Question on Humanism.

[Rob]

Missed a category: Militant agnostic. I don't know and neither do you.

You're so offensive.

[Ameri Boi]

I always thought athism is just atheism. We don't believe in god, but I've become aware that there seems to be various levels of atheism.
Agnostics = I don't really believe, but I'll behave just in case.
Non-believer = I'll just keep quiet. They might punch my face.
Humanists = I don't believe but lets all have a group hug
New atheism = You're wrong coz science says so.
Anti-theist = "YOU'RE NOT GOING HOME IN A FUCKING AMBULANCE, because medical advancement is a sin, etc.!!"

I consider an Anti-Theist to be separate from an Atheist; As you pointed out, an Atheist simply does not believe in God(s), whereas an Anti-Theist develops a stance that is critical to the very concept of Theocratic rule. Prior to rejecting the claims that a god existed, I was an Anti-Theist, while still believing that there is a God. Now, I am both an Atheist and an Anti-Theist, primarily because one need not believe in a concept in order to criticize said concept.

[RuleBritannia]

I always thought athism is just atheism. We don't believe in god, but I've become aware that there seems to be various levels of atheism.
Agnostics = I don't really believe, but I'll behave just in case.
Non-believer = I'll just keep quiet. They might punch my face.
Humanists = I don't believe but lets all have a group hug
New atheism = You're wrong coz science says so.
Anti-theist = "YOU'RE NOT GOING HOME IN A FUCKING AMBULANCE, because medical advancement is a sin, etc.!!"

I consider an Anti-Theist to be separate from an Atheist; As you pointed out, an Atheist simply does not believe in God(s), whereas an Anti-Theist develops a stance that is critical to the very concept of Theocratic rule. Prior to rejecting the claims that a god existed, I was an Anti-Theist, while still believing that there is a God. Now, I am both an Atheist and an Anti-Theist, primarily because one need not believe in a concept in order to criticize said concept.

You can also both believe in a god and be anti-theist, a deist for example believes in a god but could actively against theocratic rule.

[Stein]

Seriously. Who gives a fuck? - They're all just labels anyway. I've never understood the need to categorise people like that.

The simple fact that we're human gives us a need to categorize things.

Humanism entails certain moral principles in regards to human life, human conduct and so on. It in no ways dictates your stance on religion so I don't think there is a confliction between the two.

While it in no way dictates one's religious stance, I'm starting to think it may impact -- to a degree -- one's stance towards history. As a humanist myself, I know I'm not alone among humanists in viewing certain historic figures as central to humanity's growing awareness of our obligations to each other. Flaws and all, certain people like Hesiod, Lao-tze, Buddha, Confucius, Socrates, Christ, Locke or Gandhi -- whatever the additional baggage that later generations may have dumped on them -- have each advanced the degree of human awareness of our less well-heeled neighbors. In doing so, the precious spark that is in each and every human being gets more attention today -- if not always true respect -- than might have been the case had these eight or more pathbreakers never lived. For that, the humanist is grateful.

Consequently, because many, many humanists that I know -- including myself -- view such pathbreakers as central to humanity's heritage of eventual -- and very, very hard-won -- self-respect for ourselves as individuals, the value many of us place in the written-down reflections of these pathbreakers is profound. Our way does not dictate a stance on religion; but it does dictate a firm stance on any and all attempts at questioning the value and credibility of whatever these figures may have said with specific respect to our treatment of each other. There, and not in related abstruse dogma, the humanist is fully willing to man the barricades.

This is where history comes in. If faux historians make any attempt to denigrate or dismiss the original insights of these figures into our human worth, or even the insightful figures themselves, the humanist recognizes that attempt for the thoughtlessly destructive assault on humanity's hard-won respect for individuals that it is.

Sincerely,

Stein

[Samuel]

Can a Humanist also be an Anti-theist?

"Humanist" is such a broad term that you would have to clarify that first. But overall, I'd say that of course a humanist can also be an anti-theist.