11. The Principle of Denying Opposites

At tonight’s weekly meeting of the Humanist Movement at my house, we looked at one of the Principles of Valid Action:

“It does not matter in which faction events have placed you. What matters is for you to comprehend that you have not chosen any faction.”

This principle wasn’t so easy to get the mind around. After all, since I’m a human being, I make choices all the time about being accepting or prejudice or whatever. Plus, I’ve got good reasons for the positions I take on the issues and so what’s wrong with factions?

On the other hand, one of the participants in tonight’s meeting recognized that she and her dad think about things quite differently and that difference “makes her crazy.” This seemed to bring the principle into clarity. She and her dad have certainly made different choices, but they haven’t chosen to be in opposing factions. Perhaps she’ll find herself less crazy if she allows herself that comprehension.

What about you?