Monday, November 21, 2005

Monday Mish Mosh

From Gabrielle, I just happen to match her! A hard quiz to take, there were several questions that I could answer either way. Had a really hard time with the garden one :


Haymaker




You are one of life’s enjoyers, determined to get the most you can out of your brief spell on Earth. Probably what first attracted you to atheism was the prospect of liberation from the Ten Commandments, few of which are compatible with a life of pleasure. You play hard and work quite hard, have a strong sense of loyalty and a relaxed but consistent approach to your philosophy.

You can’t see the point of abstract principles and probably wouldn’t lay down your life for a concept though you might for a friend. Something of a champagne humanist, you admire George Bernard Shaw for his cheerful agnosticism and pursuit of sensual rewards and your Hollywood hero is Marlon Brando, who was beautiful, irascible and aimed for goodness in his own tortured way.

Sometimes you might be tempted to allow your own pleasures to take precedence over your ethics. But everyone is striving for that elusive balance between the good and the happy life. You’d probably open another bottle and say there’s no contest.
What kind of humanist are you? Click here to find out.


So, of course I was curious to see what a humanist actually is according to the dictionary, since I'm obviously not really truly completely one:
hu·man·ist ( P ) (hym-nst)n.
1.A believer in the principles of humanism.
2.One who is concerned with the interests and welfare of humans.
3.A classical scholar.
4.A student of the liberal arts.
5. Humanist A Renaissance scholar devoted to Humanism.


I suppose I am a number 2 and number 4. I'm most definitely not an atheist. And I think the usual principles of humanism are: the doctrine emphasizing a person's capacity for self-realization through reason; rejects religion and the supernatural.
I absolutely support using reason as often as possible. But faith, belief, and meditation are not usually considered "reason", and those are quite important to me also.
I do reject organized religion for myself personally, and I wish a whole lot of other people would reconsider the role their organized religion has played and currently plays in the enslavement of fellow human beings and disregard for the Earth as our home.
I most definitely do not reject the supernatural. Too much evidence personally experienced for me to do so. So maybe I am a halfway humanist? A balanced humanist?


A quote that I find useful today:

If you want to work on your art, work on your life.
-Anton Chekhov,short-story writer and dramatist (1860-1904)


A weekend update picture:
The view of the BIG GAME from our seats on Saturday.
GO BEARS! Four years in a row beating Stanfurd, woohoo!

Oh! And the Google Bomb worked!!
On Google, type in Terrorist Sympathizer
Click on I Feel Lucky

Haha!

2 comments:

jenclair said...

I think the atheist idea is a modern one associated with secular humanism. Sir Thomas More was a Christian humanist, as was Dostoyevsky. Humanism is a moral and ethical philosophy that can be religious or not -

The problem I had with the quiz: the association with atheism - it seemed so strident and sort of irresponsible. During the Renaissance, Humanists espoused reason, morality, and enjoyment of life on earth as a gift of God, not simply enduring this life in order to get to heaven.

Nikki said...

I'm so glad I'm no longer the only artful quilter posting pictures from football games! Congrats on the win...rivalry games are great aren't they?