Secular Humanism: A Quest For Purpose
“The secular humanist of the modern era has become as equally responsible for our current state of affairs, as is the Biblical Christian positioned to engage them within society.”
The imposition of secular humanism has resulted in a diverse interpretation of reality, often described as the ‘modern culture of America.’ To the secular humanist, the problem with religion are the limitations given by Scripture, the deposition of nature’s power, and following a pattern of ancient ritualistic thinking. By removing preconceived conditional restraints upon the essence of our structure, our species can independently redefine ourselves, expanding our universally accepted physical limitations which have plagued humanity throughout the course of our evolution.
The secular humanist believes that upon becoming aware of the process of macroevolution, we can harness control of the laws of nature, overcoming the limitations which currently infect our kind. To the secular humanist, our current state of evolution is evidence enough that controlled biological mutations can result in a separation and hierarchy between planetary creatures. By harnessing the power of nature, humans can become the elusive “gods” which have been predicted throughout the history of time. By harnessing the power of technology, transhumanism can popularize, bringing biological cybernetic organisms into the forefront of contemporary society. If this is our destiny, what separates the faith and belief system of Biblical Christians and Secular Humanists? Are transhumanists veering their entities to split our species into two: one natural and the other genetically mutated or synthetically-enhanced? Could Christians be the ones misinterpreting the blueprint of our evolutionary chain? Are we truly destined to become the gods in which have been depicted throughout the history of time? Or, has secular humanism further depraved human beings even further beyond our Fall from God’s truth, Scripture, and the historically proven origin of our existence?
Secular Humanism: A Quest For Purpose
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” – Second Amendment[1] What began with our Constitutional second amendment, Jefferson’s Danbury Baptist letter of 1802, and the determination that religion would remain preserved through the separation of church and state, has now manifested itself into the foundation of modern western thought. The separation of church and state has functioned within society as a double-edged sword, protecting religion from government intervention, but also diminishing its authority over the decisions of the people. So began the secular revolution in America, leading to the humanist narrative we hold today. Today’s intellectuals have realized their opportunity to implement the merge of science fiction, philosophy, and self-help, to capitalize on, and even in some instances control, average Americans. According to Oxford dictionary[2], the term secularism is defined as, “the belief that religion should not be involved in the organization of society, education, etc,” while the Merriam-Webster Dictionary[3] defines it as “of or relating to the worldly or temporal, not overtly or specifically religious.” In the modern era, secular humanism can be defined as ‘the realm in which we reside,’ as much of the modern world has been inspired from humanism, apart from Biblical Scripture.
Secular Humanism
“Clearly, secularism is not always about peace.” – Ron Paul[4]
Two individuals responsible for the popularization of humanism were Francesco “Petrarch” Petrarca[5] (1304-1374) and Lorenzo Valla[6],[7] (1407-1457) through their efforts to prove that the Roman Catholic Church had lied about their right to be the leading authority on the doctrine of Churches. Their argument was based on the Donation of Constantine, a forged document allegedly written by Roman emperor Constantine the Great. After being cured of leprosy, he was claimed to have granted total supreme authority to the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. This document, which has been continuously debated throughout history, was first discovered and publicized by Petrarch and Lorenzo who alerted the public of its fraudulent claims marked the first historic victory for humanists, bringing the naturalist worldview into the mainstream. This discovery urged society to question the ethics of the institutional Biblical narratives touted from the Roman Catholic Church. This also played a vital role in the Reformation era, bringing influential figures to prominence who would combat the total authority of the church with truth, stating their faith had been hijacked by religious operatives, who had placed the authority of the pope and the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church above all Biblical Scripture, and the “antichrist” pope “exalting himself in the church against Christ[8].”
An excerpt from the Donation of Constantine reads:
“We ordain and decree that [the pope] shall have the supremacy as well over the four chief seats Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Jerusalem, as also over all the churches of God in the whole world. And he who for the time being shall be pontiff of that holy Roman Church shall be more exalted than, and chief over, all the priests of the whole world and, according to his judgment, everything which is to be provided for the service of God or the stability of the faith of the Christians is to be administered.” – The Donation of Constantine
Origin. Secular humanists hold a conglomeration of learned beliefs often compiled throughout their various life experiences. One thing which remains consistent is most secularists believe in macroevolution. This either means we evolved from monkeys, bacteria, or non-living matter. To the humanists, it is only a matter of time until our next evolution, which can now be catalyzed through biological technology (biotech). The transhumanist seeks to use technology to experience the next stage in our evolution while attempting to uncover the totality of our capability. To the transhumanist, once we achieve the ability to artificially enhance our physical state, we may be able to do the same to our mental capacity. Once this happens, the transhumanist believes we may be able to discover the true origin of our species. The transhumanist has not ruled out that humanity may have been a failed alien experiment, and we are bacteria being observed. It is only through fusion with technology that the humanist will be able to unveil their true origin and fulfill their purpose.
Meaning. Humans by design, the name comes naturally to those in constant pursuit of unveiling the meaning of life. To say that secular humanists disregard faith would fall short of capturing the essence of meaning. To the secular humanist, the Bible was created by man, and the cult of Christianity renders individuals a lost cause. If only fewer people dedicated their lives to a mythical force, we could achieve more human progress. The desire to uncover meaning of life greatly outweighs the possibility that the Biblical worldview is our true intended purpose. To the humanist, the very potential that there is still magic to be unearthed compels them to pursue “trying new things.” This often allows the pragmatic humanist to be easily persuaded by a government entity or non-government organization and used to usher in various new world orders which work in the best interest of the malevolent global oligopoly of control, which seeks to eliminate supernatural faith.
Morality. The concept of right and wrong can be loosely defined from the pragmatist perspective. When faced with difficult decisions, the secular humanist doctrine believes that making a decision is always better than indecision. While this can be true, it shifts the concept from the distinction between two decisions and deciding at all. Then, the possibility of making the correct decision reduces itself from 50%, to 25%. From there, this percentage further degrades as more possibilities are manifested in reaction to humanism's unanswerable questions.
Should we choose A or B?
Should we choose at all?
Should we decide not to choose?
What would be choices C, D, E, and F?
Why are we even faced with the burden of choice?
How important is this choice in comparison with our previous choices?
The ocean of uncertainty consumes the secular humanist when faced with making a distinction between right and wrong. This leaves the humanist with two possibilities: The first, follow the trend and place limitations on our behavior at that which is acceptable by society. This means that regardless of our decisions, so long as they are “with the times” they will inherently be forgiven by future generations should they turn out to be erroneous. The second is to approach life with a Pragmatic perspective and judge each decision situationally. The secular humanist resides in an existential and subjective state of dualism. To the humanist, there is always at least a fifty-percent chance of choosing incorrectly, as everything is based upon the battle for power between the equal forces of good and evil.
“Because we no longer have a moral compass to guide our political system, we now face the prospect of economic and social upheaval. Without a moral foundation to our political system it’s a free-for-all, and those who understand how to use government power benefit the most.” – Ron Paul[9]
Destiny. What is more convincing than the world which can be grasped before you? To the secular humanists and modern transhumanists of today, the physical realm takes ultimate precedence. The modern secularist views believers and religious practitioners as historically “distracted” when it comes to “actual human progress,” and often focusing on the “wrong” things, such as “following an invisible personal God,” or living their lives by an “ancient book.” To secular humanists, existentialism is an embedded aspect of reality. To be remembered for greatness among men for generations, to become a hero, triumphs reconsidering the true nature of our existence as being confined to text. Destiny is the most vital aspect of the secularist’s view, often wishing they had achieved more to be remembered by. This then causes an even greater distraction through overcompensation of social media posting, often perpetuating political propaganda. The humanist bases their lives on what will be remembered, at all costs.
To the humanist, no matter the purpose of life, achieving something that will contribute to the physical realm is often a primary focus. The secular transhumanist lives for the pursuit of truth, while dismissing Biblical scripture. This leaves a perpetual search for a purpose which can never be revealed. The benefit to this worldview, if any, is a consistent expansion of infrastructure and reliable industrial progress. While the Biblical Christian wastes away their lives praying for a miracle, the secular transhumanist builds, demolishes, and rebuilds, the world in which exists. The secular believe if it weren’t for the passion of human pursuit to uncovered the meaning of life, society would have progressed no further than the Bible, and the herding of sheep. To avoid residing on a pasture, secular humanists have built the world in their image. Yet, the “depraved” and primitive Biblical Christian bend their knee to a mythical force, avoiding praise to the actual working class who relied on human nature and evolution to produce the technology in which we have come to rely on. The truth is, believe the humanists, without the secular worldview, the Bible would likely have remained handwritten, nothing more than a popular prehistoric blip, rapidly dissolving out of human existence forever.
The modern anti-theist globalist narrative reads, that it is not by the grace of God, but by science and human [macro]evolution that is responsible for life and reality as we know it. The modern secular transhumanist believes that the goal of our current life is to avoid thinking about our destiny and what comes next. Once this biological distraction is overcome, we can resume dedicating our full entities to revealing the secret to infinite mortality. After this is achieved, transhumanists believe they may be able to resurrect the dead through artificial intelligence (AI). The future hope of the transhumanists is that they will possess the power to act as gods. From here, they believe humanity can be saved, preserved, and extend their reach to discover the vast meaning of our universe.
Secular Naturalism v. Biblical Supernaturalism
Origin. The benefit of a Biblical Christian perspective is that we as a species have historically accurately mapped out the lineage of our existence, back to the very dust which created us. Christians know their purpose, and the suggested limitations of their human experience. Unlike the Humanist, the Biblical Christian can in theory achieve more direct impact through implementing their gifts and calling to God’s path, contributing to the Lord’s Kingdom of Heaven. Since the Biblical Christian is undistracted by their origin, the meaning of life, our intrinsic value, what comes next, and other concerns sought in the endless pursuit of the secular humanist narrative, immediate lasting progress to society can be achieved.
Like the humanists, the Biblical Christian Baptist worldview also recognized the Donation of Constantine as fraudulent, even in the late 1600’s. In 1677, Benjamin Harris[10] printed “The Baptist Confession of Faith” to be sold in his shop. One interesting point noted in this literature is that even during its inception from 1677- 1689, it refuted the authority of the pope over Christians. This represented the doctrine that Anabaptists and Calvinists lived by, and has become the inspiration for the modern Baptist faith[11]. Chapter 26, Paragraph 4 deems the pope of Rome to be the antichrist, a man of sin, and holding himself above Jesus Christ, and “all that is called God, whom the Lord shall destroy[12].”
“The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner;7 neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalts himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God; whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.87 Col. 1:18; Matt. 28:18–20; Eph. 4:11–128 2 Thess. 2:2–9
Meanings compared. To the Biblical Christian, the transhumanist wastes significant time searching for meaning. The Biblical Christian does not require the questioning of our actions, nor the search for purpose. The Biblical Christian views the humanist as infinitely confined to a state of distraction, searching for truth in all the wrong places, while discrediting Scripture as a possibility of Truth. The Biblical Christian wastes no time pondering purpose and can begin utilizing the gifts which God has endowed us, contributing to His Kingdom which we are provided with, and embracing the resources which he has provisioned us dominion over. The Biblical Christian is less likely to leave an artificially negative impact on the environment, or communities, out of respect for our Creator. The secular humanist believes that technology supersedes our duty to engage in collective natural resource preservation. This can be seen with Climate Change fanatics who seek to evict tax dollars from the wallets of hard-working Americans, in an effort to unsuccessfully attempt to control God’s order. The primary reason these mendacious humanist entities exist is to obtain revenue, as opposed to producing significant proactive change.
Morality compared. Much like the secular humanist, the Biblical Christian understands that the journey of the human experience has and will continue to pose a multitude of situations which are unpredictable and impossible to determine. However, one thing that sets Biblical Christians apart is that a follower of Jesus Christ has an intrinsically accurate depiction of right and wrong. To the Biblical Christian, making an incorrect decision requires effort to attempt to temporarily break away from our governing rules and laws of God. The Biblical worldview knows that we are inherently depraved and as a result the decisions which we often arrive at our based upon our own fleshly desires and not chosen in the name of God. For this reason, The Biblical Christian references their belief system, including the concept of good and evil, comparing these to the word of God. Christians are not required to memorize every Biblical lesson, however, through reading the Scripture frequently believers are reminded of His intent and the laws which govern our planet. The Bible reveals what God considers right, and what He condemns as wrong. To knowingly disregard the word of the Lod is to willingly abandon God. It is separation from God that leaves human beings in a state of vulnerability and prone to the demonic infiltration of influence.
As the Apostle Paul wrote of his personal discovery in the Bible, (Rom 7:21b, CSB) “When I want to do what is good, evil is present with me.” This is impactful quote remains as an accurate description of the overwhelming influence of modern humanism consistently seeking to impose itself on our thoughts throughout America today. Although society seemingly encourages us to produce good, the physical fact that many of us must place immeasurable effort in seeking to accomplish good works in our own lives is proof that evil is present in us. This explains our depraved nature, exposing the solution as holding total allegiance to Scripture and complete faith in God.
Destiny compared. The Biblical Christian has concluded that there is eternal life after death, and this knowledge allows a sense of peace and security which is not possible in the humanist state without immeasurable physical distraction. The Biblical Christian understands that they will only die one time, but then will be reborn and live eternally with God in heaven. What comes after this varies, however, the majority would like to believe that we will be reunited with family and friends, even our pets, living for eternity in God’s Kingdom. Of course, the Bible doesn’t explicitly reveal every detail beyond life, as it is written as a field manual for how to live our lives in preparation for Heaven. From the existentialist perspective, it is always to leave the perpetual mark of Christ on this Earth, and maybe even be remembered along the way for our fiery passion which enabled us to receive His grace. To the secular humanist, death is an impending sense of doom, which requires rapid human intervention and biological evolution to reshape the narrative, and eternally attempt to retain and preserve mortal life.
Conclusion
Living in America, it is as difficult to notice as it is to avoid the influence of humanism on our daily lives. From the news we read, the to propaganda we see, to the interests of friends and family, secular humanism has become ubiquitous in our modern landscape. The idea of macroevolution has come so far in American society that we have reached a point where we now aim to evolve the biological state far beyond our natural intended form, manifesting a host of new Biblical opposition and controversy throughout God’s Kingdom. From the modern secular transhumanist position, anything is biologically possible, from increased mobility from cybernetic enhancements to eternal life through biological conversion into artificial intelligence (AI) cybernetic organisms. What begins as biological upgrades will soon result in the secular worldview shifting more reliance on artificial science and synthetic technology, yielding further power to bureaucratic operatives and international technocrats.
The age of digital convenience has arrived. Today, it is nearly impossible today to avoid scanning your key fob, iPhone or Apple watch to gain access to a facility, make a purchase, or ride a subway, and the future continues to demand even more “convenient options.” Private companies have already begun to offer their employees microchips for access to secure facilities and data[13],[14],[15]. Major pharmaceutical organizations have already begun working on gaining patents to health surveillance using biometric data, mandating the implementation of experimental techniques in order to test the physical limitations of the new technology on the people[16]. Even the inception of 5G technology has its unknown biotoxicities yet to be discovered. Similar to the initial rollout of tobacco, nefarious corporations historically yield as much profit as they can with new technologies before health regulations can be placed. This happens by convincing the consumer that the new technologies are one hundred percent safe when manufacturers are initially free from liability. This was seen during the emergency authorization usage rollout of COVID-19 when mRNA experimental concoctions were mandated to the public in order to regain civil rights and participate in society. This is not God’s order, nor does it reflect the Biblical responsibility of man to commit to upholding His order through the uncertainty of contemporary times.
The Biblical Christian of today may view the world through an entirely different lens than the transhumanist narrative, but we all share the same world. This means that the actions of one ideology affects all ideologies, leading to the inevitable understanding and great realization that regardless of our beliefs, it is our duty to preserve the Earth and its inhabitants. It is not our objective to reap profit, but to worship the Lord through his individual calling on each of our lives. It is our duty to uphold the image of His Kingdom that we share. It is our responsibility to perpetuate His message throughout society and avoid selfishly keeping the good news to ourselves. The good news that there is eternal life. The good news that there is magic beyond the physical realm we remain seemingly confined to. The good news that the Lord is our sovereign Creator and a personal God that can reshape our lives and makes us new. The secular transhumanist narrative has not voided religion from our society’s foundation but instead has given a platform to implement the Christian doctrine and fight against anti-theistic disorder in the name of Jesus Christ. As for the secular humanist, the endless journey continues through an eternal pursuit of meaning, and a quest for purpose.
References
[1] http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/education/all_amendments_usconst.htm
[2] https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/secular
[3] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secular
[4] Liberty Defined, Ron Paul – 2011, Religion & Liberty, Page 243
[5] https://www.worldhistory.org/Donation_of_Constantine/
[6] https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=1817
[7] https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/lorenzo-valla/
https://www.the1689confession.com
[9] Liberty Defined, Ron Paul – 2011, Religion & Liberty, Page 251
[10] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benjamin-Harris
[11] https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/
[12] https://www.the1689confession.com/1689/chapter-26?rq=pope
[13] https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/08/17/140994/this-company-embeds-microchips-in-its-employees-and-they-love-it/
[14] https://www.science.gov/topicpages/b/biochip+scanner+device
[15] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/08/microchip-in-your-hand-rfid-32m/
[16] https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6666/text