Values

Values, it has been said, cost Kerry the election.

I have no idea if that is true or not, but I became sufficiently intrigued that I have tried to come up with a list of my values, such as they are. Doubtlessly they reveal me for the flag burning communist pervert that many have accused me of being (at one time I was singled out as being the most evil of 24,000 people. I was so proud).

Here is the list of values that I came up with. Values in this context would mean what priciples I use to tell right from wrong and guide me through life. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list, nor is it a perfect list. It is a work in progress. There are some interesting omissions from the list. In particular, private property and family. My spiritual values I will explain separately at the end of the list. Some of these really surprised me, I did not realize that I felt that way.

1. Life Affirming: Life is sacred and all life has some inherent worth.

2.  Environmental Health: Nature is sacred.

3.  Fairness: Treat others as you wish to be treated.

4.  Equality: All human beings should be equal in the eyes of the law

5.  Liberty: Law should be used to primarily to preserve and protect freedoms, both personal and economic.

6.  Opportunity: People must have the chance to better themselves financially, educationally, spiritually

7.  Peace: Conflict is never desirable although sometimes necessary.

8.  Abundance: Successful people have a moral obligation to spread and create opportunity and prosperity for others as best they can.

9.  Accountability: All people must take responsibility for the consequences of their actions

10. Relativism: None of these is an absolute but all of them are ideals.

As for my spriritual values, they are pretty much summed up in one paragraph of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. It goes as follows:

we discovered we did not need to consider another's conception of God. Our own conception, however inadequate, was sufficient to make the approach . . . we found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men.

That's pretty much it on sprirituality. There are other things, Pagan and Wiccan writings such as the Charge of the Goddess and the Christian prayer of St. Francis of Assisi that I like and use, but the quote above is the best summation of my beliefs.

I will be posting about private property and family and why they are not a part of my values list in coming posts. Comments and thoughts are appreciated.

Good Morning Goddess Brigit, my name is Andy and I am an alcoholic. I have been kept sober by Your grace and Your grace alone since Imbolc 2001. Today is a good day to be sober! May I do thy will today. Thank You, Blessed Be.