54 Quotes About Humanist

Humanism is a philosophy that believes in a rational, ethical life based on human potential and human rights. For those who practice it, it is an ethical and moral position. While many people may think of humanists as atheists, agnostics, or even religious people who don't believe in a god, that isn't really correct. In reality, humanists believe that one's personal beliefs should have no bearing on society Read more

They base their values on what their conscience tells them is right and wrong, rather than what they were taught at church. These quotes from well-known humanists will inspire you to give back to the world and help make it a better place for all of us!

1
The human body resonates at the same frequency as Mother Earth. So instead of only focusing on trying to save the earth, which operates in congruence to our vibrations, I think it is more important to be one with each other. If you really want to remedy the earth, we have to mend mankind. And to unite mankind, we heal the Earth. That is the only way. Mother Earth will exist with or without us. Yet if she is sick, it is because mankind is sick and separated. And if our vibrations are bad, she reacts to it, as do all living creatures. Suzy Kassem
2
The black, the white, the brown, the red, the yellow, the hetero, the homo, the trans, the poor, the rich, the literate, the illiterate, the weak, the strong — all are my sisters and brothers. My life is their life. And till the last breath in my body, I shall be serving you all with all the power in my veins. And beyond death, my ideas shall be serving you for eternity. Abhijit Naskar
I am the thread of unification that goes through humans...
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I am the thread of unification that goes through humans of all religions, cultures and ideologies while reinforcing their innate sense of one humanity. Abhijit Naskar
I work to make human beings out of human bodies....
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I work to make human beings out of human bodies. I work to make conscience out of mindlessness. I work to make Gods out of obedient worshippers. Abhijit Naskar
Give me your soul and I will give you a...
5
Give me your soul and I will give you a unified humanity replete with courage, conscience and compassion. Abhijit Naskar
6
O my brave Almighty Human, with the ever-effulgent flow of courage, conscience and compassion, turn yourself into a vivacious humanizer, and start walking with bold footsteps while eliminating racism, terminating misogyny, destroying homophobia and all other primitiveness that have turned humanity into the most inhuman species on earth. Abhijit Naskar
7
Sometimes I think Earth has got to be the insane asylum of the universe. and I'm here by computer error. At sixty-eight, I hope I've gained some wisdom in the past fourteen lustrums and it’s obligatory to speak plain and true about the conclusions I've come to; now that I have been educated to believe by such mentors as Wells, Stapledon, Heinlein, van Vogt, Clarke, Pohl, (S. Fowler) Wright, Orwell, Taine, Temple, Gernsback, Campbell and other seminal influences in scientifiction, I regret the lack of any female writers but only Radclyffe Hall opened my eyes outside sci-fi. I was a secular humanist before I knew the term. I have not believed in God since childhood's end. I believe a belief in any deity is adolescent, shameful and dangerous. How would you feel, surrounded by billions of human beings taking Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the tooth fairy and the stork seriously, and capable of shaming, maiming or murdering in their name? I am embarrassed to live in a world retaining any faith in church, prayer or a celestial creator. I do not believe in Heaven, Hell or a Hereafter; in angels, demons, ghosts, goblins, the Devil, vampires, ghouls, zombies, witches, warlocks, UFOs or other delusions; and in very few mundane individuals--politicians, lawyers, judges, priests, militarists, censors and just plain people. I respect the individual's right to abortion, suicide and euthanasia. I support birth control. I wish to Good that society were rid of smoking, drinking and drugs. My hope for humanity - and I think sensible science fiction has a beneficial influence in this direction - is that one day everyone born will be whole in body and brain, will live a long life free from physical and emotional pain, will participate in a fulfilling way in their contribution to existence, will enjoy true love and friendship, will pity us 20th century barbarians who lived and died in an atrocious, anachronistic atmosphere of arson, rape, robbery, kidnapping, child abuse, insanity, murder, terrorism, war, smog, pollution, starvation and the other negative “norms” of our current civilization. I have devoted my life to amassing over a quarter million pieces of sf and fantasy as a present to posterity and I hope to be remembered as an altruist who would have been an accepted citizen of Utopia. Forrest J. Ackerman
8
I am an atheist, out and out. It took me a long time to say it. I've been an atheist for years and years, but somehow I felt it was intellectually unrespectable to say one was an atheist, because it assumed knowledge that one didn't have. Somehow, it was better to say one was a humanist or an agnostic. I finally decided that I'm a creature of emotion as well as of reason. Emotionally, I am an atheist. I don't have the evidence to prove that God doesn't exist, but I so strongly suspect he doesn't that I don't want to waste my time. . Isaac Asimov
9
[We need reforms] to make the Negro church a place where colored men and women of education and energy can work for the best things regardless of their belief or disbelief in unimportant dogmas and ancient and outworn creeds. W.E.B. Du Bois
Liberty is my religion and Humans are my God.
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Liberty is my religion and Humans are my God. Abhijit Naskar
They say, love God, for it is the greatest virtue....
11
They say, love God, for it is the greatest virtue. I say, love humans, for there is no greater virtue, no greater religion, than the love of humanity. Abhijit Naskar
The same Sermon on the Mount that influenced Tolstoy to...
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The same Sermon on the Mount that influenced Tolstoy to write “The Kingdom of God is Within You”, inspired me to a great extent in my work “Principia Humanitas”. Abhijit Naskar
Human you are, and your religion, Humanism.
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Human you are, and your religion, Humanism. Abhijit Naskar
The human heart is first a human heart, then everything...
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The human heart is first a human heart, then everything else - American, Christian, Asian, Jew, or whatever. Abhijit Naskar
There is only one label worth fighting for, nay, not...
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There is only one label worth fighting for, nay, not fighting for, that is “human”. Abhijit Naskar
Most of the modern human society has nearly lost the...
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Most of the modern human society has nearly lost the faculty of observing the internal mechanism. Abhijit Naskar
17
We don't have the luxury to say that, there is no hope for reform in Islam, because by saying this, we would be disavowing the entire peace-loving Muslim population of the world. We cannot leave our Muslim sisters and brothers behind to be oppressed by their own priestly tyrants, while the rest of the world keeps progressing with an open mind. The entire civilized society of the world, must put their heart and soul to get Islam liberated from the shackles of fundamentalism. Conscience must triumph over orthodox barbarianism, otherwise there would be no hope for the progress and wellbeing of humanity as a truly wise species. . Abhijit Naskar
Women are not there to spike testosterone.
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Women are not there to spike testosterone. Abhijit Naskar
19
Letter to the tech giants: When fame and abundance kiss somebody’s feet before that person is wise enough, he or she is very likely to lose track of what’s necessity and what’s luxury. And modern society is filled with examples of such intelligent stupidity — stupidity that is carried out by apparently smart humans. Because being smart is not the same as being wise. The world has enough smartness, but not enough wisdom to bring that smartness into proper productive practice — and I mean productive practice not sophisticated practice — there is a difference. A person smart enough to visualize a Falcon rocket engine can easily pinpoint the locations of various organizations that spread terrorism, yet the person chooses to explore the space further instead of prioritizing the technological advantages to first fix real issues of the human society that inflict harm to the humans every walk of the way. The world is a miserable place not because we have lack of resources, but because those who have an abundance of resources do not have the slightest idea of true human need. The resources needed for colonizing Mars if put to proper practice can fix the world’s global warming issues — it can fix the world’s climate change issues — it can fix the world’s terrorism issues, yet people are more interested in the pompous idea of living in Mars for whatever reason, instead of paying attention to improving human condition on earth. I am not against technological advancement, for I am a scientist, but my soul aches when I see smart people are dumb enough to chase after illusory glory of doing something different and innovative instead of focusing the powers of their soul on cleaning up the misery business on earth. You can, yet you don’t. Why?Smartness without wisdom is stupidity. You are smart — yes indeed — but I am sorry — you are stupid at the same time. How can you dream of having a cheese burger on Mars when your own kind on Earth is suffering! How can you think of taking rich kids into the orbit just so they can admire the beauty of earth from the heavens, when that very earth is infested with the primordial evils of human character! Awaken the human within you my friend, and pay attention. Awaken the human within and let it consume all the miseries from the world that you live in. Say a member of your family falls ill, would you ignore his or her misery completely just because you want to make life more comfortable for others than it already is, or would you first try everything in your capacity in order to heal your loved one! Be wise my friend, for it is not enough to be smart. You are smart — there is no doubt about that — so utilize that smartness for humanity and heal your own kind. Heal your kind with your capacity my friend. It is wailing for healers — not some delusional faith healers, but real tangible healers. Would you not do anything! Would you not give your soul to fix the broken soul of this world! Arise my friend, Awake my friend and work for humanity, not to make it sophisticated, but to make it peaceful first. Remember, humanity first, then everything else. Peace first, sophistication later. Harmony first, luxury later. Abhijit Naskar
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Peace first, sophistication later. Harmony first, luxury later. Abhijit Naskar
21
Sacrifice everything that is yours, to call up the humans in others. Abhijit Naskar
22
O my mighty sisters and brothers, forget not that the ideal of humanity is the search of truth. In this pursuit, countless souls have sacrificed themselves in the past. And in this pursuit, countless more shall need to sacrifice themselves. Abhijit Naskar
23
Arise O lion-heart! Awake, O great soldier! Misery has come upon the world. It is wailing for help. It is wailing for redemption. Won’t you do anything, my friend! Abhijit Naskar
24
Self is All. (First Principle of Humanism) Abhijit Naskar
25
As a citizen of the world, I stand only with Truth and my conscience is my only leader. This is the only way to peace and justice on earth. To always do the right thing, be the right person, and stand with whoever is right always and forever. Suzy Kassem
26
You may be James the American, or Mary the British, or anything else, but before all that, you are a human. Abhijit Naskar
27
Only fools neglect the living God — the Human Self, while running after imaginary shadows. Abhijit Naskar
28
Come my friend. Come and walk with me in the path ahead that awaits you with open arms — the path of humanism — the path where every pedestrian is simply a human, not a Christian, Jew, Hindu, Muslim, Atheist, Mexican, American, Canadian, British, Australian, Russian, Asian, African, European or anything else. Abhijit Naskar
29
Humanism is not a pompous philosophy to be talked and debated about by a handful of intellectuals - it is the purest form of moral compass, which defines the civilized heart of thinking humanity. Abhijit Naskar
30
People often ask me, what my religion is. I tell them, I am a Christian to the Christian, a Jew to the Jew, a Muslim to the Muslim, a Hindu to the Hindu, an atheist to the atheist, but the brightest nightmare to the fundamentalist. Abhijit Naskar
31
The truth is only a few hundred people are at the top of the media infrastructure…in America, and their worldview is what gets delivered to the people. It isn’t necessarily that there is a conspiracy…a humanist will promote humanist values. If we choose to see it as a conspiracy, we will demonize those we find to be culpable and will lack the insight necessary to instigate change. Karla Perry
32
WE SHOULD ALL BE HUMANISTS.So I had this conversation with a friend and I am of the view that, we need no tags to speak against violence of all sorts. We need no tags to love and protect ourselves. We need no tags to do the right thing. We need no tags to treat each other fairly. We need no tags to be our neighbours’ keeper. We need no tags to stand up for what is right. We need no tags to demand for justice. We need no tags to punish offenders. We need no tags to live in harmony. All we need is a defined standard of acceptable behaviour. All we need is to properly and promptly determine who has stepped out of the defined boundary. All we need is to mete out prescribed punishment to defaulters without fear or favour. There can be no different identities. We are all humans, male or female. We need nothing more than our humanity. W E SHOULD ALL BE HUMANISTS. . Magnus Nwagu Amudi
33
It is "humanism" that should run in the veins of the thinking humanity, not a certain gender-oriented "ism". This entire book is a treatise on gender equality, and as such, it may be hailed as a work of feminism, but it is not - it is a work of humanism. Abhijit Naskar
34
The humanitarian philosophies that have been developed (sometimes under some religious banner and invariably in the face of religious opposition) are human inventions, as the name implies - and our species deserves the credit. I am a devout atheist - nothing else makes any sense to me and I must admit to being bewildered by those, who in the face of what appears so obvious, still believe in a mystical creator. However I can see that the promise of infinite immortality is a more palatable proposition than the absolute certainty of finite mortality which those of us who are subject to free thought (as opposed to free will) have to look forward to and many may not have the strength of character to accept it. Thus I am a supporter of Amnesty International, a humanist and an atheist. I believe in a secular, democratic society in which women and men have total equality, and individuals can pursue their lives as they wish, free of constraints - religious or otherwise. I feel that the difficult ethical and social problems which invariably arise must be solved, as best they can, by discussion and am opposed to the crude simplistic application of dogmatic rules invented in past millennia and ascribed to a plethora of mystical creators - or the latest invention; a single creator masquerading under a plethora of pseudonyms. Organisations which seek political influence by co-ordinated effort disturb me and thus I believe religious and related pressure groups which operate in this way are acting antidemocratically and should play no part in politics. I also have problems with those who preach racist and related ideologies which seem almost indistinguishable from nationalism, patriotism and religious conviction. Harry W. Kroto
35
The scientist believes in proof without certainty, the bigot in certainty without proof. Ashley Montagu
36
The 'tragedy' of the slow growth of immortalism pertains mostly to them, and perhaps to you — not so much to me or to us, the committed immortalists. We already have made our arrangements for cryostasis after clinical death — signed our contracts with existing organizations and allocated the money. We will have our chance, and with a little bit of luck will 'taste the wine of centuries unborn'. Robert C.W. Ettinger
37
I am a humanist, which means, in part, that I have tried to behave decently without expectations of rewards or punishments after I am dead. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
38
Sentiments that glorify humanity know no racial distinction. Abhijit Naskar
39
Call up the ever-pure, the effulgent and the ever-radiant character of true humanism in yourself and in others, and no racism shall have the power to thrive in such society even for a few seconds. Abhijit Naskar
40
Tolstoy was a Caucasian, Gandhi was an Asian, and Martin Luther King Jr. was a Negro, yet all of their hearts were inspired by the one idea of nonviolent resistance. King received it from Gandhi, Gandhi received it from Tolstoy, and Tolstoy received it from Christ. Abhijit Naskar
41
It is character that should be the sole measure of judgement in the society of thinking humanity, and nothing short of that would do. Abhijit Naskar
42
If not as a true human, let me tell you as a Biologist, color of the skin does not define an individual’s intelligence — it does not define an individual’s ambitions - it does not define an individual’s dreams — and above all, it does not define an individual’s character. Abhijit Naskar
43
In the biological sense, race does not exist. Abhijit Naskar
44
...The existence or non-existence of an undefined 'god' are quite poin Herman Bondi
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I am an atheist, a rationalist and a humanist. Pierre Berton
46
If origin defines race, then we are all Africans — we are all black. Abhijit Naskar
47
If Allah wants to send me a message, he'll do so on the faces of my brothers and sisters. Michael Muhammad Knight
48
If I could create something that is even minutely close to a small percentile of a genius as Cloud Atlas, I shall deem my life worthy! K. Hari Kumar
49
At the end of the day I have many answers for it. It has to do with my mom, who was an extraordinary woman, and a great feminist. It has to do with the people in my life. It has to do with a lot of different things, but -- I don't know! Because I'm not just writing from the female characters for other people. I have a desire to see them in our culture -- that was not met for most of my childhood. Except occasionally by James Cameron. [From the 2011 San Diego Comic Con, in response to being asked why he writes strong female characters.]. Joss Whedon
50
Next year, Equality Now will celebrate - if that’s the word - will clock its twentieth year. Two decades of fighting the good fight, fighting the cause, and in case I haven’t been the clear, the cause is that one half of the human race is given the same basic equal rights that the other half enjoys. Or, not given. Given back. That is not a milestone, twenty years, that I intend to go unnoticed. I want to make some noise. I want to make a joyful noise, I want to make too much noise. I want the neighbors to complain. I’m tired of being polite about something that matters so much. Joss Whedon
51
And the person who says that the only way to please them is to restrict options for others is, if you ask me, the one who deserves it least. And that’s my opinion, expressed as politely as possible. David Gaider
52
You are the Jehovah of goodness, Allah of brotherhood, Buddha of reasoning and Krishna of love. And that’s more than enough gods, that the world will ever need. Abhijit Naskar
53
The world does not need more pestilential misogynistic pricks to Christianize, Muslimize or basically dogmatize the society — the world needs passionate courageous souls to humanize the society. Abhijit Naskar