What is secular humanism?

Secular humanism posits that humanity is capable of morality and self-fulfillment without reliance on supernatural beliefs or divine revelation. This stands in stark contrast to the Torah-observant faith of Yeshua.

Quick Answer

What is Secular Humanism? Quick Answer Quick Answer: Secular humanism is a non-theistic philosophy asserting that morality, ethics, and meaning are derived from human reason and experience, independent of supernatural deities or religious dogma. It directly contradicts the foundational Hebraic belief in YHWH as the sole source of truth and the Torah as divine instruction…

What is Secular Humanism?

Quick Answer

Quick Answer: Secular humanism is a non-theistic philosophy asserting that morality, ethics, and meaning are derived from human reason and experience, independent of supernatural deities or religious dogma. It directly contradicts the foundational Hebraic belief in YHWH as the sole source of truth and the Torah as divine instruction for life.

The Scholarly Case

Secular humanism, in its essence, represents a worldview that fundamentally rejects the divine. It is a philosophy centered on human agency, reason, and ethical principles derived from human experience rather than divine revelation. Proponents of secular humanism argue that individuals can lead fulfilling, ethical lives without belief in a god or an afterlife. This perspective stands in direct opposition to the foundational tenets of the original Hebraic faith, which is inextricably linked to the covenantal relationship with YHWH and the divine instruction of the Torah. The core of Hebraic faith, as articulated in Deuteronomy 6:4, declares: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One." This declaration, known as the Shema, affirms the absolute singularity and sovereignty of Elohim, the Creator of all things. Contrary to the secular humanist assertion of human autonomy as the ultimate arbiter of morality, the Torah presents a divinely revealed moral framework. The Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21, are not suggestions but divine mandates, demonstrating that ethical behavior flows from YHWH's character and His covenant with His people. The concept of humanity in the Hebraic tradition also starkly contrasts with secular humanism. Genesis 1:27 states, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." This "image of Elohim" (tselem Elohim) signifies inherent dignity, purpose, and a unique relationship with the Creator, not merely an evolved biological entity. Our capacity for reason, ethics, and love is understood as a reflection of the divine, not an emergent property of purely material existence. Yeshua, the Messiah, affirmed the eternal validity and divine origin of the Torah. He unequivocally declared in Matthew 5:17, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them." This statement directly counters any notion that human reason can supersede or redefine the divine Law. Yeshua's entire life and teaching were rooted in the Tanakh, demonstrating a Torah-observant life lived in perfect submission to the Father, YHWH. His teachings, far from advocating a human-centric morality, consistently pointed back to the divine will and the love of Elohim as the primary commandment, as seen in Matthew 22:37-39, where He states, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" Both commandments are explicitly drawn from the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18). The Messianic Jewish perspective recognizes Yeshua as the fulfillment of the Tanakh's prophecies, including those of a suffering Messiah (Isaiah 53:5; Psalm 22:16) and a reigning King (Micah 5:2; Isaiah 11:1). His resurrection, a central tenet of the Brit Chadashah, provides irrefutable evidence of divine intervention and power, directly challenging the secular humanist rejection of miracles. Even atheist scholars like Bart Ehrman concede the historical existence of Yeshua (Ehrman, Bart. Did Jesus Exist? 2012), and historical sources outside the Brit Chadashah, such as Tacitus (Tacitus, Annals 15.44, ~116 CE), Josephus (Josephus, Antiquities 18.3.3, 20.9.1), and Pliny the Younger (Pliny the Younger, Epistle 10.96, ~112 CE), corroborate the early Christian movement and its founder. Furthermore, the "minimal facts" approach to the resurrection, championed by scholars like Gary Habermas (Habermas, Gary. The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ.), highlights the empty tomb, post-mortem appearances of Yeshua, and the radical transformation of His disciples as historically accepted data points by a significant majority of critical scholars. This historical evidence, combined with the dense predictive prophecies of the Tanakh concerning the Messiah, profoundly elevates the prior probability of the resurrection, contra the Humean skepticism often adopted by secular humanists (McGrew, Timothy. The Argument from Miracles. 2009). The Hebraic faith, therefore, presents not merely a belief system but a historically grounded, divinely revealed truth that offers a comprehensive framework for existence, meaning, and morality—a framework that secular humanism, by definition, cannot provide. Do secular humanists believe in God? No, secular humanists explicitly reject belief in a god or any supernatural deities. Their worldview is non-theistic. What are the 4 types of humanism? While there's no universally agreed-upon "4 types," humanism broadly includes Renaissance humanism, philosophical humanism, Christian humanism (which retains belief in God but emphasizes human dignity), and secular humanism. This article focuses on secular humanism due to its direct opposition to theism. Do humanists support LGBT? Generally, yes. Secular humanism emphasizes human rights, equality, and individual autonomy, which typically leads to support for LGBT+ rights and acceptance. What religion is closest to secular humanism? No religion is truly "close" to secular humanism because the latter is defined by its non-theistic stance. However, some liberal religious movements might share certain ethical concerns or an emphasis on human values, but they retain a belief in the divine that secular humanism rejects.

Adversary Teardown: Bart Ehrman & Richard Dawkins

The rise of secular humanism as a prominent ideology is often championed by figures who actively dismantle traditional religious belief. Two notable adversaries in this intellectual landscape are Bart Ehrman and Richard Dawkins, whose works, while differing in their specific focus, converge on a rejection of the divine and a promotion of human-centric rationality. Bart Ehrman, a New Testament scholar who identifies as an agnostic atheist, has significantly contributed to the secularization of biblical studies in the public sphere. While he concedes the historical existence of Yeshua, as noted in his work Did Jesus Exist? (2012), his broader scholarship frequently seeks to undermine the divine inspiration and inerrancy of the Brit Chadashah. Ehrman's approach, often presented as objective textual criticism, subtly but consistently shifts the authority from divine revelation to human fallibility and historical contingency. For example, in his book Misquoting Jesus (2005), Ehrman highlights scribal errors and textual variants in ancient manuscripts to argue that "we don't have the original words of the New Testament." This focus, while academically valid in its limited scope, is then leveraged to suggest a broader unreliability of scripture, thereby eroding faith in its divine origin and promoting a view where human interpretation and historical context become the primary, if not sole, determinants of meaning. This deviates sharply from the Hebraic understanding of Torah as divinely given and preserved, despite human transmission. The post-apostolic Greek-speaking commentators who already drifted from the Hebraic root by the 2nd and 3rd centuries, though not directly Ehrman's targets, laid some groundwork for later textual complexities. Ehrman's work, however, amplifies these complexities to question the very foundation of divine truth. Richard Dawkins, a prominent evolutionary biologist and outspoken atheist, represents a more direct and polemical attack on religious belief, forming a core pillar of modern secular humanism. In his influential book, The God Delusion (2006), Dawkins argues that "faith is belief in spite of, perhaps even because of, the lack of evidence." This assertion is a direct assault on the Hebraic-Messianic understanding of faith (emunah) as trust built upon YHWH's demonstrable acts in history and His revealed word, not a blind leap. Dawkins's entire premise is built on the idea that scientific materialism can explain all phenomena, rendering any concept of a divine creator or supernatural intervention superfluous. He systematically dismisses religious experience and revelation as delusion, framing belief in Elohim as a cognitive error or a "virus of the mind." This perspective, which gained significant traction in the early 21st century, directly promotes a worldview where human reason and scientific inquiry are the only legitimate paths to knowledge and truth, completely excluding the possibility of divine revelation or spiritual insight. This is a radical departure from the 1st-century Hebraic faith, which saw YHWH's hand in creation, history, and the very fabric of human existence, as proclaimed in Deuteronomy 6:4. Dawkins's "new atheism" movement, emerging in the early 2000s, represents a formalized and aggressive form of secular humanism, actively seeking to displace religious belief with a purely materialist and human-centric understanding of the universe.

Counter-Arguments Anticipated

Objection 1: Morality does not require God; secular humanism provides a robust ethical framework based on reason.

Rebuttal: While secular humanism attempts to construct an ethical system based on human reason and empathy, it ultimately lacks an objective, transcendent grounding for its moral imperatives. Without a divine Lawgiver, ethical principles become subjective and mutable, subject to the changing whims of societal consensus or individual preference. The Hebraic faith, conversely, presents a moral code rooted in the unchanging character of YHWH, as revealed in the Torah (Exodus 20:1-17). This divine foundation provides an unshakeable standard for justice and righteousness that transcends human opinion, a standard affirmed by Yeshua in Matthew 5:17.

Objection 2: Miracles are scientifically impossible, and belief in them is irrational.

Rebuttal: The assertion that miracles are impossible is a philosophical presupposition of naturalism, not a scientific conclusion. Science describes natural processes but cannot definitively rule out the intervention of a supernatural agent, especially if such an agent created the natural laws themselves. From a Hebraic perspective, YHWH is the author of creation (Genesis 1:1) and is therefore capable of acting within and outside of His established natural order. The resurrection of Yeshua, for instance, is not merely a theological claim but is supported by historical evidence, including the empty tomb and post-mortem appearances, accepted by a significant percentage of critical scholars (Habermas, Gary. The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ.). Furthermore, the density of Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh, such as Isaiah 53:5 and Daniel 9:24-26, when fulfilled in Yeshua, dramatically increases the prior probability of divine intervention (McGrew, Timothy. The Argument from Miracles. 2009), demonstrating that such events are not irrational but evidentially supported.

Objection 3: Religion, particularly monotheism, is a source of conflict and oppression, whereas secular humanism promotes tolerance and peace.

Rebuttal: Attributing all conflict and oppression to religion is a simplistic and historically inaccurate generalization. While religious institutions have certainly been involved in atrocities, so have secular ideologies, as evidenced by the mass murders committed under atheist regimes in the 20th century. The problem lies not in belief in Elohim, but in humanity's fallen nature and its propensity to distort even the purest ideals for selfish ends. The true Hebraic-Messianic faith, as taught by Yeshua, emphasizes love for YHWH and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39), justice, and compassion. It is a faith that calls for personal transformation and adherence to a divine standard of righteousness, not merely a humanistic ideal of tolerance that can be selectively applied.

Position Lock

Position Lock: Secular humanism's rejection of a divine Creator and His revealed Torah constitutes a fundamental departure from objective truth, offering a subjective, human-centric morality that cannot provide ultimate meaning or an eternal standard for righteousness, which are exclusively found in YHWH and His Messiah, Yeshua.