Transcript of Thought For the World's thought for the day

Stella Potter

28th February 2008

In Charles Darwin's Origin of Species" there is no dogma or doctrine, dos or don'ts, mysticism or holiness. It's an excellent example of a rational, evidenced, peer-supported and established piece of science. It's not a scripture denoting a way of living. As human beings, that's our job.
Human intelligence, ingenuity, tenderness and creativity are worldwide. We all need food, shelter, acceptance, and time to educate ourselves. We need to think, to love and be loved. Human experiences we share with all our planets citizens.
What we have in common is to me far more important than that which divides us.
None of us have a monopoly on understanding, loving, caring and compassion. Humanists try to live the one life we have well. Which for a start means treating all our fellow human beings with equal respect, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, colour, wealth, religion or any other wedge society may throw at us.
Our ceremonies include no preaching. We know humans walk different paths, and although we may disagree with the personal path some have taken, we must respect their individual choice to do so. Providing, of course, they aren't hurting anyone. And we hope for that respect in return. Sometimes people assert their path is the only one - then the power of those paths is clearly inequitable and must be addressed. I could wax lyrical on what I see as the inequities, inanities and irrationalities of some paths but I am confining today's thoughts to the more mundane, which we all share.
Individually we can show, by our very living, that our life stance is ethical, decent, and life affirming. Shared human values and experience is where we meet our communities. It is liberating to learn to take folk at face value - not with a label, but as they are.
Celebrants and Carers rightly talk much about the privilege of our work. We are engaged with serving our communities, entering people's lives and doing our best to make a difference. These are thoroughly decent ways of interacting with society.
As a Celebrant, sharing the perfect poem to welcome a new life, seeing the light in the wedding couples eyes when they say their own vows, and re-telling the story of the deceased are reflecting our essential humanity back to the families.
As a Carer, I am heart-warmed by my clients who trust me to respectfully and cheerfully assist with the personal minutiae of life. These endeavours are my Humanism in action.
In the exuberant package life can be, we do of course take pleasure in robust intellectual philosophical discussion. But living a just everyday life to its fairest, fullest and most joyous is the challenge for us all, whatever our beliefs.
Which is surely something we can all agree upon.

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