Remembrance Without Religion

By Anonymous -
I've been thinking, along with the
daylight atheist what would replace religion if atheists ever manage to get rid of it? These thoughts came to me after watching (on television) the remembrance day ceremonies at the cenotaph this morning and in the Albert Hall yesterday evening. It occurred to me that these ceremonies are essentially secular. It is only when the bishops come out to say their little piece, and in the wording of some of the hymns and verses, that the supernatural or theological comes into the picture.

The remembrance day ceremonies essentially provide encouragement for people whose lives are bound up in service to the state, as represented by the monarchy, or to society. That is service to all of us in providing protection, safety, security so that we can carry on our peaceful secular activities. The ceremonies provide assurance that lives lost in this dangerous work are appreciated by society as a whole, and also that the authorities deserve continued service.

It seems to me that very little value would be lost from these ceremonies if the religious aspects were removed. We are adult enough to know that the dead live on only in our remembrance, and don't need fairytales of an afterlife in a heaven.

Comments

  1. Randal Leavitt13 November 2006 at 05:20:00 GMT

    And it would be helpful to have the mothers of the suicide bombers lined up with the mothers of the invaders so we could generally lament useless death.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous14 November 2006 at 12:55:00 GMT

    Here is a piece about remembrance from P. John Langford of Cornwall Humanists:

    http://www.cornwallhumanists.org.uk/myhumremember.htm

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous14 November 2006 at 12:58:00 GMT

    .htm has gone missing. Try again: click here.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ann Atkins at it again

By Anonymous -
Below is an email our member Frank Friedmann sent to the BBC, concerning Ann Atkins' latest "Thought for the Day", and their response. ====== -- To BBC -- Dear Sir, Ann Atkins used the programme on 9 May 2006 today to launch an attack on Rationalists. That she can do so shows up the lack of natural justice in the policy of denying atheists access to the programme - they can be collectively slandered and misrepresented but have no right of reply. I notice that speakers on the programme do not use it as a platform from which to condemn the adherents of other religions - I don’t know if this is out of respect or because they are constrained by editorial rules, but it does emphasise the injustice in the censorship of atheism. Were you to change the policy, might I put forward my wife, Eleanor Davidson, as a candidate? She has just become the country’s first Humanist member of a hospital chaplaincy team (See First Person article in Leicester Mercury 29 April 2006). [See also
Read more

Hindu Council UK objects to talk on "Hinduism: A Wretched, Immoral Compass"

By -
Image
The Society hosted a talk on the caste system on 3rd December 2023. Before the talk on 19th November the Secretary of the Society received the following email - We write to express our deep concern and offense regarding the title of an event scheduled to take place at your venue, titled "Hinduism: Wretched Immoral Compass." It has come to our attention that such a choice of words is not only derogatory but also appears to be anti-Hinduism.   Hinduism, a faith with a rich history spanning thousands of years and followed by over one billion people worldwide, deserves respect and understanding. Using such inflammatory language seems designed to appeal and incite hatred towards Hindus, who are one of the largest and most peaceful communities globally. As a secular society, we believe it is your responsibility to avoid language that may be offensive or disrespectful towards any faith.   We urge you to consider the implications of this event title and whether it aligns with t
Read more

Statement about recent violent incidents in the City.

By -
Leicester Secular Society condemns the recent violence promoted by religious extremists. We condemn those of any religion who seek to divide society, advocate for the domination of their religion and use violence against those with different beliefs. We believe that a truly secular city and county is the only way to guarantee equality to the many different religions and communities we have. We believe that the continued existence and further creation of faith schools in Leicester can only drive communities apart and encourage the growth of intolerance. We do not want to see any more segregation in Leicester. Belfast demonstrates the danger of a failure to promote inter community friendships. We don't ever want to see "peace walls" appearing in our city. Since 1851, the Leicester Secular Society has opposed religious discrimination and stands for an inclusive and plural society.
Read more