Brad Alles

Continuing this series of blogs, we delve into the future according to Secular Humanism.  Since people believe that they can improve life on Earth with various worldviews, it makes sense to study and understand these positions.  Furthermore, we want to grasp the real problem of life on the planet–sin, and the ultimate solution for it in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

There are people who believe we need a global government to steer mankind’s future, not 190+ countries all doing what their own national interests dictate.  Yet who would have the final say on what is allowed in this global government?   The government does, not the people. And when those in power decide for the rest of us what is permissible, freedom is lost and tyranny ensues.

Tyranny, by definition, is when the government has absolute power.  Jonah Goldberg states in his book Liberal Fascism that in a tyrannical, or fascist, government, “Any action of the state is justified to achieve the common good…It takes responsibility for all aspects of life, including our health and well-being, and seeks to impose uniformity of thought and action, whether by force or through regulation and social pressure.” You may wonder if this is an overstatement: “It takes responsibility for all aspects of life.” Sadly, it is not. Take, for example, the fact that some McDonald’s Happy Meals are banned in San Francisco because there is a childhood obesity problem. The law is to prevent “offering a free toy with meals that contain more than set levels of calories, sugar and fat. The ordinance would also require restaurants to provide fruits and vegetables with all meals for children that come with toys.” As humorous as this may sound, it illustrates the power to legislate every aspect of people’s lives—even to whether one orders French fries. In San Francisco, if you want a Happy Meal with a toy, you’d better eat your veggies! Instead of the child and parent deciding, government decides for them. Goldberg continues: “Everything, including the economy and religion, must be aligned with its objectives. Any rival identity is part of the ‘problem’ and therefore defined as the enemy.”

For Christians, this sets an ominous tone. Since we are already viewed as dimwitted for believing in God, and judgmental for believing in moral absolutes, is it any wonder that we are “the enemy”? Carl Teichrib, editor of Forcing Change, describes what this looks like:

Your role as a world citizen will be to revolutionize your values and radically alter your lifestyle; but this is a small price to pay in the name of sustainability and progress. The solution is Technocratic: social engineers, using a systematic approach will work to transform your behavior–even what it means to be human–while new social technologies will collectivize the system.

In other words, “social engineers” are the skilled rulers among us who believe they can transform the human population because the planet is in deep trouble. Using a scientific/engineering mindset, this transformation will be accomplished through all aspects of society–economics, industry, education, and the like—to remake the world. Once the world is remade in their image, there will be social harmony—peace on earth, goodwill to men. And no more obese children since no Happy Meals came with fries!

Since people aren’t smart enough to make good choices, choices will be made for them. According to Goldberg, Secular Humanists believe that it’s time for man to put aside outdated notions like religion, constitutional liberty, and capitalism in order to “rise to the responsibility of making the world in his own image. God was long dead, and it was long overdue for men to take His place.”

The “outdated” view that life is unfair, man is sinful, and that the only real utopia awaits us in heaven is rejected by the Secular Humanist. Goldberg lists what motivate these people: “a faith in the perfectibility of man…the quest for community…the authority of experts… and the need for an all-powerful state to coordinate society at the national or global level.” Humans have to take ownership of the future, because according to the Humanist Manifesto II, “No deity will save us; we must save ourselves.”

Yet history is littered with past attempts to create this utopia. Unfortunately, only after we have seen their horrible consequences do they end up in the garbage dump of evil ideas. Examine the French Revolution, German Nazism, Italian Fascism, and Russian Communism, just to name a few. Sadly, people still try to recycle these ideas and polish them up with new names. After Pope Benedict XVI called for a “true world political authority” that would have “to ensure compliance with its decisions from all parties,” writer Thomas Eddlem warned about the dangers of global government in the light of history:

A world government powerful enough to “to ensure compliance with its decisions from all parties” is also a world government powerful enough to impose a global tyranny that could result in the murder of countless millions. The history of the world has taught that most people were not allowed to be free by their governments in the past, or even in the present. Most people who have walked this world have done so as slaves to the state. Incautious language about the supposed “urgent need” for a global political authority may convince many Catholics and other Christians to accept whatever world government they can get, and what they’ll likely end up with — if history is any guide — is a brutal tyranny.

Even the noted philosopher and atheist Bertrand Russell stated that a world government would be brutal at first, formed by imposition. “I believe that, owing to men’s folly, a world-government will only be established by force, and will therefore be at first cruel and despotic. But I believe that it is necessary for the preservation of a scientific civilization, and that, if once realized, it will gradually give rise to the other conditions of a tolerable existence.” From that viewpoint, global government is a necessary evil that justifies some people’s ends. Yet notice how this atheist philosopher admitted that the global government would be “cruel and despotic” due to “men’s folly.” This speaks to the very nature of man—we’re not good! That’s the biggest problem that needs to be addressed! Therefore, because man is imperfect, life can’t be perfect. The fourth President of the United States and “Father of the Constitution” James Madison stated this clearly in The Federalist #51.

But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.

For more on this see my new book, Starting at the End.  This series on Secular Humanism will conclude with the next blog.