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Building Better Secularists?

06 Feb 2015
Emily
News

JamesCroftThe original post on Leader-in-training James Croft’s Patheos blog Temple of the Future was published on February 3, 2015.

David Brooks is writing about secularists again in the New York Times, arguing that nonreligious people, lacking the institutional and communal support offered by religion, need help if we are to avoid “loss of meaning” and “unconscious boredom.” “Secular writers are so eager to make the case for their creed,” he argues, “they are minimizing the struggle required to live by it.” According to Brooks, we can’t just go our own way and live decent lives relying on a broadly secular ethic—rather, we need to replace what religion offers, creating alternate moral philosophies, communities, “Sabbaths,” and “moral motivation.” Moreover, “Secularism has to do for nonbelievers what religion does for believers—arouse the higher emotions, exalt the passions in pursuit of moral action”—we need, Brooks believes, an “enchanted secularism.”

The tempting response for atheists is to reject Brooks’ case with an indignant wave of the hand: “We can live perfectly well without all that ‘religious’ stuff!” I’ve heard many atheists make that case in my years as a Humanist activist and, indeed, most nonreligious people seem to live perfectly happily and morally without a strong community, and without a well thought out moral philosophy. Most don’t seem overly troubled by a loss of meaning or sense of drift, and these charges are frequently used by the religious to denigrate those who choose to live without religion—it’s frustrating to see such canards resurface again and again.

But too easy a dismissal risks missing Brooks’ central point: yes, we nonreligious people can live perfectly well without the structures and strictures of traditional religions, and even without any replacements for those structures—but are we living our best possible lives? Could we be even better were we to build moral communities where we can encourage each other to live according to our highest values, exalting our passions in pursuit of self-improvement and the betterment of the world?

I think so. I know I’m a better person because I have a congregational community of Humanists looking over my shoulder. I relish the opportunity to reconnect to my ideals and principles every week, and to work with others to explore the biggest questions in life. I want people around me who try to see the best in me and hold that up, who come together explicitly to promote human goodness and social progress. It’s like being in a relationship: when I have a boyfriend I’m just a better person. I try harder to be the person I want the world to see me as, because suddenly it’s crystal clear that who I am affects other people.

Being in a Humanist community is similar: because we all expect a lot from each other, and because we talk about what we want the world to look like, and because we do so in a gorgeous building filled with beautiful music and inspiring presentations, we encourage each other to be not only decent people, but the best people we can possibly be. We don’t always succeed, but we provide something which very few institutions offer: an explicitly Humanist space where people can gather to help bring out the best in each other and in themselves.

Perhaps this isn’t for everyone, but I know from my own experience that I do need the sort of moral motivation a Humanist community provides. It is easier for me to act on my values when I’m surrounded by others who share that aspiration, and when the pursuit of goodness is made a communal endeavor infused with aesthetic beauty and grand significance. Our best moments are the ones when the music, the building, the presentation, and the people work together to create a transcendent event, when we feel ourselves come together as a community, connected to each other and to the community of humanity we hope to serve. Those are truly “enchanted” moments, and they help build better secularists. I think we need more of them.

Interested in finding a Humanist community near you? Check out if there’s an Ethical Culture Society nearby!

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The American Ethical Union calls for nontheist participation in National Inaugural Interfaith Service.On Thursday January 21st, the Washington National Cathedral will host a virtual presidential inaugural interfaith service to mark the inauguration of Joe Biden as president. While presented as an opportunity to bring the whole nation together, and while part of the “America United” inaugural activities, one large community will not be represented at all: atheists, agnostics, humanists, and the nonreligious. Millions of Americans today make meaning and express their personal and civic values without reference to a god or traditional religious beliefs. These Americans deserve a voice, and should be included in formal interfaith programming like the Inaugural Service. Read our full statement here: aeu.org/resource/aeu-calls-for-nontheist-participation-in-national-inaugural-interfaith-service/ ... See MoreSee Less

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Today, as the nation continues to recover from an attempted white supremacist insurrection at our capitol, we are reflecting upon this quote from the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. #MLK #MLKDay #MLK2021 #king #martinlutherkingjr #today #EthicalCulture #ethics #2021 ... See MoreSee Less

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AEU Statement Regarding the Events of January 6thYesterday, we watched in shock and horror as a violent mob attacked the US Capitol, forcing their way inside and occupying areas of the building for hours in an attempt to disrupt the certification of electoral votes submitted by the states. By the end of the day, 4 people were dead, 52 members of the seditious mob were arrested, and 14 police officers were injured. It took the assistance of many additional federal law enforcement personnel and the National Guard to remove the attackers from the Capitol and clear the way for the Joint Congress to resume its work.Fortunately, the Joint Congress was resolute and refused to let the interruption derail our democracy, working through the night to certify the electoral vote counts for all of the states. However, this episode was an attack on democracy itself, instigated by a sitting president whose actions have severely undermined respect for and trust in the very system that put him in office. Mr. Trump has shown only contempt for the democratic process and is a danger to our country. People who are in a position to remove Mr. Trump from office ought to proceed in haste as this president has repeatedly shown readiness to incite violence and mayhem, and also continues to demonstrate an obsession with the electoral results to the seeming exclusion of other national concerns. Our democratic system of government must be protected from his influence.As Ethical Humanists, we are called upon to repudiate the anti-democratic tendencies that have gained an unwelcome foothold in public life. Our country will need us to elicit the best from one another and ourselves in the months and years to come.#Jan6 #ethicalhumanism ow.ly/uxes50D2Gzn ... See MoreSee Less

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Share your voice! The AEU is seeking volunteers to contribute to our World Human Rights Day Project. Learn more here: ow.ly/YGDC50CYYPL ... See MoreSee Less

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The American Ethical Union calls for nontheist par The American Ethical Union calls for nontheist participation in National Inaugural Interfaith Service.

On Thursday January 21st, the Washington National Cathedral will host a virtual presidential inaugural interfaith service to mark the inauguration of Joe Biden as president. While presented as an opportunity to bring the whole nation together, and while part of the “America United” inaugural activities, one large community will not be represented at all: atheists, agnostics, humanists, and the nonreligious. 

Millions of Americans today make meaning and express their personal and civic values without reference to a god or traditional religious beliefs. These Americans deserve a voice, and should be included in formal interfaith programming like the Inaugural Service.
Today, as the nation continues to recover from an Today, as the nation continues to recover from an attempted white supremacist insurrection at our capitol, we are reflecting upon this quote from the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. 

#MLK #MLKDay #MLK2021 #King #MartinLutherKingJr #Today #EthicalCulture #Ethics #2021
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