Secular Humanism EN

  What I consider secular humanism

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by Roland Fakler

Secular = worldly, this-worldly, not ecclesiastical, not religious, free-thinking

This-worldliness – humanity

Our hopes lie in this world. The Earth is our home. We believe in people. We have only this one Earth, on which—through a random, impersonal force of fate—we have been given a unique opportunity to live a conscious life for a short time, to take responsibility, to reduce suffering and to increase happiness. We are jointly responsible for what happens on this planet, insofar as it lies within our power.

Only human beings can bring love, warmth and justice into this chaotic world. A God—whatever that may be—is not recognisable. The universe behaves exactly as if there were no “controlling being”. It blindly follows the laws of nature. If human beings do not create a just world, there will be none; and if they destroy their environment, they deprive themselves of the very basis of life.

Reason – scientific thinking

To understand the world, we rely on our senses, our reason and on science, which we do not consider infallible. Basic research must serve the pursuit of truth; applied science must serve humanity. A realistic worldview is a prerequisite for sensible action.

Everywhere, the world behaves according to fixed rules that we call the laws of nature. There are no miracles and no ghosts. The theory of evolution provides a scientific explanation for the development of life. The creation stories of the various religions are myths, not truth.

Preservation of nature

We see ourselves as a living part of an all-encompassing nature, which we should preserve in our own interest. Animals also have rights and must not be tortured unnecessarily. For this reason, we oppose the slaughter of animals for religious reasons and oppose factory farming.

Every life is unique. It has a beginning and an end and is therefore valuable. Today, we can no longer be guided by the values that ensured the survival of Oriental tribal societies 2,000 or 1,400 years ago. We must promote the values that will secure humanity’s survival in the future: democracy, human rights and ecological awareness.

If we place capitalism’s unrestrained drive for growth above concern for a liveable environment, we will perish—either because we were too foolish to recognise this, or too weak to draw the necessary conclusions.

Unity of body and mind (soul)

Secular humanists do not believe in an afterlife or in the immortality of the soul. The soul is the sum of all our feelings. Body and soul form a unity; they grow and decay together.

After death, we will probably feel as we did before we were born—namely, not at all. This seems to me a pleasant state that need not be feared. We strive to make the most of this one life that “Mother Nature” has given us. We must give meaning to our lives ourselves. As a humanist, I also advocate a healthy and addiction-free lifestyle.

Reasonable ethics

Humanists develop “reasonable” ethics from living together within a community. The Golden Rule applies to us:
“Do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself.”
Or, put positively:
“Do to others what you would wish them to do to you.”

People do good to feel good, not for a reward in an afterlife.
“A good person, even in his dark urges, is well aware of the right path.”
— Goethe

We reject cruel punishments, torture, capital punishment and slavery. We feel a connection to all people and living beings, and we advocate for a just world founded on humanistic values.

Peace, freedom, democracy, rule of law, human rights

For humanists, there are no chosen people and no damned, only fellow human beings and related living creatures. They are tolerant of all who are tolerant, and they oppose injustice and oppression wherever they occur. No single worldview or religion should dominate another. Everyone is equal before the law.

Humanists strive for a peaceful, just and liveable world in which all people can seek and find happiness. They aim to resolve conflicts non-violently. They are committed to the values of the Western world that emerged from Greco-Roman antiquity and the Enlightenment, and to the free and democratic constitutional order with separation of powers and inalienable human rights.

All state authority derives from the people. Human dignity is inviolable. This constitutional order is worth defending.

Separation of state and religion

Humanists advocate a strict separation of religion and state. Religion must not seek to dominate the state. Only in this way is genuine diversity possible.

Religion should not interfere in the lives of people—for example, through church bells and muezzin calls, bans on dancing on Good Friday, or compulsory fasting during Ramadan. Education in schools should be based on information, not indoctrination. It contradicts the goal of developing independent and responsible citizens if children are religiously indoctrinated from an early age, constrained by unreasonable rules (such as compulsory headscarves), or permanently marked by irreversible interventions (such as circumcision).

Teach children sensible rules of behaviour and allow them to play, think and ask questions—ethics from kindergarten onwards. They can engage with strange ideas later.

Tolerance ends where others become intolerant and strive for domination. Freedom of belief can only exist within the framework of the Constitution. Religions must submit to the laws of the state. What should be taught are not blind faith and dogma, but sensible values—shared values that unite pupils in life, rather than beliefs, fairy tales and legends that divide them into denominations. That is why we support secular ethics lessons from the first year of school and in kindergarten.

Self-determination and tolerance

For humanists, self-determination is of great importance. They wish to decide for themselves about their worldview, their sexuality and their death. Life is not uniform, but diverse; therefore, tolerance towards diversity of life—including homosexuality—is essential.

We reject infant baptism and the circumcision of underage boys and girls for religious reasons. It would be more honest to admit believers into a religious community only when they are adults and able to make a mature decision for or against a religion.

This is precisely the conflict: churches and Islam have rarely been concerned with the honest decisions of responsible citizens, but rather with maximising their power and wealth. Leaving a herd requires courage; remaining within it requires comfort.

Openness and willingness to learn

We are aware that there is much we do not know and can only assume. We are open to learning from philosophers and wise individuals in our search for a meaningful life based on humane values. Education is essential.

We must first change within ourselves what we wish to see changed in the world. In our pursuit of self-knowledge and broader horizons, we rely on critical dialogue with those who think differently. Freedom of thought and open criticism are indispensable to all progress.