• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Skip to footer navigation

  • Calendar of events
  • 687 Larch Av, Teaneck NJ
  • 201-836-5187
  • Contact Us
  • DONATE
Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County NJ

Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County NJ

  • Home
  • About
    • Platform
    • FAQ
      • How does Ethical Culture make a difference in society?
      • What social life is there in Ethical Culture?
      • How is Ethical Culture religious?
    • Ethical Brew
    • Ceremonies
    • Philosophy
    • Constitution & Bylaws
    • Contact Us
  • Ethical Kids
    • Sunday School
      • Primary Class
      • Elementary Class
      • Junior Class
      • Senior Class
      • Sunday school FAQ
    • Youth Group
  • Leader
    • Leader Curt Collier
    • Leader’s Talks
    • Joe Chuman, Retired Leader
      • Talks by Dr Joseph Chuman
      • Speaking of Ethics: Living a Humanist Life
      • Wedding Officiant
  • Social Action
    • All Social Action Articles
    • Battling Racism
    • Environmental Action
    • Healthcare
  • Adult Ed
    • Job Club
    • Socrates Cafe
    • Ethical Culture Review of Books
  • News
    • President Column
    • UN Report
    • Platform Addresses
  • Events

The Enduring Relevance of Ethical Culture

November 5, 2019

This past Sunday’s Platform address was by Joe Chuman, Leader of the Bergen Society, and his topic was, “The Enduring Relevance of Ethical Culture”.

Felix Adler

Ethical Culture was founded by Felix Adler in 1877.  Adler was trained as a Reform Rabbi like his father who was the Rabbi of New York City’s largest Reform synagogue, Temple Emanu-El.  Adler was a creature of his time and Ethical Culture was born out of the 19th-century conflict between science and religion as well as the social problems that came with the rise of the industrial age.  The discoveries of physics and engineering made it clear that nature was governed by regular laws and made the notion of miracles less tenable. Discoveries in geology made it equally clear that the earth was millions of years old, not thousands.  Darwin’s publication of The Origin of Species delivered the coup de grâce and made it explicit that the Bible’s origin stories could not be treated as literal truths.  Furthermore, the cruelties of the Industrial Revolution and its need for cheap labor – shown so brutally in New York’s crowded slums – made manifest that we ought not treat people as instruments of society but rather as being of value in and of themselves.

Though he did not call himself an atheist, Adler wanted to create a movement that was free of supernatural underpinnings and dogma and which would focus on the intrinsic worth and dignity of people.  Key tenets of Ethical Culture are that people inherently have value and are deserving of dignity, that what you believe doesn’t matter as much as how you act and that we are all interrelated to one another in fundamental ways.  If Ethical Culture can be said to have a motto it is, “Always act so as to elicit the best in others, and thereby yourself”. 

Adler viewed Ethical Culture as a new religion stripped of supernaturalism and without doctrines or dogmas. The 18th century had many secular philosophies but what made Ethical Culture unique was its congregational focus and its emphasis on the interrelatedness of us all.  

Ethical Culture was and still is a small movement with Societies mainly in and around New York though there are also Societies in Texas, Virginia, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, St. Louis and elsewhere in America.  Still, in this, the age of bowling alone and societal alienation, when people feel disconnected from their governments and patronized by the upper classes, Ethical Culture uniquely provides a congregational, secular and humanistic movement devoted to community in which one’s beliefs matter not so much, but one’s actions matter a great deal.   “The Place Where People Meet to Seek the Highest is Holy Ground”.

You can read more about the history of Ethical Culture its history and its current place in the world here and here.

Primary Sidebar

Recent News

  • Society Gets Grant to Explore Concept of ‘Sacred Spaces’
  • Church-State Separation: Who Stands to Lose if the Wall Fails?
  • Two Grants Help Fund ‘Great NJ Science Show’
  • Meet Our Newest Members, Andy and Deborah Krikun
  • Struggle over Church-State Separation has Deep Roots in America

Sign up for our newsletter.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

We believe in ethics. We believe in people.

Please believe in us.

Ethical Brew

Being White And Its Hidden Assumptions

‘How Race Impacts Conservation’

About Us

Ethical Culture was founded to focus on community and good works, rather than personal salvation. Read more…

Archives

Footer

Connect with Us

Address: 687 Larch Ave, Teaneck, NJ 07666
Phone: 201-836-5187
Email: [email protected]

Sign up for our newsletter.

 

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Society Gets Grant to Explore Concept of ‘Sacred Spaces’ January 31, 2023
  • Church-State Separation: Who Stands to Lose if the Wall Fails? January 30, 2023
  • Two Grants Help Fund ‘Great NJ Science Show’ January 29, 2023
  • Meet Our Newest Members, Andy and Deborah Krikun January 29, 2023
  • Struggle over Church-State Separation has Deep Roots in America January 28, 2023

We believe in ethics. We believe in people.

Please believe in us.

Topics

atheism atheist church book review children church-state separation civil rights climate change community compassion death democracy Doris Friedensohn Elizabeth Warren environment Ethical Brew Ethical Culture ethical education ethics family Felix Adler gender global warming happiness healthcare humanism humanist humanists human rights Israel Joseph Chuman meetinghouse Middle East politics racism religion Robert Gulack Secular Humanism social action Socrates Cafe Sunday School technology Trump unemployment world health youth

What We Do For Fun….

There's always time for play: celebrations, discussions (some in Spanish -- find Conversemos on our calendar on the fourth Tuesday of the month), hikes, picnics, cultural outings, and more. Come join us!
Kids get into the act
Diane running the show

Important Links

  • Member of the American Ethical Union
  • Ethical Brew
  • Sanctuary Committee
  • BC Gun Violence Prevention
  • NJ Website Designer
© 2021 | The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County NJ

Copyright © 2023 · Kreativ Pro On Genesis Framework · The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County · Log in

  • Calendar of events
  • 687 Larch Av, Teaneck NJ
  • 201-836-5187
  • Contact Us
  • DONATE