Secular Humanistic Rationalism
an alternative to religion

Forward

While reading this document it must be understood that all references to mankind, men and so on are inclusive of all humanity and not references to the male gender alone. This is done to avoid the clumsiness of such phrases as “him and or her” and not in any way a sexist or discriminatory use of language. Regrettably the English language has not yet evolved an elegant gender neutral and unbiased way to refer to humanity in general. In spite of that fact, Secular Humanistic Rationalism believes in the sacredness of each human life without regard to race, nationality, sexual preference or gender and condemns any effort to exclude or judge anyone on anything other than their treatment of the world that surrounds them.

Personal Motivation

Before I go into depths I want to make a statement that should be very loud and clear. Unlike many others that may announce or create a new doctrine, I will plainly say my motives and purpose behind writing this document. I wrote this because that until I came to the light of Atheism I was very deeply involved in religion, it was the very center of my being. My religious dogma ruled my actions, my morals and was involved in almost every thought. When a person is this involved in anything and that thing is taken away, it leaves a huge glaring hole in your life. I was left with many, many questions. “What do I believe now?” “How do I decide what is moral?” “What will become the center of my life?”

Most individuals who become leave the religion of their youth just turn to another one. But I was different, mainly because all other religions I examined had the same problems and logical fallacies that caused me to abandon Christianity in the first place. I was different, for me all religion was nothing more than superstition run rampant over reason.

So I read the works of philosophy, but only got more questions, no answers. Mysticism seemed even sillier than religion.

Over time I began to realize that I was not wiped clean by the loss of religion, I actually did have some moral and convictions that ran even deeper than my religion. In fact most people do have the same underpinnings; however it is so masked by religious dogma that they can’t see it.

I continued to read and study self-help literature and trained in martial arts, yoga and took many paths to self enlightenment. In them I realized several principles that came together into what I now believe in. Looking back to the time I first felt the devastation when I first realized that religion was nonsense, I realized that something needed to exist for the future. I was looking for a valid replacement that provides the benefits of religion without the stupidity of myth and fairy tales.

This document is my attempt to pull all that I believe into a cohesive and rational whole. My intent is to give the non-religious something to replace the vacuum in their being with something positive and constructive.

Why Atheism?

As you can see from my personal history, the only philosophical alternative I has left was atheism. Nothing else makes sense. However most people who ask this question at this point are not asking it because they want to know why, I have already answered that question. They are actually having an emotional reaction of revulsion at the term “atheism.” In truth most people who claim to be agnostic actually are atheists but cannot use that dreaded word.

Just hearing the word “Atheism” causes the average American to shudder. So much negative press and urban myth has been attached to it that many cannot get past the word to think seriously about the idea. As a personal experiment I have spoken to people all the thoughts of my version of atheism (sometimes calling it agnosticism sometimes not) and they nod their heads saying things like “That’s how I feel too,” or “I’ve thought the same things for years!” But as soon as the dreaded word atheism is spoken, you can see a switch click in their brain, immediately switching off. They will say, “No, I can’t go there…” and stop listening to anything else I have to say.

But just for the record I want to say exactly what I mean when I use the word “Atheism”. I see the term atheism as a very simple one, defined by what it is not. It is a simple lack of belief in the concept of God. A child or native in some tribe deep in the jungle who has never heard of a God would be an atheist just as much as anyone who has heard of one and been unable to believe it. I don’t like the term “non-believer” or “unbeliever” because both imply that I chose to believe as though someone is somehow born believing until a choice is made to not do so. In truth, religious belief is a reaction to information that is received, at which time one either does or does not believe it based on what is known at the time. You can no more control fundamental belief than you can control rain or gravity, it just is.

You can however hang onto a belief once it is formed in spite of contrary or future evidence. It is the resistance of evidence in order to keep a pet belief in spite of evidence that requires effort. In short, my being an atheist (or non-believer) is not ‘my resistance’ to anything; it is my natural state of existence since I have not obtained sufficient evidence to form a belief. It is not a negative activity, just a deficiency of any positive evidence.

Another misconception in the religious crowd is that all atheists are the same, any more than all non-atheists (religious folks) are the same. This is just as silly as saying there is no difference between the beliefs of a Zen Buddhist and a Christian fundamentalist from the hills of West Virginia. While both are theists, they could not be more different, likewise all that atheists have in common is a lack of belief in God, nothing more. Some do reject the concept out of pride, prejudice or emotion. Some turn from religion to atheism after careful examination and study, yet others claim it because they remain unconvinced by the claims of religion. Some atheists are good moral people, some are immoral and evil, and some may be brilliant, while others may be ignorant fools.

One reason for such bad misconceptions about atheism is popular media and entertainment. This is not some sort of conspiracy against atheism, instead it is because like most Americans, writers and producers in New York and Hollywood are probably religious and have the same misconceptions as society in general. For example, atheists on television or in the movies are almost always what I call the “angry atheist.” This is an individual who is actually nothing more than a disillusioned believer. In their heart they actually do believe, but claim atheism as a way to get back at the God they are angry with.

Such people do exist and in a society as totally dominated by religion as ours, there are quite a few of them; however, these are not true atheists. These “angry atheists” exist because bad things do happen to good people, and if there were an all-powerful being human you would certainly question his motives. However a genuine atheist doesn’t have this problem, because he doesn’t believe there is anyone there to blame.

To me a genuine conversion from religious belief to non-belief cannot occur through emotion or disappointment. True conversion can only come about though reason and careful examination of the evidence; concluding that no religious dogma makes sense and that there is no real evidence to support belief in any god. Rational thought is the only true path to atheism.

While we are discussing differences between atheists; please do not classify me with the atheists who are campaigning to remove “In God We Trust” from your currency or trying to remove “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance. I could care less and don’t see how any other atheist could care that much either. Having “In God We Trust” is no more offensive to me than having “Glory to the Holy Purple Unicorn” would be, they are both nonsensical statements having no meaning, furthermore I hurt the cause of atheism far more in creating a highly emotional fight than I could ever gain from removing meaningless words form my government’s currency. Is it a violation of the U.S. Constitution to have this statement on America’s money? I think it is, but it isn’t worth the effort or the massive offense it would cause to remove it. I am not the atheist demon denounced on the 700 Club or the conspiring Liberal trying to take over America you might have been told about by Rush Limbaugh. I am trying very hard to help spread the truth and promote positive values to anyone who will listen.

What I Am Not Saying

Now I want to plainly state what I am not saying by this work.

It is the teachings I lay out here that matter, not the person writing it. I am not perfect nor am I the embodiment of anything divine or higher than a plain ordinary individual who sees a need and tries to fulfill it. I am not a measure of perfection in these principles and am just as likely as any other person to behave badly and be out-of-balance as any other. It is the ideals and concepts that I have laid forth here that are important not me. I am no one special and not a perfect example to follow.

I have no desire to gain fame, wealth or a legacy from this work. I would feel a measure of satisfaction if the ideas contained here did become widespread, but I have no desire whatsoever to be known as a prophet or great teacher.

Primary Principles

The principles of Secular Humanistic Rationalism are many and they all link together in a cohesive world view that not only replaces but supersedes all religion. These principles are Balance, Reality, Accountability, Integrity, Evolution and Spirituality. All crimes against humanity, all negative aggression and all self-destructive behavior are a result of individuals attempting to function in an out-of-balance state in violation of these principles.

It cannot be denied that if everyone forgot religious dogma and lived instead by these principles, the Earth would become a paradise with everyone living in perfect harmony. Yes there would still be problems and mankind would still have challenges, but mankind would unquestionably overcome them by acting as a unified force.

If mankind is to survive to see a 22nd or 23rd century, it is critical that we embrace Secular Humanistic Rationalism (or something like it) on a massive scale. The current wave of violence between the Christian fundamentalists in the West declaring new Crusades and the Jihad of Islam in the East should be all the evidence anyone needs that religion is nothing more than a highly contagious mental disease that must be discarded for the good of all. Our only hope is for mankind to evolve beyond the superstitions we learned in the dark caves of our past and move out into the wide open spaces of reason. We need to outgrow the big-daddy figure in the sky and realize that it’s time to grow up and stand on our own two feet.

As scary as it is, we have to openly admit what we all already know down deep inside... that when you die you cease to exist! You will be as nonexistent as you were before you were conceived. It’s not comforting or pretty, but reality seldom is. Doesn’t your capacity for reason tell you that the fact it’s uncomfortable makes it all the more likely that it is true? No Virginia, there is no Santa Claus and no life after death either. There also is no higher power looking after our best interest in spite of ourselves. Nature has no problem setting quietly watching us make ourselves extinct. It’s all or nothing in the big game of survival and we are wasting time exterminating valuable lives arguing over whose fantasy is the biggest. So what are we to do?

We need something better than religion, something that properly promotes ethics and values, without the insanity of religious intolerance and Jihad and that something is Secular Humanistic Rationalism. Now I will quit telling you how good it is and go directly into the principles of Secular Humanistic Rationalism.

Balance

The most fundamental principle of Secular Humanistic Rationalism is balance. There are several different ways that balance applies to Secular Humanistic Rationalism and its view of the universe. Balance is primarily a Humanistic principle in that we strive to achieve balances that provide the greatest good for the largest portion of humanity as possible.

Balanced Behavior

Balance applies to the life of the S.H. Rationalist by doing all things with an eye on all the possibilities. Everyone should understand that to every situation, action, thought or deed there is a full spectrum of possible behaviors and outcomes. Within this broad spectrum of behavior the extreme is rarely the wisest approach to any given situation. Of course there are exceptions due to some higher principle to the greater benefit of humanity. But what sets the Secular Humanist Rationalist apart from his religious brethren is that he understands all the choices and can choose the best path by being fully aware of the every cost and every impact of each decision. The S.H. Rationalist will take time to reason out a decision rather than follow a knee-jerk reaction laid out by some dogma or rule. Thus the S.H. Rationalist can recognize that the vast majority of decisions in life are choices between different shades of gray and seldom are choices between black and white.

This is exactly why Secular Humanistic Rationalism may have a hard time appealing to the masses. Most people (at least for now) in our world will choose religion because it provides quick and easy answers while we must labor over each decision considering the outcomes. They are simply too lazy to be a S.H. Rationalist. While that may be a regretful situation, there is nothing we can do to make our beliefs more palatable without betraying our core principles. Sometimes tough-love is the greatest love.

We also realize that in some circumstances there are no “good” solutions to complex problems, all possible choices have bad outcomes or hurt nearly equal numbers of people. In this instance we will first be introspective and determine that we are not acting out of any type of selfishness or greed, then make a careful decision.

Finally the S.H. Rationalist will not ‘beat himself up’ emotionally (through guilt and anguish) over a decision once it has been made. He will realize that having made the best decision that could be made given the circumstances that he will live with the consequences. This is where we accept responsibility for the decision and gracefully accept the consequences.

Balanced Spirit

Balance applies to the moral, spiritual life of the S.H. Rationalist in that it is understood that there are very few real absolutes. Yes, I know that the right-wing extremist radicals that have taken political power in America have fits and screams when they hear that statement. But the volume of their screams (no matter how loud) cannot invalidate the truth. Furthermore, the behavior of the right-wing radicals in the world proves that insistence on absolutes only further blurs the boundaries between right and wrong. Think about the insanity of their position on abortion when it drives anti-abortionists to bomb women’s clinics and shoot doctors who work there. Theirs is supposed to be a culture of life, but instead it is a culture out of balance in denial of common sense. Further consider how this ‘culture of life’ has no problem with a president who lies to invade another country and kills thousands of innocent people for nothing more than greed. They are not only out-of-balance but hypocritical as well. Their morality isn’t worth the paper their Bibles are printed on.

A Secular Humanistic Rationalist who has found true balance examines each of their beliefs, values and decisions and attempts to reach a compromise that improves the largest number of people involved, and/or meets the largest number of principles of Secular Humanistic Rationalism. A practicing Secular Humanistic Rationalist will strive to always be truthful, honest, and realistic while promoting a legacy of caring for humanity and life.

For example there are very, very few circumstances that I can think of that would make me tell a lie. For example: If I lived in occupied Europe during World War II, then I probably would have lied to a Nazi Storm Trooper to protect a house full of Jews I was harboring. But I would never lie to save money, protect corporate profit, enrich family or friends, or further a political cause. Balance in this instance means a serious study of ethics and values.

Not believing in an after-life does not mean that you can quit thinking about the balance between good and evil, far from it! It becomes even more important because we can only achieve justice and morality if we create it ourselves in the here and now!

Inner Spiritual Balance

Finally, I must touch on another aspect of spiritual balance, and this involves dealing with the inner you. Most Western religions lightly touch this issue if at all, however many Eastern religions do pay more attention to it. So it may be hard for people who have grown up as Christians to understand this principle. I believe that much that is wrong with Western society is the failure of Christianity and Islam to recognize the importance of personal spirituality.

Unlike religion, S.H. Rationalism recognizes that the human mind is emotionally driven and that mental illness can occur when emotions are not handled, maintained and dealt with correctly. Probably the most damaging statements in the Bible are those condemning us for having feelings. For example Jesus is supposed to have said that to look at a woman with sexual desire is just as bad as committing adultery¹. What a load of crap! Such statement does nothing but cause shame and guilt, and both are destructive.

S.H. Rationalism understands that no one can help but be tempted, it is your behavior based on that temptation that is either good or evil, not you for being tempted. And if a S.H. Rationalist gives into temptation and behaves immorally, then they should do all their power to make right the situation and if any punishment is appropriate they should endure it without complaint.

How does one arrive at this spiritual balance? Through the following steps:

1. Get in touch with your own emotions and feelings. Find out what is really going on inside of you. This can be very, very frightening and difficult, but it must occur. This can expose unresolved pain and suffering from past injustices and persecutions that must be resolved. Suppressed emotional scars will emerge either with or without us initiating it. Suppressed emotions cause people to do all sorts of bizarre and destructive behavior, often without the person being aware of why they are doing it. Ways to get in touch with your inner self include:
   • Meditation. This could be as organized as taking up Yoga or as simple as daily walks alone with time to think. The important matter is that you take time to ‘be in the moment.’ You must learn to recognize what you are feeling now, this very moment. It will take practice to release the past and ignore the future, but self-realization can only be reached in the now. So often our society lives only in the past or the future, but ignores the moment. This is part of the problem with guilt; it forces you to stay focused on the past so that you can no longer focus on the now.
   • Take time for yourself. You cannot be in touch with yourself unless you get alone. Your inner voice will be drowned out having to compete with others around you. This self-time does not have to be spent in silence staring at the walls. I go hiking in the woods for solitude and peace; however you could go work out at the gym or doing a hobby, as long as you can pay attention to your thoughts and don’t have to carry on a conversation with other people.
   • Counseling. In cases where there is a lot of emotional scarring or emotional denial has been going on for multiple years it may be necessary for you to seek counseling or attend group therapy sessions to get the inner self to emerge again.
   • Study your own behavior. Think about emotional outbursts or actions that defy explanation as to why you do them. Ask yourself, “What am I feeling at this very moment?” It is important that you do this whenever you feel lots of anxiety or out-of-control of yourself or the world around you. Examine what you are feeling and try to identify your earliest memory when you felt this way. Chances are you will discover unresolved grief or mourning behind the emotion. A good indicator of unresolved emotional issues is when feelings occur that are out-of-proportion to the events that triggers them.
     Let’s say you exploded at the clerk behind the counter of the local coffee shop when they ran out of your favorite coffee. You must realize that this reaction out of proportion to the situation and had nothing to do with the clerk or coffee. What actually occurred was that your inner self was using this opportunity to release some trapped up anger you refused to vent in a more appropriate way. Your inner self has taken over and you must pay attention to what it is telling you. Only by accepting and dealing with your feelings can you avoid such incidents and truly be in the now.
2. Own your feelings. Forget having guilt, denying or swallowing feelings; instead allow them to be felt without denial. You feel what you feel and you have the right to feel it. If you feel like you are not being fulfilled by your spouse or that your parents are treating you unjustly, don’t pretend that you don’t feel it, or worse feel shame for having the feeling. Confront it, accept it, and allow it to flow out in a constructive way. The same goes with anger. There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeling anger. It is the inappropriate release of these emotions that can get you into trouble or send you to prison, and suppressing it can cause it to emerge at the worst possible time.

   A graphic representation of emotional supression

   Emotions are like gas pressure building in a set of pipes that needs to be routinely released. While we can suppress the release of pressure for a while; we are only in control of the section of pipe known as our conscience mind. Instead of holding back the emotions permanently the growing pressure will just burst out in our subconscious (that we can’t control) forcing us to overreact at an inappropriate place or time. This explains why we may snap at loved ones for silly things without knowing why we do so. Later we regret it, but don’t understand why we did it. It’s actually because we were made fun of at work earlier in the day and refused to deal with the feelings.
3. Share your feelings. Find someone you can really trust and explore your emotions. For example, if a parent or child leaves or dies, as painful as it is, find a friend, family member or paid counselor to listen as you say exactly how alone, abandoned and betrayed you feel. The only way to get over an emotion is to go right through the middle of it and out the other side. This burns up the steam in the emotion deflating it into nothingness. Avoidance only causes it to linger and last as long as you ignore or deny it. It will only heal with direct confrontation. With anger, find safe constructive ways to vent your rage. Buy a punching bag or take up running, let your anger and aggression out in those activities.
4. Get your own needs met. This has to do with the ‘martyr complex’ that is run rampant through our Western world. This happens when parents, spouses, or other loved ones give so much of themselves with such self-denial that others come to expect it from them. Such complete denial of self is held in great value in our society, but in fact self-denial taken too far in turn causes a deep resentment that eventually causes all manner of dysfunctions. To make matters worse, when the inner self begins to feel such resentment, the person makes matter even worse by suppressing that feeling as well through guilt.
   In truth such complete self-denial causes the inner self to feel cheated and defies our inner definition of fairness. Self-sacrifice in smaller doses can be noble and loving, but when the person is sacrificing too much it is always a mistake.
   Examples:
   Parents have a responsibility to see that their children are fed, clothed, secure and reasonably happy. However this does not mean that they should be wearing rags so their children can wear designer clothes from the mall.
   A husband or wife should not drive a rusting heap to work so their spouse can drive an expensive sports car.
   Even though they are doing it themselves, the people in these examples have a conflicted inner self that is expecting a reward for such giving behavior and will eventually resent their loved ones when they don’t get back to the same measure. All they know is that at some point they begin to feel unappreciated and used and don’t understand why. It is not fair to give to that degree and it’s not loved ones to expect proportionate rewarding for such overdone giving. Such well meant charity usually results in ruined relationships.
   A final word about getting your needs met: In today’s world it is often thought of as selfishness to do something for yourself and no one else, but in truth you cannot give to others what you don’t have for yourself. So you must have enough of your needs met to be emotionally well and whole before you can offer your loved ones the support and strength they need. This is not selfishness, just good sense.
5. Dissolve codependences. I define a codependency as seeking fulfillment from others instead of finding it for yourself. A good example of codependency is a father pressuring his son to be a football star because he always wanted to be one, so he can live the experience through his son. Another might be husband who acts out his dissatisfaction with himself by belittling his wife or kids to make his self feel better. Codependences can become very complicated dealing with the complex interrelationships between multiple people; however it all boils down to each member of the relationship depending on the other members for happiness (and usually feeling let down by them when they don’t find it). The only real route to happiness is recognizing that you and you alone are responsible for your feelings and only you can achieve happiness. You can achieve self-fulfillment through following the other steps already mentioned to achieve spiritual balance. Do not be surprised if other member of a codependent relationship lash out at you for trying to get out, but you must do so. You must be careful to let the person (son, daughter, spouse, parent or whomever) that you are not abandoning them; you are just finding your own peace so you can be there for them.
   Leaving a codependency almost always involves counseling or group therapy so do not hesitate to seek help. This does not mean you are weak, actually it requires a lot of strength to reach out for the help you need.
   Related to codependency is another very destructive emotional illness called obsession. This is when we allow desire to run so freely and wild that we cannot stop thinking about anything else except for a single person or thing. This is also related to codependency because it is also caused by the false belief that happiness cannot exist without the object of your desire. Obsession cannot occur in the person who is balanced and has found happiness without relying on a person, place or thing to provide it for us.
6. Find your purpose. Once you have your inner self cleansed of suppressed emotion and you are free to feel, you are ready to get involved in life, roll up your shirt-sleeves and dig into making the world a better place. Find a cause you care about and get involved. This can be to solve world hunger, change the political landscape or any other cause you really care about, but get involved. True happiness and self value can only be achieved by accomplishment.
7. Arrive at inner peace. Finally by observing these steps to inner spiritual balance you will achieve a level of peace and solace that the religious strive so hard to obtain but seldom ever reach. Many individuals have unknowingly followed these steps or been driven there by circumstances unaware of how they got there, but now you can get there through measured and purposeful effort, sure of your outcome.

Balance In the Universe

Finally we see balance as a guiding principle in the universe at large. To each action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Once again this does not mean that we attach some mystical or religious idea to this principle, but instead we acknowledge is existence and take it into account in all our activities. This applies to the natural world, the political, the moral and the philosophical. Thus we see that there is a price to pay for any behavior and we can be better informed to make good choices about our place in this world. For example by understanding balance we must see that pumping tons and tons of carbon-dioxide into the air everyday must have an impact on the natural world. All actions taken must be done with an eye on the probable reaction.

A respect for balance in the universe helps the Secular Humanistic Rationalist to see the moral depravity of corporate moguls who lie, cheat and steal to make still more money when they already are quite wealthy. He is left unable to understand why anyone needs more than a comfortable living. If you are not happy with one million dollars, what could possibly make you think that two, ten or a hundred million would? As a seeker of balance in the universe the Secular Humanistic Rationalist realizes that only when the wealthy use their power to help the less fortunate can they reach balance and obtain inner peace.

Likewise, as long as less than one percent of the worlds population posses ninety percent of the wealth there is no hope to end war and destruction. Only when we all can forget the prejudice, greed and religious squabbling can there ever be peace.

Philosophical Balance

There is also philosophical balance in the Secular Humanistic Rationalist view of the universe. For example there are the basic human rights that we believe all men and women are entitled to enjoy, but those rights are balanced by our obligations to mankind and the world in general. We can only achieve balance by both enjoying and appreciating our personal rights and paying our debts to our fellow human beings. No excuse can be made for a rich man working hard to gain yet more riches while he knows that the majority of people in the world are starving. He can only achieve true balance (and spiritual peace) by reducing the suffering of as many of his fellow beings as he can. The more suffering he can end, the better he will feel because he is reaching a more balanced state of existence.

Reality

This comes from the philosophical belief we call rationalism. In plain English it means that I believe that there is a real physical world that’s out-there, outside my own being, that does not depend on my or any other observer for existence. I believe that the Earth, the Sun, the Milky Way Galaxy and the Universe were all there millions of years before there were any humans (or any other beings) around to contemplate it, and they will all be here millions of years after the last being is long gone. I don’t believe that the world changes or shifts reality because of my faith (or lack of it) and that nothing will be changed through psychic energy unless someone physically decides to move it.

My belief in Reality grounds me to the real world. Through it I realize that the universe will not rearrange itself to fit my beliefs, prejudices or desires, but instead is accountable only to facts. An S.H. Rationalist only believes in what can be measured. There may be a lot of things I wish were true, but reality forces me to grow up and face that they probably are not. Children have a need for a mommy and daddy to run to and make it all better, but when we grow up the time comes to face the fact that we are on our own. If we don’t do it, than it probably won’t get done. If we trash the world, destroy the environment then our children could be poisoned or die because of our actions. No big-brother-in-the-sky will come along and make it all better. If we break it, we and/or our descendants will pay for it.

Furthermore I only believe what can be proved through experiment and that real physical evidence outweighs any desire for belief. If you can’t prove it, I refuse to believe it exists. Now before you go off saying that I don’t believe in love or air because they can’t be measured; I must inform you that both these things can be proved to exist through experiment. However unicorns, elves and gods are a whole different matter, no proof of any of them exists and never has beyond mankind’s desire to make them true. What you cannot show must go. This is the main reason I chose the words “Secular” and “Rationalism” for my life philosophy, because I believe in reality and I see no way that reality supports the claims of organized religion, thus reality is secular. In fact I am both a Rationalist and an Empiricist. I believe that we can arrive at truth through reason, but I also feel that reason must be supported by evidence. In essence rational thought must be used to obtain truth, but empirical methods must be used to validate conclusions. To me evidence is the rudder that keeps rationalism on-course.

Accountability

Accountability ties together the three principles Integrity, Balance and Spirituality. You as well as others can only appreciate your integrity if your acts can be measured and verified as being acts of integrity, likewise you can only understand that you have obtained balance when you measure your behavior as being balanced and ethical. Finally you use accountability to gauge your progress in your spiritual quests.

We have obtained Accountability when we make sure that what we do is verifiable, respects the boundaries of others as well as our own. We can also know because our conduct leaves a legacy that others will want to follow. Where many religious individuals rant and rave about accountability in truth they have no idea what it means. They seem to think that accountability is somehow related to self-reliance or a lack of dependency on others, in truth it is nearer to integrity and inner-strength. A person with accountability applies the same set of standards and values for all people, races and creeds. They can see beyond prejudice and generalization to realize the value of individuals on merit and character, not based on class or political affiliation.

Verifiability

A follower of the Principle of Accountability does not make fanciful claims that cannot be backed up with evidence and they do not try to doctor the facts to fit preconceived notions or desires. A man with accountability will be a philosopher looking for the truth but not a theologian. This is because a philosopher begins by looking at all the facts and arguments to decide what the truth reveals, while the theologian has already decided what the truth is and bends the facts (or ignores them) in order to justify the conclusion he reached before he ever began looking at the evidence.

Verifiability helps bring balance into the life of the Secular Humanistic Rationalist in that it forces him to live a life that obtains results consistent with all the SHR principles not only in thought, belief and values but in deeds. It means nothing to say you believe in equality if you move to another neighborhood because too many people of a different race are moving into it or you have a fit if your child dates someone of another race. Your belief has no meaning because your belief is not validated by your actions. You have no integrity.

Respect for Boundaries

You cannot truly understand accountability unless you also have respect for boundaries. You must realize that other people’s behavior is not your behavior and accept that you are not responsible for their actions. For example, if my adult children decide to behave without ethics or become bigoted, I may not like it and disapprove of it, but I cannot blame myself or feel guilt because their behavior is outside my boundaries.

In essence respect for boundaries means that I mind my own business and leave others alone unless I am directly affected in some way. For example I am not homosexual and even find homosexual behavior repugnant, but if someone else chooses to engage in homosexual activity it is none of my business as long as I don’t have to witness private behavior that is inappropriate in public. This is acceptable and balanced because I don’t want to watch lewd or inappropriate behavior between heterosexual couples either. I am not offended or seeking to ban homosexuals because this is their private sex life that is inside their private boundaries and outside of mine. Only when they attempt to move it beyond their boundaries and infringe on my civil rights do they cross the line making it my business.

This may make followers of religion to ask the question; “How do we enforce rules and make sure that followers obey our edicts?” The answer is, we don’t. The Secular Humanistic Rationalist minds his own business and expects the wisdom of doing so will eventually overcome all other ideas so that someday everyone will behave respectably because they will understand that they cannot have peace by behaving out of balance.

There is no need for ritual or a temple in Secular Humanistic Rationalism, however it should be encouraged that they meet to provide spiritual support and ways of coping with situations. Such a movement will never replace religion without a family-type atmosphere to offer support and membership. In no way should such a meeting degrade into religion bashing sessions or political rallies. Such events are fine and necessary for world improvement but should be clearly identified as such and not be held as S.H. Rationalist events.

Secular Humanistic Rationalism is not anarchist and it does not suggest that we do away with governments. Humans will always have to have governments to protect us from people who would try to violate our civil rights and protect us from criminals. If enough people follow the principles of S.H. Rationalism then the laws of countries might (hopefully) change for the better. We accept that governments, courts and jails will always be needed and need funding. I envision Secular Humanistic Rationalists as being very politically active, because some changes can only happen though political means, but we cannot allow Secular Humanistic Rationalism to degrade into nothing more than a political movement.

Integrity

Integrity involves how others see me and does not occur overnight. Integrity is built over a lifetime, but can be destroyed in a matter of seconds. Integrity is a personal inner principle as well as an external value. Having everyone on the planet thinking you’re a great guy is meaningless if you know in fact that you are a worthless cad. Through the value of integrity the Secular Humanistic Rationalist knows that it means nothing always tell the truth if you use facts to perpetuate a misconception. We see this type of dishonesty in advertising and politics all the time, actual valid statistics are used to support all manner of lies and distortions. Such people may not be liars, but they have no integrity.

Legacy

Legacy is the only proof we ever existed. It is up to each of us as to how good or tyrannical the legacy is that we leave behind. It is also up to us as to how long the legacy lasts among the rest of humanity, mediocrity and selfishness assures that we won’t be remembered fondly or for very long. However a life of giving, kindness and love will not be forgotten any time soon. The Secular Humanistic Rationalist wants to leave behind a legacy of respect and integrity that others would want to emulate. This is very important to us because we do not believe in life after death or immortality, therefore this is the only part of us that lasts beyond our lifetime. This makes our legacy very important indeed.

Evolution

Evolution in this context does not refer to a biological process but to the improvement over time of both the individual and humanity in general. The Secular Humanistic Rationalist is an optimist, he believes in the triumph of truth over lies and goodness over evil. This might sound strange to the religious individual because they associate atheism with degradation and evil. But the Secular Humanistic Rationalist feels that good will overcome evil doers because behaving in a fair and just manner just makes good sense. Humanity has the best chance of survival when each of us works for the common good, and while the last 50 years in America may have reversed that trend, mankind in general has become more intelligent and better educated so much that everyone will eventually see the value of cooperation and the stupidity of religious ignorance.

This does not mean that we believe things will only get better without any relapses into the past. As a matter of fact many of the principles of Secular Humanistic Rationalism have almost won out several times in the past only to be lost for hundreds of years to superstitious ignorance and greed. The principles of Secular Humanistic Rationalism appeared to surface first among the Greek civilization, then again among the philosophers of the 18th century. Now it appears that we may be entering another dark period of history, but eventually human kind will mature enough that it will be able to forget the need for a cosmic mommy and daddy, then men will stand up as mature spiritual individuals and take hold of these principles as they actually are.

Spirituality

It might surprise some that a movement that by definition rejects the concept of a god, would consider the concept of spirituality to be important. By the Principle of Spirituality I am not referring to supernatural powers or unseen forces, but instead to self-awareness and internal balance. To become spiritual a Secular Humanistic Rationalist has finally disposed of enough emotional baggage to be able to tell the truth to the self, to be able to get through the junk that most people build up inside to be able to actually hear what the brain is thinking. It becomes very hard to lie to others when you only tell the truth to yourself.

You might ask how one goes about getting emotionally balanced and then reach spirituality. Although that is a very complicated subject that I cannot possibly do justice to it here, I will nevertheless attempt to explain the process.

First it requires you to find another person or several people that you can trust. This person (or persons) must be trustworthy, non-judgmental and insightful. It will most definitely help if they have already taken out their own garbage before trying to help you. Anyone whom you can trust that will not accuse you will work, they do not need to be fellow Secular Humanistic Rationalists, but it might help. I joined a self-help group and talked to family I knew I could trust. Your goal here is to talk through your feelings; you must allow yourself to feel every one of your emotions so that they loose energy. The only way to overcome emotional pain is to for you to allow yourself to feel it headlong full force and ride it through until it no longer has power.

I had to overcome the grief I felt over my mother dying of cancer. I was in misery when I tried to swallow my grief and pretend that it didn’t hurt. Holding feelings in causes them to fester like an infection that makes you ill and grows until it takes you over. It causes you to act out in ways you don’t understand and turn away the very people that could help you overcome the pain. Only by talking about how much it hurt, crying and giving in to the grief did it get better. Now all I feel when I think about her are pleasant thoughts of love and kindness. Sure I miss her being around, but it doesn’t hurt any longer. This healing is getting rid of baggage and going through the grieving is a spiritual event.

A follower of Secular Humanistic Rationalism becomes a whole (and powerful) person by healing and coming into full self-awareness.

Basic Human Rights

All this talk of fulfillment and morality does little good if we don’t state plainly what we mean by good and evil. In an attempt to expand on this further I am compelled to list the basic rights that all people need to be free and happy. I see any act trying to deny or forbid these rights to anyone who is not a criminal as evil and any act to aid others in achieving or enjoying these rights as morally good. Only though recognition of these rights can we define what it means to be a criminal.

Notice that by this definition an otherwise religious person becomes evil when he tries to deny the basic civil rights to others because they happen to be gay or non-religious. The fact that a person is religious does not make him good or evil, but instead his actions make him a bad or good person. This is a much more honest and balanced view of the universe.

Freedom

Freedom is a very broad and wide encompassing right. First of all I must qualify this by saying that I am talking about the freedom of the individual, not the corporation. Freedom for an individual means they have the right of ownership, right to possess personal property, right of free speech, and right of free thought. Corporations do not have any rights to private property or anything else beyond the individual rights of the members in that corporation.

Ownership and Personal Property

This is the recognized ability for an individual to earn capital and spend it on possessions that become his own personal property. Once the item becomes his, he can do whatever he wants to with it without fear. The limits to such property does not include the ability of a person to become another persons property, nor does it give him the right to buy copyrighted material as his own or plagiarize others work as his own. Part of the respect for personal property is also respect for the labor necessary to gain possession of property. In other words, respect for the right of personal property is the responsibility to pay a fair wage for work being done.

A wealthy business owner who refuses to pay his employees enough to live on, while he takes a salary hundreds of times as large, does not have respect for private property.

The Atheist-Communist Connection

Since Secular Humanistic Rationalism is basically an atheistic philosophy many would assume that it would also be a communistic ideology as well. They think this way because the communist regimes in the former Soviet Union and China did not want their people sharing allegiance between organized religion and their total control, so they claimed atheism as a political move to consolidate power. They were first and foremost totalitarian and only atheist out of convenience, not because of spiritual conviction. Karl Marx proclaimed atheism because he correctly saw that religion was created and embraced by governments as a way to pacify and control the populace; however, his reaction to that fact was not the correct one. His was only one of many possible conclusions that only saw part of the picture. He incorrectly concluded that all history and civilization is driven by economic forces alone. Economics is important; but only one of many forces that moves societies. Just a few of these other factors include, idealism, fear, the need to feel secure, racial identity and bigotry, and lust for political power.

Not only is there no real connection between communism and atheism, before the 20^th Century communism and religion always went hand-in-hand. In fact the early Christian Church in Jerusalem was one of the first groups in history to practice communism². The Dead Sea scrolls also revealed that the Essenes (a large Jewish sect) also were practicing communists in the time of the Romans. And although few Westerners have noticed, all Catholic convents and monasteries are nothing more than religious communes, making the Roman Catholic Church one of the largest advocates of communism in history!

If you look at the philosophies behind capitalism and communism you will find that communism is actually more in tune with religious ideals while capitalism is much more an atheistic approach. Communism believes that no one should have personal property and that a higher power (the government) should control and provide for the individual, this is very similar to the religious idea that a higher power (God) should be taking care of you and your needs. While pure capitalism is nothing more than Darwin’s survival of the fittest in fiscal form. Capitalism is the financial equivalent to the Theory of Evolution, while communism is a twisted form of theocracy in disguise. Amazing!

By now you should now realize that saying that all atheists are communists is a bit like saying since some pants are blue everything blue must be a pair of Levis! While a few of the more recent communists have been atheist, the vast majority of atheists are not communists. Even today, most people in communist countries are religious, they are just afraid to announce it publicly. Secular Humanistic Rationalism is completely and without a doubt opposed to communism, humanity cannot reach its full potential under a dictatorship or totalitarian government. No political or economic system that denies freedom can be compatible with Secular Humanistic Rationalism.

In spite of this atheist/communist connection in the minds of most Americans, Secular Humanistic Rationalism is a philosophical conclusion based on the facts that sees communism as evil because it denies basic human rights. You might think from my earlier discussion that we would therefore fully embrace capitalism, but that isn’t necessarily true either. My personal feeling is that while survival of the fittest might be how nature works, that doesn’t mean that we have to work that way, or that it is even desirable. Nature says that we have no purpose beyond reproduction, yet we desire to live long after we have children who can take care of themselves, likewise capitalism may be a viable way for an economy to work; however it may not give the greatest majority the best standard of living possible without some oversight. I believe a well controlled and monitored capitalistic society (with protections for the individual against corporate dominance) is most compatible with Secular Humanistic Rationalism. Remember, individuals have rights and freedoms, but corporations are NOT individuals; therefore corporations do not have equal rights with people.

Free Speech

This is the right to say what you think about others, the government and the world in general. We uphold the right of anyone to say, publish or broadcast anything truthfully. I believe that telling a lie is an immoral act, but it is not violating someone else’s rights unless it is publicly broadcast with intent to bribe, extort or harm an individual or group such as a race, nationality or religion. For example you may get the idea from this document or my web site that I don’t care for religion and this would be true, however it would be highly immoral for me to publish or broadcast lies to damage religion or religious people even if I feel they are doing harm. Any person should be able to say what they honestly believe anywhere and at anytime without reprisal, but that is not a license to produce propaganda or spread deceit.

This is quite a contrast to fundamentalist Christianity as practiced in America today. They have no problem telling all kinds of rumors and lies without ever checking their sources. When I was a fundamentalist pastor I cannot tell you how many phony pamphlets and petitions I saw passed around saying all kinds of bizarre things like:

• The Proctor & Gamble man-in-the-moon symbol was a sign of evil proving that the whole company was run by devil worshipers.

• Atheists, communists and the ACLU were trying to pass a law forbidding use of the words “Merry Christmas” and trying to ban the selling of Christmas trees.

• The game Dungeons & Dragons taught children how to worship Satan and cast spells.

The list could go on and on, but you get the idea. Each time one of these stupid letters or petitions came around, they all jumped on it with excitement, passing it on as though it was the truth. The Bible may teach that it is a sin to bear false witness but in practice they pay it little or no attention at all.

This should not surprise us, the Bible also says “Blessed are the peace makers” however they have no problem with our government attacking Iraq without provocation.

Freedom of Thought

This is even more sacred than the right to free speech; it’s the freedom to think whatever you want to think without fear of punishment. Yes, I even think racist or religious thought should be protected from persecution. The only way to achieve truth is to be able to pursue it without restraint.

Right to Privacy

Every man, woman and child must have a certain amount of privacy. This right must be respected before the individual can achieve happiness or fulfillment. This includes a place of residence where an individual can call home, where he can do with his property as he pleases. This includes destroying it if he so desires.

The Secular Humanistic Rationalist is alarmed by the latest trend of governments to place higher value on corporate copyrights than on the individual rights to personal property and privacy. For example they are inhibiting the ability to copy material that has been paid for, even for personal, private use. They are justified to try and outlaw piracy (distributing copyrighted material for profit without paying licensing fees), however that’s not what we are talking about here. These are laws attempting to control form and usage directly invading privacy for corporate profit. Big business pushed these laws through because they think they will make more money if we have to buy extra copies of their product for each location and/or device they are to be used on. This has nothing whatsoever to do with copyright protection.

This right extends to whatever sexual practices any two adults want to engage in as long as both participate willingly, without coercion and that does not force others to view or participate in such acts. You are free to do as you please as long as it does not violate the rights of any one else. Anyone reading this may find this as a very loose attitude, but you must realize that a true Secular Humanistic Rationalist will not intentionally engage in risky or dangerous behavior because self destructive behavior is definitely not being spiritually balanced. You can look at any drug addict, alcoholic or sexual addict and know that they are not successful S.H. Rationalists.

It is possible for a Secular Humanistic Rationalist to engage in sex with multiple partners, but in each case it will be with adequate precaution avoiding disease and unwanted pregnancy. Furthermore it will never be done with the violation of someone else’s trust or make anyone feel like a victim or betrayed. For example a S.H. Rationalist would not make a vow of monogamy to a spouse (or lover) and then sneak behind their back and have sex with someone else; committing an act of betrayal. It is not a violation of Secular Humanistic Rationalist principle for two, three or any number of individuals to join together in an open sexual relationship as long as there is no lying, no hidden agendas, no betrayal or a health risk.

It may be that the only healthy type of sexual relationship is one between a single man and a single woman. This is my personal preference and the only somewhat successful type I have ever known. Personally I find both homosexuality and spouse swapping repulsive, but those feelings may only be conditioned by years of societal influence and years of religious upbringing. No society has yet existed that has allowed exploration into sexuality far enough to know what is possible, until that time comes we should remain open and non-judgmental.

Right of Individuality

From privacy we further get a right to individuality. This is my right to be my own person, my right to determine for myself who I am and what I want to be. This could also be called the Right of Self-Determination. You can think of this as the most basic right to self that gets lost when a person is sold into slavery; the right to determine your own future.

This right extends even further into my possession and identity, my personal right to say who gets control of my personal information, biometrics and statistics. This includes marital status, membership in private clubs and organizations, medical records, fingerprints and biometric information. It is my right to see that none of this is recorded or distributed without my knowledge or permission. It also recognizes that a corporation should never be allowed to own or sell my identity any more than it should be allowed to sell a person. Selling a persons personal information without their permission is every bit as evil as slavery.

Right to Self Respect

This is my right to do what is necessary for me to obtain my own self-respect. While no one can assure that you have adequate self-respect any more than they can insure you have an education; we could as a society assure that you have the freedom to obtain self-respect and the opportunity to obtain an education. We can do this by each one of us individually being responsible for creating an atmosphere of mutual respect for everyone around us.

This extends to treating others with an equal amount of dignity that you expect to receive yourself. No one can have adequate self-respect if they are unable to respect the rights of others or have unjustified contempt for the rest of humanity.

Some people reading this might believe that I am suggesting we coddle evil or pamper criminals in the name of respect; however I am not. This right involves treating others in a dignified and respectful manner exactly as they deserve to be treated. I for one would NOT encourage or give praise to a proven child-molester, nor would I cordially pat on the back an unrepentant murderer in order to build his self esteem. Frankly I think both should spend the rest of their lives in an uncomfortable prison cell enduring hard manual labor to repay society. At the same time, my belief in the right to self-respect also means that I cannot rave like a lunatic screaming for vengeance either. I would coldly, calmly and respectfully convict and lock them away. I would do this not because I want to show them undo respect, but because I respect myself too much to behave like an animal and become just as low as they are. I have no love for felons.

Right to Opportunity

While very similar to the freedom to obtain self-respect and freedom of individuality, the right to freedom of opportunity is an even broader concept. Freedom of opportunity is the belief that I should be free to make my situation better though hard work or originality. This is being given the chance to prove your worth before others judge or label you. This is the opposite of prejudice and bigotry. It is the higher ideal that everyone should be judged on their motives and accomplishments, not on religious background, race, creed, color or sexual preference.

Humanistic Values

Now I would like to address the value system of the Secular Humanistic Rationalist. The S.H. Rationalist has a set of positive values that define good behavior and a set of negative values that help us identify evil behavior.

The religious might say that since we don’t believe in a god, divine punishment or an after-life then such definitions are meaningless; however, this is not the case. Our ability to find peace, to become whole, to ever find happiness depends directly on our following these principles of morality. These principles are not some esoteric philosophical concept as they are made to be by theists; but instead are nothing more than a practical way of dealing with the world to ensure the universal cohesion of society, and the best method of survival for the individual.

In everyday terms: You cannot hope to have others trust you if you are a thief. You cannot hope to have a loving and committed relationship with a spouse if you betray them by having extramarital sex. You cannot share trust with people who you have lied to and abused. Each of these moral rules involves a direct reward in this lifetime and improves the quality of life. Wanton abusive and deceptive behavior will quickly trap us in a world of mistrust and loneliness that creates a hell of our own making right here on Earth that cannot be easily escaped. It doesn’t take a genius to realize how difficult it can be to live in a world created through false pretence.

Beyond their direct benefit to the individual, we also observe these moral teachings because it brings us closer to the world we actually want to live in as opposed to the world we have not dominated by superstition, religious ignorance and greed. The only hope for mankind is the universal acceptance of these rules of moral conduct in place of the ambiguous and senseless moral laws found in most religions. One can only hope that in the words of Thomas Jefferson, “these truths are self-evident”.

Positive Values

Reciprocation

This is the same basic teaching that was put into the mouth of Jesus by an ancient scribe long ago. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This same teaching is found in almost every other large religion and obviously comes from common sense. It is a good basic principle that anyone can follow. Treat everyone you meet the way you want to be treated. This is also a simple concept; others are more likely to treat you well if you are good to them first.

Like any other rule-of-thumb you must use reason with this rule as well. Problems can occur if you try to treat someone from another culture the way you want to be treated. Members of other cultures may not share your values and desires so as always temper your good intensions with reason.

Legacy

Think about what you will leave behind once you are gone. This is especially important to the atheist since this life is all we have. The only positive effect you can have beyond this life is in the good deeds you have done and in what you have left for the generations that will come after you.

Honesty

This principle is incredible simple, always tell the truth. It is also a violation of this value to use the truth to intentionally deceive. If you knowingly give others a false impression with a factual statement, then you are as assuredly lying as if you blatantly told a lie. The reason for this value is simple; you cannot reasonably expect to be trusted unless you are always honest.

Respect

To respect others you must have a deep understanding that all other people are just as precious and valuable as you are. You cannot achieve this respect as long as you carry bigotry and hatred of others not like you. This is not to say that you cannot acknowledge that other individuals cannot be judged, but that such judgment can only be made on individual merits and acts, not based on race, color, creed, sex, sexual preference, nationality or any other generalization.

Independence

The S.H. Rationalist values an adult’s ability to determine their own outcomes. This could also be described as the value of self-reliance or self-determination. While the S.H. Rationalist accepts help and freely gives help to others, they also take pride in the ability to get things done and achieve goals. Without independence it is impossible to respect one’s self as well as anyone else.

This is not to say that people who are dependant are somehow inferior, but that each person has their own struggle for independence and rejoice when they accomplish it. It is fully possible for an elderly resident in a nursing home to win battles of independence by eating their own meals, while a man who refuses to work out of laziness loses independence every day he gets up and refuses to get up and go to work.

Compassion

This is the ability of the S.H. Rationalist to empathize with others and reduce suffering in the world. Since we do not have some higher power in the universe to distribute fairness and reduce suffering, then it becomes our job. Whenever possible the S.H. Rationalist should promote healing, love and compassion to others. JJust as sometimes the greatest love can be tough-love, sometimes the most compassionate thing you can do for a person is to risk unsettling them to set them on the correct path. For example: withholding financial support from a drug-addict so that they cannot use the money to buy more drugs is actually compassionate. In this case it is thinking in their best interest when they are unable to think for themselves.

Care must be taken when considering such compassion. I will not give money to a beggar that I believe will use it to buy liquor instead of food. Giving them money under these circumstances would not be doing them a favor.

Thoughtfulness

Thoughtfulness is a value that is most unique to a Secular Humanistic Rationalist. It is the obligation to always think each moral decision through thoroughly before acting. Each decision must be made carefully considering ALL the principles of S.H. Rationalism before coming to a conclusion. Religion differs in that they attempt to always follow a written law, an absolute to fit every circumstance instead of adjusting to the situation. Instead Secular Humanistic Rationalism respects the individual enough to realize that we are capable of reaching a good decision based on the unique set of circumstances in any situation. This makes the S.H. Rationalist fare more adaptable to the real world. It will also ensure that they will lead a more fulfilled and complete life unburdened by guilt and shame.

Negative Attributes

Selfishness

This is simple selfish greed. The S.H. Rationalist realizes that while wealth helps one to be clothed, well-fed, warm, clean and dry; excessive wealth is unfulfilling. A comfortable income is nice and can give you motivation to excel; but it must be tempered with liberal charity and giving to others. I am not advocating poverty here, it is also immoral to ignore your own needs and give to others until resentment takes over. There is no shame in wanting nice things and no guilt in possessions; however it is immoral to violate the rights of others to obtain wealth.

By my definition, selfishness is the willingness to lie, cheat and steal to gain wealth. It also involves trying to obtain more than you need while others are not getting their needs met. It is incompatible with S.H. Rationalism for a corporate president or business owner to earn ten (or more) times the pay of his or her average employee. It is also incompatible with S.H. Rationalism to buy cheap products knowing that workers produced these products at starvation wages to provide you with that low price.

Laziness

There are several types of laziness in the world and all are an abomination to the Secular Humanistic Rationalist.

There is a type of laziness that can be defined as unwillingness to do the work necessary to provide for yourself or your loved ones. This does not include people who cannot find work or are unable to make enough to properly support their families, but instead refers to those who are unwilling to support them.

There is an intellectual laziness (I call intentional ignorance) where people do not want to educate themselves about life and the world around them. The truth may be out there, but they don’t care to look for it. This type of laziness allows tyrants to take over countries and corrupt leaders to make war. Much misery in the world is due to this type of laziness.

There is also an intellectual laziness in the religious world where members prefer to be told what to think rather than think for themselves. These are the people who want a set of commandments that they can check off every Sunday to make sure they are still going to heaven. One can only hope that this laziness will die out eventually.

Finally there are the emotionally lazy who refuse to deal with their emotional pain. They are a danger to themselves because they can never reach a state of peace and tranquility. The emotional storms churn forever inside their minds denying them rest or peace. In the worst cases they are a danger to the rest of us too in that the emotional pressure may reach the point that they lash out at the world in a violent rage. This is by far the most dangerous type of laziness.

Prejudice and Bigotry

This is failure to see the individual and classify a whole race, nationality, creed, gender, or sexual persuasion as bad or evil. This covers everything from a simple dislike to exterminations and genocide. You don’t have to be a genius to see how much unnecessary suffering bigotry and racism has caused in the world. A Secular Humanistic Rationalist will have no part in a racist organization and will not tolerate prejudice.

S.H. Rationalists believe that good and bad people exist in all races, in both genders and with all sexual orientations. We believe that each individual must be judged on their behavior and merit without regard to these classifications. Furthermore, everyone deserves the same respect and opportunity until they prove themselves unworthy to retain the privilege.

Betrayal

This is a very dark and evil negative value indeed. I call Betrayal the “Father of all Suffering.” It involves violation of any of the positive values of Secular Humanistic Rationalism with the intent to cause personal harm to (or using for profit) someone who trusts you. Betrayal can cause wounding and devastation to the inner being of a person more severe than any other act.

Betrayal is a state of mind rather than a deed because it involves the intent behind an act. A person can betray someone by doing a deed that may seem to be completely innocent to the unknowing bystander; however, betrayal is the violation of a bond between the one committing it and the victim. In spite of how innocent the violation may appear, both the betrayer and the one betrayed know what is actually occurring.

If I could wave a magic-wand and cause all betrayal to disappear then I would save the world from at least 90% of all pain humans endure.

Codependency

Codependency is another of the major causes of misery and suffering in the Western world. Strange as this may sound (coming from a secular atheist) this has come about because of the rise of secularism in the modern age. With the understanding that the natural world is all that exists has come the misguided belief that happiness can only come from “outside,” not the internal person. By my definition a codependent is a person who believes they can only find happiness through someone else, or by obtaining some desired object. Thus people now expect to find happiness from acquiring things or being with a magic person that will solve all their problems.

My definition of codependency is not to be confused with the way this same word is used by groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or by popular psychologists. My definition is much broader and has nothing to do with enabling the behavior of others.

Codependency as I define it can be seen in individuals who are driven to roam from one unhealthy relationship after another seeking that one person who can make them whole. Yet they are constantly disappointed and unfulfilled because they do not understand that no one can give them what they seek.

Others exhibit different symptoms because they are looking for happiness in things rather than people. There are several different behaviors that can be tied back to this type of codependent. One is the thrill-seeker who constantly pushed the envelope of safety performing ever more dangerous stunts to get the high they need. Another is the alcoholic and drug addict who looks for peace in a drug. Yet another is the person absorbed with making money and/or fame who believe that success will finally make them happy. Many of the stars and business icons worshipped in our society are actually this type of codependent.

Does this mean that we should retreat from secularism and seek solace in religious ignorance? Far from it! The problem is that secularism by itself strips away the few benefits that mysticism provides without supplying a viable method of introspection. Secular Humanistic Rationalism fills these gaps by helping the individual learn to achieve balance and find happiness from within (through meditation, taking time for self, owning feelings, and contemplation.) It is imperative that the S. H. Rationalist understand that we each are responsible for our own happiness and be in charge of our own feelings.

Final Word

Soon after leaving Christianity and embracing atheism I found that one cannot build a life on what you do not believe. I do think that atheism is correct and that there is no god, but a life built solely on the negation of an imaginary being is not very fulfilling. At some point a person must move beyond this negation to the affirmation of something else. Many of my atheist friends tell me that they do not have these “spiritualistic” needs and that is fine; but I do.

I may disagree with many things about religion; but in addition to being a controlling mechanism for governments it also meets psychological needs that cannot be ignored. These needs are related to the balance of elements in the human psyche and release of suppressed emotion. This connection is most obvious when we observe how devastating loss often leads to enhanced religious devotion. Prayer can allow the believer to release pent up emotions in a nondestructive way that is very healthy. If prayer no longer exists for the skeptic, then another equally healthy release mechanism must be found.

Therefore I wrote this article as a declaration of the morals, principles and beliefs I now hold, combined with techniques to deal with the psychological needs that are addressed by religion. Secular Humanistic Rationalism can address all the needs formerly met by religion without the incoherent dependency on an imaginary being. In fact, S. H. Rationalism can do far more for these needs than religion because it clearly identifies the problems instead of masking them as a war of spiritual forces.

I do not think that I am some great prophet or a psychological genius who will solve all the problems of humanity; but I do know that I found peace using these principles. Only time will tell if it works for others, or it will be totally ignored. It is my sincerest desire that you find this work uplifting and valuable in the spirit it was offered. As I have stated before, it is not my intent to exhort myself, but to aid other non-religious individuals who want the same solace that I have found. If one man, woman, boy or girl finds this material helpful then it has been worth it.

Go without God.