There is no Heaven

By Judah

Stephen Hawking is probably one of the most book smart individuals to ever step foot on this Earth. He has expanded many times over on the ideas of gravity, time-space, space-time, string theory, the big bang and universal expansion. As a fellow science geek I salute him!

But in reading a recent article about his idea that there is no God and no heaven I felt a sense of sympathy for him…maybe with a dash of sadness. I am a very religious person in the sense that I believe without a shadow of a doubt that there is a God. We can debate all day about the features of God but on a very basic level I believe he exists and created the universe. I personally believe things like gravity, time, water, the elements, life, death, evolution, learning, failing, succeeding, laughter, and everything in between are signs of God. My beliefs go way deeper than the given example but I listed them for context.

The article:

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/16/6654463-hawking-there-is-no-heaven?GT1=43001

Basically in the article above Hawking suggest that there is no God and as a result there is no heaven. I believe this is a morbid thought. In his reasoning he believes people made up God as comfort to make life easier and the thought of going to a better place after death reduces fear.

He has had a hard life. He was diagnosed with an illness early in life and has been knocking on death’s door ever since. So for him to live in a shell his whole life I can understand why he sees things in black and white. As a rational man I can respect that.

Check out the article when you get a chance and look up some of his work. He has some very profound ideas about life and the universe as a whole. My only issue is that we live in a near perfect existence, from the smallest atom to the largest galaxies. I believe we were put on this Earth to live and enjoy the human experience. In my opinion, we all have a soul, and I’d like to think it is one the thing that can last forever. I don’t know the details of the afterlife so much…but I hope it’s pleasant and it is an environment that will allow me to grow and continue my journey…I guess it takes a little bit of faith.

Thoughts on The Adjustment Bureau

By Judah

The adjustment bureau is a new movie starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. Without giving away the plot I thought it was an excellent movie. It was a well developed idea that translated beautifully on the big screen.

The basic premise of the movie has to do with the debate of destiny vs free will.

Destiny is the basic principle that every moment happens for a reason within the grand design of the universe. Everything from the coffee you drink in the morning, to the time you wake up. … Whether you decide to wake up at 6 A.M or hit the snooze button, or if you decide to go for the W and talk to the receptionist down the hall at your job. Everything is predetermined and stamped in stone.

Free will is the thought that as humans we have total control over our lives and nothing is written in stone. Basically, you determine the course of your life and the impact it has on the universe, no matter how big or small an impact.

Personally I believe there is a little of both. There is a significant gray area in my opinion where both of these views merge. I think the Grand Architect of the Universe, God, has a purpose for us all that we can see to fruition. But along the way we may get derailed by that plan and he will put different people and situations in your path to help you get back on course.

In this movie the main character meets a girl as he is running for public office and makes an instant connection. As a result, he can’t get this girl out of his mind, as he’s engulfed in her whole being.

We can all relate to an instant connection. A moment when two people are completely in sync is an intoxicating feeling.

The problem Matt Damon’s character is having is that this woman is not included in his destiny or plan according to the powers that be. So during the course of the movie, he finds this girl at different points of his life and every time he reconnects with this woman fate pulls them apart...literally.

The science of the movie brought by the powers that be suggest that if he stays with this girl he will not be able to become president one day and he will not have the drive within himself to do great things via his determination.

Now I can understand this concept to a degree. When I am in a loving and comfortable relationship things become easier, the overall goals start to fade because you’re happy. You’re OK being who you are because you’re happy. This is the point the powers that be were trying to make to Matt Damon’s character.

I’m not going to give away too much of the movie, but everything from the way he sat, walked, talked or rationalized had a ripple of effect on his entire life. I don’t think that’s a far-off concept or hard to understand. Literally every choice in your life has an effect on the total outcome. The movie taught me to be more conscious of the things I do and to do it now! If you make the best choices now, I’d like to think you can produce some positive ripples within the course of your life.