Humanist faith

Sadly, he falls at the first hurdle by defining a humanist as someone who “believes that decisions should be made on the basis of facts and reason, not any religious belief”.

The fact is that secular humanists are as much defined by faith as any Christian. One aspect of this is provided by Mr Lawrie when he states: “Humanists believe mankind is basically good.”

This is a statement of faith and wishful thinking, not backed up by either reason or fact – indeed, the evidence points overwhelmingly the other way. Furthermore, secular humanism has everything to do with materialism. Materialism is a philosophy which argues that there is nothing beyond the material.

The fact that there are religious people such as the tele-evangelists who are “materialistic in the sense of being greedy and covetous” only serves to prove the Bible’s teaching about the sinfulness of humanity and the dangers of hypocrisy; it does not negate the connection between secular humanists and materialism.

Talk of godless materialism is not fatuous. It is obvious. Materialism is by definition godless.

David A Robertson

Solas CPC

St Peter’s Free Church

St Peter Street, Dundee