0.2.3 Introduction to Values: Expression

Version 1.1 March 2013                                Previous Version

4. Religion

We must learn how to respond to the major religious traditions because they dominate the views of most people.  We look at the structure of religions to explore how they do this.

We look at how religions in the past and present, in indigenous and modern cultures, in the East and the West, have strived to define and promulgate appropriate values, and how they provide stories exemplifying these, and principles and practices to help us express them.

To religious adherents their faith is based on values such as:

seeking the truth and the right thing to do,

based on love (or compassion) and our personal responsibility.

For some religious adherents their values are derived from their central faith in god. 

For others, their core commitment to truth and love is the basis of their derived belief in god.

Our core values require us to courteously engage in discussion with religiously committed people.  We expect their commitment to truth and compassion requires them to do the same.

As most religious people acknowledge, much of what is, and has been in the past, said and done in the name of religion has been bad.  On the other hand, much of what is good in the world, many laudable actions, were, and still are, inspired by religion. 

We seek to identify the negative aspects of religions that we must discard, and the positive aspects that we can retain.  We argue it is reasonable to adopt from religion ways to express values that, historically, have been emphasised in mostly religious contexts.  For instance:

derived values:           mystery, awe, commitment, struggle, service;

effecting values:         universal narratives, connection.

But the core value we most associate with the best of religion is Love (or compassion): feeling empathy, choosing to help others to pursue more fulfilling lives.  more

5. Culture: Art and Media

We look at how art and culture help us to express and communicate ideas and insights. 

Our core values enable us to discriminate between good and bad art, or at least to debate it.  The best artists seek to express the truth and explore its uncertainty, demanding the freedom to do so, but accepting their responsibility to promote life, love, equality and perhaps even beauty and hope.  The media, news and entertainment, should behave similarly.  We can only consider culture in its historical context, and revel in the diversity available to us now.

Our review of the arts and media suggests our choices should reflect additional values:

Authenticity:   a derived value – an honest attempt to responsibly convey the truth;

Balance:         an effecting value – presenting alternative views and contextual information, weighted according to relevance and the evidence.

But the core value we most associate with art, culture and the media is Beauty: choosing to appreciate nature and artefacts regardless of their immediate utility.  more