A Humanist’s Response to a Dangerous Mindset

It should come as no surprise to anyone reading this that most humanists are extremely distraught over the recent developments with our government. Many of us grew up in an era when we thought humanist values were ascendant. And while some of our generation’s hard-won gains in human rights and a more just society have been under attack in recent years, the re-election of Donald Trump as president seems like a resounding rejection of humanist values.

It looks like the arc of history is bending—not toward justice, but toward authoritarianism, oligarchy, and theocracy. Widely held humanist values of civility, compassion, empathy, tolerance, truth, and fairness appear to be waning.

It remains to be seen whether the current zeitgeist represents a true paradigm shift within our culture or is just a temporary blip on the progressive arc of history. In any event, we are compelled to consider what humanism has to offer this moment in time. And how we can make humanist values more prominent—to ensure the well-being of all and the sustainability of the planet—when the odds seem to be turning against us.

With our world facing so many existential crises, humanism’s time surely has come. As proponents of this universal ethical worldview, humanists must contribute to and foster the moral ecosystem of our country. Amid the current political chaos and uncertainty, we should be leaders in helping to shore up civil society, build a culture of humanistic values, shape the norms by which we live, and influence the forces at play in our world. To direct nothing less than the arc of history.

It’s a monumental task, but that is humanism’s vision. It always has been, but now more than ever, we must be resolute if we hope to have an impact on history. As traditional churches and civic organizations have lost sway in recent decades, humanist communities could help fill the void for those seeking connection, support, meaning, and purpose. People are looking for something bigger than themselves − and those with the biggest megaphones get the most attention. Humanism must start getting more attention!

In the past few years, HumanistsMN (a chapter of the American Humanists Association that I serve on the board of) has been doing just that. We’ve been developing relationships with such organizations as the ACLU of Minnesota, Compassion & Choices, OutFront MN, Gender Justice, First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, Or Emet, and Christians Against Christian Nationalism. But we need to do even more and would ask you—our members and friends—to be humanist ambassadors to any advocacy and affinity groups that command your attention.

But there’s more to do. The rise of Christian Nationalism in the United States and the erosion of the separation between religion and government are especially concerning to humanists. Core humanist values of widespread human flourishing, individual dignity and autonomy, freedom of belief, and truth-telling are being abandoned.

People throughout our society are increasingly vulnerable—the young and old, the poor, the LGBTQ community, and immigrants, to name a few. And any one of us may face unforeseen hardship or condemnation if the rule of law and our institutions are undermined in the coming months and years. As humanists, we have to be there to support and partner with the most vulnerable—even when it is not politically or socially expedient. Let us not be fair-weather humanists!

The growing economic disparity in our country also clearly needs more of our attention. Our expressed commitment to widespread human flourishing must be more than mere words if we expect to demonstrate the integrity of humanism. Could it be that we are out of touch with those who might most benefit from humanism’s possibilities?

Do we need to give more thought to those who feel like they are not being heard or understood—or feel like they are being left behind? Are we too stuck in our own bubbles that we don’t see clearly how others might experience life differently than we do? Reflecting on these questions will hopefully increase our awareness and focus our attention on societal needs as we work toward building a more humanist world.

Can humanism in fact respond effectively to this moment in history? Admittedly, as a demographic, we’re not as well-organized as we need to be. YET. That is changing—but clearly too slowly. Many local humanist groups are unprepared to lead or to be “influencers” because we’re mostly a bunch of volunteers with limited time and energy. Even at the national and global level, there are few paid staff and they must operate with less than optimal resources.

The question before us: do the proponents of humanism have the foresight and will to grow and invest in the movement to create the associations, institutions, think tanks, service organizations, and advocacy groups that will embed humanist thought and practice throughout our culture? That’s what other “influencers” do to make their mark on the world.

The time for doom-scrolling and kvetching over every scary, horrible, crazy, concerning election is over. We must claim and assert our agency—as individuals and as a community—to strategize and build a more robust humanist community, championing humanistic values and principles in our own little corner of the world.

Let’s focus on the work before us and consider what role, large or small, any of us might play in advancing a more humanistic world. For the time we have been given—for the one life that we have—what will our legacy be?