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How would we begin a process to determine the common spiritual principles embraced by most of the world's religions. Is such a goal even possible? Benjamin Franklin had an interesting perspective on what constituted "sound religion."

In a letter to the President of Yale, shortly before Franklin’s death, he articulated an overview of what Franklin considered essential principles of a sound religion. The founders were well aware of the potential damage wrought by factionalism, including religious factionalism. It is what they hoped to avoid in the forming of the new nation. They were well aware of its tendency in the world of faith. Religious exclusivism would kill the nation, plain and simple. Thus, they spoke in terms of common principles of faith around which believers could unite in the interest of the nation. Franklin’s letter to Ezra Stiles is a fine example of that perspective.

"Here is my creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the universe. That he governs it by his Providence. That he ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable service we render to him is in doing good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental points in all sound religion."

If, for example, the soul of a person is judged in the next world, it is a statement to society that there is a right and wrong. There a value and meaning to life and we must take responsibility for our actions. As Doestoevsky explained, and, apparently Sartre agreed, if there is no God, man can do anything he pleases.

Our hope is to engender a new national consensus for values, rooted in faith; values that are universal and stand as the foundation of a free nation.

We must not let the trend of religious exclusivism continue to divide us as the moral force for goodness in America. We must renew the sense that we have come “this far by faith.” We need more from our religious pluralism then mere tolerance of each other. We are the world labratory to demonstrate interreligious harmony. As a strongly united force for good in America, the people of faith must revive morality by example; showing the fruits of moral behavior rather than merely judging people for their lack thereof.

Finally, we must restore the common public sense, especially amongst the leadership of America's communities of faith, that God has a Will for the nation. God has a plan; a mission, a covenant with America. We must serve the world. If not, the nation in which we all reside can lose the blessings of God.

The Founders spoke of “self evident truths.” Yet it seems clear that those truths are no longer “self-evident” today. If America is about principles, then we need to seek consensus again on what are those principles. We need to initiate a national dialogue on the core principles of our nation.

In order to stimulate discussion and consideration of what are the essential principles at the core of the American identity, we propose here a number of “self-evident truths” as a starting point of that discussion.

Self-Evident Truth #1
There is a Transcendent Source, the Creator, God.

As we mentioned in the last presentation, a recent Fox News Poll had determined that an overwhelming majority of Americans believed in God (92%). The Media and Culture Institute survey found 87% claiming a belief in God.

The materialist thinkers of the 19th century, such as Karl Marx, were positive, that by the end of the 20th century, science would have developed to the extent that it would, once and for all, invalidate virtually all of the assertions of religion. By so doing, religion would be deemed an antiquated superstition and tossed onto the trash heap of useless ideas. Marx was especially confident that once man tasted the utopia of the classless society, it would more than appease the primitive human need for a God. Indeed, God would be dead.

As of yet, humans still pursue a personal God. In fact, it seems that Science and Religion today are contending for the same turf as both contemplate the nature of origin. New theories proposing an "intelligent design" to the universe gain traction as the 19th century materialist models of a static universe become increasingly inadequate. Robert Jastrow, astronomer and author, offered a witty illustration of this very circumstance in the conclusion of his 1978 book "God and the Astronomers":

“For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”

If the idea of God is to be expunged from public discourse, then there will be a subsequent fundamental misunderstanding about who we are as a nation. Contemplating God and the implications of His existence is not merely an exercise of religious doctrine, it is the well spring of enduring public virtues.

“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” Albert Einstein

God is reality. We may understand God in different ways, but there is a universal truth about God. This fact should draw us together not separate us.

“God is, even though the whole world deny him. Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self-sustained.” Mohandas Gandhi

Human beings have sought truth and understanding not only through the path of science, but also through philosophy and religion. The great religious traditions speak in similar terms about the nature of the Creator God. God is described as merciful, beneficent, compassionate, loving. Religious visionaries have described God as relating to humankind with a parental heart.

All [human] creatures are God’s children, and those dearest to God are those who treat His children kindly. Islam. Hadith of Baihaqi

You are the children of the Lord your God. Judaism - Deuteronomy 14:1

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name…Christianity - Matthew 6:9

Nothing is more important or more precious than the relationship between parent and child. This is because it defines the fundamental relationship between the Creator God and human beings. Rev. Sun Myung Moon

The parent-child relationship is the most profound and is the relationship that teaches us the most about the nature of the relationship of the Creator with all humanity. In discovering the common parenthood of God, we simultaneously can discover that all humanity, as His children, are of the same family.

Self-Evident Truth #2
Humans are spiritual; we live forever.

Our founding document, The Declaration of Independence, in asserting our rights are an endowment from the Creator, affirms the spiritual essence of humans and that we come from a spiritual source.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, and that among them are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Declaration of Independence

Thus, our Human Value resides upon this firm foundation:

• Created in the image of God, every human being has intrinsic and unique value.
• Made in God’s image, each person’s essential nature is therefore spiritual.
• Every individual has rights given by the Creator, not by the government.

It is also useful to examine our lives in three stages, beginning from life in the womb. In the womb, the fetus lives in an aqueous environment. We all know that the experiences of mother and baby can impact the future life of the child. That is why health professionals emphasize the importance of pre-natal care. Life in the womb is preparation for the next stage of life

At the time of birth, the baby makes no conscious decision to “move on” to the next phase. We might consider that the birth experience is a jarring and upsetting change for the baby. But of course that change is a natural progression of life. In our physical life, we live in the environment of air. Our life on this earth is our opportunity to grow and develop in many ways, but most importantly in our ability to give and receive love. Our life on earth is our preparation for eternal life in the spiritual world.

At some point our physical life comes to an end. We do not choose when that might be, and many may fear death because of the uncertainty of what is to follow. But our death in this life is really a transition to our final stage of life in the spiritual world. There the environment is the realm of love. The way we lived our lives in the physical world determines our preparedness for the life in the spiritual world.

As we consider the nature of our lives, we recognize well the world around us – the physical world governed by physical laws and defined by time and space. But human beings are uniquely blessed to also understand and connect with the intangible world – the spiritual world, which is governed by eternal values and is beyond space and time.

Human beings are unique in that we are spiritual beings who have a body. Our unique nature means that in a sense we “stand” in both worlds. Our physical self is the vehicle we use in this lifetime to develop our spiritual self. At the end of our journey in the physical world, we leave that “vehicle” behind as we move to our eternal life in the spiritual world.

Self Evident Truth #3
The highest standard for human relationships is to “live for the sake of others”

All beings exist and act for the sake of a partner. This means that God created all things to move toward the ideal through the operation of mutual relationships. When the individual serves the whole, the whole benefits and so does the individual.

The ideal of relationships is to “serve the higher purpose”. The individual lives for the sake of the family. The family serves the community, and by serving this higher purpose also benefits. And so on. As the nation lives for the sake of the world, the world’s prosperity extends to all nations. This is the great circle of life - giving and receiving the energy of love.