I understand that the word Secularism embraces everything
that is of any real interest or value to the human race. I take
it for granted that everybody will admit that well-being is the
only good; that is to say, that it is impossible to conceive of
anything of real value that does not tend either to preserve or to
increase the happiness of some sentient being. Secularism, therefore,
covers the entire territory. It fills the circumference of human
knowledge and of human effort. It is, you may say, the religion
of this world; but if there is another world, it is necessarily
the religion of that, as well.

Man finds himself in this world naked and hungry. He needs food,
raiment, shelter. He finds himself filled with almost innumerable
wants. To gratify these wants is the principal business of life.
To gratify them without interfering with other people is the course
pursued by all honest men.

Secularism teaches us to be good here and now. I know nothing
better than goodness. Secularism teaches us to be just here and
now. It is impossible to be juster than just.

Man can be as just in this world as in any other, and justice must
be the same in all worlds. Secularism teaches a man to be generous,
and generosity is certainly as good here as it can be anywhere
else. Secularism teaches a man to be charitable, and certainly
charity is as beautiful in this world and in this short life as it
could be were man immortal.

But orthodox people insist that there is something higher than
Secularism; but, as a matter of fact, the mind of man can conceive
of nothing better, nothing higher, nothing more spiritual, than
goodness, justice, generosity, charity. Neither has the mind of
men been capable of finding a nobler incentive to action than human
love. Secularism has to do with every possible relation. It says
to the young man and to the young woman: "Don't marry unless you
can take care of yourselves and your children." It says to the
parents: "Live for your children; put forth every effort to the
end that your children may know more than you--that they may be
better and grander than you." It says: "You have no right to
bring children into the world that you are not able to educate and
feed and clothe." It says to those who have diseases that can be
transmitted to children: "Do not marry; do not become parents; do
not perpetuate suffering, deformity, agony, imbecility, insanity,
poverty, wretchedness."

S