MAJOR THEMES EXPANDED IN THIS BOOK:

★ The human race cannot survive without moral principles.

★ Humans have for millennia rested their moral principles on the doctrines of their innumerable religions.

★ The religious foundation of morals in the United States has crumbled with nothing rational in its place. In consequence, our nation flounders in a great moral crisis.

★ Crumbled especially but not only by science, the religious foundation of moral principles cannot survive the advance of thought.

★ Into the no man’s land vacated by the retreat of traditional religion has rushed a secular religion masquerading as liberal, progressive, compassionate and just.

★ This allegedly new but in reality ancient doctrine has all the characteristics of the theistic religions it strives to displace: the same intolerant dogmatism, the same adherence to undemonstrable principles, the same persecution of doubters and infidels, the same proselytizing of the true faith, the same presumption of moral superiority and righteousness. Earlier faiths rested their claims to authority on beliefs in God or gods, the current ones on socialist pretentiousness. Either ideology can only extend our term of ignorance and lethal conflict, and the beliefs trump truth.

★ Our political problems are not at root political and cannot be resolved by politicians or political and social theorists no matter how well intentioned. They are psychological, rooted in the human condition and poor self awareness, and addressable only by difficult, painful and abhorrent individual self examination.

★ We desperately need a rational secular foundation for morals and that, tragically, we do not have. I propose that we initially set our moral principles on the premise of not trying to defeat evolution as we are now doing. As we gain more knowledge of ourselves and genetic engineering, we should very gradually over many generations improve the human species toward ever greater intelligence, self awareness and longer, healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives. For the first time in history we would free ourselves from pretentious, arbitrary and oppressive religious and political authority, the eternal curse hanging over individuals who yearn to be free.

★ The last chapter opens a window to a view of what a rational and minimally contentious nation would look like.

Michael H.Davison