Comments on: American Humanism and Buddhism: Seeking Community and Culture http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/humanism/2007/09/24/american-humanism-and-buddhism-seeking-community-and-culture/ Blog by the Humanist Chaplain at Harvard, Greg M. Epstein Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:40:16 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Katherine http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/humanism/2007/09/24/american-humanism-and-buddhism-seeking-community-and-culture/comment-page-1/#comment-276 Katherine Wed, 26 Sep 2007 03:11:05 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/humanism/2007/09/24/american-humanism-and-buddhism-seeki#comment-276 ps I apologize for my spelling errors, it is late and I am a bit tired. I didn't notice until after I submitted my comment. Oops! ps I apologize for my spelling errors, it is late and I am a bit tired. I didn’t notice until after I submitted my comment. Oops!

]]> By: Katherine http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/humanism/2007/09/24/american-humanism-and-buddhism-seeking-community-and-culture/comment-page-1/#comment-275 Katherine Wed, 26 Sep 2007 03:09:57 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/humanism/2007/09/24/american-humanism-and-buddhism-seeki#comment-275 I think that there already are institutions in place that mimic Humanistic communities, although the do not acknowledge themselves as such. For instance, there is the American Psychological Association which explicitly states that not only should psychologists "do no harm", but also be the best person they can be, the most ethical person, and also adovcate for their patients' best interests. The medical field also has the Hyperion oath that states that they should do no harm. Police officers actually (believe it or not) have their own ethics code. I think these policies are a way to increase Humanistic practices without causing people to feel like they are conforming to an organized religion. The interesting point in time will be if and when Humanism is seen as as a religion instead of just a value system. I know that when I speak of Humanism, people often recoil because they associate any talk of a value system as a type of organized religion. When the realize that there are no formal rules other than being a great person, they relax and are more interested and more open to listening. I am looking forward to the day when Humanism is seen as a formal "religion" or belief system, because hopefully it will then be as well known and as prominant as Christianity or Judaism or Islam or Buddhism. I think that there already are institutions in place that mimic Humanistic communities, although the do not acknowledge themselves as such. For instance, there is the American Psychological Association which explicitly states that not only should psychologists “do no harm”, but also be the best person they can be, the most ethical person, and also adovcate for their patients’ best interests. The medical field also has the Hyperion oath that states that they should do no harm. Police officers actually (believe it or not) have their own ethics code. I think these policies are a way to increase Humanistic practices without causing people to feel like they are conforming to an organized religion.
The interesting point in time will be if and when Humanism is seen as as a religion instead of just a value system. I know that when I speak of Humanism, people often recoil because they associate any talk of a value system as a type of organized religion. When the realize that there are no formal rules other than being a great person, they relax and are more interested and more open to listening.
I am looking forward to the day when Humanism is seen as a formal “religion” or belief system, because hopefully it will then be as well known and as prominant as Christianity or Judaism or Islam or Buddhism.

]]> By: ReligionWriter http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/humanism/2007/09/24/american-humanism-and-buddhism-seeking-community-and-culture/comment-page-1/#comment-272 ReligionWriter Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:11:36 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/humanism/2007/09/24/american-humanism-and-buddhism-seeki#comment-272 Gary, Interesting that you see parallels between American Buddhism and the atheist/humanist community. The interesting problem to face is the one I asked Clark Strand about: Can you really get Buddhists -- or in this case humanists -- to act more like a religious community, when many adherents are in fact very disillusioned with the idea of religious community in the first place? It's the same kind of paradox I find in the Pagan community. As they grow, there are more moves toward organization. And then it all starts to look like the "organized religion" that many Pagans are trying to leave behind. So is there a method of organizing around spiritual beliefs and deeply held values that avoids some of the pitfalls of organized religion? That's one for you all to work out! Keep me posted. Gary,

Interesting that you see parallels between American Buddhism and the atheist/humanist community. The interesting problem to face is the one I asked Clark Strand about: Can you really get Buddhists — or in this case humanists — to act more like a religious community, when many adherents are in fact very disillusioned with the idea of religious community in the first place?

It’s the same kind of paradox I find in the Pagan community. As they grow, there are more moves toward organization. And then it all starts to look like the “organized religion” that many Pagans are trying to leave behind.

So is there a method of organizing around spiritual beliefs and deeply held values that avoids some of the pitfalls of organized religion? That’s one for you all to work out! Keep me posted.

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