The idea of having your own moral code without the religious base is hard to get my head around. I know I rejected religion but I still believed in morals and ethics as a young man. I didn't like killing or thieving or other sins outlined in the bible, and I was grounded in the principle of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The so called golden rule, which just seemed self evident. I kinda did what Casey suggested and developed my own moral code, but it wasn't static and kept changing as I learned. I made mistakes when ego or fear got in the way of becoming a better person. Uncertainty was rampant and I was quite withdrawn actually at one point, rebellious and cynical as I'm sure many youngsters are today.
My journey was unique and it shaped me with every tragedy, hardship, and disappointment. At the core of my moral code, of my being, was a determination, to not give up. I'm not sure where it came from exactly but I remember being so low at times and just feeling so so alone. I just wanted to give up... but the feeling passed and I became able to resist it better.
I didn't believe in God then but I do now. Maybe not the biblical God as such, but something I would call the Creator. I can't explain how the incredibly complex web of life exists otherwise. And I feel something like awe when I start to see how it all fits together. It grounds me and helps me make good choices. I never thought I would be saying this, but I do believe there's something more, yes, a higher power.
I didn't really answer your question about developing your own moral code without a higher power but from my perspective the most important thing is don't give up, keep an open mind and align your purpose with Nature + God.
Your post brought up a lot for me, Susan. I'm pretty agnostic, and worked at an Ashram (https://www.yasodhara.org/) pre-Covid where the idea was to explore the feminine aspect of the divine.
It bothered me that the conversation was so much about male virtues. I would have rather seen something about virtues for both men and women.
And not being religious myself (although, oddly, according to Meyers-Briggs one of the things I should consider as an occupation is a priest), I don't follow scripture to determine my values. I do, however, seek guidance from a greater power, and I feel that that power is something I connect with, and my conscience is usually a pretty good guide.
Your article also brought to mind an essay I read many years ago comparing imminence to transcendence from Starhawk, a wiccan writer. It was about tuning into the earth and our surroundings instead of trying to transcend them. At the time, that made a lot of sense to me. Here's an article about this I found: https://politicalphilosophyofecofeminism.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/starhawk/
I just read your comment below and agree that virtues and morality could not be more important now, and that we have to build trust, shared responsibility and visibility for the morality we uphold.
Eventually, after exploring all other options, mankind realizes that the truth of our battles over good and evil lies in the spiritual realm. This is where it started and this is where we will find the remedy. The battle rages and the solution is available to all who ask.
I think Good and Evil is in the material as well as the spiritual plain… as you say Martin, that is where the solutions are available.
I have been listening to a Caroline Myss audio book and on Good and Evil, its changing my views from evil being something out there to something we can all be complicit in…from our thoughts and actions to saying something like …there is nothing I can do about it…
When reading this, I keep thinking of "Universally Preferable Behaviour: A Rational Proof of Secular Ethics" by Stefan Molyneux. The question is...is it better to will the good than know the truth? But I think Ayn Rand put it best.. “Men who reject the responsibility of thought and reason can only exist as parasites on the thinking of others.”
The idea of having your own moral code without the religious base is hard to get my head around. I know I rejected religion but I still believed in morals and ethics as a young man. I didn't like killing or thieving or other sins outlined in the bible, and I was grounded in the principle of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The so called golden rule, which just seemed self evident. I kinda did what Casey suggested and developed my own moral code, but it wasn't static and kept changing as I learned. I made mistakes when ego or fear got in the way of becoming a better person. Uncertainty was rampant and I was quite withdrawn actually at one point, rebellious and cynical as I'm sure many youngsters are today.
My journey was unique and it shaped me with every tragedy, hardship, and disappointment. At the core of my moral code, of my being, was a determination, to not give up. I'm not sure where it came from exactly but I remember being so low at times and just feeling so so alone. I just wanted to give up... but the feeling passed and I became able to resist it better.
I didn't believe in God then but I do now. Maybe not the biblical God as such, but something I would call the Creator. I can't explain how the incredibly complex web of life exists otherwise. And I feel something like awe when I start to see how it all fits together. It grounds me and helps me make good choices. I never thought I would be saying this, but I do believe there's something more, yes, a higher power.
I didn't really answer your question about developing your own moral code without a higher power but from my perspective the most important thing is don't give up, keep an open mind and align your purpose with Nature + God.
Your post brought up a lot for me, Susan. I'm pretty agnostic, and worked at an Ashram (https://www.yasodhara.org/) pre-Covid where the idea was to explore the feminine aspect of the divine.
It bothered me that the conversation was so much about male virtues. I would have rather seen something about virtues for both men and women.
And not being religious myself (although, oddly, according to Meyers-Briggs one of the things I should consider as an occupation is a priest), I don't follow scripture to determine my values. I do, however, seek guidance from a greater power, and I feel that that power is something I connect with, and my conscience is usually a pretty good guide.
Your article also brought to mind an essay I read many years ago comparing imminence to transcendence from Starhawk, a wiccan writer. It was about tuning into the earth and our surroundings instead of trying to transcend them. At the time, that made a lot of sense to me. Here's an article about this I found: https://politicalphilosophyofecofeminism.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/starhawk/
I just read your comment below and agree that virtues and morality could not be more important now, and that we have to build trust, shared responsibility and visibility for the morality we uphold.
Thanks for this important piece of writing.
You are raising some very thought provoking questions …Virtues and Morality individually and in the collective, could not be more important now .
To me the Divine and transcendence are paramount to how I live my life and deepen my connection in service to life.
Individual codes are necessary and so are collective codes built on trust, shared responsibility and visibility.
Yes, they have to work together. We need both. Now, more than ever.
Eventually, after exploring all other options, mankind realizes that the truth of our battles over good and evil lies in the spiritual realm. This is where it started and this is where we will find the remedy. The battle rages and the solution is available to all who ask.
I think Good and Evil is in the material as well as the spiritual plain… as you say Martin, that is where the solutions are available.
I have been listening to a Caroline Myss audio book and on Good and Evil, its changing my views from evil being something out there to something we can all be complicit in…from our thoughts and actions to saying something like …there is nothing I can do about it…
When reading this, I keep thinking of "Universally Preferable Behaviour: A Rational Proof of Secular Ethics" by Stefan Molyneux. The question is...is it better to will the good than know the truth? But I think Ayn Rand put it best.. “Men who reject the responsibility of thought and reason can only exist as parasites on the thinking of others.”
Great quote from Ayn Rand I am not familiar with the book you mention, sounds interesting .
It is a free download here. https://freedomain.com/freedomain_books/universally-preferable-behaviour-a-rational-proof-of-secular-ethics/
Thank you, i am going to investigate further, much appreciated 🙏🏻