The "Religion" of Secular Humanism

Abstract

In 1958 Harper & Row published this writer's book, Creeds in Competition. Its thesis, briefly stated, was that religious groups, avowedly or not, seek to translate their own particular hierarchy of social values into categorical imperatives for the community at large, including those members of the community outside their own respective folds. Laws forbidding business on Sundays was an example of primarily Protestant efforts, ban on abortion, that of Catholic, and elimination of prayer in public schools, that of Jews. book also considered fourth contestant, secular humanism. A footnote on page 29 of the book reads: The term 'secular humanism' is used in this book not to mean consciously non theistic movement, but merely the influence of those unaffiliated with organized religion and concerned with human values. book did not seek to define the term religion. An effort to do this is found in the Supreme Court's decision in the 1890 case of Davis v. Beason.1 In it the Court said: The term 'religion' has reference to one's of his relations to his Creator, and to the obligations they impose of reverence for his being and character, and of obedience to his will.2 This would seem to have been fairly workable definition for the time when it was formulated; but in the same case the Court said that to call the Mormons' advocacy of polygamy a tenet of religion is to offend the common sense of mankind. Yet there is hardly any doubt that the Mormons' advocacy of polygamy expressed the believer's views of his relations to his Creator, and to the obligations they impose. Court's definition is obviously inconsistent with its more recent decisions. Since 1890, the Court has abandoned the concept that the First Amendment's guaranty of the free exercise of religion is