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HUMANISM by Pastor Bob Hallstrom I would hope that everyone is familiar with or at least has heard of the Communist Manifesto. Its ten planks provide us with the basic tenets of Marxism, and actually, all the ism's. But today there is a new manifesto among us -- it is called the Humanist Manifesto. The Humanist Manifesto, like the Communist Manifesto, provides the basic tenets of Humanism, which are given to us in their Humanist Manifesto I (1933) and Humanist Manifesto II (1973). We are going to look at some of these tenets because it is one way we can understand what Humanism is all about. Christ told us: "For by your words you shall be justified and by your words you shall be condemned." Matthew 12:37 So after reading some of their tenets we should be able to either "justify" or "condemn" Humanism. From the Humanist Manifesto II comes the following: 1. "As non-theists, we begin with humans not God, nature not deity....we can discover no divine purpose or providence for the human species....No deity will save us; we must save ourselves." From this we can safely conclude that Humanism denies the existence of God. Let's look at another writing from the Humanist Manifesto: "The cultivation of moral devotion and creative imagination is an expression of genuine 'spiritual' experience and aspiration. We believe, however, that traditional dogmatic or authoritarian religions that place revelation, God, ritual or creed above human needs and experience do a disservice to the human species. Any account of nature should pass the tests of scientific evidence; in our judgment, the dogmas and myths of traditional religion do not do so. Thus we can conclude that Humanism holds that man creates his own god. That is, humanists would state that "God" is a product of man's imagination. They also conclude that nothing should be placed above human needs, but that leads to the conclusion that man becomes his own God. Let's look at more: 3. "Religious humanists regard the universe as self- existing and not created.... Humanism believes that man is a part of nature and that he has emerged as the result of a continuous process." (Humanist Manifesto I). "Rather, science affirms that the human species is an emergence from natural evolutionary forces." Humanism, then, believes in the theory of evolution and denies the Creator and His creation. Are you ready for more: 4. "Modern science discredits such historic concepts as...the 'separable soul'....As far as we know, the total personality is a function of the biological organism transacting in a social and cultural context.... There is no credible evidence that life survives the death of the body" (Humanist Manifesto II). Humanism denies a resurrection and believes that man is accidently born and has no inner nature that has the capacity to communicate with God. In other words they would deny the existence of what is normally referred to as the man's soul. And here is another one: 5. "Promises of immortal Salvation or fear of eternal damnation are both illusory and harmful" (Humanist Manifesto ll). Again we see that Humanism denies the hope of salvation or the resurrection into immortal life and ridicules any concept of future judgement for our transgressions. This will be the last one we will look at: 6. "We affirm that moral values derive their source from human experience. Ethics is autonomous and situational, needing no theological or ideological sanction. Ethics stem from human needs and interest" (Humanist Manifesto II). So Humanism holds there are no absolutes. There are no set standards -- no right or wrong -- only human needs and interests which, of course, leads to the conclusion that man is his own god. Well this ought to have given us some idea as to what Humanism is all about, and hopefully you would agree that these teachings are against the Word of God, and when judged by what Christ told us in Matthew 12:37, they are not to be "justified" -- but "condemned." HUMANISM DEFINED But let's dig a little deeper into this thing called Humanism and see what has been said about it and see where it is being taught. A man named John Dunphy wrote in The Humanist: "Humanism is a new faith: a religion of humanity." He argued that traditional theism is: "...an unproven and outmoded faith" and that "salvationism based on mere affirmation, still appears as harmful, diverting people with false hopes of heaven hereafter." James Curry, a former president of the American Humanist Association, has supposedly stated: "Humanism is a polite term for atheism.... Humanism... relieves mankind from the necessity either to believe in God or to look to Him as the fundamental source of all good." Mr. Curry wasn't the first to espouse this philosophy of Atheism, as seen in the following quote from the signer of the first Humanist Manifesto (1933), John Dewey: "There is no God, and there is no soul. Hence, there are no needs for the props of traditional religion. With dogma and creed excluded then immutable truth is also dead and buried. There is no room for fixed natural law or permanent moral absolutes." (Living Philosophies, 1930) Of course John Dewey is considered as the father of progressive education. Pastor Steve Hallman, Vice President of the National Federation for Decency, warns us of Humanism: "The Church, the body of Christ, must begin to understand the nature of humanism, a system which has no place for a supernatural God or a Savior who died for sinners." "At the present time," warns Laurain Mills, "Christians face a peril which could subvert the truth of their beliefs. This danger stems from the subtle, pervasive influence of humanism." In spite of all this evidence, many Christians, discount the existence of humanism. They insist it is simply a fantasy concocted by religious zealots and at most a "philosophical" point of view. But humanism is real, as a reading of the Humanist Manifest shows. Humanism has a specific dogma and definite goals. THE COURTS ON HUMANISM Humanism is not just a collection of philosophical murmurings, it is a religion. Yes, you heard me correctly -- it is a religion. At least that's what the United States Supreme Court said in 1961 in a case titled "Torcaso v. Watkins" and again in 1964 in another case titled "U.S. v. Seeger." In Torcaso vs. Watkins, the court stated: "Among religions in this country which do not teach what would generally be considered a belief in God are Buddhism, Taoism, Ethical Cultural, secular humanism, and others." (Footnote 11, Torcaso v. Watkins), Also in the United States Supreme Court's findings in the Schmepp case (1963) it was stated: "We agree, of course, that the state may not establish 'a religion of secularism' in the sense of affirmatively opposing or showing hostility to religion, thus preferring those who believe in no religion over those who do believe." In addition, a former president of the American Humanist Association stated: "Humanism is a polite term for atheism." Quite simply, humanism is man seeking to be God. The courts have labeled it a religion and as such it pervades our public schools. In an interview with the Boston Herald in 1982, humanist Charles F. Potter commented that: "Education is thus a most powerful ally of humanism and every American public school is a school of humanism." This is apparently what troubled a group of six hundred Christian parents in Mobile County, Alabama, when they discovered that the religion of humanism was rampant in the textbooks used in the public schools and that the religion of humanism was being systematically taught in the schools of Mobile. They took their case to court and after a lengthy trial, and an examination of forty-nine textbooks, Judge William Brevard Hand, United States District Court in Mobile, Alabama, handed down his 111-page decision. He decreed that humanism is, indeed, a religion: "The most important belief of this religion is its denial of the transcendent and/or supernatural: there is no God, no creator, no divinity." Judge Hand concluded that, for First Amendment purposes, humanism is "a religious statement." Judge Hand also determined that the textbooks he examined were so loaded with the doctrines of humanism that they violated the "establishment clause" of the First Amendment. The Judge said he found the textbooks taught a: "...highly relativistic and individualistic approach which constitutes the promotion of a fundamental faith claim opposed to other religious faiths...[it] strikes at the heart of many theistic religions' belief." And with that, the judge ordered the books removed. And of course the good old American Civil Liberties Union and the People for the American Way rose to the occasion and appealed the case. The two groups charged that the religious "far right" was intent on forcing fundamentalist Christian ideas into the public schools. And the reason for this is obvious: as far as these organizations are concerned, the public schools are the private preserve for their humanistic teachings. Remember that we began with a quote taken from an interview with the Boston Herald in 1982, where humanist Charles F. Potter commented that: "Education is thus a most powerful ally of humanism and every American public school is a school of humanism." As columnist James J. Kilpatrick wrote: "It is a curious thing. The ACLU and People for the American Way, in defending the humanists' [right to promote their faith], make precisely the same arguments when they are attacking the Baptists [for seeking to defend their faith]. It does make a difference, as the Proverb tells us, to see whose ox is gored." When the ACLU and PAW appealed Judge Hand's decision to a higher court, it was overturned by the Appeals Court. What a sad day for Christianity in this country! HUMANISM IN THE SCHOOLS I guess the next thing we need to examine is just how deeply has Humanism penetrated into the state-controlled, taxpayer-funded school system? Just what is being taught in those classrooms? 1. God is denied in the classroom. The mention of God is separated from state schools, and from the state's students. I say state's students because the state views all children as wards of the state and even in some TV commercials, the state boasts that children are the state's most important resource. Does that give any new meaning to the words "and they shall make merchandise of you?" God's written Word is also barred. I remember when I was in school every home-room teacher was required to stand before the class and read so many verses of Scripture. But such a practice is now history as the Bible, if considered at all, is only referred to as something containing an outmoded set of ethics. 2. Creationism is no longer taught in the state schools -- the theory of evolution is the gospel of most state school textbooks. Many Christians have tried to obtain "equal time" for creationism but with no success. 3. The Ten Commandments are removed from public schools and barred from classrooms, and the reason is provided by the Humanist Manifesto II, which states: "We reject those features of traditional religious morality that deny humans a full appreciation of their own potentialities." Today's state gospel is situational ethics and flexible moral values. Within that framework is a pluralism that decrees all viewpoints equal and all modes of expression acceptable -- the profane as well as the noble, the perverted as well as the pure. In other words there are no set standards, which of course the Bible is full of. 4. Self-authority and the independence of man (apart from God) are expounded upon and this also comes from the Humanist doctrines. The Humanist states: "Reason and intelligence are the most effective instruments that humankind possesses. There is no substitute: neither faith nor passion suffices in itself." Thus, we beget the "ME" generation -- juvenile anarchy, self- centeredness, self-indulgence, self-gratification. "Nothing that is part of contemporary life is taboo." 5. Sexual permissiveness is promoted. Most of you should be aware of the sexual orientation being taught in the schools, which even pass out contraceptives. The Humanist Manifesto tells us: "In the area of sexuality, we believe that intolerant attitudes, often cultivated by orthodox religions and puritanical cultures, unduly repress sexual conduct.... The many varieties of sexual exploration should not in themselves be considered `evil.'" I don't know what "many varieties of sexual expression" are but things come to my mind which I will not state here. 6. Free individual enterprise is opposed and collectivism (socialism-communism) is promoted. And again this doctrine comes from the Humanist Manifesto. "The humanists are firmly convinced that existing acquisitive and profit-motivated society has shown itself to be inadequate and that a radical change in methods, controls and motives must be instituted.... The goal of humanism is a free and universal society in which people voluntarily and intelligently cooperate.... Humanists demand a shared life in a shared world." "A shared life in a shared world" is nothing more than the communistic philosophy of "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need." 7. One-world government, a one-world society is promoted. We could call this globalism or a "global citizenship" which is to replace patriotism and national sovereignty of countries. The Humanist Manifesto states: "We deplore the division of humankind on nationalistic grounds. We have reached a turning point in human history where the best option is to transcend the limits of national sovereignty and move toward the building of a world community in which all sectors of the human family can participate. Thus, we look to the development of a system of world law and a world order based upon transnational federal government." If you think these concepts are scary, this is just the beginning. It gets worse: 1. It is pro-abortion: ("the right to abortion... should be recognized"). 2. It is pro-gay rights: ("we do not wish to prohibit by law or social sanction sexual behavior between consenting adults.... a civilized society should be a tolerant one"). That means Sodomites, now called Homosexuals and Lesbians, and what about Beastiality?! 3. It is pro-ERA: ("equal rights for both women and men to fulfill their unique careers and potentialities as they see fit, free of invidious discrimination"). Thus Humanists do not see differences between roles for men and women other than the obvious roles in procreation. HUMANIST GOALS Time simply does not permit me to reveal all of their doctrines and beliefs but believe me, they are not Godly. And thus the struggle rages between God's Word and the "reasonings" of man. The humanists know, even if Christians do not, that: "...the battle for humankind's future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their roles as the proselytizers of a new faith: a religion of humanity.... These teachers must embody the same selfless dedication as the most rabid fundamentalist preachers... for they will be ministers of another sort, utilizing a classroom instead of a pulpit to convey humanist values in whatever subject they teach." The Humanist, January/February 1983. Gloria Steinem, a militant feminist and editor of Ms. Magazine, has stated: "By the year 2000 we will -- I hope -- raise our children to believe in human potential, not God." Paul Baldwin, a social psychologist said: "Any child who believes in God is mentally ill." Then to top that Baldwin boasted that national "mental health programs" are being developed to help children who believe in God to have "healthier, more balanced" attitudes. It is not "healthier, and more balanced attitudes" that are desired by Humanists; they want attitudes in our children which lead our children away from God. We mentioned educator John Dunphy earlier, and here is another pearly gem from him: "The Bible is not merely another book, an outmoded and archaic book.... it has been and remains an incredibly dangerous book." Now I ask you, dangerous to whom? Certainly not dangerous to a godly people. The Bible is only dangerous to the humanists and their philosophy. Gary Griswold, a twenty-five-year-old student who plans to seek a college-level teaching position upon graduation, writes, "I am concerned that a belief in God, particularly in the traditional Christian sense, is a subtle but very real obstacle to the survival of the human species." He goes on to say that "the minds of young people in our schools and colleges today" should be "challenged and developed -- not indoctrinated and molded." And here is another dandy for you. This one is written in The Humanist magazine for March/April 1987: "The divorce from the more repressive moral strictures of traditional Christianity can never be complete as long as the Bible is regarded as the ultimate reference text." So Humanists have to discredit the Bible. Having examined Humanism we need to contrast that with the Word of God. Where Humanists teach that man is a god unto himself, Christianity teaches that the Lord God -- not man -- is Sovereign. God alone is the Creator and God is the source of all power. In Genesis 1 we find: 1 "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). 24 "And God said Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind... 26 "And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness." And in the New Testament we find the same concept: "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:3 Thus as Christians we believe in the sovereignty of God. We believe in the absolute and total power of God and that all things in the heavens and the earth were created by God. This struggle of man has been raging from the days of Adam till now. It is the struggle within man to accept God as sovereign or rebel from God's sovereignty and accept himself as sovereign. We see the first evidence of this struggle in the Garden of Eden where: "...the serpent said to the woman, "You shall surely not die: "For God knows that in the day you eat thereof (of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4-5 "You shall be as gods!" There it is -- the struggle between God as Sovereign or man as sovereign. Adam and Eve made the wrong choice and man has been falling for that same snare and delusion ever since. Humanism calls for the worship of the creature rather than the Creator. God's Word makes it clear: those who do so are liars. "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever." (Romans 1:25) Humanism rejects God's Word and denies God's Truth. Humanists are the corrupt and the doers of abominable works. "Behold, you walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto Me." Jeremiah 16:12 As Paul said: "There is none that understands, there is none that seek after God. "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that does good, no, not one." Romans 3:11-12 The humanists, in accepting man as sovereign, reject the sovereignty of God and in so doing they violate the commandments of God. God said very plainly: "You shall have no other gods before Me." Exodus 20:3 In making themselves out as gods, they have created and follow a false religion, and their prophets are the teachers in the public school system. Peter warned of their false teachings: "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord." 2 Peter 2:1 Be sure and read the entire chapter for it continues to condemn these false prophets. The humanist holds that man is the means and measure of all things. He puts himself, and human reason and intelligence, above God. In doing so, the Humanist relies on man's intellect and reasoning rather than God's Word. God warns us to turn away from such ungodly individuals: "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, "Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 2 Timothy 3:2,4,5 Being "lovers of their own selves" and "of pleasures" is the philosophy of the Humanist, and from such we are told to "turn away." And I might add, don't even look back. Humanism seeks to please man, that is himself and society as a whole, rather than God. We know this to be contrary to the Word of God as Paul tells us: "For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10 Here lies the problem in the battle for the minds of our children and probably the fate of our nation. Do we seek to please men or God? Do we teach our children to please God or man? Dr. Robert Simonds has marked some of the battle zones: 1. the right to life (for the preborn and the elderly) versus abortion-on-demand and euthanasia; 2. heterosexuality (husband and wife and family) versus sodomy; morality, chastity, and fidelity versus sexual license and promiscuity; 3. Christian virtues and health versus licentiousness and VD, AIDS, and herpes; 4. Christian faith and creation versus religious atheism and evolution; and 5. parental rights and responsibilities as ordained by the Lord God versus state's rights and child's rights above the parent's. For the Christian, the follower of Christ, there is no alternative: "The Word of God has been revealed in Personal and in written form -- in Christ, that is, and in Scripture. As Christ is the Complete Personal Word of God, valid in all times and places, Scripture is the absolute written Word of God, applicable in all times and places." If we do that which is pleasing to God then we are servants of Christ. If not we are the pleasers of men. Paul stated this another way: "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Romans 6:16 In closing, let me ask each and every one of you: Whom do ye serve? and Who or what are your children being taught to serve? God or man? Not just man, but the state and the New World Order. "But as for me, and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15b).
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