Is "God" the name of something else?

By Bill Creasy

The issue of the relationship between secular humanism and religion has long been a topic for debate. Many people have argued that secular humanism is a religion, since humanism offers an alternative to many religions and addresses similar concerns, such as ethics and meaning. But secular humanism, by definition, disavows supernatural sources or authorities. Our goal is to show that ethics can exist without a supernatural source. The majority of people, especially in the U.S., think that religions are associated with the supernatural, although there are a few exceptions. To call secular humanism a religion would redefine the word "religion" in a way that most people simply don't use the term.

Can we redefine the term God (or "God" with quotes) in a way that is naturalistic? But when people say God, most of them mean a sentient, supernatural entity. The term is defined, for most people, as something that is not in the natural world.

I understand the impulse to avoid social friction by not aggressively questioning other people's beliefs. I also accept the utility of social white lies (like "Your hair looks fine."). But I object to the idea that we can or should redefine terms in our minds, so that when someone else refers to God or religion, we can say we agree by our definition when we disagree by their definition. This goes beyond politeness into active deception, in my view. If one can't agree, then one shouldn't pretend to agree.

A basic idea of humanism is the belief that all humans are important. I would say that professing belief in God can detract from that belief as much as assist it.

People have produced impressive buildings, artwork, music, and other culture by being inspired by religion. But that doesn't show that religion is right, only that it can be inspiring. A great deal of culture is also created from secular motives. The skyscrapers of Manhattan were built for secular commerce, and they dwarf Trinity Church in lower Manhattan. Secular science has produced rockets that took men to the moon and took space probes out of the solar system. It has produced nuclear bombs and cures for diseases. What has religion produced that is remotely as awesome? Secular people can be justifiably proud of these accomplishments.

We can try to redefine "God" as the good that is within us, and maybe we can relate to religious people. But one of the primary values of democracy is the right to freely express oneself clearly and directly. Democracy depends on citizens being able to trust each other to be honest, and to say what they mean. That right, and that trust, would be meaningless if we redefine words to mean whatever is socially expedient. As secular humanists, we simply can't say "God exists, but we are going to redefine what the word 'God' means." This sort of practice is simply not consistent with free expression or with trustworthiness.

This article was originally published in the May 2009 issue of WASHline, the newsletter of the Washington Area Secular Humanists.