Press Release
In Election Aftermath Humanists Defend Secular Values
For Immediate Release - Contact: Roy Speckhardt (202) 238-9088
rspeckhardt@americanhumanist.org - www.americanhumanist.org
(Washington, D.C., November 9, 2004) Less than a week after Senator John Kerry conceded, the knee-jerk reactions have somewhat subsided, and those disappointed with the outcome are now analyzing ways to broaden their appeal. "The Democrats did strengthen their base in this election-in the secular vote," stated Tony Hileman, executive director of the American Humanist Association. "And now Humanists have a unique opportunity to advance naturally derived ethics as a progressive alternative to divinely inspired morality."
John Green, professor of political science at the University of Akron
observed, "The Democratic Party has relied on secular or nonaffiliated
voters for a few elections now." John Kerry openly discussed his faith and Catholic upbringing, but regularly drew a clear boundary between his personal beliefs and his duty as a representative of a diverse populace. So it follows that, as Kim Lawton of PBS Religion and Ethics Weekly noted, when it comes to the seculars, "Kerry got overwhelmingly the majority of that vote: seventy percent."
"Kerry won the secular vote based on the values of fairness, tolerance, and social justice. If Democrats leave these principles behind it will only further weaken their base-Humanists and progressive religious Americans can't be left behind," added Hileman.
The twenty-two percent of voters who cited moral values as the most
important issue in the election voted overwhelmingly for George W. Bush. To Humanists who equate morality with a reasoned compassion and commitment to egalitarianism and justice-values that Bush appears to lack-this polling result is perplexing.
"But the Religious Right has manipulated 'morality' into something
synonymous with religious fundamentalism and hijacked the definition of
values," continued Hileman. "These redefined 'traditional moral values' are being applied in new and unintended ways to further political ambitions.
"This election may seem like a victory for fundamentalists, but we must not respond by watering down our principles. If we did so, they would no longer be principles but political expediencies. Instead, we must use direct language that resonates with fair-minded Americans," concluded Hileman.
# # #
For a more in-depth look into Humanist values and morality, call for an
interview with Tony Hileman, and look for this topic in the next edition of the Humanist magazine.
The American Humanist Association is the oldest and largest Humanist
organization in the nation. The AHA is dedicated to ensuring a voice for
those with a positive nontheistic outlook, based on reason and experience,
which embraces all of humanity
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