I am having a friendly debate with a fellow atheist on Twitter and it is hard to debate with 140 characters.
I am of the opinion that humanism is not a religion but rather a defined moral and ethical position. There is no dogma, no faith requirement. Dictionary.com defines Religion as:
| 1. |
a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. |
| 2. |
a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion. |
| 3. |
the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions. |
While I agree that number 2 and 3 could apply to Humanism as humanism is a fundamental set of beliefs agreed upon by a number of persons, we would then need to define beliefs. If we don't define beliefs then we can apply religion to a great many things. For instance; I believe in evolution but it is not a religion.