Published on: Monday, June 13, 2011

By Brian J. Karem

I believe in one God, the father (and mother) almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

I believe Jesus Christ is the son of God. I believe Muhammad is the son of God. I believe Gautama Buddha is the son of God. I believe Mahatma Gandhi is the son of God. I believe Moses is the son of God. I believe Martin Luther King is the son of God. I believe Mother Theresa is the daughter of God. I believe my wife is the daughter of God. In short, I believe we are all children of God.

I believe Jesus suffered for our sins as I believe we all suffer for our sins.

I believe we should forgive one another for our sins.

I believe when Luke said in the bible the Kingdom of Heaven is in all men, that he truly meant everyone – and I do not need an intermediary to translate for me.

I believe I do not have to wait for heaven in a life after this one, but we can all create a heaven on earth if we want to, here and now.

I believe religion is not the opiate of the masses, but a struggle by people to try and understand their existence and I also believe human beings naturally twist their beliefs in an immature attempt to find a protagonist and antagonist in their lives to make sense of things they cannot understand.

I believe a church should exist as a place of worship for all faiths and all faiths should be welcomed as we struggle to build communities.

I believe the best a church can do is build a community and the worst it does is separate people.

I believe all religions are inherently flawed because they are institutions of men and cause more suffering than they ease.

I believe people established governments to try and mitigate the differences between different people in an attempt to bring people together.

I believe governments exist to assist not enslave people.

I believe all men are created equal in the eyes of the law and do indeed have unalienable rights and among these are life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the right to exist and provide for themselves and their families. And to these ends I believe the over-riding rationale for any government is to secure these rights for their citizens.

I believe in the Constitution of the United States of America, which includes the right to own a gun and the right to hug a tree, burn a flag, and the freedom to speak as I see fit.

I believe the only other ends for a government is to provide safety, public service, education, and scientific research to get us off this planet and to the stars.

I believe whenever a government becomes destructive of these ends it is the right of the people to alter and abolish it.

I believe all governments eventually become destructive of these ends, so I believe the government governs best which governs least.

I believe tyrants and dictators eventually come into power as governments amass more and more power and those dictators and tyrants use fear to free themselves while enslaving others.

I believe people become complacent, bought by the towering wealth of those who possess the means of production and the sweat of their ancestors’ brows.

I believe people will give away their hard fought freedoms for the illusion of safety more quickly than they’ll jump to defend their freedoms.

I believe greed is good – for nothing.

I believe most people want to be loved and wish to spread love.

I believe when some people are slighted or they perceive a grievous slight they become twisted and sometimes beyond their ability to love.

I believe Charlie Chaplin’s speech at the end of the “Great Dictator” is one of the most heartfelt, important statements of the 20^th Century – rivaling anything said by Gandhi.

I believe in music.

I believe a sense of humor is essential in order to exist without going nuts.

I believe in helping anyone who asks me.

I believe in family.

I believe a day spent with my family on an adventure is the closest thing to heaven on earth.

I believe Hell is a poor fiction.

I believe Heaven is a pleasant, but ultimately boring and unfulfilling fiction.

I believe racism, cronyism, hatred, and many other “isms” that separate man are the invention of flawed human beings, ignorant of our true spiritual nature and relationship to one another – this also covers communism, capitalism, socialism, solipsism and Taoism.

I believe my freedom ends where your nose begins.

I believe the Internet exists for much greater reasons than spreading pornography and questionable pictures of congressmen and aging athletes.

I believe “twitter” sounds like what it is.

I believe in athletics and the lessons team building give you for life.

I believe in becoming a part of something bigger than myself.

I believe in discipline.

I believe in hard work.

I believe in human dignity.

I believe in exercise.

I believe nothing is beyond the human spirit, provided we work together.

I believe we belong among the stars and that the Multi-verse is ultimately more intriguing, more awesome and more inspiring than we can ever imagine.

I believe while we are flawed, the pursuit of excellence and knowledge is the greatest of challenges and should never be abandoned.

I believe children are our future, but I never liked that song too much.

I believe Albert Brooks was more brilliant than he intended when he made the movie “Defending your Life,” and fear guides most people through their life.

I believe the world would be better off if more men acted like men, were faithful to their wives, families and mentored their sons.

I believe Charlie Sheen is intentionally and unintentionally hilarious.

I believe Richard Pryor is the funniest man who ever made a living as a comedian.

I believe a good, warm, homemade cookie and a glass of milk can cure a lot of sadness.

I believe if they aren’t available, a chocolate bar will suffice.

I believe nothing is impossible.

I believe God gave me this life to enjoy and to help others.

I believe I’ll have a cigar and sit on the veranda with a nice bourbon and smile.