Personal Paths to Humanism

This collection of essays from the personal, inspirational stories of leaders in the humanist movement will be published on May 23, 2016. Why do people become humanists? Those religiously opposed to humanism often think (and say on the Internet) that people become humanists out of pride, narcissism, and a desire to pursue a depraved life free of moral judgment. Personal Paths to Humanism is not only a sound refutation of the absurd claim of humanism's detractors, it is truly inspirational to read. We asked a cross-section of American Humanist Association leaders and members to simply tell us their stories and they did! Many came to humanism from various religions-some mild, some strict-while others came from secular backgrounds. Some came to humanism at an early age, others later in life. A few experienced rapid change, but most came to it gradually. The variety in such transformations, and their causes, proved stunning-but so did the similarities! Beyond this, we discovered that when people share their life journeys with us, a bond occurs. We not only learn but we identify. Humanist ideas aren't just a set of philosophical abstractions; they are living things, arrived at by processes of change that we recognize and feel. While we release this initial volume in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the American Humanist Association in 2016, we're so impressed by the nature of these stories that we are getting ready to receive more personal stories for a second volume. In the long run, we hope to build a perpetual archive of life stories to inspire future generations of humanists.