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8.0.5 Natural, Rational ServiceVersion 1.1 August 2014                              (Previous Version) Given that we have already defined values and guidelines for personal and political behaviour, how can we express these in community service, as part of a reasonable global way? If we are so good and correct, should our service obligations include promoting political parties founded on this Way? In a hopeless world the idea of service would be defeated by despair for all but the most devoted carers. Because we can hope for the future to be better, service becomes valid and meaningful. Guidelines for dealing with the community are covered in Chapter 6.6. Here we address how we can see carrying out those obligations as an aspect of playing our part in a universal narrative, as part of our connection to the whole, and, for some of us, going beyond those (self imposed) ‘enlightened self-interest’ obligations. Many people are motivated for a variety of reasons to be involved in their community, as volunteers, or as paid employees in the caring professions. Our values support this. We can be inspired by the good works delivered by both religious and secular organisations. ●  Many secular organisations offer benefits to the needy or to society as a whole (such as Doctors without Borders and Amnesty International). If we base our action on our natural, rational beliefs, rather than supernatural or unreasonable beliefs, we expect our action will be more realistic and helpful. Rather than prayers we offer direct help. ●  Doing good works in the name of this Way has the effect of promoting our ‘brand’ – showing to a wider audience our core values such as life, compassion and equality. ●  Doing good works together fosters a collegiate atmosphere, in which the participants implicitly share their motivations for actions, so the activity can be more rewarding in itself to the participants, and allows them to get to know other like minded people. ●  On the other hand, we should be wary, as followers of this Way, of becoming involved in large scale service delivery (even on a not-for-profit basis), commercial enterprises, or party political activity, unless we can be sure that we will not be forced into unreasonable compromises. 8.0.5 Service within this Reasonable Global Way Our core values of life, love or compassion, and equality drive us to service to others. ●       We can, and do, establish secular institutions – that are not founded on supernatural beliefs – that do good works, similar to the way western monotheistic religions (Islam and Christianity) promote the idea of ‘service’. Most of these have been created in the name of social justice, human rights or national governments. ●       As followers of this way, we may initially focus on critical analysis and education, consistent with the open and transparent nature of this Way. ●       We can also, in the short term, organize ourselves to provide pastoral care in the name of this Way, to demonstrate and bear witness to the choice we make to care for others, providing we avoid unreasonable compromises. ●       We should avoid establishing political parties to represent this way, but rather promote this reasonable global way among all political parties.   more
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