This I Believe

I believe. I believe that I believe. I believe my beliefs. I believe that beliefs are beliefs. That, I believe (with a waver in my voice).

I believe that believers believe their beliefs. I believe that unbelievers believe their unbeliefs. That, I believe (with a quiver in my voice).

I believe that some beliefs are believable, and some are not believable. I believe that the most popular and dearly held beliefs are the ones that are the least believable. I believe that the things which we believe most deeply are the most deeply unbelievable. I believe that deeply held beliefs are deeply unbelievable. That, I believe (with a tremble in my voice).

I believe that people need beliefs to fill the voids left by the absence of facts. I believe that beliefs are mainly intended for public display of our tribal allegiances. Some people are proud of belonging to the Jesus Tribe, others the God Tribe, some the American Tribe. Who cares? Who the hell can care? Only actions count, words are mere air vibrations. That, I believe (with a shiver in my voice).

The last of my beliefs is that we believe we are committed, we deplore, we cultivate, we are consumed, we attempt, we protect, we respect, we are engaged, and we boldly affirm something about this, that or the other thing we believe in. I believe that we must reach out. That, I believe (with a shudder in my voice).