I wrote this over 10 years ago and have found that these remain my core beliefs:
Spiritual Outline and Key Beliefs
1.) I believe in love;
-in loving thy neighbor
-in loving thy enemy
*though there have been those who have tried to kill my spirit and crush my dreams, I believe that, if ever they were thirsty, I would walk 100 miles to give them my last drink of water.
2.) I believe in magik
-that there is an unseen force which may be tapped for energy and used for both positive or negative purpose.
-if used for negative purpose; expect a return of negative energy to yourself. if used for positive purpose expect a positive return of energy to yourself.
3.) I believe that honesty is the best policy
-however, sometimes it is best for all involved to just go with the flow rather than making unnecessary waves.
4.) I believe that all religions are basically worshiping the same God/Goddess/Life Force and that each religion simply evolved within different cultures to produce different strains, prioritizing different values. But the main message in each is the same; love and be loved.
5.) I believe that fundamentalism is corrosive and has the power to create hatred and distort truth. This is true not only in just organized religions but also within political parties etc.
6.) I believe the term "Holy War" is an oxymoron.
7.) I believe, not only in tolerance, but also in acceptance and love of all living beings and lifestyles.
-All people are created equal and deserve equal rights.
8.) I do not know for sure what happens once we die, but I do not fear death because we all must experience it at some point and, ironically, if you are always fearing death, it becomes more difficult to fully appreciate life.
9.) I believe in setting aside time for rest, relaxation, and recreation.
-Sometimes it is necessary to our wellbeing to take time away from work in order to spend time pleasing your soul.
10.) I believe in learning from and appreciating nature, and that it is necessary for humans to consciously help to preserve nature.
-This includes being responsible for cleaning up our own waste, please always try to recycle when possible and never ever litter. It will come back to haunt you later.
11.) I believe in respecting all living things while questioning authority.
12.) I believe the phrase "and harm thee none" applies to oneself as well as to others.
13.) I believe that all living things are beautiful.
14.) I believe that the most important thing in life is connection;
-with people, nature, etc.
- with every connection we make, we are capable of gaining and giving love and insight.
15.) I believe that if you are a good person, making an honest attempt at living life,that if ever you begin to fall, eventually nature/the life force will catch you and provide for you.
16.) I believe that drug use (including tobacco and alcohol) is not inherently bad. ie. for medical conditions etc. However it becomes a problem at the points of any of the following:
-addiction, self injury, injury of others
-dependence on a drug to feel contented
-necessity of drugs in order to partake in a spiritual experience
17.) I believe that no-one has the right to judge another, however, when a friend shows that they may cause harm to themself or to another living thing, it is your responsibility to interject and to smother them with love and kindness.
18.) I believe that, in the end, all paths will lead us where we're trying to get to.
19.) I believe good music/films/literature have the power to heal, teach and console.
-The term "good" must be defined by the individual listener, viewer, reader.
17.) I believe that no-one has the right to judge another, however, when a friend shows that they may cause harm to themself or to another living thing, it is your responsibility to interject and to smother them with love and kindness.
18.) I believe that, in the end, all paths will lead us where we're trying to get to.
19.) I believe good music/films/literature have the power to heal, teach and console.
-The term "good" must be defined by the individual listener, viewer, reader.
20.) I realize that there are those who will disagree with some of these statements as they only reflect my personal opinions based upon my experiences. I love you all for disagreeing. If we all thought the same way the world would be a pretty boring place
