Humanism is a philosophy and a worldview in conflict with the gospel. It is an alternative religion because it replaces the authority of God with the wisdom of man. Humanism says that the mind of man is sufficient to achieve morality and happiness on its own, without reference to God.

Humanism fits very nicely in any system where people are the final decision makers and do not consciously see themselves as under divine authority. So it works very well in a democracy, for example, provided the will of the majority is absolute. It also fits just as well in a monarchy, if the monarch (a man) is not required to obey the will of God. The number of people needed to make the final decision irrelevant to defining as a humanistic institution. The defining characteristic is that a humanistic institution does not actively refer to divine authority.

The word “actively” is important there. Because a system that officially recognizes God but ignores him in practice is a humanistic system. If God is a reduced to a figurehead that rubber stamps the decisions of the person or the people in charge, or if God is considered a silent partner, who either does not have or does not express his opinions, the result is a system governed by mankind.

All such systems are cursed by God.

Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
Jeremiah 17:5-6

Contrary to the claims of humanism, Christianity teaches that man is not good. He is basically immoral, doing evil and not good. This does not mean that man always does as much evil as he might, or that everyone does the same amount of evil. It does not mean that man sees nothing attractive in goodness or that he doesn’t desire to be good. It means that if left to himself, as humanism demands, he will continue in his evil ways and become more and more corrupt.

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
2 Timothy 3:13

The bible also tells us that any wisdom which rejects the authority of God is foolishness masquerading as wisdom. The fundamental principle of wisdom is reverential obedience to God. The most basic principle of wisdom is that God is God, and that means he is the final authority. Of course he is, he is the creator! True wisdom seeks to know and understand what God has made and live accordingly. To suppose that man can live according to his own will, or somehow escape the law of God is utter foolishness. Only a fool would try it.

So then humanism is cursed, and must be cursed. It is man trusting in man, either himself or someone else. There is no blessing there because humanism is wickedness and folly. God laughs at humanism, but he does not bless it.

Consider yourself warned!