You're a Secular Humanist?
I get email from the American Humanist Association all the time and I keep an eye open for what's being said out of that corner of the world, but I haven't been inclined to call myself a Secular Humanist... and that's a little funny. I consider myself humanist in every way and I certainly back secular ideals and practices in government. Should I begin identifying myself as a Secular Humanist when people ask my beliefs or should I stick with saying, "I have none" or "I'm atheist"?
Atheism doesn't actually qualify as a religion or as a belief, and saying that I have no beliefs runs a tad to close to nihilism. I'm not nihilist. Yet, am I ready to give myself up to living life in the pigeon hole named Secular Humanism? Its a quandary.
Whenever a name is tossed in my direction, a label meant to describe something about me, I tend to struggle against its fitting. What may feel comfortable for others doesn't always wear well on my back - and that's the problem. I want to be honest about who I am and what I say about my beliefs. I guess I'm too picky of the details of the fit, too, and I'm probably a bit unwilling to agree that close enough is good enough. Or perhaps I don't feel suited to being part of a list or to subscribing to a group that sets it values and ethics down by the numbers. But whatever it is about me, it isn't necessarily so about loads of other people - they're joining AHA. You may have done so already.
I'll say this about AHA, however, I'm tempted to subscribe... I like the little Happy Human character. He's my kind of guy.
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I get email from the American Humanist Association all the time and I keep an eye open for what's being said out of that corner of the world, but I haven't been inclined to call myself a Secular Humanist... and that's a little funny. I consider myself humanist in every way and I certainly back secular ideals and practices in government. Should I begin identifying myself as a Secular Humanist when people ask my beliefs or should I stick with saying, "I have none" or "I'm atheist"?
Whenever a name is tossed in my direction, a label meant to describe something about me, I tend to struggle against its fitting. What may feel comfortable for others doesn't always wear well on my back - and that's the problem. I want to be honest about who I am and what I say about my beliefs. I guess I'm too picky of the details of the fit, too, and I'm probably a bit unwilling to agree that close enough is good enough. Or perhaps I don't feel suited to being part of a list or to subscribing to a group that sets it values and ethics down by the numbers. But whatever it is about me, it isn't necessarily so about loads of other people - they're joining AHA. You may have done so already.
I'll say this about AHA, however, I'm tempted to subscribe... I like the little Happy Human character. He's my kind of guy.
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