Why Is Secular Humanism Superior To Christianity Flashcards
Is Secular Humanism superior to Christianity?
Yes.
What is one of the best aspects of Secular Humanism?
The fact that we can revise our thoughts as we learn more about the world.
Is it necessary to assume that the supernatural is not real for Secular Humanism to be superior to Christianity?
No.
Is Secular Humanism merely about morality? What is it’s focus?
In a broad sense, Secular Humanism is about human flourishing and what is in our best interest.
The focus is on finding out what is in our best interest based on the FACTS of reality…
…And what METHODS are most likely to lead to accurate understandings about what’s in our best interest.
On what basis can we compare Secular Humanism with Christianity?
On the basis that both are concerned with human flourishing (at least on some level).
Why should we care about what’s in our best interest?
We should care about our well being because we do care about our well being. (Yes it’s a tautology)
Qué es una tautología en filosofía?
Del griego “tó autó” (lo mismo) y “logos” (discurso). El término puede ser utilizado en el campo de la retórica y en el de la lógica. En el campo de la retórica la tautología es una figura que consiste en repetir el mismo pensamiento, las mismas ideas, de distinta forma o con distintas palabras.
How should one respond to a person who affirms that “human interest doesn’t matter” and that “all that matters is what God wants”?
If a person says that all that matters is what God wants, he is implicitly saying that it’s in our best interest to do what God wants. That means that our best interest has re-entered the equation, and is now the foundation upon which we shall make moral decisions.
Can beliefs be reasonably warranted?
Can we establish the facts of reality as non-subjective and universal?
Yes.
Yes.
Give a clear example of the superiority of Secular Humanism vs Christianity.
When clear example is the superiority of scientifically-based medical treatment versus intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer works at the rate of chance, that is to say 50% of the time; which is to say not at all.
Describe how Secular Humanism operates to reach its goal of human flourishing.
1) Firstly, the GOAL is focused on improving HUMAN FLOURISHING in THIS LIFE, the only one we know we have.
2) Secular Humanism uses PRINCIPLES we’ve learned through the entirety of human civilization about what works and what doesn’t on ideas like: SOVEREIGNTY and INDIVIDUAL AUTONOMY; FAIRNESS, EQUALITY, OPPORTUNITY, TOLERANCE, LIBERTY, PEACE and COOPERATION. Striving to achieve these “goals” seems to foster human flourishing.
2) Secular Humanism has the advantage of LEARNING NEW THINGS and goals from METHODS, mistakes and successes. It is REVISABLE. It can revise its goals.
3) it relies on FACTS and EVIDENCE, not on “CONVERSION”. It strives at every opportunity to remove as much bias as possible. (IE: creating a society using the “veil of ignorance”).
Even if intercessory prayer worked, why would it still be inferior to Secular Humanist methods?
Because even if it appeared to work for, say, a specific medical problem, it wouldn’t be as good as medical treatments that foster a better understanding of how things work in order to increase human flourishing. We learn more from the secular process
Give reasons why Christianity is inferior to Secular Humanism.
1) the goals of Christianity have to do with what God wants, desires, dictates; there is no guarantee that this is in humans’ best interest at all.
2) the methods of Christianity rely on dogmatic statements like: “thou shalt not steal” without explaining in which contexts or why not or whether or not there are exceptions to this. Such methods are too simplistic.
3) societal health tends to be negatively correlated with the prevalence of religion. As religiosity drops off, societal health increases.
In the subject of killing and enslavement, why is Secular Humanism better than most major religions?
Because there is nothing in Secular Humanism that could be understood as an instruction to kill or enslave, in contrast to most other major religious sacred books.
