Humanism

Introduction

Genesis 3:1–7 KJV 1900

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Body

Humanism is, at its core, attaching prime importance to temporal, rather than divine or supernatural matters.

This is the opposite of Christianity where we attach prime importance to the spiritual.

We are altogether autonomous and have the ability to determine truth ourselves

Today, this is the state religion

It’s preached in just about every news outlet

It’s preached in our public schools and in our universities

It’s preached in our courts and in our body politic

History

Humanism as a religion really began in the Garden of Eden

Expound on Genesis text

This carried down through the ages in one form or another until the present day

Doctrines

Atheism

The belief that there is no God of any kind. We are our own God and must look to ourselves for salvation

Naturalism / Materialism

The belief that there is no supernatural element to reality.

All that exists is what we can feel, see, taste, hear, touch.

All of existence can be explained using natural laws and processes

Evolution

The apologetic of naturalism. Evolution attempts to explain how everything came to be as it is today using “science”

Relativism

Relativism is the idea that there are no external, discoverable absolutes.

We see this applied in the area of morality where the humanists believes that morals and values change as the needs of humanity change

We see this today being applied to the concept of truth

The Manifestos and the Declaration

The first manifest was published in 1933

The second in 1973

The declaration in 1980

Read through the lists and comment

Problems

When trying to answer the “Big Questions”, “Where did all this com from ?”, “Why am I here?”, “Where do we go when we die?”, “What is my purpose?”, “What am I worth?”, etc. Secular Humanism falls short.

It cannot adequately explain the origins of the universe without calling on processes outside the realm of physics (i.e., miracles)

It cannot explain the origins of life

It cannot account for non-material things like morality, numbers, logic, natural laws, etc.

It depends on, and trusts in, our own ingenuity and intellect to make ourselves better. Historically, this has proven to be an unmitigated disaster.

In short, Secular Humanism attempts to answer the fundamental questions of life. It is not rooted in science or logic, but in a materialistic, humanistic worldview that presupposes the material and the natural is all there is.

Conclusion

Colossians 2:2–4 KJV 1900

2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

“Every academic pursuit and every thought must be related to Jesus Christ, for Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) To avoid Christ in your thought at any point, then, is to be misled, untruthful, and spiritually dead. To put aside your Christian commitments when it comes to defending the faith or sending your children to school is willfully to steer away from the only path to wisdom and truth found in Christ.” Greg Bahnsen, “Always Ready: Directions for Defending the Faith”

Jesus Christ is Lord over every area of our lives, even in the area of knowledge

Colossians 2:8 KJV 1900

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

We’re going to have a philosophy, just make sure your philosophy (philosophia - love of wisdom) is based in Jesus Christ and the revelation of His Word

Proverbs 4:7 KJV 1900

7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: And with all thy getting get understanding.

1 Timothy 6:20 KJV 1900

20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: