The secular bible: Our project First let me speak to my Christian brothers and sisters. I mean you no disrespect by using the term "bible" in an unholy attack on your faith. The project of this secular bible honors the sanctity of holy documents. A secular bible could only be true to itself is it stood for tolerance and cooperation. We all know of the worldwide spread of dissatisfaction and unhappiness. We acknowledge the existence of what we can only call "evil" in the world. We have less agreement on what we call "good" or "godlike" We have not found enough agreement on what to do about evil. There are those among us who hold to the principle no agreement is required. The proper agents in the war against chaos are the free and independent thinkers of the mythical open society. The radical edge of this stance is the notion that cooperation always entails disaster in the form of unintended consequences. There are those among us who are afraid of the unknown. Many of us prefer to keep to the familiar. We find ourselves in circles of friends and relatives and find comfort or at least solace in the company of these others. We become "us". There is a subtle danger in this. The formation of community is also the formation of "them" There are those among us who fear "them" so much that the very thought of cooperation is scary. To them the idea that there could be a science of cooperation is absurd. They will cite economics and rational self interest to avoid gambling on trust. The run-away paranoia that can ensue will tax their freedom as surely as the state must. The project of the science of understanding, this secular bible giving people an understanding of their part in the universe, and the tools they need to get along with all manner of thinkers. (tbc) Of course this is all meant sarcastically. The Lord knows, nobody wants to just get along.