Nicola Shanks History 7 Period 7 February 25, 2014 Belief System of Nicolatopia

In an effort to create a successful civilization, the people of Nicolatopia have established their own belief system. It shares similar religious beliefs and teachings with other world religions and helps the people of Nicolatopia to be honest, kind, respectful, and law-abiding citizens. Here are some examples. The first tenet that the people of Nicolatopia have created for their belief system is called Pinocchio. Pinocchio stands for honesty and it emphasizes the peoples ability to be trustworthy and honest even in difficult situations. To practice Pinocchio, the people must visit the temple at least once a week and confess to one of the priests of their crimes. They have to talk about what they did, what they could have done differently, and what they will do next time. In their daily life, they must try to avoid lying and gossiping about other people. The citizens must not cheat shopkeepers of their money or possessions. The tenet Pinocchio is also similar to the Buddhist Eightfold Path and Right Speech. As stated by Frey, Be careful and truthful in what you say. Do not lie or gossip (159). There are eight sections of the Eightfold Path and they are: right understanding, right purpose, right speech, right action, right way to earn a living, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Buddha made the Eightfold Path and he found that even when one finds pleasure, it does not last forever, and one suffers more when it is lost. The Eightfold Path and Pinocchio are similar because they both cover not lying and gossiping. Pinocchio helps make for a successful civilization because everyone can be trusted and no one lies or gossips about other people. Another tenet that the people of Nicolatopia made is called Bubble. Bubble represents kindness and it places an emphasis the peoples ability to be kind to

other people in their civilization. To practice Bubble, each citizen must give 3 percent of his or her yearly earnings to charity. They also must try to complement at least 3 people a day and try not to say mean things about other people or make fun of them. Every day, all citizens will gather in the temple at noon and share a meal in groups of family and friends. If anyone gets in a fight, they must work it out before they go to bed so they do not go to bed angry at each other. Bubble is similar to the Islam belief of Zakat. As stated by Frey, Muslims must share about one fortieth (2.5 percent) of their income and possessions with their poorer neighbors (98). Zakat is the third pillar of the Five Pillars of Faith. The word Zakat means purification and it is believed that wealth becomes pure by giving some of it away. Zakat and Bubble are similar because the both ask all citizens to give a portion of their money to poor people. The tenet Bubble helps make for a successful civilization because the charities can use the donated money to build hospitals, orphanages, and it can also be used to pay for teachers and children who cant afford to go to school. The third tenet for the civilization of Nicolatopia is called Zeppelini. Zeppelini represents respect and it emphasizes the peoples ability to respect other people, the government, and the environment of Nicolatopia. To practice Zeppelini, the citizens of Nicolatopia must care for their environment by not littering and taking care of their plants. They must also listen to their parents and care for them when they get sick. The people must live by the motto Treat others the way you want to be treated. Zeppelini is similar to the Confucianism teaching of the five basic relationships. As stated by Frey, According to Confucianism, there are five basic relationships: ruler and subject, husband and wife, father and son, older sibling and younger sibling, and friend and friend (183). In each of the five basic relationships there is a superior, except for friend and friend. Confucianism is based on the teachings of Confucius, who was a famous philosopher in Chinese history. Confucianism and Zeppelini are similar because they both tell people to respect people above you. The tenet Zeppelini helps make for a successful civilization

because everyone respects each other and they respect the environment so they have a nice place to live. The last tenet that the people of Nicolatopia have created for their civilizations belief system is called Lawson. Lawson represents following the laws and it emphasizes the peoples ability to respect authority and the laws of Nicolatopia. To practice Lawson, you must follow all laws and never steal, cheat, murder, or commit adultery. The citizens must never say anything bad about the government officials or Nicolatopia in general. Lawson is similar to Christian and Jewish Ten Commandments. As stated by Frey, Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses on Mount Sinai from God. They are engraved on two tablets that Moses got from the mountain. The first four commandments are about the peoples relationship with god and the rest are about the peoples relationship with others. The Ten Commandments and Lawson are similar because they both tell people to follow the rules and to be good. Lawson helps make for a successful civilization because everyone follows the laws and respects the government.