Credo (2005)
I believe that…
1) Life is a wonder. The universe is a miracle in every facet of its existence. I can see and hear and feel the wonder and the more I understand of the world the more amazing it seems. Relatedly, this is a good thing. It is right to seek life and to seek wonder.
2) Compassion is more important than ideology. The value of an action is determined by its effects, so doing harm because it is said to be “good” is still harmful. Also, sacrificing tangible good for potential good, which will happen only if the ideology is correct, is not wise.
3) Moderation is a viable option. Many problems don't have a simple solution, and a balance between opposites is required. Balance isn't always the right solution, but I don't believe it can ever be thrown out as an option for an unsolved problem.
4) The individual and the whole are not separate and that both need to be valued. A society or a world benefits from healthy members and an individual benefits from a healthy world and society. Excessive sacrifice of one for the other is inherently counter-productive. In some ways this is a specific instance of balance, but it such a common issue that I wanted to address it separately.
5) A diversity of ideas gives us strength and helps create a better world. Different beliefs may be appropriate for different people and different situations. Fostering many ideas can create better new ideas and allow the best ones to become predominant. We don’t yet have all the ideas we can use to good purpose, and without a diversity ideas we won’t be able to find those new good ideas.

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