When religious voices assail humanism, they attack it as a belief in nothing, just another form of faith, no more provable than any other. They blame it for (supposed) American moral rot. But as a humanist, I don't believe morality needs some supernatural source.

Neither did our Founding Fathers. Often invoked as men of faith, their humanist values shaped the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.

Humanism is a philosophy, not a religion or faith. It originated in ancient times with thinkers like Epicurus and Lucretius, with a rebirth in the Renaissance and Enlightenment. It's a way of understanding life and world, anchored in reason and reality. This does mean eschewing religious superstitions, all deities, immortality, etc.

But humanism is not simply non-belief. It's far more than believing in nothing.

To the contrary, humanists have strong beliefs strengthened by virtue of requiring no leap of "faith," no suspension of disbelief. Humanism's truths are self-evident:

For a humanist like me, there's no such thing as "supernatural." Nature has no purpose; it just is. We ourselves are products of nature, evolved with minds enabling us to use reason and science to understand our world, tackle S. problems, aspire to justice, and shape our own destinies. Humanism believes in progress, taking pride in what we strive for and have achieved. Humanism is love for humanity.

Our earthly life is the only one we get. Nothing can ultimately matter except the feelings of sentient beings. We can infer from all this that our purpose is to make human life as good as possible. This purpose gives our lives ample meaning. Humanism provides the bedrock of morality. It encourages every person, oneself included, to live fully and attain happiness, a word that signifies equal respect for the dignity of all humans and freedom of thought and expression.

This is what the Declaration of Independence says. The Constitution's preamble also regards human flourishing as our nation's goal. No deity is mentioned. America was founded not as a "Christian nation" but as a quintessentially humanist one.

The humanism elucidated here is the essence of rationality and sanity. Most people, even if professing other creeds, actually live their lives, most of the time, in accordance with these common sense humanistic concepts. And they are not necessarily incompatible with a religious faith. Believers act humanistically when pursuing social justice.

It's when we deviate from this humanistic design that trouble brews. Religions, rooted in different cultures, with irreconcilable claims to ultimate truth, are unending sources of conflict. Humanism's universal philosophy unites.

People of faith may wonder if humanists fear death more because they see it as a final end. Even if you believe in an afterlife, nobody can be sure. And if death is a tragic finish, to live at all is a glorious gift. Meantime, contemplating the possible finality of earthly life spurs one to cherish it and improve it for all of us. Humanists aim to solve problems ourselves by confronting earthbound realities rather than putting the whole burden on a God who, if he does exist, probably has plenty to do.

Only by coming to terms with the reality of our existence, as embodied in humanism, can we live authentically and meaningfully. "Being at one with everything" is a Buddhist clich; but I get a similar feeling from how humanism grounds me in my engagement with life, the world, and humankind. It's better than religion because it's true.

Frank S. Robinson is a Times Union blogger and author of The Case for Rational Optimism.

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Humanists, religious share values - Times Union