Read her story...
Journeys to Humanism:
Bringing Out the “Human”
What happens when a Southern Baptist "Golden Child" experiences the world beyond their small town? They become humanist, of course.
"...In my senior year, I took a risk and wrote an essay about my deconstruction for one of my classes. In it, I expressed my frustration toward religion and my desire to have something outside of it in these words: “Can I not take credit for my own successes, my own mind, my own morality? I would take responsibility for my failures as well. I don’t wish to be deprived of all that is human in the name of the divine. I don’t wish to give up the physical, the tangible world around me, for the spiritual one others deem more holy. My flesh and bones are sacred by right of being, and I cannot give them up for what one calls sacred that, from my observation, has no being at all.”
Just a few months later, I discovered humanism. I realized that my new outlook on life completely aligned with humanist values: taking responsibility, acknowledging our potential for good, and seeking answers through reliable methods like science.
I became a humanist before I even discovered it. Honestly, it feels more like humanism discovered me. Although atheism and humanism aren’t the same, my journey to one brought me to the other. My “atheist” label has estranged me from certain groups of people, but my “humanist” label keeps me connected to all people. I’m no longer shut off from the world. I can learn and love freely. I can embrace parts of myself that I had to hide before. Humanism has brought out the “human” in me and let it live in the light."
We all have our own stories of how we came to be humanists, and we want to hear yours! Fill out the form here to be featured in this series.
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