Comments on: Quacklash Backlash!

By: paolov

paolov — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:32:20 +0000

Rational, it would seem that you don't know much about Humanism. I can tell you exactly what might be entailed in an Humanist wedding - indeed you have inspired me to write a piece about it on my blog.

Are you suggesting that Humanist beliefs and practices are outside mainstream culture? If so can you provide an example of what you mean?

To the best of my knowledge the only explicit belief that unites Humanists is an acceptance of the 'Golden Rule' (treat others as you would want to be treated). This is not outside mainstream culture. In terms of practices, there are none prescribed by Humanism whatsoever. When it comes to ceremonies Humanists simply don't bother to invoke a god as a witness to the event, instead they rely on friends and family to witness it. Again, this makes no requirements outside mainstream culture, since mainstream marriages also call upon friends and family as witnesses.

As for registry offices, they are seldom very attractive or spacious, so why should Humanists miss out on the opportunity to have a beautiful surroundings or a decent party with hundreds of guests to celebrate something like a marriage? In fact, many Humanists do get married in a registry office, but then they like to hold a more celebratory ceremony elsewhere to mark the occasion.

By: rational

rational — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:43:06 +0000

Nitsa says every wedding ceremony must reflects the religion or philosophy of the couple getting married. If a humanist wedding does reflect their beliefs or practices, as they are outside the mainstream culture, then it is cultish. If it doesn't reflect these, then it is not.
I haven't been to a humanist wedding,so don't know exactly what the ceremony involves. Perhaps I am being presumptuous in thinking it must reflect their beliefs. But if it doesn't why not just go to a registry office?
Chiropractic definitely had at the start, and still does have within groups of some practitioners, cultish elements.

By: paolov

paolov — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:28:23 +0000

Hmm, Humanist weddings don't reflect beliefs or practices outside mainstream culture. Unless you count excluding reference to an invisible omnipotent being who fathered himself in order to be sacrificed only to return from the dead as being a serious ommision (in the UK) - it isn't required for a registry office, so I fail to see the validity of your point. Marriage is a legal recognition of a partnership that confers rights to both partners. It also provides an opportunity for a bloody good party. Are you honestly suggesting that God is required as well or do you think that Humanists carry out strange rites at their weddings? If so you are very poorly informed.

Speaking of cults, wasn't chiropractic teetering on the brink of a religion when it first got established? From what I've read there are still members of the chiropractic profession that hold some opinions about subluxation that are a long way outside the beliefs and practices of mainstream medicine "Rigor mortis is the only thing we can't help" (Sid E, Williams DC, 1994. quoted by the American Chiropractic Association Statement to Associated Press.)

I'm not accusing chiropractic of being a cult, but by your definition there are cultish elements that exist within chiropractic.

By: rational

rational — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:29:59 +0000

If the wedding ceremony reflects beliefs or practice which the surrounding population considers to be outside of mainstream culture, then it is cultish.

By: nitsa

nitsa — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:33:26 +0000

Sigh.
I know what you said. You said and I quote, "Cults characteristically have their own wedding ceremonies that they feel reflect their own cultish beliefs."

I'm pointing out the logical extension of what you said. Every wedding ceremony apart from civil ones reflects the religion or philosophy of the couple getting married. Therefore every wedding ceremony is, by your definition, 'cultish'.

As you're the only person here to mention humanism, it looks like you're just having a childish pop at humanists because you don't have any rational arguments, rational.

By: rational

rational — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:09:16 +0000

Sigh.
I never said every wedding ceremony apart from register (sic) office is (sic) cultish.
I said cults characteristically have their own wedding ceremonies.

There seems to be moaning from both humanists and chiros here. They seem to have that in common.

By: nitsa

nitsa — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:48:02 +0000

So every wedding ceremony apart from register office weddings is cultish. You don't sound very rational, rational .

I don't see any comments from moaning humanists here either. Only from moaning chiros.

By: rational

rational — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:23:39 +0000

Like Tom Cruise whose Scientology Cult's wedding to Katy Holmes is the most famous example.

By: rational

rational — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:21:24 +0000

Cults characteristically have their own wedding ceremonies that they feel reflect their own cultish beliefs.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:42:55 +0000

how is a wedding ceremony cultish?