FSM *

10 offers of evolutionary humanism

1. Serve not gods, but the great ideal of ethics to lessen suffering in the world! There is no scientific evidence that suggests the existence of gods. On the contrary, there are many indications that gods are ideas of our imagination. Our brains are capable of wonderful creative accomplishments, as well as recognizing them as such. Who owns art, philosophy and science, does not need religion!
2. Behave fair to your neighbor and your farthest! You will not be able to love all people, but you should respect that every human being - even the unloved one! - has the right to realize his individual conceptions of "good life (and death) in this world", as long as he does not violate the equal interests of others.
3. Do not be afraid of authority, but the courage to use your own mind! Remember that the strength of an argument is completely independent of who expresses it. What matters for the truth value of a statement is whether it is logically consistent and corresponds to our real experiences in the world. If someone still argues with "God by his side", that should not cause awe, but at most a smile.
4. Thou shalt not lie, cheat, steal, murder - unless there are no other ways to enforce the ideals of humanity in an emergency! Those who did not lie in the Nazi dictatorship but betrayed to the Gestapo the whereabouts of Jewish families in the highest degree, behaved in the highest degree unethically - in contrast to those who wanted to eliminate Hitler by assassinations in order to save millions of lives. Ethical action by no means implies blindly following any moral command or prohibition, but weighing it in the respective situation, with which positive and negative consequences a decision would be connected.
5. Free yourself from the bad of moralizing! There are not "good" and "bad" in the world, just people with different interests, needs and learning experiences. Contribute to lifting the catastrophic conditions under which people are now withering, and you'll be amazed at the kind, creative, and loveable side of the supposed "beast" of Homo sapiens.
6. Do not immunize against criticism! Honest criticism is a gift that you should not refuse. Through such criticism you have nothing more to lose than your mistakes, from which you better say goodbye today than tomorrow. Critical ability is a very valuable feature in a modern, ever-changing society.
7. Do not be too sure of your cause! Well-founded doubt can lead to new insights. Even if our knowledge is always limited and provisional, you should definitely stand up for what you are convinced of. But be open at all times for better arguments, because only then will you be able to master the fine line beyond dogmatism and arbitrariness.
8. Overcome the propensity for traditional blindness by thoroughly researching all sides before making a decision! As a human you have an extraordinarily adaptive brain, do not let it wither! Make sure that you use the same rational principles that you have to master to handle a cell phone or a computer in ethics and beliefs. A humanity that splits the atom and communicates via satellites must have the necessary maturity.
9. Enjoy your life, because you are most likely only given this one! Be aware of your and our all finiteness, do not repress it, but "use the day" (Carpe diem)! It is precisely the finiteness of individual life that makes it so precious! Do not let anyone tell you it's a shame to be happy!
10. Become part of the tradition of those who want to make the world a better, more liveable place! Such an attitude is not only ethically reasonable, but also the best recipe for a meaningful existence. It seems that altruists are the clever egoists, because the greatest fulfillment of our self-interest is in cooperation with others. If you always show that you care about the well-being of others, it will make you happier than any conceivable possession could.