| SECULAR HUMANISM AND RELIGION
PERSONAL NOTES
D.G. BESHORE 27 APR 93 TO PRESENT
 I. QUASI-RELIGIONS
(SMART)
A. HUMANISM
B. MARXISM
C. NATIONALISM
(BESHORE)
D. EXISTENTIALISM (PHILOSOPHY)
E. ATHEISM
F. AGNOSTICISM
II. GRAND THEMES
A. REASON VS. FAITH
B. SCIENCE VS. RELIGION
C. NATION-STATE VS. TEMPLE-STATE
D. PHILOSOPHY VS. RELIGION (GREECE)
E. INDIVIDUALISM VS. COLLECTIVISM
F. SELF DETERMINATION, HUMAN RIGHTS, FREEDOM, LIBERTY
G. BOURGEOSIE VS. PROLETARIATE
H. MYTICISM (MAGIC)
I. RELIGION IS TOO CONSTRICTIVE
J. CREATIONIST VS. EVOLUTIONIST
K. CIVIL RIGHTS VS. MORAL CODE
III. HUMANISTS BELIEFS
A. MUST BE CONDUCTED TO POWERS OF ANALYSIS
B. MUST BE SENSED BY HUMANS TO BE REAL
C. SCIENCE HAS ALL THE ANSWERS - GIVEN ENOUGH TIME AND MONEY
D. FIGHT AND DIE FOR YOUR COUNTRY (PATRIOTISM) - ALSO FOR RELIGIOUS
E. BELIEF IN GOD BUT DO NOT BELIEVE IN ORGANIZED RELIGION
IV. ORIGINS (WHAT CAME FIRST? RELIGION? BEFORE TRIBES AND THE STATE)
A. MESOPOTAMIA-BABYLONIA: ZOROASTER B. ORIENT: BUDDHISM, HINDUISM, TAO, CONFUCIOUS C. EARLY NEW WORLD: MAYA, EASTER ISLAND, AMERICAN INDIAN D. EGYPT E. GREECE
F. ROME
1. SECULAR VIEWS WERE HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY CONQUEST OF GREECE IN 200 BCE - SENT GREEK RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY TO ROME
2. 95-55 BCE TITUS LUCRETIUS CARUS (GREATED OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL POETS) - SOUGHT REFUGE IN NATURE PHILOSOPHY AND POETRY. VIRTUE LIES NOT IN THE FEAR OF GODS, NOR IN THE TIMID SHUNNING OF PLEASURE; IT LIES IN THE HARMONIUOS OPERATION OF OUR SENSES AND FACULITES GUIDED BY REASON
3. 14-96 CE : SILVER AGE - DECAY OF RELIGION, HIRED PHILOSOPHERS TO LEARN RATIONAL CODE OF CIVILIZED CONDUCT
SENECA BORN 4 BCE STOIC PHILOSOPHY - " PHILOSPOPHY IS THE SCIENCE OF WISDOM, PREACHES OF SUICIDE AS A CHOICE
ROMAN SCIENCE: HISTORIA NATURALIS BY PLINY - REJECTS ALL GODS - THE PLANETS AND STARS ARE NATURAL PHENOMENA Natural History is a lasting monument to Roman ignorance
4. 96-180 AD PHILOSPOHER KINGS: MARCUS AURELIUS - COULD NOT MAKE UP HIS MIND ABOUT ONE OR MANY GODS, ADMITS DIFFICULTY IN RECONCILING EVIL, SUFFERING, UNMERITED MISFORTUNE. "WHAT CAN DIRECT A MAN - ONE THING ONLY PHILOSOPHY NOT AS LIGIC OR LEARNING BUT A S PERSISTENT TRAINING IN MORAL EXCELLENCE. VIRTUE IS THE LIFE OF REASON
5. APOLLONIUS - TRADITION OF MANY MIRACLES - WALKED THROUGH DOORS UNDERSTOOD ALL LANGUAGES, CAST OUT DEMONS, RAISED A GIRL FROM THE DEAD - DISCUSSED COMMUNISM AND TAUGHT MEN TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER
6. PLOTONIUS - LAST OF GREAT PAGAN PHILOSOPHERS " NATURE IS THE TOTAL OF ENERGY AND SOUL, PRODUCING THE TOTALITY OF FORMS OF THE WORLD. WE KNOW MATTER ONLY THROUGH THE IDEA, THE SENSATION, PERCEPTION, THOUGHT - WHAT WE CALL MATTER. REASON IS DETERMINED INSOFAR AS IT DEPENDES ON REASON. WHAT IS GOD - HE IS A TRAD : UNITY, REASON, AND SOUL HE IS A CHRITIAN WITHOUT CHRIST
WHY ROME FELL - PEOPLE LOST FAITH IN THE STATE, CHRISTIANITY FILLED THE VACUUM
G. PROTESTANT REFORMATION
1. COMMUNISM - JOHN WYCLIFF ENGLISH PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY, ORDAINED PRIEST. BUILT A CREED ON PREDESTINATION TO BE LOST OR SAVED (A MAGNET AND SOLVENT OF PROTESTANT THEOLOGY). ALSO DEDUCED A COMMUNISM AND ANARCHISM- ANY PERSON IN A STATE OF GRACE SHARES WITH GOD THE OWNERSHIP OF ALL GOODS. PRIVATE PROPERTY AND GOVERNMENT ARE RESULTS OF ADAMS SIN. DENOUNCED THE FRIARS FOR PREACHING POVERTY AND ACCUMULATING WEALTH. CRIMES OF THE CLERGY SHOULD BE TRIED BY THE SECULAR COURTS.
2. MARTIN LUTHER 1522 ON SECULAR AUTHORITY TO WHAT EXTENT SHOUD IT BE OBEYED - MUST OBEY THE LAW AS GOOD EXAMPLES TO THE MAJORITY
SECULAR RULERS APPOINTED CHURCH PERSONNEL, APPROPRIATED CHURCH PROPERTY, TOOK OVER CHURCH SCHOOLS ANDMNASTIC CHARIITES - THE CHURCH BECAME SUBJECT TO THE STATE.
THE LUTHER MOVEMENT, WHICH THOUGHT TO SUBMIT ALL LIFE TO THEOLOGY, UNWITTINGLY, UNWILLINGLY, ADVANCED THAT PERVASIVE SECULARIZATION WHICH IS A BASIC THEME OF MODERN LIFE
H. U.S. CONSTITUTION
1. ARTICLE VI : NO RELIGIOUS TEST
2. OLIVER ELLSWORTH OF CONNECTICUT- DEC 17 1787 (SACRED WRITING) " THEY HAVE BEEN AFRAID THAT THIS CLAUSE IS UNFAVORABEL TO RELIGION ' IT IS ..TO EXCLUDE PERSECUTION AND TO SECURE THE IMPORTANT RIGHT OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. BUT WHILE I ASSERT THE RIGHTS OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, I WOULD NOT DENY THAT THE CIVIL POWER HAS A RIGHT, IN SOME CASES TO INTERFERE IN MATTERS OF RELIGION. IT HAS A RIGHT TO PROHIBIT AND PUNISH GROSS IMMORALITIES AND IMPIETIES; BECAUSE THE OPEN PRACTICE OF THESE IS EVIL EXAMPLE AND DETRIMENT. I. 19 & 20TH CENTURY PHILOSOPHERS - FRENCH EXISTENIALISM
1. BERTRAND RUSSELL
2. JOHN DEWEY - EDUCATION
3. EXISTENTIALISM - A PHILOSOPHY TO REFLECT LIVING HUMAN EXPERIENCE (FATHER OF EXIST WAS KIRKGAARD - ACHRISTIAN)
4. NEITZCHE - GOD IS DEAD
5. SARTRE (ATHEIST) POPULAR AFTER WWII TO EXPLAIN ATROCITIES J. COMMUNIST MANIFESTO K. MEIN KAMPF L. TEACHINGS OF MAO V. SECULAR IDEOLOGIES IN MODERN TIMES
A. CULTS
B. KKK
C. OCCULT/COSMOLOGICAL
D. NEW AGE |
.jpg)
