The Theological Confession Of Buzz Dixon

I was raised in a Southern Baptist family.  I’ve read the Bible through several times in numerous translations.  

I have read other religious / spiritual writings as well, and listened to voices outside the conservative white middle class protestant background.

I prefer the term “the divine” over “God” as the latter has been used to create a mental image / idol that doesn’t correspond with reality.  

I believe the divine created the universe — all the universes, since I think there are an infinite number of them viz quantum science.  

I believe Jesus was a manifestation of the divine in human form.  I believe other humans have had and continue to have flashes of insight from the divine.  

I believe the divine to be good, and ironically by being good may not force change on humans as that would rob us of our own moral independence and reduce us to automatons. 

I believe the divine wants us of our own free will to choose to be good.  

To cite Rabbi Hillel (whom Jesus quoted directly), there are only two commandments:  Love God, love your neighbor.  

As the divine has created everything, there is nothing we humans can do for the divine to show our love for it other than to love one another.  

You cannot love the divine without loving people.  When you love people, you love the divine.  

As Andrew Vachss points out, love is a verb.  It’s what we do not what we feel.  

The golden rule is the simplest way to love others: Treat others the way you want to be treated. 

I believe there is an existence after this one (and I believe there was an existence before this one) but what that is remains beyond our comprehension.  

But if you follow a religion because you want to be rewarded in the next life, you’re pretty much guaranteeing you won’t.