Discussion prompt:
Religion has long claimed to be the source of meaning, transcendence, and connection — needs that are often called “spiritual.” But if we reject the supernatural, do those needs go away? Or do secular humanists also experience a yearning for awe, wonder, and a sense of belonging to something larger than ourselves? If so, how do we meet those needs without belief in gods, souls, or the afterlife?
Some find fulfillment in art, music, nature, or science. Others adapt rituals or create new traditions. Still others reject the very idea of “spirituality” as unnecessary baggage from religion. So: Do humans really have spiritual needs — and if they do, what are they?
Can secular humanism itself provide experiences of meaning and transcendence? What would spirituality look like for an atheist? Do we need new rituals, language, or communities to fill that role — or is secular humanism already enough?
Let’s talk honestly about how we each understand spirituality, what role (if any) it plays in our lives, and whether secular humanism can meet those needs.
When & Where:
The forum is on Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 6:30 pm in Community Room A at the Keith Summey Library, located at 3503 Rivers Ave in North Charleston.
You can bring dinner! We are allowed to have food and drink inside the community room at the library (we just can’t have heat sources). Since we are meeting around dinner time, we invite people to bring take-out dinner or snacks. We also have the space from 6 pm, so welcome people to come early to socialize before we begin the discussion.
NOT Homework:
The following recommendation(s) are entirely optional supplemental material intended to stimulate discussion.
First is an amicus brief filed this past October by the American Humanist Association in Eric McCutchan et al. v. Mary Louise Nicholson et al. (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit), arguing that Secular Humanism is a religion: https://americanhumanist.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-10-06-McCutchan-v-Nicholson-Amicus-Brief-AHA.pdf
It is much debated amongst Secular Humanists and other atheists whether or not their belief system is a religion. The purpose of the brief is to argue that many religions are non-theistic, and that for the purpose of equality under the law, secular humanism is a religion, and has long been interpreted as such by prior court precedent. The specific argument around humanism starts in section II on page 23.
Second is the US Army’s Spiritual Fitness Battle Book which is a 40 page workbook about the Army Spiritual Fitness program that will give some idea of what spirituality means for the Army: https://lowcountryhumanists.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ArmyFM7-22_subv202507-SF-Book.pdf
This would have accompanied the Spiritual Fitness Guide that Pete Hegseth has revoked because it “pushes secular humanism.” There is a long feature about it in the January issue of our newsletter: https://separationist.substack.com/p/spiritual-fitness-or-religious-force
About the Group:
The Freethinkers’ Forum is a monthly gathering facilitated by the Secular Humanist of the Lowcountry to discuss topics of interest to freethinkers, atheists, agnostics and other non-religious people. The purpose of these gatherings is to foster respectful dialogue of interesting and intellectually stimulating topics. The focus is discussion and so we will not have speakers. We may have brief presentations to introduce topics, but those will be restricted to 15 minutes or less. There may be optional readings or television or film recommendations to stimulate discussion.
***All participants are asked to familiarize themselves with and agree to follow our code of conduct.