The closest label for my spirituality would be "Freethinker" or "Spiritual Humanist." I believe religion must mesh with the science of the day, in order to be believable and useful to humankind. As a Spiritual Humanist, I enjoy rituals and ceremonies that lift up the natural human spirit. Whether supernatural deities exist or not makes no difference to me, as I just want to live a good life and help others do the same.
Humanism is a philosophy of life inspired by humanity and guided by reason and compassion.
Millions of people around the world embrace humanist values for fuller, more joyful lives without dependence or reliance on supernatural god(s) or belief in a literal heaven or hell. Whether you use the term Humanist, Agnostic, Freethinker, Atheist, Rationalist, those who have evolved away from traditional theistic religions make sense of the world using reason, experience and shared human values.
I am an ordained minister of Spiritual Humanism, which is an organization endorsing religion based on reason rather than deity worship. It is a growing organization of Freethinkers, Atheists, Agnostics, Deists, Buddhists, Taoists and others who might call themselves spiritual, but not religious.
The distinctive elements of a Spiritual Humanist ceremony include inspirational recognition of the beauty of the natural world and our place in it.
The Church of Spiritual Humanism ordains anyone who agrees with the basic tenet that religion must be based on reason. Any further training and humanist education is a personal quest. My training includes the completion of several courses from the Institute of Humanist Studies, the Continuum of Humanist Studies as well as the seminary courses with the Church of Spiritual Humanism and ongoing casual education through web forums such as the Church of Spiritual Humanism Members Forum and the American Association of Wedding Officiants and the Community Forum for Certified Funeral Celebrants with Insight Institute.
I received my Funeral Celebrant Certification through Insight Institute. I also draw on the wealth of spiritual poems, quotes, and other literature written by humans past and present, for my ceremonies and services.
I do not have a divinity degree, for the simple reason that I am not a theist and do not provide theistic ceremonies. I became a Humanist Minister/ Celebrant / Officiant, to offer wedding ceremonies, funerals and family services to those who simply wish to have a meaningful ceremony without religious references or imposing a worship service on guests who may be of various spiritual backgrounds.
As I was not ordained in a Christian church, and do not call myself "Reverend" nor perform Christian ceremonies. I became a celebrant and officiant to help fill the growing demand for more free spirited ceremonies, without religious restrictions. My ceremonies celebrate human values and therefore are warm and memorable to the participants and guests.
- I believe that a marriage is a commitment between two people, accountable to each other.
- I believe that family ceremonies such as baby welcomings and coming of age ceremonies are about the family's code of ethics and inspiring positive involvement in the community.
- I believe that community ceremonies should inspire a feeling of goodwill and positive interaction between community members , not reliance on a an outside supernatural force.
- I believe that a funeral should recognize the life and legacy of an individual, providing closure and hope to the survivors. The deceased person's memory should be embraced by the survivors in a positive way, allowing life to go on with adjustments toward living without the loved one.
- I believe that the responsibility of one's success and happiness depends on the personal dedication and devotion to those goals rather than encouraging personal dependence on outside supernatural forces, such as deities, to provide that success and happiness.
"Humanism is
a philosophy of life, inspired by humanity
and guided by reason and compassion.
As a Humanist Minister and Celebrant,
my focus is on human needs, goals and values,
rather than worship or theological dependence. "
While my ceremonies are written for clients who are non-religious, or are of mixed religious faiths, agnostic, atheist, freethinkers, humanists, rationalists, etc., they can also be of value to religious individuals, because they focus on common human values that are espoused by all religions. I do not include anything negative about one spiritual path or another in my ceremonies, so only a positive message is sent.
Will I allow someone to contribute religious readings, in an interfaith ceremony? Sure! When a freethinker marries a believer, both faiths should be recognized with respect. Likewise when a loved one dies and the survivors are a mixture of faiths or lack thereof, all should faiths should be addressed. While this can be done on a level of commonality between them, elements from the different faiths can provide a feeling of inclusion for everyone.
In addition to spiritual dialog, from the humanist point of view, when asked, I am happy to help you define your own personal spirituality, code or ethics or moral compass and help you create symbols, rituals and ceremonies so that your personal spirituality can have a positive impact on your own life, your family and your community.
Note: If you're interested in reading a little more about what I do, there was an article written about me recently, in the Hawaii Reporter: Celebrant Sprinkles Spirituality on Weddings and Funerals in Hawaii.
Links:
If you are looking for similar services in another part of the country, please visit the websites of my colleagues:
Arkansas: Sheila Cordellia Hicks, Spiritual Humanist Celebrant & Officiant
Michigan: Chuck Martin, Spiritual Humanist Celebrant & Officiant
New York: Eileen Regan, Spiritual Humanist Celebrant & Officiant
