A note. Humanism.

A note for my own reference.
Humanists, be human.
Accept that there's an indefinable other component to humanity other than reason and logic.
Call it wistful longing for shades of grey amidst black and white.
Call it spiritual song in the heart which longs to be sung.
Or intuition, emotional quotient, ESP or a sixth sense.

Reason and logic are indispensable tools to understand the universe. They analyse data supplied by our sensory organs and process and categorise and then make sense of the known world.
But an unknown world much to our annoyance/exasperation persists like an itch noone can scratch.
Call that quantum physics, spooky action, particle entanglement, Schrodinger's cat phenomenon.
And these inexplicable things are also essential.
To retain a sense of mystery. Awe. Not in pursuit of a higher being necessarily.
But in the pursuit of limitless infinite  knowledge as vast eternal and unending as numbers.
I don't know is so very beautiful. An honest courageous starting point.
Rather than inventing tin gods of jealousy and dominance.
But please don't let  I don't know be the showstopper.
That's where knowledge begins, where mystery and wonder become the beautiful itch you must scratch.
Please accept that there's a place for religion. As an art form. A sort of poetry that guides and sustains.
Like Einstein said.
"...Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

Please don't let the fact that most religions are exclusionary jealous misguided human attempts to control what they cannot account for be a cause of throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
The Latin roots of worldly religions was to bind, to control. The Latin word Religare....Which means to tie or bind.
That's religion at its worst. An organisational hierarchical structure that's close minded, binding, static and possessive.

Religion is about personal interaction. An individual's most intimate most sacred transaction with the world within and without.
It is a coming to terms with all the cards life has dealt us, and stacked against us.

So please dear Humanists.
Be merciful and kind and gracious. Let your brave candor, rationality and logos be tempered with an open mind and humble heart.
That's what humanism means to me anyway.
Connecting with other human beings.

Enough said I guess.

(c) Amrita Valan 2017