LINK As the Christian Church Crumbles, is Humanism Ready to Step Up? - TheHumanist.com
Once we get past the finger-pointing and back-patting about the giving gap, we can finally get to a worthwhile question: As the church crumbles and takes that system with it, can an equally effective, systematic giving culture be created among the nonreligious? Without the church absorbing the lion’s share, could I make an even bigger impact on human need than I did when I was feeding that shiny plate?
This is a challenge and an opportunity for philanthropy. Only about 20 percent of Americans now attend church regularly. If creating a giving culture is something churches do well, and people are exiting that system in droves, we need to ask how we can create the same or greater success without the religious context.
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.No, unfortunately I do not believe humanism is ready step up and replace the philanthropy and community that religion provided because the philosophy of "humanism" is not replacing religion, religion is being replaced, by and large, by individualism. The void that the waning of religion leaves may in part be filled by humanism in a myriad of forms but ultimately the reformed persons generally discover a new individuality outside the group. Individuality having more egotistical and narcissistic tendencies tends toward self-preservation and self-centeredness: consumerism, psuedo-sciences, tribal zealotry etc. are all examples of this behaviour. It would seem that perhaps nature does abhor a vacuum. However, it is feasible that future generations not saddled with the legacy of religion might develop a new global humanist community given time and the right conditions. We can only hope that rational thought, science, altruism and reason will prevail.
Imajica
Level 3
Feb 2, 2019
1
i am not sure the church is crumbling. i wouldn't know for sure, since i've never been a christian, but my outside view, such as it is, doesn't show that. as for giving, there are nonreligious human services organizations. some are governmental, others private. yes, i know, SO many are attached to a religious entity, but not all. i am thinking in particular of the very good food shelf/clothes closet in my city. it is absolutely secular.
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genessa
Level 8
Sep 11, 2018
1
The church is definitely crumbling. Most churches are practically empty - I've seen several chuches in my area up for sale or actually abandoned. It means we are doing something good. Now how we handle the void it leaves behind is another topic...
@Return2Sender i got dragged to a megachurch once. my guy has a friend who is an evangelical and, knowing we're jewish, told us it was a salute to israel. it was in fact a john hagee tribute to islamaphobia. (it was horrifying.) the place was PACKED. maybe some small churches are emptying out. the megas are not.
g
The numbers suggest the Muslim will take that position.
NoMagicCookie
Level 8
Aug 30, 2018
1
First of all, I don't know where you get the 20% from, as Wikipedia says 37%. Secondly, I've been hearing that the Christian churches were dying for over 50 years since the Death of God movement and though most of the mainline churches did diminish, the evangelical churches just kept getting stronger. Religion adapts. Thirdly, in my experience, most Christians are surface social Christians who barely understand their own religion, and don't read the Bible, and don't give that much. Churches are often more of a social organization than a theological one. Fourthly, if churches did go away, it would actually free up billions that now go to the upkeep, and in some case luxury living, of the churches, which could certainly be put to much better use. I don't really agree that churches are a very strong giving culture when you consider that billions are wasted internally on the church hierarchies rather than being put to good use. Fifthly, you certainly don't have to belong to a church to care about the human race. In fact, humanists have more of a reason to care about this planet and its inhabitants than those who think its all about getting to heaven and this life really doesn't matter. Some theists even think that suffering is noble and good for strengthening your faith, so why interfere with the "Will of God". So, unless they think you can buy your way into heaven, which of course you can't, why give money away? Sixthly, there are plenty of humanistic charities that are not associated with religion in any way. But, if you are implying that there should or need to be charities overtly associated with agnosticism or atheism, I'm afraid that society will have to change a lot more before that would attract a lot of money. In fact, I see no reason why I would give money to a charity for that reason alone. I think that the effectiveness of a charity is much more important.
Heraclitus
Level 8
Aug 29, 2018
2
In 2003 John Gray (then Emeritus Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics.) published a book called “Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals”. In this he highlights the problem with Humanism, and why as a flawed system it can never succeed. The problem has to do with its pedigree and the conceptual map upon which it is drawn. If you haven’t read the book, it is well worth perusing.
rcandlish
Level 7
Aug 26, 2018
1
Is the christian church really crumbling? I think that's being a little overly optimistic.
patchoullijulie
Level 8
Aug 24, 2018
2
I think it is feeling the heat of global warming and facing the certainty that rising sea levels will eventually drown it. Given the now overwhelming evidence for human evolution and the fact that there is not one shred of evidence for Genesis 2:7, to be a Christian in this modern world is to voluntarily wear a dunces cap. There is only one place suitable for such stupidity. the shunning loneliness of the corner of contempt. Yes the Christian Church is crumbling, and they know it is, why do you think so many of them are praying for the Rapture?
@rcandlish I agree religion is feeling the heat more and more. But I still think crumbling is too strong a word at this point....and trust me, I would love nothing more than to acknowledge that it is crumbling. I think that those whose lives are invested in religion (be it for power or sense of security)are not going to give it up easily. That would leave them with nothing and thats a tough leap to take consciously. I was reading an article from this mornings NY Times about the Pope in Ireland and they had photos's of people who were lining the streets, hoping for a glimpse of the man who heads the biggest pedophile ring in the world, and yet there they were, still there to wave him on. We still have a long way to go to get to crumbling, in my opinion.
@patchoullijulie I wouldn't worry about crowds welcoming the Pope. He is just like any other pop idol. As for perversion in the Catholic Church, there's a simple solution everyone would benefit from: Castrate the Clergy. But of course that would be cheating, Christianity is all about suffering for Christ because the Christian God is a sick sadist.
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