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8.0.10 Natural, Rational Ritual Version 1.2 August 2014                                   (Previous Version) Are “religious” rituals meaningful if you are not
doing them in the sight of god? What rational purpose can “secular” rituals have? Aren’t the “invented” rituals of secular celebrants
often embarrassing or trite? There
are many occasions on which we need rituals to express how we feel, and it is
reasonable to develop, conduct and participate in reasonable rituals that
relate to the personal stages of life, to the cycles of life in general and to
use rituals to effect social interaction. Some of the rituals we follow are those of the philosopher, scientist and historian, of the lawyer, of the sceptic and rationalist. These involve looking for the evidence that supports a statement and analysing the reasoning behind it. Other rituals are those of democracy, acknowledging and supporting freedom of expression, representative government, natural justice, the rule of law, separation of powers, independent police and judiciary, and embracing diversity in a secular, pluralist, liberal society. It is reasonable to model our rituals, to some extent at least, on religious and national rituals and celebrations, because apparently fulfil a psychological need. Most traditional religions have a whole raft of holy days and rituals, but we need focus only on the big ones. We can also create new occasions and new styles to suit our new understanding of this way. 8.0.10 Ritual within this Reasonable Way It is reasonable for sane, rational, scientifically oriented people to look for rituals to mark occasions in our personal lives and natural cycles in the world, to participate in activities reflecting socially shared values, and undertake daily ritual activities that support our well being and our community. We can, and do, follow secular rituals that connect us to ourselves, our community and to the unity of life. ●        On a personal level these range from celebrations of birthdays and anniversaries, as well as regular personal practices such as meditation and communing with nature by bushwalking, surfing, gardening, farming, etc. ●        Many countries now have secular celebrants for personal milestones – birth, deaths and marriages. ●        On a community level, these include annual celebrations such as New Year, various national days and other commemorative days, the rituals of democracy the law and the military, the rituals in sport (uniforms, theme songs, attending matches, fair play, etc) and entertainment (awards nights and so on). ●        We need to claim all these beneficial secular celebrations as reflections of this reasonable global way.  more
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English (English)
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