--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Secular humanists can sit around and talk…" description: "\"Secular humanists can sit around and talk about their love of humanity, but it doesn't stack up against a two-millennium-old funeral high mass.\" — E. O..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/e-o-wilson-1348_funeral_secular-humanists-can-sit-around-and-tal_2730502.png" --- # Secular humanists can sit around and talk about their love… ![“Secular humanists can sit around and talk about their love of humanity, but it doesn't stack up against a two-millennium-old funeral high mass.” quote by E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/e-o-wilson-1348_funeral_secular-humanists-can-sit-around-and-tal_2730502.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/e-o-wilson-1348_funeral_secular-humanists-can-sit-around-and-tal_2730502.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/e-o-wilson-1348_funeral_secular-humanists-can-sit-around-and-tal_2730502.png) > “Secular humanists can sit around and talk about their love of humanity, but it doesn't stack up against a two-millennium-old funeral high mass.” [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humanist ideals feel insufficient compared to ancient religious rituals that have deep cultural weight. **In simple terms:** Humanism lacks the gravitas of long‑standing religious traditions. Key Takeaway Recognize the emotional power of tradition. Themes humanism religion culture meaning Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - public speaking - interfaith dialogue - education - community building Key Concepts existentialism social cohesion Questions to Reflect On - How can humanists create equally resonant communal experiences? - What aspects of tradition can be secularized without loss? A Different Perspective Religious rituals provide communal identity that humanism may struggle to match. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funeral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funeral/) [Humanists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanists/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-humanity/) [Love Of Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-of-humanity/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Millennium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millennium/) [Secular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secular/) ## Related quotes > [“They say, love God, for it is the greatest virtue. I say, love humans, for there is no greater virtue, no greater religion, than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/they-say-love-god-for-it-is-the-greatest-virtue-i-say-love-humans-for/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [The American Humanist Association, whose slogan is 'Good without a God,' created the National Day of Reason with the Washington Area Secular Humanists to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-flock/the-american-humanist-association-whose-slogan-is-good-without-a-god/) [Elizabeth Flock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-flock/) > [My ancestors were Freethinkers - and that's what I am, except we're called secular humanists now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-were-freethinkers-and-that-s-what-i-am-except-we-re/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Atheistic secular humanists should be removed from office and Christians should be elected...Government and true Christianity are inseparable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-simonds/atheistic-secular-humanists-should-be-removed-from-office-and/) Robert Simonds > [Secular humanists suspect there is something more gloriously human about resisting the religious impulse; about accepting the cold truth, even if that truth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-flynn/secular-humanists-suspect-there-is-something-more-gloriously-human/) [Tom Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-flynn/) > [“Secular humanists of every type may ridicule the Bible, but they cannot escape it; and in their obsession with change, calls for reform, doomsday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-edward-veith-jr/secular-humanists-of-every-type-may-ridicule-the-bible-but-they/) [Gene Edward Veith Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-edward-veith-jr/) > [“Hunting Down the Secular Humanists" "...What makes them so dangerous is that Secular Humanists look just like you and me. 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Corporate capitalists and many religious fundamentalists have no regard for wildlife and nature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeena-schreck/environmentalists-and-secular-humanists-insist-that-humans-will/) [Zeena Schreck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeena-schreck/) > [Agape's object is always the concrete individual, not some abstraction called humanity. 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Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Speakers, coaches, consultants, thought-leaders, experts, and authors who dedicate their professional lives for the love of humanity and the betterment of society are making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/speakers-coaches-consultants-thought-leaders-experts-and-authors-who/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) ## More by E. O. Wilson > [Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/without-a-trace-of-irony-i-can-say-i-have-been-blessed-with-brilliant/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [It's always been a dream of mine, of exploring the living world, of classifying all the species and finding out what makes up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/it-s-always-been-a-dream-of-mine-of-exploring-the-living-world-of/) [E. O. 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Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/we-should-preserve-every-scrap-of-biodiversity-as-priceless-while-we/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [In many environments, take away the ants and there would be partial collapses in many of the land ecosystems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/in-many-environments-take-away-the-ants-and-there-would-be-partial/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [If those committed to the quest fail, they will be forgiven. When lost, they will find another way. The moral imperative of humanism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/if-those-committed-to-the-quest-fail-they-will-be-forgiven-when-lost/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The extinctions ongoing worldwide promise to be at least as great as the mass extinction that occurred at the end of the age of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-extinctions-ongoing-worldwide-promise-to-be-at-least-as-great-as/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Most people are surprised when they hear my somber figures: we know of 2 million species of plants, animals and microorganisms, and we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/most-people-are-surprised-when-they-hear-my-somber-figures-we-know-of/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Because the living environment is what really sustains us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/because-the-living-environment-is-what-really-sustains-us/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The variety of genes on the planet in viruses exceeds, or is likely to exceed, that in all of the rest of life combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-variety-of-genes-on-the-planet-in-viruses-exceeds-or-is-likely-to/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) [Explore all 253 E. O. Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) ## More Funeral quotes > [“After the funeral, my life changed. 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