The Core Tenets

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I – Those Who Muse profess an absolute and unquestioning faith in God.

II – Those Who Muse accept that our understanding of God is temporarily flawed and incomplete. 

III – Those Who Muse accept that a true and complete understanding of God exists.

IV – Those Who Muse accept that through the proper application of theology, science and philosophy a true and complete understanding of God will be found. 

V – Those Who Muse accept that their views and beliefs will necessarily change as our understanding changes.

VI – Those Who Muse accept that once a true and complete understanding of God is reached, this understanding will become the foundation of their faith.

VII – Those Who Muse accept that once a true and complete understanding of God is reached, this truth and understanding will be self-evident. 

I – The beliefs of Those Who Muse are foundational beliefs as they underlie all other belief systems. (including non-faith-based beliefs systems) 

II – As the beliefs Those Who Muse are foundational, they create a common basis by which all faith can be practiced.

III – This common basis of faith will help reconcile differences between disparate individuals, groups, ideologies, theologies and religions.

IV – While the current beliefs of Those Who Muse do not necessarily require individuals to give up their existing belief systems it should be understood that Those Who Muse beliefs take precedence over those other beliefs.

V – The foundational beliefs of Those Who Muse are beneficial to the common good and to the individual.

I – The purpose of Musings is to create a foundational religion that bridges the gaps between disparate individuals, groups, ideologies, theologies and religions

II – Most existing religious canon cannot be challenged or changed as they are the result of traditional learnings or considered to be divinely derived.

III – Because most existing religious teachings cannot be challenged or changed their relevance to modern humanity has decreased. 

IV – Those Who Muse embrace the wisdom of the past but understand the necessity of looking to the future.

V – The foundational beliefs of Those Who Muse will necessarily change as our understanding of existence and God(s) changes. 

VI – As a foundational religion Those Who Muse provides humanity the philosophical and moral structures that are required to persevere into an uncertain future.

VII – As a foundational religion Those Who Muse provides humanity a basis of faith and understanding in an increasingly complex world. 

VIII – The foundational beliefs of Those Who Muse must be a collective work of many learned individuals brought together for the collective advancement of humanity. 

IX – This collective work must be thoroughly tested and simply rendered 

I – The identification of a new idea, premise, or antecedent or the revision of an existing idea, premise or antecedent.

II – Review, then accept or reject the need to add or revise a given idea, premise or antecedent. 

III – Once accepted focus or refine given idea, premise or antecedent.

IV – Test given ideas, premises, and their associated antecedents for logical inconsistencies. 

V – Create or modify narratives based on the new or revised ideas, premises or antecedents. 

VI – Test given narratives for logical inconsistencies.

VII – Repeat above as necessary.

VIII – Render all results into clear and concise language. 

I – As I can perceive I necessarily exist.

II – As I exist existence necessarily exists.

III – As existence exists underpinning Principles which govern existence necessarily exist.

IV – Humanities understanding of these Principles is currently flawed and incomplete.

V – Over time Humanities understanding of these Principles has become increasingly refined and complete.

VI – Provided Humanities persistence and advancement its understanding of these Principles will continue to become more refined and complete.

VII – Provided Humanities continued persistence and progress in understanding the principles of existence, it will come to recognize the origins of these governing principles.

VIII – It will be recognized that these fundamental principles have been established by a higher power. 

IX – This higher power is what we would now consider God(s).

I – As humanity advances its understanding of its own existence within will necessarily advance. 

II – Given humanities inherent biological and perceptual limitations it is unlikely it will ever gain absolute certainty in its understanding of existence within.

III – Given humanity advances sufficiently to overcome its inherent limitations it is still unlikely to gain absolute certainty in its understanding of existence within.

IV – Given humanity gains absolute certainty in its understanding of existence within it will never be able to assert it has absolute certainty of its understanding of existence without.

V – As such Those Who Muse must accept a reasonable amount of certainty given adequate care is given to the subject at hand.

VI – Beyond this reasonable certainty is faith.

VII – This faith is foundational to the beliefs of Those Who Muse. 

I – All individuals and humanity at large require a sense of meaning and morality to persist.

II – Any lack of meaning and morality will cause the individual and humanity to be fractious and self-destructive. 

III – A common meaning and morality is desirable as it will facilitate the understanding and cooperation needed for humanity to persist.

IV – Science does not necessarily provide a sufficient basis for meaning or morality.

V – Society does not necessarily provide a sufficient basis for meaning or morality.

VI – Religion by its nature provides a sufficiently clear basis for meaning and morality.

VII – The meaning and morality provided by religion provides a framework to guide the meanings and moralities provided by science and society 

VIII – Those Who Muse accept that to persist and advance as a species humanity must use all available sources of meaning and morality.

I – Those Who Muse profess and absolute an unquestionable faith in God.

II – Those Who Muse accept that we are limited biologically.

III - Those Who Muse accept that we are inherently biased.

IV - Those Who Muse accept that we cannot prove the existence of the soul.

V - Those Who Muse accept that we cannot prove the existence of an afterlife.

VI - Those Who Muse accept that absolute understanding of existence is currently impossible.

VII – As such, Those Who Muse accept that certain ideals and principles must be taken as a matter of faith. 

VIII – Those Who Muse accept that this faith is foundational to their beliefs.

I – Soul is the idea that our consciousness can exist separate from our physical bodies.

II – The disposition of the soul, providing its existence, after death is known as the afterlife. 

III – The disposition of the soul, providing its existence, after death is currently unknown.

IV – As we are currently uncertain that souls or the afterlife exists, we must take their existence as a matter of faith. 

V – This faith is foundational, second only to our faith in God. 

VI – This faith is beneficial as it allows the individual to anchor itself in existence.

VII – This faith is beneficial as it provides catharsis to the individual.

VIII – This faith is beneficial as it provides a feeling of belonging within a group.

IX – This faith is beneficial as it is the basis from which understanding and cooperation becomes possible.

I – Humanity has been able to advance to its current state due to its ability to collect, use, integrate, contextualize, create and transmit information.

II – Humanities earliest and most common method to express large quantities of information in easily usable ways is through shared stories.

III – To date humanities’ shared stories have been presented as cultural narratives, mythologies, theologies, histories and more recently as scientific explanations. 

IV – Shared stories enable interaction and cooperation among individuals with no other social bonds by providing a common knowledge base.

V – Shared stories create mutual understanding and cooperation, forming the basis for mass mobilization of humanity

VI – Due to the increasingly complex information, situations, and problems that humanity faces mass mobilization, understanding, and cooperation is increasingly necessary. 

VII – Therefore shared stories will be vital to the continuation of an ever growing and ever more complex species.

VIII – Those Who Muse accept that our Musings are an evolving shared story. 

I – Religion and Science are not mutually exclusive concepts.

II – Religion is a matter of faith and is the means by which we find meaning in existence.

III – Science is the carful observation and testing by which we understand the principles of existence. 

IV – The existence of God does not dispute the underlying principles on which science is founded.

V – The underlying principles of science do not disprove God.

VI – Those Who Muse accept the necessity of both religion and science.

VII – Those Who Muse accept its beliefs and morality are informed by both religion and science.

VIII – Those Who Muse accept that without both religion and science the continued persistence and advancement of humanity is improvable.