A new faith

From Sustain

I believe only a new secular faith can inspire sufficient change to avert our oncoming crunch.

I believe the optimal means of designing this faith is through the mastery of meritocratic collaboration. Once a small number of philosophical axioms are accepted on faith, the inevitable trajectory of the connected knowledge age can deliver the ultimate unison of understanding and purpose. Together we can then address the task of crafting the ideal society.

Just how do I propose we do that?

I haven’t got the full road map.

I have a good inkling that a faith is the only vehicle that can transport us to the transformed society, the sustainable society. The instant reaction to the proposition of a new faith is sensitive hesitancy; a fear of heresy. It is a taboo subject, but there is no more powerful and enduring human construct in the long passage of history with the capacity to unify and enact behavioural change on the grand scale now required. On top of such practical reasoning, we are so depressingly remote from the sustainable society that one needs faith to retain any hope of salvation.

The goal I believe we should aspire to is the Maxim; the tool to get us there is one Source to gather the sum of our knowledge, culture and, at its core, our shared belief.

To begin on the path to this paragon, there needs to be an initial, interim step of core design to establish the faith. A team of brilliant, like-minded individuals from a selected cross-section of specialisms should be brought together to fashion

a) a first draft of the core belief; and

b) the mechanisms of meritocratic collaboration required for the continuous development of the faith.

Once the Maxim is accepted, I believe the practical ethics and policies of the sustainable society can be discerned. These can then be framed in the ultimate distillation of theological, scientific and poetic prose, creating a contemporary, dynamic scripture to inspire the perennial movement of humanity.

All benevolent means can then be utilised to ensure the congregation is universally inclusive, inviting everyone to join the quest to deliver the perfect earthly community.

The population is still largely in the thrall of religious movements designed in, and for, ancient times. We have to hope that we can summon the wherewithal today to complement these faiths with a secular companion, equipped to deal with today’s crises.

The faith we need is of a different hue to most strains of humanism. To truly unite, we need a secular, survival faith that is compatible with the supernatural faiths. To bridge the gap between faiths humility and tolerance must be at the forefront, in contrast to the strident scientific materialists that dominate the public face of humanism.

I have presented my view on what the impartial confederation of intellectuals, given the critical parameter of the Maxim, would determine regarding the state of our society. If the process were to succeed, they would surely not agree with many aspects of my version. The scope of what could broadly be agreed may fall far short of my aspirations. Even if agreement could only be found on a fraction of the intended breadth, any initial output would provide have worth in itself and provide a basis from which to ever build.

This exercise represents only a record of my idea. It is my personal take upon the world, its woes and potential strategies for improvement. It is absolutely not intended to be the basis of our shared faith, simply a call for its inception.

Here's the nub...

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