“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
-Buddha (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

The purpose of these articles was never to attempt to convert anyone into a new way of thinking or belief; but to challenge people’s assumptions.
Since, the reality is, many of us go through life believing the same things that we were spoon fed as children, without ever taking the time to truly THINK about what we believe; to wrestle with the mysteries of the Universe and come out stronger for it.

The purpose of this article, then, is to present some new ideas for you to try on, and see if they make sense to you, and your world view. Feel free to accept or reject any of them, with one condition: you are clear on * why * you feel this way. Various teachers and scriptures can guide you along the way, but in the end, we must each walk the path alone.

So please consider, pray, and meditate on, and by all means enjoy these ideas, and become a better person for it.

1. No one KNOWS where we come from, or knows what happens when we die.
Passionate belief is not the same as empirical knowledge.

2. Since we do not, and can not, know for certain, all we are left with are our own opinions, and what we choose to believe.

3. The ultimate answers to the questions of life can only be found within (Gnosis); God exists at all time and all places, and takes an active hand in the Universe (Theism).

4. “As above, so below; as within, so without.” Everything that exists outside of us exists inside of us, too.

5. Knowledge of yourself leads to love of yourself; love of yourself leads to love of others.

6. There is no nobility in ignorance, and no greater task in life than working towards learning about and connecting with the Creator of all things.

7.Science and religion do not stand in opposition to one another,  they simply serve different purposes.

8. The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path provide a keen insight into why we suffer, and how to end the suffering.

9. The religions of the world agree on far more points than they disagree; confusion only arises when people claim their truth is the ‘only’ truth.
There is no ‘only’ truth! Our most closely held beliefs would probably be radically different if we’d been born in another place or time.

10.The Bible, the Koran, Bhagavad Gita, and any other scriptures are useful tools towards explaining the Universe and our place in it; but there is no wholly Divine or infallible scriptures. If it was written by human hands, it is flawed.

You are great, and I love you!

And if you love me back, click ‘share’ up at the top!

B. Dave Walters

Writer, Life Coach, and Talk Radio Host

Find out more about me:
http://about.me/BDaveWalters

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Pages I support:
Jesus and Buddha  — Interfaith dialog

Gnostic Theism — Religion and Spirituality for the 21st Century (Join the Movement!)

Love One Another —  A safe place to come find more reasons to smile!