By Jim Mettenbrink
We have been considering Secular Humanism, which was first set forth on the American stage by two men both ministers in the Unitarian church, supposedly honoring Jesus of Nazareth as the Divine Savior. One of these was Curtis Reese, whom in 1909 declared God was “philosophically possible, scientifically unproved and religiously unnecessary” – We don’t need God!
The other was Charles Francis Potter who in 1929 withdrew himself from that church to form the First Humanist Society of New York, and wrote “Humanism: A New Religion.” Fully five generations have been increasingly influenced, yea educated in this godless, manmade religion. Such reminds us of God’s warning, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). That has always been the case when man rebels against God when “…everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25). The argument today in defending our current morass is “but we are different.” This self-deluded attitude is not new.
If the Old Testament does anything in recording the history of ancient Israel, it is that man is stubborn to the fault of his own self destruction. When Moses related God’s offer to make Israel His chosen nation, the people said they would obey God (Exodus 19:1-7). God then spoke to the nation, giving the 10 commandments as the foundation of the 613 laws to obey (Ex 19:9; 20:1-21). Yet within six weeks after witnessing God’s testimony, the folks worshiped an idol of their own making. 3000 who refused to repent died that day (Ex 32:1-35). In only six weeks!
It seems God has been patient with the USA for five generations, but like ancient Israel, now we have a generation or two who do not know the Lord (Judges 2:10). The Psalmist reminds us of God’s thoughts when Israel refused to obey – “For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways’” (Ps 95:10). He punished them with wandering in the desert 40 years – they had no home but would live in tents breathing desert sand (v11). He warns us not to be like them, “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion” (v9). Yet Secular Humanism is exactly that religion of rebellion we have been absorbing in overdrive for nearly 50 years. Socialism is part of that religion.