The number of names applied to Humanism astounds me. Looking at some of these names provides insight into the way others interpret the meaning of Humanism. Recently these names were showcased at the Atheist Alliance convention, sponsored by the St. Louis Rationalist Society Many groups were represented: The Freedom From Religion Foundation, The Eupraxophy Center, The Council for Secular Humanism, The Rationalist Society, The Freethinkers, The Atheist Alliance, and The American Humanist Association.

Each of these groups espouses a secular philosophy consistent with Humanism. The Freedom From Religion Foundation's Annie Laurie Gaylor gave a presentation on her book Women Without Superstition, emphasizing women in history who promoted a secular viewpoint. Humanists are free from religious bonds and sexual bigotry and can empathize with these secular women.

Eupraxophy is a world view independent of religion. The word is derived from several components to form the new word, Eupraxophy. Secular Humanism and Humanism are nearly interchangeable at this point. The rationalist view point is one of a very Humanistic ilk; viewing the world in a rational way is paramount to the Humanist experience.

Freethought probably entails the most significant contribution to the Humanist experience. Without freethought, many would not examine the world with an open mind, share ideas in new ways, and contribute to the well being of those around them. Atheism also embodies Humanistic ideals; a world guided by humans and human thoughts has little place for a god belief.

I think that the titles we accept for ourselves accentuate our priorities. As a member of the San Francisco Atheist Alliance group, Ray Ramano created a very realistic portrayal of Judas as a man, attempting to be the manager of Jesus and the Apostles' finances and public appearance dealings. He put so much feeling into the character that the entire audience paused for a brief period, in shock, before applauding his performance. To take such an historic person and contrast the day to day problems is very Humanistic, but the emphasis on treating Jesus as a human rather than a god, requires an atheistic viewpoint, as well.

Herb Silverman, the candidate without a prayer, described his experiences running for Governor and Notary Public in his state. South Carolina had a restrictive law that effectively prohibited atheists from running for public office. Herb presented a very humorous portrayal of his experiences. The primary focus of his efforts were to free a portion of the secular population to become contributing members of the political system. He founded the Secular Humanists of the Low Country.

Steve Schafersman spoke on the American Humanist Association's venture into the Web. Many popular freethought books are being scanned and provided on the web for all who wish to read them. Steve also spoke of the efforts to censor the web and the intention to use filter engines to censor bad ideas. This has backfired as libraries and schools eliminated sites discussing breast cancer, for example. Steve founded the Houston Skeptics group. His work emphasizes his preference for Skeptic as a label.

The many names of Humanism can be a bit confusing, but we all hold similar views with varying emphasis. Choose your name, join the fun and work together with all of these organizations to help provide support for a secular Humanistic accepting world.

--Clayton Slaughter
May/June issue of The Central Ohio Humanist