THE NINE AXIOMS
A Statement of Belief

[1] Pleasure and Pain: Our physical bodies are equipped to sense pleasure and pain so we can distinguish good conditions from bad. These sensations make us aware of our environment and enable us to make informed choices to improve our well being.

[2] Joy and Sadness: Joy and Sadness are opposite ends of our emotional spectrum. Joy teaches us that life is worth living, however sadness teaches us compassion, a valuable gift which no amount of joy can give.

[3] Life and Death: No physical condition is permanent including physical life. Physical death entered the plan of God's creation on the same moment as physical life.

[4] Good and Evil: Organized morality and its concepts of good and evil is merely our substitute for a complete understanding of order and chaos. God's will is to bring order out of chaos. Love is the motive, wisdom is the guide, and harmony is the goal. God's law in its purest form is to spread love, wisdom and harmony.

[4] Chance and Purpose: As the sun measures days but has no conception of time, we fulfill a part of God’s plan which is beyond our ability to grasp. While we have a purpose, we are also subject to chance occurances which complicate our lives. Therefore it is unwise to ascribe everything that happens to the will of God.

[5] Indulgence and Self-Denial: Both indulgence and self-denial have their place in a well-ordered life. Good indulgence is our hunger for joy and love. Good self-denial is when we give of ourselves to others. Beyond these two honorable extremes, all other things should be practiced in moderation.

[6] Rejoicing and Grief: Rejoicing is a natural reaction to birth and grief is a natural reaction to the parting of friends by death. Though the spirit of the dead lives on, the loss of contact legitimizes our grief even as we acknowledge eternal life.

[7] Masters and Slaves: There are two classes of things—those which are important enough to exist and those which are not. Since everything we see is important enough to exist, it is foolish to exaggerate our own importance by unfair and invalid comparisons with other cultures, other races, or other species.

[8] Strength and Weakness: Strength is mastery of the self. When you cannot break a habit or face a fear, you belong to it and it will exert control over you. The only strength which inspires great admiration is that which leads to self-mastery, and the only weakness which inspires great shame is that which leads to undiciplined living.

[9] Heaven and Hell: Heaven is a public state of intimacy with God while Hell is a private state of isolation from God. As we answer God's call for greater intimacy, we experience less of Hell and more of Heaven until our private hell disappears.