Godless Invocations to Deliver at local Boards

These are invocations that don't call out for supernatural guidance.  They come from constitutional and atheist points of view.  They comport with Galloway, as do the more provocative Pagan, Satanist and Pastafarian prayers in my earlier post.  These types of invocations are not universally welcome at the proper time, due to discrimination by ALL ECSB and some BOCC members.  So I'll deliver them all (one at a time) at local monthly public forums - until our local boards end biased prayers in favor of inclusive moment of silence.  

I did not write these.  If you know of other good ones, please send them my way.

from Dan Courtney, Greece NY
Video link:  http://youtu.be/R0uPt4GJukk?list=PLpgL-G2muTgMaubct3N5hVBib-Sfrr6Ei


"On July 4th, 1776, the 56 men, who pledged their lives to the document that changed the course of history, agreed to the central tenet that, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” 
More than 238 years later this central premise still echoes, however faintly, from the town hall to the white columned halls of Washington. 
Yet this premise, this foundation necessary for a free and flourishing society, is today, more than ever, under assault. This central pillar of a free society; this notion that is deeply heretical to authoritarian culture, proclaims that it is from the people that moral authority is derived. It is that within us, the citizens, that knowledge and wisdom must emerge.
The preservation of this premise does not come from accepting the status quo, but by asserting our rights and exercising our duties.
That this premise still endures testifies to its truth, and we can say with confidence that it is in seeking the counsel of our conscience that we find the beginning of wisdom. It is in the exercise of our duty as citizens that we find the beginning of knowledge. 
We, as citizens, the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega of our destiny are not, as the great philosopher Immanuel Kant warned, mere means to the ends of another, but we are ends in ourselves.
This basic premise, this profound idea, guides us such that we need not kneel to any king, and we need not bow to any tyrant.
So I ask all officials present here, as guarantors of our founder’s revolutionary proclamation, to heed the counsel of the governed; to seek the wisdom of all citizens, and to honor the enlightened wisdom and the profound courage of those 56 brave men. Thank you."



<Note: other religions often declare the realness and supremacy of their beliefs during the invocation.  Why wouldn't an atheist do the same?>

“We all live in a godless universe, but only we atheists acknowledge this fact. We have no eternal souls; those are just a myth. When we die, all experience ends, as if the universe died with us. But in spite of this, we push on. We know we have an obligation to make the world a better place, because everyone who shares this planet with us has only this one life, just like us. I encourage our city council members to make the most of this meeting and make the lives of those in this community even better.

Dearly Beloved,

     When the ancients considered the values that were proper and necessary for the good governance of a peaceful, productive society, they brought to our minds the virtues of Wisdom, Courage, Justice, and Moderation. These values have stood the test of time.

     In more recent days, an American style of governance has led to approbation for newer enlightened values; we celebrate diversity, we enjoy protections of our freedoms in a Constitutional Republic, and we dearly value egalitarianism - equal protection of the law.

     So now let us commence the affairs that are presented to our community. Let Doubt and Skepticism and Inquiry be on our lookout when caution is the appropriate course. But also let innovation and boldness take point when opportunities for excellence appear on our horizon.

     In this solemn discourse, let's remember Jefferson's words: "...that Truth is great, and will prevail if left to herself, that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict, unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons free argument and debate, errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them."

Weird Science

I am an amazing amalgamation of milliseconds,
a compilation of coincidences,
a collection of infinitely small spans of time
that separate me from the possibility of my blood line.
I have managed to out swim and out maneuver
500 million of my brothers and sisters to be here today,
continuing a chain of happenstance
that began moments after the big bang
brought the universe into being.
Matter and energy cannot be
created or destroyed, so the same
molecules that make up me
in this instance have been in existence
for over 13 billion years.
We are heavenly,
but there is no godly hand
evident in the creation of man,
I can instead trace evidence
of my being into the cosmos,
the same elements that make
me unique have been sourced
to create the universe,
I mean, forget Jesus, stars died,
galaxies gave their lives to form my fingertips;
how could I not find wonder in waking up,
be more amazed at each day I open my eyes,
each day I’m granted more time
on this little blue marble
floating through the vast emptiness of space?
I am in awe of life,
to quote Carl Sagan,
“I find it elevating and exhilarating
to discover that we live in a universe,
which permits the evolution of molecular machines
as intricate and subtle as we.”
I am left breathless by the understanding
that my continuance is an example
of the improbable versus the impossible,
and despite what some might think
this gives my life more meaning,
makes each day more precious,
lends weight and reality
to the precious actuality
of each person I allow into my life,
because I see that they
are an amazing amalgamation of milliseconds,
a compilation of coincidences,
a collection of infinitely small spans of time
that separates them from the possibility of their blood line,
so I lend assistance where I am able,
offer compassion when I can,
and a hug when life’s weight
proves to great for them to stand,
because these memories will be
the markers of my legacy,
allowing me to exist for eternity…
or at least a few years
past my mental exit from this planet,
a few years past
my physical exit from this planet,
a few years past that moment when my atoms
are reconnected with the cosmos.
I live my life relaxed and happy
because I know that I could be gone tomorrow,
and like Stephen Hawking said
“When your expectations are reduced to zero,
you really appreciate everything you have.”

Victor Harris © 2010