I had already written a Tract with the title: Humanism as
a Religion when my attention was drawn to the article by Mr. Ade Bokini
published in THISDAY Newspaper issue of 15 July, 2003. My intention in
writing that article was to expose the pretentions of Humanism to be
merely a philosophy when in reality it has become a religion to many.
All what Mr. Bokini has written has confirmed the need for such an
exposure. I shall comment briefly and generally on Mr. Bokini's article
and on humanism so that readers can come to their own conclusions.
Mr. Bokini says he was moved to write his article titled Between
Religion and Humanism because of what I wrote in response to Professor
Wole Soyinka's article in the media debate that ensued after his speech
to the National Association of Seadogs, also known as Pyrates'
Confraternity, in which I and the Christian ministry I lead Fullness of
Christ Evangelical Ministry (FOCEM) received unfavourable mention. Mr.
Bokini says he is saddened by my reference to humanism as a religion
with man as its god. He says my statements are expected of believers,
especially those of the fundamentalist and Pentecostal type. I am glad I
did not disappoint him. Stopping short of calling me a fanatic as Orok
Edem one of those contributing to the media debate did, Mr. Bokini
concluded his article by lumping me with the Talibans of Afghanistan and
the Ayatollahs of the Sharia States of Nigeria. I know that in circles
of humanists, being called a fanatic is a term of abuse sublimally
linking the person so called to violence. I abhor violence; I have
always abhorred violence, even before I became a Christian. Jesus Christ
is the Prince of peace. Mr. Bokini does not like my constant references
to the Bible, but that is where my faith is planted and no humanist can
uproot me. So, Mr. Bokini and others of like mind, here goes the fanatic
again: The word of God, the Bible says Christ is our peace who has made
both one, and has broken the middle wall of partition between us. Peace
is concerned with breaking walls of separation between opposing groups
so that they do not resort to violence. It is concerned with reconciling
those torn apart by war. Therefore, if anyone calls me a fanatic for
Christ, I ask, what is wrong with that?
Mr. Bokini states that it is also well known that the Bible contains
19,000 den?onstrable false statements including the claims in 14 places
that the earth is flat. Did he discover this by his own research efforts
or are these statements part of the articles of faith of humanists
written by heroes of the Humanist faith such as those he mentioned in
his article Albert Schweitzer, Betrand Russell, Copernicus, Hume and
Descartes? Humanists search through the Bible with magnifying glasses
looking for demonstrable false statements while they ignore the truths
in bold print staring them in the face.
Mr. Bokini says: It is amazing that Professor Awe can claim that God has
committed some work into his hand. I am sure a scientist of the stature
of Professor Awe cannot expect the thinking world to accept that
literally without any further evidence. What evidence does the thinking
world of Mr. Bokini want? If I say that my Father in heaven communicates
with me and has committed some work into my hands, and Mr. Bokini says
God does not exist, how can I convince him? He says both Ted Turner, the
founder of CNN and Bill Gates of Microsoft are humanists and that if
either of them got a call from God to do all they are currently doing
for humanity, they are much too humble to declare it to the world the
way we do in Nigeria. But I ask, what is the humility involved if they
do not declare that a God they do not believe exists has committed
certain things into their hands? Surely, they would by Iying if they
made such claims.
As the English saying goes: You cannot have your cake anu eat it. No one
is one saying that only Christians can perform humane and good works, so
what point is Mr. Bokini trying to make here? God created all things
including humanists for His pleasure, and He can use humanists who do
not acknowledge Him for His purpose.
Mr. Bokini says he is living in a postChristian era in London with
others in Germany, the Scandinavian countries, France etc. Shall I
congratulate him or commiserate with him? We who believe in Jesus Christ
eagerly await His coming for us at the Rapture. Later, He will return in
glory with us and His holy angels at His second advent when the kingdoms
of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ,
and He shall reign forever and ever. So the Christian era has only just
begun and it will last for eternity.
Mr. Bokini says: As some of us grew older, we acquired knowledge that
gave us evidence to make it possible to be weaned out of the myths and
mythology fed us in the name of religion. Some of us were persuaded by
the likes of Albert Schweitzer and Bertrand Russell who suggested that
religion belonged in the infancy of the human race, and that with the
coming of age of the race it should be discarded. Some of us were
persuaded by the rationalism of the likes of Copernicus, Hume, Descartes
and others. I was also persuaded by the philosophies of these men in the
past. In my secondary school days, in my teenage years, I was introduced
to Godless humanism and its god of human reasoning when I read The Age
of Reason by Thomas Paine (17371809). He attacked Christianity and
ridiculed supposed errors and inconsistencies in the Bible. Albert
Schweitzer (18751965), theologian and medical missionary, replaced the
Christian principle of love for God and for one's neighbour with
veneration for life human, animal and vegetable together with a denial
of the possibility of communion between man and God. When I was a
postgraduate student at the University of Cambridge, England, from 1956
to 1960, Bertrand Russell (18721970), philosopher and atheist, was my
hero. But when I came to believe in Jesus Christ, I discarded these vain
and empty philosophies of men which are now enshrined in the Humanist
Manifesto drafted by Paul Kurtz, professor of philosophy at the State
University of New York at Buffalo.
Our God is simply wonderful. While I was looking for a particular
document recently, I stumbled on my baptismal and confirmation
certificates. The first shows that I was baptized in a CMS (now called
Anglican) Church as an infant, nine (9) days after I was born, and the
second shows that I was confirmed in May 1956, a few weeks before I sat
for my first degree examinations in physics at the University College,
Ibadan, (now University of Ibadan). But I became a Christian in the true
biblical sense of the word when I was fiftyeight going to fiftynine
years of age, and after twentyfour years of being a full professor of
physics! In all the intervening years, I was a nominal "Christian". Only
nominal Christians can be moved by the arguments of Mr. Bokini and
others in his Movement. Even his calling us sanctimonious nitwits cannot
move me. A nitwit is a silly or foolish person, and I can assure Mr.
Bokini that I will be even more "foolish" for my God and His Christ in
what he calls my twilight years if that will advance His work in Nigeria
and the world at large. Twilight denotes a period or state of obscurity
and gradual decline, but I can again assure my young humanist friend
that I have only just begun to shine, and by God s grace my light will
continue to shine like the first glean of dawn, shining ever brighter
till the full light of day, as the word of God, clearly states.
Mr. Bokini says that people like me ignore the fact that the same Bible
endorses atrocities the likes of which Nazism and the worst African
tyrants never equalled. This is a lie of Satan, the spirit that is
behind the Humanist Movement. God said to Prophet Ezekiel: Son of man,
these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling
blocks before their faces. The idol god of humanism is man but behind
the idol is Satan himself, the god of this age who has blinded those who
do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who
is the image of God, should shine on them. Satan continues to spill out
lies such as the one above, and humanists swallow them. I challenge Mr.
Bokini to quote which chapter and verse of the Bible supports his
statement.
The basic difference between a humanist and a genuine Christian is that
the humanist believes there is no limit to human knowledge, reasoning
and the philosophies of men. The Christian believes that man is limited
in knowledge, wisdom and understanding. Beyond this limit, he exercises
faith in the unlimited God who created him in His own image and
likeness.
I admire honest men even when I disagree with them. Did Mr. Bokini read
the article by Alhaji Gboyega Arulogun, former Commissioner for
Information in Oyo State, on pages 29 and 30 of Guardian Newspaper of
Sunday, August 10, 2003? After pouring encomiums on Mr. Richard Taylor,
his mentor, colleague and friend of many years, Alhaji Arulogun
concluded his article as follows:
I hardly discuss religion with people because I believe it is a personal
matter between you and your God. I don't care whether you are a
Christian, a AIuslim, a Taoist, a Buddhist, a Confucian, an African
traditionalist (Sango, Oya, Osun, etc) but I care if you are not a
humanist. A11 religions practice humanism. Richard and Allegra (his
wife) are Humanists. The greatest religion, I believe is Humanism. That
is their religion.
That is an honest and honourable man, not someone who wants to fool and
confuse us with philosophies which he has hardly digested, and
references to the Bible which he cannot understand, because such
understanding comes from the Holy Spirit whose existence he derisively
denies.
Humanism as a Religion
Humanism is the belief that man, his accomplishments and the ideals of
human society are the supreme value of the universe. Humanism teaches
love of life, love of this world with the individual living well,
enjoying all that human effort can offer, and being passionately
interested in the world. Secular humanism opposes all that is
supernatural.
Religion is usually regarded as the belief in and worship of a
supernatural controlling power, especially a personal God or gods. This
worship of God or gods flows from a feeling of dependence on, and
responsibility towards the Deity (deities). Humanism is not a religion
in this sense.
But religion also means an object of conscientious devotion and
scrupulous care as one reputable dictionary puts it. It is in this sense
that humanism has become a religion to many people in different parts of
the world. Our concern in this article is with secular humanism, but we
shall make a passing reference to Christian humanism later. The god of
the humanist is man who is turned into an object of veneration, an idol.
Humanism rejects belief in a personal God who is exalted above the
universe, infinite, perfect, and beyond limitation. Thus, the humanist
does not believe in God of the Holy Bible, who is God Almighty, Maker of
heaven and earth, omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. A humanist is
either an atheist or an agnostic. An atheist says categorically that
there is no God, while the agnostic says that God is unknown and cannot
be known. Many consequences flow out of this atheism or agnosticism.
Humanism teaches that humanity and all that exists in the universe
consist only ot matter anu energy which have been shaped into their
present form by chance. It denies the existence of knowledge which
cannot be discovered by man; everything is known or can be known by man,
and the supernatural does not exist. It teaches that angels do not
exist, nor do Satan and his demons. If God does not exist, He could not
have created anything. In particular, human beings are the product of
the process of chance and evolution.
Humanism rejects the Bible as God's inspired revelation to man, but
asserts that human reasoning determines the appropriate mode of
behaviour (ethics) of society. Moral standards are not absolute but
relative, and are determined by what makes people happy, gives them
pleasure or seems good for society. Human selffulfilment, pleasure and
satisfaction are the highest goals to be pursued. These goals are to be
achieved through education, scientific and technological advances,
economic re distribution and human knowledge. Biblical truths, morality
and standards are rejected as irrelevant and therefore worthless.
Humanism maintains that human life terminates at death.
Humanism has dethroned God and has substituted an idol god man as worthy
of worship. This process began with Satan who taught Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden that they could be like God. Speaking to Eve, Satan said:
For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you
will be like God, knowing good and evil.
To the atheist who is convinced without any shadow of doubt that there
is no God, the Bible says: The fool says in his heart, There is no God.
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
The Bible also speaks to the agnostic who asserts that God is unknown
and cannot be known as follows:
Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown
it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His
eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Because,
although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were
thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts
were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.
Since Satan was demoted from his exalted position as the anointed cherub
in heaven as a result of pride, he has been busy stirring up rebellion
against his Creator, God. He is behind every false religion and every
cult in the world. He is the real god of humanism.
The humanist says there is no God; there is no resurrection; there is no
punishment for sinners or rewards for the righteous; there is no heaven
or hell. The word of God says:
For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the
faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed let God be
true but every man a liar. As it is written: That You may be justified
in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged.
Some professing Christians think that they can mix humanism with
Christianity; they call themselves Christian humanists as distinct from
secular humanists. This is the lie of the Devil which has led to the
introduction of such concepts as Liberalism, Neo-orthodoxy and the
Social Gospel into Christian theology. However, the denial of some or
all the basic Christian truths such as: the inerrancy of the Holy Bible,
the Virgin Birth, the Deity of Jesus Christ, the reality of Hell and
eternal punishment, the Fall of man, Man's sinfulness, the Atonement,
the miraculous and the supernatural, has robbed these concepts of their
validity. The Bible says that in latter times some shall depart from the
faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of demons. It
appears that the latter times are already here with us, but he that
shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.
Sometime last year, a liberal priest belonging to one of the mainline
Christian denominations in the United Kingdom proclaimed that he did not
believe in the Virgin Birth. He was promptly defrocked before he could
pollute his flock further. The Anglican Communion worldwide is now
grappling with the problems created by humanists in priestly garbs.
Recently, there came the cheering news that an homosexual theologian of
the Anglican Communion who was to be made the Bishop Reading, England,
declined the honour following weeks of debate on the propriety of such
an elevation. However, in Concord, New Hampshire, USA, the Episcopal
Church the North American branch of the Anglican Communion elected an
openly homosexual bishop a few weeks ago. Liberal Anglican bishops are
ordaining homosexual priests and approving homosexual marriages with men
marrying men, and women marrying women! The Bible calls such practices
abominations. God rained fire and brimstone from heaven to destroy Sodom
and Gomorrah because of homosexuality. The Holy Spirit speaking through
Apostle Paul, condemns such practices in our New Testament dispensation.
When priests are polluted with manmade doctrines, the damage done to
their flock is incalculable, for if the blind lead the blind, both shall
fall into the ditch.
Fortunately for us in Nigeria, the Primate and Metropolitan of the
Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Archbishop Peter Jasper Akinola,
has strongly condemned these developments and dissociated the Church he
leads from them. He insists that these are the works of Satan. He and
others within the Communion who stuck to the Christian faith based on
the Holy Bible were called bigots. The Church of Nigeria (Anglican
Communion) was roundly condemned for her principled stand against
humanist priests professing Christians who want to be part and parcel of
the postChristian era. The Yoruba have a phrase to describe such people:
Ko s' eku, ko s' eye neither a rat nor a bird; in one word, a bat.
Humanists would prefer Christians to be bats rather than eagles that
soar high in the spirit on the wings of faith. I will rather be an eagle
on Christ's wings than a bat on the wings of humanism, and if humanists
see me as a fanatic for Christ, so be it.
Jesus Christ has said it all: No man can serve two masters. You cannot
serve the eternal God and the god of humanism. No true Christian can be
a humanist; that is the bottom line. Christianity provides for the
wholesomeness of man without making him into a god. Jesus came that we
may have life, and have it to the full. His gospel provides all things
that pertain unto life and godliness, and humanism has nothing to add to
them.
Jesus Christ continues to knock on the door of the humanist's heart;
will he let Him in? After all. He died for humanists too. Mr. Bokini, I
parted ways with Bertrand Russell and his crowd long ago, and there is
no going back. Never! But when you and other humanists come to Christ, I
will receive you and welcome you with open arms.
Awe is a Emeritus Professor of Physics, University of Ibadan,
and President, Fullness of Christ Evangelical Ministry (FOCEM).