What is a Humanist and do they celebrate Christmas?

Dec. 18, 2012 - PRLog -- Jesus is the reason for the season, unless you celebrate something other than Christmas. According to a recent Pew study, 1/6th of the world’s population are not religious. This mirrors studies in American that show 12 to 16% of the population are now among the “nones.”

Among the growing ranks of the non-religious are Humanists. Even though some of the most influential individuals in modern history have self-identify as Humanists, including people like Albert Einstein and Helen Keller, most people know very little about the philosophy aside from the fact that religious fundamentalists seem to blame them for pretty much everything.

So what is a Humanist? What do Humanists believe? Do they celebrate Christmas? The answers may surprise you.

Humanism is a highly effective approach to human development. It is as concerned with personal development as it is with social responsibility. It is probably the most humane and holistic approach to ethical philosophy humanity has ever devised and has been taught in some form throughout human history.

According to Jennifer Hancock, author of The Humanist Approach to Happiness, Humanism isn’t about what a person believes as much as it is an approach to how they live their lives.  “Being a Humanist means trying to be the best human being you can be” says Hancock. “Humanists reject supernaturalism simply because they prefer a more pragmatic and realistic approach to solving their problems.”

On the question of whether they celebrate Christmas or not, Hancock says that some Humanists do and some don’t. It all depends on the individual and what their family traditions were growing up. “Humanists are not scrooges.” she laughed. “We like a good party as much as the next person.”   Jennifer’s family celebrates several holidays including Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Saturnalia, Festivus and Human Light. “We use this time of year to celebrate our favorite holidays and consider it a good opportunity to teach our son about comparative religion.”  And yes, they do have a nativity scene complete with baby Jesus among their decorations.

To learn more about Humanism or to contact Jennifer to arrange a media interview, visit her on the web at: http://www.jen-hancock.com