The Sociological Argument: In my last post defending a Humanist organization explicitly presenting itself as a religious community, I presented the argument from precedent. Here I present the Sociological argument.
Organizations, whether they be political, business entities, social or religious don't simply exist. They also feature activity. Whatever the hierarchical, financial or legal nature of their establishment, many would argue that their true nature is better discerned by what they do than by what they call themselves.
So how would the Lake Area Humanist Temple be organized and what would it do? Well, the founding of the Temple would consist of people who held certain similar values with regard to what constitutes right and wrong behavior. This is pretty spot-on with virtually any religious organization. As spirited as debate can get between some people with regard to how old the Earth is or how human beings came about, issues of morality have a far more substantive effect on daily life. What you wear, what you eat, acceptable modes of speech, sexual behavior, and what responsibility people bear for their family, fellows in their faith or all other people are examples of mores commented on by various religions. Few faiths are completely totalitarian, but there are behaviors that are out of line even for sects that place a high value on individuality and freedom. The Temple would have its own recommendations for appropriate personal behavior, would exhort its members to abide by such and would be forced to disassociate itself from anyone who egregiously violated the most sacred tenets.
Then, there are the aforementioned questions of origin. How old is the Earth anyway? Is biological macro-evolution a reality? You remember the link to "religion" in the last blog? The very first definition for religion references a system of belief regarding morality and the purpose, nature and origin of the Universe. Granted, it states "especially" with regard to supernatural agency, but that emphasis would be redundant if there was no alternative to such divine agency. Our congregants in the LAHT do have a belief concerning the gods. They don't believe in them. That may not be the kind of "belief" that one might expect, but it is a logical and philosophical position with regards to the supernatural.
The activity of the Temple may also put it more firmly in the realm of religious organization than in any other category. Members may meet on a regular (or even irregular) schedule for services serving important functions strongly associated with religion. Social interaction with others who are aligned with regard to their philosophical beliefs can imbue members with confidence in their moral convictions and reassure them that even though they may be a statistical minority, they do have a supportive community. It is common to hear church members talk of being "energized" by attendance and fellowship with others of their faith. A service would also feature a speaker expounding upon a topic directly relating to the system of ethics expressed by the Temple's creed.
In addition to such internal functions, the Temple could engage in outreach and service efforts aimed at the community outside its congregation. One aspect of this might be announcing itself to the population at large. Though Humanists generally don't make much effort to "convert" others, an organization making itself known may find people who are already Humanists more than eager to become involved. They just need to know that the organization is there. The Temple might also send its clerics into the community to serve Humanists or other non-theistic persons in the capacity of chaplains. Members of the armed forces, police forces, firefighters and other emergency workers are frequently exposed to chronically high levels of stress and occasionally to brutally high levels of stress when reacting to catastrophic events. While medical or psychological treatment is sometimes necessary, other times these people need counsel from a person who can understand what they are going through and non-theists often cannot get such from someone who believes in the gods. Given the emphasis of Humanism on rationalism, education would also be a prime target for assistance from the Temple. It could take the form of sending tutors to volunteer at local schools, setting up a program for providing a summer school program for children in poorly performing school districts or something else entirely.
These are only examples, of course. But, these are the kinds of ideas that are floating around the Community of Reason. My assertion is that the nature of such activity is a parallel to the activity of superstitious faiths. They make statements about the nature and origin of the Universe, gods and morality. So would the Temple. They promote their view through gathering the like-minded and reinforcing their views via lectures, sermons and debates. So would the Temple. They provide a social context in which people can meet others in gatherings that exist expressly because of their philosophical similarities. So would the Temple. They serve as a mechanism by which resources can be aggregated and employed in a manner consistent with their moral philosophy. So would the Temple.
Humanists might agree to form an organization for any number of purposes and many of these would have nought to do with religion. But, an organization engaging in the type of behavior I have described above I would be hard-pressed to label anything but religious.
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