Hong Kong Liberal Religious Forum

Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard
www.harvardhumanist.org

The Humanist Chaplaincy is dedicated to building, educating, and nurturing a diverse community of Humanists, agnostics, atheists, and the non-religious at Harvard and beyond.
Founded three decades ago by former Catholic priest Tom Ferrick, the Chaplaincy has long been a pioneer in making the college campus a safe, encouraging place for Humanist, agnostic, atheist and non-religious students. We also have a long history of supporting religious diversity in campus life, and defending the right of each individual student to choose the meaning of his or her life. For more than thirty years, we have stood for “deeds before creeds” at the world’s leading educational institution. Rooted in the values of Humanism and pluralism, we seek to advance dialogue among (and transcending the boundaries of) religions, cultures, and civilizations.



American Public Media: Speaking of Faith: "Exploring a New Humanism"
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/ ... _humanism/
In a recent Pew poll, 16 percent of Americans identified themselves as "unaffiliated" — atheist, agnostic, or most prominently "nothing in particular." Greg Epstein, a Humanist chaplain at Harvard, described himself that way until he discovered the tradition of humanism. He is passionate about articulating an atheist identity that is not driven by a stance against religion but by positive ethical beliefs and actions.

(A note of caution: the name "New Humanism" used in the Speaking of Faith program does not refer to New or Universal Humanism (Humanist Movement, Siloist), which is a distinct movement, but refers to the more common secular humanism or religious humanism.)

An Excerpt from The Sacred Depths of Nature
by Ursula Goodenough
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/ ... pths.shtml

So we arrive here at what is, for many, the heart of it all. If there is a major tension between an approach like religious naturalism and the monotheistic traditions, it centers on the question of whether or not one believes in a personal god. Most people raised in the context of theistic traditions would probably say that "being religious" means "believing in God." Indeed, when reminded that personal gods are not inherent in such systems as Buddhism or Taoism, they would likely question whether these traditions are really religions and not something else, like philosophies.

For me, and probably for all of us, the concept of a personal, interested god can be appealing, often deeply so. In times of sorrow or despair, I often wonder what it would be like to be able to pray to God or Allah or Jehovah or Mary and believe that I was heard, believe that my petition might be answered. When I sing the hymns of faith in Jesus' love, I am drawn by their intimacy, their allure, their poetry. But in the end, such faith is simply not available to me. I can't do it. I lack the resources to render my capacity for love and my need to be loved to supernatural Beings. And so I have no choice but to pour these capacities and needs into earthly relationships, fragile and mortal and difficult as they often are.

Theism versus Non-Theism. The choice has been presented to us as saved versus damned, holy versus heathen. But when I talk to thoughtful theists, I encounter not a polarity but a spectrum. Belief and faith in supernatural Being(s), when deeply wrought, are as intensely personal and individual and dynamic as our earthly relationships. They add another dimension, another opportunity for relationship, to be sure. But those of us incapable of embracing that dimension remain flooded with opportunities to open ourselves to human relationship and hence to fill our lives with the religious experience of love.



My comment:
I would have put all Dr Goodenough's stuff into the category of Religious Naturalism. This one is put here because it is quoted in American Public Media's Speaking of Faith's "Exploring a New Humanism" page. We can see that Naturalism and Humanism are close sisters.

The current Havard Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein received ordination as a Humanist Rabbi from the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism.

The Spiritual Seekers Society has enjoyed a talk from a Humanistic Jew on Humanistic Judaism.

The world is so small

Sam Harris on Atheism and Meditation
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/ ... rris.shtml

I am now receiving the Havard Humanist Chaplain newsletter. Received 20 Nov 2008:


2008 "Harvard Humanist of the Year" on Parenting Beyond Belief

Over nine million parents in the U.S. raising children non-religiously. If that includes you or anyone you know, there's a phenomenal program coming up on Dec. 6 at Harvard and I need a few minutes of your help in spreading word about it.

The Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard presents:

The 2008 "Harvard Humanist of the Year" Lincoln Lecture & Parenting Beyond Belief Seminar with Dale McGowan, Ph.D.

Saturday, December 6th Fong Auditorium of Boylston Hall in Harvard Yard

Register now/while space remains!

Because of your overwhelmingly positive response to our recent programs for Humanist, atheist, agnostic and non-religious students, the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard is now expanding our efforts to serve young Humanistic families of alumni, faculty, staff, and the broader community! Please tell anyone you know in the Boston area (including your professors with young kids!) who might be interested to register now for our "Parenting Beyond Belief" seminar, with national Humanist parenting expert Dr. Dale McGowan. The program:

Harvard Humanist of the Year Lincoln Lecture: "Parenting Beyond Belief" 11:00 am -12:00 pm (free and open to the public)

Lunch (seminar registrants only; kids eat free with parents) 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Parenting Beyond Belief Seminar 1:00 pm - 5:00pm

More info including flyers for downloading, here.

The Parenting Beyond Belief Seminar offers encouragement and practical solutions for secular parenting in a religious world. Based on the freethinking philosophy of the book Newsweek called "a compelling read," the seminar empowers secular parents to raise ethical, caring, confident kids without religion.

Participants learn effective ways to:

Encourage religious literacy without indoctrination
Help kids interact productively with a religious world
Nurture kids development of active moral reasoning
Address sensitive issues with religious relatives

Help children develop a healthy understanding of death and a joyful love of life; and
Build a family atmosphere of fearless questioning and boundless wonder!
Register now for the Seminar: Free childcare provided with registration!

Greg Epstein
Humanist Chaplain of Harvard University

Nonbelievers are Believers Too
Greg M. Epstein
Humanist Chaplain of Harvard University
"On Faith" panelist Greg M. Epstein serves as the Humanist Chaplain of Harvard University, and sits on the executive committee of the 38-member interfaith corps of Harvard Chaplains.
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfa ... s_too.html

...the non-religious will have to affirm that we are in fact believers, though not in a traditional sense. As believers in Humanism, we too affirm the need to cultivate wisdom, courage, compassion, and above all the struggle towards a universal and universally mutually interdependent human dignity.

President Obama described his mother as a "lonely witness for secular Humanism," but to gain greater inclusion we must never again allow women and men like her to be so lonely. We must not only tear down unreasonable ideas but also build up positive Humanist community. And as we push back against the idea that you can't be good without God, we must always remember that we stand for more than simply living "without god." More profoundly, we who have been called nonbelievers--and though I call us Humanists, I encourage you to choose whatever name you like--are passionate believers in human good, for goodness' sake, and for the sake of all humanity and of all the world.

The Nonbelievers
By David Abel
September 16, 2007
The Boston Globe
www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/arti ... believers/

An increasing number of young people in America - and adults around the world - don't believe in God. Greg Epstein, who advises fellow atheists and agnostics at Harvard University, wants to create a kind of church for those who reject religion. But he's encountering resistance from some of the very people he wants to unite.

As many of our friends have already noted, the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard has had quite a week in the national media.

The NYTimes, Globe, Herald, NPR, Fox News...

This week we were the focus of an excellent Associated Press story that ran in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, the Huffington Post, the Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, and New York Post, among dozens of other major newspapers and media outlets. The story was even featured "above the fold" by Fox News. The AP says it gets "a billion eyes;" let's hope many were opened by this piece.

There was also an excellent article featuring us in US News and World Report, and this morning chaplain Greg Epstein appeared on NPR's "The Exchange" (broadcast from New Hampshire).

All this attention because, with the non-religious rising in all 50 states in the new American Religious Identity Survey, the Chaplaincy seems to have become a symbol of an idea that can help the US's tens of millions of Humanists, atheists and agnostics bridge the gap between numbers and strength. Namely, we are engaged together in actively building supportive community without supernaturalism. We are working toward the day when people at Harvard and across the country will think of ethical service to one's neighbors and to the planet as an act of Humanism as much as it is now associated with Churches and other houses of worship. We are being good without a God-- but to do so we must acknowledge we can't be good without each other. We need your help. Get involved in the Humanist movement here or wherever you are, support us if you can, and let's recognize that this historic moment is an opportunity we must seize.

In the coming days, we'll release our next e-newsletter, and update our website with lots of new information about upcoming events, Greg's book tour, scholarship opportunities, and other major Humanist happenings at Harvard and beyond. Until then, our Graduate Humanist Community, HASH is meeting tonight at 8:30pm in the Braun Room of Harvard Divinity School's Andover Hall for a screening of the film Dogma and discussion, free food & drinks; and for the general community, don't miss our Compassionate Communication course beginning this Sunday-- register now! Oh, and as of now there are a handful of tickets left for our ceremony with TV icon Joss Whedon, but they may sell out very soon.

Finally--and more on this later--this summer we will be switching to a new email system that will enable us to get breaking news to you more quickly, as well as allow those actively involved/interested in building our Humanist community to meet, work and communicate with one another much more easily. For more updates in the meanwhile, be sure to join chaplain Greg Epstein on facebook.

Thank you so much for all your support and participation--we need you now more than ever!

Sincerely,
All of us at the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard

(reported by a local Chinese Christian newspaper "Christian Times")


哈佛無神論者擬設「教會」
（3月31日消息）
張國棟撮譯
時代論壇
http://christiantimes.org.hk/Common/Rea ... big5_hkscs

哈佛大學人文主義者艾斯廷（Greg Epstein）計劃建立一個像教會的團體，以學道班、專題講座、小組等方式研討無神論的人文主義信念，凝聚同道。

人文主義定義繁多，一般是指不接受超自然界，要求一切以理性、經驗和憐憫心腸為依歸。艾斯廷傾向把人文主義定義為一套矢志過一個有道德和美滿生活、又同時追求社會更大的善的哲學。他自小成長於猶太教改革派家庭，後研習道教、佛教，又曾在哈佛神學院修讀碩士，Ｏ五年被委任為世俗人文主義猶太教國際學會的拉比。他剛寫了一本書 Good without God...

但有關構思並非得到每一位人文主義者響應。世俗人文主義學會創辦人古迪斯（Paul Kurtz）對艾斯廷辦「教會」的手法不以為然，認為人文主義者應致力建立世俗社區...

...艾斯廷表示...過去廿八年美國無信仰人口的比例已由8.2%升至15%...

（取材 Yahoo! news）

God-less 'congregations' planned for humanists
3/20/2009
By Jay Lindsay, Associated Press
www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-03- ... ists_N.htm

Humanist Contemplative Group

Looking for something deeper than socializing and more personal than intellectual debate? Join the Humanist Contemplative Group for biweekly meditations, discussions, and sharing of insights.

We're just as wary of words like "spiritual" as you are, yet we've found meditative practices to clear our minds, calm our emotions, and enhance our compassion – all good things that have nothing to do with supernaturalism.

Meetings will be eclectic, with formats inspired by Quakerism, Buddhism, Unitarian Universalism, and other sources; we encourage debate about what contemplative practices can (or can't) be appropriated by Humanists.

Our first meeting will be Saturday, June 20 from 10:30 to noon, at the Harvard University Science Center, Room 109. For more information and to register, check out our Facebook event page. Email Zach at zdalexander@gmail.com for more details, or join the listserv at https://memdir.org/HHA/members/update_lists.cfm (after registering).

www.harvardhumanist.org/news/2009/06/03 ... -group-hcg