Jim Herrick’s Followers (3)

Jim Herrick

Born

in England, The United Kingdom

May 22, 1944

Died

June 20, 2023

Genre

Philosophy, Humanism

Influences

Robert Ingersoll, George Bernard Shaw, Julian Huxley, George William F ...more

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Jim Herrick was an atheist and the author of works on the history of humanism, having written Vision and Realism, a Hundred Years of the Freethinker (1982); Against The Faith (1985), essays on deists, skeptics, and Atheists; and A Humanist Anthology (1995).
Herrick was on the editorial board of International Humanist and from 1993 to 1998 was editor of its successor, International Humanist News, which is the journal of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU).

In addition, he was a former editor of The Free Thinker (1977—1981) and vice president of the National Secular Society.
Herrick also was editor of New Humanist, the journal of the Rationalist Press Association, of which he is a member of the Board of Directors.

“Bible-smashing Jim Herrick was an atheist and the author of works on the history of humanism, having written Vision and Realism, a Hundred Years of the Freethinker (1982); Against The Faith (1985), essays on deists, skeptics, and Atheists; and A Humanist Anthology (1995).
Herrick was on the editorial board of International Humanist and from 1993 to 1998 was editor of its successor, International Humanist News, which is the journal of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU).

In addition, he was a former editor of The Free Thinker (1977—1981) and vice president of the National Secular Society.
Herrick also was editor of New Humanist, the journal of the Rationalist Press Association, of which he is a member of the Board of Directors.

“Bible-smashing is tedious to people who have smashed their Bibles,” Herrick quotes George Bernard Shaw in a lucid article, “The Freethinker Yesterday and Today” (Freethinker, June 1994). But ever since G. W. Foote’s first issue of the journal in 1881, Herrick notes that it has remained imperative to continue attacking the evangelicals’ “spread of pernicious myths and unnecessary hardship for children and parents.” Unfortunately, he adds, early freethinkers if they were to look at the current situation “would be surprised that religion has proved so persistent in the face of so many intellectual arguments against it. This shows that it is not rational thought that keeps the churches alive but emotion, habit, and the desire for power.” In 1996, speaking at the fourth World Atheist Conference held in Vijayawada, India, Herrick noted that no one has ever been injured by the truth. Self-deception is what actually injures humankind. “We must nurture the positive side of our atheistic existence,” he said, adding that

Extremist religion and fundamentalism, whether from the Christian Moral Right or from Islam, is growing in the world. We must on no account demonise the Muslims. I have met tolerant and civilised Muslims, the Sufi tradition of art and mysticism is fine, and many artistic endeavours are superb. We must keep in dialogue and encourage the liberals.

In India, Herrick attended the Rationalist Conference held in 1996, at which fire-walking demonstrations were held to debunk the godmen who claim they have supernatural powers. He spoke on “Freedom of Speech as a Universal Human Right.” Also in 1996, he participated in the Humanist World Congress in Mexico City. Here, he received a distinguished service award for his four years’ editorship of International Humanist News.

In 1998 he spoke at the IHEU’s congress in Mumbai. Herrick, one of the most recognized humanists around the world, resigned as the IHEU’s newsletter editor but remains active in international rationalist and humanist affairs. He signed Humanist Manifesto 2000 but lamented that “it has a far too rosy view of human nature,” “too much is left to the market economy,” and “the potential for human conflict is underestimated. . . . Nevertheless, perhaps irrationally, humanists of goodwill cannot allow these reservations to dampen the power of human effort and human hope.”

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Jim Herrick’s books

Average rating: 3.64 · 73 ratings · 5 reviews · 13 distinct works

	Humanism: An Introduction by Jim Herrick, Laurie Taylor (Goodreads Author) (Preface by) 3.59 avg rating — 63 ratings — published 2005 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Seasons of Life: Prose and Poetry for Secular Ceremonies and Private Reflection by Nigel Collins (Editor), Jim Herrick (Editor), John Pearce (Editor) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2000 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	War On The Rio Grande: Laredo Under Fire 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Unwrapping Historic Downtown Lancaster really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Aspiring to the Truth: Two Hundred Years of the South Place Ethical Society by Jim Herrick, Nicolas Walter (Introduction) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Unwrapping Historic Downtown Lancaster really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Vision and realism: A hundred years of the Freethinker liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	War on the Rio Grande, Laredo Under Fire 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Re: Punzle! Vol. 1 by Seth Mallios, Jim Herrick 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Re: Punzle! Vol. 2 by Seth Mallios, Jim Herrick 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Jim Herrick (?)

“The widest cause of secularization may be the steady change of thinking so that there is the expectation that reason and a consideration of cause and effect will help with explanations. Supernatural power began to be removed from explanations of the process of life or society in the seventeenth century, and although there may be a nod towards astrology or the crossed finger today, superstition is not seriously used in decision making. ...

Scientific thinking, which similarly developed in the seventeenth century, has been influential in bringing this change. We now see that tornadoes and earthquakes have rational explanations in terms of climatology and seismology rather than as divine punishments. Most people when deciding whether to take a new job, embark on a divorce, or simply plan a holiday will not seek divine guidance, but rather discuss with themselves or others the issues of cause and effect.”
― Jim Herrick, Humanism: An Introduction

tags: decision-making, evidence, humanism, logic, rational-thought, reason, secularization, superstition

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Jim Herrick’s Followers (3)

Jim Herrick

Combine EditionsJim Herrick’s books

Combine Editions
Jim Herrick’s books