1. Humanism in Context A laymen's guide to Humanism

2. Robert Ray President Humanists of North Puget Sound/ Secular Humanist of Everett Board Member Humanist of Washington Humanist Celebrant Blogger at The Quixotic Humanist

3. What we will cover Definition History Types of Humanism Principals of Humanism Humanist Manifesto

4. What is Humanism Secular Humanism is a godless philosophy based on reason and compassion.

5. Definitions seeking, without religion, the best in, and for, human beings. Chambers Pocket Dictionary a doctrine, attitude, or way of life centered on human interests or values; especially: a philosophy that usually rejects supernaturalism and stresses an individuals dignity and worth and capacity for self-realization through reason. Merriam Webster Dictionary Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity. American Humanist Association How do we Define Humanism

6. History of Humanism The Ancients The Renaissance Age of Reason Modern Humanism

7. The Ancient Humanists

8. The Greeks Protagoras (ca. 481-411 BCE) Man is the measure of all things, of the reality of those which are, and of the unreality of those which are not. Socrates (ca. 469-399 BCE)- The Socratic Method Aristotle (341-271BC)

9. Epicurus

10. Renaissance humanism Giordano Bruno (1548-1600)

11. Age of Reason

12. Humanism in the 18th and 19th Centuries

13. Thomas Paine to argue with a man who has renounced his reason is like giving medicine to the dead The Christian system of religion is an outrage on common sense . No falsehood is so fatal as that which is made an article of faith. All the tales of miracles, with which the Old and New Testament are filled, are fit only for imposters to preach and fools to believe.

14. Thomas Jefferson I know it will give great offense to the clergy, but the advocate of religious freedom is to expect neither peace nor forgiveness from them. I am for freedom of religion, & against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendancy of one sect over another. It is surely time for men to think for themselves, and to throw off the authority of names so artificially. Christianity neither is, nor ever was, a part of the common law.

15. Robert Greene IngersolTo deny what you believe to be true, to admit to be true what you believe to be lie, that is blasphemy. We know that doing away with gods and supernatural persons and powers is not an end. It is a means to an end the real end being the happiness of man. Intelligence, guided by kindness, is the highest wisdom. . . . Reason, Observation and Experience the Holy Trinity of Science have taught us that happiness is the only good; that the time to be happy is now, and the way to be happy is to make others so.

16. Modern Humanism

17. Bertrand Russell Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the sufferings of mankind. Mystery is delightful, but unscientific, since it depends upon ignorance. It is not by delusion, however exalted, that mankind can prosper, but only by unswerving courage in the pursuit of truth. A good world needs knowledge, kindliness, and courage; it does not need a regretful hankering after the past or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words uttered long ago by ignorant men.

18. Russells Teapot

19. Kurt Vonnegut Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the sufferings of mankind. Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the sufferings of mankind. Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the sufferings of mankind. Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the sufferings of mankind.

20. Carl SaganThe universe seems neither benign nor hostile, merely indifferent to the concerns of such puny creatures as we are. We wish to pursue the truth no matter where it leads. But to find the truth, we need imagination and skepticism both. In some respects, science has far surpassed religion in delivering awe. How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, "This is better than we thought! That it will never come again Is what makes life so sweet.

21. Sagans Dragon from A Demon Haunted World

22. Types of Humanism Cultural Humanism Religious Humanism Christian Humanism Secular Humanism

23. Cultural Humanism Rational Empirical

24. Religious Humanism Humanistic Judaism Unitarian Universalism Humanistic Buddhism

25. Christian Humanism Emphasizes the Humanity of Jesus Human Dignity Individual Freedom Human Happiness

26. Secular Humanism

27. Humanist Rationalist Ethical Culture Agnostic Naturalist Secularist Atheist Freethinker

28. Independent thought

29. Reality based

30. Science and Reason

31. Imagination

32. Here and Now

33. Compassion

34. Realistic

35. Scientific

36. Enlightened

37. Technological

38. Humanism is

39. Humanist Core Science and Reason Human Rights Democrac y Tolerance Separation of church and state Enrichmen t Universalit y

40. The Humanist Manifestos Humanist Manifesto of (1933) Humanist Manifesto II (1973) Humanist Manifesto III (2003)

41. Website Resources American Humanists Association http://americanhumanist.org/ The Humanist Society http://humanist-society.org The Center for Humanist Activism http://humanistactivism.org/ Kochhar Humanist Education Center http://khec.americanhumanist.org/ Appignani Humanist Legal Center http://humanistlegalcenter.org/ The Humanist Institute http://humanistinstitute.org/ The Humanist Magazine http://thehumanist.com/

42. Additional Reading Humanism as the Next Step by Lloyd and Mary Morain Good Without God: What a Billion Non-Religious People Do Believe By Greg M. Epstein Jen Hancock's Handy Humanism Handbook By Jen Hancock The Philosophy of Humanism By Corliss Lamont Humanism, What's That?: A Book for Curious Kids By Helen Bennett The Good Book: A Humanist Bible By A.C. Grayling Essays in Humanism by Albert Einstein What Is Secular Humanism? By Paul Kurtz

43. Questions?