Their religion is important to a great many people. It offers them some security and comfort and helps give the believer an identity. But, in exchange, one has to follow the rules of the system, and the believer cannot change the rules, as they are all laid down in the holy books. However, this is true of all ideologies, and we find “gurus” everywhere. As long as they are viewed in their historical and cultural contexts, the importance of such rules can be properly evaluated. But when circumstances change, it is clear that ideas also need to evolve. If they do not, problems appear, and throughout history we see the same pattern over and over again: systems which in their time once worked very effectively are then used as tools by the powerful to gain and maintain their power. Fundamentalism and extremism appear.

People have always tried to understand, explain and control their environment. A majority have been satisfied by the idea that the inexplicable was caused by the supernatural, and have looked no further. From belief in the supernatural to the foundation of religion is a small step. And from there a further small step leads to the acceptance of holy men in direct contact with the gods and transmitting knowledge of what is good or bad, and to the origin of social systems where everyone follows the same code of conduct. And of course, as long as a particular system is the only known way of life, it works. Contacts with others may lead to more critical thinking; the response may be reinforced fundamentalism, in a flight from uncertainty.

In a world where sciences play a prominent role, it is astonishing that superstition is still very widespread – not only in Asia or Africa, but also in the Western world. How many people read and believe what they read in horoscopes? How many people with access to excellent doctors prefer to go to charlatans, whose remedies have no scientific basis at all and no proof of effectiveness? How many, abandoning all their critical faculties, go to fortune tellers? It seems that rationalists still have a long way to go in persuading people not to forsake critical thinking for the comfort of belief in silly stories.

What about secularists? What about Humanists? Are they always rational? Of course not! We know very well that we do not behave rationally all the time. We are as swayed by emotion as anyone else. That is good as long as we recognise when we are following our emotions, and as long as we realise that they are not always the best guide in life.

People need structures, a framework for communal living without which society would be chaotic. Laws, regulations and codes are necessary, but it is important that laws, values and norms be constantly subject to criticism; they need to change in response to new scientific and technological developments. We must recognise that they cannot remain the same for ever; and that applies as much to our own philosophy as to any other.

In this issue, you will see mention of how the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is under threat even in the very UN body whose main task should be to uphold it! Of course, ideas of human rights should be examined, discussed and developed, but they must be preserved until there is a better formulation. And the very important idea on which they are based is the rights of the individual, which may not be violated by the rights of others, not even by the rights of a structured society.

Of course it would be unjust to divide the world into two parts: on one side the believers, the followers, and on the other side the independent thinkers, the autonomous. It is much more complicated than that. Humanism has no holy book and no doctrine; there are different ways to live and think like a Humanist. Therefore it is to be expected that we should have discussions and disagreements. Humanism is free and unafraid of considering new ideas, accepting or rejecting them. But there is still something holding us together, some general understanding. The Amsterdam Declaration is our minimal statement. It is important that we keep it in mind on the many occasions when we find ourselves in disagreement. Perhaps we ought to make posters with that text and display it so that it confronts us and reminds us of what binds us, thus strengthening the idea of rationalism and Humanism throughout the world.

Sonja Eggerickx is President of IHEU