For those whose personal beliefs have no religious basis, believing instead in science and reason and a moral code based on progressive values.
After thousands of years of human history, religion has failed at solving any of the major problems humanity has faced over the centuries, and has little to offer for the series of serious problems we face today:
- An estimated 2 billion people live on less than $3 per day.
- More than half the world's population lacks access to essential healthcare services.
- More than a billion people:
- Don't have enough to eat on a daily basis.
- Lack access to clean water, basic sanitation facilities and electricity.
- Climate change poses a major threat to the health, well-being and happiness of hundreds of millions of people across the globe.
- The world economy has become extraordinarily unequal: The richest 1% own more wealth than the other 99% of the world's population combined.
The Secular Community believes that:
1. We are all members of just one race - the human race and we share one home - the planet Earth. We all have the same basic aspirations for life, liberty and happiness. We should not be separated by religion or discriminated against because of skin color, sexual orientation or other prejudices.
2. The universe is governed by one overarching set of laws, the laws of nature and science.
3. To lead a happy, productive, virtuous life does not require the belief in an invisible, all-powerful, supernatural being that is aware of our every thought and action and can intercede in our daily lives. On the contrary, within the bounds of natural laws, we are the masters of our own destinies and are responsible for the actions we take and their consequences. There is no supernatural being or force that will come to our rescue if we as individuals or as a human community fail to make the right choices. We are capable of establishing, on our own, an effective set of guidelines that allow each individual to seek happiness and live harmoniously with each other and with nature.
4. The human community, who must exist within the laws of nature and science, needs to respect and preserve the environment that nature has bestowed. Humanity must take urgent action to reverse the course of climate change that is already affecting the biosphere or threaten humanity's very existence and the future of all of the species populating our planet.
5. Every human being is entitled to a basic set of rights as follows:
- The right to life and liberty, liberty being the freedom to do that which injures neither another person nor the environment.
- The right to be happy.
- Being free from discrimination based on a person's race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religious or other personal beliefs, nationality or social origin.
- Not being held in slavery or servitude.
- Being able to live in a free and open society with the right to vote, free speech, a basic education and an environment free of harmful pollution.
- Have an opportunity for honest employment that provides, at a minimum, a sufficient income to cover basic needs for themselves and their families.
- Have access to quality, affordable healthcare.
6. A democratic, secular society provides the best opportunity for communities that are happy, prosperous and peaceful. A democracy is generally defined as rule by the majority, usually indirectly through a system of freeely elected representatives. As happiness is the most important aspect of the human condition, it is incumbent on government to provide an environment that is supportive of an individual's ability to seek and achieve happiness in their lives. Supporting Data
The essence of The Secular Community's beliefs is perhaps best expressed in a quote by the late Carl Sagan, world-renowned astronomer, from his book Pale Blue Dot:
Click here to listen to Dr. Sagan