harrow.humanist.org.uk

A statement of humanist principles (adapted from Paul Kurtz in Free Inquiry)

• We are committed to the application of reason and science to the understanding of the universe and the solving of human problems
• We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms and to look outside nature for salvation
• We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities
• We are committed to the separation of church and state
• We cultivate the arts of negotiation and compromise as a means of resolving differences and achieving mutual understanding
• We are concerned with securing justice and fairness in society and with eliminating discrimination and intolerance
• We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the handicapped so that they will be able to help themselves
• We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based on attributes such as race, religion, gender, nationality, class, sexual orientation and ethnicity, and strive to work together for the common good of humanity
• We want to protect and enhance the earth, to preserve it for future generations, and to avoid inflicting needless suffering on other species
• We believe in enjoying life here and now and in developing our creative talents to their fullest
• We respect the right to privacy
• We believe in the cultivation of moral excellence and in the common moral decencies of altruism, integrity, honesty, truthfulness and responsibility
• We are open to novel ideas but sceptical of untested claims to knowlege
• We affirm humanism as a realistic alternative to theologies of despair and ideologies of violence and as a source of rich personal significance and satisfaction in the service to others