I. Rights of Reason.
As a means of developing and establishing Secular principles, and as
security that the principles of Nature and the habit of reason may
prevail, Secularism uses itself, and maintains for others, as rights of
reason:--
The Free Search for Truth, without which its full attainment is
impossible.
The Free Utterance of the result, without which the increase of Truth is
limited.
The Free Criticism of alleged Truth, without which its identity must
remain uncertain.
The Fair Action of Conviction thus attained, without which conscience
will be impotent on practice.
II. Standard of Appeal.
"Secularism accepts no authority but that of Nature, adopts no methods
but those of science and philosophy, and respects in practice no rule
but that of the conscience, illustrated by the common sense of mankind.
It values the lessons of the past, and looks to tradition as presenting
a storehouse of raw materials to thought, and in many cases results of
high wisdom for our reverence; but it utterly disowns tradition as a
ground of belief, whether miracles and supernaturalism be claimed or not
claimed on its side. No sacred scripture or ancient church can be made a
basis of belief, for the obvious reason that their claims always need
to be proved, and cannot without absurdity be assumed. The association
leaves to its individual members to yield whatever respect their own
good sense judges to be due to the opinions of great men, living or
dead, spoken or written, as also to the practice of ancient communities,
national or ecclesiastical. But it disowns all appeal to such
authorities as final tests of truth."*
* "Programme of Freethought Societies," by F. W.
Newman. (Reasoner, No. 388.)
III. Sphere of Controversy.
Since the principles of Secularism rest on grounds apart from Theism,
Atheism, or Chris-tianism, it is not logically necessary for Secularists
to debate the truth of these subjects. In controversy, Secularism
concerns itself with the assertion and maintenance of its own
affirmative propositions, combating only views of Theology and
Christianity so far as they interfere with, discourage, or disparage
Secular action, which may be done without digressing into the discussion
of the truth of Theism or divine origin of the Bible.
IV. Personal Controversy.
A Secularist will avoid indiscriminate disparagement of bodies or
antagonism of persons, and will place before himself simply the
instruction and service of an opponent, whose sincerity he will not
question, whose motives he will not impugn, always holding that a man
whom it is not worth while confuting courteously, is not worth while
confuting at all. Such disparagements as are included in the explicit
condemnation of erroneous principles are, we believe, all that
the public defence of opinion requires, and are the only kind of
disparagement a Secularist proposes to employ.
V. Justification of Controversy.
The universal fair and open discussion of opinion is the highest
guarantee of public truth--only that theory which is submitted to
that ordeal is to be regarded, since only that which endures it can be
trusted. Secularism encourages men to trust reason throughout, and to
trust nothing that reason does not establish--to examine all things
hopeful, respect all things probable, but rely upon nothing without
precaution which does not come within the range of science and
experience.