Here's one for everyone...?

Two excerpts from The Charge of the Goddess. First:

"I am the gracious Goddess, Who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold, I am the Mother of all living, and My love is poured out upon the earth."

The very idea that the Divine could be so utterly, unconditionally loving, asking absolutely nothing in return... wow. Just, wow.

The second passage:

"Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And you who seek to know Me, know that the seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am That which is attained at the end of desire."

My spirit soars every time I hear those words. They affirm the joy of life and call upon us to be the best people we can possibly be. And they remind us that ultimately, all responsibility for our actions and our spiritual development rests within ourselves -- and that the Divine lies within us all.

I am agnostic, but this philosophy generally describes my outlook on life:

"True happiness is not the absence of suffering: You cannot have day after day of clear skies. True happiness lies in building a self that stands dignified and indomitable. Happiness does not mean having a life free from difficulties but that whatever difficulties arise, without being shaken in the least, you can summon up the unflinching courage and conviction to fight and overcome them."

-Daisaku Ikeda, Nichiren Buddhist teacher.

Just FYI, there are no atheist manuscripts to follow. Atheism is free from stifling rules and weekly fashion shows, and needs no external guidance.

Here is a verse from the Bible, which of course is God's Inspired Word.

For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord

Plans for good and not for evil

Plans to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29 v 11

All people on Earth have an equal claim to life, liberty and justice - and no idea, ideal or philosophy is superior to a single human life

"Consider the blameless; Observe the upright.

There is a future for the man of peace."

Psalm 37:37

Psalm 37 is such encouragement. The whole poem is, in fact.

Barjesse37

"While it might sound pretty coming from the pulpit, singing hymns and waving palm branches seems as poor a way to spend eternity as a body could imagine."

Mark Twain

i am not Christian

but i do love the passage from Ecclesiastes

"for everything there is a season "

well probably because i love the song it became ... but it is so very true

Can I use a passage from Bob Dylan?

The only thing that I knew how to do was to keep on keeping on, like a bird that flew. Tangled up in blue.

Jesus said, "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me " John 14:1

"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." John 15:2

gives me hope even through life's hardships.

" 'Tis the time's plague, when madmen lead the blind"

[Shakespeare - King Lear]