Ritual

Ritual dictated by dogma or tradition is a vestige of religion's organizing and ruling role in human history. The most ancient rituals were simply codified superstition. Later rituals became history lessons, laced with grudges or aggrandising myths. Seasonal rituals were used to organize agrarian societies into food production cycles, coordinated with reproductive cycles for the birth of children, later exploited as future farm laborers. Eroticized Spring rituals in some societies encouraged impregnation that would result in Winter deliveries, which were less draining on the labor supply during high-production seasons. 

Religious rituals, in other words, were always part of social engineering by those in power. And, today we see the most avid supporters of religion and its rituals flocking to the most conservative and socially controlling causes.

Humanist practice is in part the development of individual and creative daily rituals motivated by a desire to lead a responsible and compassionate life. The humanist who has his/her own practice may be quite unimpressed with religious rituals. After all, the prescribed ritualism of religion has not generally kept up with the times. Religions have generally sided with forces which retard progressive movement of the species to deal with significant issues of war, overpopulation and environmental degradation.

The daily crafting of creative rituals, or habits, for becoming a better human being is far more sustaining than any prescribed, static religious rite. For those who prefer to support the status quo, prescribed ritual is a balm to distract from their sense of personal helplessness to change the world. It is a form of whistling in the dark.