Humanist Thought of the Week

Happy Freethought Day

In case you didn’t know, today is Freethought Day. What is Freethought Day? Glad you asked. It’s the celebration of the day the Salem Witch Trials ended. This was the day, way back in 1692, when the governor of Massachusetts decided that spectral evidence would no longer permissible in a court of law. He apparently had friends who had been accused who he knew weren’t witches, but realized that the reality they weren’t witches wouldn’t matter to the courts. So he declared that from that day forward, if you were going to convict someone of being a witch, you had to provide actual proof that they were indeed a witch. We celebrate this day as Freethought Day because this was the day that sanity was restored, literally, during a witch-hunt. And for the record, I’m not a witch, I’m not a witch!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Hawaiians

It’s hard to not be happy when you listen to Hawaiian music. Part of the reason why is because much of the music is love songs. And who doesn’t like a good love song? The other reason is that the music is always connected to the beauty of nature. There is an inherent appreciation of the world we find themselves in. Not because of some supernatural reason, And not just because Hawaii really is paradise on earth, But because anyone, if they are willing, can see the beauty of passing days. And this is consistent with Humanism. We seek to appreciate the world that we find ourselves in instead of hiding in a world of make believe. The real world is amazing, and awesome and beautiful. And to live in it fully without hesitation is, to quote my favorite song, to capture moments that some only dream of.

Skepticism and Optimism

Humanists are both skeptical and optimistic. You could say we are optimistically skeptical And no, that isn’t an oxymoron.

Magical vs. Practical Thinking

When it comes to solving our problems, Humanists rely on practical thinking.

On Being Happy

Nothing is more annoying then someone who is dark and brooding just so they can prove how intellectually deep they are.