Secular Saints for a secular religion.

Posted on by Opher

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Well wouldn’t it be nice to have a secular religion that would satisfy our need to ritual and giving thanks without the need for any superstitious belief.

A secular religion that might give praise and glory to the wonder of life without the need for belief in god. A celebration of life and the universe.

As there is no proof of any god a secular religion would be open to atheists, agnostics and believers to come together to ‘worship’ the spirit of all living creatures and the wondrous universe we live in.

What could be better than a giving of thanks and praise for the beauty of nature.

How about the birth of a new ‘religion’ that had no dogma about supernatural possibilities?

Let’s reclaim religion from the fanatics.

So one thing we would need are a set of secular saints.

I would suggest:

Charles Darwin

Gerald Durrell

Roy Harper

Richard Dawkins

Stephen Hawkin

Nick Harper

Rachel Carson

Pete Seeger

Bob Dylan

Dian Fossey

Jane Goodall

Greenpeace collectively

Friends of the Earth collectively

Carl Sagan

That’s a few names to get the ball rolling. Any other suggestions?

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28 thoughts on “Secular Saints for a secular religion.”

    1. Oh no. That’s just a start. It should be thousands long. I just thought of David Attenborough. Put in your suggestions!

  2. You know what I feel about David Attenborough, I know it has nothing to do with his work just the complete rudeness of the man.

    1. You are right. He is arrogant and rude – but he loves animals and has done a lot to protect the planet. If nothing else he has elevated the appreciation of wild things.

  3. Interesting list. Our son Brandon turned his back on church for years. Dived right into that bunch of “saints” you list. Interestingly, it was Dawkins who finally said something that made him reexamine things. I don’t see Christopher Hitchens on your list.

  4. What about Terry Nutkins, remember him I do and David Bellamy people forgot, Bill Oddie dumped by BBC because he has some mental illness problems – alright for the BBC to stick up for perverts but people with mental health probs, dump them – bastard BBC.

  5. Hmm … harder than you’d think … I’d suggest John Lennon, Bill Hicks, George Carlin, Germaine Greer, Paul Kantner, historian EP Thompson, Dylan Thomas, Alan Ginsberg, Sam Harris, Percy Bysshe Shelley, DH Lawrence, Marie Stopes. Many religious people have done good, but would you call them secular?

  6. As unbelievable as it may seem, Hinduism is something along those lines. Although it has degraded for the most part to rituals over the centuries, the core of the religion is a celebration of life, with atheistic, agnostic and theist schools of thought.

      1. All the stories are meant to be symbolic; metaphors and allegories to draw from in your individual way. Shiva for example is often equated to manlihood and all that exists, and his wife Shakthi literally translates as energy or power. Each is incomplete without the other. They are seen shown as Linga, a term for the male organ and Yoni, vulva/vagina, which together symbolizes origin of new life and is hence considered sacred.

      2. I get that – but far too many people take these things literally. They believe these gods are real. I would like a secular set of rituals to celebrate life and harmony with nature – no gods or afterlives, no worship or heaven – just the wonder of the universe and our relation to it.

  7. Exactly. People find it easier to take things at face value than delve into the deeper stuff. Hinduism is actually a way of life and not an organised religion, with no set rules, open to interpretation, something of a guide in your search for self discovery. I myself am a Hindu, and an agnostic.
    I suppose why most people believe in God is because it’s easier to bike if you think someone is holding on to the handle bars. The charvaka philosophy that originated alongside the Vedas is deeply atheistic and advocates the nonexistence of God or the after life, but obviously had fewer followers.

    1. I was a Buddhist for quite a while and lean in that direction. Quakers and Buddhists have that caring philosophy I like.
      That charvaka philosophy sounds my sort of things. The concept of god and all the dogma of religion is all too human manufactured for me.

      1. I think it all boils down to basic human nature. Irrespective of what religion someone follows, or where their beliefs lie, good people tend to do good and vice versa.

      2. That is true on an individual basis. it is when people get together there are problems. They tend to reinforce and exaggerate good or bad behaviour – all too often bad.
        I would like to see a world of tolerance and equality. Religion, particularly some religions, play a big part in creating disharmony and division.

    1. I’ve never been accused of being saintly before John. That’s a first. But yes – by all means eat meat. Being a high priest – that doesn’t mean I have to snort coke all the time does it?

      2. Perhaps a bit of pot now and again. It’s a religious tradition that the founder is raised to sainthood or is deified – and I know how you feel about gods so I chose the lesser of two evils. “Most Blessed Opher” – sounds great on this side of the pond. Yay, MEAT! I might deify you yet!

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