REMARKS ON SECULARISM.

Freethought Review, Volume II, Issue 15, 1 December 1884, Page 13

REMARKS ON SECULARISM.

The recent announcement of the intention of our friends in Wellington to consider the advisableness of adopting the word « Secular " in lieu of the word "Freethought as the name of their Society, has suggested a few remarks as perhaps interesting to those of our readers unacquainted with Secularism as an organization in England. About twenty years ago Mr. George Jacob Holyoake applied himself "to the re-inspection of the general field of controversy." The result was that one of the first principles laid down by that gentleman to rule the movement was " that they should recognise the sincerity of the clergy and the good intention of Christians generally." That a Secular Society was meant to include «the various classes of persons known for their dissent from the popular Christian tenets of the day: "these various classes, of course, comprehending those who reject the authority of miracles, allege general objections to the inspiration of the bible, question the dogma of the immortality of the soul, and who cannot subscribe to the arguments supposed to establish the existence of a Being distinct from nature. The wondrous manifestations of nature should not be degraded to a secondary rank: the Nature which we know must be the God which we seek. Precedence should be given to the duties of this life over those which pertain to another world: this life being the first in certainty, it ought to have the first place in importance. Science is the providence of man: absolute spiritual dependency may involve material destruction Bv science is meant those methodized agencies which are at our command-that systematized knowledge which enables us to use the powers of nature for human benefit .by spiritual dependency is meant application to heaven by prayer expecting that help will come to us That there exist, independently of scriptural authority, guarantees of morals in human nature, intelligence, and utility.