1. Religion is show biz.  Religious "services" are a form of performance art, a kind of opera in which the congregants participate.  When you put on special clothing, drop to your knees, bow your head, or otherwise engage in "religious conduct," you're joining in the show. 
2. All scripture is a comic book.  There's a reason why nothing "normal" happens in the Bible.  Myths - like the Garden of Eden, Noah and the Ark, Moses parting the Red Sea and walking down from Mount Sinai with tablets in hand - are like dreams that engage our imagination and teach us the invisible truths of life.  There's a functional similarity between scripture and poetry as we use the consciousness of the past to engage the present.  Scripture lets one generation pass onto others the lessons it think it learned, reminding generations yet unborn that "There is nothing new under the sun."
3. You are the only God you can count on.  God didn't close the deathcamps; the Allies did.  Six million men, women and children prayed for a rescue that didn't come.  Rather than wait for the cavalry, each of us has to act as if he or she were the only God in town, because our actions have profound effects on our situation.
4. There are no sins, just cause and effect.  A sin is something that is wrong because God said so.  Besides the fact that different communities appeal to different sets of rules, the problem with "because God said so" is that it's not just intellectually bankrupt, but morally bankrupt as well.  If the only reason something is wrong is because somebody more powerful than you has said as much, you don't really believe in "right and wrong"; you believe in power.  If we replace sin with "cause and effect," we have nothing to appeal to and nothing to hide behind.  Genocide, which the Bible sometimes endorsed, is wrong because it's cruel, unnecessary and ultimately self-destructive.  Jesus said, "By their fruits ye shall know them."  In this respect, he was right.  The proof is in the pudding.  The value of an action is to be found in its effects.  If it harms no one, divine endorsement is unnecessary; if it causes unnecessary harm, divine endorsement is insufficient.
5. Replace guilt with responsibility.  Guilt is about shame, either the fear of it or the use of it as punishment.  It's sole value is in motivating people to embrace good and avoid evil.  Beyond that, it's unproductive and cruelly manipulative.  Unresolved guilt, in the face of changed attitudes and behavior, is just unnecessary torment.  But if we replace guilt with "responsibility," there's no reason to pass the buck.  When we embrace the connection between actions and results, we don't need justification or absolution.  Ironically, destructive behavior is sometimes a way of proving that we matter, that our actions do, in fact, make a difference.  A child may break a window just to affirm his own reality.  Like the song says, "When everything feels like a movie, we bleed just to know we're alive."  Responsibility changes that.  A responsible person is confronted with a series of questions.  That child may ask himself if he really wants to break the glass, if he really wants the consequences that come with it.  The more he thinks through the process, the less he may want to hurl that rock.  As we go through the events of our lives, taking responsibility frees us from repeating our worst mistakes.  It reconnects us to life.
6. Context determines value.  The value of anything is determined, not by the dictates of some authority, nor by our fears or expectations, but by its context. 
7.  You don't need authority or permission to do good.  Any person can change the world for the better, without being licensed, ordained or endorsed by some religious authority.  The greatest changes have come from people who simply saw a problem and did something about it.
8. Understand your enemies.  Christianity teaches men to "love their enemies," something most people - including most Christians - have never done.  But to understand one's enemies is to admit that rational people can have different perspectives and interests.  Understanding your enemies doesn't mean you give up your position.  It does mean you're in a better position to negotiate with them than if you just demonized those who disagree with you.  What's more, when negotiation fails, you're in a better position to anticipate their next move.
9. It is better to duck than to turn the other cheek.  If there's virtue in not seeking revenge for injuries sustained, there's greater virtue in avoiding those injuries in the first place.  Letting someone slap you - either because you didn't see it coming or you saw it but decided to just stand there and take it - is not as helpful as being realistic and mindful.  Duck!
10. Enjoy your friends but keep an eye on the silverware.  The dichotomy between friends and enemies is a false one.  Any friend can become an enemy.  Any enemy can become a friend.  The key is to see the opportunity for partnership but to also anticipate where a partnership can go sour.  People often invite betrayal by their failure to do the math.  By the same token, they often miss a chance to make alliances, even with people they don't like.  The Godfather would say, "Keep your friends close but your enemies closer."  A better approach is to make no distinctions between friends and enemies, and to expect each to follow their interests.

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