Humanist
Values| There
really is a lot of secular music in the world today. Radio and
television is full of it. And public schools have to be careful
that they stay away from religious music, or at least perform music
from a variety of religions. In my experience, those religious persons who believe in God or gods, believe that those of us who do not are left with a big hole in our lives. That is, the god belief is not replaced by anything else. And for those of us who have given up a gods or supernatural beliefs, we know that is not true, and that we have a set of values that replace those beliefs. Therefore, the music that I am trying to provide does not just avoid the mention of gods or other supernatural beings, but also points to a set of values that go by any number of names - humanist, naturalism, non-theist, etc. This is why this music has a place in organizations, meetings, etc. where these values are respected and followed. Among others, they include: Reason - If you have certain beliefs, they must be based on reason and not superstition. Education - Knowledge is forever changing. So education is a life-long endeavor, and requires an open mind for the new and different. Science - Science is not just the current view of the world, but is the best method of finding truth - beginning with skepticism and requiring continual testing. Compassion - A sense of empathy for all beings, not only humans, but all living things must be treated with respect and kindness. This comes before a religious set of rules. Nature - This is everything that is in the universe. It has arisen by itself, is self-running, and its values are not necessarily human values. But we must value it and treat it with respect. Progress - Humans have improved their existence. We need to learn the ways in which that has occurred in the past and continue the effort to improve life and the earth even more. If you have comments or questions, please drop me a line: les@musicfromriverside.com |