Posted by Helen on: 05.16.2007 /
On Sunday my son is going to his friend’s graduation from the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago Sunday School.
I’ve never been but it sounds like an interesting society. From the invitation
Our commitment is to the worth and dignity of the invidiual and to treating each human being so as to bring out the best in him or her, and thereby, in ourselves.
Here’s an excerpt from their Q&A page
1 - WHAT IS ETHICAL HUMANISM AND WHO ARE THE ETHICAL HUMANISTS?
Ethical Humanism is a view of the world in which reason, compassion, and commitment to ethical values are central. We are informed and enriched by the knowledge that comes from an understanding of the scientific method. We celebrate diversity and are inspired by the arts. Members encourage each other to become responsible stewards of the environment and to work to improve the quality of life for all.
Ethical Humanism is not a belief we are born to, but a source of inspiration and information we choose. It serves as a lifelong philosophical and educational guide to living a good, happy, informed, useful life. While we acknowledge the capacity for some human beings to do unthinkable wrong, we believe in the potential for most to work toward positive ends.
We come to Ethical Humanism from diverse backgrounds. As Catholics, Jews, Protestants, Buddhists, Moslems, and representatives of other faiths, we respect and honor our religious heritage; however, at the Ethical Society we come together to focus on the here and now and the values different kinds of people have in common, not things that keep us apart.
2 - DO YOU HAVE A CREED?
Although we share some core ethical values with many traditional religions, we are non-creedal. We believe that critical thinking is of greater worth than unquestioned obedience to, or absolute belief in, a single creed. Moreover, we feel that many problems and injustices affecting contemporary society have their origins in the narrow-minded absolutism of extreme fundamentalist thought. For us, truth is not the possession of a single group but can be found and expressed in a variety of forms and philosophies.