HUMANISM

 

                The Religion That Claims No God

   

      A religion without a god? Was there ever such a thing? Do not all religions uphold a supreme person or object in their worship?

     Christians look to Christ to save them for eternity. Jehovah God is the center of the Jewish religion. The Mohammedans fall on their knees and pray to Allah five times a day. Even the secluded tribes of heathen countries pay homage to their sun gods and such like.

      But humanism is different.

     Humanism is man’s attempt to live his life and solve his problems independent from God. As such, humanism is quite attractive to many people because, as a result of sin, man is alienated from God and very confident of his abilities.

       Man’s opposition to the control of God in his life is no recent development. Ever since the beginning of time when man ate the forbidden fruit, he is obstinately taking his own way. At times he not only attempts to eliminate God’s control of his life, but also in theory tries to eliminate God. This is humanism.

 

I Humanism – Its Origin

 

     Humanism as an organized effort of the 20^th century, finds its roots in the ancient Greek and Roman culture. The Grecians were known for their earthly wisdom based on the philosophies of noted men in the 4^th and 5^th centuries B. C. There appears to be a direct link between these philosophies and the pleasure-mad Grecian and Roman cultures with their immorality, violent games, fights, and such like.

     The Renaissance period of the 14^th to 16^th centuries also made a direct contribution to the present-day humanism. The period was known for its glorification of humanity. The focus of education was on human philosophy rather than divine doctrine. Moral Standards which were held high for centuries were discarded because man was deemed autonomous and independent of God. The nude art forms were viewed as masterpieces of famous men of the day. All this, and more, swept much of Europe to a depth of godlessness which was the seed bed of 20^th century humanism in America.

      In the 19^th and 20^th centuries, influential men such as Horace Mann and John Dewey made great strides in humanizing America by their efforts in the educational field. Dewey was an atheist who affirmed “There is no God and there is no soul.” His pragmatic theories of education were sneaked into the minds of multitudes of children in this “Christian” nation. Today’s permissiveness, rebellion, confusion in homes, churches, schools, and governments is related to the efforts of the humanists. “Where there is no vision (of God) the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18

 

II Humanism – Its Creed

       The main thrust of humanist doctrine can be narrowed down to five basic points.

 

Atheism The existence of God is boldly denied. The “Humanist Manifesto,” which is a statement of humanist beliefs, which is a statement of humanist beliefs fearlessly affirms, “We find insufficient evidence in the existence of the supernatural… As nontheists, we begin with humans, not God; nature not deity… No deity will save us; we must save ourselves.

      The humanists’ attempt to do away with God is an effort to evade the doctrines of the eternal soul and life after death. If there is no God, then man can live as he pleases and suffer the consequences of coming face to face with the Judge of all the earth.

      But God answers: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” Psalm 14:1

2. Evolution  If there is no God, what then is the origins of this great, orderly, and majestic universe? Again the humanists answer in their manifesto: “Religious humanists regard the universe as self-existing and not created…science affirms that the human species is an emergence from natural evolutionary forces.”

      The evolutionary theory has thoroughly saturated the textbooks of most schools for the last decades. As a result, children have grown to adulthood and feel no responsibility to God, the Creator.

 

3. Amorality  A third point of the humanistic creed emphasizes situational ethics. There are no fixed moral standards, no right and no wrong. If your idea works, use, regardless of cultural, religious, and parental attitudes toward it.

    The result of this thinking are quite easily seen in the moral trends in America today. The practice of unmarried men and women living together has increased substantially in recent years. Claims of homosexual rights are boldly defended, even by some clergy. Abortions are preformed at a staggering rate of over one million per year. On the heels of abortion will undoubtedly follow the “mercy killing’s” of the aged and helpless, which the humanists promote. These are sins against the Creator and the Owner of the human family.

 

4. Self-government and Self-expression  Humanism teaches that man is basically good and well able to govern himself – a direct contradiction to the Bible’s teaching of man’s depravity and enslavement to sin.

     The permissiveness of our generation can be traced to this view of humanism. Parents allow Johnny to kick and scream and defy them rather than use the “rod” as the Bible directs. In some settings, school teaching has become an almost impossible task because of the cry for permissiveness. Civil governments have laid aside the death penalty and consequently must face escalating crime and overcrowded prisons. Most churches have discarded Bible-based regulations and are glorifying in the open-mindedness.

 

5. One World Government  The final point of humanism emphasizes the need for a world community and international courts to answer to social problems of the human race. National sovereignty is viewed as a road block to achieving the goals of the humanists. This obviously a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. According to Revelations 17 and 18, civil governments and churches will be yoked together in a God-defying agreement.

     But God is not mocked! He will take control of the massive organization and bring it to judgment. (See Revelations 19:1-3.)

     After viewing the five points of humanism we must conclude that the humanists do have a god after all. Obviously, man is their god. Earthly pleasure and self-expression is their highest goal. Life here and now is their only concern. And behind it all is Satan, who is always happy when God is ignored.

 

III Humanism: Its Alternative

      God knows well the tendency of the human heart. He tells us: “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 16:25)” But God did not sit back and just watch the downward spiral. He provided an alternative. The alternative is the death and resurrection of His Son, as recorded in the Bible. The message of the Bible can be summarized into five counterpoints to that which has already been stated.

 

1. The Place of God   God is the only eternal, all-knowing erywhere-present, and all-powerful being. He is self-existent, sovereign, and dependent on no one. As finite human beings we cannot fully comprehend the meaning of these doctrines. It is alone, by faith in God, that we can understand the place of God in the universe.

 

2. The Place of Man   Man is the crowning work of God’s six-day creation. He was created an eternal being, in the image of God, and for the glory of God. As such, man is quite significant. (See Genesis 1-3.)

       Since man is creation of God, he is accountable to God. Presently, God allows man to chose his own course in life: whether godly or selfish. But in the end, man cannot chose which consequences of the decision. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

    

3. The Place of Absolutes  “I am the Lord, I change not” was the proclamation of God more than two thousand years ago (Malachi 3:6). God as the sovereign Creator and eternal Redeemer has given man a code of ethics (the Bible), which cannot be evaded without severe penalty.

     Situations and circumstances never change God’s laws. Sins of man such as murder, adultery, theft, untruthfulness, and covetousness which were forbidden by God for the dawn of history are just as wrong today regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in.

  

4. The Place of Discipline and Self denial  The Bible teaches the depravity of man: “There is non righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). Our inner, carnal nature is at enmity with the will of God. By nature we want our own way and will go to no limits to obtain it. This is despised by God.

     To please God, we must crucify our fleshly desires. That which God hates, we must hate. Our thoughts must be holy as are His thoughts. Our body must be brought to subjection to do His will. And thanks be to His name, he made a way for this to be possible.

     When one yields his life to Christ and is saved, God makes him a new creature. The desires, interests, and goals of his life are redirected. This unreserved surrender to God issues into a joy and peace which can never be realized by pursuing self-centered interests. Man’s highest privilege and greatest fulfillment is realized in serving his Creator and Redeemer.

 

5. The Place of the Church While men spurn and mock the God of heaven and scheme and organize to dethrone Him, He is all the while extending mercy and calling men to repent of their wickedness and become part of His family, the church.

      This organization, tied together by the very Spirit and Word of God, stands as a united, worldwide community that transcends all political, geographical, economical and racial lines. Living in the midst of a humanistic, God-denying and man-destroying society, it is a group of people called “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.” They “shew forth the praises of him who hath called [them] out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9).

       Dear friend, let us not be deceived. Let us come out on God’s side and realize the peace, the joy, and the complete fulfillment the human heart craves. The battle is not yet finished. But God will be vindicated and man will judged. “The kings of the earth set themselves together, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against the anointed, saying, let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling… Blessed are they that put their trust in Him” (Psalm 2:2-4,12)