Re: is secular mind set, consistent with collective conscience?
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in terms of any lawful framework, the society in essence says that there is an unspoken social contract to be followed in co existing as members of the same society, whose rules govern the lives of al its members.
but, when each one of the members lives a totally self -centered, and not to mention, only a purely materialistic life style, then whatever happens to collective conscience and its requirements is of no concern to the secular mindset. thence, difference in good and evil or human rights is not observed as keenly as it ought to have been.
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What gave you the impression of a flawless society! You mentioned its more like a lawful framework. and just a Framework it is, and there are no checks in place to control individual behavior. no society can control ones likes and dislikes. Being self-centred is a character flaw, but I fail to understand how it affects ones's capability to distinguish between geed & evil! the collective mindset says that one shouldn't indulge in such activities, but you can't bound an individual. can you? after all the same mindset also gives directions about civil liberties.
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** religion and spirituality are two DIFFERENT things. **
without being fundamentalist or conservative, we can reflect on the reason for religion being a code of living - pleasing the Almighty, which implies, not indulging into anything not acceptable to Almighty.
in some ways, spirituality is at best, an ephemeral feeling of being religious. The main thing being, how powerful its impact is on the human conduct. if the motive is to gain esteem in the eyes of God, and do good to other, or be kind and humble to the sustaining earth, then, spirituality has achieved its religious degree - obedient, genuine, persistent and consistent following of the ethical and moral laws of living that have been set forth by the Almighty.
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I agree to that, indeed there is very fine line between these two and normaly people fail to notice that. ONLY for that reason I mentioned SPIRITUALITY.