Who
We Are — What We Value
The
Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago is a democratic
fellowship and spiritual home for those who seek a rational,
compassionate philosophy of life without regard to belief or
nonbelief in a supreme being.
We
value the importance of living an ethical, responsible, and
joyful life. We promote intellectual, philosophical, and artistic
freedom, avoiding dogma and rigid creed. We nurture a sense
of wonder about life, nature, and the universe, and are inspired
by positive models of human achievement. Shaped by the forces
of humanism, democracy, science, and religious reform, we cherish
human diversity and focus on what we have in common, not on
what keeps us apart.
While
respectful of the faiths and traditions we have been born to,
we serve as a new religion or as an alternative to religion.
We care for and support each other, sharing our joys and sorrows.
Like traditional religious communities, we celebrate births,
conduct wedding ceremonies, host memorial services, and provide
for the caring, ethical education of our children in our Golden
Rule Sunday School.
We
believe in deed beyond creed and in working for a better world.
We recognize the worth and dignity of every person, and strive
to act so as to bring out the best in others and thereby in
ourselves.
A
typical Sunday meeting consists of a speaker or presentation
focusing on current issues, ethical philosophy, lifespan education,
or the arts. Since our members come from Jewish, Protestant,
Buddhist, Catholic, "mixed" and other backgrounds,
we focus on the values people share in common. Ethics are always
at the center of our philosophical and educational core.
For
more information about the Society, or the Golden Rule Sunday
School, call the Society at (847) 677-3334 or send e-mail to
office@ethicalhuman.org.
Many
of the projects our organization initiated or helped to found
have evolved into powerful, independent, institutions---Henry
Booth Settlement House, the Visiting Nurses Association, Chicago
Urban League, the Legal Aid Society, and the first free kindergartens
(begun by members from our NY Society).
Jane
Addams, founder of Hull House, was on our Board of Lecturers
for many years, as were other important civic leaders and educators
in the metropolitan Chicago community.
