Cappy

Here are a couple of Codes that you may like.

1. Maintain and project an ethical outlook in every aspect of one's life.
2. Accept responsibility for one's own actions. You did it, you reap the consequences (good or bad). Accepting responsibility is an important sign of maturity.
3. Treat others better than you would have them treat you. In other words, there is nothing wrong with being nicer than the other guy. And it's not to be done simple because you know the secret that nice guys actually finish first. Make someone happy for no reason at all.
4. Aspire to gain knowledge in every field available to you. Seek further education as a way of life. Seek and encourage continuous self-actualization.
5. Set objectives for yourself a little higher than what you think you can do. You may not achieve them, but you'll get farther than you would if you set your goals too low.
6. Reward those who have positively influenced you in life. Remember the teacher you loved way back when. Did you ever tell them? What about your parents?
7. Seek, demonstrate and encourage civility. The world is getting crowded. Stress is increased. It's tough to be a 21st Century Schizoid Man (person). Seek to understand others and the reasons behind your differences. Be a coach, not a dictator. Do not send Spam (unless it's Hormel). Do not make unsolicited telemarketing calls.
8. Make practical use of your knowledge. Having a degree in something is nice, but how well you put it to use is more important. Contribute to your fellow man (person) and yourself.
9. Spend quality time with those closest to you. While your other goals and attainment and use of knowledge are important, so too is your family and close friends. Have a beer with them. Call it "Beer to Beer Communication."
10. Treat others, their privacy, and their property with respect. Others includes our environment and the creatures within.

In case you are wondering....how do some of the commandments from Moses fit in. Well, "Thou shalt not kill or Steal" are covered under #1 & #3. "Thou Shalt Honor Thy Mother & Father" are covered under #3 & #6.

Finally, here is an additional well thought out set of "Ethical Principals" by another couple of Atheists submitted by Jeanne from Maryland - OakShelter@aol.com.
Again, what you see far surpasses the Moses set in rationality and value to all.

Ten Ethical Principals
1. The most treasured thing on our planet is HUMAN LIFE and the realization ofeach individual's potential to be fulfilled through life's experiences.
2. If we honestly seek truth, and honor fact to better society, we can achievepeace and well being for humankind.
3. Humankind's best means of gaining satisfaction and fulfillment in life is by following scientific methods for health and safety, and by exercising the freedom to pursue love and individual purpose.
4. Self discipline is the foundation of society, and the higher meaning of life is to take a responsible role in history, seeking to make our Earth a better place for all to live, socially and environmentally.
5. Self honesty is a valuable quality every human being must seek to realize and improve upon.
6. Factual reality is grounded in materialism which can be known and verified. Informed decision should guide one's course of action rather than religion or tradition
7. Responsible parenting is vital to continuing human life in the universe and for rearing the next generation. It is imperative that adults take seriously the responsibility to encourage children to always seek knowledge and to discern the difference between fact and fiction, truth and tradition. Family life should be based on mutual respect and love for one another, thus will the next generation be taught respect for themselves and for their fellow citizens.
8. Consider the needs of others. Reason and compassion require that we respectthe rights, property, and relationships of others, and their pursuit of personal fulfillment.
9. Government must be fair and insure the freedom of the individual, protect life, seek truth and justice, allow dissent, insure peace, and foster good health. Government must protect the rights of all people and ensure that poverty does not diminish those rights.
10. America's citizens must exercise the right to promote and elect their government's representatives and demand the freedom of information and expression. Our representatives must affirm the purpose and importance of Constitutionally protected law and our children must be taught these principles as future participants in our government.
Printable version.
So, in case you are looking for a set of ethics or live-by anthems for yourself or your kids, these "Atheist-authored" lists are a good way to counter the Christian claim that we do not have morals. It's hard for anyone sitting on the fence to say that the Christian 10 commandments are better than ours.

RogerLeeCooke

Actually I *don't* see Christians ultimately winning the soul of America, and they've already essentially lost all of Europe, Latin America, and the former British colonies. As more and more Americans travel and see how provincial and limiting their inherited beliefs are, those beliefs will lose their edge. Take heart, the *majority* of Germans in a recent poll said they didn't believe in a god. A great deal of the recent resurgence of Christian fundamentalism, which peaked some time ago, was generated by the end-time people, whose message has gotten tiresome even to the True Believers. It becomes clearer every day that the "Kings of the East" (Chinese) are not going to send a 200-million-man army across a "land bridge" into Palestine, and Russia is not going to invade the Middle East.

But let me play my own cards as a prophet. I predict Jack Van Impe will prominently feature Putin's overtures of mutual assistance to Iraq on his show this week, as proof that such an invasion is imminent. Van Impe is either so far gone in his delusions that he has forgotten how many times he's been wrong, or else he is a complete cynic who doesn't care, as long as the money keeps rolling in for another year or so, until he retires on a comfortable pension.

Buffman

cappy

Great stuff! Thank you. Just the kind of thing I was hoping more folks would think about and contribute. The challenge, as I currently see it, is finding the common denominators and then synthesizing them down into as short and as powerful a group of statements as possible...which "ain't" easy, but that I believe is absolutely necessary in today's 30 second sound bite culture. Things like "Don't lie, steal, cheat or kill," carry power because we can remember each of them even if not their numerical order. We remember them because each word is a symbol representing a novel filled with personal experiences or individual knowledge.

Thank you for both lists. They were a joy to read.

Buffman

R.L.C.

Always a pleasure to read your posts.

But let me play my own cards as a prophet. I predict Jack Van Impe will prominently feature Putin's overtures of mutual assistance to Iraq on his show this week, as proof that such an invasion is imminent. Van Impe is either so far gone in his delusions that he has forgotten how many times he's been wrong, or else he is a complete cynic who doesn't care, as long as the money keeps rolling in for another year or so, until he retires on a comfortable pension.

I bet the folks in the Political Forum would have a ball with this prophesy. The current regime in Iraq simply owes Russia (the old USSR) too much money for Putin to sit quietly by as Bush decides who will be the next "Emperor"... unless he can politically twist Bush's arm into getting America to cover the potential financial losses. Putin must improve economic conditions within his own country if he expects to remain in power. The jump in oil prices came just in time for him to weather some brewing troubles; but it is only a respite.

We have always produced people like Van Impe. Normally they run for, and get elected to, Congress. Just look how many like him ran for President last time.

I would certainly look forward to reading any neighborly (I'm originally from Maine) thoughts you might wish to contribute about how best to counter the fundamentalist propaganda campaign.

ybnormal

Most folks, even an old grouch like myself, should not have a problem with anyone having a desire to promote all freethinkers as having ethical values... I fully understand where ya'll are coming from there, as it is much needed and could serve a useful purpose regarding the no-god=no-morals argument...

However, someone should point out, that any organized attempt by Atheists to lay out ways of conducting one's life, could by default, soften, if not remove, the seemingly important argument that Atheists have no worldview... you did say, "all freethinkers"...

I can't see how such a Code, at least against its participants, would not enforce xian claims that Atheism is a competing belief system...

It's one of those, hell-if-you-do, hell-if-you-don't situations...

It is not what some well-meaning freethinkers are actually saying and/or doing, but rather how it will be converted into PR ammunition by the same xian word magicians, who came up with the bright idea to convert the word "abortion" into the word "murder".

It matters not, what the actual intent or wording is... Any Code would certainly be converted into a list of "Beliefs"... A "Belief System"... I don't see how this would be avoided...

Someone feel free to deny that this Code of Conduct could not soon be better known to 80% of Americans as the Atheist's Ten Commandments or the Atheist's Worldview, and their so-called proof, that Atheism, like Homosexuality, is a "Movement" that must be crushed at all costs... These folks are the media word-masters... I can see it...

"Send a donation now and help Jesus turn back Satan's new campaign, the Atheist Religion Movement (ARM), which intends to recruit and convert millions of our children into Godless Atheism where they will certainly burn in hell. Won't you please help Jesus? Do your part now, to break the ARM of Satan before it snatches your child away from Jesus. Donations of $50 or more will receive free of charge, this gold-colored lapel pen, "Break Satan's ARM" - Donations of $100 or more will receive free of charge, the video, "Satan's ARM Around Your Child". Hurry while supplies last."

I ain't saying I'm against it- just pointing out how it will probably be converted into a negative force. That's all...

I mean, our insiders here, transferred the topic, "Atheist Code of Conduct?" into the "Misc. Religious Discussions" forum, where even they decided it belonged...

CaptainDave

I read somewhere that many inventions/inovations came about by accident. If we manage to put together a universally accepted code of behavior for atheists, it will have it's origins in an accident.

I meant this thread to be a discussion of how individuals can best conduct themselves when promoting separation of church and state. I looking for a political strategy - not a moral code. It was misinterpreted and even moved to another forum. I would have abandoned it were it not for Buffman's enthusiasm. He's re-made this into something pretty cool.

If we are to have our own code, a replacement for the 10C, it must:

1. Be as general and simple as possible

2. Be more relevant than the 10C to people's lives

3. Be impossible to argue with on a moral basis.

Here's mine. (I don't take any credit for originality here!)

1. Respect and cherish every individual's rights of life and liberty - except when they seek to deprive others of the same.

2. Always accept full responsibility for your words and actions...or silence and inaction.

3. Conduct yourself with integrity.

4. Always be guided by objective, rational thought. Do not be blinded by passion.

5. Never put your passions over your principles.

6. Promote and practice kindness and compassion where ever and when ever possible.

7. Improve yourself and society as best you can.

This more than covers the 10C (minus the irrelevant first four). It covers most of the suggestions of Buffman and Cappy (leaving out the political stuff) and is pretty hard to argue with on a moral basis.

Stephen T-B

CaptainDave - an excellent distillation. If the Christians termed it a "creed for subversives", they'd have a jod explaining why it' is to be deplored.
(But you can be sure the'd have a go.)

Buffman

CaptainDave

Terrific advice and list. Now let's see if it can be tightened even further without losing anything. Perhaps we need a title/header first in order to make it internally consistent and avoid any claim of it being a list of commandments. I tried using the following title to see what changes might be required.

"The Seven Pillars of Purpose and Peace"

(Supported by the ******[enter the name of whichever organization reprints and posts the list].

1. Respecting and cherishing every individual's right to life and liberty - except when they seek to deprive others of the same.

2. Accepting full responsibility for one's words and actions...or silence and inaction.

3. Conducting oneself with integrity.

4. Being guided by fact over fiction.

5. Placing principles before passions.

6. Promoting and practicing kindness and compassion where ever and when ever possible.

7. Improving oneself and society within the means available.

Hmmmmm? Nope! I think I weakened it by attempting to make it more universal. I keep hoping to find a combination that will appeal to the largest possible group regardless of their religious or non-religious beliefs. Something that would make any reader say, "Yes! That's what I truly believe. Those are exactly the pillars upon which everyone should build their lives. They are positive and constructive rather than negative and divisive.

Just look how this whole concept was initially panned by a goodly number of the folks in these forums when they thought that it would be a set of "Commandments" for atheists. That's an obvious loser from the "get-go."

I know that I, for one, saw this concept as a means to counter the public posting of the 2,000 year old 10 Commandments. Perhaps it could even offer an opportunity to clearly expose the 10 Commandments for the overtly religious propaganda they really are to those who have never seriously considered why they have supported the posting in the past. Something more effective than simply telling people to T-H-I-N-K. Something that would actually cause them to process information with a critical reasoning mind...rather than blindly follow a list ordering them to do or not do things like a bunch of mindless slaves.

Back to the drawing board for me... with many thanks to those who have contributed their views. I still believe that we need to mount a campaign of accurate, positive, psychological, readjustment to counter all the radical religious right propaganda drowning us in 2,000+ year old superstitions and myths.

GaryP

Buffman and Captain Dave--

You are thinking of great things to add to the list. It's enjoyable watching your ideas flow.

I just wanted to remark that your lists remind me a lot of the "LifeSkills" we use at my elementary school.

We give kids coupons which can be redeemed for little awards. They get the coupons for folowing one of the Life skills, i. e., honesty, integrity, responsibility, initiative, curiosity, perseverence, friendship, compassion, cooperation,
trustworthiness, and I'm drawing a blank but there are a couple more.

I think a lot of schools are doing this type of thing. Possibly from pressure from fundamentalists who claim schools are going to pot.

But the result seems to be a better school atmosphere. We have done it for 3 years now and none of the teachers want to quit.

Your lists could have much greater impact than the 10C's. ALL can relate to the virtues you are listing or should be able too at least.

And how could I give a coupon to a kid for not coveting his neighbor's ass?

[ August 19, 2002: Message edited by: GaryP ]</p>

CaptainDave

GaryP wrote,

GaryP, that is priceless! <img src="graemlins/notworthy.gif" border="0" alt="[Not Worthy]" /> I'm just now settling down from my fit of laughter so that I might intelligently reply. Thank's for the kind words.

Buffman, I think we're on to something!

I disagree. You cleaned up the wording nicely. I might have issue with your title and your re-wording of item number four but I think you advanced it overall. It's not perfect (that's impossible) but it kicks the 10C's ass. Isn't that what's important?

This list can be tweaked further. But as it stands, it covers more moral ground than the 10Cs, it has far fewer (if any) weaknesses and it is far more relevant to a modern person's life.

And it was composed by a handfull of very (at least in my case) fallible humans! Imagine that! I think we're ready for prime time!

[ August 19, 2002: Message edited by: CaptainDave ]</p>