Savoy hotel - 27/05/07 meeting: Overlaps between Humanism and Religion

Discussions covered "The Overlaps between Humanism and Religion" & related issues. 15 Dorset Humanist members attended meeting. Brief summary of questions / topics discussed:-

Shared Values

• Humanists and Religious both believe in
  
• friendship, happinesses, justice, care of sick or impoverished, morals etc etc?
  

War

• religions can cause wars (Dawkins) but is it also humans innate greed?
  

Values in children

• can children can be indoctrinated by religious ethics influenced by parents, school etc?

Control of Humans by Religion

• did humans make up the Bible?
  
• is religion a means of controlling people?

Source of Religion

• objects in the sky: moon, rain, thunder and lightening - did man invent god?
  

Morals

• morals go further back than Bible; Bible advocates bad and good things; religious people are selective when they discuss Bible?
  
• Golden Rule - Confuscious - Analects 500BC - predate Bible
  
• humanists create their own moral values - religious just believe in Bible?
  

Pascals Wager & Religious levers

• there is a payoff if you believe in god - the reward is heaven & paradise?
  
• the Fear of Death; Malcomn Muggeridge / Thomas Hardy both became believers in late age; do people hedge there bets (Pascals Wager)?

Caring for other people

• the Religious look after their own; have they a hidden agenda eg Salvation Army?
  
• Humanists look after everyone?
• some religions & humanists treat all with compassion & sympathy?