ABSTRACT
Atheism and humanism share many common principles. Basic to humanism is its commitment to the methods of science, the use of reason and evidence in all domains in order to evaluate claims to truth, and to solve human problems. Humanism draws upon the sciences for its interpretation of nature. Atheism in the sense is the negative of theism—the idea that a divine being or person exists and that he is the creator of the universe. Scientific scholarship has demonstrated that the Bible is a human document expressing the outlook of an ancient nomadic and agricultural society; it was not divinely inspired. Many humanists would characterize themselves simply as skeptics. Historically, humanists have protested ecclesiastical censorship. For the humanist the preciousness and dignity of each individual and the desire to preserve and enhance the zone of privacy characterizes the basic ethical agenda of humanists, at least in the Western world.
