Being a humanist can mean many different things to different people.
At Austin Humanists at Work, we place special emphasis on the aspect of humanism philosophy that encourages us to dedicate our lives to helping others find happiness. It’s why our objective is to be kind to others, especially individuals who are less fortunate. After all, we are all human.
Austin Humanists at Work volunteers and supporters believe that human hands can—and should—help solve human problems, including homelessness and poverty. When we focus on humans and listen to humans, we can help humans through our own worldly interventions.
The official definition is of humanism is an outlook attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.
Humanists offer tangible responses to difficult situations, and typically avoid sometimes empty-sounding sentiments such as “sending thoughts and prayers.” Humanists understand that simply hoping for better will not solve world crises, or really any problem, big or small. It’s up to all of us to find rational and meaningful solutions that we can enact in real-world scenarios. Simply put, humanists put love and kindness into action to create positive and powerful change in the world.
Though there are a few different brands of humanism, Austin Humanists at Work welcomes all self-identifying humanists from every background, nationality, race, creed and (current or previous) religion. In addition to the many atheists and agnostics who keep the organization operating smoothly, some Christians, Muslims and other religious people are also humanists, and we are so happy to have their support and involvement with the work we do under the I-35 bridge in downtown Austin, Texas.
As we’ve noted in the past, and because it doesn’t really even cross our minds, we do not preach nonbelief or any philosophy within the organization or at any of our giveaways. Humanism to us means helping others with no expectations, no stipulations, no evangelizing, and no strings attached … period.
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Want to get involved? See our list of most needed items and find details about the next giveaway in downtown Austin.
Look through our Frequently Asked Questions for more insight on our organization.
Read an impressive list of famous humanists, courtesy of Wikipedia.