It is not necessary for a Naturalistic Humanist to have a fully naturalistic worldview. Naturalistic Humanists are less concerned with making broad claims about the ultimate nature of reality then with applying the most effective way to think about our human experience and interact with our world. In this way, Naturalistic Humanism is similar to methodological naturalism which, instead of making claims about the absolute nature of reality, is concerned with applying the most effective method for interacting with the world around us.
The primary ideas in Naturalistic Humanism are not about gods, the afterlife, or other supernatural ideas. Most important to Naturalistic Humanists is that we view the human experience through the lens of the Naturalistic Model of human behavior, and that we are open to exploring an experimental mindset.
In every religion there are faithful believers who accept the theory of evolution and that our universe originated with the big bang. Numerous faithful people champion separation of church and state, do not want mandatory prayer in public schools, and support a woman’s right to choose. How believers integrate or compartmentalize such secular and naturalistic ideas with their faith-based and supernatural beliefs doesn’t really concern activists who are battling against scientific illiteracy and insidious theocratic objectives. With stakes as high as they are, every ally is a welcome one and this is also the case for Naturalistic Humanism.
Some notion of a supreme being, or a higher power is comforting to many. Some have lost loved ones and want to believe that an afterlife is possible. There are many who feel that they have been healed by crystals or extraordinarily diluted herbal preparations. None of these beliefs concern the key components of Naturalistic Humanism. If someone with such beliefs resonates with the Naturalistic Model and they are willing to further explore adopting an experimental mindset, there is no reason that they shouldn’t be welcome into the Naturalistic Humanism community. There are however some faith based and supernatural beliefs directly contrary to the core values of Naturalistic Humanism. For example, the traditional religious idea of free will, and the New Age solipsistic belief that we create the world with our thoughts, are completely contradictory to Naturalistic Humanism. Equally irreconcilable is the belief that humans are naturally selfish, greedy, and disinclined to contribute, or that human behavior is the result of good and evil forces acting upon us.