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Maxims of Association · The Principles of Secularism

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  Chapter five of the Principles of Secularism by George Jacob Holyoke. This LibriVox recording
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  is in the public domain. Chapter five, Maxims of association. It is
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  the duty of every man to regulate his personal and family interests so as to
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  admit of some exertions for the improvement of society. It is only by serving
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  those beyond ourselves that we can secure for ourselves protection, sympathy, or honor.
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  The neglect of home for public affairs in dangerous philanthropy. By making it
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  the enemy of the household to suffer. On the other hand, the interests
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  of the family to degenerate into mere selfism is a dangerous example to rulers.
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  Two. No man or woman is accountable to others for any conduct by which
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  others are not injured or damaged. Footnote d in the Leader eighteen fifty,
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  who as a correspondent, first expressed this aphorism. Thus, and footnote three.
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  Social freedom consists in being subject to just rule and to none other.
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  Four. Service and endurance are the chief personal duties of man. Five.
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  Secularism holds it to be the duty of every man to reserve a portion of
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  his means and energies for the public service, and so to cultivate and cherish
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  his powers, mental and physical, as to have them ever ready to perform
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  service as efficient as possible to the well being of humanity. No weakness,
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  no passion, no wavering should be found among those who are battling for the
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  cause of human welfare, which such errors may fatally injure. Self control,
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  self culture, self seen sacrifice are all essential to those who would serve that
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  cause, and would not bring discredit upon their comrades in that service. Footnote
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  Mister L. H. Haldreth, Religion of duty and footnote six. To
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  promote, in good faith and good temper the immediate and material welfare of humanity
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  in accordance with the laws of nature is the study and duty of a secularist.
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  And this is the unity of principle which prevails amid whatever diversity of opinion
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  may subsist in a secular society, the bond of union being the common convictions
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  of the duty of advancing the secular good of this life, of the authority
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  of natural morality, and of the utility of material effort in the work of
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  human improvement. In other words, secularist union implies the concerted action of all
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  who believe it right to promote the secular goods of this life, to teach
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  morality founded upon the laws of nature, and to seek human improvement by material
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  methods, irrespective of any other opinions held, and irrespective of any diversity of
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  reason for holding these. End of Chapter five