The following article is a presentation our chapter president, Flo Wineriter, gave March 25, 1995 to his Humanist Institute class in New York City.

My presentation concerns the growth of Humanist influence in world affairs during the past 300-years and the intense competition for that influence by the fundamentalists of the three Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. My thoughts are in response to the book "Defenders of God" by Bruce B. Lawrence, published by Harper & Row in 1989. All quotations are from the soft-cover edition.

I will begin with the authors' definitions.

"Fundamentalism is the affirmation of religious authority as holistic and absolute, admitting of neither criticism nor reduction; it is expressed through the collective demand that specific creedal and ethical dictates derived from scripture be publicly recognized and legally enforced.

"Modernism is the search for individual autonomy driven by a set of socially encoded values emphasizing change over continuity; quantity over quality; efficient production, power, and profit over sympathy for traditional values or vocations, in both the public and private spheres."

I believe the terms Modernism and Humanism are interchangeable terms defining current attitudes that have developed from The Enlightenment.

It seems to me the central point of controversy between Fundamentalist and Humanist is authoritarianism and the role of religion in politics and government. The fundamentalists of the three Abrahamic religions feel it is their mission to establish earthly theocracies in preparation for the arrival of a messiah. They use political influence to enact government laws and regulations that will give their creedal beliefs the force of secular law thereby forcing everyone to live according their moral precepts.

"All fundamentalists, whether they be Christian, Islamic, or Jewish, agree that the leadership of certain extraordinary individuals is decisive for the collective good.

The success of the fundamentalist campaign would destroy secular democracy and establish a theocracy. Humanists have a responsibility to keep a public spotlight focused on the goals of fundamentalism to prevent a loss by default of the freedoms' people have gained under the Enlightenment leadership of the past 300-years.

Protestant Fundamentalism:

"Fundamentalist fought internal foes. Their leaders separated from mainline Protestant denominations, specifically Presbyterianism and the American Baptist Convention. They protested creeping rationalism within the church. They founded their own churches in order to maintain doctrinal purity and also to point out the defilement of those from whom they separated. "Expound and expose" was their clarion cry. According to one of its leading proponents, "Historic fundamentalism is the literal exposition of all the affirmations and attitudes of the Bible and the militant exposure of all non-Biblical affirmations and attitudes."

Fundamentalist success would destroy the rights of self-expression, freedom of choice, equality, justice, the pursuit of individual fulfillment and the powers of the individual as advocated by Voltaire, Hume, John Locke, Adam Smith, Benjamin Franklin, etc. Fundamentalist success would return us to the authoritarian days of the Holy Roman Empire when Kings enforced the will of Popes.

Judaic Fundamentalism:

"The oft told story of Judaism in the twentieth century pits the Jewish people against a host of inimical forces. Those are the headline stories. They ignore the other story of Jewish resistance to assimilation and secularization. That resistance has become an internal struggle. It does not pit Jews against the outside world but Jews against other Jews. It is a fight for the soul of Judaism. It is a fight to prove that Jews are not merely a special race with a piece of territory but a divine instrument with a universal mission.

"Almost all Jews would be offended by such a narrow definition of Jewish identity. It is for this reason that groups advocating such views have been called 'extremist,' 'ultra orthodox,' or 'fundamentalist.'

The belief differences between fundamentalists and humanists revolve around the source of basic core values and are not resolvable. Fundamentalists believe human values are divinely instituted while humanists believe they result from the evolution of experience.

Fundamentalists believe a supernatural entity will reward or punish individuals according to their adherence to those values while humanists believe consequences are the result of the natural law of cause and effect. Fundamentalists believe they have a duty and an obligation to enforce those divine values while Humanist believe they have only the responsibility to promote desirable values and examine probable consequences.

Islamic Fundamentalism:

"We are required to focus on our Islamic duties, first to apply the Law of God (the shari'a) and the Word of God. And there can be no doubt that the first battleground of jihad is the removing of those shackles of unbelief that constrain us and substituting for them an Islamic order...."Abd As-Salam Faraj.

Fundamentalists have a concept of being a chosen people, directed by divinity to establish god's kingdom on this earth and prepare for the day of a messiah to rule. Humanists believe in the equality of all races, that no one is inferior nor superior, that all are created equal, that everyone has basic rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. "Like their American Protestant counterparts, Sunni Islamic fundamentalists want to take over the system rather than over-throw it. The outcome is no different for Muslims than for Jews and Christians."

Humanism gives respectability to the philosophy of non-theism and moral support to those who are willing to question deity concepts and take personal responsibility for their actions without the promises or threats of after-death consequences. Humanism, a moral code built on respect for ourselves and others, needs no other-world threats or rewards to make life meaningful and desirable. Making this world a better place for everyone is sufficient incentive for understanding and supporting the ethics of Humanism.

The irresolvable differences of core beliefs indicate that it is useless to seek areas of commonalty. Perhaps the most we can hope for is an atmosphere of tolerance. Even that poses a danger to Humanism because if fundamentalists are successful in their drive for power they would eradicate humanism while the dominance of Humanist power permits fundamentalist freedom of expression and the freedom to try to become theocratic dictators.

Understanding this paradox gives us a more clear understanding of what Voltaire meant when he said "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance."

--Flo Wineriter