Humanism

[Warped]

Just believe in yourself. End.

[Ferkle]

OH MY GOD!!!








I've got some fucking Jaffa Cakes in my coat pocket!

[guitarmankris]

Surely the problem isn't if someone is a _____ist (humanist, creationist, etc etc), but rather, that classifying people into such boxes is the problem?

I'm sure we all have some humanistic qualities, some altrusitic qualities etc, but I don't think it means that we ascribe to classifying ourselves as some sort of an 'ist', and nothing more.

This probably explains the lack of committment by people to categorise themselves as something such as a 'humanist' (well, to categorise themselves as anything, really) - it leaves them open (unfairly) to attack from people who have read a few lines on what constitutes humanism on wikipedia - something that happens often on forums - someone says they are a 'humanist' - someone else goes away for 5 minutes reading about counter-arguments against humanism, then tries to shoot the other person down.

[corky]

Originally Posted by Hammer

One of my Dad's cousins is a humanist 'minister' (not sure what the correct term is) but she apparently makes a fortune doing humanist burials, christenings, weddings and so on.

The idea that people are making large sums of money off people's religious beliefs is enough to put me off the organised movement.
But then I abhor organised religion at the best of times.

Humanist societies don't really seem to be on the whole like a replacement for organised religion, they get together to campaign for things such as secular education.

as for getting payed to conduct the ceremonies, is that not just like the people at the registry office.

[MarkMono]

Originally Posted by guitarmankris

Surely the problem isn't if someone is a _____ist (humanist, creationist, etc etc), but rather, that classifying people into such boxes is the problem?

I'm sure we all have some humanistic qualities, some altrusitic qualities etc, but I don't think it means that we ascribe to classifying ourselves as some sort of an 'ist', and nothing more.

This probably explains the lack of committment by people to categorise themselves as something such as a 'humanist' (well, to categorise themselves as anything, really) - it leaves them open (unfairly) to attack from people who have read a few lines on what constitutes humanism on wikipedia - something that happens often on forums - someone says they are a 'humanist' - someone else goes away for 5 minutes reading about counter-arguments against humanism, then tries to shoot the other person down.

Arrogant loosely-defined rationalisation meets arrogant loosely-defined rationalisation.

Never gonna' be a good mix.

[guitarmankris]

-that's what I mean about shooting down.

I didn't see that one coming

[MarkMono]

Yeah, I got the ammo from the wikipedia page for 'self-righteous'

[Jenpot]

I went to a funeral with a humanist minister once. It was much more honest than a Catholic burial. Brutally honest, actually.

[poprock]

Originally Posted by corky

Humanist societies don't really seem to be on the whole like a replacement for organised religion, they get together to campaign for things such as secular education.

That’s right. Their funding (from people like me who use them as a way of getting a secular marriage ceremony, or funeral, and thus have to pay a year’s membership) is put to what I reckon is a decent use. Mostly their political wing lobby for the removal of religious requirements from daily life—it was their lobbying that enables us to have legally binding secular marriages in Scotland, for instance (without being reduced to a registry office). You can’t do that in England, y’know.

[fallen_nemesis]

catholic burials are a bit heavy on the death and burning in hell bit for my liking. One's i've been to anyway.

Are Humanist marriages legally binding in the sense of the state recognises you're married, or do you have to go and sign at the registry office after?. I'm sure I heard about a couple that got married but weren't actually married until a few days later when they had a registry office ceremony too. In much the same way the government doesn't see you as being married if you have a handfasting ceremony.

edit* I'd posted this as you were replying obviously.

[MarkMono]

Originally Posted by poprock

(without being reduced to a registry office).

We just got one of the charming ladies from the registry office to come down to Arta for the afternoon. Worked just fine.

[poprock]

Originally Posted by MarkMono

We just got one of the charming ladies from the registry office to come down to Arta for the afternoon. Worked just fine.

Aye, but only because Arta’s on their list of pre-approved locations for Glasgow Registrar marriages. The good thing about a Humanist ceremony is that you can hold it anywhere you like.

Your bash in Arta was a grand one though, don’t get me wrong!

[MarkMono]

Pure good luck on our part then.

[poprock]

Story of your charmed life, and long may that continue.

[fallen_nemesis]

sake, humanism crashed my pc there as I was making an edit to the edit