Steve Schlicht, Biloxi resident and founder of the Great Southern Humanist Society, had a great letter in the Sun Herald recently. His letter, "Thank goodness, America has a First Amendment, not a First Commandment," challenges the notion that secularism is the cause of moral and social decay in contemporary American society and corrects many common misconceptions. Since I am not sure how long it will be accessible on the newspaper's website, I am including the full letter below.
Here is Steve's letter:Thank goodness, America has a First Amendment, not a First Commandment
It is always interesting to read claims that secularism and relativism are the purported causes for societal decay and damaging independent, informed and critical thinking in our young citizens.
Most often this disparaging mischaracterization targets our public school system while offering the cure of religious absolutism and theocratic imposition by mandate to provide the quick fix.
Oddly enough, even a cursory look into the comparative study of world religions (both modern and those that have slipped back into myth) reveals all sorts of moral and ethical standards that are conflicting and relative to the claims of the religious follower.
From dietary dictate, to slavery and to the treatment of women, children and non-believers these rules seem to change over time and through differing "divine" sacred texts written by men.
Even the most popular religions around today have evolved, changing moral and ethical standards over time.
There are ancient codes, Old Testaments, New Testaments and newer and newer testaments depending upon the cultural fractions derived from protests within the main group and dependent upon charismatic leaders claiming to be the special conduits of divine knowledge.
Each group posits their particular view as "absolute truth" and the "one way," often quoting their own sacred texts/mythic heroes as proof of their own claims in a circuitous argument that is supposed to convince others.
The bottom line is that our secular government is special in that it has a First Amendment that protects the views of all people and not a First Commandment which seeks to impose one view on all others.
The important thing to realize is that we humans are responsible for our own actions and are culpable for the results.
STEVE SCHLICHT
Biloxi
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