A new religion - by design

Jul 18 2006 by Edward de Bono Print This Article

Most religions focus on ultimate truths. Most emphasise the negative and tell us what we should not do. But what about devising a religion that focuses not on sins that are to be avoided but on things that are to be done.

When we analyse a situation, we identify standard elements. Then we are able to understand the situation and decide what to do about it.

While it may be practised by individuals, Western thinking culture is lacking in design and creativity. While people in architecture, graphics and fashion all practise design, it is not part of general education - which is a serious flaw.

In my latest book 'H+ A New Religion?' (Vermilion Press), as the title suggests I design a new religion. It is a religion in the way that Buddhism is a religion. I do not propose a new god-system or other-world structure.

The religion is called H+ and can be used in conjunction with any existing religion or belief system: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Taoism, and so on.

Many religions concentrate on 'sins' and the things that are prohibited. However, the law and existing religious systems take care of that in the modern world.

Therefore, H+ focuses on 'positive action'. So there aren't 'sins'; instead there are 'pons' (derived from 'positive sins'). These are small acts whose intention is to help others or to help the world.

Everyone sets a small target of pons to carry out every day, etc.

H+ stands for Humour, Happiness, Health, Help, Hope and Human.

No existing religion has an emphasis on humour. However, humour is a key aspect of life. Humour allows us to switch perceptions and see things in a different way, etc, etc.

New religions are traditionally revealed to chosen people in some mystical process. This is in stark contrast to design and creativity.

The parameters of design could be: simple to understand; simple to operate; satisfying; leading to increased self-esteem; leading to achievement; helpful to the world; helpful to other people; easy to spread.

Sitting in a corner with the right attitudes and not committing sins might not get you to heaven and, in itself, doesn't help the world very much.

There should be much more focus on action.

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About The Author

Edward de Bono
Edward de Bono

Edward de Bono is a leading authority in the field of creative thinking. Over 35 years after the publication of his first book, "The Mechanism of Mind", the basic principles he outlined are now mainstream thinking in the mathematics of self-organising systems and in the design of neuro-computers. His many subsequent books have been translated into 26 languages.

Older Comments

If you want to design a new religion it might be a good idea to focus on fostering creativity and celebrating the essential goodness that resides in each and every one of us. This then predisposes us to allowing others to be as they are; a willingness to experience life and livingness as a positive. I agree that we must look to what can be done rather than what must not be done. Real charity is common regard for others and a willingness to assist others.

I shall climb down from my soap box at this point.

Ollie Lind

Ollie Lind

Mr de Bono is obviously unaware of it - but there is in fact an ancient established 'religion' - although I would agree that 'religion' is hardly the right word in this case, but rather a way of life - where the emphasis is very much on positive action. This applies from the moment its practioners open their eyes in the morning to the moment they go to sleep at night. In modern English, thi spiritual system is called Judaism. The author's 'innovation' is really thousands of years old.

Azriel Winnett

Any religion and belief starts from within your own soul. Unfortunately, as with he case of organised religion, there is always a war going on and there is a war going on in most peoples souls between postivity and negativity. The war also exists in the working environment where we find people hell bent on being the flag bearer of negativity and the associated behaviour of inflicting pain upon others. Whilst we have a common working practice of fault finders and blame cultures, positive people will have to turn the other cheek and ignore the hardened battle cry of 'failure, failure your nothing but a failure' coming from the legions of the cynical army of negative fault finders. I think we need to drop Edward De Bono's 'H' bomb on the world of work and get rid of the primary missions of fault finding and encourage a new spiritual approach that encourages humour, health, happiness, help,human, leading to a renewed vision of hope, but the until the new 'H' culture is prevelant the battle continues within each of us.

Ged McKenna Wirral, home of the glorious Open of 06

In the Baha'i religion 'work is worship'.so there are doors already opened to creativity & advance civilization to serve humanty.I appretiate your idea but not as religion.

kidanemariam Betre ethiopia

Spirituality will probably be the consensus ‘religion' in time to come; yet the obstacle to it is, and always was, religion – or that is to say the indoctrinated belief systems of socio-political priestcraft over the last 6000 years.

If ‘every-day-conscious-experience' is not occasionally supplemented by personal metaphysical experience then there is no justification for any religion in the first place. But such experiences do happen and change people. No doubt a part of the evolutionary unfolding of the implicate nature of the Mind and Consciousness itself.

Maybe the last religion will be much like the first one (before the trade of priestcraft ever existed) in that it will recommend each person to come to know the inner depths of ones self.

Dick Richardson http://www.psychognosis.net

Dick Richardson West Somerset UK

H seems to be a somewhat kind of a collaborative approach to fuse different cultures and above all unify religions togather.The Emphasis is more on Action and Involvement rather than Detachment - generating a mindset for righteous positive Actions and feeling proud of acheivements Leading to bridge the best possibilities to come in cosmopolitan culture.

Prashant N.Patil

H seems to be a somewhat kind of a collaborative approach to fuse different cultures and above all unify religions togather.The Emphasis is more on Action and Involvement rather than Detachment - generating a mindset for righteous positive Actions and feeling proud of acheivements Leading to bridge the best possibilities to come in cosmopolitan culture.

Prashant N.Patil