Those Evil Humanists October 9, 2008

Those Evil Humanists

By Guest Contributor
October 9, 2008

The Humanists and Freethinkers of Cape Fear in North Carolina set up a booth about Humanism and Freethinking at an annual street festival.

Someone noticed a sign directed right at them at a local church nearby:

I’m now very tempted to adopt the Humanist label…

Then again, whoever wrote this clearly didn’t know the first thing about Humanism.

It’s not anti-God. You can’t be against a God you don’t believe exists.

It’s not “no right, no wrong, anything goes.” There are general guidelines and boundaries.

Liberal? Perhaps many Humanists are liberal, but what isn’t, when compared to a conservative church?

Religon? I was going to make a joke about spelling, but “reli-gone” probably does describe the wishful thinking of so many of us 🙂

(Thanks to Maggie for the link!)

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  • James

    Ha, Reli-gone. Apply liberally to religious individual and POOF!

  • justin jm

    Since when did basic research become verboten? The church sign reminds me of some conservative commentator who tried to blame Virginia Tech on secular humanism. An ethical view that promotes the value of human life is responsible for murder sprees? Very Orwellian. Kinda like “War is Peace.”

  • Richard Wade

    I guess Cape Fear is appropriately named. Looks like lots of fear going around. Fear of anyone who is different, fear of knowing what one is talking about, fear of thinking for oneself, fear of having to make decisions based on one’s own judgment, fear of being responsible for one’s own life, and most importantly,

    for the pastor of the Sea Gate Community Chapel, fear of losing revenue.

  • Polly

    He seems to be confusing Humanism with Atheism and Relativism and religion.

    Some people are so fucking stupid, it’s a waste of time to figure out their POV, because frankly THEY don’t even know what the Hell they’re thinking.

    He’s probably like Kevin Klein’s character from “A Fish Called Wanda” who spouted off about philosophy but didn’t know crap.

  • llewelly

    Humanism is an anti-god
    no right no wrong
    anything goes
    liberal religion

    It’s what my grandmother taught me.
    Why would grandma lie to me?

    Grandma also made sure to remind me, at regular intervals, that Carl Sagan was a ‘liberal’ an ‘atheist’ and a ‘humanist’. (At first, I had no idea what these things were, but it was clear from grandma’s tone she thought they were very, very bad things.)
    But Carl Sagan’s writings (I read far more of Carl Sagan than I saw of Cosmos) taught me a great deal. They were wise, and logical. Furthermore – the religion my grandma promoted – however sincerely – was clearly ignorant, illogical, and inconsistent. Furthermore – many other wise writers – Asimov, Randi, Russell, and Gardner among them – were in staunch agreement with Carl Sagan. Eventually – I was won over by Sagan.

  • SarahH

    If I were so woefully uninformed, I certainly wouldn’t advertise my ignorance so publicly.

  • Why does bad spelling seem to be the province of the fundie freaks? Palin’s emails read like a grade ten civics essay, too.

    However, I think the confusion here is not linguistic, it’s geometrical:

    Isn’t a “religon” a structure with an infinite number of self-contradicting sides?

    It’s not dissimilar to the one-sided triangle, also well known in religious circles.

  • He’s probably like Kevin Klein’s character from “A Fish Called Wanda” who spouted off about philosophy but didn’t know crap.

    Polly, what ever you do, don’t call me stupid!

  • What I read when I see the sign. Well not so much read but hear in a deep, echo chamber voice: “Thinking for yourself is wrong, because it may cause you to form your own opinions. You should fear what you do not know. Liberals eat babies. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”

  • Mriana

    Yes it does seem people have a lot to learn, esp these people. They have no clue what they are talking about and obviously haven’t done any research.

  • However, I think the confusion here is not linguistic, it’s geometrical:

    Isn’t a “religon” a structure with an infinite number of self-contradicting sides?

    It’s not dissimilar to the one-sided triangle, also well known in religious circles.

    You, sir/madam, win an Internet.

  • Jen

    Well, gosh, Sea Gate, that does sound fun! Sign me up as a humanist!

  • Vincent

    you sure this isn’t from Church Sign Generator?
    http://www.churchsigngenerator.com/

  • you sure this isn’t from Church Sign Generator?

    I didn’t see the prototype church on that site and the pic was sent directly from a friend who received it from people who said they actually saw it. (Does that make sense?)

  • funny the first thing I thought of was church sign generator as well. we need an independent verification of this sign from a different angle. this will ensure properly verified and assigned douchebaggery to the Seagate church

  • RBH

    The obvious response to “Humanism is an anti-God religion” is “God is anti-human.”

  • Christophe Thill

    This is disgusting. I think the local Humanists should go to that church, meet the pastor and explain very politely that “we don’t insult you, so you shouldn’t insult us”.

  • Humanism is system of thought that centres on humans and their values, capacities, and worth.

    Humanism is an anti-god
    no right no wrong
    anything goes
    liberal religion

    This must mean that people with self worth and personal values are anti-god, not absolutist, freedom loving individuals.

    Therefore people who are opposed to humanism are god-fearing, absolutist, mentally enslaved, frightened sheep.

    That hardly seems fair to label the congregation is such a way. Some of them are probably very good people.

  • Can’t find any information about the pastor/leadership online. But it may be interesting to find their public business profiles, and offer this blog post as their website address.

    I’d say it’s important that those considering visiting this church recognize their view of what love is.

  • absent sway

    “One-sided triangle”
    This is too clever–Metro, I’m unworthy!

  • no strings attached

    I have read the bible from cover to cover and feel I can honestly say it is a confusing mess of mythology, folklore, and bronze-age hearsay. How many pastors, priests, or any religious people have ever read Darwin, Dawkins, Dennett, Sam Harris, or any of the many other writers works that give a very clear insight into how humanists think? If they want to condemn and critisize us, let them learn what we really are first.

  • I’m really tired of seeing North Carolina looking more and more foolish by the day. I’ve lived here too long, and never noticed any of this insanity until last year and this one. It’s awful. I was hoping to maintain NC as a refuge from my latest home in South Carolina. A biblical cesspool.

    It seems I’m meant to move out West or something.

  • cipher

    Why does bad spelling seem to be the province of the fundie freaks?

    Because only libruls believe in edumacation! You won’t need to know how talk good in hell!

  • Mike J.C.

    Hey! My father-in-law took this photo! He sent it to me last week in an email telling me how much success they had at Riverfest in Wilmington, NC (my old home town).

    I can confirm that this is an actual church sign and not a product of the church sign generator. (Oddly enough, I know the creator of that, too.) This church is near his home and occasionally has ridiculous signs like this. The last time we visited the in-laws the church sign was advertising a sermon to explain the dinosaurs.

    The Humanists and Freethinkers of Cape Fear in North Carolina were still fairly new when we moved away from Wilmington three years ago. They typically had about a dozen people at each meeting. They have grown a LOT since then and rapidly. They now have over 150 members – many of whom are active. This is faster than any church in that area has grown. So you can understand how the churches in the area are beginning to feel threatened… so to speak.