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Humanism Quotes

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Humanism Quotes

“Weapons are essentially the invention of science, be it our modern nukes or ancient swords and arrows. Yet most of the bloodshed throughout history has been blamed totally upon religion, without a single mention of science being a party to it. If religion has done harm, so has science. If science has done good, so has religion. The fact of the matter is, neither science nor religion is the cause of good and evil in the world, they are merely an excuse. It's the human mind that's the root of all good and evil - science and religion are merely accessory to the intention.”

“Helper is Herald (The Sonnet) Every peacemaker is muslim, Every lover is christian. Every helper is buddhist, Every lifter is human. Every lovenut is sufi, Every braveheart is latin. Every collectivist is jew, Every secularist is advaitin. All labels are futile, If there's no substance underneath. Focus on substance as a whole being, Leave the labeling to the elite. The helper is the herald, the lifter is the light. In a world with double vision, selflessness is the only sight.”

“Nothing Yet Everything (The Sonnet) I am no sufi, yet, Every sufi is my reflection. I am no advaitin, yet, Every advaitin is my reflection. I am no mystic, yet, Every mystic is my reflection. I am no buddha, yet, Every buddha is my reflection. I am no humanist, yet, Every humanist is my reflection. I am no humanitarian, yet, Every humanitarian is my reflection. I am nothing, that's why I am everything. Or perhaps, I'm everything, that's why I'm nothing!”

“Radioactive Mind (The Sonnet) In front of the radioactivity of mind, Radioactivity of matter turns dim. In front of the joules of a just heart, A billion ohms of hate become nil. Hate is the question, Heart is the answer. Hate is the sickness, Heart is the cure. Prejudice is the ailment, Piety is the cure. What is piety you ask! Nothing but kindness more pure. Kindness is divinity, kindness is sanity. Wasting it to codify life is sheer stupidity.”

“Science, Religion & Superstition (The Sonnet) Religion is all evil, is the superstition, That half-cocked rationalists suffer from. Science is devil's work, is the superstition, That bookish religionists suffer from. Take the I and cross it out, Lo, you have a living Christ! Take the self and set it on fire, Lo, you have a timeless light! Yes, I want to convert the world, I want to convert all cussing into hugging. Yes, I want to convert the people, all of them, I want to convert mindless mocking into mending. I am no preacher, I am no scholar, I am no thinker. But, without some basic humanity, we shall all wither.”

“Physical truth is not always conducive to psychological truth. E=MC2 is a great physical truth, which may light up your house, but it cannot light up your heart. If it could, the west would be the heartiest hemisphere on earth. Your heart will light up, when you realize the psychological truth that joy of another is the joy of one.”

“Humanism is something entirely different. It is a theme or rather a set of themes that have reappeared on several occasions over time in European societies; these themes always tied to value judgments have obviously varied greatly in their content as well as in the values they have preserved. Furthermore they have served as a critical principle of differentiation. In the seventeenth century there was a humanism that presented itself as a critique of Christianity or of religion in general; there was a Christian humanism opposed to an ascetic and much more theocentric humanism. In the nineteenth century there was a suspicious humanism hostile and critical toward science and another that to the contrary placed its hope in that same science. Marxism has been a humanism; so have existentialism and personalism; there was a time when people supported the humanistic values represented by National Socialism and when the Stalinists themselves said they were humanists. From this we must not conclude that everything that has ever been linked with humanism is to be rejected but that the humanistic thematic is in itself too supple too diverse too inconsistent to serve as an axis for reflection. And it is a fact that at least since the seventeenth century what is called humanism has always been obliged to lean on certain conceptions of man borrowed from religion science or politics. Humanism serves to color and to justify the conceptions of man to which it is after all obliged to take recourse.”

“Close friendships, Gandhi says, are dangerous, because ‘friends react on one another’ and through loyalty to a friend one can be led into wrong-doing. This is unquestionably true. Moreover, if one is to love God, or to love humanity as a whole, one cannot give one’s preference to any individual person. This again is true, and it marks the point at which the humanistic and the religious attitude cease to be reconcilable. To an ordinary human being, love means nothing if it does not mean loving some people more than others.”

“He loved his country very dearly, sir, but he did not serve it, or you. He served the master I serve.' 'The Ekumen?' said Argaven, startled. 'No. Mankind.' As I spoke I did not know if what I said was true. True in part; an aspect of the truth. It would be no less true to say that Estraven’s acts had risen out of pure personal loyalty, a sense of responsibility and friendship towards one single human being, myself. Nor would that be the whole truth.”

“Humanists don't simply disbelieve religious explanations; rather, we find that such explanations don't stand up to reasonable scientific scrutiny. When supernatural claims of transcendence such as assertions of rebirth or divine intervention are confronted with with scientific review, it's not only clear that the evidence doesn't support them, but that including such religiously rooted ideas in our understanding of the world requires living with severe cognitive dissonance or undoing much of what we've learned about how the world actually works.”

“Foundationally, fundamentalists believe that all goodness derives from their god, so the presence of anyone being good without their god is a constant reminder that something is wrong with their belief on the source of goodness. They fumble for other possibilities like the improbable idea that all atheists are bad or the absurd conclusion that atheists don't exist and instead, that atheists have just deluded themselves into thinking they are atheists. That's why fundamentalists react with such remarkable aversion and hate when confronted with the AHA's simple GOOD WITHOUT A GOD stickers, advertisements, and billboards. It's why they so vehemently characterize our positive personal statement as a personal attack on them.”

“As we move into the future, one can predict where traditional spirituality will continue to lose its authority. The prejudice seen commonly among the faithful today, that goodness can only come through godliness - will be less and less accepted. As more and more of the population who are atheists and agnostics come out of the closet to their friends, family, and neighbors, it will be difficult to hold the claim that so many lack the ability to lead productive moral lives. As this claim breaks down, religion and spirituality will begin to lose its connection to goodness in general. No longer will it be a social liability to voice rationalist principles.”

“While achieving accomplishments through work can be beneficial and satisfying, lasting fulfillment isn't gained from feeling safe and comfortable, or from examining a win/loss record. When we look back on what we've accomplished in our work, at home, with family and friends, and through our charity and activism we find meaning in life in the ways we've changed things for the better.”

“Even with popular role models, some people are afraid to part with religious belief. Many Americans, even those who have become disillusioned by their religion, are uncomfortable at the thought of a life without religion. Without a traditional religious framework, where would they find meaning or joy? But there's no need to view this freedom with such trepidation. The possibilities for a meaningful and joyful life free from traditional religion are limitless. Knowing how best to solve problems, that you are free from arbitrary constraints of thought, and that you can live a life of real meaning is exhilarating.”

“When considering which identity to emphasize in our humanist/freethought/nontheist communities, reflect on the fact that you can use more than one, and keep in mind the benefits of humanism. Humanism is a positive identification that speaks about what you do care about, as opposed to only what you don't. I am a non-smoker, a non-physicist, and a non-German speaker, and as much as those aspects may have meaning, they aren't what's important to know about me. In the society we happen to live in, my absence of a belief in a god is a relevant component of my identity, but it doesn't define who I am. Humanism does that better than any other description.”

“My parents spoke of piety, of love, and of humility. I have really tried hard. But as long as there was a God in my world, I couldn't even get close to my goals. My humility was not humble enough. My love remained nonetheless far less than the love of Christ or of the saints or even my own mother's love. And my piety was forever poisoned by grave doubts. Now that God is gone, I feel that all this is mine; piety toward life, humility before my meaningless fate, and love for the other children who are afraid, who are ill, who are cruel.”

“Elitism & Fundamentalism (The Sonnet) Elitism and fundamentalism, Are both the enemies of progress. Exchanging one bad habit for another, Is not true advancement but regress. Fundamentalists used to fill the world, With the poison of dirty division. Today elitists poison the world, By endorsing snobbery and narcissism. Conscience, courage and compassion, These are the three pillars of progress. Without these all belief is delusion, All glitter is but a sign of coldness. Replace not fundamentalism with elitism. Grow out of selfishness into collectivism.”

“A “life of value,” as I see it, has two parts: The first is about one fulfilling oneself and finding meaning by prioritizing, or living the values that they authentically possess. When one’s life is consistent with what they truly value, then life just “feels right.” But beyond a more self-oriented approach to finding happiness and fulfillment, a good life is making positive differences to those in the family, the community, the country, and the world.”

“Find The Human (The Sonnet) Find the human in you, and, You'll find the human in everybody. The way things are inside, So they are externally. World is reflection of the self, Outside is reflection of inside. Blind heart maketh the world blind, Kind heart maketh the world kind. We cover our eyes with our hands, And weep as children for it is too dark. We let biases take over our behavior, Then we shout why the world is so unjust. Without heart all fancy exterior is delusion, Only truth in the world is the one internal.”

“A Jew may say, Hebrew is the language of god. A Christian may say, Aramaic is the language of god. A Muslim will say, Arabic is the language of god. A Hindu will say, Sanskrit is the language of god. I only know that kindness is the language of a human.”

“We don't need non-attachment, we need more attachment, attachment with the suffering of others - attachment with the miseries of others - attachment with the sweat and tears of others - attachment with the smile of others - we need attachment with each and every depraved soul on this earth. When you've fostered such attachment, that day I'll call you human - that day I'll call you alive.”

“The time has come for a new religion, not yet another organized cult or sect, but a disorganized, undoctrinated religion - the religion of common goodness - the religion of valor and virtue - the religion of non-religious kindness and nonspiritual holiness.”

“Sectarianism is fundamentally poison on the fabric of humanity. But even nonsectarianism mustn't be forced down people's throat against their will, for to do so is to destroy everything that is sweet and civilized about nonsectarianism. Humankind will get there, sooner or later, at its own slow but sure pace - we just need to be patient, while they do.”