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03 - Principles of Secularism Defined - The Principles of Secularism - George J Holyoake · The Philosophy Insights Collection

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  Chapter three. Principles of Secularism defined one. Secularism is the study of promoting
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  human welfare by material means, measuring human welfare by the utilitarian rule, and
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  making the service of others a duty of life. Secularism relates to the present
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  existence of man and to action, the issues of which can be tested by
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  the experience of this life, having for its objects the development of the physical,
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  moral, and intellectual nature of man to the highest perceivable point, as
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  the immediate duty of society, inculcating the practical sufficiency of natural morality apart from
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  atheism, theism, or Christianity, engaging its adherents in the promotion of human
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  improvement by material means, and making these agreements the ground of common unity for
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  all who would regulate life by reason and ennoble it by service. The secular
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  is sacred in its influence on life, for by purity of material conditions,
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  the loftiest natures are best sustained, and the lower the most surely elevated.
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  Secularism is a series of principles intended for the guidance of those who find theology
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  indefinite or inadequate, or deem it unreliable. It replaces theology, which mainly
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  regards life as a sinful necessity, as a scene of tribulation through which we
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  pass to a better world. Secularism rejoices in this life and regards it as
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  the sphere of those duties which educate men to fitness for any future and better
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  life should such transpire. Two. A secularist guides himself by maxims of positivism,
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  seeking to discern what is in nature, what all to be in morals,
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  selecting the affirmative in exposition, concerning himself with the real, the right,
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  and the constructive. Positive principles are principles which are provable. A positive
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  precept, says Bishop Butler, is a precept, the reason of which we
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  can see positivism is policy of material progress. Three. Science is the available
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  providence of life. The problem to be solved by a science of society is
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  to find that situation in which it shall be impossible for a man to be
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  depraved or poor mankind are saved by being served. Spiritual sympathy is a lesser
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  mercy than that forethought, which anticipates and extirpates the causes of suffering. Deliverance
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  from sorrow or injustice is before consolation. Doing well is higher than meaning well.
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  Work is worshiped to those who accept theism, and duty to those who
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  do not. Four. Sincerity, though not errorless, involves the least chance
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  of error, and is without moral guilt. Sincerity is well informed. Conscientious
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  conviction arrived at by intelligent examination, animating those who possess that conviction to carry
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  it into practice from a sense of duty. Virtue, in relation to opinion,
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  consists neither in conformity nor nonconformity, but in sincere beliefs and in living
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  up to them. Five Conscience is higher than consequence. Footnote vide mister Haldreth's
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  papers and footnote six. All pursuit of good objects with pure intent is religiousness
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  in the best sense in which this term appears to be used. A good
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  object is an object consistent with truth, honor, justice, love. A
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  pure intent is the intent of serving humanity. Immediate service of humanity is not
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  intended to mean instant gratification, but immediate in contradistinction to the interest of another
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  life. The distinctive peculiarity of the secularist is that he seeks that good which
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  is dictated by nature, which is attainable by material means and which is of
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  immediate service to humanity. A religiousness to which the idea of God is not
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  essential, nor the denial of the idea necessary. Nearly all inferior natures are
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  susceptible of moral and physical improvability. This improvability can be indefinitely secured by supplying
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  proper material conditions. These conditions may one day be supplied by a system of
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  wise and fraternal cooperation, which primarily entrenches itself in common prudence, which enacts
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  service according to industrial capacity and distributes wealth according to rational needs. Secular principles
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  involve for mankind a future where there shall exist unity of condition, with infinite
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  diversity of intellect, where the subsistence of ignorance and selfishness shall leave men equal
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  and universal purity enable all things noble society, the treasures of art, and
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  the riches of the world to be had in common. Eight. Since it
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  is not capable of demonstration whether the inequalities of human condition will be compensated for
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  in another life, it is the business of intelligence to rectify them in this
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  world. The speculative worship of superior beings who cannot need it seems a lesser
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  duty than the patient's service of known inferior natures and the mitigation of harsh destiny,
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  so that the ignorant may be enlightened. And the low elevated end of Chapter three