I do not have a religion. Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and the rest are merely words coined by men. In each case, the members of these groups worship a singularly powerful entity they refer to as God, Allah or other name. And that is precisely why there is no such thing as religion: there is the one true God of all.
I chose to follow the teachings of Jesus because the things he said are common to every religion. His words have been often been included in scriptures of other faiths. That’s why I believe there really is no such thing as religion (Faith…yes, religion…no!)
The theological dogma or tenets that religions hold to be true incorporate the most basic things Jesus said every one of us ought to be doing. Among these are feed the hungry, clothe the naked, suffer the children to learn to love their neighbor as they love themselves and so on. The power and passion of this kind of expression of love for one’s fellow human beings is ripe for charismatic and ambitious leaders to exploit. That’s why there are denominations in every major faith.
I pray that this message can open the eyes of the leaders of the world as well as the rank and file citizenry of every nation in the world. I pray that rituals and traditions will no longer be used as religious doctrine to separate us from one another. I pray that the vicious hateful acts of men led by self-serving despots such as the leaders of the Muslim terror groups, despots, and all hate groups are seen for what they are; ignorant men who worship personal power at the expense of innocent human life.
O God, how much longer must we endure a white supremacist in the United States seeking to murder people of color while justifying it in your name and the name of Jesus Christ. How long do we have to endure ministers who preach prosperity for their pockets at the expense of the true words spoken by Jesus? How long must we endure those who have come to power among the Muslims and changed the words written down by Mohammad? How long must we endure the belief that there is something holy in immersing someone in water to wash away their sins, or marching around a tower? How long before people come to realize that there is no priest given authority to bring the prayers and petitions of the people to God? How can one man kill another while he is praying to God just because he is a Sunni and the man praying is a Shiite’? Is this not what is happening in the world today? Has a Christian killed a Christian?
I pray that everyone who reads this message will join me in 2010 to unite as we have never united before. I pray that we may learn to turn our faces to the sky and ask our common God to grant us the strength to become one people in one world in one accord before Him. For I ask in God’s Holy name, who have I offended by asking? What faith do these words offend that ask us to raise our hearts and our prayers to the same God as one human family? Therefore, do you agree?
