Hello reader,
There are an increasing number of people who have given up religion. The statistics for Australia show this to be the case and other places are following a similar trend. No doubt there are some countries that aren’t.
My contention is that society needs a set of guidelines to use in bringing up the kids and keep one and all on the straight and narrow.
Hence the compilation of the OCTET.
There are only eight guidelines. I researched on the Internet what I could find on the subject, came up with a list of thirty three which I condensed to eight.
So here they are. This is assuming you have not read them. Discussion of each follows.
THE EIGHT GUIDELINES OF THE OCTET
1. Live your life with the knowledge that this time you have alive is all that you are going to get, with no previous life having been had by you or that there will be another life after you die, so value this life.
2. Humans are social animals so enjoy and value time spent together with other animals, particularly those of your species.
3. This life is all you are going to have so value it. Do not cause society to remove your life from you because of your conduct.
4. Look after the well-being of your mind and body.
5. Take full responsibility for your actions.
6. One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.
7. All living things have a right to exist and all animals are equal.
8. Value the future on a timescale longer than your own.
Comments on each of the eight.
About 1.
On May 9th, 2015 I wrote the following on my blog.
It is easy to see why mankind invented religion. A few years ago I was diagnosed with cancer. Looking up the internet resulted in me anticipating not celebrating Christmas at the end of the year. Frightening. Fortunately Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne changed that with some very satisfying treatment, helped by the radiologists at the Private Hospital in Wodonga.
Prior to cancer being found in me I had been wanting to live for a hundred or more years more as the previous twenty years or so had been post Australia and very interesting. Working in Thailand, South Korea, and Nigeria and experiencing the culture and people had been such a change from nanny state Australia. There was so much else to possibly experience, not as a tourist, but as a working member of the society. The trouble with beginning late in life was that many people regarded me as being old. I thought of myself as anything but old. Generally anyway. Obviously I could no longer gallop across the grass. My back could get upset and remain so for several weeks before it fixed itself. Likewise my knees, or feet, or veins had problems that were not around when I was regarded as younger. Would you believe that my wife’s father had to retire as a policeman in Thailand when he turned 60. I spent two years in China post cancer where it was even worse for women. Get to 50 in the public service and they retire women because they are then old. Unbelievable. Anyway that all that has little to do with the end of life as such. If your life is visibly ending it is far more frightening than the change in life that comes from the transition from work to retirement. Get cancer and life appears to be over. It really pisses you off. Or it did me. In Thailand in 1999 I stayed at a guesthouse for a week and encountered a 59 year old American. He was of the opinion that he was ready to die. He had done all the things he wanted to do. I have never been in that position and cannot think that I ever will be. Hence the attraction of life after death, with or without the dozens of virgins. Buddhists believe that you are reborn as a new lifeform suitable to how you have behaved in your current life. This is an obvious incentive to be good in this one. So just what form will the two who got shot in Bali be in now? Would their original badness override their good works since being told they were to die? A cynic would suggest the good works resulted from impending death, an attempt to convince people they deserved to live, not from some intrinsic goodness. It does show that we should take regard of the laws of the countries we visit and not assume we will be travelling in a culture with similar ideas to Australia.
I know there was an old chap a year or two ago who went off to Switzerland to stop living because he had been alive for over a hundred years. I don’t think most of us would follow that path unless we were in constant pain as does happen to some unfortunate people.
Most of us would prefer to live forever.
Hence if a religion offers, as they do, such a possibility, it will get customers. Unfortunately some also suggest that particular actions guarantee eternal life in really great circumstances which results in completely inappropriate actions.
People need to be reminded that our existence is BIRTH – LIFE – DEATH. Sad, but true.
About 2.
- Humans are social animals so enjoy and value time spent together with other animals, particularly those of your species.
Some people need to be reminded to be more sociable.
I personally seem to spend a lot of time talking to Mum Cat, Bobbie Cat and Sissy Cat, and don’t particularly appreciate Bobbie wanting to come inside and have a biscuit or two at 2am.
About 3.
- This life is all you are going to have so value it. Do not cause society to remove your life from you because of your conduct.
Some countries do not have capital punishment, some do. Inappropriate conduct in a particular country can result in execution.
About 4.
- Look after the well-being of your mind and body.
This is a pretty obvious reminder to all although ignored by many. Fatties, druggies and the like are not heeding such advice, and they should.
About 5.
- Take full responsibility for your actions.
Nanny state Australia does not endorse this item. People going overseas can get into trouble when they do not take into account local laws.
About 6.
- One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.
I think this is pretty obvious.
About 7.
- All living things have a right to exist and all animals are equal.
Australians have laws to ensure that humans do not mistreat animals. Unfortunately as has been seen recently the Aboriginal culture is exempt from these laws.
I particularly noted that the Sioux Indians say that all animals are equal and Buddhists do not kill animals.
About 8.
- Value the future on a timescale longer than your own.
Of relevance here is the assumption that humans can keep breeding like rabbits. There are already too many humans with other species becoming extinct. Your attitude to abortion is relevant here. Women must be able to control their own bodies and not have unwanted babies. More people means more mouths which means depletion of fish stocks and similar problems. It also means more electricity is needed so more use of carbon fuels which is resulting in the planet warming.
It has been proposed that two billion is the sustainable population for the planet.
PRINT COPIES OF THE OCTET
Save the image to your computer. Print copies of the Octet image. On A4 select two images. Unselect Fit picture to frame. Use 1200dpi.
