There is no definitive definition of what a god is. But I will discuss some of the basic features of the gods. It has been estimated that there have been over 4000 religions throughout history. And each one has one or more gods. But most if not all of these gods have these three things […]
Secular
Some Excellent Insights Into Human Nature
I have often suggested that it’s useful to study religions (their scholars) because they cover spirituality better than we secular thinkers do. A great case in point is this article titled “Why Is Shirk the Greatest Sin of All?” located here: https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/why-is-shirk-the-greatest-sin-of-all. “Humanity’s enduring fascination with the same set of existential questions—life after death, the […]
Why I Don’t Believe In God
I rarely bother explaining why I don’t believe in a god anymore because one’s religion is typically a function of their birth environment rather than reason or choice. But I did come across this article that offers a nice argument in support of atheism. It’s titled “Why I don’t believe in God” and you can […]
Why The Ten Commandments Are Offensive To Non Christians
Many Christians like to tell us how the Ten Commandments represent the core of their faith. About how they stand against adultery, lying, theft, and murder as the foundation of western society. And they advocate for posting them in the schools and public places to remind the the rest of us (non Christians) about their […]
Where Does Hate Come From?
The sources of hate have historically been from one’s family and/or the society at hand. But now a popular source of hate is the internet. People can learn hate by surfing and finding something that resonates with them. Something that fits their personality and their situation. Either way, hate is a learned phenomenon. Then it […]
The Source And Measure Of Morality
The source and measure of morality is human nature. Morality is a reflection of what each of us expects for ourselves. It is a function of human consciousness and our own self awareness. Without self awareness there would be no morality. Many arguments about morality are based on the false dilemma fallacy. Otherwise known as […]
Why Studying Religions Is A Legitimate Secular Activity
On first blush you would think that studying religions is a waste of time because they are all based on false Gods. But if you go one layer deeper and consider that these false Gods were created by their underlying societies, then you see them in a different light. Studying religions is actually a study […]
What Is Human Nature?
It is important to discuss and define the concept of human nature. Human nature it is central to secular thinking because secular thinking relies on the authority of mankind rather than the authority of a god or gods. Human nature can be defined as traits that are common to most human beings. Human nature has […]
What Exactly Are Secular Values
Secular values depend upon the authority of man. Some of the best examples of secular values are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights America’s principle of separation of church and state and the right to freedom of belief as described in the First Amendment of the American Constitution. Some examples of non secular values, religious […]
We Are What We Believe
The secret to life is that: “we are what we believe”. Our beliefs define us. They motivate us. They explain us as a person. Human beings are highly logical but we are limited by what we know (believe) and by the quality of that information. Most of us lack the opportunity, motivation, and resources to […]
What Is Secularism?
I see three main divisions/definitions of secularism. Political Philosophical Social Political Secularism: The separation of church and state is the foundation of political secularism. This is to protect the rights of believers of all faiths, and the rights of non believers. It keeps the church out of government business and the keeps government out of […]
Religions Can Only Peacefully Coexist With A Secular Government
Religions are mutually exclusive by their own doctrine. The major religions have prohibitions against each other written into their doctrine. So if any particular religion is in power they will naturally discriminate against non members. And this even goes down to the sectarian level. As we can see all too well in the middle east. […]
Individuality
I must be a libertarian because I feel the rights of the individual should outweigh the wishes of the group. That’s just the opposite of nationalism, religion, and other forms of tribal thinking. Anyone should have the right to do anything that doesn’t excessively or unnecessarily interfere with the next person. We should be able […]