Though humanism today tends to be associated with secular movements, they often tend to harbor a “spiritual” component in the sense that they sympathize with the religious impulse and try to harness it. To this end, they often embrace the mythological and symbolic elements of traditional religion, even if they reject any notion that they are factually real.
Rational
Vulcanism
Vulcanism is the belief that we can only trust our reason and that emotions are not effective arbiters of truth. That is not to say that emotions don’t have value — they can enhance the quality of life and also inspire hypotheses about the world and its organization.
Saganism
Saganism is a form of Scientism which looks to the late scientist and presenter Carl Sagan as the apotheosis of how popular science should be regarded and presented. Sagan managed not only to make science interesting and fun, but he also was an impressive multi-disciplinarian who showed that Science is more than just an experimental method — it can be a way of looking at the world.
Informationism
Informationism is a religion which sees the world as made up of information. By understanding information and its principles we can better understand the world.
Toeism
The “Toe” in Toeism stands for the acronym “Theory of Everything.” It’s the idea that all religions are essentially “Theories of Everything.” Toeism is a fanciful religion for people who don’t really have any interest in religion at all.
Stoicism
Because of its association with the modern word “stoic,” some people assume Stoicism is a very serious way of looking at things, that a Stoicist is someone who is very dour and serious all the time. On the contrary, Stoicists have a great affection for life and all that it has to offer, they just doesn’t get attached to expectations.
Scientism
Believers in traditional religions like to argue that Science is also a religion. And while most scientists reject that idea, Scientists embrace it! The religion of Scientism upends the criticism by pointing out that there is no firm definition of the word religion.
Futurism
Futurists look at the world and see unbridled potential everywhere, imagining possibility and looking forward to every new day. To the Futurist, everything is “becoming” rather than being. Consequently, the Futurist is forward-thinking in most things, even as they harbor concerns for humanity’s dystopian tendencies.
Dowism
Not to be confused with Daoism, Dowism takes its name from the Dow Jones Industrial Average, an index of the US stock market. Essentially, it sees economic development as a form of spiritual growth. Of course, the idea of a religion based on the financial market might seem very strange to some people, but if we look at the Dow (and the financial growth it impiles) in the right way, we can see it as a metaphor for human development.
Naturalism
The concept of “naturalism” is fundamental to most religions – the idea that there is a natural order and moral structure to the world, and that we need to align ourselves with them in order to live well. Naturalism in our context places an emphasis on admiring nature as a means to reconnect with our natural selves.
