Secular values, how would you summarise them?

[Theophilus]

If you could write write down key values for a totally secular society, what would you write and why?

I'm interested in both the overlap and distinction from my personal Christian values (I won't pretend I can speak for the Christian community as a whole).

[Rum]

I don't pretend to speak for anyone other than myself either.

I don't believe in a god. I know lots of people believe in different gods and this causes all sorts of conflict. My rule #1 therefore is that religion should not be a part of governance.

I believe, based on sound evidence, that morality has an evolutionary function and that it is within not only my interests but the interests of my family, community and to some extent the state to act in what would be considered a moral way, in terms of my behaviour towards other people.

The rest comes from the above. My sense of right and wrong, if you leave the devotion to god stuff out, is probably very similar to yours.

[Animavore]

I can tell you my values in one sentence: People should be allowed do as they wish as long as what they're doing isn't harmful to others (notice I don't care if people harm themselves unless in cases where they have lost all or some of their faculties).

[floppit]

If you could write write down key values for a totally secular society, what would you write and why?

I'm interested in both the overlap and distinction from my personal Christian values (I won't pretend I can speak for the Christian community as a whole).

I don't know if this is what you're looking for but I tend towards ethics rather than morals and I'm not sure where values fits in that. It might sound very semantic but it isn't, well at least it isn't for me. Morals were something I was taught as a child, they were a given, rules, dictates, written, solid, decided. Ethics is something I've learned as an adult, in places I've been taught but in an active way (reading books, listening to others), mostly though it's required me to think and to rationalise, to think about concepts like harm, choice, and culpability and most importantly to hear these issues discussed - debated.

So my values surround an ongoing effort and investment in applying reason to ethical principles and to think about what I sign up to and agree to, it makes me a plodding pedantic sod at times but I honestly think there are few shortcuts.

There are some issues that I deal with on a day to day basis:
The distinction between attachment and compassion.
To work to avoid harm.
Respect for choices.
And one that I never achieve but work hard to also not forget - the stranger is worth as much as my closest loved ones, there is no rational extra worth to the people I might have met or favoured.

[MrFungus420]

I can tell you my values in one sentence: People should be allowed do as they wish as long as what they're doing isn't harmful to others (notice I don't care if people harm themselves unless in cases where they have lost all or some of their faculties).

Basically, this.

I do like the way the Wiccan Rede says it:

"Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill,
'An it harm none, do what ye will'."

[FBM]

Deleted. I was being facetious.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Secular values = human values. By that I mean, everyone has their own. Of course, our common genetic heritage, shared cultural experiences and ability to share our opinions with other members of our species, means that there is far more similarity than one might presume.

In fact, I would go as far as saying that (if we take away the bits about sabbath days, worshipping, deity exclusivity, etc.) secular values are very similar to religious values on a lot of points. Both are, after all, wholly man-made.

[virphen]

Secular values = keep your religion, and everyone else's out of public policy.

That's it.

[The Dawktor]

The values that have probably allowed mankind to co-habit for the thousands of years before some opportunistic fecker came up with the awful idea of praying on man's pattern-seeking brain software by inventing the bullshit that is religion to 'explain' things.

Reciprocal altruism in other words!

[Trolldor]

Secular Values - Not relying on a bronze age mythology full of bigotry and hatred for moral guidance.

That way, if you fuck up the only one to blame is yourself, none of that bullshit "god's word" that Sparked such wonderful ideas as the 100 year war.

[Theophilus]

Thanks for comments so far.

The two themes so far seem to be (1) keep religion out of society-at-large, and (2) liberty (limited at the point of hurting others).

One notable absence seems to be something that was at the very core of the secular regimes of Russia and China, and that is a communal responsibility to each other (it was there in principle in Russia and China even if it became distorted and corrupted in practice). Has Marx's slogan of "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" now been lost from the atheist/secular ideal?

(I'll confess to a bias, that I've always liked the the principles of Marxism, but I think it unworkable in practice).

Theo (the closet Christian Commie)

[virphen]

When was marxism ever equated to secularism? They go together like rabbits and ocean breezes.

[Trolldor]

Thanks for comments so far.

The two themes so far seem to be (1) keep religion out of society-at-large, and (2) liberty (limited at the point of hurting others).

One notable absence seems to be something that was at the very core of the secular regimes of Russia and China, and that is a communal responsibility to each other (it was there in principle in Russia and China even if it became distorted and corrupted in practice). Has Marx's slogan of "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" now been lost from the atheist/secular ideal?

(I'll confess to a bias, that I've always liked the the principles of Marxism, but I think it unworkable in practice).

Theo (the closet Christian Commie)

They were not secular regimes. They were Socialst/Communist regimes.

[Theophilus]

Of course Marxism was a secular politic, and Russia/China secular regimes. They were based on entirely non-religious grounds, and went as far as rejecting any role of religion in government (and progressively suppressed religion in society-at-large). They are the very epitome of secularism.

[Trolldor]

That's like Saying Capitalism is a Theocratic regime because America invokes God.