idea that we live on in memories of others. Many religious beliefs are based on the idea that humans possess a "soul" or "spirit" which exists independently of the body. The notion of life after death is therefore of central concern to religious believers and it is important to establish what surviving death exactly means. There are two main theories developed for the meaningful survival after death: materialism and dualism.…

    • 1412 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Asignment No: 1

    • 1408 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Humanistic perspective offers a very positive viewpoint of human nature and potential. Emphasizing the personal worth of each individual, this perspective suggests that we are each responsible for our own happiness and well-being as humans. We have the innate capacity for self-actualization which is our unique desire to achieve our highest potential as people.…

    • 1408 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The value of human life is a concept which is interpreted in many different ways within religion and with secular communities. For example Christianity holds strong belief in concepts such as Imago Dei and the sanctity of life. Christians also hold strong belief that we are given value in terms of free will and a god-given soul. Alternatively, humans are given value in the Buddhist faith through the process of rebirth and the ability to choose a path of self perfection; Buddhists view each individual life as a manifestation of a universal life force. In Secular circles, philosophers such as Sartre give value to human life through his atheist existentialism (as opposed to Kierkegaard’s theistic existentialism) and the idea that human beings are essentially free, thus placing them in higher value than other living things. However, as in most cases, although secular thinkers place value on human life, they can also be seen to devalue it, or reduce it to a state of meaningless through the ideas of abortion and euthanasia or with the theory of evolution.…

    • 1611 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Secularism may feign impartiality when it really is promoting doubt and skepticism of our faith. The dysfunction and ever-increasing diversity of American culture, in my opinion, is our inability to appreciate a deeper cause. Throughout history, we have witnessed that the culture in America does not always embrace religion. Even so, that does not mean that God is not present in those things labeled as “secular.” Psalms 24:1 (KJV) says, “The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Even though we have distorted this law, due to the fall (Genesis 3), we may know His truth and be able to distinguish between right and wrong; through His commandments and revelation. Until the Lord comes again,…

    • 378 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Chance, time and matter constitute everything in existence. All things including all creation are a product of this. Man’s observation and empirical verification is what is important for man and anything outside of this is unsubstantiated. In contrast, Christians believe in the biblical explanation of origin. That man was created by a sovereign creator who holds all things within Himself. Biblical text shows that a holy omnipotent God created the heavens and the earth and all things above and below. This is also my belief. Objective materialistic scientist place man at the center of all things and the essence of the idea of origin is that Man not a sovereign God is the determining element which commands ethically behavior, reality and…

    • 835 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Psychology 101

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Humanists – most positive. They believe that we all by nature are goodness and we all what to self actualize which means to me all that we can become ( today is the first day of the rest of your life)…

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Humanistic Theories

    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The strengths of humanistic and existential theories are that on a broad scale they relate to all human beings. All human beings have humanistic habits and tendencies. Existentialism relates to all human beings in that all human beings have conscious thought, free will, and accountability for their own actions. Some glaring limitations with humanistic and existential theories are that, despite the fact that both theories relate to all human beings on a general level, when you look at each individual person there are differences that separate us one from another.…

    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Humanism Vs Secularism

    • 182 Words
    • 1 Page

    According to Secular Humanism there is no way to determine when life begins. “The Secular Worldview is a religious worldview in which “man is the measure” (All about). The Secular Humanism worldview begins with the presumption that God does not exist, and therefore knowledge and existence must be answered in natural terms as opposed to supernatural terms and descriptions (Weider, 63). The Secularism Humanism worldview does not entail a connection to how mankind came into existence. “According to secularism, belief in God is nothing more than a projection of man’s own thoughts and desires, God did not make man in His image; instead, manmade God in his image” (Secularism Article, 2).…

    • 182 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Most people in America consider themselves to be Christians. But, the Christian worldview is declining and is under attack form what most call secular humanism. We must be very careful to define what we mean by humanism. By humanism we are not talking about humanitarianism. Humanitarianism means being kind to people. Secular humanists are atheists. To many this is a hard statement but let us look at what they believe. They reject any concept of a Creator in favor of evolution. They believe that in the universe there is nothing above and beyond the universe. Therefore man, as the highest form of evolution, is responsible to: create his own law and morality and to save himself. Man is the secular humanists' god.…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Life after death

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages

    2. Negative Afterlife Potential – What are the negative consequences if individuals fail to achieve their highest religious goals? (2%) (About 50-75 Words)…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Secular Humanism is defined as a comprehensive, nonreligious life stance incorporating: A naturalistic philosophy. A cosmic outlook rooted in science. A consequentialist ethical system, (What is Secular). Secular Humanism is considered a worldview because it addresses all the following subjects; theological, philosophical, ethical, biological, psychological, sociological, legal, economic, political, and historical nature. Secular Humanism answers the following questions; the question of Origin, the question of Identity, the question of Meaning/Purpose, the question of Morality, and the question of Destiny. Secular Humanist answer the question of Origin by believing that the universe and all life was an incredible coincidence, in which life…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays