So there you have it, I’ve laid out what I believe. Though, really, it’s not what I believe, it’s what I know. I know the things I’ve talked about here happened, I can prove it to myself and to others. I don’t know what exactly triggered the start of the universe, but I do know that it’s not something described in any of the religious texts that exist today. Regardless of what religion you are, it’s not my cup of tea. And yeah, some people may be worried for my “soul” or my mental well-being. But I’m not.

No religion out there can really claim to be absolutely sure they’re right. They all try to, of course, but when you consider how many religions there are out there and how many variations there are you start to wonder just what exactly would be the deciding factor in not blowing it. After all, look at the schism in just Christianity.

And most of the times its a matter of wording and translation. So most of what people believe in is not based in an actual infallible word because…why would they argue about it? But you can’t really convince people otherwise because, well, the book tells them it’s telling the truth.

And in the end, regardless of what your belief system is, there’s really only one sure-fire way to live a good life: Don’t be a douche-bag. Whether you think you’ll get an eternal reward or that it’ll make life a lot easier during this one beautiful moment of time, your best bet for a good life is to not make other people miserable. And, if you’re not an asshole, you can’t go wrong regardless of whether your opinions and beliefs are right or wrong.

Continue reading I am what I am: religious edition: conclusion →

So then, I’ve admitted I believe in Evolution. So the obvious conclusion from most people I know (but not most people reading this) is “So that means you believe the whole universe started from nothing?”

Well, no. But I do believe there was a big bang.

The rapid expansion of the universe from a chaotic beginning is assured. The question now is what set it off, not whether or not it happened. That’s a pretty bold statement to some, I’m sure, but it’s not one that I take lightly. It’s not that I’m speaking of this out of simple faith but rather out of simple observation. We look into the sky every night and we see stars and galaxies that are so far away from us that we could not see them if the universe wasn’t extremely old already. Light travels at a constant and these things are far far away. To put this into perspective, this picture takes up a space in the sky that could be covered by your finger.

Continue reading I am what I am: religious edition: cosmology →