Good Life Humanist Society

Good Life Humanist Society is no longer meeting

NEXT MEETING - none

The Good Life Humanist Society
Statement of Principles

GODS

Humanists do not believe in any God. Men created gods in an attempt to explain the unknown. The only real evidence for a God is in the writings of men. There is as much evidence for the existence of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.

RELIGION

Humanists believe that religions have been created by men and women primarily to control, manipulate and exploit other men and women. In ancient times religion was used by tribal leaders to recruit and control their followers.

Later Kings and Emperors used it to build and exploit their empires. In recent times religion has become a competitive, but very profitable business. Religion sells the promise of everlasting life (follow me and do as I say and you will never die) through radio, television and from the pulpit. It takes in billions of tax free dollars each year. Many religious leaders become very rich by taking money from the poor.

DEATH

Humanists do not fear death. We realize that life is but a brief period of conscious during an eternity of sleep. Death is only a return to the state that we were in before we were born. We believe that this life is all there is. Our brain, from which our thoughts and our awareness of ourselves and what is around us originates, is powered by electrical energy supplied by our bodies. When our body dies, the energy, the power to our brain is turned off. Our brain, including all its thought processes ceases to function. Death is final for all animals including humans. To believe otherwise is simply wishful thinking.

TRUTH

We look to science and reason to understand the world and the universe in which we live. Humanists do not claim to have all the answers. We acknowledge that there are things in the universe that are beyond human understanding at this time and possibly for all time.

We continually explore new ideas, and reexamine old ideas. We attempt to determine what is true through accumulated knowledge and critical thinking.

CHURCH STATE SEPARATION

We strongly support the separation of church and state. There can be no freedom of religion or freedom from religion under a state religion. Many early settlers in what became the United States were Christians seeking to escape the state supported religion in England.

FAIR PLAY

We support the right to be religious as well as the right to be non-religious. We feel that all people should be treated with respect, consideration, empathy and understanding.

ETHICS

Humanists are moral and ethical because it is the right thing to do. We try to treat others, as we would like to be treated. We strive to be fair and understanding. We try to be honest with others and more importantly, with ourselves.

We look for what is real or makes the most sense and try to avoid believing something just because we want to believe it or because it makes us feel better.

We feel it is degrading to our self-image to think that we are only capable of moral behavior if we are threatened with eternal punishment.

Woody's Freethoughts

August, 2007:

The Christian god can easily be pictured as virtually the same god as the many ancient gods of past civilizations. The Christian god is a three-headed monster, cruel, vengeful and capricious. If one wishes to know more of this raging, three headed beast-like god, one only needs to look at the caliber of people who say they serve him. They are always of two classes: fools and hypocrites. Author unknown.

Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger. Herman Goering, former German Reichstag Nazi Party President, at the Nuremberg trials.

If you want to save your child from polio, you can pray or you can inoculate. Carl Sagan.

April, 2007:

The world holds two classes of men - intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence.

As for religion, all men unquestioningly accept the creed of their fathers, incapable of distinguishing the true from the false.

Religion is a fable invented by the ancients, worthless except for those who exploit the credulous masses.

Religions have only resulted in bigotry and bloodshed, with sect fighting sect, and fanatics forcing their beliefs onto people at the point of a sword.

All religions are contrary to reason and sanity.

---Abu-al-Ala aI-Ma’arri (973-I057) Arabic poet and philosopher---

March, 2007:

Why are Fundamentalist Christians, who claim to be for the sanctity of life, so eager to go to war and so quick to support the death penalty?
Religion - The real evil empire.

November, 2006:

"The U.S. government conducted a series of secret war games in 1999 that anticipated an invasion of Iraq. K.C. Star, 11/05/06.
Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day; give him a religion and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish. Mohammed Neguib

May, 2006:

"I cannot conceive of a God who rewards and punishes his creatures, or has a will of the type of which we are conscious (of) in ourselves. An individual who should survive his physical death in also beyond my comprehension. Such notions are for the fears of absurd egoism of feeble souls." Albert Einstein

April, 2006:

"It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie, which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this, but have expressed it clearly. If something in me can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world as far as our science can reveal it." Albert Einstein in a letter, March 24, 1954.