Journeys to Humanism: Finding Sanctuary in the Museum
Journeys to Humanism, theHumanist.com’s regular series, features real stories from humanists in our community. From heartwarming narratives of growth, to more difficult journeys, our readers open up about their experiences coming to humanism. Bennett BarouchSan Francisco, CA, USA There is a building in Manhattan, on the edge of Central Park, that was a sacred place for me during my elementary school years. The cupped wearing of its stone steps bore witness to the hundreds of millions of people who had made the pilgrimage to and through this holy place. Education endorsed it with an endless stream of field trip footsteps sounding through its huge, echoing hallways and display rooms. Students endorsed it by excitedly flocking from one exhibit to the next, or by standing in front of a single display in quiet awe, or with a gasp and a paused, pointing finger. My mother endorsed it by taking me there sometimes when school did not. The society that built the American Museum of Natural History imbued it with the respectful grandeur of over-sized doors, cathedral-height …
