Secular humanism is not a religion

The rant against secular humanism in Andrew D. Bunce's letter of June 25 is lacking fact.

The horrors committed by dictatorial regimes under communism and national socialism (Nazi Germany) were not carried out in the name of secular humanism but out of fanatical political and nationalistic greed.

Compare history's record of crusades, wars, conversion by the sword, genocide, Inquisitions and pogroms right down to our present-day suicide bombings, all expressly carried out in the name of some religion or sect. However, deeper motivations of greed, jealousy and fear easily take on the cloak of righteous, religious zealotry.

Secular humanism is not a religion but a philosophy that rejects the supernatural and calls us to seek to live by reason, ethics and justice that promote the human good.

The Supreme Court did not declare secular humanism a religion in the 1961 ruling, Torcaso v. Watkins. In a subsequent ruling, Kalka v. Hawk et al., it was noted, “The Court's statement in Torcaso does not stand for the proposition that humanism, no matter in what form and no matter how practiced, amounts to a religion under the First Amendment.” It was further stated in Peloza v. Capistrano School District, “We reject this claim because neither the Supreme Court, nor this circuit, has ever held that evolution or Secular Humanism are ‘religions' … .”

Jim Beatty

Cedar Rapids