FAQ's on Our Beliefs
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Is metaphysics a religion? No. Metaphysics is the study of consciousness and existence. "Meta" means "beyond," therefore, "metaphysics" means "beyond the physical."
Is Metaphysical Humanism a religion? Yes. the Church has established its own system of metaphysical beliefs called Metaphysical Humanism that focuses on exploring and empowering the human spirit with the goal of Self-Completeness. We emphasize grounded and practical life-skills designed to help people live better lives, enjoy more successful careers, and have better relationships. Our focus is more on grounded and down-to-earth concepts with potential scientific validity rather than extremely esoteric beliefs on the outer fringe.
What do you call yourselves? Members of the Church are referred to as Metaphysical Humanists.
Is the International Church of Metaphysical Humanism a cult? Absolutely not. Cults are high-control groups who isolate members and cultivate unhealthy behaviors of dependence on one individual or body of individuals who are somehow "chosen" as "God's mouthpiece." They usually have a "we-are-the-only-true-way" mentality. The Church does not believe that it is the only way to personal growth, evolution, and greater awareness, it's just the healthiest path we know of. Moreover, we accept people for who they are, not for what they believe so long as their beliefs do no harm. And further still, everything we teach is about achieving self-completeness. This precludes looking to one individual (or body of individuals) as some kind of guru or "chosen one." We believe that each individual should be his or her own "guru."
Do you believe in God? No. We believe in the divine energy that exists in all living things (Pantheism). Our position is atheistic regarding any type of god-concept created by humans, but agnostic regarding the concept of a creator(s). Whether the universe got here by evolution and/or by creation is still subject to intense debate, and we won't find out for sure until humanity has had the time and technology for sufficient discovery.
Do you believe in Jesus? No. There is no secular evidence that Jesus ever existed in the form promoted by Christianity. We do believe in certain basic concepts some of which were allegedly taught by Jesus, specifically, love and peace.
Do you believe in any Gods? No. Metaphysical Humanism is pantheistic in nature, meaning, we believe that “god” or consciousness is in all living things. This does not mean that we believe God resides in all living things; it means that we are all connected to and a part of a Universal or Collective Consciousness. Think of Universal Consciousness as the Internet. The Internet is not a sentient being, but we as sentient beings can connect to it. When we are online, we are a part of the whole Internet. With Universal Consciousness, all living things are always connected to it and a part of it. Metaphysical Humanism focuses on the divine in each person and seeks to help each individual develop a healthy self-concept based on self-reliance and self-completeness.
Do you believe in Satan? No. Satan is a religious construct designed to control and invoke fear in adherents by religious leaders over the centuries. He does not exist.
Whom do you worship? We do not "worship" anyone or anything. We celebrate our individual humanness and seek to build a healthy regard for all living things. No enlightened being would ever allow him or herself to be worshipped by other sentient, sapient beings.
Do you pray? Yes and no. Prayer can take a couple of forms. The most common form is to pray to God, Jesus, angels, archangels, and/or other gods. We feel that this form of prayer is nothing more or less than lobbying a supernatural power to do what he ought to do anyway. Since we do not believe in god, we pray to no one. Our prayer takes the form of active and directed meditation. This mediation can be directed inward to oneself or outward to another person(s). For example, we may spend time in prayer (thoughtful meditation) as an aid for personal growth or we may "pray" for others which simply means that we send positive energy to someone in need in a deliberate fashion. Since we are all connected, this positive energy is directed to the designated individual(s) automatically.
Do you believe in the Bible? No. The Christian Bible is primarily composed of myth and allegory combined with extremely dysfunctional people (and gods). Much of the Bible's content is unoriginal and plagiarized from previous works. Moreover, it promotes a cult-mentality, judgmentalism, unhealthy relationships, misogyny, and codependence on a mythical supreme being who acts more like a sociopathic spoiled child than an all-loving god. The same can be said of other sacred books as well.
Do you believe in sin and imperfection? No. "Sin" is a word designed to manipulate and control through guilt and shame. It only serves to make people feel bad about themselves by feeling that they don't measure up to the ambiguous demands of a supernatural being. We believe that mistakes are a natural and inherent part of the human condition. When a mistake is made, a person should learn the lesson, make amends if possible, then move forward guilt-free having gained valuable life-experience. Similarly, "perfection" in the traditional sense is a fantasy with regard to human beings and has long been used to control people through guilt and shame. We believe that people are "perfect" just the way they are; they are perfectly themselves; a perfect work in progress; they strive to be better tomorrow than yesterday. Our fundamental beliefs are all about assisting people to grow and evolve by applying practical life-skills in the areas of communication, relationships, paying it forward, spirituality, enlightenment, and more.
What is your position on women? Women are equal in every respect to men. The treatment of women as inferior by some cultures and religions is deplorable to us. We believe in equal rights on all levels.
What is your position on racial equality? We believe in only one race--the Human Race. Everything in existence--including humans--was formed from clouds of interstellar dust in what are called “stellar nurseries.” In addition to every element known to science, this includes every person of every color or gender who has ever existed or will ever exist. We are quite literally made of the stuff of stars. This being the case, no human being is inferior or superior to any other human being. One planet, one race, one ancestry, one destiny.
What is your position on homosexuality? Much to the chagrin of some prominent religions and shallow homophobes, we accept homosexuality as part of human nature and do not judge anyone for their sexual orientation whether it is heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual. Same-sex partners should be allowed all rights accorded opposite-sex partners. People are human beings regardless of their sexual orientation.
What is your position on abortion? Our position is that we have no position, nor should we have a position. While we honor and respect all life, this matter is up to the individual involved and is not a Church matter. We certainly hope that the individual involved would make a choice in harmony with "do no harm" understanding that they will have to live with the ramifications of the choice made. This being said, we fully support a woman's right to decide matters relating to her own body whatever those matters entail.
What is your position on premarital sex and extra-marital affairs? Sex is a natural and normal part of the human condition, despite the demonizing of it by mainstream religion. Premarital sex is a non-issue. Since we do not believe in the Bible or any other religious "holy book," we do not believe that persons must be married in order to engage in a normal and natural human function like sex. Of course, we encourage measures being taken to protect both parties from unnecessary disease and unwanted pregnancies. Regarding extra-marital affairs and assuming that the relationship is not "open," the rule is to "Do no harm." A marriage or any other type of committed relationship must be built on trust. If that relationship is toxic, then it must be dissolved for the benefit of both parties. Therefore, we do not believe in extra-marital or extra-committed relationship affairs. If a person is tempted to cheat, then he or she should first dissolve their current relationship openly and honestly before pursuing any type of relationship (sexual or emotional) with someone else. If a person does betray the trust of the other person, then that relationship is over for all intents and purposes because once the trust is gone, the very fabric and integrity of the relationship has been lost; nothing further can be built because the foundation has irreparably cracked.
So, do you have an "anything goes" attitude? Certainly not. We believe in responsibility, respect, and acceptance. The ultimate guiding principles should be, "Do No Harm" and "Do Right," not to mention using one's head.
Do you believe in extraterrestrial beings? Absolutely. The Universe (or Multiverse) is incomprehensibly large. It would be foolish--not to mention the epitome of arrogance--to believe that humans are the only sentient and sapient life in existence. The Universe is teaming with life of all kinds and physical natures.
Do you believe in psychic phenomena? Absolutely. Psychic or psi phenomena is a natural part of the human condition.
Do you believe in life after death? Yes. The preponderance of evidence beyond a reasonable doubt indicates that our consciousness survives death of the physical body in a coherent fashion.
Do you believe in spirits and ghosts? Yes. While some people differentiate between spirits and ghosts, we consider them to possess the same fundamental essence. Some spirits were once human, but we also allow for the possibility that some so-called spirits are from a different source (perhaps a different dimension) as yet undescribed by science.
Do you believe in demons? No. They are a religious construct. We do, however, believe that, like humans, some spirits are nice, some are mean, and some are downright malevolent. However, we also believe that spirits and ghosts are nothing to be afraid of as they are unable to harm human beings.
Do you believe in angels? The word angel means "messenger, especially of God." It describes a being "who performs a mission of God or acts as if sent by God" (Dictionary.com). Therefore, Angels are a religious construct. This being the case, we do not believe in angels as beings from God. In a more loose sense, angels can describe spirits who assist humans or others (such as spirit guides). Even humans can be called "angels" when they Do Right in helping others. With the foregoing in mind, "angel" better describes benevolent behavior than a specific type of being.
Do you believe in spirit communication? Yes. There have simply been too many incidents of spirit communication (such as table tipping séances) that cannot be explained away by natural causes. This does not mean, however, that every alleged instance of spirit communication is genuine. Unfortunately, many who call themselves psychics are simply skilled cold and hot readers. In another vein, spirit communication is ironically condemned by the Christian faith when the entire foundation of Christianity is built on spirit communication. Every time a person prays, he or she is communicating with a spirit. The Bible is filled with examples of spirit communication that are considered acceptable. “Prophet” is just another label for Psychic, Medium, Sensitive, or Intuitive—it’s just an acceptable label that fits a certain belief system. Prophets were spirit communicators and communicated with spirits other than God; angels were included as well.
Do you believe in divination? Divination means "the practice of attempting to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means" (Dictionary.com). We do not believe that the future is set, but we do believe that some psychics can accurately foretell probabilities based on the current attitude and mindset of the individual. However, these probabilities can and do change when a person changes his or her beliefs about themselves or their future. It is no secret that the Christian Bible condemns divination. This is actually hypocritical because the Christian faith also teaches its members to listen to the "leadings of the Holy Spirit." Doing this is actually a form of divination because it is "the practice of attempting to... discover hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means." The absolute truth of the matter is that divination and spirit communication is, has, and always will be part of the human condition and psyche.
What is your position on euthanasia? We do not support suicide or murder, but we do support an individual’s informed and moral right of free will to decide his or her own end of life issues in the spirit of Do No Harm and Do Right. In some cases, voluntary euthanasia is consistent with these two principles.
What is your position on vaccinations such as for Covid-19? As with other moral matters outlined above, the Church does not hold a position either for or against vaccinations. It is up to the individual to decide what is or will be done to his or her own body. We do, however, encourage reasonableness regarding such matters and discourage superstitious, political, or conspiracy-based thinking and decision making. Science has, arguably, made great strides in eliminating diseases or reducing their effects on humanity. We urge our members to evaluate any particular situation carefully and then make a reasonable and balanced decision in the spirit of Do No Harm and Do Right.
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