… for the free thinker, the one who seeks answers!  Book Title: Open Religion My Religion Is The Best Religion! First Edition, 2012 ISBN: 978-9966-123-15-2 Copyright © 2012, Ojijo. All rights reserved. This work is copyrighted by the author. No parts of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, without permission of the publisher. ojijobooks.com Tirupati Mazima Mall, Nsambya, Ggaba-Road, Plot 2530, P. O. Box 34416. Kampala, Uganda. Tel: +256 41 4696004/31 251 7908 Email: info@ojijobooks.com Website: www.ojijobooks.com (256) 0776 1000 59 * (256) 0701 1000 59 * (256) 772 864 893  Open Religion! …that all human beings of my religion, however kind on earth, will go to hell, because they are not in your religion, …that all believers in our god, however generous, will go to hell because they are not believers in your god, …that all believers in my god, however ethno-centric, racist, murderous, and brutal to the other races, are right because they are blessed and chosen of your god! …that if I bomb and terrorize in the name of my god, i will go to heaven and inherit virgins as a martyr, …such is the folly of world religions; and the need for a new religion: Open Religion!   Ojijo’s 51 Books Financial Literacy Books Be Bold, Sell Something –Ojijo’s Guide For Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship Trainers, and Business Coaches Managing Business Cashflow (Ojijo’s Guide to Raising, Protecting and Growing Business Finances) Invest: Ojijo’s Guide to Financial Instruments & Alternative Investment Products Successful Saccos - Managers' Guide to Acquire, Retain and Grow Membership, Savings and Assets Making Money Together: Ojijo’s Investment Club Manual Making My Child Financially Intelligent: Money Lessons by Age Group (from 3-13yrs) Retire Happy: 21 Questions to Plan My Retirement 69 Ways to Earn Extra Money While Keeping My Day Job What Can I Sell? 101 Business Ideas for Youth in Africa I Am A Network Marketer - Ojijo's Network Marketing Guide Personal Branding Books Stupid Writers: Ojijo’s Guide to Writing Articles, Reports, Plans, Profiles & Proposals Talanta: Ojijo’s Guide to Identifying, Developing & Selling My Talent This Is How To Treat A Man (Fathers, Husbands, Lovers, Sons, Brothers) Soft Sweet Words: Romantic Whispers to My Woman Cause Action: Ojijo’s Public Speaking Handbook The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy Seventy-7 Moves of a Sexy Woman Self-Discipline - What, Why & How 99 Ways to Make People Laugh Law Books Business Transactions & Contracts Law Handbook Family Law Handbook Intellectual Property Law Handbook Alternative Dispute Resolution Law Handbook Real Estate Law Handbook Civil Litigation Law Handbook Energy Law Handbook Labour Relations Law Handbook Administrative Law Handbook Environmental Law Handbook Criminal Litigation Law Handbook Ojijo’s Financial Services Law Rich Lawyers, Poor Lawyers : Law Firm Management Handbook African Jurisprudence, Luo Jurisprudence: Theories, Institutions and Procedures of Law and Justice (Introduction to Law) Legal Rhetoric: Ojijo’s Guide to Legal Writing, Legal Arguments & Legal Interpretation Policy & Legal Issues in E-Commerce & E-Governance (ICT Law) Politics and Religion Why Did Hitler Kill The Jews? Politics of Poverty: The Odinga Curse to the Luos Open Religion: My Religion is the Best Religion Garveyism: The Philosophy of Marcus Garvey 100 Upright Men: World’s Greatest Revolutionary Politicians The Mungiki: Terrorists, Victims, Saints: Three Sides of the Same Coin! This Is How To Manipulate Voters: Ojijo's Guide for Campaign Managers, Politicians and Aspiring Politicians! Other Books Fireplace Stories: Ojijo’s Performance Poems The Half Story of My Life: Follow Your Heart, Live Your Dream I Speak Luo: Conversational Phrases of Luo Language The Luo Nation: History & Culture of Joluo (The Luo People Of Kenya) Luo Traditional Medicine : Curative and Preventive Plant, Animal and Mineral Extracts Tuongee Kiswahili: A Conversational Phrasebook With Audio CDs Eat Rich, Keep Fit-Foods & Exercises for Healthy Living This Is How To Improve School Performance-Responsibilities of Teachers, Students & Non Academic Staff I Am Sorry Father-A True Life Story of HIV-AIDS Teenager  …guide to open religion! 1. my purpose is to be happy, what is yours? 1 33. my greatest commission is peace, what is yours? 12 66. my greatest commandment is love, what is yours? 26 78. my mission, true spirituality, is to help! 31 97. i believe in the laws of nature, do you? 38 126. my religion is universal, how about yours? 54 156. i believe in reason, do you? 66 199. i believe in science, do you? 82 232. i do not need prophets, teachers, or rabbis, do you? 95 255. men and women are different, and not equal 104 268. i do not need a religious text 109 303. i believe true prayer or chant is in action 121 319. i believe in choice, not chance 127 327. god and devil, heaven and hell reside in me 130 403. the afterlife is not my concern 157 415. rituals are not spiritual 161 425. is your god a woman? 164   my purpose is to be happy, what is yours? happiness is the highest good; the purpose of living; and the reason for all actions. religion should not deny me happiness. religion should not deny me pleasure. religion is not about denial of happiness and pleasure. i can live a moral life, and also a pleasurable life. there is no need following prescribed rituals and giving money, and other resources, and not doing what makes me laugh in happiness. being anti-pleasure will not give me a better shot at god, any god, whatsoever. the universe was created by a designer, god, the great spirit, with a plan and purpose. that purpose is for all to be happy, and live a harmonious life. i cannot be sure that i will be rewarded for good with a blissful afterlife full of streets of gold, or several virgins. the proper course of action is the one that maximizes the overall good of the society. it is thus one form of a consequential meaning that the moral worth of an action is determined by its resulting outcome; which outcome should be happiness to me, and other recipients of my action.  the attacks of short little insecure men, hiding behind names and titles, sending everyone on mission impossible are against the real purpose of our lives, the purpose of life, which is to be happy; and to use all resources we have to make it happen. true spirituality had been buried in a big pile of bureaucracy, and the religious establishment used it to gain leverage.  to have power over human beings, to get priority seating in expensive restaurants, and to line their pockets with cash. in the hands of man today, religion continues to be a tool, for good and bad. when men relegate their questioning, inquisitive, analytical nature to their preachers, teachers, prophets, seers, and imams, they leave their fate at the behest of a few short men, standing behind pulpits, interpreting for them the will of god, their purpose in life, and the manner of their happiness. every time through history that men have let their leaders determine their fate, they have gone to war, crusades, campaigns, revolutions, and massacres. every time man leaves so much of their lives to be determined by a few, he must constantly live in fear, war, and more fear. the reign of kings, as the reign of preachers, and republicans, is a reign of wars, campaigns, and more wars. any individual, woman or man, young or old, married or unmarried, who decides to interpret for himself the will of god, the great spirit, and the purpose of his existence, will mercifully escape the tight gripping jaws of religious violence; the hot fire spewed by the mouths of the preachers, they who are the greatest cause of the violent extremism, discord, and wars. the profession of preachers, like that of politicians, is a profession of measuring manhood, and of attempting to control other’s fates. it is the least of all occupations, lacking in true happiness, and full of scheming, backstabbing, gerrymandering, propaganda, and more backstabbing. such is hardly the path to true happiness, unless, of course, happiness lies in controlling others destiny. true happiness is attained by grasping the universals through reason and philosophy, outside the framework of organized religion. religious beliefs have social causes. their appeal lies partly in the fact that they offer a solution--albeit an imaginary one--to the suffering and exploitation of class society. it follows that religious beliefs will likely exist as long as class society exists and will only disappear if class society is abolished. as the inequalities characteristic of class societies are progressively removed, the need for religion will gradually diminish. religion, like political ideologies, will wither away. my personal beliefs, whether political or religious, are irrelevant and meaningless, when it comes to the necessities of life. we are all born naked, needing warmth, food, water, health, clothing, and shelter. every other need is auxiliary. simultaneously, politicians, and religious leaders, with their political, and religious ideologies, are useless. the most important thing is intelligent management of our resources, for our existence. these cannot be accomplished with ideologies which separate us. these need technical skills, not political skills, or religious skills. these need technological advancements, and not religious rituals. religion is used as a vehicle of political and social struggles whose ideological justification is the attempt to build heaven on earth. ultimately, religion, like other radical religious movements, has utopian goals. religion provides no satisfactory strategy for achieving long-term goals, and the only strategy that can deliver is based on a class analysis of society which taken to its logical conclusion undermines the basis for religious belief. organized religion is conditioned to make people feel guilty for natural inclinations, for having natural inclinations, for acting naturally on those inclinations, and for enjoying, or otherwise, suffering the consequences of such inclinations. all national institutions of religion, are nothing other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit. religion uses superstition and belief in the super natural, the unknown, the untested, the unexplainable, to manipulate, dominate, and if need be, to dictate to man what man should taste, eat or drink, how man should sit, sleep or walk, and how man should be happy, or express sadness. religion, whether new or old, foreign, or indigenous, or a mix of new and old, foreign and indigenous, is but a form of witchcraft, a manipulation using superstition. religion is witchcraft. Religion, like witchcraft, is based on rituals, sacrifices, repentance, washing of self, burning of trees and roots, and other such practices. indeed, when conquerors, bring their new religions, and outlaw indigenous religions as witchcraft, they are but installing their own witchcraft. religion is for those who love life; those in love with life. religious human beings are leftists, and they take responsibility for their own lives and relish the adventure of being part of new discoveries, seeking new knowledge, exploring new options. instead of finding solace in prefabricated answers to the great questions of life, i should enjoy the open-endedness of a quest and the freedom of discovery that this entails. true religion is a lifestyle that finds this life long and meaningful, and does so because it urges human beings to live in a manner that is appropriate to their natures. nothing need distract me from the business of living fully, loving fully, sharing fully, and pursuing goals that give purpose and meaning to ones existence. since we have more evidence for the here and now than we will probably ever have for the hereafter, why not assume that this life is all there is and live it to the hilt. if this is correct, i will have lived a long and joyful life. but if there is more beyond the grave, then i may have a heavenly bonus coming as well! i must live my life today. living life is the reason for life. this life is all and enough. for it is in the context of this life that we love, laugh, experience nature, pursue goals, and enjoy triumph. and to better enjoy these things we cultivate courage, bear adversity, and rise up from the ashes of failure. i can live my life today, now! i will find my meaning and joy at this time, not some other time. i will not wait for happiness today; i will create it and experience it. i will revel in my happiness and not let someone or a set of circumstances dictate my happiness. indeed, the world is based upon well being and goodness; goodness and wellbeing abound. as a human being, i have the duty to reach my maximum potential by exercising my abilities to follow and do what makes me happy and gives me greater harmony and peace with myself and with my surrounding. high achievement, peace of mind, joy and a lasting sense of well-being can only come when what i do is consistent with who i am. i am happiest, most effective and most inspired when all areas of my life are aligned with the values that are most meaningful to me. when i align the things i do every day with what my heart and conscience tells i to do every day, i liberate my greatest gifts, which come forth to help i advance my worthwhile aims. this law says that enlightened people walk their talk. when my outer world is fully aligned and congruent with my inner world and my most closely held beliefs, i will know true peace, power and happiness. the very motion of our life is toward happiness. how to get there has always been the question. the purpose of life is to be happy. happy in what career i have, happy in my relationships, happy in my health and fitness status; happy in my spiritual beliefs and happy in the knowledge that i have made an impact, that someone has lived a better life because i dared to help, because i dared to share. purpose is what gives life a meaning. the purpose of life is to be happy. life was meant to be enjoyed. i am not an accident; i have a purpose; to be happy. happiness is the difference between being an achiever, and being successful. it is not enough to be an achiever; i must accomplish things which make me happy. happiness is an end in itself, but achievement only breeds more desire for achievement. the more one has, the more one wants, since satisfactions received only stimulate instead of filling needs. some achievements are not successes, because they do not make us happy. if i have the money, but cannot make love to my wife, or talk to my daughter, or visit my brothers, or enjoy a nature walk, then i have achieved (riches); but i am not successful. i should not keep my interests on the fruition of deeds but rather on the tranquility produced in the mind by pursuing the deed itself. this is success; this is being happy. at anytime, even now, i can decide to alter the course of my life. no one can take that away from me. i control my destiny. i do not have to work on a particular job. i do not have to buy from anyone. i do not have to participate in any relationship. i do not have to eat anything; or refrain from anything, food or drink. i choose what i want. i can choose. the choice is mine. the next move is mine. it is always my next move. the purpose of my life is to be happy. my purpose is evidenced in doing what i truly love to do. seeking happiness, and being happy, will give me inner peace and contentment. this inner peace will in turn create harmony between the inside and the outside, and when there is harmony, i will be happy, and i will succeed. when the energy within me is in sync with the outside forces of nature, then i will be happier. when i am on purpose, my goals will guide me towards the good that i desire, and through the universal law of attraction and vibration, the good i desire will be moving in my direction. there is a law that determines whether i will be happy, or not, in my life; the law that helps me to answer the question, am i happy? this is the universal law of happiness, also called the law of being and doing, my thoughts and actions should make me happy. from this law is derived from the final question; also called the only question; ‘whatever i am thinking or doing right now, does it make me happy?’ if it does, then i am in line with the law of happiness, and i will enjoy the fruits of happiness. to determine whether i am happy, i should be peaceful, calm and secure. with peace, i can smile, laugh, show gratitude, work, and be nice to anyone; everyone. the true measure of happiness is peace.  my greatest commission is peace, what is yours? whereas the current religious practices spend vast resources in showing how they are different from each other, the main essence of religion ought to be peace, which peace cannot be achieved without harmony. however, this is not the case with current religions. leaders of the world constantly argue that their religions are about peace. this is completely untrue. religions across the world are the number one source of war, deplorable living standards, and heinious crimes. the major religions today are not about peace. nor are they about war. every religion is about absolute belief in its own superiority and the divine right to impose its version of truth upon others. subsequently, all religions are inherently violent, and peaceful, at the same time. the essence of religion is peace. the truly universal, human religions is based on that notion that makes men pray; that notion that makes men to make pilgrimage to their rivers, hills, cities, or places of worship. peace! any religion or spiritual movement that approves of outrageous cruelty and injustice is not universal because it is anti-human ideals. in civilized legal systems, a fundamental principle is that the suffering of the innocent is the essence of injustice. god, the great spirit, cannot repeatedly violate this moral precept by harming innocent human beings. knowing that my path brings peace and joy will give me the courage to politely, patiently, and peacefully seek to show the others, through my lifestyle, that my way is the only way. not the best way, not the most relevant way. not the most rewarding way, but the only way. the way of peace, harmony and unity. i will not need to prove that it works. i am the proof that it works. if i am having chaos, internal and external, then i am in the path. i have left the path, i am not moving at all. it is like seeking to defend a lion. i do not need to defend a lion.  i just need to let him out of his cage. and god, the great spirit, is in no cage. when i have the truth, i have nothing to fear. i do not need to burn books or censor speech.  truth is its own best defense. it is hence stupefying that some elements go ahead to not only defend the truth by violent acts, but even defend, and fight, and kill, and die, in the name of their gods, for their gods, the god who supposedly created them; as if the one who created heavens an earth, cannot protect herself, defend herself, against mere mortals of men. instances of cruel and unjust behavior by the various religious gods, are seen in the most basic religious doctrines. god, the great spirit, operating under any name, and in any culture, cannot be god, the great spirit, and at the same time, damn the whole human race and curse the entire creation because of the acts of two human beings, allegedly the forefathers of the human race. he cannot drown pregnant women and innocent children and animals at the time of the flood; he cannot torment the a race and their animals with hail and disease because their king refused to let ‘his’ people leave; and he cannot kill babies as mark of a feast, and order ‘his’ people to celebrate this infanticide. indeed, he cannot order his believers to exterminate the men, women, and children of other nations, his creation, and steal their land; he cannot kill human beings babies of adultery; he cannot require the torture and murder of his own son; and he cannot promise to send non-believers to eternal torture. the great spirit cannot have the morals of a sociopathic mass murderer. such sadistic tendencies end up being adopted by the believers, fighting in the name of god, the great spirit, elsewhere referred to different name, these sadistic tendencies by employing a variety of other means to torment and kill human beings are against laws of nature; laws of peaceful coexistence. the great spirit cannot curse earth to open and swallow entire families; he cannot use fire to devour human beings; and he cannot punish some races with wars, famines, and pestilences. indeed, the great spirit, being interested in harmony, cannot send wild animals such as bears, lions, and serpents to attack human beings; he cannot sanction slavery; he cannot order religious persecution; and he cannot cause cannibalism. the great spirit can also not be guilty of inflicting punishments that are grossly disproportionate to the acts committed. such disproportion violates the laws of nature, which prohibit cruel and unusual punishments. obviously, to punish human beings who are completely innocent constitutes punishment that is horribly disproportionate to the moral culpability of the recipients. and there are other instances where the current religious god’s punishments are shockingly harsh compared to the acts committed. god, the great spirit, did not prescribe execution for the crimes of working on a given day which is allegedly meant for worship; who cursing ones parents; who worship other god, the great spirits; enticing a friend or family member to worship other god; being a witch, medium, or wizard; engaging in homosexual acts; and not being a virgin on ones wedding night. all these are creations of man. there is no need doctrine of eternal punishment. if it was natural to reason, god, the great spirit, punishes men with eternal torment; it is surely lawful for men to use doses of it (reason) in a good cause. i will accept as valid only such body of knowledge that leads to emancipation of the community, whether empirical or not. so speaking hence, i must hold “reason” to be the paramount basis for knowledge; hence any information must be validated rationally before use as a reliable basis for action. all historical violent and unjust acts supported by divine teachings in the scriptures of the believers. the inquisition; the crusades; the burning of witches; the religious wars; the pogroms against; the slavery; the persecution of other weaker states, tribes and peoples; the forceful conversions of “heathens”; the beatings of children; the brutal treatment of the mentally ill; suppression of scientists; and the whippings, mutilations, and violent executions of persons convicted of crimes are neither godly, nor natural. religion has created obstacles and superstitions to confuse and baffle the mindset of the seeking individual. these false beliefs stand in the way of true spiritual progress. maybe there is truth in the idea that without religion, human beings, or anyway some of them, would be unspeakably horrible. of course, plenty of religious people are unspeakably horrible. however, religion, just like money, is neutral. it can be used to cause happiness, morality, and goodness; or to sow political strife, violent discord, and untold sorrow. sometimes religion motivates violence, and sometimes it is used, even manipulated, to justify violence. there also is violence unrelated to religion that gets religiously charged because the conflicting parties happen to be of different faiths. organized religions of the world have killed more innocent human beings than all the major wars of the twentieth century combined, all in the name of god, the great spirit. some religion. the most common, most viral, and most heinous type of conflict is between religions, denominations and factions. some of the bloodiest conflict in history has resulted from the various religions. they fight for political positions and control of key positions of leadership and governance, and call it religious. they fight to control natural resources, and call it religious. the pursuit of truth does not permit violence being inflicted on ones opponent, for whatever reason, except to defend oneself. all religions are ‘oppo-sames’. they were created by the same force to achieve the same effect and, therefore, the saviour-god myths throughout the ancient world have an identical game plan. i am born with original sin and so i am unworthy from the day i arrive on the planet. i can only be saved by believing in the ‘saviour’ and that means doing what the rabbis, priests, sheikhs, and prophets tell me to do. if i do not do that, i will be condemned to the bowels of hell forever. the same state of mind with a different name, ultimately controlled by the same people, massive prisons of the mind, suppressors of the female, and creators of bloody conflict, texts written in esoteric code for the masses to take literally. the human race has been manipulated and controlled through religion. the religions were firmly established to control the masses. what guilt and terror this has created over thousands of years. of course it is not true. it is all make-believe, conjured up by the few to control the minds of the masses. believed that people were motivated by, and controllable through, the use of fear and hope. problem with religion in general is not that anyone believes it, that is their right, what must be challenged is the way it has been imposed upon people through the use of fear, guilt, violence and the suppression of alternative thought. religion is truly an opiate of the masses. a delusion. to this end hence, the ultimate test of truth is a rationalist enquiry to the cause and effect of an act. i believe truth is found through valid inductive and deductive “reasoning”. orthodox religion often conflicts with enlightened self-interest. religion controls the minds and limits the thinking of men. religions were designed to imprison the mind and engulf the emotions with fear and guilt. usually based on some ‘saviour-god’ figure and only by believing in them and following their dictates can we find ‘god’ and be saved. those who refuse to believe this hogwash are condemned to stoke the fires of hell for all eternity. intellectual and spiritual activities of the people were paralysed by complete obedience to the dogma formulated by the priestcraft. If anyone requires confirmation of how easy it is for the few to control the masses, they need look no further than the billions of people who have worshipped the fairy tales peddled these past 2,000 years by men in long frocks. And what goes for one religion, goes for the rest of them. religions, institutionalized, are racist, violent, sexist, gender biased, machoistic, patraichial and sectarian. They paint god to be racist, and selective amon the people ofteh world, referring white over black, blessing the white, cursing the black, and among the whites, preferring a supposed people as his own, over the other whites. have sought to create a world in which the male energy has called the shots. There is the suppression of the female energy, the intuitive connection to higher levels of our consciousness. Once our feminine energy is suppressed our intuition is killed and we are isolated from your highest expression of love, wisdom and knowledge, and become at the mercy of the manipulated ‘information’ bombarding our eyes and ears. when a few men are oppressed by an opposing group, they then need, and create a tyrant of a deity, ruthless, blood thirsty and arrogant, to use to suppress, exploit and control “the others”. they then sell this cruel, fascist, terrible god to the oppressed, weak and conquered nations around the world selling the idol as the universal god at gun point, while describing their victims as idol worshippers, and littering their civilization with a trail of blood. the crusaders unleashed unprovoked attacks and invasions of other nations, slaughtering women, men, and children in their millions through the slave trade, to usher in their “civilization”. their unbridled selfish ego even get them to fight each other, one civilization against another, one religion against another, but most of the time, they are working together, in unison, to inflict on the helpless, exploited poor of the world, racism, apartheid, the on-going slaughter in various parts of the world leading to the mindless forfeiture of lives of millions of unlucky youths in wars around the world. the religious institutions were established on such malicious and inhuman bobby-trap cushion of thorns, laced with a monumental narrowness of mind, maintaining the impossible to be true and insisting that the records they present were divinely inspired. the religious writings and texts are an invention designed to manufacture a new prison-religion. The books and all the characters in it – prophets, gods, etc, are all are fictional. the authors created the story and the characters; they tied the story to a specific time and place in history; and they connected it with some peripheral actual people, such as kings, events, catstrophes, etc. but everyone involved with are created (that is fictiotional!) characters. there is no need to defend god, and further, to die while doing so is stupid. however, tens of millions of people have died in the name of the so-called ‘Prince of Peace’. religions are sexist, and gender are not equal. “no women could enter heaven except those ‘submissive to control, who had considered their husbands lords”’. wives submit to your husbands in everything. suffering not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” religions built to represent and perpetuate the extreme male vibration as the only sources of knowledge, resulted in the persecution of ‘witches’ - channellers, mediums, psychics and seers of all kinds. channellers were given names like prophets, oracles, vessels of god and such like. thousands of women tortured and executed for being witches. circulating unapproved knowledge, religions fear sexual energy, the creative force. The reason for demeaning women. And hiding omens beauty. insisted that on no account should you enjoy it. the work of the flesh only in such measure as is necessary for the procreation of children. connected sex with original sin, the idea that we are born sinners. billions of people have been controlled and manipulated in this way since the religious creeds sink their fangs of fear, guilt and violence, deep into the human spirit. our spiritual, mental, emotional and physical levels of being are connected by vortices of energy. thus when we get very emotionally stressed, or excited, the first thing that happens is that we stop thinking straight these energies are imbalanced. we get the ‘butterflies’ and ‘nervous stomachs’. they make us feel bad about our natural feelings. but sex is wonderful. It is to be enjoyed. the ability to express my love physically for another human being is an incredible gift. sexual energy is just that, energy, and can be used to create or destroy. sexual intercourse is seen, quite rightly, as the union and balance of the male and female. sex can equally be used to set us free and hence the (religious) obsession with making sex into a dirty, immoral, guilt-ridden experience which suppresses or imbalances the energy and delinks the person from their cosmic levels of self must be dispensed with by all sexy women. religion has caused widespread bloodshed, innocents to be tortured, maimed, and burned all in the name of god, the great spirit, yet those ungodly acts did not increase the spirit of humankind by even the smallest measure. religion has divided humankind into hostile groups, pitting families and nations against each other. as the ancient religions grew in power, so has world disharmony grown; war and upheaval happen on a daily basis in our society of today.  my greatest commandment is love, what is yours? when i do not love myself, i cannot give love, or receive love. life’s fulfillment emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals. we aim for our fullest possible development and animate our lives with a deep sense of purpose, finding wonder and awe in the joys and beauties of human existence, its challenges and tragedies, and even in the inevitability and finality of death. human beings ought to rely on the rich heritage of human culture and the life-stance of humanism to provide comfort in times of want and encouragement in times of plenty. humans are social by nature and find meaning in relationships. humans long for and strive toward a world of mutual care and concern, free of cruelty and its consequences, where differences are resolved cooperatively without resorting to violence. the joining of individuality with independence enriches our lives, encourages us to enrich the lives of others, and inspires hope of attaining peace, justice, and opportunity for all. working to benefit society maximizes individual happiness. progressive cultures have worked to free humanity from the brutalities of mere survival and to reduce suffering, improve society, and develop global community. we seek to minimize the inequities of circumstance and ability, and we support a just distribution of natures resources and the fruits of human effort so that as many as possible can enjoy a good life. the greatest commandment is love as the pillar of humanity, life and survival in a harmonious setting. if hence follows that the greatest spirituality is a show of love. and love cannot be shown through violent jihad, killing human beings, suicide bombing, crusades, racial discrimination, or theft of natural resource sin the name of civilization. love is shown when the satisfied feed the hungry; the strong defend the weak; the courageous stand by the coward. love is shown when those who have give those who do not have. when the young help the old. when the healthy take care of the sick. when the learned teach the ignorant. love is in protecting the environment. we are obligated to future generations to protect our world. clean air, clean water, green open spaces, national parks and p reservation of our natural resources are everyone’s business. human beings are dependent creatures . each of us must accept responsibility and do our part. we can be active supporters. we can pick up litter in parks and streets without worrying how it got there. helping shows love, the best religion. i will treat other human beings as equals and help them because it is the right thing to do. when i can help others who cannot possibly help me in return, then i have learned humility, i have learned love. this is the universal law of love; that we should love fellow men as we love ourselves. none of us truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.’ the creative force of life itself is love. the best way to relate to all is through the universal law of love. helping others brings joy. a joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love. the greatest commandment is the commandment of love. how can we claim to love god whom we have not seen, when we do not love our neighbors who we see every day. even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted, for having someone to call their own. the more that human beings feel that i am open and empathetic and sensitive to their needs and concerns, the more open they will be amenable to my influencing them positively in some way. the more i can influence others with the power and impact of my personality, the more i will accomplish, and the faster i will accomplish, the more rapidly i will move toward the great success that i desire and deserve. the belief and practice in helping others is the best religion of mankind. all other religions emphasize this fact; it is the essence of love, which is the greatest commandment. helping others is also the essence of giving, and the essence of selflessness, and the essence of caring and kindness. helping someone clarifies our spirituality. it is the greatest duty of humanity. it is indeed humanity itself. i will help someone today! ‘the liberal soul shall be made rich. and he that waters shall be watered also.’ a little generosity goes a long way. when i give, human beings will return the favor to me and i will be known as a generous person. ‘to be able to give away riches is mandatory if i wish to possess them. this is the only way that i will be truly rich.’. ‘successful human beings are always looking for opportunities to help others. unsuccessful human beings are always asking, ‘what’s in it for me? indeed, ‘the basket which goes to the neighbor comes back full.’ religion is that which serves the personal and social needs of all humanity. to serve personal needs, we do not have to believe in any moral code, or mode of dressing, we just have to do what we would rather human beings did to us. simple!  my mission, true spirituality, is to help! true religion is spiritual. there is not, and can never be, any distinction between religion and spirituality. spirituality is not belief in spirits, in god, the great spirit, and in spiritual things such as places of eternal suffering, or eternal bliss; heaven or hell; paradise or limbo; reincarnation or resurrection; and so on and so forth. no. true spiritualism is in living a harmonious life with nature. a life of loving others as we love ourselves. a life of doing unto others as e would expect to be done unto us. a life of helping. a life of love. religion, as practiced today, is institutionalized spirituality. however, institutions are not pretty. institution strive for relevance, power, and control. institutions are led by men and women who have own personal agenda, vendetta and biases. institutions hence become biased, and reflect the character of their human leaders. they become racist; they become ethnocentric; they become biased; and they become political. institutions end up perpetuating ills and good in equal measure; they cause as much progress as they cause regress; they cause as much war as they cause peace. religion is hence outdated, harmful to the individual (e.g. brainwashing of children, faith healing, circumcision), harmful to society (e.g. holy wars, terrorism, wasteful distribution of resources), harmful and impeding to the progress of science, to exert social control, and to encourage immoral acts (e.g. blood sacrifice, discrimination against homosexuals and women). religions require beliefs that are irrational, unscientific, or unreasonable, because religious beliefs and traditions lack scientific or rational foundations. and whereas religion has sediments of utility, the observance of natural laws will bring far more utility than observance of religious beliefs, which comes as power structures, intertwined with human complexes of ego, ethnicity, and politics. the history and scriptures of the world's religions tell stories of violence and war as they speak of peace and love. because religions claim divine favor for themselves, over and against other groups, this sense of righteousness leads to violence because conflicting claims to superiority, based on unverifiable appeals to God, cannot be adjudicated objectively. religions do tremendous harm to society by using violence to promote their goals, in ways that are endorsed and exploited by their leaders. all monotheistic religions are inherently violent because of an exclusivism that inevitably fosters violence against those that are considered outsiders. Indeed, some religions have a violent legacy, which legacies are actually genocidal in nature. matter of fact, whereas atheism does not systematically influence human beings to commit violence; religions actively call on believers to take arms. i will not be bound by the bureaucratic structure and creeds of a particular organized religion. organised religion is a step below true spiritualism, and historical acts by religious organizations, the marginalization and persecution of various minorities, the inquisitions and crusades, are all acts which are performed by human beings who are below others in enlightenment, self-knowledge and understanding of nature. all national institutions of religions are nothing but human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit; and once in a while, to give, if only to take away. it does not matter what an individual calls himself in the religion he practices; it is just a shade of the main colours. all religions are but shades of truth. that which matters to god, the great spirit, is not known, as god, the great spirit has not expressed his will that succinctly. however that which matters to an individual is known by the result of the action, as every action draws a reaction, and if the reaction is happiness, and harmony, then it matters, and if the reaction is sadness and disarray, then it matters not. in order to receive what we want, we need to give others what they want. to avoid getting what we do not want, we should avoid giving others what they do not want and so on. indeed, the greatest sadness is caused by what we do to others, rather than what others do to us. i can ask myself: do i often give others happiness or unpleasant experiences? do i help others who are unhappy? how often do i blame human beings instead of praising them? what can i do with fame, what will it really bring me? spiritual practice is difficult in the beginning. i wonder how on earth i can ever do it. but as i get used to it, the practice gradually becomes easier. i will not be too stubborn or push myself too hard. if i practice in accord with my individual capacity, little by little i will find more pleasure and joy in it. as i gain inner strength, my positive actions will gain in profundity and scope. a mala (rosary) are not sufficient. and why not? because this cannot transform my mind. our negative emotions are so powerful that constant effort is needed in order to counteract them. if we practise constantly, then we can definitely change. when we are humble everyone is a potential best friend and our generosity naturally grows. we want to do things, to help out. the virtue gained through performing a good deed is immense. so, secretly mending anothers’ robes or taking down someones’ laundry and folding it before the rain comes. or a beautiful poem, unsigned. sometimes the washrooms are miraculously cleaned overnight. and flowers spontaneously appear in a neighbors yard. secret good deeds. they are so much fun. in their doing i cant help but smile. religion is not the requirement. being a spiritual being has nothing to do with religion. god, the great spirit, did not sanction any religion upon the earth. none whatsoever; god, the great spirit, is not of one religion, or another. true spiritualists are concerned for the well being of all, are committed to diversity, and respect those of differing yet humane views. we work to uphold the planetary duty to protect natures integrity, diversity, and beauty in a secure, sustainable manner. the true substance of religion is the role it plays in the lives of individuals and the life of the community. doctrines may differ from denomination to denomination, and new doctrines may replace old ones, but the purpose religion serves for human beings remains the same. if we define the substance of a thing as that which is most lasting and universal, then the function of religion is the core of it. it is immoral to wait for god, the great spirit, to act for us. we must act to stop the wars and the crimes and the brutality of this and future ages. we have powers of a remarkable kind. we have a high degree of freedom in choosing what we will do. whatever our philosophy of the universe may be, ultimately the responsibility for the kind of world in which we live rests with us. this is the universal law of truth. i must embrace the philosophy of imagination. intuitive feelings, hunches, speculation, flashes of inspiration, emotion, altered states of consciousness, and even religious experience, while not valid means to acquire knowledge, remain useful sources of ideas that can lead us to new ways of looking at the world. these ideas, after they have been assessed rationally for their usefulness, can then be put to work, often as alternative approaches for solving problems.  i believe in the laws of nature, do you? there is a force behind nature, controlling, through natural laws, the events on earth. physical events occur according to immutable natural laws. and knowledge of those laws enhances humankinds ability to predict future events and control human destiny; every law that can be realized through reason by all men, of all races. indeed, the universe as a vast machine, created and set in motion by a creator being, that continues to operate according to natural law, without any divine intervention. this force behind the creation requires we behave in a given way, as human beings, despite our race, colour, etc. just as we all urinate, shit, and eat through common venues, so must we do certain things, as human beings, as universal race, by applying laws of reason. through the laws of nature, god, the great spirit, gives to her creation a promise of inner peace and harmony when we live in peace and harmony with ourselves, fellow mankind and environment. any claim, belief, or knowledge, which is inconsistent with the laws of nature, is wrong and harmful. the laws of nature i will not change, cannot be violated, and have acted uniformly over time. this uniformity or constancy of natural laws is the methodological assumption making science practicable, life bearable, and the future hopeful. the fact that the physical world operates according to unchanging natural laws, forms the basis of studying the world, conducting experiments, or otherwise learning from experience. understanding the true application of natural laws reveals not miracles but the natural order of god, the great spirit, working as it was meant to be. the universe is natural, and god, the great spirit, is known through relation with nature, understanding nature, all the ghosts and angels are myths. there is no master in the entire wide world, not even in infinite space. individuals and communities, where communities of interest, or geographical communities, which work against these natural laws set forth by the great spirit bring chaos and great suffering upon themselves, which in turn can be alleviated by positive thinking and positive action. working with god, the great spirits laws, and not against them, can correct even the most negative transgressions committed by humankind. man has discovered the scientific calculation of some natural laws, like law of gravity, energy, acceleration and velocity, and used them to defeat nature for his happiness and suffering, mostly, suffering; however, man has not discovered some natural laws, but they exist. here are a few of god, the great spirits natural laws, governing the physical dimension, just note, there are many more but these below will give me an idea of how things are governed in the physical dimension. law of karma implies cause and effect. it is simply a philosophical term, do good and good will come to me, and do bad and bad will come to me in this life or the next. individuals bring upon themselves cause and effect for their own individual progression in the physical dimension. we create cause by our very thoughts, good or bad, which set in motion the effect that we must deal with me n our life. whether we bring forth-positive thoughts or negative thoughts-we are responsible for how our lives play out. if i am not happy, its not someone else’s fault, it is my own individual thoughts that have placed me on this path. change begins with me. whatever i do comes back to me sooner or later. do good and good will come forth. do bad and bad will come to me. the universal law of cause and effect proves that now is only an effect of past causes. law of action and reaction states that all actions must meet equal reaction in punishment. indeed, there exists swift, equal and immediate punishment for all wrongs done against individual and against the humankind in proportion to the harm done and as per the laws set by the men, applying natural reason. the terrible suffering which is inflicted upon human beings by hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, and drought are all reactions to earlier actions; and effects or causes. the great spirit neither permits them to occur, nor prevents them from occurring, rather, they are a product of natures forces; natures move towards balance, unity and harmony. the natural laws or what some have termed the universal laws of god, the great spirit, are designed to regulate all that occurs within the scope of the created physical dimension. nothing occurs outside these natural laws, for all individuals are governed and subject to their effects. those who claim to have witnessed a miracle or some divine supernatural event simply i will not understand the way god, the great spirits laws work. the law of harmony states that everything i do in one area of my life should flow into other areas of my life. this is the theory and practice of harmonious living; this is the universal law of harmony. when i volunteer, it should be in such a way to make me happier, richer, healthier, and build my self esteem and career expertise. when i make money, i should also be happier, volunteer, build my self esteem, become healthier, and experience adventure. the practice of religion should make me richer, happier, healthier, and more experienced. without a doubt, when i do one thing, it should flow into helping me achieve another goal in another area of my life. this is harmony. when i can leverage one thing i do to help me achieve the next goal, then i am harmonious, and this is the law of harmony. i must not entertain a compartmentalized life, but rather, a unified life. nature is harmonious, nature seeks balance. life is part of nature. life ought to be harmonious. this harmony between and amongst all activities i do will lead to harmony with my environment, harmony with nature, and consequently, peace. when i have balance within, i will have balance without. when i have harmony in the inside, i will have harmony in the outside. this is the theory of harmony. the universal law of harmonious leaving. the law of one thing states that in achieving my goals, i ought to give the most of my energy, time, skills and other resources to the most important tasks, my priorities. this will give me the greatest output. it is the law of doing one thing at a time, also called the law of planned neglect: to deliberately neglect everything else and only do that which will make me progress towards my success. life is like mountain climbing; i must leave behind all unnecessary weight and only carry the equipment necessary for the climb. i will prioritize my goals today. the law of one thing requires me to say no to the good in order to say yes to the best. the law of one thing requires me to do one thing after the other. the law of one thing requires me to list all my possible actions, and act on one thing at a time; solve one problem at a time; do one ting at a time-the law of one thing. to only do that whose results i need to have. i will not hunt an animal i cannot kill. i will not hunt an animal i do not want to kill. the law of one thing requires that i do one thing at a time. the world's greatest achievements were made by people who gave the task in front of them their undivided attention. if something does not deserve my undivided attention, maybe it is not worth doing at all. this will allow me to realize and make full use of my opportunities, and control the threats i face. the law of leverage states that i can use less to achieve more; that i should use less to achieve more; that i ought to use less resources to achieve more results. it is the law of working smart, the law of leverage; leverage is the ability to do more and more with less and less. the universal law of seasons states that every season changes, not only in time of occurrence, but in the colour of clouds; in the amount of moisture on the earth; and in the shades of flowers and leaves. today, i will change with the times. i will change my dressing style, or the clothes themselves; i will change my walking style, or the shoes i put on; i will change my talking style, or the words is speak; i will change the job, or how i do it. either way, i need to change something. this is the natural law of seasons. my change must not only be internal, but also external. i cannot continue doing the same things i did in the last season, and expect new things in this present season. i must learn to change. i must learn to quite. things will continue being mind-numbing, monotonous, and flat till i start doing something new; things will not stop being dull, dreary and dry till i stop doing something old of last year. i must change. law of attraction states that i attract those who are like me, if i am negative then negative will be attracted to me, if i be positive then positive will be drawn to me. it is a fundamental law of the universe that if i do not think i deserve something then i will most certainly not get it. it is based on the related law of truth. this is the universal law of truth, the wisdom and knowledge of positive thinking. law of happiness is truism that determines whether i will be happy or not in my life; the law that helps me to answer the question, am i happy? this is the law of happiness, also called the law of being and doing, my thoughts and actions should make me happy. from this law is derived the final question; also called the only question; whatever i am thinking or doing right now, does it make me happy? if it does, then i am in line with the law of happiness, and i will enjoy the fruits of happiness. to determine whether i am happy, i should be peaceful, calm and secure. with peace, i can smile, laugh, show gratitude, work, and be nice to anyone. the true measure of happiness is peace. law of truth is the wisdom and knowledge of positive thinking. this law states that thoughts are things, and that, we become what we think. i need to think about something that will make me feel good at every moment of the day. i will monitor my thoughts consistently throughout the day. i will deliberately avoid self-destructive thoughts. what goes on in the mind vibrates in the body, and makes the body to move. this is the true manifestation of the universal law of karma, the law of cause and effect. i create cause by my very own thoughts, good or bad, which set in motion the effect that i must deal with in my life. whether i bring forth-positive thoughts or negative thoughts-i am responsible for how my life will play out. we are all responsible for our actions in this physical life. if i am not happy, it is not someone elses fault; it is my own individual thoughts that have placed me on this path. change begins with me. worry often gives a small thing a big shadow. all thoughts affect everything in the physical dimension; thoughts have force and interact upon everything else. nothing goes untouched. law of association states that the unit reflects the characters of the whole. that the individual is influenced by the group consequently, bad company spoils good morals. this is the universal law of association. i must choose my friends cautiously and warily. and if a friend causes me to have headaches and stress, then it is time to move on. law of freedom is basically free will given to each individual to follow their path or blueprint in life or to alter that path at anytime time and go down another path. an unwritten law that is of god, the great spirit, states that no one can overshadow or take control of my mental or physical abilities against my will. no one from the spiritual or physical dimensions can manipulate me without my consent. the universal law of freedom; that free will is given to each individual, to follow their path or blueprint in life or to alter that path at anytime time and go down another path. i have free will in order for me to advance my own personal growth; to live my life based on my needs and not to be led by those who would use me for their advancement. the recognition of the principle of tacit personal creation can further increase personal power and responsibility. when i realize that i personally create all my thoughts, meanings, knowledge, feelings, and emotions, i become more powerful. if i think in terms of he upset me, i relinquish personal power. so the bottom line is; i get exactly what i perceive. i am free-free to think, to express my thoughts-free to live my own ideal, free to live for myself and those i loved, free to use all my faculties, all my senses, free to spread imaginations wings, free to investigate, to guess and dream and hope, free to judge and determine for myself . . . i am free. law of probabilities states that today, if i keep trying things in ways that increase the probabilities of success, i will certainly get better results. this is the universal law of probabilities, which says the more things i try, the more likely one of them will work. the more books i read, the more likely one of them will have an answer to a question that could solve the major problems of my life, to make me wealthier or to solve a health problem, whatever it might be. doing something over and over improves the probability of attraction and increases the odds of getting what it is that i want. this is the secret of attraction. the law of compensation, a restatement of the universal law of sowing and reaping; that i will always be compensated for my efforts and for my contribution, whatever it is, however much or however little. this law of compensation states that i can never be compensated in the long term for more than i put in. there is no such thing as something for nothing wrote napoleon hill. the income i earn today is my compensation for what i did in my yesterday, in the past. if i want to increase my compensation, i must increase the value of my contribution. i will recognize that every goal i want to achieve, everything i want to accomplish, requires time, and effort. the law of love states that god, the great spirit, the great spirit is all unconditional love; therefore all love is god, the great spirit, the great spirit, very simple indeed. the creative force of life itself is love. i will treat other human beings as equals and help them because it is the right thing to do. when i can help others who cannot possibly help me in return, then i have learned humility, i have learned love. this is the universal law of love; that we should love fellow men as we love ourselves. the prophet muhammad (s) said, none of i truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself. the creative force of life itself is love. the best way to relate to all is through the universal law of love. helping others brings joy. she added, a joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love. the greatest commandment is the commandment of love. indeed, how can we claim to love god whom we have not seen, when we do not love our neighbors who we see every day. even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted, for having someone to call their own. the law of averages states that the more chances i take, the more likely i will succeed. the law of averages is the law of creating opportunities by doing something many times. it is the law of persistence. it is the law of determination. it is the law of diligence. those who succeed in life are those who are determined and resolute. success in any activity is the result of persistence. the law of averages is also called the law of probabilities. it is also called the law of perfection. to be perfect in something, i must do it over and over again. doing something over and over improves ‘the probability of success’ and increases the odds of getting what it is that i want. according to the law of control, since the potential to achieve my dreams lies in my thoughts, i should trust and act on my inspired thoughts. i will consider new opportunities and options that come my way. the forces of nature have a way of unintentionally leading me exactly to where i want to go. i will believe and act as if no one can overshadow or take control of my mental or physical abilities against my will. no one from the spiritual or physical dimensions can manipulate me without my consent. this is the universal law of control; that we control what we do. nothing ever happened in the past; it happened in the now. nothing ever happened in the future, it will happen in the now. i will stop trying to make things perfect. the real world does not reward perfectionists; it rewards human beings who get things done. i will act today, i will act now! the law of reciprocity; that what we do to others, they will do to us, they will then help me reach my goals and dreams. human beings want to help me, but in order to help me; i must show i am willing to help them. i must help them, in however small a fashion! my goal in talking to human beings is to figure out their goals and dreams, and how to help them achieve them, and following the universal law of reciprocity; that what we do to others, they will do to us, they will then help me reach my goals and dreams. human beings want to help me, but in order to help me; i must show i am willing to help them. i must help them, in however small a fashion! the law of opulence; there is nothing of which further improvement is not possible. i will improve my career skills today. the law of running states that i must always act to receive goodness, or escape badness in my life. it is restated as the law of the jungle, or the law of lion and gazelle, thus: every morning a gazelle wakes up. it knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. every morning a lion wakes up. it knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. it doesn’t matter whether i am a lion or a gazelle. when the sun comes up, i better start running. through the universal laws of accumulation, the small amount will attract bigger and bigger amounts.  my religion is universal, how about yours? the true religion is universal, and has a name in each culture of the world; it has always existed, and will always exist. it believes in universal maxims, pillars and wholly applicable truisms; it has a relationship with all social systems, including politics, gender roles, etc, but it is universal, such that, any judge, nature, would grant the same token of peace, for equal measure of synchronous behavior. religion comes from fear of the unknown. the frightening unknown, thunder, death, disease, the supernatural, when good and acceptable, then became god; and when bad and loathed, became satan, the devil. it is that religion that is open, and which allows a pious believer, by whatever name called, and in whatever part of the world, or type of building of prayer, or direction of prayer, or number of prayers per day, to enjoy the promise of the creator; the promise of life, which is peace, coming out of harmonious existence with fellow men, and nature. this universal religion, open religion, is concentrated in certain universal pillars: the confession of faith; the prayer ritual; fasting; giving alms for the poor; and the pilgrimage. we are world citizens. our religion is to do good. our religions is to be happy. consequently, it should be in order for me to practice any religion i want, however i want, so long as i am excused from the long term doctrinal commitments which are a product of adulteration of religious belief with cultural practices; the cultures of the geographical sources of such religions. indeed, religions narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature as understood by the cultures which founded the religions. accordingly, the roughly 4,200 religions in the world represent the cultures, ethics, lifestyles and morality of 4,200 tribes, communities and human beings. the pillars of all religions are the same, and the goal is one; they all preach peace, harmony, development of self and recognition of the supernatural, the deity, the creator. the current sects, splits, denominations, cults and have been adulterated by politics, shaped by individual cultures, and implemented for personal gain, hence causing wars, and suffering unforetold; causing more division that unity; and shading more blood than tears of joy. peace does not come by edge of the sword, and fighting for or on behalf of god, the great spirit, and his supposed prophets is foolish. that true religion is practiced at heart. this religion is open religion. this is my religion! normal human beings share the same basic survival and growth needs. we all belong to the same species and reproduce our own kind. so it should come as no surprise to anyone that we can have common interests and concerns. there is need to preserve the best ethical teachings in the religious traditions of humankind, many of which we share in common. we need to reject those features of traditional religious morality that deny humans a full appreciation of their own potentialities and responsibilities. humanity is one, with similar fears, fear for chaos, hunger, disease and pain. and we have the same expectations, the expectation for peace, food, health and relief. the highest good is the greatest pleasure or happiness to the greatest majority, achieved when there is full realization of one's capacities or potentialities. what is good is hence that which leads to realization of one’s potential and capabilities and hence happiness to the individual. however, whereas humanity is one, and hence our fears and hopes beginning the same, leading to a proposition for one truth; the many different religions are promoting different versions of the truth, however, there cannot even be two versions of truth, leave alone 10,000 or so versions, as evidenced in the 10,000 religions of the world. if everyone had their own version of the truth, there would be conflicting versions, the chaos, and strife, and war, and suffering. because one human beings would want to force another human beings to live according to their version of the truth, and there would be uprisings, upheavals, and revolutions. it is impossible for all religions to be true. indeed, if one religion was essentially true, then another would be essentially false. however, a matter can be half true, and half false. just as water can be half hot, and half cold, in which case, it is lukewarm. however, it is possible for all religions to have some shade of truth, and some shade of untruth. each religion makes bold, fundamental assertions about reality that are not compatible with the others. for instance, some state that divinity is present in everything. others assert that god, the great spirit, is distinctly separate from what he has created. some claim that the world, which god created, is evil, and we should go to heaven; our real home. the implications of these different views run very deep, and they are fundamentally incompatible.  it is logically impossible for both views to be true. the great spirit is peace. all paths that do not lead towards peace are not leading towards the great spirit. there are important human behaviors which seem to persist across cultural lines may be rooted in the genes. many of the most basic features of culture and civilization could be natural to our species. many of our behaviors are similar as well. the existence of certain genetic behaviors, therefore, makes agreement between human beings on laws, institutions, customs, and morals far less surprising.  most normal human beings respond with similar feelings of compassion to like events. we share the same planetary environment with other humans. if we add the fact that we already share needs in common, we are fraught with common problems and enjoy common pleasures. we share similar experiences and therefore can easily identify with one another and share similar goals. we share the same laws of physics, and those laws affect us in common ways. in particular, they affect us when we wish to do something. we find that we all have to take into account identical problems when building a structure, planning a road, or planting a crop. the rules of logic and evidence apply equally well to everyone, and so we have a common means of arguing cases and discussing issues — a means that allows us to compare notes and come to agreement in areas as varied as science, law, and history. we can use reason and observation as a court of appeal when setting forth opposing viewpoints. the survival of our species is a common interest, and we share common requirements for survival, we can go a long way toward promoting cooperation. certain practiced universally practices openly but never accepted as such. indeed, we share common passions. consequently, there is a strain of universalism in religion. a silver line that cuts across all religions. this is the source of open religion: indeed, this is the open religion. religion is hence more than just belief in god, the great spirit, as well as other spiritual beings or transcendental ultimate concerns and human beings relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, spiritual, or divine. religion is not an abstract set of ideas, values, or experiences developed as part of a cultural matrix. religion does not refer to belief in god, the great spirit, or a transcendent absolute. religion is a cultural framework or medium that shapes the entirety of life and thought. religion is ones primary worldview and how this dictates ones thoughts and actions. religion is personal. almost every known culture involves the religious in the above sense of a depth dimension in cultural experiences at all levels — a push, whether ill-defined or conscious, toward some sort of ultimacy and transcendence that will provide norms and power for the rest of life. when more or less distinct patterns of behaviour are built around this depth dimension in a culture, this structure constitutes religion in its historically recognizable form. religion is the organization of life around the depth dimensions of experience — varied in form, completeness, and clarity in accordance with the environing culture. ones personal beliefs about the true religion is largely a function of the country in which one happens to have been born, the area of that country, and the beliefs of ones parent(s). if a current senior and reknowned leader of a given religion was born in a country that is predominantly practicing another religion, then chances are very high that the individual would be a leader of that other religion. religious beliefs are to a large extent a factor of ones birth region. indeed, most human beings do not get to choose their religion, but automatically join the religion of their parents and guardians, which parents and guardians also practice the religion, sect, and denomination that is prevalent to their geographical area. religious beliefs are mostly the result of parental instruction and geographic incidence. likewise, many activists are drawn to particular religious groups on account of their association with their stance on worldly issues. culture and religion are also mixed up, so that many times conversion is a political act; and beliefs are secondary to labels. religion is mostly caused by social and psychological factors and not by any examining of the evidence or logic behind the beliefs involved. this is why skeptics often find it so hard to bring their scientific knowledge to productive use in arguments with religionists. there are hidden psychological motives behind religion and religious beliefs. indeed, nowhere is identity politics more pronounced than in religion. the politics of belonging to clan, tribe, or race, has led to split in religions, convergence in religions, and violence leading to death. a person who is brought up by (for example) catholic parents, in a catholic area, and attends (perhaps) a catholic school will be a catholic. they do not necessarily have to believe, but nonetheless they will behave as and call themselves a catholic. after inheritance, initial peer pressure and exposure to religions through globalisation, only a small percentage of human beings will ever take the effort to examine a number of religions, investigate their philosophies and theologies, critically compare their claims, and attempt to conclude which ones contain truth. in short, only a small percentage of human beings deliberate about religion and make an informed choice. it is only really this proportion who are truly responsible for their own religion, most human beings merely coast and are swept along by social factors rather than their own agency. consequently, one’s personal beliefs and the certainty with which one holds them is an unreliable measure of truth, because they are largely determined by ones culture and the faith of ones parents -- both largely accidents of birth. what we call religion is in fact a mixture of semi-believed mythology and cultural practices; a 'cause' of religion is therefore our want of simple categorisation. the prevalence of superstitions and witchcraft-accusations in certain cultures; and more specifically, the general idea, held by many tribal and peasant communities all over the world, that witches are responsible for many social maladies from disease to failed crops, and they are simply evil and sneaky, led to the so-called witches being murdered, tortured, expelled or at least shunned; while the same ideas ruled the major religions in the Dark Ages and the modern heretic accusations are founded on the same psychology. there is no way for humans to determine which religion is true. there are thousands of religions in the world, each having tens of sects, denominations and practices. it is impractical to pick one as being the sole manifestation of truth, since all are a manifestation of truth, according to their founders, and times. if humans accept that all religions are means to understand the truth, according to rules laid down by their founders, and past leaders, then there would be an appreciation of the fact that truth is as relative as the various religions. this degree of doubt will then lead humans to be less inclined to oppress, discriminate against, murder or commit mass murder and genocide against human beings of other faiths, religions, denominations or sects.  i believe in reason, do you? true religion is premised on rationalism. the pillar of such religion is reason and evidence should being held superior to doctrinal religious teachings. rationality is a possible common denominator to overcome the cultural diversity of ethical norms. indeed, reason and observation of the natural world, without the need for organized religion, can determine that the universe is the product of a creator. we place reason above faith, and we use reason to qualify faith. we use what we have to determine that which we cannot see. believers ought to seek, gain and test the usefulness of new or old knowledge by testing hypotheses to develop theories through elucidation of facts or evaluation by experiments. the tendency to blindly hold on to a belief system is nothing less than intellectual materialism. it is only a matter of time before socially construct ideas are soon obliterated, changed, and even forgotten. the self preserving institutions as well as the countless number of people conditioned into blindly and thoughtlessly holding these structures. sheep which no longer need sheep dogs to control them. they control each other by ostracizing those who step out of the norm, even killing them. religion, thrown to children at tender age, limits their intelligence and imagination by creating unwanted fear of the unknown! the emergent nature of reality is that all systems, technology, philosophy, cultural, or political, will undergo change. from transportation, through medicine, to chemistry; systems must change. growth and progress is only possible in such a system. static empirical knowledge does not exist. this means we must be open to new knowledge at all times even if it threatens our own knowledge and belief systems. sadly, society, and religious institutions, continue to paralyze growth, by preserving outdated structures, and simultaneous, population suffer from fear of change, and changing ones belief system results in abuse and insult. it is merely a matter of time before all religious ideas will be updated, changed, or obliterated. theistic religions, dominant world views, all social institutions, operate within social irrelevancies, exist as barriers to social and personal growth, for each group perpetuates a closed world view, and this finite understanding that they acknowledge, is counter to growth and progress of man. they continuously reject logic and reason in preference to their foundational myths. hopefully, though time, religion will loose its materialism, regional political identities, racial stratification and basis in superstition, and move into the useful field of philosophy. the only theories of the world ought to be those that best fit physically observed evidence. and since all scientific knowledge is probabilistic and subject to later improvement or revision in the face of better evidence, any stickling to cultural norms, mores and values do not, cannot, and ought not be the pillar of religion. men and women are not automatons human beings have free will. in exercise of that free will, human beings often choose to be violent, cruel, and warlike. god, the great spirit, cannot prevent this, even if s/he wanted. man is in total control of his experiences. he causes his effects. god, the great spirit, does not know what would have happened by the birth of human beings, men and women, who have harassed and oppressed; men and women who have sponsored crusades, and reigned error; men and women who have waged wars and caused rape, lynching, bayoneting, widowhood, diseases, hunger and plagues; men and women who would personally, or by inciting others, inflict injustice, violence, torture and death upon other human beings. to prevent this, god, the great spirit, need only have refrained from creating these evil individuals; however, these individuals are neither evil by nature, nor good by nurture; but they choose to be evil, and choose to be good. the truth of a set of beliefs can be indicated by its usefulness in helping human beings cope with a particular context of life. thus, the fact that scientific beliefs are useful in predicting observations in the physical world can indicate a certain truth for scientific theories; the fact that religious beliefs can be useful in helping human beings cope with difficult emotions or moral decisions can indicate a certain truth for those beliefs. nature sustains life, and hence, true religion must respect, protect and promote the development of nature. opinions, whether religious or otherwise, should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas. the cognitive application of free thought is freethinking, and all humans ought to be freethinkers. religion ought to be logical; and hence be in consonance with harmonious status of existence, the natural laws of mankind. logic is the most important method of gaining enlightenment. all humankind desire the freedom to seek the eternal truths which god, the great spirit, has made available, yet religion has taken dominion over these truths in order to control the weak and ignorant masses of the world. humankind need the simple truths of god, the great spirit, while in the human form, to advance their spiritual growth. reason and intelligence are the most effective instruments that humankind possesses. there is no substitute: neither faith nor passion suffices in itself. the controlled use of scientific methods, which have transformed the natural and social sciences since the renaissance, must be extended further in the solution of human problems. but reason must be tempered by humility, since no group has a monopoly of wisdom or virtue. nor is there any guarantee that all problems can be solved or all questions answered. yet critical intelligence, infused by a sense of human caring, is the best method that humanity has for resolving problems. reason should be balanced with compassion and empathy and the whole person fulfilled. as science pushes back the boundary of the known, humankind’s sense of wonder is continually renewed, and art, poetry, and music find their places, along with religion and ethics. we need to think for ourselves as individuals. there is no area of thought that we are afraid to explore, to challenge, to question, or to doubt. we feel free to inquire and then to agree or disagree with any given claim. we are unwilling to follow a doctrine or adopt a set of beliefs or values that does not convince us personally. we seek to take responsibility for our decisions and conclusions, and this necessitates having control over them. through this unshackled spirit of free inquiry, new knowledge and new ways of looking at ourselves and the world can be acquired. without it we are left in ignorance and, subsequently, are unable to improve on our condition. we make reasoned decisions because our experience with approaches that abandon reason convinces us that such approaches are inadequate and often counterproductive for the realization of human goals. when reason is abandoned there is no court of appeal where differences of opinion can be settled. we find instead that any belief is possible if ones thinking is driven by arbitrary faith, authority, revelation, religious experience, altered states of consciousness, or other substitutes for reason and evidence. therefore, in matters of belief, we find that reason, when applied to the evidence of our senses and our accumulated knowledge is our most reliable guide for understanding the world and making our choices. revelations can only be verified by the individual receivers of the message and is therefore weak evidence for god's existence. prophecies and miracles are to be rejected, since as revelations, to the first person only, they are hearsay to the rest. the religious revelations appear to have altered over time to adjust for changing political circumstances. mankind must hence employ reason rather than to rely on revelation. the same rules of logic and standards of evidence that govern the analysis of secular texts should be applied to all texts, religious ones also. we base our understanding of the world on what we can perceive with our senses and comprehend with our minds. anything that is said to make sense should make sense to us as humans; else there is no reason for it to be the basis of our decisions and actions. supposed transcendent knowledge or intuitions that are said to reach beyond human comprehension cannot instruct us because we cannot relate concretely to them. the way in which humans accept supposed transcendent or religious knowledge is by arbitrarily taking a leap of faith and abandoning reason and the senses. this course is unacceptable, since all the supposed absolute moral rules that are adopted as a result of this arbitrary leap are themselves rendered arbitrary by the baselessness of the leap itself. furthermore, this approach blocks any possibility for a rational way to test the validity or truth of transcendent or religious knowledge or to comprehend the incomprehensible. as a result, we are committed to the position that the only thing that can be called knowledge is that which is firmly grounded in the realm of human understanding and verification. intuitive feelings, hunches, speculation, and flashes of inspiration are excellent sources of novel approaches, new ways of looking at things, new discoveries, and new concepts. ideas derived from religious experience, altered states of consciousness, or the emotions, are not per se abhorrent; we merely declare that testing these ideas against reality is the only way to determine their validity as knowledge. human knowledge is not perfect. the tools for testing knowledge—the human senses and human reason—are fallible, thus rendering tentative all our knowledge and scientific conclusions about the nature of the world. what is true for our scientific conclusions is even more so for our moral choices and social policies; these latter are subject to continual revision in the light of both the fallible and tentative nature of our knowledge and constant shifts in social conditions. education in logic and other aspects of reasoning allows human beings to better analyze situations and to come to less biased decisions on matters of policy. a liberal education appears to provide excellent moral training because it offers the knowledge and sophistication necessary to continue the ongoing trial-and-error process of finding better ways to live and cooperate. and while there is much that we do not know, humans are responsible for what we are or will become. no deity will save us; we must save ourselves. it is proper to doubt, to be uncertain; uncertainty rises in us what is doubtful. i will not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing; nor upon tradition; nor upon rumor; nor upon what is in a scripture; nor upon surmise; nor upon an axiom; nor upon specious reasoning; nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over; nor upon another’s seeming ability; nor upon the consideration. I will not accept anything by mere tradition. i will not accept anything just because it accords with my scriptures. i will not accept anything merely because it agrees with my pre-conceived notions. but when i know for myself—these things are moral, these things are blameless, these things are praised by the wise, these things, when performed and undertaken, conduce to well-being and happiness—then do i live acting accordingly. traditional dogmatic or authoritarian religions that place revelation, god, the great spirit, ritual, or creed above human needs and experience do a disservice to the human species. any account of nature should pass the tests of scientific evidence; in our judgment, the dogmas and myths of traditional religions i will not do so. certain elementary facts based upon the critical use of scientific reason have to be restated. there is insufficient evidence for belief in the existence of a supernatural; it is either meaningless or irrelevant to the question of survival and fulfillment of the human race. we begin with humans not god, the great spirit, nature not deity. nature may indeed be broader and deeper than we now know; any new discoveries, however, will but enlarge our knowledge of the natural. we cannot live by absolute, abstract principles. we need to relate them to life and human needs - and our best judges and juries do just that. this is where human compassion comes in. this is why there exists within the law varying degrees of murder, and why motive is such an important issue in deciding criminal penalties. for example, in an effort to follow the commandment to keep the sabbath (wherein the scriptures specifically declares that one shall not do work on that day nor have any servants or animals work either), many have supported sunday closing laws. yet, even when such laws are in effect, vital services, such as those of medical and law enforcement, are kept operative. a truly absolute practice of this commandment would require that even those services be shut down and given a day of rest. this inconsistency is clearly in response to actual human needs, which become, in practice, more important than the absolute rule. a position that is therefore both consistent and moral is one where sunday closing laws are abandoned altogether, such laws being, at best, useless and at worst, harmful. the simple commandment, “thou shalt not kill”, admits of numerous exceptions, which believers readily embrace, such as self-defense, killing of animals, killing of germs, and so forth. a simple rule to never kill cannot be followed and the result is always a catalogue of cases where it is and is not all right to take a life. “thou shalt not steal” is a similar rule. it is not practiced absolutely, either. for example, in wartime, and even in peace, national secrets are constantly stolen from one nation by agents of another as part of security efforts. and these thefts are supported frequently by believers in this commandment. further, we can ask if kleptomania constitutes a breaking of this rule, since we may be entitled to excuse the action on the ground of emotional illness. promises of immortal salvation or fear of eternal damnation are both illusory and harmful. they distract humans from present concerns, from self-actualization, and from rectifying social injustices. traditional religions, together with other ideologies, whether political, or cultural, pose obstacles to human progress. other ideologies also impede human advance. some forms of political doctrine, for instance, function religiously, reflecting the worst features of orthodoxy and authoritarianism, especially when they sacrifice individuals on the altar of utopian promises. we ought to be free thinkers, not because of what we believe, but because of the way in which we hold our beliefs. we do not hold them because our elders told us they were true when we were ing, or if i hold them because if i did not i would be unhappy, my thought is not free; but if i hold them because, after careful thought i find a balance of evidence in their favor, then my thought is free, however odd my conclusions may seem. we are not servants, serfs, or slaves. we are not here to serve some god, the great spirit, or spirit, or such other being. we are our own lords. there is for me no master in the entire wide world, not even in infinite space. i am free--free to think, to express my thoughts--free to live my own ideal, free to live for myself and those i loved, free to use all my faculties, all my senses, free to spread imaginations wings, free to investigate, to guess and dream and hope, free to judge and determine for myself. i am free! i stand erect and fearlessly, facing all worlds. i must challenge the predominant orthodoxies in every field of endeavor, from science to politics to the arts. almost every great individual in history had to, in some way or another, think free. that is what made such human beings stand out. that is generally why they became famous in the first place. however, the instinct of conventionality and horror of uncertainty militate against the acceptance of a new idea. it is even harder to think of a new idea than to get it accepted; most human beings might spend a lifetime in reflection without ever making a genuinely original discovery. from childhood upward, everything is done to make the minds of men and women conventional and sterile. and if, by misadventure, some spark of imagination remains, its unfortunate possessor is considered unsound and dangerous, worthy only of contempt in time of peace and of prison or a traitors death in time of war. yet such men are known to have been in the past the chief benefactors of mankind, and are the very men who receive most honor as soon as they are safely dead. i must reject authority and dogma, especially in religious thinking, in favor of rational inquiry. human beings can only know god via reason and the observation of nature, but not by revelation or supernatural manifestations (such as miracles). human beings can continue to operate in this fashion when it comes to laws and moral teachings regulating such things as trade and commerce, property rights, interpersonal relationships, sexual behavior, religious rituals, and the rest of those things that theologians seem to feel are in need of a theological foundation. as a man, i realize the presence of god, the great spirit, through applying my reason to cognize the laws of nature. to overcome the challenges of the life and existence, mankind should periodically meet together in communion to share or exchange intimate thoughts and feelings so as to find solutions to the challenges.  i believe in science, do you? knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, and rational analysis. science is hence the best method for determining this knowledge as well as for solving problems and developing beneficial technologies. general intelligence is negatively correlated with strength of religious belief from national to individual average: the historical battles between religious institutions and science, such as those in physics, astronomy and biology, indicate there is something wrong with the religious approach to the study of reality. the underlying problem extends to negative effects on the individual intelligence of believers, and a related negative effect on educational achievements. hardly any of the several-hundred award winning scientists have been believers. the more senior and learned the scientist, the less likely they are to believe in god. countries with a higher rate of belief in god have lower average intelligence; all countries with high average intelligence have low national levels of belief in god. the children of highly religious parents suffer diminished IQs compared to their non-religious counterparts in similar socio-economic groups. it is opposed to the strength of religious belief. the more educated a person is, and the higher one's intelligence, the less likely someone is to hold religious beliefs. science is a methodological way to investigate nature and seek truth. the perceived conflict between science and religion are just that, perceived true religion must nurture and encourage scientific endeavour without either tension or attempts at harmonization. the harmony of science and religion is a central tenet. the principle states that that truth is one, and therefore true science and true religion must be in harmony, thus rejecting the view that science and religion are in conflict. science and religion cannot be opposed because they are aspects of the same truth. reasoning powers are required to understand the truths of religion and religious teachings which are at variance with science should not be accepted. religion has to be reasonable since the source of man, the great spirit, endowed humankind with reason so that they can discover truth. religion is a culture, of which science is part. there is no need to harmonize science and religion. the two are one already, because they exist in the same universe, and are subject to the same laws. indeed, this most beautiful system of the sun, planets and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful force; the great spirit. subsequently, religion ought not reserve to itself the powers to determine which scientific theories are true, false or acceptable. the current religions, and some past cults, have reserved to themselves the right to decide which scientific theories were acceptable and which were unacceptable. in so doing, many great men of thought have been burned at the stake, murdered, assassinated, butchered, and ex-communicated from the family of the faithful of those religions. science is a part of religion. science provides improved knowledge of our world allows us to come to more informed decisions about dealing with the environment. rational laws and practices are thus more likely to aid our beliefs, than distract us. all religions offer the best faith to the most peaceful followers, the most knowledgeable, intelligent believers, while each religion offers potent weapons to the ignorant, the power hungry, and the politicians. there are other religions which teach about other deities, other systems of morality, other religious practices, etc. whereas religions, during times of satisfaction, motivate human beings to lead better lives, during times of strife; they motivate us to be worse than animals. no wonder there are human beings willing to defend their particular religion by oppressing or killing followers of other religions and spiritual paths. we need to acquire knowledge, and hence perfect our state, and we need to learn about ourselves, and our environment, to be able to live in harmony with nature. it is only when human beings feel free to think for themselves, using reason as their guide that they are best capable of developing values that succeed in satisfying human needs and serving human interests. the existence of practical dilemmas calls forth the need for careful consideration of immediate and future consequences in pragmatic decision making. building a strong foundation starts with educating ourselves, and then teaching our children. if i restrain my mind at an early age, i am in essence denying myself fundamental rights of freedom; i condemn myself to a life of spiritual slavery. freedom is the essential quality of all education, which leads to true wisdom and spiritual enlightenment. i need to educate myself in natural laws, to live a moral, charitable life, yearning to help those who dwell within their realm of influence, and to be unfailing to the great spirit of which they are an essential element. i need to teach myself the simplest of laws, and the greatest; do unto others as i would have them do unto me. it was given to humankind long before jesus, buddha, conficuious, mohammed, or moses walked the earth. because of believing that supernatural beings control the world, human beings have often misdirected their energies in attempting to solve problems. instead of studying the world to discover scientific solutions to problems, they performed religious activities in an effort to obtain the assistance of benevolent supernatural beings or thwart the influence of malicious ones. this misdirection of energies is seen, for instance, in the history of the attempts to prevent the outbreak and spread of diseases. the filthiness of many cities have repeatedly caused great plagues that sent multitudes to their graves. however, based on religious teachings, theologians over centuries thought the plagues were caused by the anger of god, the great spirit, or the malevolence of satan. the books give ample support for their belief. they contain numerous instances of god, the great spirit, punishing human beings by means of pestilence. in describing healing miracles, the books attributes the following afflictions to demons: blindness; muteness; lameness; and insanity. this is why in open religion, we must reject all religions based on books that claim to contain the revealed word of god; we must reject all religious dogma and demagogy; and we must reject all reports of miracles, prophecies and religious "mysteries". those teachings led the early religious leaders to promote the idea that demonic activity is the primary cause of disease; repeatedly attributing illnesses to devils spells. that satan produces all the maladies which afflict mankind, for he is the prince of death. as a result of believing in supernatural causes of disease, theologians taught that plagues could be averted or stopped by seeking supernatural assistance. and the way to obtain god, the great spirit is help, they thought, was to perform religious acts. these included repenting from sin; providing gifts to religious organisations, gods and leaders; participating in religious processions; attending services (which often only increased the spread of disease); and killing witches (since it was thought satan used them as his agents in causing illness. religious leaders largely ignored the possibility of physical causes and cures of diseases. however, despite all the prayers, rituals, and other religious activities performed throughout the centuries, the frequency and severity of plagues did not diminish until scientific hygiene made its appearance. the superior results of using science instead of religion can be seen in many other fields. this world operates under unvarying natural laws that cannot be suspended by religious rituals or other means. true believers esteem highly those who study this world and provide a better understanding of it. unlike the theologians who focus on influencing supposed supernatural powers, persons using a scientific outlook have enabled great progress to be made in reducing misery and increasing happiness. it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence. science, on the other hand, assumes that there are no transcendent, immaterial forces and that all forces which do exist within the universe behave in an ultimately objective or random fashion. it is true, everything in nature has a pattern. the nature of these forces, and all other scientific knowledge, is revealed only through human effort in a dynamic process of inquiry. the universe as a whole is assumed to be neutral to human concerns and to be open to any and all questions, even those concerning human ethical relationships. such a universe does not come to us with easy answers; we must come to it and be prepared to work hard. a non-mysterious, understandable, material universe is the basic assumption behind all of science. indeed, in order for science to work, scientists must assume that the universe they are investigating is playing fair, that it is not capable of conscious deceit, that it does not play favorites, that miracles i will not happen, and that there is no arcane or spiritual knowledge open only to a few. only by making the assumption of materialist monism will the scientist be able to trust the universe, to assume that although its workings are blind and random it is for this very reason that they can be depended upon, and that what is learned in science can, to some degree, be depended upon to reflect reality. the universe as a whole is dispassionate of, indifferent to, and un-swayed by human concerns and beliefs about its nature. its inverse — in which the universe is passionately involved in, partial to, and swayed by human concerns and beliefs about its nature — is the basic assumption that underlies the supernatural, religious worldview. indeed, god does not intervene with the functioning of the natural world in any way, allowing it to run according to the laws of nature that he configured when he created all things. science has worked so well and has been so successful that it is difficult, if not impossible, to live in the modern world while rejecting its findings. but by accepting those findings as a free bounty — while rejecting the hard assumptions and hard work that made them possible — the supernaturalist embraces a lie. open religion rejects arbitrary faith, authority, revelation, and altered states of consciousness. there must be application of the mind to question natural phenomena and order of things. there is need for reason and science in the pursuit of knowledge. the universe has no room for supernatural forces, whether evil or good. accounts of snakes talking, or tress fruits giving immortality are lies, meant to soothe the ignorant. it is not natural for rods to turn into snakes or for a bush to burn without being consumed. further, such unnatural acts as the sun standing still, or the sea parting, or even the dead coming back to life are wonderful past times; stories, and nothing more. the institutions of angels and demons, heaven and hell, are the ultimate concoction of such fairies, and when human beings walk on water, and virgins become pregnant, and men live on bellies of fish for three days, the whole narration borders on lunacy. indeed, coming to life back as a dog, butterfly or cow are creations of imaginations; as is the promise of getting seven virgins for mass murder on behalf of god. and if god created the whole universe, why do we need to help him take revenge, or punish the errant. let god help himself. religious myths support the belief, which has been held by primitive and illiterate human beings throughout history, that supernatural beings frequently and arbitrarily intervene in this world. they do not! when examined in the light of experience and reason, these claims about supernatural occurrences i will not warrant belief. our experience is that the natural world operates according to principles of regularity - which are never violated. further, from experience, many human beings are often mistaken, dishonest, or writing for political correctness and under the influence of their cultural backgrounds. thus, it is far more likely the writers of religious books either erred or lied than the laws of nature were violated. to that end, when they proscribe wearing shortened pants, or covering faces, or not eating pigs and dogs, it is in the context of their cultures, cultures which were present before the various religions were received. truth is one, and therefore true science and true religion must be in harmony, thus rejecting the view that science and religion are in conflict. reasoning powers are required to understand the truths of religion and that religious teachings which are at variance with science should not be accepted; he explained that religion has to be reasonable since god, the great spirit, endowed humankind with reason so that they can discover truth. the universe is natural; that all the ghosts and god, the great spirit is are myths, there entered into my brain, into my soul, into every drop of my blood the sense, the feeling, the joy of freedom.  i do not need prophets, teachers, or rabbis, do you? the laws of nature are clear, and all can read them, and apply them in their lives, instead of getting some guys self-serving interpretation. i am smart enough and good enough to think for myself.  no one need to the thinking for me. there is no need for a middle man between me and the great spirit. the religious leaders, by whatever name, are a hindrance, and most instances, cause more division than unity. they speak in tongues, and languages intelligible for the “beneficiary” of their prayers. the common man cannot understand what is said because they do not read latin, but they could rely on the priests to tell them what it said they should do. people were condemned and killed for the crime of translating the religious texts. the power of the men in frocks grew enormously. anyone who strayed even marginally from the official beliefs was brutally executed and their documents destroyed. it was a coldly calculated plan to rule by terror and in doing so, take any other knowledge or versions of life out of public circulation. they wanted to create a mental and emotional prison cell, outside of which it was fatal to tread. how fitting that religions means ‘to submit or surrender’ and believers means ‘one who submits’. religion is big. religion is a big business. it sells and the new breed of god's men and women know how to get the money rolling in. they don't stand at the pulpit and give boring sermons. they excite, dazzle and woo the congregation. and when the time comes for the congregation to make their offerings, they dig deep into their pockets. there is no need for ancient religion uses the lifetime of various individuals to proclaim them to be the only son-of-god, the great spirit, but these are false claims. we are smart enough or good enough to think for ourselves. no one need do our thinking for us. people readily embrace open and universal religion since it appeals to individualism, dignity, logic, and reason. moreover, it does not require an organized clergy or the threat from a state, directly or in proxy, to propagate or enforce it. there is nothing that men make a greater noise about than the mysteries of the their religions. that which they do not understand consumer more of their time that that which is visible and practical; provable and real. the religious leaders graciously remind us we must adore what we cannot comprehend. some of them say the mysteries of the messages are to be understood only in the sense of the "ancient fathers." some contend that some mysteries may be, or at least seem to be, contrary to reason, and yet received by faith. others contend that no mystery is contrary to reason, but that all are "above" it. religions of today are corruptions of an original, pure religion that was simple and rational. this original pure religion has become corrupted by "priests", “rabbis”, “masters” and ‘shiekhs” who have manipulated it for personal gain and for the class interests of the priesthood in general. over time "religious leaders" had succeeded in encrusting the original simple, rational religion with all kinds of superstitions and "mysteries" – irrational theological doctrines. laymen were told by the religious leaders that only the leaders really knew what was necessary for salvation and that laymen must accept the "mysteries" on faith and on the priests' authority. this kept the laity baffled by the nonsensical "mysteries", confused, and dependent on the priests for information about the requirements for salvation. the clergy consequently enjoyed a position of considerable power over the laity, which they strove to maintain and increase. this is a kind of manipulation of religious doctrine. the teacher and prophet ought only teach by example, and repeat the words of the great spirit that had already been given to humankind, yet lost and forgotten throughout the centuries. they should teach by example to show humankind that what he did, all humankind could do if they put forth the same effort. they must incarnate to that area because there was no direction with the human beings, no guidance, and they did not care about themselves. they come to help human beings understand themselves and to teach them love and respect for each other. their purpose ought to be to return them back to the simple basics, to bring forth their spiritual side, yet greed and hatred kept the human beings slaves. the human beings were too afraid to stand up for themselves, and his words went unheard by the majority. the great spirit is already within us, and so, we do not need a path to lead us to the great spirit. we just need to be there. be in unision, in unity, and in harmony with the great spirit. the great spirit, which is the source of harmony in my life, does not need a middleman, or a distributor, or an agent, or a bureaucracy.  i could go direct to the source. there is not big, faceless institution responsible for my spiritual progress – i am.  i am accountable before myself, my great spirit, to do what is fair, and good. i should not mindlessly follow anyone, but rather, listen to the great spirit and use the minds he gave me. religion is a social institution which is dependent upon material and economic realities in a given society. with no independent history, it is a creature of productive forces. the religious world is but the reflex of the real world. religion is an illusion whose chief purpose is to provide reasons and excuses to keep society functioning just as it is. religion, through its leaders, takes our highest ideals and aspirations and alienates us from them. religion hence is as an explanation for what we do not understand; a psychological reaction to our lives and surroundings; an expression of social needs; a tool of the status quo to keep some human beings in power and others out; a focus upon supernatural and “sacred” aspects of our lives; and an evolutionary strategy for survival. religion is a complex human institution. religion has such complex origins and motivations we are not servants, serfs, or slaves. we are not here to serve some god, the great spirit, or spirit, or such other being. we are our own lords. there is for me no master in all the wide world, not even in infinite space. i am free--free to think, to express my thoughts--free to live my own ideal, free to live for myself and those i loved, free to use all my faculties, all my senses, free to spread imaginations wings, free to investigate, to guess and dream and hope, free to judge and determine for myself . . . i was free! i stood erect and fearlessly, joisly faced all worlds. organization puts a damper on religion, and that in order for faith and religion to function it must be accepted and grasped on an individual level.  organized religions will attack my right to have the simple truths of god, the great spirit, because once i have them, i will see how useless religion truly is. god, the great spirit, wishes me, the ordinary man and woman, to have his truths that are founded upon eternal, natural laws of the spirit. not some man made laws designed to control my life, and to reinforce their political (read religious) power over me. i was given free will in order for me to advance my own spiritual growth; to live my life based on my needs. not to be led by those who would use me for their advancement, their personal authority and power. those who claim to speak for god, the great spirit; i do not know what god, the great spirit, wishes for me. only i can know where my true path lies as i journey through this life, for me had a hand in choosing what was needed for my spiritual evolution with god, the great spirit is blessing. for humankind to be free in mind, body and spirit, we must understand that we require no religious leaders, by whatever names; we need to commune in no particular shelters, by whatever design, and facing whatever direction; and we need not call ourselves any particular names separating ourselves from others in more of dress, the length of our beards, or long trousers. no system of doctrine or theology need be placed in my path as an obstacle to the simple truths of god, the great spirit, the great spirit. unconditional love, from the smallest measure to the highest, love is the key that unlocks our spiritual growth, and its that simple. humankind must oppose the massive complex of falsification imposed upon it by organized religion over the centuries. the time is now upon us to destroy the very foundation of doctrines, which have been superimposed on humankind by those who falsely claim to guide us to god, the great spirit. god, the great spirit, has no need to speak to his creation, after all, the creation process is done; further, good, the great spirit, were he to speak to the creation, does not need intermediaries, since all were created equal. god, further, does not require all who seek to pray, to meditate on their lives, and direction of their future, to face a given direction, genuflect, bow or kneel, or otherwise assume any particular posture. these are rules and doctrines made by men, to control fellow men, and alienate other fellow men. i just need to utilize my natural abilities, and relearn the proper way to communicate with the spirit dimension. all humankind possess in one degree or another, the ability to make known their thoughts to the great spirit. once i reconnect to the spiritual dimension, i will then be able to receive the thought messages, the answers to my questions that pertain to my personal life that i am living at this very moment. in order to control lawful but immoral behavior, clergy through the ages have found it necessary to harangue, cajole, browbeat, and in other ways condition their flocks into belief in this supreme arbiter of moral conduct. they have sought to condition children from as early an age as possible. and with both adults and children, they have appealed to the imagination by painting graphic word pictures of the tortures of the damned.  men and women are different, and not equal the principle of moral equality must be furthered through elimination of all discrimination based upon race, religion, sex, age, or national origin. this means equality of opportunity and recognition of talent and merit. individuals should be encouraged to contribute to their own betterment. if unable, then society should provide means to satisfy their basic economic, health, and cultural needs, including, a minimum guaranteed annual income. to everyone according to their needs, and from everyone, according to their abilities. there should be provisions for all, for their basic needs, each according to their need, the aged, the infirm, the disadvantaged, the mentally retarded, abandoned, abused children, the handicapped, prisoners, and addicts. no one is to be ignored by society. true religion must humanize all relationships. equality, of women and men, of blacks and whites, of all the worlds’ human beings, is the basis of inequality. all humans from all countries and cultures are not equal with regard to race, color, creed or gender. treating unequals as equals is the greatest form of injustice. true religion treats unequals as unequals, and equals as equals, and provides platforms for both to have equitable access. hence, the goal is equity in access to resources, and not equality, substantive or otherwise. true religion teaches that everyone has a talent, a direction in which the persons path is open to all possibilities and only limited by individuals desires and dedication. talents, developed into careers, can save a man, lead to his development and enhancement. but talent needs recognition, development, and exploitation. all these depend on exposure, relationships and learning. the true religion must encourage individual talent development. all human beings are special, and worthy of equal protection, and equal benefits from benefits derived from nature. open religion believes in equality of sexes. to this extent, wiccans, who also believe in the equality of men and women, are practicing open religion. everyone has a right to the cultural opportunity to fulfill his or her unique capacities and talents. the schools should foster satisfying and productive living. they should be open at all levels to any and all; the achievement of excellence should be encouraged. innovative and experimental forms of education are to be welcomed. the energy and idealism of the young deserve to be appreciated and channeled to constructive purposes. multiculturalism, cultural diversity, and cross culturalism all effect full development of the individual. sexism or sexual chauvinism - male or female, are unproductive to the human mind. equal rights for both women and men to fulfill their unique careers and potentialities as they see fit, free of invidious discrimination. the role of education is to train and create a body of professionals who can use and or generate applied knowledge for the emancipation and liberation of man from social dilemma and problems; hence, education must provide solutions, and in so doing, must be as practical s possible. there is need for education to be applicable in daily dynamic situations and this calls for continuing education model by profession to enhance knowledge generation, sharing, and relearning and hence build capacity for adaptability. true religion must hence promote and ensure education is free, universal and accessible, and acceptable. there is a lie, passed over generations, which women are spiritually inferior and must submit to the authority of men. in  the religious bureaucracy of the ancient world, women were basically property.  if she burned his toast, he could divorce her and send her away destitute. if she saw a crime in progress and reported it to the police, her testimony in court would be thrown out--simply because she was female. women were not considered smart enough to recount what really happened. women are equal to men.  if it is leadership, anyone can lead; for human beings do not lead because of their organs, but because of their attitude. after all, leadership is about adding value to the human beings, and not being stronger, more handsome, or more beautiful than the rest. the selfish men will shove women around and say it is the will of god, the great spirit. true religion, open religion, cannot be used as a weapon to control human beings.    i do not need a religious text religious knowledge can only be gained from personal rational analysis of nature, and any knowledge gained from religious leaders, sacred texts (scriptures), and/or personal revelation are unlimited in scope, adulterated in content, and unsuitable to answer any question. only knowledge gained from observing the physical sphere is absolute and infallible (religious cosmology). the religious texts are used to perpetuate what all the major formal religions use to control men; the four major components: creed, rituals, laws, and ethics. all manmade, and all unnecessary. all rituals are irrelevant, because however much people engaged in daily prayers, almsgiving, fasting during, abstaining from sex and other activities, and travelling long distances; long extensive distances, some are still uncharacteristically corrupt and violent, while others still remain humble and harmonious. indeed, the faithfuls engage in them for publicity sake more than spirituality, after all, they do not determine whether one will be ultimately peaceful, law abiding, less sinful, and or more harmonious and loving. the law of transactions, marriage, divorce, child custody and support, inheritance, trade, contracts, and certain criminal penalties dot not have to prescribed in the religious texts, since these are matters of public policy, and all communities will determine the repercussions for infractions. writings by some men, or women, suffering from their own cultural imperfections, prejudices, and schemes, fail to be the essence of universal belief, practice, and guidance basically because they are not universally realizable, god’s literal word, or a binding paradigms, but rather, are transmitted within a given medium, which medium is adulterated. religion, indeed, breaks familial, tribal, neighborly, and social relationships that closely bind human beings. individuals, with twisted agendas of their own, callously create bloody events that cause carnage and untold suffering all around and easily use religion as cover. indeed, they even divide the religion into sects arising from sectarian differences to further their cause. religious or sectarian differences are seditiously politicized, armed conflict following in the wake. all religions have known long periods of peaceful coexistence and long intermittent bouts of violence among their respective sects. religions, as well as sects within a given religion, have exercised tolerance, until politics was interjected. but again, religion like war is politics carried out by other means. when religion and politics have merged, one is twisted and tainted by the other. religion has taught us to judge others, and condemn them if they do not believe our way or what our holy book says. indeed, the religious books consider them damned for all eternity. but how can we judge someone elses life, when we know so little of our own? the mere fact that ancient and revered holy books make pronouncements on these matters and attribute such pronouncements to divine moral principles no more makes theology a necessity for law and morality than it would make it a necessity for playing certain sports had those rules appeared in these ancient works. religious knowledge, according to religious practitioners, may be gained from religious leaders, sacred texts, scriptures, or personal revelation. obviously, such knowledge is limited in scope since sacred texts, religious leaders, “men”, and personal revelations are just that, personal, narrow accounts of knowledge. adherents to various religious faiths often maintain that religious knowledge obtained via sacred texts or revelation is absolute and infallible and thereby creates an accompanying religious cosmology, although the proof for such is often tautological and generally limited to the religious texts and revelations that form the foundation of their belief. in contrast, the scientific method gains knowledge by testing hypotheses to develop theories through elucidation of facts or evaluation by experiments and thus only answers cosmological questions about the universe that can be observed and measured. it develops theories of the world which best fit physically observed evidence. all scientific knowledge is subject to later refinement, or even outright rejection, in the face of additional evidence. scientific theories that have an overwhelming preponderance of favorable evidence are often treated as de facto verities in general parlance, such as the theories of general relativity and natural selection to explain respectively the mechanisms of gravity and evolution. it was at this point that "religion" was dissociated with universal beliefs and moved closer to dogma in both meaning and practice. it is not rational arguments, but emotions, that cause belief in a future life. the most important of these emotions is fear of death. religion provides psychological safeguards against the fear of death and thus give human beings the feeling of mastery over their fate. with primitive, irrational, and unthinking man, it is above all fear that evokes religious notions - fear of hunger, wild beasts, sickness, death. religious texts are books of lies, wickedness, and blasphemy; for what can be greater blasphemy than to ascribe the wickedness of man to the orders of the almighty! they portray god as cruel, immoral, merciless, violent loving and wicked. indeed, organised religions, trough their texts, are a positive source of harm to society that lead men to be factious, ambitious and intolerant. the religious texts are not sacred, inspired texts. they are writings by men, and they are used to establish institutions, religions, which are also creations, innovations, and inventions of men. the belief of most religions that god revealed himself to humanity through the writings of the religious books or scriptures, variously referred to as holy, god-inspired, or revelations, but full of cultural practices, and world views of certain human beings, and certain times. all religious practices are creations of men, as is religion. the organized behaviors, clergy, a definition of what constitutes adherence or membership, holy places, and scriptures; a definition of what is profane, and what is sacred; the rituals, sermons, commemoration or veneration of a god, gods or goddesses, sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trance, initiations, funerary services, matrimonial services, meditation, prayer, music, art, dance, public service or other aspects of human culture. religions may also contain mythology. all these are creations of men. i do not need access to knowledge through religious texts; i already have access to knowledge, in nature. i just need to open my eyes and see. i need the courage to pursue it, the possibilities are limitless. but most human beings still do not do anything with the knowledge that is available to them. why would i accept a canned answer or empty platitude when i can open my eyes and see the truth in nature? i will not believe in stories, or tales, of how to live my life. i know how to live life, based on good and evil, measured by peace, and chaos. religious groups distribute vast amounts of books, magazines, tapes, pamphlets, and other items. the materials promote the idea that they are a workable guidebook for politics, business, families and all the affairs of mankind. indeed, scriptural teachings influence the opinions of many voters on issues involving nuclear war, overpopulation, conservation, women’s rights, gay rights, racial equality, corporal punishment of children, religion and government/state separation, sex education, science, abortion, contraception, censorship, capital punishment, and other subjects. thousands of other religious and political leaders promote their religious texts. in most communities, an opposing view is rarely, if ever, heard. the massive and incessant promotion of these influences the beliefs of millions. many other human beings, while having doubts about whether the entire scriptures is the word of god, the great spirit, still consider the book to be a source of moral truths and regard its teachings as deserving great respect. moreover, because so many human beings have been told the religious books are the good books, their teachings shape the attitudes of millions on numerous subjects. when the subjects involve governmental issues, all of society can be affected when religious text-believers express their views in the political arena. when human beings view the religious texts as the word of a just and omniscient god, the great spirit, and attempt to have society’s laws and social practices reflect scriptural teachings, serious error and harm will occur if the scriptures was actually written by fallible humans who lived in an unenlightened era. the books are only partly a guidebook for attaining human happiness and well-being. they generally are, and are used, to perpetuate the ideas of an ignorant and superstitious past - and prevent humanity from rising to a higher level. indeed, the religious books were written solely by humans in an ignorant, superstitious, and cruel age. humans are more enlightened today than we were centuries past. we are facing new challenges, which demand new ways of thinking, and acting. every generation has its own challenges, and must stand up and be counted. and since knowledge is the great solution of problems, every generation organizes its knowledge of nature, so as to be able to solve the problems of its time. to this end, to the extent that the book is offering practical advise on living with human beings, no book is out of date, whether religious book, or a book or arts, sciences or history, every book is carrying knowledge which was useful for its time for its challenges, and since history and development of man is fluid and dynamic, so is the knowledge that man needs, hence in one generation, there are human beings still living in past generations, and who need past knowledge. all books are sources of knowledges, a combination of information, and experience of the human beings of that generation. consequently, at a given time in the generation, a human beings will apply new scientific knowledges, but will go back to old artistic knowledge, for entertainment. hence, those who are more enlightened about science and technology will want the past knowledge in morality, philosophy and politics. apart from the language of expressing the knowledge, and the form of expressing the knowledge, the truisms are the same. indeed, apart from the form of carriage, the content of proverbs is the same. over 3000 years ago, it as written that a soft answer defuses anger, but harsh words stir up evil. this is the same today. it is also true that a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. hence we are not wiser today, in the 21st century than human beings were thousands of years ago. indeed, there is nothing new under the sun.  it is true, news is old things happening to new human beings. and yes, news is new information to human beings who did not witness it happen. all ancient religions have references of how to practice their religion, whether the literature is oral or written is a subject of human beings’s technological know-how and lifestyle and knowledge levels of sophistication. these sources control and rule over the masses of men, with grave consequences on the illiterate and unenlightened sections of the masses. true religion does not depend on literature, which changes and develops with the globalisation of mankind and change of mans culture. indeed, the ancient texts have constantly changed, both in text, and or in interpretation, to fulfill the needs of the time. true religion ought to make culture transform to fit it, since it is the bigger wave. most religious books are full of wonderful advise and practical guidelines on living peaceful lives, even though they are hugely based on stories of certain cultural epochs and backgrounds. religion today uses books, with the detailed and graphical illustrations of hell, and suffering to be inflicted by god, the great spirit, to be a source of constant reference, far and whip-lah to keep the congregations in line. the god’s spoken of in the religious books is a god of death, revenge, and destruction. a god the populace would fear, thus obeying the religious leaders and their rules in order to enslave the common human beings. the multitude submits easily to such fabrication. religious knowledge is gained from personal revelation. such knowledge as unlimited in scope and suitable to answer any question; gained through physical observation. religious knowledge obtained in this way is absolute and infallible (religious cosmology).  i believe true prayer or chant is in action we recognize god, the great spirit, through applying reason. we do not need to communicate with him. not at all. we need to get in touch with ourselves. this is the true meaning of prayer. we do nor revere and adore god by singing and dancing. no. we recognise the great spirit by acting; by living in harmony with ourselves, with our neighbours, and with our environment, with nature. prayer is the means by which human beings get in touch with themselves, and seek to know the reasons, the emotional, deep seated reasons, for their actions. prayer goes by many names, including chanting, mediation, meditation, or singing, dancing, worship and praises. prayer is not for the human being to communicate with god more than it is for the communication with himself, or herself. we pray so that we can regain perspective in life, and see why we do things, and identify the correct cause of action. this is why we must pray in unison, in a place of prayer, in silence, or in an orderly way; because we seek a given outcome. prayers neither have to be formal or informal, and neither must they be once per day, or once per hour; but should be as frequent as i need to regain focus and perspective in my life. true focus and perspective in life is gained when i understand the reasons behind my actions, and i redirect my actions, and the reasons, towards unity, and harmony with nature, and in consonance with the laws of nature. this is the purpose of prayer, to move me closer to be in harmony with nature, and forces of nature, and laws of nature. this ultimately leads to inner peace, which culminates into outward peace. which culminates into peace with my relationships, and ultimately, peace in my environment. the believer who prays for a given number of times a day, every day, or seasonally according to the moons, or suns position, is practicising a ritual, laid down by the leaders of his religion, for their own unknown reasons. this is similar to the believer who prays when dressed in a particular way, or while assuming a given posture, bending, genuflecting, bowing, or kneeling, or while facing a given direction, or object. all these are rituals, and can neither give, nor take away, the end result of prayer, which is peace and harmony. prayer being a means of connecting to my inner self must hence be a personal affair, and there is great fallacy, vanity and fault with someone praying for me, or with me praying for another person. nothing could be more preposterous. some religions take it a notch higher and pray for the weather, or the future, or even the past, the dead. there is hence no role of intermediaries, be they saints or prophets; sons of god, or mothers of gods; and indeed, there is no role of god in our prayers, and no need to pray to god, the great spirit. praying to god will not make him intervene. he is transcendental, and has no relations with the world at all. for those who pray, just know that true prayer is a spiritual action, and when it is done correctly, it will provide introspection, so that looking within myself leads to becoming aware of not only my inner strengths, but of my imperfections as well. this in turn compels me nearer to the great spirit, which inspires me to endeavor to reach higher levels of attainment. simply mouthing holy words in repetition of some symbolic representation achieves nothing. these repetitive imprints attract no one from the spirit dimension, not god, the great spirit, nor do his angels respond to such, for those prayers create no resonant force, there is no sincerity behind them, and those who speak those prayers do so with indifference. for they have long ceased to contemplate the true meaning of the words they now utter without thinking. even when great numbers of human beings gather together and listen to predetermined words, or speak poetic words, accompanied by rhythmical interludes, and artistic musical instruments; they bring forth no effect upon the physical dimension, or the spiritual dimension. only when each individual, aware of his inner strength and his inner weakness, is truly inspired to give greater service, then his prayer will manifest itself before the great spirit. true prayer comes forth only when the individual desires to attune itself with the creative force of life. in order for this to take place; the individual must use his spiritual and physical abilities to be of greater service, thus bringing forth his potential gifts, that he may then be an instrument of the infinite energy that gave him the opportunity of physical life. when my soul desires knowledge, awareness, and depth, that prayer automatically attracts its answer by creating a vibration that brings those who are in tune with my personal vibration. such as my guardians from the spirit dimension, harmonious family members who have passed over, and those on the other side who are simply attracted by the love emanating from my soul. when i cry out in jeopardy, they tune into my vibration and come forth with help and assistance. prayer has nothing to do with religion. when i sincerely pray from deep within my very soul, i am simply connecting with the great spirit, and the spirit beings he has chosen to watch over my journey here in the physical dimension. because i and all the others in the physical dimension are a part of nature, prayers that will help me to be of service to others are always it with positive energy and positive action; and put me in consonance with nature. further, prayer is not for asking forgiveness, as there is no need to ask for forgiveness from any other person, but the person i have wronged. god, the great spirit, neither gives forgiveness nor does the devil grant punishment. all is within me. both forgiveness and guilt is within my reach, in my spirit, i just need to act.  i believe in choice, not chance i believe in the fact that man determines his own destiny, and that the hereafter is both unknown, and unknowable. none of us knows for sure what shall transpire after death, or even if there is an afterlife. our lives are not based on our morality, or intentions. our lives are the products of our actions. must one be moral in order to succeed, in family or finance, in profession or pleasure? the answer is of course, no. the universe does not reward intentions or morality, no. the universe rewards input. what we put in, we get out. what we sow, we reap. hitler and mao tse tung, just like jesus, mohammed, and buddha, all sowed, and all reaped. great politicians, and great businessmen, and great musicians, and great sportsmen, and great academics, and great religious figures, did not succeed on account of their morality, or lack thereof, but rather, on their input, and successively, their outputs. any religion that teaches intentions, and morality, as a means to reward and greatness, is not true to its founders, who were not moral, but actually, rebellious, non-conventional, and only stood out because they pursued their own dreams, visions, and goals. in the end, all effects are a creation of causes. action brings effect. period. great action brings great effect, just like great fire brings great heat. and the universe measures, and apportions rewards, based on actions. that is why those we call immoral benefit. and those we call uncultured progress. and those we call unscrupulous thrive. and those we call ruthless blossom. they have sowed, deeply, and so, they must reap, in leaps and bounds. for great men, hence, loss of family and friends, or sacrifice of clients and colleagues, is not a price steep enough to make them doubt their mission. everything is expendable in achievement of their mission. their vision is so great, so urgent, and so pressing, that all other things fall second, third, or fourth, in reference to their mission. they will sacrifice relationships, they will sacrifice morality, and yes, they will sacrifice lives, millions of lives, to achieve their goals, their mission, their vision. massacres, scoured, famine, and absolute control, are hence a means to an end, means which must be executed, for the end, the goal, the dream, the mission, the vision, to be realized. for all acts of men, great men, none is wrong or right, except that which brings sum total of goodness and harmony.  god and devil, heaven and hell reside in me no human being is inherently evil, and none inherently good, but we choose to act in certain ways as to make our actions (and intentions) be painted good or evil. evil and good, devil and god, the great spirit, angels and demons, are inside me hell is empty, and all the devils are here. consequently, god does not bless, and the devil does not curse. The creator god, is no longer in active charge -- nor was he ever a moral force for good or evil; he simply set the stage and then retired into neutrality. man has a central place on earth. man is has a unique place in the universe is as a moral agent, to think and act in such a way as to realize the good. however, in so learning, thinking and acting, we are not mere puppets of god, acting out a script that we had no part in writing, but rather, we do have the ability to think and act with at least partial freedom. we do have choices, both at individual and communal level. this freedom of thought and action hence gives us an obligation and responsibility for the well-being of the universe in general and fellow men in particular. man, having the freedom of thought and action, is neither good nor evil, but morally neutral from birth, and whether one follows a path of good or evil depends on external influences and strength of will. as moral agents, then we have an obligation to know what is good and to do well what is right. we have the freedom of choice and hence we merely need to be sensitive to and to follow our own “good” inclinations -- and help others do the same. moral goodness must be cultivated and rewarded and evil must be discouraged and, fortunately, there is nothing working in us to resist such moral training. the belief that the universe, life, and particularly, man. the result of the acts of a supernatural creator that formed the universe ex nihilo (out of nothing) is just that, a belief. i hold it as long as it gives me peace, and orders my actions towards peace and progress of myself, and mankind. all patriarchal religions present a common quality, the hallmark of patriarchal religious thought: the division of the world in two comprehensive domains, one sacred, the other profane. religion is often described as a communal system for the coherence of belief focusing on a system of thought, unseen being, person, or object, that is considered to be supernatural, sacred, divine, or of the highest truth. moral codes, practices, values, institutions, tradition, rituals, and scriptures are often traditionally associated with the core belief, and these may have some overlap with concepts in secular philosophy. religion is also often described as a way of life. to all religious zealots: it is easy to fear what i do not understand; and easy to slander from behind the protection of a crowd. information about the subject of lucifer is mainly clarified by the religious and denominational explanations. however, if i am willing to consider the viewpoints of other religions and dig even deeper, i will be confronted with information most human beings would not accept. the only point of agreement is that lucifer, satan, the devil, or whatever name it goes, is seen as the opposite of god, the great spirit. hence, in religions which consider lucifer to be the force of good, god, the great spirit, is seen as the force of evil, and vice versa. they teach us that we are wild, animalistic, lacking reasons, and sinful. human beings were born with sin, inflected with dark passions and satanic temptations.  the transition to adulthood consisted of achieving mastery over them.  but who says it is wrong to be me? the religious ones of course. our preferences are regarded as unworthy, our desires as shameful, that we must strive to overcome them.  taken to its logical conclusion, human life is a constant struggle to stifle and transcend ourselves.  morality consists of the triumph of mind over body, reason over desire, will over want. but is this the way life should be lived? enjoyed? the only wrong thing is that which disrupts harmony, that which negates peace of mind, peace of existence, and progress of mankind. this is a philosophy for the here and now. we regard human values and actions as making sense only in the context of human life rather than in the promise of a supposed life after death. open religion is the flow of the universe, the force behind the natural order. it is the influence that keeps the universe balanced and ordered and is associated with nature, due to a belief that nature demonstrates the harmony. the flow the essential energy of action and existence is compared to the universal order. this order is associated with a proper attitude, morality and lifestyle. this is intimately tied to the complex concept of virtue. i do not have to accept any of them. i will just practise having a more open attitude to new ideas; because that is the only way a person can grow; the only way i can grow. in open religion, we do not believe in god, the great spirit, or devil as external entities who are antagonistic, rather, they are forces that restore balance; that reside within us as human beings; that operate in nature. most believers, in the various religions, started reciting the doctrines without even appreciating the truth, or otherwise, of the statements. in this vein, the religious, as well as denominational institutions mercilessly delete those texts or facts that are not in agreement with their most current doctrines, while interpreting the rest to have the meaning needed to fir their current practices, and potential future practices. believers are then subsequently hammered the facts on god and satan, and demons and angels, so that any information even slightly different from their indoctrinated knowledge is viewed with unbelief and unwillingness to research the claims further. i need to read. there is an initial surge of empowerment that comes to human beings after reading self help books, is a deeper spirituality as found in the mainstream books and the understanding of the law of attraction, which is actually the law of the matter and thus does not belong to the highest divine laws. reading enhances open mindedness, reduces judgmental and stereotypical attitudes; enhances communication and understanding of self and the surrounding, that is, human beings and nature. reading interrogates beliefs and order of events leading to self awareness for maximum exploitation of individual potential for personal and community development. leading leads to understanding of relationships, and provides knowledge for betterment of relationships. true religion encourages reading, and formulation of own opinions. there is no evil force at all, and only my negative mindset makes it so. likewise, there is no good force at all, but my mindset makes it so. all forces are neutral. as of forces, so are objects. an object is intrinsically neither sacred nor profane. there is nothing intrinsic about a particular object which makes it sacred.  an object becomes sacred only when the community invests it with that meaning.  it becomes the one or the other depending on whether men choose to consider the utilitarian value of the object or certain intrinsic attributes that have nothing to do with its instrumental value. sacred activities are valued by the community of believers not as means to ends, but because the religious community has bestowed their meaning on them as part of its worship. distinctions between the spheres of the sacred and the profane are always made by groups who band together in a cult and who are united by their common symbols and objects of worship. there hence exists no absolute evil, or absolute good. rather, there is a balance, which sustains nature. for most wiccans like buddhists, evil stands for negative inner urges such as selfishness. a smaller group of wiccans believe in external evil in the form of negative energy forces. satan, in various religions, is evil force, separate from god, the great spirit, which is responsible for the fall of the humanity, and subsequent sufferings on earth. every person is born with sin and they can only wash it away if they completely accept that god, son of god, or a prophet of god saved humanity by certain level of sacrifice, ranging from death on cross, trough suffering, to prayer and supplication to their god. dying on the cross. interestingly, in some religions, evil spirits, and all resultant forms of suffering, are sent by god, the great spirit, to test the faith of human beings. Some religions even go further to have this doctrine personified and made into a single totally evil entity, a fallen angel, satan, devil, or lucifer. after all, it is very strange to believe that god, the great spirit, would separate itself from the evil, god, the great spirit, being everywhere and creating everything. eternal hell or blissful heaven is a mirage. for those who do not accept the prophets; or god, the great spirit; or the sons of god; or the scriptures; or the divine writings; or the gospels; or other books, referred to as holy, an eternal hell is waiting. indeed, any believer in one religion who does not accept the teachings of the other religions is a candidate to burn in the hell of the other religion, and face the wrath of the god of the other religion. consequently, given the over ten thousand religions in the world, one who believes in one will face the combined damnation of the other 9,999 or so gods. herein lies the fallacy of true religions. god, the great spirit, is not huge and unapproachable, and he wants i to labor, struggle and live in guilt.   2000 years ago, they would not even dare say the word god, the great spirit.  god, the great spirit, was distant, remote, and terrible. god is the great spirit. when we want our own way, we get it. but when we want the way of peace, we also get it. god, the great spirit, is the great spirit. source of harmony.  and god, the great spirit, does not have human attributes, because it is a spirit. the only attribute it has, that spirits have, are disturbance, and harmony. and god, the great spirit, is harmony, the opposite, is disturbance, evil, the devil. god, the great spirit, does not control our behaviors, or prescribe moral values. our laws are not imposed upon us from without. there is subsequently no external imposer of morality. it is possible for human beings to develop laws and impose those laws upon themselves, and it is possible to do the same with morality. as in law, so in morals; the governed are capable of rule. every religion has its sage; its prophets, messengers, wise men, elders, and sons of god. every one of these individuals claimed and some still do claim to know the absolute truth. each devised and continues to devise a set of rules or laws, doctrines, canons, and guidelines, covering everything from how to give birth, sit to how to burry the dead; from how to eat, to how to relive the bowels; from how to make love, to how to make war; from marriage to divorce; and from how and when to curse, to how and when to bless. they do not allow the believer to question the rules, but only follow like an animal with no rational thought. it is the leaders, seated in the capitals of the worlds, reigning over the flock, the masses, the believers, the poor, who can change the law, and interpret the law, and when a new law comes to place, it must be followed as the old. what is mentioned as evil, including pleasure, power and existence, are not evil in themselves, but in their utility. life and death are neutral in their own, and only get meaning by the utility they bring to the one who is alive or dead. hence, at one time, it is better for someone to continue living, and at another time, it is better for someone to die. it is the province of religions and religious institutions to entrench the notion of morality. morality is a fundamental and timeless province in the society which oils social relations and regulates behavoiur without and outside the threat of sanctions and or law. it is the role of religion is to place man in the context within the atmosphere and the universe, as a created being with certain duties, and certain rights, over and above he rights and duties acquired under the social contract of civilised governments and polity. religion must hence be beyond impurification and perception of cultures, and be simple to comprehend, but open to be practiced as the individual wishes, and in all sphere of social relations, in all lands and places of abode of man in the world. the true religion must entrench the principles of natural law and the concept of the creator and the created being, natural law derived from reason and observation of nature. nature betrays a hidden force continuously at play, a force of nature, a force of order, a force of balance. god, the great spirit, the source of this force, is beyond this force, but created the force, and the force is in control, and man can harness this force, and use it for good, roe veil. i relate to god, the great spirit, through moments of silence, meditation, and prayer, during which i seek to align myself, my mind, body, and spirit, to the force of universe, the force of nature, to balance and peace. when i pray, i seek to find clarity of mind, so that my actions, which must follow prayer, will be in unison with forces of nature, forces of action and reaction, forces of balance, and my rewards, either peace, or turmoil; either, will be a result of my state of peace and harmony with nature. the ancient religious practices that have failed so miserably to bring human kind out of the current chaos the world is mired in. as the religions of the world continue to give lip service to archaic doctrines, which they inwardly question themselves, humankind now seeks the truths of the spiritual dimension to guide them in today’s fast paced world. being a spiritual being has got nothing to do with religion. god, the great spirit, did not sanction any religion upon the earth. none whatsoever. god, the great spirit, does not prefer humans to give any percentage of their wealth to the needy. god, the great spirit does not require humans to pray in a given time, or number of times in a day. god, the great spirit, does not require a single day, out of seven, to specially pray, or a single month, out of twelve, to fast, or indeed a single day, our of the year, to recollect and remember our sinfulness. god, the great spirit, requires nothing of human brings. humans already know, through applying natural reason, what they must do to have happy lives, and what they must avoid, in consequence. all rules, practices, percentages, days, and related activities, are created by man, and for reasons of the man. many ask, who or what is god, the great spirit,? god, the great spirit, is the supreme universal energy, the eternal creator of all things animate and inanimate. god, the great spirit, is the whole vastness of life. god, the great spirit, is not an individual. god, the great spirit, the great spirit is all perfection, a force, an achievement. the great spirit is all energy, all life, all beauty and all accomplishments completed. that is god, the great spirit, in a nutshell. god, the great spirit,-like men and women do those works which draw attention to god, the great spirit, to that supreme energy, to that supreme conclusion of life. those works: being of service to humankind in the way of healing the sick and infirm, comforting the mourner, guiding the bewildered, giving strength to the fatigued and direction to those who have lost their way. for humankind there is no higher service then these accomplishments in the eyes of god, the great spirit,. i will not seek recognition or praise; just know i am fulfilling the true purpose for which i entered into this world, to bring enlightenment to myself and to those who need my help. remember, when i die and leave the physical dimension and return to the spirit dimension that is not the end of life. i wont be sitting on a fluffy white cloud playing a harp for the rest of eternity; i will be seeking to evolve higher, to achieve being more god, the great spirit,-like in my own spiritual development. to be absorbed through this supreme energy called god, the great spirit, in order for everything to be in harmony, in correctness and that everything will have the proper answer. i will not fear being absorbed, for i still retain my individuality. i am simply adding my energy to that of god, the great spirit. god, the great spirit, continues to expand, like adding wood to a fire, the more logs i throw on, the larger the fire becomes. the more spirit beings that become god, the stronger god, the great spirit, becomes. i become a part of that energy, to where that intelligence can reach out and touch other spirits, thus making this a more integral truism of the universe, more in exactness, more in balance. the fundamental control of human life and death in the physical body—weather conditions, drought and starvation—will be in preciseness rather than all the turmoil it is in today. the earthly ideals of assessment of oneself have nothing to do with god, the great spirit is evaluation of us. that which our world worships and craves such as position, power, wealth and authority is inconsequential to god, the great spirit. the service we have rendered to our fellow beings out of true love and affection all aid to increase our spiritual character, which helps attain our goal of becoming more god, the great spirit,-like. that is what god, the great spirit, seeks from us. there is no judgement, and no future punishment! balance, and imbalance, is crated, and restored, right here on earth. dare to think deeper, for humankind has this ability and needs to put it to greater use. master thyself and i master the world. master the world and i master the universe. master the universe and i become one with god, the great spirit, the great spirit. our bodies need good nutrition, proper rest and basic exercise to function in our physical dimension. our minds need knowledge in which we are responsible for turning that knowledge into wisdom, which is to be shared freely with all humankind. if everyone on earth shared some of their love with another, there would be peace and harmony. the great spirit did not invent sin, humankind invented it to use as a tool to enslave the weak and ignorant masses of that time period. the simple fact that religions the world over are capable of promoting similar moral behavior puts the lie to the idea that only a certain god, the great spirit, is the one true dispenser of morality. if only one of the many god, the great spirit is believed in is real, millions of human beings, though behaving morally, must be doing it under the influence, inspiration, or orders of the wrong god, the great spirit,. belief in the right god, the great spirit, then, must not be very critical in the matter of moral conduct. as with laws, so with morals: human beings seem quite capable of making, on their own, sensible and sensitive decisions affecting conduct. my god, the great spirit, has not control of pain or happiness. if god, the great spirit, was really good and powerful, he would not allow so much evil and suffering to go on. all deeds and misdeeds have consequences right here on earth. i do not need to appease anyone, least of all the get a spirit. i just need to find my balance whenever i lose it, my balance in health, knowledge, relationships, career, and of course, the serving fellow human beings; and there is always someone to be served. i cannot appease the great spirit, and i cannot escape the consequences of my misdeeds. moral values derive their source from human experience. ethics is autonomous and situational needing no theological or ideological sanction. ethics stems from human need and interest. to deny this distorts the whole basis of life. human life has meaning because we create and develop our futures. happiness and the creative realization of human needs and desires, individually and in shared enjoyment, are continuous themes of humanism. we strive for the good life, here and now. the goal is to pursue life’s enrichment despite debasing forces of vulgarization, commercialization, and dehumanization. humans are social animals and need both the protections and restraints provided by effective social organization, we support those laws that protect the innocent, deal effectively with the guilty, and secure the survival of the needy. we desire a system of criminal justice that is swift and fair, ignoring neither the perpetrator of crime nor the victim, and considering deterrence, restoration, and rehabilitation in the goals of penalization. however, not all crimes or disputes between human beings must be settled by courts of law. a different approach involving conflict mediation, wherein opposing parties come to mutual agreements, also has our support. all humans share common needs in a common planetary environment, we support the current trend toward more global consciousness. effective programs require cooperation. only negotiation will make the world secure. there is value in communication and exchange of information, whether that communication and exchange involve political ideas, ideological viewpoints, science, technology, culture, or the arts. we value human creativity and human reason and who have seen the benefits of science and technology, we are decidedly willing to take part in the new scientific and technological developments around us. life and human history is a great adventure, we seek new worlds to explore, new facts to uncover, new avenues for artistic expression, new solutions to old problems, and new feelings to experience. we sometimes feel driven in our quest, and it is participation in this quest that gives our lives meaning and makes beneficial discoveries possible. our goals as a species are open ended. as a result, we will never be without purpose. ethical values are derived from human need and interest as tested by experience. values in human welfare are shaped by human circumstances, interests, and concerns and extended to the global ecosystem and beyond. we must be committed to treating each person as having inherent worth and dignity, and to making informed choices in a context of freedom consonant with responsibility. distinction between good and evil could not even theoretically be drawn in a world that we imagined to be devoid of all life. beings are both rational and emotional, and we have purposes, needs, or desires. since we have needs, we make moves to ensure our own survival or avoid our own destruction. we care about what goes on, we do not merely observe. and thus they have rationale for declaring a thing good or evil. everything mattes to us, and, since we are not alone in universe, everything matters. man is fully human. he has deficiencies, and hence needs. he has longings and desires. he can experience pain and pleasure and often avoids the former and seeks the latter. things matter to him. he can ask of a given thing, is this for me or against me? and come to some determination. at this point, and only at this point, do good and evil appear. furthermore, the judgments of this solitary being concerning good and evil are as absolute as any judgment can be. such a being is, indeed, the measure of all things: of good things as good and of bad things as bad. . . . no distinction can be made, in terms of this being, between what is merely good for him and what is good absolutely; there is no higher standard of goodness. apart from mans wants and needs, there is only that dead universe. and, without him, good and evil could not exist. but since we are more than one human being on the earth, though having many needs and interests in common, we have some that differ slightly. on the one hand, we have human beings with similar aims who are capable of working together for a common cause. on the other hand, we have human beings who need to compromise with each other in order that each will be able to satisfy the others unique desires. and so a complex interpersonal relationship develops, and rules are established to maximize mutual satisfaction and to minimize the effects of evil. with rules, we now have right and wrong. and from this basic recognition of the need for cooperation ultimately come laws and ethics. hence, moral values exist outside god, the great spirit,; and god, the great spirit, is not the one who made good things good and bad things bad; and our knowledge of good and evil, right and wrong, moral and immoral must not be based on the absolute moral standards established in heaven. human relationships should be based o the undying wisdom of unity is strength, and the philosophy that we are relational beings, meant to relate with others, whether they are our family, friends, client or colleagues. and in the relationship, we should five without conditions or expectation for wards and the giving must be based on the concept of humanity, utu, ubuntu, that we are because they are, and that without them, we will not be here. this relationship should be based on the knowledge that all human beings are equal, interdependent, and different. suppose that human beings come to a fierce disagreement over the best way to perform a desired action, and argue to no understanding and agreement, we cannot pull a trump card of god, the great spirit. without living beings with needs, there can be no good or evil. and without the presence of more than one such living being, there can be no rules of conduct. morality, then, emerges from humanity precisely because it exists to serve humanity. human beings, without some theologically derived moral system, would not be without any points of reference upon which to anchor their ethics. since good and evil are ultimately judged from human need and interest, then it only makes sense for all moral principles to work toward meeting human needs and serving human interests — as opposed to becoming ends in themselves. believing, on the other hand, that moral values come from god, the great spirit, has inspired many throughout history to practice idolatry with moral principles. right and wrong cannot exist without beings with needs, and human beings have proven themselves capable of devising and then abiding by their own rules. there is no longer any way to deny that the pursuit of human interest, for the individual and for society, for the short and for the long run, is the broad goal of laws and ethics. this does not really need an explanation or justification, except to those who have lost sight of the actual basis for their own values. no one needs to be asked why he or she pursues his or her own interests, and no planet of human beings needs to be asked why it seeks to pursue common goals. human values make sense only in the context of human life. a supposed non-humanlike existence after death cannot, then, be included as part of the environment in which our values must operate. the here-and-now physical world of our senses is the world that is relevant for our ethical concerns, our goals, and our aspirations. we therefore place our values wholly within this context. were we to do otherwise—to place our values in the wider context of a merely hoped-for extension of the reality we know—we might find ourselves either foregoing our real interests in the pursuit of imaginary ones or trying to relate human needs here to a very different set of nonhuman needs elsewhere. we will not sacrifice the ethical good life here unless it can be demonstrated that there is another life elsewhere that necessitates a shift in our attention, and that this other life bears some relation and commonality with this one. we ground our ethical decisions and ideals in human need and concern as opposed to the alleged needs and concerns of supposed deities or other transcendent entities or powers. we measure the value of a given choice by how it affects human life, and in this we include our individual selves, our families, our society, and the human beings of the earth. if higher powers are found to exist, powers to which we must respond, we will still base our response on human need and interest in any relationship with these powers. this is because all philosophies and religions we know are created by humans and cant, in the final analysis, avoid the built-in bias of a human perspective. this human perspective limits us to human ways of comprehending the world and to human drives and aspirations as motive forces. we practice our ethics in a living context rather than an ideal one. though ethics are ideals, ideals can only serve as guidelines in life situations. this is why we oppose absolutistic moral systems that attempt to rigidly apply ideal moral values as if the world were itself ideal. we recognize that conflicts and moral dilemmas do occur and that moral choices are often difficult and cannot be derived from simplistic yardsticks and rules of thumb. moral choices often involve hard thinking, diligent gathering of information about the situation at hand, careful consideration of immediate and future consequences, and weighing of alternatives. living life in a manner that promotes the good, or even knowing what choices are good, is not always easy. so when we declare our commitment, we are expressing our willingness to do the intensive thinking and work that living in a complex world entails. whether or not god, the great spirit, exists is not for me to determine, debate or argue against. but if they do, they will be happy if i am doing good deeds, and sad if i do not do so. every man has it in his being to develop into something good or bad: there is a best possible for him, and a worst possible. his circumstances will determine whether his capacities for good are developed or crushed, and whether his bad impulses are strengthened or gradually diverted into better channels. consequently, no such place as heaven exists. no, there is no such place. heaven is not a place, and it is not a time. heaven is being perfect. happy. peaceful. as hell is being imperfect. unhappy. in turmoil.  the afterlife is not my concern i trouble not myself about the manner of future existence. the power that gave me existence is able to continue it, in any form and manner he pleases, either with or without this body; and it appears more probable to me that i shall continue to exist hereafter than that i should have had existence, as i now have, before that existence began. everything we behold carries in itself the internal evidence that it did not make itself. this includes trees, plants, humans and other animals. this conclusion carries us on to the belief of a first cause eternally existing, this first cause, man calls god. that god will take care of the afterlife, in whoever way fit and fair. consequently, it is not my business to postulate, hypothesize, or worry about the afterlife. worse still, no one should tell me to kill, maim, plunder or oppress in the name of god, for the purposes of gaining entry to the afterlife. those who threaten, cajole, scare, and make us worry about the afterlife do so for their earthly gain. power. prestige. politics. control. there is neither interest, nor rewards, promoting hope in the afterlife. success in this life is the key; and success is realised through achieving milestones that make us happy, both in private and public life; both in career and leisure; both in academia and arts. achieving economic, cultural, social, and political success would free us humans in this life. the afterlife will take care of itself. there is no compelling evidence to justify the belief that the human mind is distinct and separable from the human brain, which is itself a part of the body. there is no evidence of existence of the soul, save for the work of superstition, belief, and rituals. all that we know about the personality indicates that every part of it is subject to change caused by physical disease, injury, and death. thus there are insufficient grounds for belief in a soul or some form of afterlife. the basic motivations that determine our values are ultimately rooted in our biology and early experiences. this is because our values are based upon our needs, interests, and desires which, themselves, often relate to the survival of our species. as humans we are capable of coming to agreement on basic values because we most often share the same needs, interests, and desires and because we share the same planetary environment. when human beings are left largely free to pursue their own interests and goals, to think and speak for themselves, to develop their abilities, and to operate in a social setting that promotes liberty, the number of beneficial discoveries and accomplishments increases and humanity moves further toward the goal of greater self-understanding, better laws, better institutions, and a good life. humans are an integral part of nature, the result of unguided evolutionary change. nature is self-existing. our life is all and enough, hence, we must distinguish things as they are from things as we might wish or imagine them to be. we should welcome the challenges of the unforeseen future, and yet be content in the present reality; to be undaunted by the yet to be known. we should accept our limitation in understanding, and seek to understand more. and in the absence of knowledge, we should not fill the jars of ignorance with the oil of superstition, morality, and or ritual.  rituals are not spiritual the large amount of rules and vows seek to stop me to investigating what they are all about; they should not just be accepted and followed, they must be understood and then i may automatically find myself living according to them. religion must not offer solace to humans, and inhibit humans from helping themselves or experiencing their full potentialities. such institutions, creeds, and rituals often impede the will to serve others. religion does not need rituals. there are human beings who call themselves religious-minded, trying to show this by dressing in a peculiar manner, maintaining a peculiar way of life, and isolating themselves from the rest of society. that is wrong. a scripture of mind-purification (mind-training) says, transform my inner viewpoint, but leave my external appearance as it is. this is important. because the very purpose of practicing the great vehicle is service for others, we should not isolate ourselves from society. in order to serve, in order to help, i must remain in society.  the purpose of rituals should be to control our mind and intentions; to change our behaviour into not harming others, but helping them instead. religions have rituals which harm others. some declare war on other cultures. some declare war on morality and dressing styles. some do not eat certain plants and animals, and kill those who eat them. some go to war over artistic and pictorial depiction of their gods. and when they have killed, maimed and rendered orphans, widows and widowers the victims, they are promised salvation; seat near gods, virgins, wealth and streets of gold. indeed, the men are promised seven virgins, when they can enjoy more, right here. and what about the woman suicide bomber, does she also get to have seven virgin men? once i have been caught up in the effects of organized religion, which is usually imposed at an early age, it is almost impossible for real spiritual truths to penetrate the dense wall of superstition that has been indoctrinated into my very soul. for those who are strong enough to break free, i will no longer be caught up in the selfishness and ignorance of this chaotic world. the knowledge of the spirit dimension will open and i shall realize the greatness that lies within myself. political and social institutions are to be judged by the good or harm that they do to individuals. do they encourage creativeness rather than possessiveness? do they embody or promote a spirit of reverence between human beings? do they preserve self-respect? religion exists to advance human life. all associations and institutions exist for the fulfillment of human life. the intelligent evaluation, transformation, control, and direction of such associations and institutions with a view to the enhancement of human life is the purpose and program of humanism. certainly religious institutions, their ritualistic forms, ecclesiastical methods, and communal activities must be reconstituted as rapidly as experience allows, in order to function effectively in the modern world. the goal of religion is a free and universal society in which human beings voluntarily and intelligently cooperate for the common good. open religion provides this shared life in a shared world. is your god a woman? the question is not whether or not god is a woman, but rather, why we do not view god as a woman, yet clearly, she is a woman. "could god be a woman?" that is the wrong question. we should be asking: why does mankind view god as a man? in the male centric, macho style, patriachial society of the world, it is probably not politically correct to view god as a woman. this is despite various references by the holy books, across religions, that god is truly feminine, with the love of a woman, and the wrath of a woman. all religions are ego-centric fads, designed to mislead and exploit the majority of people, to enrich a few who accumulate fortunes in private jets, banks and priced lavish estates around the world, and award themselves the titles of rabi, sheiks, bishops and popes, to equate themselves with their male god as his earthly representatives. from the moment men began to see themselves as the stronger sex and their women folks as the weaker sex, they began equating god with masculinity and brute force, although appearing to be slightly aware of the defective nature of the male god's creative assets. to compensate for this, some tribes of the world temporarily let-in the female companion on the rare occasions of their uncreative male god's desperate sexual hunger, otherwise, the men were satisfied that brute-force was all that was needed to keep the world under their perpetual control. now wonder the male gods of various male-centric religions allow the woman to be raped, taken in captive by the men, be given as a virgin gift to male-god fearing men, be taken as slaves by men, be under the protection of men, even if those men can barely protect themselves. all religious books, having been written by men, personify god as having revealed himself as having a male personage. that god wanted people to understand him as a "him" and a "he." indeed, the rise of the god as a male, storm gods, blazing on mountains in fire or lightning, leads to the fall of the god the woman to a serpent/dragon, associated with darkness/evil. women consequently are transformed from wise counselors into silent and ignored beings. through history, peaceful, benevolent matriarchal society and goddess-reverent traditions were attacked, undermined and ultimately destroyed almost completely, by the male-ego centric, patriarchal societal orders, using their own new religions on one hand, and male supremacy on the other hand. they attempted to destroy any visible symbol of the sacred feminine- including artwork, sculpture, weavings and literature. they wanted the sacred masculine to become the dominant power, and rule over women and goddess energies. the religious books are in many ways a male attempt to re-write the story of human society, changing feminine symbolism to masculine. scholars of religions, all male, created rules and regulations to humiliate and make women subject to the dictates of the male chauvinists under all circumstances. these were and are nefarious, oppressive and inhumane acts of control and subjugation. the idea that only a woman's eyes should be exposed out of her whole body is not only morally bereft of justice and equality but is utterly obscene and totally ungodly. there religions relegate womanhood to the level of a field suitable for ploughing and sowing seed, and the man as the tiller. they are almost unaware of the extent to which their human rights have been violated by their male-dominated and male-centred societies, which have continued to assert glibly and tirelessly that islam has given women more rights than any other religious tradition. for women, kept for centuries in physical, mental, and emotional bondage, analyzing their personal experience is probably overwhelming. these male centric religions teachings degrades women, denigrate them in all ways, claims they are inferior to men, denies them their right to leave their homes without male supervision, their right to say no to their husbands sexual demands, treats them as property, allows their murder as honor killing or any other reason, forces them to cover themselves against their will, doesn't allow them to wear whatever they want to wear on their face/bodies, allows their beating, allows their lashing/stoning, allows their sexual abuse/molestation, murders them for having non martial sex, murders them for committing adultery, forces them into marriage against their will, allows child girls to be raped under the fraud of marriage, allows women's enslavement as sex slaves or slaves, allows their raping, allows sex without the woman's full consent, denies them their right to sexual freedom, denies them their god given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. the role of the supreme being in the african myth was reserved for the grand-old-progenitor of the human race. african cultures do not have the sex pronoun, he or she, and so, it is not easy to classify god as either male, or female. god is not described with masculine imagery and grammatical forms. god is the one who gathers her children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." we are told that mankind is created in the image of god, both male and female. the true image of creation is in the mother, of course. an energy that prevails throughout the universe. god is the motherly (hen). god is both caring and nurturing, yet powerful and strong. anyone praying anywhere in the world should pray to the only and true god, the mother-god of the universe. mankind has been praying to the wrong god and that this act principally is responsible for the never ending mayhem the world has been experiencing. in other words, that humans have been worshipping evil to pile pains upon pains on their heads. god is a woman! the worship of the female deity as the wise creator and the one source of universal order. under her, women's roles differed markedly from those in patriarchal cultures. women bought and sold property, traded in the marketplace, and the inheritance of title and property was passed from mother to daughter. the patriarchal re-imaging of the god as a male has created a wanton, depraved figure. we are to wait on the black queen as a servant, to kiss her feet, to bow in her presence. we are to love and adore her more than life. for she is life! she is creation, and she is love, ones identity is through his or her mother. the mother, the queen, is the creator, the life force, the sustainer and the producer of life and ones identity. she invents agriculture and writing, heals, and gives laws that provide women full rights. ancient rulers were often pictured with their mothers and ruled equally with their queens. the feminine energy is glorious and vital! the image of god, the woman, represents the nourishing and life-giving energy; the same energy in the woman, the same energy that is an aspect of the all-encompassing transcendental god. so the man has historically in fact practiced devotional veneration to woman, and to god! the human race originated in a woman. all humans can trace their roots to a woman. the first mother is a woman, a god, god the woman. the original woman, the mother and creator of us all. she is the feminine energy of the divine (father-mother-son) trinity. she embodies powerful aspects of the feminine energy: love, wisdom, healing and nurturing. only a woman god would represents the life force within air, which is itself a lifeforce. she also represents water and liquid substances and the power of water. the mother goddess. she is the mother. she represents the heavens and the sky. she represents these aspects of the physical universe that we live in. nut lifts up all righteous aspirants into heaven to take their place as a shining spirit (star) on her body. god the woman is nature itself. she represents nature's ability to regenerate or recycle herself. just as vultures sustain their lives by eating the dead carcasses of animals, she creates life out of death. she takes in death and brings forth new life for the spiritual aspirant. she is the inexhaustible source of energy and vitality that sustains the universe. the female aspect of the cosmic reality represents the source of creation. this powerful lioness-headed god destroys, evil, darkness and ignorance. in this capacity she aids the aspirant towards truth and the light. god the great spirit, as a woman, wears a feathered headdress. she sustains the universe and creation! she is peace, love, harmony, balance, order and justice. she is the force and balance that hangs stars in galaxies and pushes galaxies through universes, she causes the rain to fall and flowers to blossom. she is the purity and clarity within the heart, mind and consciousness of the aspirant that leads to identification with the higher self and conquering of the lower self. she is balance. she is righteousness. she is the foundation of life and culture of the ancient people, oru ancestors, and of any spirant on the spiritual path. she is x life. god, the woman, is the mother of all men. she is the creator. she is the central point of the mankind family. god the woman, is the essence of spirituality. indeed, man's supreme witnessing of god and spirituality is in the form of the woman during the act of sexual union. the divine reality is inaccessible in respect of the essence, and there is contemplation only in a substance, the contemplation of god in women is the most intense and the most perfect; and the union which is the most intense. god, the great spirit, is a composite and divine expression of all of the energies and qualities represented by the goddesses. her vibration of love, nurturing, healing and life is essential. just as her energy has created us, only she can save us. to merely respect the great woman is a trivial thing; indeed she is to be worshiped as a living goddess! we are to wait on the queen as a servant, to kiss her feet, to bow in her presence. we are to love and adore her more than life. for she is life! she is creation, and she is love. god is a woman. the ultimate secret. the soul the divine feminine manifests metaphysically and in the inner expression of the religion. the divine feminine is not so much a secret within as she is the compassionate heart of true religion that enables us to experience life. her centrality demonstrates her necessary and life-giving role. like a bear robbed of her cubs, god the woman will attack them and tear them asunder. like the eagle that stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young, god the woman spreads wings to catch, and carries. god the woman cannot forsake her creation, as a mother cannot forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb. and how do we know her? we don’t? we experience her.  …so, is your religion open religion? 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