3-2-1: Cooperation

For those of us who grew up with "3-2-1: Contact" and it's theme song "Contact, it's the reason--it's the answer, it's why everything happens--contact" the entirety of the physical processes of our world were summed up by this catchy song. When I was six years old this seemed to make sense even though I knew something other than "contact" per se was responsible for the television signal that brought the show to my living room.

In trying to explain values to a community that overwhelmingly equates morals with mainstream religion I believe that "cooperation" can be that simplifying term for the society of six year olds who need to learn how, and why, to respect others. Religions commit the fallacy of appeal to false authority and they rely on indoctrination and fear for their continued existence. Shouldn't values and morals be based on something simpler and universal to human experience?

As individuals humans are a thin-skinned, practically toothless, and weak species with only a couple of redeeming qualities that have maintained our place on the planet versus the faster, stronger, fiercer species that would win almost any one-on-one battle. Our claim to fame is the ability to learn, share knowledge, and COOPERATE. Without these traits we are very ineffective.

Our survival relies on society. To take care of ourselves we must foster and protect a whole network of others. Pondering some of the usual "commandments" in this light it seems reasonable to follow them without the overarching religions to which they are traditionally attributed.