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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!grkermit!masscomp!kobold!tjt
From: tjt@kobold.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: objections to humanism
Message-ID: <295@kobold.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Apr-84 07:07:29 EST
Article-I.D.: kobold.295
Posted: Fri Apr 13 07:07:29 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Apr-84 01:15:55 EST
References: <320@charm.UUCP> <407@ihuxt.UUCP>
Organization: Masscomp, Westford, MA
Lines: 30

Yehoyaqim Shemtob Martillo (ihuxt!martillo) objects to humanism on the
grounds:

>Men set the standards in humanistic philosophy.

>A German Nazi of the Hitler years could easily consider himself a cultured
>humanist.  Jews, Gypsies and certain others simply were not human.

To use a favorite explanation from this news group: "But these aren't
the *real* humanists."

After all the discussions about "Real Christians", "Real Jews", "Real
Moslems", "Real Men" and "Real Programmers", how are you supposed to
identify a "Real Humanist"?  I would like to exclude anyone who
attempts to exclude members of our biological species from the human
race.  Thus, someone who says "Jews, Gypsies and certain others simply
are not human" is not a humanist.

Is this axiom and "article of faith", and does this make humanism a
religion after all?  I don't think so.  The primary dictionary
definitions for religion specify belief in some god or gods (a
"superhuman being" or "supernatural powers").  The fourth or fifth
definition of religion may be more secular, and refers to any belief
system or activity that is pursued with extreme zeal (by this
definition, for many hackers, computers are a religion).


-- 
	Tom Teixeira,  Massachusetts Computer Corporation.  Westford MA
	...!{ihnp4,harpo,decvax}!masscomp!tjt   (617) 692-6200 x275