“A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question…” It seems appropriate to quote these words from the Introduction to Origin of Species by Charles Darwin in these times of trouble. Reason, that is seeing all sides of a question, and evaluating them on the basis of evidence, is conspicuous by its absence when there is trouble. The economic meltdown means TROUBLE for almost everyone in the world. And it is not just financial trouble. Wars happen. Nations look for territorial expansion when their own boundaries prove insufficient to provide for their citizens. Above all, religion happens. Whom do I turn to in times of trouble? God, of course! It is far too complex to understand why I’ve suddenly lost my job after twenty years, and too difficult to find another one. So if no-one can help me, well then, God will! The blessings of a supernatural being, unknown, unseen, unfathomed, suddenly count for more than the lost comfort of my lifestyle. Hence, as Babu Gogineni tells us on page 28, if I can’t understand why my house is being burnt and my cattle being killed, then the solution is to open a new temple!

Across the world houses are being burnt figuratively. Almost every family is facing loss of income, some marginally, some at a much higher level. Suddenly people are being forced to rethink their living standards. From good times not so long ago, people have plunged into relative poverty. And the situation isn’t going to improve for another couple of years, at least. Corners will be cut, lifestyles will be modified, and the money available for ‘luxuries’ will reduce. The charitable instinct will be held in abeyance. Charity is always the impulse of the well-to-do. Now the many takers of charity, including Humanist groups, will have to fight harder than ever before to retain their slice of the cake. In the fight for money, the religious groups are, as always, going to emerge winners.

Humanist groups are, therefore, going to be squeezed on both fronts. Financially, they will have smaller resources with which to spread their message. Ideologically, they will face the prospect of hordes turning to religion to allay uncertainty over the future. And religion will celebrate the induction of new recruits to its ranks. Pontiffs across the world can already smell success, judging by the strident noises of irrationality that they are increasingly making. The Pope likens homosexuality to deforestation, and the mullahs are ready to claim the heads of non-Muslims like the Pope. Caste-based murders in India are rising, and the Government has to step in to decide who the main priest in the famous Pasupatinath Temple in Nepal is going to be.

Can Humanism offer an alternative to religion to beleaguered humankind? Can the tenets of reason and rationalism compete effectively with the mythology and superstition of religion? Can it counter the fear-mongering that religion is so good at, with all its talk of divine vengeance? Can it prove to the world that a life lived without fear is infinitely better than one in the protection of an unknown and irrational entity? Can people be taught to appreciate both sides of the question, and see that other life stances also have a right to exist?

Of course Humanism can do all of these things. A lot depends on how it’s done. A few issues ago, one of the columnists wrote about bringing the terminology of Humanism closer to the audience, especially in the Third World where literacy levels are poor. IHEU’s work in India with the Dalits is another example of the almost limitless possibilities for dissemination of Humanist thought. Superstition and the fear of the unknown are easily banished, given the right methods. Above all, there has to be empathy. Humanism must become a workable lifestyle for its adherents. Humanists must make allowance for other belief systems co-existing with them. It is easy to be dismissive of other, particularly religious, belief systems. Yet the reality is that the majority follows a religion. Weaning people away from their traditional beliefs and practices can take years, even generations, and Humanists must be prepared to invest in the long term.

Recently I attended a seminar on Humanism and Caste, where the majority of the participants were Dalits, many of them well-known activists. The Humanist participants at the seminar insisted that the belief system of the followers of Ambedkar, who call themselves Buddhist, was essentially Humanist. The Dalit activists told me privately that now they understood that Humanism was nothing but Buddhism, and all Humanists should convert to Buddhism!

Humanists are passionate people, but passion, it must not be forgotten, is the antithesis of reason. One cannot be reasonable or see the other point of view if one clings passionately to one’s own belief. The ability to understand that truth has many dimensions is what distinguishes a Humanist from her religious counterpart. Religious fanatics love suppressing any opposition to their own point of view, but Humanists believe in the power of logic to get their way. They depend on the fact that man is essentially a rational human being, and if presented with the right evidence, will veer towards that belief which is strongest in rationality. True Humanism bases its strength on its steadfast belief in the fact that there are as many points of view as people in this world, and each one has an equal right to express itself. There is, of course, temptation to abandon this pursuit of reason in favour of passion to counter the absolutely unreasonable arguments of the zealots. Negativity, reviling the other, suppressing the truth, all these are also methods that can be employed to get a following. Most preachers use these fairly effectively. Humanists, on the other hand, must, at the core of all their actions, believe that the way forward is through multilateralism.

Since Humanism is a life-stance that has everything to recommend it, there can be only benefit in Humanists choosing opportunities to disseminate their ideology, and then allowing time to for the thought to germinate in the minds of the people. The shrill rants of religious leaders cannot be countered by more shrillness, but by reason presented in an attractive fashion.

Sangeeta Mall is Editor, International Humanist News magazine.