Theology/Mythology
Being born to liberal parents, I was always encouraged to ask questions. So I did.
One of the biggest questions I wanted to know was why do my Catholic neighbors believe differently from my Dutch Reformed Grandparents when they both of their religion sprouts from the same book. Even though I asked this early in my life, it wasn't until high school when I started looking into different religions.
From dating a Mormon girl and going to service with her, to watching my Wiccan perform prayers to their pantheon. I asked what and why they believed. For the most part the reason was because it was what they have always known, the religion of their parents. Some believed because they would fear the alternative, which they were told was an eternity of torture. Others believed, or didn't believe, because it just "suited them."
As I grew through college I took a few religion classes, and they fascinated me. For a month or two, unbenounced to my parents, I minored in Theology. But I stopped for two reasons; 1- the class work took time away from practicing and rehearsals and concerts. 2- I found the teaching and lessons to be very one-sided. By that I mean my lessons were more of how the teachers religion was correct when Islam or Catholic was wrong or a misinterpretation of "The Book." But when I talked to a Muslim, he was right and the Christian theology was wrong. It was at this point that I adoptied a new outlook, "if one is to understand the great mystery one must study all its aspects." -To quote a geek movie phrase-
So I looked into Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, (Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion) and even did some reading on the history of the Bible. And though my journey I have learned a great deal of different ideologies and beliefs, I seem to cannot get enough information. What causes people to believe something so patiently that they would disown their own children, or even kill a stranger because they have a difference in belief?
So I study on. I read cases for and against a God so I can form my own opinion. I cannot help it. It is like a drug that I need. A thirst for knowledge that cannot be quenched, like Tantilis. Or a self inflicted council of Nicaea ruffling through pages of what some people believe to be true. As I continue, I do not expect to ever learn some great truth or revelation, but as one of my greatest teachers have taught me, "It isn't the destination that is important. It is your journey."
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Why Music? pt1
In my life, I have found three things that completely fascinate me: Astronomy, Theology/Mythology, and Music.
Astronomy-
When I was a young pup, I had a big National Geographic book called, "The Universe." Each chapter was about something in our solar system, starting with the Sun, than to Mercury, Venus, and even Pluto had its own chapter (You see, Pluto was still a planet back then). The last chapter was about what was past the solar system, what other life might live out there, and how long it would even take to get from our planet to the nearest star (about 4.5 years if traveling at the speed of light). There was a page that had all the planets next to the sun to show just how big everything was. That page started me down the path to learn more. Even with how big the Earth was, we were so tiny compared to Jupiter, not to mention our Sun itself. And the idea that our Sun is just one of hundreds of billions of other stars in our galaxy, not to mention the Milky Way is one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe, made me feel so incredibly small, so insignificant, and so humble. I wanted to learn as much as I could, but at the time when I was a child, math was not one of my strong cards and the equations I saw the astronomers work with seemed laughably impossible for me to try and conceive. But since then I have read my share of Hawking, Einstein, and Sagan to learn about how super-masive stars have the ability to make smaller stars that can support life. I read news articles about the latest breakthroughs and currant missions that are being planed by NASA. And even now, some 30 years later, I can look up at the stars (of the ones I can see in the Vegas night sky) and still feel so incredibly small, so insignificant, and so humble.
Astronomy-
When I was a young pup, I had a big National Geographic book called, "The Universe." Each chapter was about something in our solar system, starting with the Sun, than to Mercury, Venus, and even Pluto had its own chapter (You see, Pluto was still a planet back then). The last chapter was about what was past the solar system, what other life might live out there, and how long it would even take to get from our planet to the nearest star (about 4.5 years if traveling at the speed of light). There was a page that had all the planets next to the sun to show just how big everything was. That page started me down the path to learn more. Even with how big the Earth was, we were so tiny compared to Jupiter, not to mention our Sun itself. And the idea that our Sun is just one of hundreds of billions of other stars in our galaxy, not to mention the Milky Way is one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe, made me feel so incredibly small, so insignificant, and so humble. I wanted to learn as much as I could, but at the time when I was a child, math was not one of my strong cards and the equations I saw the astronomers work with seemed laughably impossible for me to try and conceive. But since then I have read my share of Hawking, Einstein, and Sagan to learn about how super-masive stars have the ability to make smaller stars that can support life. I read news articles about the latest breakthroughs and currant missions that are being planed by NASA. And even now, some 30 years later, I can look up at the stars (of the ones I can see in the Vegas night sky) and still feel so incredibly small, so insignificant, and so humble.
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