This Blog first appeared in the Harvard Humanist on March 20th.
The seed for ‘Secularism – A Short Film‘ was planted when I first met Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll. Richard McNally, who plays Ingersoll in the film, gave a one-man performance dressed as the late 19th century orator at a Los Angeles chapter of the AHA back in 2010. Richard reenacted Ingersoll’s gift for speech writing with an engaging show, and then followed with a Q&A in character. Since that day I have read as much as I can of Ingersoll’s work. The ‘great agnostic’s’ writing is long and florid compared to our contemporary succinctness, so when I came across this particular essay (a slender 528 words), written for the Freethought periodical The Independent Pulpit in Waco, Texas in 1887, I knew I had to make it into a film.
The piece is not without its controversy: calling secularism a ‘religion’ has certainly made the hair stand up on the necks of many atheists, some of whom disregard the humanistic component of the speech’s message. One comment said that my film sounded like a Christian recruitment piece. Several people suggested editing the uncomfortable, unfashionable words out of the essay in order to accommodate a modern audience. But that would be unconscionable: after all, don’t many of the religious pick and choose passages of the bible that speak to them, while disregarding others they find awkward? That is not intellectual honesty.
It was a sign of the Victorian era that Ingersoll couched his rhetoric in religious metaphor, as the United States was a deeply devout nation, even more so than now. He showed the tens of thousands who came to listen to him an alternative to religious superstition and dogma. He talked about the “grand temple of the future” made to house the “religion of Humanity”, where we cease to accept “truth in rags, and superstition robed and crowned” (from his speech ‘The Gods’ 1872). Those are words I can believe in. Those are words that ring out loud and clear in our current climate of religious bigotry and anti-secularism.
In my opinion secularism is not a religion, but a radically enlightened idea to keep the peace between opposing forces of humanity. It is not a message of salvation and redemption, but of independence and compassion. It is not a platform for extremism and bigotry, but of moderation and tolerance. It is not telling you how to think, but instead conveys the importance of independent thought, free from orthodoxy and those who claim the mantle of moral authority. It is interested in new ideas, and protects the progression of humanity. Ultimately for secularism to work, it requires an educated, engaged and vigilant population that desires not to discriminate against others for their beliefs.
I hope in some small way that my film helps to propel the discussion of our secular nation forward, and how important it is to protect minorities, whoever they are, from the persecution by the perceived majority, whoever they are. I also hope this film brings a renewed interest in Ingersoll’s writing and his brave offensive against those who used fear as a means to control. We must remind our fellow Americans that our Founding Fathers saw fit to separate Church and State, despite what the revisionist historians say, for when both powers intertwine the result has never been anything but terrible for humanity.
As for secularism: it has its own public relations issues to deal with. Many Conservative Christians have been told that secularism and communism go hand in hand, and that it is hostile to religious belief. As we non-believers flex our newly found muscle and increase in numbers, we will have to show why a secular government has all of our best interests at heart. We must willing to defend the free speech rights of others who have a different point of view, but be ready to challenge those ideas without the terse name calling and demonization that can emanate from certain atheist circles – a characteristic Ingersoll called “intellectual hospitality”.
On a personal note, I have only recently decided to identify as a Humanist and it has been somewhat of a hard decision. I don’t tend to join groups, and although I am very social, I like being independent. Ultimately I needed to find the antithesis of social-conservatism, of superstition, of political religiosity. Because of the religious right I started to dislike everything about religion, which I never did before. I don’t believe that religion poisons everything, but I know that excessive power cloaked in religion does, as would a dogmatically-enforced atheism.
The fact that I am an atheist should be of no concern to the religious, especially religious progressives. I may be a Secular Humanist, but I want to show a message of unity to secularists (including those who are religious) that we have to stand up to the narcissism and intellectual dishonesty of those who believe that they alone own this country over everyone else.
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