Humanism and "Into the Woods"

Humanism and the musical “Into the Woods”

 A popular movie musical that has just come out is “Into the Woods” with lyrics by Steven Sondheim.  It is always good to see humanistic thoughts and values which are expressed by popular media that is outside the realm of the Humanist community. 

Part of the storyline tells of how a witch has taken a child, Rapunzel, and raised her as her own.  Rapunzel says to the witch who has raised her in isolation in her tower:

“I am no longer a child. I wish to see the world.”

The witch pleads with Rapunzel to stay with her, and stay a child rather than go out and observe life for herself and to experience life in a cold, dangerous world.  This is very true to the Biblical metaphor of a god not allowing Adam and Eve to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  And this is true of many religions today who create a strong inclusive community who are afraid of their young people to go out into the world, the out-group, but would rather keep them inside even if it means keeping them in “blissful ignorance”. 

“Don't you know what's out there in the world?
Someone has to shield you from the world.
Stay with me.

Princes wait there in the world, it's true.
Princes, yes, but wolves and humans, too.
Stay at home.
I am home.

Who out there could love you more than I?
What’s out there that I cannot supply?
Stay with me.

Stay with me,
The world is dark and wild.
Stay a child while you can be a child.
With me.”

In Humanism many of us believe that each human has the ability, and the responsibility, to determine what is right and what is wrong for ourselves.  We are not to take our values, or our beliefs, or our moral behavior from some outside source whether that be a religion, or a political party, or a guru, or even a parent.  Parents have the responsibility to teach their children to develop the skills necessary to develop these areas personally – not as a dictum from some outside authority.  Psychologists have often shown how religion acts as a surrogate parent which continues to control a person long after they have become independent of their biological parents. 

This song from “Into the Woods” does a good job of showing the harm done by sheltering and over-protecting a person even though the motivation and intention by the “parent” is well-meaning. 

For example, religious people and churches sometimes prefer to keep their kids out of public schools lest they be presented with the ideas of evolution and sex education.  When I was a kid, although the commandment was from my parents that I shall have no friends except those from my church, the church obliged by making sure that I was so busy that I had no time for activities or friends outside of the church.  Sunday had Sunday School, then the service, then Sunday evening service.  Monday had Stockade – a “Christian” boys scout.  Wednesday had prayer meeting.  Thursday had Mission Society meetings.  And Friday had Youth Group.  And then of course the church had special events whenever the school had special events like Halloween or the Prom – these were to keep us from wanting to go to an event where there might be dancing. 

And of course, today, religions aren’t the only outside influences in our society which tries to prevent people, young or old, from experiencing the world themselves.  Today there are groups like the Tea Party groups, or the FOX Entertainment (I refuse to call it FOX News) group that prefer to tell people how to think, which values to eschew and which values to promote, and how best to judge other people. 

People, young and old, need to be shown how to create their own values, what to believe in terms of reality, how to formulate their own personal world view, and how to shape their behavior in terms of these beliefs and values.  The direction should come from within a person, not from without.  And this is one of the things that Humanism is about.

David Kimball

Let It Go – A Humanist’s Perspective

I don’t have children and so I only have heard “Let It Go”, from the movie “Frozen”, one time – when I saw the movie when it first came out.  However I have heard that others, especially parents, have heard the song so many times that they are actually sick of it.  I read an article the other day that the producer of the movie actually felt the need to apologize for the success of the song to the point where it has gone far beyond the amount of appreciable saturation by the normal adult.

So I decided I should view the lyrics of the song.  I was surprised when I read them that they seemed to describe my experience at coming out from my strong religious background and proclaim myself a Humanist.  For those who have only heard the song, and haven’t dwelt on the words, here are the words to the song.  After these lyrics, I will explain how they parallel my experiences.

The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen.
A kingdom of isolation,
and it looks like I'm the Queen
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in;
Heaven knows I've tried

Don't let them in,
don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel,
don't let them know
Well now they know

Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore

Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
I don't care
what they're going to say
Let the storm rage on.
The cold never bothered me anyway

It's funny how some distance

Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all

It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me,
I'm free!

Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry
Here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let the storm rage on

My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I'm never going back, the past is in the past

Let it go, let it go
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone
Here I stand
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on

The cold never bothered me anyway!

I was always told to be the “good boy”, and my church told me what behaviors would label me as such.  I was told to “conceal, don’t feel” and to be dishonest in my feelings, and especially my doubts.  I was told not to let them, the church and Bible College, know of my doubts. 

Then I decided to let it go.  I turned away from my religion and slammed the door behind me.  I no longer cared what they said about me or to me.  I didn’t mind their cold, icy responses. 

After a while, looking back, it is funny how small those once-big things, like salvation, and Scripture memorizations and regurgitations, seemed once I was looking at them from a more proper prospective.  The fears of Hell, and judgments beyond my death that once controlled me, no longer bother me at all. 

It’s time to see what I can do without the restrictions of religion – to test the limits of my own development .  No one outside of me telling me what is right, or what is wrong, and without the need to follow particular rules for my behavior.  By my living according to my own values of developing all that it means to be human both in myself and in others, I will be much better than I was obeying someone else’s rules.  That is freedom for me.

Let it go, let it go.  I am one with the wind, and sky, and earth, and other humans and all beings that are a part of this evolutionary parade.  You won’t see me cry – even if I am pushed to my limits.  Here I will stand and will stay as the religious ones create such a storm around me. 

“One thought crystallizes like an icy blast/I’m never going back, the past is past.” 

By freeing myself of my religious past, I will rise like the break of dawn as the “good boy” is gone.  My goodness is no longer an adjective – it is a noun.  I am now goodness because I am doing good for others, not for my reward in some heaven. 

Here I stand in the light of day and in the light of reason.  I’m letting the beliefs in the supernatural go.  Let the storm of the supernaturalists rage on.  Their bluster doesn’t bother me now. 

After reviewing the words to “Let It Go”, I came up with this observation:  One of the best things about Humanism is when one finds the precepts of Humanism being promoted not from the bowels of the Humanism community, but from the thoughts and feelings of humans themselves. 

David Kimball