CREDO

Back in about 1997 I had the time and need to write down what I believed, particularly as I was lay minister of the Quorn Uniting Church at the time. The original statement has been lost in changes of location and computers, but I have continued to revisit my creed every year or so, revising and simplifying. Over the twenty or so years involved, my creed has changed greatly as I have moved from Christianity to Humanism. Here is where I am in late 2017 compared with where I was in 2007.

JOHN'S CREED - LATE  2017                         

After years of struggle with my concept of God, I now accept that, for me, the argument from science for no god is simpler, more consistent and more sustainable than any of the many arguments from religion for a god.

While I sometimes experience nostalgia for a life of religious belief, I do not see such yearnings as either proof for a god or related to any kind of god.

I have a sense of moral responsibility and wonder towards all of life and my own place in the whole spread of time and space that surpasses religious belief.

I value modern research into the historical Jesus and its revelation of a human being whose recorded life and teachings challenge our way of thinking and behaving - particularly his teachings about forgiveness, caring, equality and responsibility.

I acknowledge that current scientific knowledge has not provided an answer to the question of origin or cause in the universe, but welcome that uncertainty as a challenge rather than a proof of deity.

I practice a mixture of reflective thought and writing as a means of aligning myself with the creative force of the universe and my inner self.

I acknowledge the influence of both traditional Christianity and Aboriginal spirituality in my personal life journey. I find helpful the Aboriginal concepts of tjukurpa, kurunypa, kanyini  (Pitjantjatjara-Yankuntjatjara) and dadirri (Nganginkurungkurr- Miriam Rose Ungunmerr).

tjukurpa - the maintenance of ritual and story in life

            kurunpa - the spirit (maintained through tjukurpa)

            kanyini - connectedness/ caring/ responsibility

            dadirri - patiently waiting for and  listening to the voice of the land.

CREED - SEPTEMBER 2007                          JOHN WILEY

I believe that I have reached a watershed in my life journey.

After years of struggle with my concept of God, I now accept that the argument from science for no god (atheism) is simpler, more consistent and more sustainable than any of the many arguments from religion for a god.

While I still experience occasional yearnings for the old life of religious belief and personal spiritual experience, I no longer see such yearnings as either proof for a god or related to any kind of god. Rather, I see such yearnings and the related spiritual experiences to be explainable within the functioning of the human brain, under influences that are often both predictable and controllable.

I accept that human beings are capable of a great diversity of behaviour, but that we can also have a sense of moral responsibility and wonder towards all of life and our place in the whole spread of time and space that surpasses religious belief in any of its forms.

I value modern research into the historical Jesus and its revelation of a human being whose life and teachings radically challenged the conventional wisdom and religious assumptions of his day with a critique that has proven to be timeless in its continuing challenge to human society.

I acknowledge that current scientific knowledge has not provided an answer to the question of origin or cause in the universe, but welcome that uncertainty as a challenge to human knowledge rather than a proof of deity.

I practice meditation and reflective thought and writing as a means of aligning myself with both the creative force of the universe and with the life and teachings of Jesus, and of other great thinkers/leaders.

I acknowledge the influence of both traditional Christianity and Aboriginal spirituality in my personal life journey. I still find helpful the Aboriginal concepts of tjukurpa, kurunypa, kanyini  (Pitjantjatjara-Yankuntjatjara) and dadirri (Nganginkurungkurr- Miriam Rose Ungunmerr).

tjukurpa - the maintenance of ritual and story in life

            kurunpa - the spirit (maintained through tjukurpa)

            kanyini - connectedness/ caring/ responsibility

            dadirri - patiently waiting for and  listening to the voice of the land.

I also find helpful (indeed challenging) the teachings of Jesus about forgiveness, caring, equality and responsibility along with a constant sense of wonder (even joy) at constantly feeling supported by the goodwill of others.

I accept the value of myth as a means of spiritual expression, but not as a substitute for scientific (empirical) thought and discovery. However, I believe that much myth is not helpful, and needs reinterpreting if it is to be a positive influence to humanity.