Wednesday, July 16, 2008

I do not believe. I believe.

I do not believe there is a God because I see no evidence of his existence.
I've seen no real evidence nor heard any compelling argument for the existence of God.
Likewise, I do not believe in Satan, heaven, or hell.

I do not believe sex is wrong before marriage, or with someone of the same sex, or by oneself, or even with multiple people and toys. Sex is good, as is any discussion about it, and any expression of it in popular culture, including pornography.

I do not believe that the consumption of caffeinated or alcoholic beverages is wrong. In fact, like sex, the act of consuming these drinks is one of the few genuine physical pleasures we have to indulge in. One must be fully aware of the dangers and risks involved in any activity, especially those liable to be abused like sex and drugs.

I do not believe that it is a sin to work on the Sabbath, be it Saturday or Sunday.

I do not believe the Bible or any other scripture is the word of God.

I do not believe that it is a sin to make a graven image, worship any god, take the name of the Lord in vain, dishonour your parents, or covet something. However, I do agree that it is wrong to kill, steal, commit adultery, or bear false witness against your neighbor. But I also think it is wrong to kill an innocent animal for a burnt offering, or keep slaves, have concubines, or stone someone to death for working on the sabbath.

I am not offended by oaths or swearing. Nothing anyone could say would qualify as a sin in my mind.

I believe we should treat others as we would like to be treated. If we consider all humans our close kin, completely equal to ourselves, and in the same boat as we are; we will treat them with love and respect, and do whatever we can reasonably do to help them when the need is there.

I believe my life is richer and lived more fully because of this simple, pure morality.

1 Comments:

Blogger randydid said...

It is much better to hear him read it, but I thought I would pass this along in case you missed it on NPR.

http://www.thisibelieve.org/dsp_ShowEssay.php?uid=34

I downloaded and listened to "Letter to a Christian Nation" from Audible.com. I use audio books at work to pass the time and multitask.

Awesome. Pretty much all the stuff I already knew or embraced, but he puts it so clearly. I am going to buy the book too.

8:28 PM  

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