Secular Humanism
The Road So Far…
The Agenda • What is Secular Humanism? • Why is it so attractive? • Two Major Problems…among many • The Catholic Response • We are all secular now – Engaging Secularism • Takeaways
Secular Humanism…in their own words. • A philosophy that exalts man’s capacity for greatness, perfection, and progress in his use of reason and mastery of himself and nature. It affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good without theism or supernatural beliefs.
What is Secular Humanism? I can be good without God
Why is it so attractive? • Freedom • Reason • Avoids the messiness of organized religion • A framework to understand reality
Two Major Problems • What does it mean to be “good”? • The question of human dignity.
What does it mean to be good? • Can we honestly say that we are “all good”? • Reality of Original Sin • Misplaced Optimism • Do what you want as long as you do no harm to anyone else.
C.S. Lewis
Human Dignity • Rarity before Christianity • Secular Humanism and Human Dignity • The Scandal of Christianity
The Catholic Response I cannot be truly good without God
Humanist: Gen 1:26-27 Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth. God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Engaging the Secular Humanist Secular society : Christians are incapable of escaping atheists. Atheists are incapable of escaping Christians.
Takeaways • Helpful tools for having productive discussions: – Don’t be afraid of asking “why”? – Learn what is good and be prepare to press your friend on how they understand “goodness.” – Human Dignity is charged with the Judeo-Christian worldview and challenge your friend to be consistent about what a world without God really means for our understanding of human dignity.
Resources https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic- • contributions/true-and-false-humanism.html https://catholicstuffpodcast.com/podcast/2016/01/21/humanism.html • Mere Christianity: https://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christianity-C-S- • Lewis/dp/0060652926 How Not to be Secular: https://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Be-Secular- • Reading/dp/0802867618 Your Life is Worth Living: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Life-Worth- • Living-Philosophy/dp/0970145691 To Light a Fire On The Earth: https://www.amazon.com/Light-Fire-Earth- • Proclaiming- Secular/dp/1524759503/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 &refRID=3TDJ8KJGS9HBCCJTN51X Bishop Barron: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5zaYDpiOj8 • Man: In the Image of God - Catechism of the Catholic Church: 1701-1761 •
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