Many atheists have an almost phobic reaction to any discussion of morality. I sympathize with this reaction. Let’s face it, morality is a messy subject. It contains the seeds of condemnation, punishment, alienation and guilt. But we shouldn’t shy away from this discussion just because religion often uses a moral code as a tool of oppression and dominance. Knowing in advance how a member of your group is going to treat you (moral code) is essential to the functioning of a strong community. Though there is always a dynamic tension between personal liberty and social cohesion, the rights of the individual need not be trampled in the quest for community.

There a many benefits that come from membership in a strong community. Among these are self-defense, mutual aid and fellowship. Humans are to a community as fish are to water. Thus as Naturalists, we find ourselves in the position of trying to create a pond that is uniquely our own.

I understand that there are atheists whose libertarian instincts trump every social consideration. I fully support their choice of lifestyle. But theirs can never be more than an associate membership in the community that I and others are trying to build. Though I value liberty highly, I understand that the creation of a strong group and community requires that its members give up some degree of personal liberty. The liberty we give up is the freedom to speak and act as we please. I believe that the benefits of a strong community far outweigh the small liberties that I give up in exchange.

Values can be found at the genesis of every moral precept. Therefore, in order to develop a successful moral code, it is first necessary to discuss and delineate our values and their relationships to each other. Moreover, if we firmly anchor our moral code to carefully articulated values then our moral code, instead of being fixed and static, will change as our values change. A moral code should be the living and breathing expression of a community’s values and not as many religions make it: an inflexible monument to submission and obedience.

As Naturalists, I believe that we harbor values that we share with every sane human being on the planet. Like all humans, we value our family, our lives and our liberty. But I believe that there are also values that are uniquely naturalistic and that a fuller discussion of these values might lead to a greater understanding of what it means to be a Naturalist.

It is my hope and desire that this greater understanding might find its fruition in the strong bonds of a genuinely naturalistic community.

Will Davidson
March 21, 2008