Month 10:11, Week 2:3 (Shleshi/Bikkurim), Year:Day 5936:276 AM
Gregorian Calendar: Sunday 23 December 2012
Human Light
Introducing the Humanists' Winter God
Yes, it's true, the humanists, atheists, agnostics, 'freethinkers', skeptics and 'post-theologians' (as some like to call themselves) in North America, have finally invented their own holiday (although it's been around since the late 1990's now) so that they don't have to be a part of the Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa set. They call it 'Human Light', observe it on 23 December (usually), and basically celebrate peace, human reason, compassion, human potential and hope...apart from any Creator, of course. The short video below explains:
The festival's main website sums it up:
"HumanLight illuminates Humanism's positive secular vision. In Western societies, late December is a season of good cheer and a time for gatherings of friends and families. During the winter holiday season, where the word "holiday" has taken on a more secular meaning, many events are observed. This tradition of celebrations, however, is grounded in supernatural religious beliefs that many people in modern society cannot accept. HumanLight presents an alternative reason to celebrate: a Humanist's vision of a good future. It is a future in which all people can identify with each other, behave with the highest moral standards, and work together toward a happy, just and peaceful world."
Sounds very nice but what exactly are "the hightest moral standards"? And what is their concept of justice? And does, for example, this compassion extend equally to the unborn as to the born? Or equally to religious as to non-religious people? What are its views on natural rights?
Proponents of humanism, who constitute no more than 8% of the American population and are active in government and education, are attempting to remove God from the 92% religious majority and thus from society as a whole. They are trying to establish a set of beliefs based only on science. But can Science prove everything?
Humanism is the belief that man is his own god, and outside of mankind, we need no higher deity or authority. It bases its philosophy on three huge faith assumptions:
1. That human nature is essentially good;
2. That humans have the ability to determine for themselves right and wrong; and
3. That blind faith in Science is what will lead to the salvation of mankind.
There are huge problems with these assumptions. If human nature is essentially good, then why all the historic turmoil on this earth? Why is human history saturated with conquests, pillaging, destructions, sadism, endless wars, and bitter feuding at all levels? Why do we have so little co-operation and so much competition? Why do we have terrorism, hunger, AIDS, STD’s without end, divorces by the tens of millions, rapes, murders, etc.?
History gives glaring evidence to the reality that human nature has not proven to be that wonderful after all. The past century, Atheistic Communists have tried to modify it in their brutal ideological experiment, but they failed miserably. In those countries, human nature resisted any attempt at change and remained filled with selfishness, pride, and deceit. Humans everywhere are filled with the same traits -- and Atheistic Humanists are not an exception. They too can be selfish, proud, and dishonest -- though they might not want to admit it.
As for the human ability to determine right from wrong, it is naïve thinking for two reasons: First of all, to discover what is right and wrong one must first of all define what is right and what is wrong. The moment one rejects Revelation, one is left with human bias. Try to get a group of philosophers to determine what is right and what is wrong and you will have lots of fun. This honorable attempt has been tried before and the result is among us today; it is called 'Moral Relativism.' That is, each human is free to determine right from wrong, for himself.
The second problem with this philosophy is that one can easily rationalise that 'the end justifies the means,' as Machiavelli taught us. Humans can rationalise all sorts of evil actions as being ultimately 'beneficial' for the many. Hitler and Stalin and Mao killed tens of millions so that future multitudes could enjoy heaven on earth. If one deceives himself into believing that his evil actions will finally be beneficial to the many, then all kind of devious actions can be permitted.
As to Atheists’ blind faith in Science as the saviour of mankind, one need only look at the evidence. The scientific method has been around since Galileo’s time. Four hundred years have gone by. The discoveries have been many; the technological advancements have been many; the medical discoveries have been many. We have advanced mightily in all fields of scientific endeavours and what is the end result? Atomic weapons that can pulverise all of humanity in a few minutes, un-breathable air, un-drinkable water, inedible foods, and global warming. Human extinction is on the horizon, and we have Science and human nature to thank for it. And yet Humanistic Atheists put their trust in the two forces that are bringing us to the brink of extinction. How is that for self-delusion?
In spite of the avalanche of evidence that demolishes the pillars of Atheistic Humanism, its propagators choose to pull the curtain on the damning past and present and tell their disciples that they can still succeed in solving the world’s problems -- in spite of past failures. But how? Do they have a magic wand that can finally transform humanity? Can they make selfishness, greed and irresponsible Science vanish? Are they imbued with super-human wisdom no one else has?
Atheist Humanists are attempting to deceive many into a philosophy that has no firm foundation. All of them have made the mistake of rejecting the Source of all wisdom and the Source of solutions that work and by so doing they have entered a dark tunnel without an end. We believers must confront this new Atheistic manifestation unceasingly until it becomes extinct.
In the final analysis, humanism is still satanism, or the worship of self, however sanitised and secularised and apparently non-religious because it places man at the pinncale of existence...barring the future discovery of more intelligent ('evolved') life in the universe. Science does not make humanism any more respectable than science discredits the notion of a Supernatural Creator.
So HumanLight truly belongs alonside the other religious winter solstice festivals for it absolutely shares common ground with them - it is another hopeless religion, albeit it atheistic, of human pride and salvation by human works that is doomed to failure.
