What is really real (to borrow a phase from Universe Next Door)

I was at a BBQ the other day with some people from Ruth's work, it was a good time but the conversation turned to religion for a brief moment. A comment was made that most of the people there seemed to agree with. The statement went something like this: "I believe that all religions are correct, you can't say that only one is right. There is no way that you can know that, the universe is to big!". The statement wasn't new to me, it has been around awhile and has gained in popularity over the two decades or so. But the way that this statement was worded made me stop and think about it (in reality I didn't really give it a second thought there but later that night when I was laying in bed), the specific part that made me stop and think was "there is no way that you can know that".

Is that statement really true, if religion is true then is it possible to know if one is right? Is it even reasonable to think that there is only one true religion? In order to answer those questions I really had to examine what religion was at its core, beyond denominations, politics, etc and really get at what is the base of religion. The answer that I came up with for that is that religion is the combination of two things. First is Faith, meaning what you think is ultimate reality, whether that is that there is a God or gods, an essence, or nothing at all. All of these at some point ask you to take a step of faith in order to believe them and your faith is one of the main parts that help to define religion. But the steps that you take by faith or informed by the second part of religion, your Beliefs. By beliefs I mean the culmination of your life experiences (up to whatever part of life you are in) and your world view, which both actually help to define each other through out your life.Both of those two parts, Faith and Belief, are really just about the universe and the way that it works. Faith is about who or what is in control of the universe and belief is about how everything else works or should work.

Now that religion is clear what we do know about the universe is that it works within curtain rules and boundaries, Physics, Mathematics, the other Natural Sciences. The way that the world works within these, somewhat specific, modes. Since we only live and operate within one universe and the universe operates in specific ways it would follow that only one religion would be right, the one that would most closely resemble the way in which the universe really works. Therefor the statement of "...you can't say that only one is right. There is no way that you can know that, the universe is to big" is untrue because if religion is true then it would necessarily follow that there would only be one true religion.

P.S. I am listening to Slacker right now and they are playing "Sleep" from Copeland but it sounds like a remix or something...it is amazing.

Slacker (Finaly a website after my own heart)

Free streaming music, that is what Slacker does and they do it well. Slacker is in its simplest form a internet radio site, but offering much more then your average internet radio station. First unlike most internet music stations, that are an after thought of their physical radio station counterparts, or other media streaming services (e.g. Rhapsody) slacker is devoted to bringing you uninterrupted music for free. They say that you can expect about two ads per hour but I have been listening to it for the past hour and I have yet to hear a single ad, but there is a pay version for those who don't ever want to hear an ad. Second unlike other streaming music services that make you pay if you want to take the service with you slacker enables you to take the service with you where ever you might go with their portable radio players that can hold 15, 25, and 40 stations with prices of $200, $250, and $300 respectively. Slacker is a great service that is worth a little time and attention.

My play list while writing this:
"Hey Hey"-October Fall
"Crushcrushcrush"-Paramore
"I Woke Up In A Car"-Something Corporate
"Ocean Avenue"-Yellowcard
"There's A Case For This"-Cute Is What We Aim For
"I Write Sins Not Tragedies"-Panic At The Disco
"Thanks For The Mmrs"-Fall Out Boy
"Tonight Lites"- A Cursive Memory
"Hate (I Really Don't Like You)"-Plain White T's
"Hero/Heroine"-Boys Like Girls
"Flashlight"-Punchline
"Sweetness"-Jimmy Eat World
"Light Up The Sky"-Yellowcard

Possibilities

I was going through some of my older writings and came across this.

In the beginning there was space. A large place, that could have been filled with anything. But this place wasn't just filled with anything, this place was being written with hopes and dreams, knowledge and truth. The Creator of this place filled it with endless possibilities. He placed two beings to live there and take care of it. In return for doing this these beings could take part in any of the possibilities that this place could offer, except one, which if the two did take part in there would be grave consequences. The two beings loved it there. They ran and played; they loved each other and the Creator for giving them all of this. One day another, greater, being came to visit them, but this being was filled with lies and anger towards the Creator. He came to the two and convinced them to take part in the possibility that the Creator had forbidden. After they had some this the Creator, already knowing what had happened, came looking for the two; He was very disappointed in them . The creator told them that because they had done this they could no longer take part in the possibilities that the place had to offer anymore, and that they had to leave. When the two heard this they were very sad. They begged and pleaded and the creator had compassion on them, but because He had already made the promise there was nothing that He could do to keep them in that place. However, He did create one possibility to give to them, a hope for the future. The Creator told the two about this hope and the two were very happy, but at the same time the Creator was very sad. The two didn't know why, they thought that it was because of what they had done, but before they could find out they had to leave the place. Many years later the two became four, four became ten, and ten became many. The many were still holding on to the hope that the Creator left them with. The many thought that the Creator would come and give them back the place that they had to leave. This whole time the many were watching for the Creator, and one day He came. Not with singing and praise, but with pain and crying. He didn't come as a Creator but as one of the many. He was no different then them, He lived, and worked, and played like the many. He loved, laughed, and cried like the many. But there was something off about this one, it wasn't that He was wrong in anyway, it was that He was a little to right. This made some of the many mad, and they wanted to do away with Him and wanted to have Him killed. These many plotted to have Him killed.Then, on a day that was calm and sunny, a day that the wind blew softly through the trees, a day that reminded angels that they were angels, it was on a day like this that the many killed the Creator, they slayed the Creator. For a few of the many they thought that all hope was lost, but the creator knew what was in the hearts of the created. In fact He planned on it, because this was no the end, no it was only the start. You see, when the Creator died He took death with Him and destroyed it. Death was the very thing that took away possibilities from the many, took away hope and truth, love and joy and the Creator in killing death gave all these things back. After dying the Creator came back to the many to tall them what He had done: The many, wanted the Creator to come back to give them the place back, but when He didn't give it back that got mad and killed Him. what they didn't know was that the place they were wanting so badly wasn't important; it wasn't about the place, it was about the possibilities, and that is what the creator had given them again. You see, because in the beginning there was space. a large place that could have been filled with anything. this place was being written on like a book, written with hopes and dreams, knowledge and truth. The Creator of this place filled it with endless Possibilities...

Simply Epic (Summer Mux)

I stayed up all night crafting it. It is like my musical baby, I nursed it, I cared for it, I loved it to life. And now it is here, my summer Muxtape. It (much like myself) has something for everyone. Go here to listen.