Finding Common Ground, page 2

A  -      Agree absolutely with this belief

B  -      Believe it is probably true

C  -      Could agree if given evidence or 
                 a better explanation

D  -      Disagree for the most part

F  -       Fiercely disagree

The purpose of religion is to promote love and unity between all people.  A religion that promotes conflict is worse than no religion at all.

There is only One God, who loves all of humanity equally.

Our motive for following God's teachings is not that we feel guilty when we don't, but rather that we experience more joy, radiance, inner peace and closeness to God when we do.

Joy comes from knowing that we are living in harmony with our true purpose in life, which is to know and love God.

To be "created in God's image," means that we reflect the spiritual qualities of God.

Since we are made in the image of God, we know that we are created good and noble, but we still need guidance in order to develop our full potential.

Our love for God can be expressed and deepened through prayer, meditation, fasting, teaching and service.

We should work on our own faults, ignore others' faults, and avoid "backbiting."

Parents should love and educate their children.  Children should honor and serve their parents.

There is only one human family, and all races, nations and cultures reflect the wonderful diversity of that family.

Economic and environmental problems can be solved through the application of spiritual principles.

Women and men are equal in their capacity to reflect the image, or virtues, of God.  God is neither male nor female.  The word "He" is often used in scripture only because we do not have a neutral personal pronoun in English.

The family is the building block of civilization and needs to be strengthened and supported.

Science and Religion are simply two different ways of exploring God's creation and should be in harmony.

God is the creator.  He is not in His creation, nor is He separate from His creation.  He is reflected in creation the way a mirror reflects the sun, or a piece of music reflects the spirit of the composer.  The relationship between Creator and creation is eternal.

The rational soul is God's greatest gift to humans, but it is still limited in its ability to understand itself, let alone its unknowable Creator.  All we can know about God are those qualities that are already reflected within us.

For a spiritually strong person, death is the door to true life.  We will retain our identity and communicate with loved ones.  We will not return to the physical world, but will continue to grow and even serve in the spiritual world.

God's Messengers have not come to save us because we are inherently evil, but rather to educate us because we are inherently ignorant and in need of guidance.

The Manifestations of God are perfect reflections of God, they are not God in His Essence, nor are they  little pieces of God.

The term "return" refers to a return of the spiritual qualities or spiritual station of a prophet, not their physical return.  For example, Jesus said that John the Baptist was the return of Elias, even though physically, John was His cousin.

Jesus was born of a virgin and was the spiritual Son, not the physical Son of God.  God's spiritual "Son" rose spiritually to a spiritual Heaven to live forever.

One can tell a true Prophet from a false one by the "fruit" of His teachings, and the example of His life.