The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson

Foreword

Having just finished reading and thoroughly enjoying the book “12 Major World Religions” by Jason Boyett, I have pondered upon the many similar tenets of these religions. Zoroaster (Zoroastrianism), Abraham (Judaism), Moses (Judaism), Jesus (Christianity), Muhammed (Islam), Avatars of Vishnu (Hinduism), Buddha (Buddhism), Guru Nanak (Sikhism), Laozi (Taoism), Confucius (Confucianism), The Bab (Baha’i), Emperor Tenmu (Shinto), and Rishabhanatha (Jainism) were the founders of the major religions of humankind, and most are revered as prophets of God. They and other leaders of their religion pondered the nature of God, a person’s relationship to God, and how to live a Godly life. In my pondering, I began to think of how I would construct a new religion based on these common tenets (and may God forbid me from doing so, as I am unworthy of this task).

A person is capable of doing great good and great evil but often lives a life between good and evil. The purpose of this new religion is to help them recognize the choices they make within this context and to guide them in the exercise of their free will to make moral, ethical, and virtuous choices in their life. If you apply the standard of “the right thing to do” for your words and deeds without a foundation of your duties and responsibilities to God, it is easy to justify any actions you take as the right thing to do. Thus, a belief in God and his teachings and wisdom is necessary to do the right thing.

In modern America, Americans seem to be divided into three groups: the religious, the secular, and the bewildered (those who claim they are spiritual but not religious are part of the bewildered). I believe that most Americans are searching for purpose and meaning in their lives, but they are turned off by much of the gobbledygook within religions, and they are fed up with the nonsense that secularists are spouting, and thus, they are bewildered.

I, therefore, have attempted to extract the wisdom from the world’s religions and the secularists while ignoring their blather and gobbledygook to end their bamboozlement and to construct a new religion that can meet the needs of the bewildered and clear up their confusion. For convenience’s sake, I have named this new religion “The Fellowship of God and Humans”, and I tender to you my thinking on how I would construct this religion based on the following beliefs.

Dogmas—a doctrine that is proclaimed as true without proof

Without God, there is no meaning to a person’s life, only the survival of the fittest, which is the law of the beasts. God elevates a human above the beasts by giving meaning and purpose to the life of a person, and a person should worship God for giving them purpose and meaning.

The Fellowship of God and Humans has only three basic dogmas that are the foundation for its religion. They are:

The Creation and The Hereafter

To understand the choices a person makes, it is necessary to understand how we came about and where we will end up. Thus, the core of this understanding is of The Creation and The Hereafter:

1. Before the creation of the Universe, there was God.
2. And God was all there was, is, and could be.
3. And God was sentient, conscious, intelligent, and all-knowing.
4. And God was bored as it knew all there is, and was, and what will be.
5. Therefore, God decided to create a universe, a universe of fundamental properties, forces, and constants within the Universe.
6. And this Universe would evolve so that galaxies, stars, and planets would form, and life could be created and evolve on the planets.
7. And this life would also evolve so that sentient, conscious, and intelligent life would come forth.
8. And God gave this sentient, conscious, and intelligent life a soul with the knowledge of good from evil, right from wrong, truth from falsehood, creative from destructive, reasonable from emotional, love from hate, wisdom from folly, and beauty from ugliness.
9. And God gave this sentient, conscious, and intelligent life free choice so that it could decide how to behave based on this knowledge.
10. As this sentient, conscious, and intelligent life had free choice, God could not know what their free choice would be, but God would observe their free choice and behavior to learn and be entertained by it to relieve God’s boredom.
11. When the sentient, conscious, intelligent life died, God would absorb their soul into its own being, and God would know all the sentient, conscious, intelligent life knew.
12. After the sentient, conscious, intelligent life died, God would judge them based on their words and deeds and punish or reward their soul as appropriate.

In God’s judgment in the afterlife, all should remember that "The judgments of God are true, being altogether righteous." and accept the judgments and the rewards or punishments of God. However, as God is a loving and just God, it can be expected that forgiveness from God will be possible and commonplace. It can also be expected that the punishments of God are not eternal, except for a truly evil person, and that God will eventually forgive the punished, and their punishment will come to an end.

God knows all there was and all that is but does not know all that will be. God knows the physical properties and physical laws of the Universe, so God knows what will happen because of these physical properties and physical laws of the Universe. But God does not know what humans will do because God gave humans "Free Will" for individuals to take any action that they choose. As individuals have the free will to take any action, God cannot know what action they will take. God only observes their words, deeds, and thoughts and renders a judgment of them after their body passes away and their soul joins with God.

The Blessings of God

The greatest blessing of God is the blessing of life. From the moment of conception to the moment of death, each person is blessed with a life. This blessing should be treasured, and each person should live their life to the fullest. In this blessing, each person should attempt to preserve their and another person’s lives and do no harm to another person’s life. God has blessed us with natural abilities, intelligence, Free Will, and the ability to pursue our life’s goals through the exercise of our natural abilities, intelligence, and free will to choose how to utilize our natural abilities and intelligence. God has also endowed us with Natural Rights, along with the Liberties and Freedoms associated with these Natural Rights, which allow us to live our lives as we would so choose. God has also blessed us by providing the natural resources to obtain food and drink, clothing, and shelter and to utilize these natural resources to improve our lives. Another blessing of God is the blessing of a family. Each person should search for a spouse that they love and cherish and that their spouse loves and cherishes them, so that they may support each other in the vicissitudes of life. A further blessing is that of children, as children enrich the life of each spouse and fulfill their lives. The final blessing of God is the blessing of death. Death frees us from the pains and sufferings of life and allows us to join with God in the afterlife of comfort and joy with God, along with other loved ones who have preceded us in the afterlife.

The Creed of Adherents

On March 09, 1790, Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter back to Ezra Stiles, which can be read here. Ezra Stiles was a longtime friend of Franklin and a clergyman, and he had inquired for the first time in their friendship as to Franklin’s beliefs on religion. Franklin responded in part:

“Here is my Creed: I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by his Providence. That he ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable Service we can render to him, is doing Good to his other Children. I think the System of Morals [devised by Jesus] and his Religion as he left them to us, the best the World ever saw, or is likely to see; but I apprehend it has received various corrupting Changes, and I have with most of the present Dissenters in England, some Doubts as to his Divinity.”

Such is the creed of the adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans. Respect and tolerance for all religions and their believers are to be practiced by all adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans. However, such respect and tolerance are not to be given when a religion or its followers violate the Natural Rights of anyone or inflict evil upon humankind.

Tenets—a religious doctrine that is proclaimed as true without proof

The tenets of The Fellowship of God and Humans are kept to a minimum and are the basic requirements for leading a Godly life. This is done so that the adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans may fully comprehend and understand their duties and responsibilities to God. They are:

The Golden Rule

The first and most important tenet is the Golden Rule, as I have written about in my article “The Golden Rule”:

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

All major religions and many cultures and societies had/have a “Golden Rule“, more often invoked in spirit rather than in practice. The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as one would want to be treated by them. It is sometimes called an ethics of reciprocity, meaning that you should reciprocate to others how you would like them to treat you (not necessarily how they actually treat you). Various expressions of this rule can be found in the tenets of most religions and creeds through the ages.

Thus, the question is, why is the Golden Rule often ignored by many who profess its merits? In my article on the Golden Rule, I explain the three main reasons for these violations. Thus, because of these three main reasons, and to abide by the Golden Rule, you should always keep in mind:

1. Do not engage in Obsessive Passion or Compartmentalization.
2. Do not indulge yourself in pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, or sloth.
3. Do not impose your will upon another person or persons.

I ended this article by stating that trying to obey the Golden Rule is very difficult. You need to be consciously and consistently aware of the Golden Rule in all your behavior, and you need to craft your thoughts, words, and deeds with the Golden Rule in mind. While this is very difficult, the satisfaction of doing so is very psychologically rewarding. Following the Golden Rule means living a life of morals and ethics and living a life that is self-satisfying and well-worth living. Consequently, The Golden Rule tenet is of utmost importance in The Fellowship of God and Humans.

The Ten Commandments

The Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islamism) believe that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments for all people to follow. In the Old Testament of the Bible and the Quran, God is often depicted as commanding and harsh and to be feared, while In the New Testament of the Bible, God is often depicted as loving and forgiving and to be obeyed. The Fellowship of God and Humans believe in the portrayal of God in the New Testament, as this God is more conducive to a harmonious society.

Thus, the adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans believe that there is only one God, the creator of the Universe and Life. A loving and just god who wishes all to live a moral, ethical, and virtuous life. God has blessed all humankind with free will to make their life decisions and course in life. Many such choices involve a choice of living a virtuous life or succumbing to the temptations of immorality. As such, the following Ten Commandments must be observed by the adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans to please God and live a moral, ethical, and virtuous life:

1. You shall only worship God, and you shall not make any graven images of anyone or anything. You shall love God for the teachings and blessings that God has bestowed upon you. You shall not utilize your free will to intentionally harm others, and you shall not utilize the name of God to justify your immoral, unethical, or unvirtuous words and deeds. Such behavior is hateful to God, and will not be forgiven by God, and will be punished by God in the hereafter.
2. You shall keep one day in seven for the worship of God, and thankfulness for the blessings of God, and most especially for the blessings of family, food and drink, clothing, and shelter.
3. You shall be respectful and polite to your father and your mother, and you shall consider their words and wisdom in the exercise of your own free will.
4. You shall not engage in intimate relationships with the spouse of another person, as such engagements are damaging to all, as well as to the children of a family. Spouses shall only have  intimate relationships with each other. Nor shall you give birth or raise a child out of wedlock. You shall provide your spouse and children with food and drink, clothing, and shelter with warmth and coolness, and care for them to the best of your ability. You shall raise your children with the knowledge of and wisdom of God and with an education and knowledge of the Universe and its ways.
5. You shall not unjustly take the life of another person.
6. You shall not harm nor injure another person except in self-defense of yourself, your family, or your neighbors.
7. You shall not steal, loot, damage, or destroy the property of another person.
8. You shall not knowingly speak or write falsehoods nor give false testimony against any person.
9. You shall not covet nor be envious of anything of any other person.
10. You shall practice compassion for and charity to your neighbor, as well as forgiveness and mercy for your foes.

It should be remembered that each person has free will and that when someone chooses to violate these Ten Commandments, it is only they who are guilty of the violation. Thus, the sins of a parent are not vested upon a child, and the devil (or some other person) made me do it is no excuse for a violation of The Ten Commandments.

The Five Virtues and Five Weaknesses:

In Sikhism, they believe that throughout life, there are five virtues that must be practiced and five weaknesses that must be avoided, and so it is with the adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans. The five virtues and weaknesses that the adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans must always be cognizant of are:

The Five Virtues to be obeyed:

1. Speaking the truth and acting justly.
2. Acceptance of life’s circumstances,
   but a willingness to improve circumstances.
3. Compassion or mercy for all.
4. Obtain and behave with humility.
5. Love of God and others.

The Five Weakness to be avoided:

1. Lust or Addiction.
2. Rage or Anger.
3. Greed or Covetousness.
4. Egotism, False pride, or Self-centeredness.
5. Excessive Materialism.

As with the Golden Rule, you need to craft your thoughts, words, and deeds with the Five Virtues and Five Weaknesses in mind. While it may be difficult to do, the satisfaction of doing so is very psychologically rewarding.

Doctrines—a belief that is accepted as authoritative

No religion can be functional if it does not recognize the limitations that God has incorporated into the basic fiber of all sentient, conscious, and intelligent life. These are the limitations of Natural Law and Natural Rights and of Human Nature and are as follows:

Natural Law and Natural Rights

God has bestowed upon the Universe and all sentient, conscious, and intelligent life Natural Law and Natural Rights. Natural Law is a system of law based on a close observation of natural order and human nature, from which values, thought by the proponents of this concept to be intrinsic to human nature, can be deduced and applied independently of Positive Law (the expressed enacted laws of a state or society). Natural rights are those rights that are not dependent on the laws or customs of any particular culture or government and so are universal, fundamental, and inalienable (they cannot be repealed by human laws, though one can forfeit their enjoyment through one's actions, such as by violating someone else's rights). Consequently, Natural Law is the law derived from Natural Rights.

The first and most important of these are Natural Rights, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence:

“We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident, That All Men Are Created Equal, That They Are Endowed By Their Creator With Certain Unalienable Rights, That Among These Are Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness.”

All Natural Rights reside within the individual. No government or society constituted that violates the Natural Rights of a sentient, conscious, and intelligent being is a legitimate government or society. The individual members of society can cede some of their Natural Rights to ensure a just society, but they still retain their Natural Rights. The government or society has a duty to ensure that those rights ceded to it are upheld. A government that does not uphold these ceded rights is not a legitimate government. Failure of a government to uphold these Natural rights is a legitimate reason for the members of a society to change or replace such a government.

Natural Rights require that no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances, or the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall be instituted.

As natural laws and natural rights are not clearly defined nor delineated, it is important for humankind to ponder and consider what natural laws and natural rights are and to adjust their behavior, society, and government to conform to them. Thus, the adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans need to explore, define, and delineate the Natural Rights of all humans.

Human Nature

Human nature is neither good nor evil; it is simply baked into our nature by genetics and the role of evolution in genetic selection. Human Nature consists of the shared psychological attributes of humankind that are assumed to be shared by all human beings. Human nature comprises the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind or what it 'means' to be human. Human Nature has been molded by the physiological construction of the human brain and millions of years of human evolution. Any religion that conflicts with human nature is not a religion of God.

Human Nature and Free Will would seem to conflict with each other. However, human nature is an unconscious guide, while free will is a conscious choice, and free will can and will override human nature as the individual so chooses. There is an Unconstrained vision of human nature that believes that human nature is malleable and can be improved by governmental actions and societal pressures. Another view is that of a Constrained vision of human nature that believes that human nature is not malleable and that people will act in their own best interests and of their own Free Will. Finally, some have a vision of human nature that believes that human nature is somewhat malleable and can be improved by limited governmental actions and societal pressures.

However, human nature is a powerful force that can only be overcome by a free will choice of an individual to contravene their human nature. Believing that governmental actions and societal pressures are sufficient to change human nature is nonsensical, as human nature is integral to our psychology. Human behavior can be regulated and constrained, but human nature will remain as it is intrinsic to our being. Governmental actions and societal pressures can only be utilized to constrain human nature to acceptable boundaries and to ensure that individual actions driven by human nature do not violate the rights of another person. When such boundaries are exceeded, or violations of rights occur, it is expected that those who do so will be punished by the government and society for their deeds. One of the goals of The Fellowship of God and Humans is to help people recognize their human nature and utilize their free will to make a wise choice to live a moral, ethical, and virtuous life.

The Roles of Humans—Normative and Customary

"To deny human nature, economics, or science, or to not acknowledge human nature, economics, or science is foolish. To do so will result in much effort, time, and monies being spent on a task that is doomed to failure."
 - Mark Dawson

A religion must comport with the roles of worship, work, economics, and science, and promote technology to alleviate human suffering, and should be structured to function within society and government. If it should not do so, then it shall be doomed to failure, a failure to institute God’s desire for a sentient, conscious, and intelligent life to lead a moral, ethical, and virtuous life.

The Role of Worship

The worship of God is reserved for one day out of seven, and such worship is a time of thankfulness for the creation and the hereafter, the blessings of God, and the Creed of The Fellowship of God and Humans. It is also a time for a rededication of a person’s duties and responsibilities to God and family and to live a moral, ethical, and virtuous life. During this worship, there should be an exploration of the meaning and purpose of a Godly life through the examination of the dogmas, tenets, doctrines, roles, and dictums of The Fellowship of God and Humans. It is important for all adherents to impart their knowledge and wisdom on The Fellowship of God and Humans to other adherents and to the children of adherents. In this exploration, it is to be encouraged that all the adherents engage in the questions and answers and the discussions, as no one person has all the knowledge or wisdom of God and the meaning and purpose of a Godly life. The current societal, political, and economic issues may be discussed in relation to The Fellowship of God and Humans adherents’ duties and responsibilities to God, as well as living a moral, ethical, and virtuous life. However, such discussions must be done in a polite, respectful, and intelligent manner, as God will be listening and watching these discussions and utilizing them to judge a person’s words and deeds in the hereafter.

The Role of Work

The application of your labor (both physical and mental) for the betterment of yourself and your family, as well as for the good of society, is considered one of your duties and responsibilities to God by the adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans. Productive work is to be lauded and rewarded, and non-productive work is to be avoided, as non-productive work does nothing to better yourself, your family, or society and wastes your God-given talents and abilities. However, excessive engagement in work to the detriment of your personal and family life is not to be done, as it will often interfere with your other duties and responsibilities to God, as well as your enjoyment of the blessings of God.

The earning of money for this effort is to be expected, and the spending of this money to support yourself and your family is also expected. Any monies earned in excess of the needs for the necessities of life are yours to freely spend as you freely choose, as long as you do not spend these monies in violation of your duties and responsibilities to God or engage in immoral, unethical, or unvirtuous activities. It is also expected that charity, at your free will discretion, should be practiced with some of these excess monies.

The adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans should encourage productive work for all and establish and maintain an economic environment in which productive and gainful work is available to all. It is also expected that productive work will be rewarded sufficiently to support oneself and one’s family. However, all such efforts should be made within the Role of Economics in society or government.

The Role of Economics

Any religion (or society or government) that does not acknowledge the fundamental laws of economics is also doomed to failure. The question is, of course, what are the fundamental laws of economics? Again, they are not clearly defined nor delineated, and it is important for humankind to ponder and consider what are the fundamental laws of economics. Any economic precept that violates Natural Law and Natural Rights or is contrary to human nature cannot be fundamental. As such, it is doomed to failure by not instituting God’s desire for a sentient, conscious, and intelligent being to meet their duties and responsibilities to God and to lead a moral, ethical, and virtuous life.

One of the goals of The Fellowship of God and Humans is to delineate the fundamental laws of economics and to incorporate them into the free will choices that a person makes. To not incorporate the fundamental laws of economics into your free will choice is to doom your choice to failure and result in much effort, time, and money being spent and wasted. A waste of time and money that would be better spent on the enjoyment of the blessings of God. Thus, the adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans need to perform their duties and responsibilities to God and live a moral, ethical, and virtuous life within the fundamental laws of economics.

The Role of Science and Technology

The adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans believe in science to answer scientific questions and for the wisdom of God to answer the questions that science cannot answer. There are questions that science is incapable of answering as they are outside the realm of science, and those questions are best left to philosophers, ethicists, moralists, and theologians. Scientists are free to believe or not believe in God, as are all peoples, but scientists cannot prove or disprove the existence of God or of the wisdom of God. To utilize science to answer the question of God and God’s wisdom is the misuse of science. All parties should recognize that the question of God and God’s wisdom is indeterminable and resides in the realm of belief. No party has a definitive answer to the question of God’s existence or the wisdom of God. Let us debate the question of God’s existence and wisdom in an intelligent and respectful manner, and if we cannot agree, we should simply agree to disagree. However, each party should not claim the truth of their beliefs in God and God’s wisdom, as the truth may never be known.

The role of Science in The Fellowship of God and Humans is to answer the questions that science can answer. In doing so, scientists are exploring the mind of God, which is the ultimate purpose of scientists, philosophers, ethicists, moralists, and theologians. The role of technology is to exploit science to improve humankind. In doing so, Scientists and Technologists are following God’s will that humankind should improve themselves to enjoy the blessings of God. Thus, the adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans should support the advancement of science and technology.

The Role of Society

Society needs to be structured and to operate within the duties and responsibilities of an individual to God, the allowance for the exercise of an individual’s free will, and for the support for an individual living a moral, ethical, and virtuous life (i.e., The Principles of Society). The creeds, tenets, and other beliefs of the Fellowship of God and Humans are a means to accomplish this structure and operation of society. Anything that contravenes The Principles of Society is to be decried and not countenanced in the functioning of society.

Toleration by society has its limits, as too much tolerance brings about the harm, decay, and destruction of a society. Those who transgress these limitations should be apprised of their transgressions and, hopefully, reform their ways. If reformation is not possible, then society has the duty and responsibility to not countenance the transgressors’ words and deeds and to relegate the transgressors to the fringes of society to limit the harm that they do to society. Nor should society allow the transgressors to influence the functioning and future course of society. Such relegations should in no way violate their Natural Rights, but they also have no right to harm, decay, or destroy society. The transgressors have the free will to choose to live their lives as they see fit; however, the supporters of The Principles of Society have the free will not to provide any support for them in any manner whatsoever.

Thus, society has an important role within The Fellowship of God and Humans in helping to shape and adhere to the Principles of Society. A role in which the adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans should be active participants.

The Role of Government

The primary purpose of government is to establish A Civil Society by forming a more perfect union, establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the common welfare, and securing the God-given blessings bestowed upon individuals.

The duties and responsibilities of government must be limited and enumerated so as to not transgress on the Freedoms, Liberties, Equalities, and Equal Justice for All of all individuals. In doing so, it must adhere to Natural Law and Natural Rights, recognize Human Nature, and be cognizant of the roles of worship, work, economics, science and technology, and society in the structure and operation of government.

Any government that does not meet the aforementioned duties and responsibilities is an illegitimate government, as it does not recognize an individual’s duties and responsibilities to God, the exercise of an individual’s free will, and the promotion of an individual living a moral, ethical, and virtuous life. Such a government needs reforming or replacement to meet the legitimate duties and responsibilities of government.

As such, governmental laws, rules, and regulations need to be structured around the tenets of The Fellowship of God and Humans for it to be a legitimate government. Thus, the adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans must take an active role in the functioning, reform, or replacement of government.

Dictums—authoritative declarations

The following dictums are to be incorporated and practiced by the adherents of The Fellowship of God and Humans.

The Seven Stages of Life

In leading a moral, ethical, and virtuous life, all lives go through stages. These stages can be defined as:

1. Infancy – from conception through the first three years after birth.
2. Childhood – from the fourth year after birth through their twelfth year of life.
3. Adolescence – from their thirteenth through seventeenth years of life.
4. Young Adult – from their eighteenth through twenty-first years of age.
5. Adulthood – from their twenty-second year through their sixty-ninth year of life.
6. Maturity – from their seventieth year of life until their death.
7. Death – is the moment of the liberation of their soul from their body and their soul reuniting with God.

In the infancy stage, the parents or guardians of the infant have a duty and responsibility to God to care for and nurture the infant for the continuance and well-being of the infant’s life.

In the childhood stage, the parents or guardians of the child have a duty and responsibility to God to guide the child in proper behavior within the family and to friends and neighbors, as well as providing them with the knowledge of and wisdom of God and with an education and knowledge of the Universe and its ways.

In the Adolescence stage, the parents or guardians of the adolescent have a duty and responsibility to correct their behavior within the family, friends, and neighbors, as well as to teach them their responsibilities to society. The parents or guardians of the adolescent also have a duty and responsibility to God to increase the adolescent’s knowledge of and wisdom of God and to provide for and further their education and knowledge of the Universe and its ways.

In the Young adult stage, the young adult has a duty and responsibility to God to practice the tenets of The Fellowship of God and Humans and to heed the words and wisdom of their parents or guardians in the conduct of their life. This is an acknowledgment that their young mind has not fully matured and for their parents to help them avoid any serious mistakes that will have a detrimental effect on their future life. This is a stage of life in which free will comes to the forefront in the conduct of their life.

In the Adulthood stage, an adult has a duty and responsibility to God to make proper free will choices and to live a life of morality, ethics, and virtue. A duty and responsibility to God in their conduct to their family and work lives and in their relationships with their fellow humans and society. If they should marry and/or have children, they have a duty and responsibility to God in their relationship to their spouse and to raise their children in a Godly manner. They also have a duty and responsibility to God to assist their mature family members in times of their parents’ illness, infirmity, injury, or physical or mental decline.

In the maturity stage, the mature person has a duty and responsibility to God to acknowledge God in their lives and to enjoy the fruits of God’s blessings upon them. They also have a duty and responsibility to God to impart their knowledge and wisdom to others and to share the fruits of their labors with their family.

In the death stage, the dying person has a duty and responsibility to God to acknowledge to themselves their successes and failures in their duties and responsibilities to God and to prepare their soul to face God’s judgment in the afterlife.

During the infant through adolescent stages of life, society has a duty and responsibility to God to assure that no harm is done to them. However, God has entrusted the parents or guardians with parental rights of how to raise their children, which must be respected by society.

Leadership

The Fellowship of God and Humans has no organizational structure nor hierarchy of leadership. Such structures and hierarchies often intervene with a person’s understanding of God and the relationships between God and a person, as well as person-to-person relationships. It is, therefore, a loose confederation of believers and adherents in the dogmas, tenets, doctrines, roles, and dictums of The Fellowship of God and Humans. However, like-minded believers and adherents may meet in homes, halls, or dedicated structures to discuss their beliefs, as well as engage in the seventh day of worship and in the celebrations, festivals, and holidays of The Fellowship of God and Humans.

The leadership of these gatherings would be of fellow adherents who have undertaken an extensive study in the duties and responsibilities of a person to God, the proper utilization of free will, and of the living of a moral, ethical, and virtuous life based upon the dogmas, tenets, doctrines, roles, and dictums of The Fellowship of God and Humans. The leader’s role in the meetings would be to simply guide a discussion on the duties and responsibilities to God, the utilization of free will, and living a moral, ethical, and virtuous life. They could also serve as a confidential advisor or counselor to other believers and adherents in the individual situations that occur in life that necessitate a free will decision that will impact their relationship with God and other persons. This advice and counseling will only be based upon the dogmas, tenets, doctrines, roles, and dictums of The Fellowship of God and Humans.

Celebrations

There are no formal rituals in The Fellowship of God and Humans, but there are celebrations during the life of a person. The first celebration in human life is that of their birth and a welcome into their family by their parents or guardians and their family members. The next celebration is in their transition into young adulthood with a reminder of their duties and responsibilities to God in the exercise of their free will and of living a moral, ethical, and virtuous life. Another celebration is of marriage, in which the couple are reminded of their duties and responsibilities to God in their family life. There is also a celebration upon the birth of a child when they are reminded of their duties and responsibilities to God in the raising of the child. The final celebration is after the death of a person, in which their family members and friends honor the life of the dead person by a remembrance of how the dead person met their duties and responsibilities to God.

Holidays and Festivals

As the Universe, Sun, Earth, and Moon are essential to humankind and all life, there should be a one-day holiday to be thankful for God’s creation of the Universe, as well as a one-day holiday to be thankful for God’s creation of the Sun, a one-day holiday to be thankful for God’s creation of the Earth, and a one-day holiday to be thankful for God’s creation of the Moon. Additionally, as the seasons of the Earth as it revolves around the Sun are essential to humankind’s existence, there should be a one-day festival on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, as well as the winter and summer solstices. Under no circumstances should these festivals and holidays be considered a day of worship, as the worship of God is reserved for one day in seven days, but they are to be considered a day of thanks to God for providing them to humankind.

Afterword

The concepts of duties and responsibilities to God, Free Will, and living a moral, ethical, and virtuous life are fraught with difficulties in understanding their extent, boundaries, and conflicts. Even scholars who have spent their entire careers studying these topics have difficulties grappling with them. So, how does a layperson know the extent, boundaries, and conflicts of these concepts? This is the role of religion in a person’s life. A religion should be able to define its core concepts, the extent and boundaries of its beliefs, and resolve the major conflicts so that its believers can understand the dogmas, tenets, doctrines, roles, and dictums of the religion. This is what I have attempted to do in defining The Fellowship of God and Humans.

In doing so, I have attempted to extract the wisdom of other religions and discard the gobbledygook that is within religions. This is done to achieve a core belief in God, a person’s duties and responsibilities to God, how a person should properly exercise their free will, and how a person can live a moral, ethical, and virtuous life. The Fellowship of God and Humans is focused on the individual relationship of God to a person and the Godly relationships between individual persons. The Fellowship of God and Humans avoids any ancillary issues that are not germane to these Godly relationships. It leaves these ancillary issues to the domain of politics, and where the domain of politics and the domain of God overlap, it is the domain of God that must take precedence.

The dogmas, tenets, doctrines, roles, and dictums of The Fellowship of God and Humans are the foundation of this religion, and, as Rabbi Label Lam has said, “All the rest is commentary. Now go and learn.”