Humanist Glossary

Humanist Glossary

We’ve defined some of the terms and phrases you’re likely to hear in Humanist conversations!

10 Commitments: Ten values that represent Humanistic values and principles, promoting  human dignity, freedom and social responsibility. See them here.

Agnostic: someone who believes the existence of a god or gods is unknowable.

AHA: the American Humanist Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that’s been fighting for Humanist values and building community since 1941.

Amicus: An individual or organization who is not a direct party to a lawsuit, but assists a judge or court by offering information, expertise, or legal arguments.

ASEO: the Association of Secular Elected Officials

Atheist: someone who does not believe in the existence of a god or gods.

Celebrant: someone trained to officiate major life ceremonies, like weddings and memorials.

CFC: the Congressional Freethought Caucus, a caucus of the House of Representatives, open to Members of all faiths and none. The only congressional caucus dedicated to striving for religious freedom and the separation of church and state.

CFE: the Center for Freethought Equality, the 501(c)(4) advocacy and lobbying arm of the American Humanist Association.

Chaplain: A licensed or ordained spiritual care provider who offers emotional or religious support in secular settings, like hospitals, the military, universities and prisons.

Christian Nationalism: A political ideology that argues the American nation is defined by Christianity, and that the government should actively promote Christian values.

Church-State Separation: A legal doctrine derived from the Establishment Clause that keeps government and religious institutions distinct.

Congregational Humanism: A Humanist lifestance that adopts traditional community practices, rituals, and organizational structures of a church or synagogue to provide companionship, mutual support, and mutual inquiry for its adherents.

Deconstruction: A process during which religious believers reexamine and question their beliefs.

Deist: someone who believes in a single god that created the world but does not act to influence events.

Ethical Culture: A philosophy that emphasizes human goodness, ethical relationships, and social progress over religious belief.

Establishment Clause: A clause in the 1st Amendment of the Constitution that prohibits the government from making any laws that establishes an official religion or favors one religion, religion over non-religion, and non-religion over religion.

Equal Protection: A constitutional principle enshrined in the 14th Amendment that compels the government to apply its laws fairly and treat people in similar situations alike under the law.

Freedom of Conscience: The right to arrive at one’s private beliefs without government coercion or penalty.

Freedom of Religion: The right to practice, change, or hold no religion without government coercion.

Freethinker: Someone who forms opinions on the basis of reason independently of authority.

Humanism: a progressive, non-theistic belief system that says we can all live good, meaningful lives if we focus on making things better in the here and now.

Humanist: someone who identifies with the values of Humanism

Humanistic Judaism: a non-theistic movement that defines Judaism as the cultural, historical, and ethical experiences of Jewish people rather than a religion.

Humanists International: the global representative body at the heart of the Humanist movement. They defend human rights and promote rational, democratic international law.

Humanist Manifesto (I, II and III): A series of manifestos that outlines the humanist worldview.

Invocator: someone who summons, calls upon, or appeals to a higher power or authority, usually to solemnize a public event.

The Lemon Test: A legal framework used by the Supreme Court to determine whether a law or government action violated the Establishment Clause.

National Day of Reason: A secular observance celebrated May 4th each year to celebrate rational thought, empirical evidence, and the separation of church and state.

Non-theism: An umbrella term encompassing any philosophy characterized by an absence of belief in god or gods.

School Vouchers: A publicly funded scholarship that allows parents to use taxpayer dollars to cover tuition at private schools.

Spirituality: The experience of searching for meaning, purpose and connection to something greater than oneself.

Sunday Assembly: A global secular movement that hosts celebratory, church-like gatherings for non-religious people.

Transhumanism: A philosophical movement that advocates for using technology to enhance the human condition and ultimately transcend humanity.

Unitarian Universalism: A religious tradition characterized by its commitment to theological diversity, inclusivity, and social justice.

Keep Exploring Humanism

• Are you a Humanist?

  Take our short quiz to find out!

  Quiz

• Get Involved

  Take action on the issues that matter to you

  Get Involved

• Find Your People

  Explore our directory of local Humanist groups

  Local Groups