> At 02:08 PM 3/31/98 -0600, Thom Quinn <swo@execpc.com> wrote:
> >Are there any tenets of secular humanism that extropians or
> >transhumanists outright reject?
>
> Two I can think of. One is that secular humanists tend to associate
> mortality with atheism and immortality with theism. The other is that
> most secular humanists I know tend to reject religious metaphysics
> -- i.e., they don't believe in a Creator or supernatural realm -- but, for
> the most part, accept JudeoChristian morality -- at least the parts
> dealing with social ethics.
Indeed, secular humanism seems to be nothing more than (new testament)
christianity minus the supernatural elements. That also explains why they
don't embrace transhuman technologies: humanists are hampered by the
christain notions of humbleness, self-sacrifice and the idea that suffering
makes one a better person. The highest humanist ideal seems to be to
lead a decent life and die with dignity, or something along these lines.
A far cry from transhumanity's glorious vision of technoascension...