Humanist Links

No anthropocetric conceit here -- i know we are not the point of the universe. But the point of secular humanism, and the issues that make us activists, is to make our time here on this little blue dot in space better, more peaceful, more fair. Hurling thru the universe on this pale blue dot, some of us still have a problem living, and letting others live -- with fairness, dignity and autonomy.

The earth is a very small dot in a very large cosmic picture. Think of all the blood shed by all those generals and emperors, presidents and prime ministers, party leaders and religious leaders so that with their triumph they'd become the momentary masters of a very small fraction of this very small dot.

Think of the depthless cruelties visited on people from one part of the dot by people from another part of this dot. How eager some of us are to kill, how emphatic is some of our hatreds.

In all this vastness of space, there is no hint, not one bit of evidence, that there is someone out there who will come and save us from ourselves.

Since no one else is going to save us, what can we do?

1. We can take seriously the commands to love one another that most all of the major religions (which most of us profess to live by) teach -- we can work for social justice, working to eliminate, racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. 2. We can resist in every practical way the religious-political extremism of the far-right. 3. We can resist in every practical way the intellectual relativism of the far-left. 4. We can work toward the economic self-sufficiency of the billion or so poorest people on the planet. 5. We can get versed on history and psychology so we'll know what potential for evil lies within each one of us, and what mistakes we've made in the past (so as to try and not repeat them). 6. We can simply not allow our children to grow up uneducated. 7. We can wake up to the single greatest threat endangering our species: overpopulation -- and make sure no child is ever born unwanted. We can plan parenthood and families, rather than letting libidinal instincts and chance decide our family constellations for us. 8. We can care for and cherish the planet that sustains not only us but all the other species that share it with us. 9. We can -- every single one of us -- take a fierce and principled role in the democratic process. 10. We can insist on the honesty and selflessness of our elected officials. 11. We can judge our progress by the courage of our questions and the depths of our answers, by our willingness to embrace what is true, not just what makes us feel good.

In the interest of encouraging us to ask the right questions and searching for answers with depth, here are some links.

Council for Secular Humanism -- An international organization making headways in the mobilization and activization of of the masses of people on the planet who care about its future, and ours. The Humanist Net -- About applying the principles of evolutionary naturalism to everyday living. What does secular humanism have to say about how we should relate to one another, with other species, and with the environment? This site offers answers. American Humanist Association -- Represents both secular and religious naturalistic humanism, and cooperates with other national and international humanist organizations to advance the ideals of humanism. Current Population -- Come here to see the current population on the planet. "Regarding Population" -- "Humans are too dense." This is a good site with good links on overpopulation, the single greatest threat to the survival of our species. Zero Population Growth -- The nation's largest grassroots organization concerned with the impacts of rapid population growth and wasteful consumption. Population pressures exacerbate acute social problems such as teen pregnancy, poverty, hunger, homelessness and crime. Continued population growth is foremost among factors aggravating critical environmental problems such as urban sprawl, air and water pollution, deforestation, wildlife extinction, and climate change. The Population Institute -- "Overpopulation is not a distant issue. Its overwhelming problems are upon us. Every member of every future generation will be directly affected by what you and the Population Institute do now. Worldwatch -- A nonprofit public policy research organization dedicated to informing policymakers and the public about emerging global problems. Starting Point -- For info on euthanasia, the debate, and informed content. The Abortion Rights Activist -- Serving the online prochoice community since 1995. ATF Stats -- Statistics from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on the loopy rise of abotion clinic bombings. The Action Resource Center -- Spearheads and supports campaigns that protect the environment, human rights and social justice, etc. Human Rights Campaign -- Works around the clock to "amplify the voices for fairness" nationwide. OTHER SITES OF INTEREST International Planned Parenthood Federation United Nations Population Information Network (POPIN) Southern Poverty Law Center (Klan Watch)

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