[net.religion] A kudos for humanism

gadfly@ihu1m.UUCP (Gadfly) (02/07/85)

--
Every time I see one of those "evils of humanism" articles,
I have to laugh.  If you believed these tirades, you'd think
that humanism was invented in the libertine 1960's by some
drugged-out hippie.  You ignorant twits--what do you think the
Renaissance was all about?  Secular humanism dates back at
least to Plato, perhaps its most eloquent proponent.  Go ahead,
rage against it with all the earth-centered, close-minded innocence
of a Medieval pope.  Your tantrums are kind of cute, though
their stupidity is awesome.

Humanism posits a reality--out there--that man can aspire to
know *irrespective* of any states of grace.   He who would
crush humanism mutters that Galileo got off too easy, and spits
on Copernicus, Vesalius, Newton, DaVinci, and Descartes.

Humanism is an affirmation of the very best that is within us.
-- 
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dan@scgvaxd.UUCP (Dan Boskovich) (02/27/85)

In article <280@ihu1m.UUCP> gadfly@ihu1m.UUCP (Gadfly) writes:
>
>Humanism posits a reality--out there--that man can aspire to
>know *irrespective* of any states of grace.   He who would
>crush humanism mutters that Galileo got off too easy, and spits
>on Copernicus, Vesalius, Newton, DaVinci, and Descartes.
>

Not neccesarily so, considering Newton was also what we would call
according to today's terminology, a fundamentalist Christian.
In fact, Newtom would probably be offended by your statement, being
a great admirer of Galileo and Copernicus. Newton, and many others
who share his religious convictions, will agree that one can aspire
to great knowledge *irrespective* of any state of grace, however,
as Proverbs tell us, there is knowledge, and there is wisdom! The
ancient Hebrew saw a distinction between the two. He saw wisdom as the
ability to appropiate in ones life THE DEVINE PRINCIPLES so as to
improve ones quality of life before God and man! This wisdom, of course,
is *irrespective* of any human knowledge! Hence, the biblical statement;
The Beginning of Wisdom is knowing God!