8.0.12.3 Defending and Promoting this Way

Version 1.6 December 2016                                         (Previous Version)

There is an ongoing need to defend our core values against opposing forces.

As indicated in Part 7, political action at national and global levels, and participation in non-government organisations (such as Amnesty International) address this,  Defending this way can be accomplished by supporting appropriate human rights legislation, such as, for instance, freedom of expression, and supporting enforcement of the law by police.

The previous sections in Part 8 also cover the actions we can take:

●  exploring the consequences of adopting this Way, as per 8.0.0;

●  debating the structure, content and phrasing of these beliefs and values, as per 8.0.1;

●  exploring alternative conclusions, to modify our own or incorporate them, as per 8.0.2;

●  observe and publicise the convergence of beliefs and values, as per 8.0.3;

●  promote natural, rational hope and the humanity of humans, as per 8.0.4;

●  provide and promote natural, rational community service, as per 8.0.5;

●  adopt and promote the reasonable personal responses to global crises, as per 8.0.6;

●  promote the reasonable political responses to global crises, as per 8.0.7;

●  promote an improved understanding of the nature of religion, as per 8.0.8;

●  support the secular sacred links to significant events and places, as per 8.0.9;

●  emphasise that many secular rituals are fulfilling and link us to sacred time, as per 8.0.10

●  conduct our own meetings and contribute to ceremonies in the wider world as per 8.0.11;

Defending these values may also involve properly authorised military action, such as, perhaps, the United Nations sanctioned defence of Kuwait in 1990, after it was invaded by Iraq, and NATO’s defence of the Muslims in Kosovo in 1999 against Serbia.  But violence must be a last resort.