1. We can
immortalise and eternalise ourselves by the excellence of the effortful work we do and
the example we set.
2. We should
pursue a free and responsible search for truth in order to know and we find
meaning in life. We are invited to ask about each idea, "Is it reasonable and responsible? Does it make sense in terms of what is currently now known?" This is not to
suggest that we do not also learn and gain insights from intuition, hunches, flashes
of inspiration, even emotion or unexplainable experiences. It’s only that when
making important decisions that will affect others and ourselves it befits us
to test our perceptions against reality. (NB. The individual elements examined:
freedom - nothing ties us to any particular belief
or idea until we have discovered it ourselves; responsible - the duty to use sound reason, the results of science
or credible research, compassion and intellectual discipline to find answers
about life; search - the ongoing
quest for that which defines us, individually and collectively, the way to live
and to be; the quest for truth -
that which speaks to us with the force of reliable facts and reality; and meaning - that which gives us the sense
of virtuous purpose and worthy position in life.)
3. We should
gain insight about life from many lives, cultures and teachings for
nothing is forever fixed, nothing is precast, and human possibilities are at once unlimited and infinite.
4. We have the
power within ourselves to realise the best we are capable of as human beings.
We should therefore find the better self and try to become the best person we
can be.
5. We should
value many deep expressions of the power of human
imagination and novelty by appreciating creative arts and performances, e.g. dance
and music, drama and theatre, poetry and literature, sculptor, etc. We should
realise that creativity is best nurtured in a climate of freedom where
innovation is esteemed. This will encourage us to explore and express our own
aesthetic and sensual side and to open our hearts and minds to the fullness of
life in all its aspects.
6. We are
responsible for what we do and what we can become. “Humanity will learn to face the crises of life in terms of its
knowledge of their naturalness and probability. Reasonable and humanly
attitudes will be fostered by education and supported by custom.” We should
therefore need to emphasize human capabilities, i.e., the capacity to reason;
adopt the scientific method to search for truth; and promote the right of all
humans to develop their fullest potential.
7. We are
inter-dependent as human beings and there is an intricate connection of all humanity
of which we are a part. We should therefore celebrate and show our affirmation
of life in this world by working for the betterment of fellow human beings and
nature.
8. We should
nurture the feeling that we have the potential and freedom to experience and
enjoy life and explore ideas. We should seek “the way to determine the existence and value of any and all realities
is by means of intelligent inquiry” and that “experiences instead of beliefs, must assist in the
formulation of hopes and plans in the light of the scientific disposition and
method.”
9. We should
encourage ourselves to use our minds, to question even the seemingly obvious
and to trust and even interrogate our very own instincts, judgements and
experiences.
10. We should
honour reason and encourage integrity. By ourselves, we should think for ourselves,
to explore, challenge, and doubt; to approach the important questions of life
with an openness to new ideas and different perspectives; and then to test
these ideas against reality, filter new knowledge through our own active mind,
and believe according to the evidence.
11. We are
connected to the world, the pulsating rhythms of the cosmos and everything
therein. This means our well-being and our very existence is based on our sense
of wider relatedness with all the people and the universe. This requires us to
work for a sound environment and a humane civilization.
Derived from "The Faith of a Humanist" (1996) and “Reasonable Religion” (2004) by Sarah Oelberg
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