So what is it I believe

On Saturday I blogged about well some strange connections that lead me to talk about the coming together of people regardless of religious views. Mostly it was driven by a dude who had a T-Shirt I thought was cool.

In any case I got some feedback from a friend. Well a Twitter Follower of mine err well someone who I follow too, but am also interested enough to also read her blog so had I met her in person who knows lets just say feedback (complicated relationships these).

Well Fiona pointed to an alternative which in similar style spelt fiction. I can but assume that indicates a lack of belief in any of the represented religious viewpoints which is fine, potentially I don’t even disagree with her. And I already knew her point of view as I said interested enough to pay attention.

So what do I believe? I make no secret that I was raised in a Christian family and like all other information I encounter I still have an Intellectual grounding of what Christians believe. I know that “God” requires faith with no proof and that is a BIG ask for many.

So Lets examine the T-Shirt:

• Star and Crescent – Symbol associated with political Islam or the Muslim community


• The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament symbol - now more of a peace symbol


• Star of David - the Shield of David as the hexagram represents the Jewish community generally (although some reject it’s use)


• The Christian Cross - is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity.

How do I get to heaven?

• For Muslims - According to the Qur'an, the basic criteria for salvation in afterlife is the belief in one God (Tawhid), Last Judgment, good deeds, and in all the messengers of God, as well as believing that Muhammad is the final prophet of God.


• CND / Peace - I guess some folk just want peace in this world and not really making a religious statement at all.


• Judaism doesn’t really mention Heaven and hardly talks about the after life, nor is there a big individual salvation path because of the Covenant between God and the Children of Israel as a whole but there is talk of judgement and entry into the book of life but mostly living well according to the Torah.


• Protestant Christians, teach that one does not have to live a perfectly "good life," but that one must accept (believe and put faith in) Jesus Christ as one's saviour, and then Jesus Christ will assume the guilt of one's sins; believers are believed to be forgiven regardless of any good or bad "works" one has participated in.


• The Catholics have purgatory as a purification step on the way to heaven (also Mormons and Methodists)

Wow some of these seem mighty similar so is it possible everyone is a little bit right and there is a supreme being that has a moral rule book that we should try to keep but nobody wrote it all down in one place?

Since faith is about feeling and believing, how am I supposed to deal with not feeling a supreme being you may call it God if you wish but also wanting to keep the values of a Moral Society because take away God and the teachings of the Bible are still pretty OK by me.

So do I need some life rules?? I have some pretty basic ones:

• I’ll treat others with the same respect and demeanour I want to be treated with.


• I use my intuition to point to the truth; if it does not feel right then it is likely a win / lose for someone. I never knowingly disadvantage anybody.


• I ensure my relationships are open and communicative, if I don’t raise issues the relationship is meeting my expectations.


• I practice what I preach. I will never ask others to do, what I am hesitant to do.


• I donate what resources I can to my community, seeking to pay forward my success.


• In my day-to-day interactions my intention is a sincere connection with others.


• Oh and if it sounds like stealing it probably is

This doesn’t really answer what I set out to do so to summarise …

There are a number of Religions and they all think the others are wrong. So far as I can tell and they all want to convert the others to their way of thinking, and that thinking by and large is quite similar

There are those who say they don’t know

There are others who say there is NO higher power

In my view pick a deity and be wrong and have someone who has some power be annoyed, live a good life and don’t pick a side then say no harm no foul after all a loving God surely must have some grey area and maybe this is called Purgatory.

BUT to say there is no God is like saying there is no other life in the universe somewhat of a guess that has no proofs either. Yet some of these folk seem a little too sure they are right for my liking. So for me the Worst Choice is Atheist because that closes off all other possibilities but am willing to sit down and talk about that too.

Returning to my original point of view can we coexist and stop being so intolerant. Now I DO eat Pigs and being Sunday that sounds like a plan for dinner.