A Biblical Response to "The Humanist Manifesto" - Dying for Truth
Written by Paul Dean
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Much discussion has been generated around “An Evangelical Manifesto.” Of course, the title is reminiscent of a prior document penned in 1933 by a group of thirty academic, social engineers: “The Humanist Manifesto.”
From the more recent “Humanist Manifesto III:” “Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity. The lifestance of Humanism-guided by reason, inspired by compassion, and informed by experience-encourages us to live life well and fully. It evolved through the ages and continues to develop through the efforts of thoughtful people who recognize that values and ideals, however carefully wrought, are subject to change as our knowledge and understandings advance. This document is part of an ongoing effort to manifest in clear and positive terms the conceptual boundaries of Humanism, not what we must believe but a consensus of what we do believe.”
In his book, A Christian Manifesto, the Christian philosopher, Francis Schaeffer wrote, “If we are going to join the battle in a way that has any hope of effectiveness – with Christians truly being salt and light in our culture and our society – then we must do battle on the front for freedom, and specifically not only our freedom. It must be on the basis of Truth. Not just religious truths, but the Truth of what the final reality is. Is it impersonal material or is it the living God?”
Of course, Schaeffer is right. At the same time, Christians already have a manifesto: the Bible. Perhaps we should take some of the time we spend on writing other manifestos and spend some time dying for truth. On today’s edition of “Calling for Truth,” we’ll talk about the influence of “The Humanist Manifesto” on our culture and the biblical response in terms of action.
