“As I see it, creative achievement is the very heart of the human enterprise... The destiny of man, of all men and of each man, is that he is condemned to invent what he will be - condemned if he is fearful but blessed if he welcomes the great adventure. We are responsible in the last analysis, not simply for what we are, but for what we will become; and that is a source of either high excitement or distress.” IfsMenHumansHeartLastsDestinyCreativeAtheismAdventureSourceAchievementResponsibleBlessedPositive AtheismAnalysisExcitementEnterpriseFearfulDistressGreat Adventure Author:Paul Kurtz
“Humanists hold that ethical values are relative to human experience and need not be derived from theological or metaphysical foundations.” NeedsHumansValuesAtheismFoundationPositive AtheismEthicalRelativeMetaphysicalHuman ExperienceTheologicalEthical Values Author:Paul Kurtz
“The overriding need is "to develop a new Planetary Humanism" that will seek to preserve human rights and enhance human freedom and dignity and will emphasize our commitment "to humanity as a whole." The underlying ethical principle "is the need to respect the dignity and worth of all persons in the world community." Thinkers as diverse as Peter Singer and Hans Küng also emphasize the need for a new global ethic beyond nationalistic, racial, religious, and ethnic chauvinism.” WorldNeedsHumansPersonsWholeHumanityCommunityReligiousPrinciplesRightsAtheismEthicsCommitmentDignityHuman RightsHumanismPositive AtheismSingersPreservesEthicalThinkerPeterDiverseHuman FreedomChauvinismNationalisticEthical Principles Author:Paul Kurtz
“Human life has no meaning independent of itself. There is no cosmic force or deity to give it meaning or significance. There is no ultimate destiny for man. Such a belief is an illusion of humankind's infancy. The meaning of life is what we choose to give it. Meaning grows out of human purposes alone. Nature provides us with an infinite range of opportunities, but it is only our vision and our action that select and realize those that we desire.” MenGivingHumansActionLife IsDesirePurposeOpportunityBeliefForceGrowsRealizingVisionDestinyAtheismIllusionUltimateInfiniteIndependentRangeHuman LifeMeaning Of LifeSignificanceCosmicHumankindDeitiesOur ActionsSelectInfancyLife Has No Meaning Author:Paul Kurtz
“Most humans feel the transcendent temptation, the emotional drive to festoon the universe with large-scale meaning.” FeelsHumansUniverseEmotionalScalesTemptationTranscendentLarge Scale Author:Paul Kurtz
“The theist can only find meaning by leaving this life for a transcendental world beyond the grave. The human world as he finds it is empty of 'ultimate purpose' and hence meaningless. Theism thus is an attempt to escape from the human condition; it is a pathetic deceit.” WorldHumansPurposeAtheismConditionsEmptyUltimateLeavingGravesThis LifeDeceitMeaninglessHuman ConditionPatheticFind MeTranscendentalTheismTheist Book:Toward a New Enlightenment: The Philosophy of Paul Kurtz Source: Toward a New Enlightenment: The Philosophy of Paul Kurtz
“The beginning of wisdom is the awareness that there is insufficient evidence that a god or gods have created us and the recognition that we are responsible in part for our own destiny. Human beings can achieve this good life, but it is by the cultivation of the virtues of intelligence and courage, not faith and obedience, that we will most likely be able to do so.” HumansAbleHuman BeingsDestinyVirtueAtheismAchieveAwarenessEvidenceResponsibleRecognitionObedienceHumanistGood LifeCultivationInsufficient Book:The Transcendental Temptation: A Critique of Religion and the Paranormal Source: The Transcendental Temptation: A Critique of Religion and the Paranormal
