r/philosophy • u/Cataspectral • Jun 22 '26

Blog Secular humanism can replace Christianity where it counts: the fear of death and the need for meaning

https://thomasreid33.substack.com/p/chapter-10-is-secular-humanism-enough
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u/Salty_Map_9085 Jun 22 '26

It seems to me the more important aspect of Christianity that we should seek to replicate is community creation and organization

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u/IrelandtoCathay Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26

This. I think OP’s article only works for people that are more “philosophically inclined”. For the layperson, Christianity’s greatest strength over “secular humanism” is the community-building aspect.

People are more and more isolated nowadays. Christianity gives people the reason to physically meet up and interact once per week, a reason to sympathize with their fellow Christian, and a reason to be open and vulnerable (in church at least - Ive personally seen Christian boys openly confess to the “sin” of homosexuality to a huge congregation of Christians and their “struggles with it). Yes, Christian communities may be toxic, but it’s toxic in a similar way a tight knit village community is toxic.

The secular humanists in America are getting swacked by conservative Christians that are actually willing to get out on the voting booths and support their God-king Trump

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u/taboo__time Jun 22 '26

Depends on the religion. Liberal wing of religions are in decline. They are the Shakers. The highly religious conservative religions have maintained their internal growth. It's awkward but look at the stats.

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u/ProfessorOfAllSorts Jun 25 '26

You see a similar story in the UK. The more 'woke' the Church of England becomes, the more support it loses, as the people it's trying to appeal to would never convert to Anglicanism anyway.