Humanism Is An Orientation

Humanism is not itself a religion--though some have attempted to position it as such. It is, rather, an orientation (a qiblah, if you will): a solemn commitment to inquire about and value the human condition. It involves, therefore, an intellectual preoccupation and a moral stance.

Although Humanists may be theists (indeed, historically speaking, most Humanists have been theists and many have been trained as clerics of one sort or another), they tend not to expend much energy on theology. Speculation about supernatural beings is of interest to Humanists because such speculation is, historically, a human pastime. But to engage in such speculation oneself is, for a practicing Humanist, largely irrelevant.

Ironically, the most difficult thing about being a Humanist is other human beings. Jean-Paul Sartre, who argued that Existentialism is a Humanism, also argued that Hell is other people. Anyone who orients herself towards humanity must do so with open eyes.