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.

I want a divorce

By Judah
According to divorcerate.org  40-50% of all marriages will end in divorce.  This is scary statistic on many levels but isn’t too shocking if you take a closer look at how modern marriage is viewed.  Now statistics can be manipulated for whatever cause or agenda but even if the number is 30-40% that is still a large number that end in separation.  For example, out of a million marriages 300 thousand will end in divorce.  

       Age at marriage for those who divorce in America

Age	Women	Men
Under 20 years old	27.6%	11.7%
20 to 24 years old	36.6%	38.8%
25 to 29 years old	16.4%	22.3%
30 to 34 years old	8.5%	11.6%
35 to 39 years old	5.1%	6.5%

After sitting back and analyzing these statistics a few questions popped up.


Is marriage viewed the same as it once was in generations past?

Marriage was more of a religious idea than anything else.  People were primarily married in a church under the guidance and direction of a religious figure. Marriage was thought of the merging of two beings into one.  One body, one home.  Today marriage can still be seen as a religious idea but now the secular world has taken a hold of it.  I don’t have a problem with government sanctions but one can not neglect the impact it has on the practice.  Marriage is seen as less of a divine union but more so a formality.  

Is sacrifice still a requirement on a  marriage application?

In these times narcissism is at an all time high.  Personal happiness outweighs the needs of the group or the family.  I feel as though when you are single and experiencing life another person’s feeling shouldn’t matter too much because you have to enjoy life.  But when you are married and or have children the word  “I” should not be used as much.  If you are more concerned with what you want rather than what is best for the family that your odds of being a statistic will drastically increase.  

Does a prenup kill the buzz?

I’m not against a prenuptial agreement because if I am 6 or 7 figures deep I would want to protect what I have worked hard for.  But I also understand that in getting the prenup it is accepting the idea that the marriage can fail.  This is another example of marriage being more of a formality and a business than a divine act.  The state can marry you and can also divorce you.  

Does your mate respect the process?

To do anything well in life one must work hard at it without complaint.  Yes, having success in a marriage or career is not as different as people may think.  It takes hard work to master anything or even come close to being an expert in a discipline.

I think a combination of selflessness and determination is a good start or at least will put you in the right direction.

illuminati want my mind soul, and my body

By Judah

Everyday I like to check out my favorite blogs, news sites, Facebook and message boards before I start a long day of work. Tuesday I came across this article about popular rappers in the music industry that have joined the occult, world dominating, powerhouse called the “Illuminati”.

The article

What does a supposed organization that has been around for 1000’s of years want with your favorite rapper?

So I sat and started to build on this topic and came to the following conclusions:

I personally think media executives, like their consumers, read books, articles, magazines, and watch documentaries on the topic. To be honest, it is a fascinating conspiracy theory that the world is run by a group of individuals who wish to not only dominate the world, but the way you live your life. Regarding this fascination, I don’t think it is far fetched to believe that all of the symbolism seen in entertainment is a byproduct of some history buff with too much time on his hands; sitting in his office trying to think of some creative way to make the next Lady Gaga video as weird as possible, injecting a few symbols in the video and getting people talking about Lady Gaga on conspiracy message boards that would have never heard of the song otherwise. We forget at times that we live in a supply and demand society. Businesses only sell what we project.

Also, people are wrapped up in The New “Old” Age. Not to sound cliche, but there is nothing new under the sun. Anything that will happen probably has happened. Many have a problem with the big three in our time. People are seeking alternatives to Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The “why?” is irrelevant, but what is interesting is that it is happening. People are interested in more mystical practices that are better suited for their particular taste of life. Anything that is considered occult or secret is forbidden in all of the big three. I think when people practice the variety of new age religions, the idea of learning secret knowledge can be appealing.

Do I believe the Illuminati exist?

Anything is possible, but I also do not think it is productive to dwell on such matters for long periods of time. I believe the world has selfish people that don’t mind stepping on others for personal gain. As a result, I think it is important that we all do our part to protect each other. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter your race or religion, and if each person could do something kind for one another everyday I think we will be in good shape. Positive energy is contagious. You overcome evil with good.

From a mathematical perspective, I subscribe to the basic views of the 5 Percenters.

85% of the world lives out there lives not really understanding the current state of the world.
10% of the world have an idea what is going on but doesn’t really take the initiative to help society.
5% of the world is actively trying to make the world a better place.

I want to be apart of that 5% and perhaps increase our odds.

Respect the Process

By Judah
“If it’s in God’s will it will happen.”

Regardless of what faith you follow, if any, you’ve probably heard this phrase. We can probably all agree on some level that God has a plan for us all. This isn’t meant to convert non-believers, but if this is your belief then obviously that’s a blessing. But it’s a blessing often twisted into the worst type of curse of all—an excuse.

An excuse that lets us feel a little better about not reaching our goals, coming up short, or not rising to the challenge of grabbing that brass ring. Think of God as the captain of a boat (your life), and he is guiding you through many rivers, lakes, and oceans for the duration of your time on earth. He wants you to do well, and have a happy and fulfilling life.

So, on this journey we call life, he pairs you with entities such as your parents, teachers, mentors, friends and situations to help guide you to your blessing.

When we see that blessing in reach that’s supposed to take your life to the next level and it doesn’t happen, a common copout is that non-confronting, easy ideal that if it didn’t happen, it wasn’t meant to be. … It wasn’t in the cards. … It was not in the “Lord’s plan” for me to have it.

Now I believe that God has a contingency plan, in the sense that if one door closes, He will always open another door for us. To keep up with the Captain analogy, He always has an alternate course to take us to our destiny if the first route doesn’t work out.

But at what moment after these failed attempts to reach these goals in life do we practice self-assessment? When do we ask the tough questions?

“How bad did I really want it?”

“Did I fully prepare for the dredge work?”

“Did I spend the countless hours needed to perfect my craft?”

Instead, it’s very easy to say:

“Maybe next time.” … or, “I’ll just pray about it.”

The Father likes communication, BUT … Perhaps we should all take some responsibility for coming up short.

Practice makes perfect. Without true preparation a man is not able to perform at the best of his abilities, and his short comings will lead him to nothing but pain. The gratification of knowing that you put a hard day’s work into something you believe in is a blessing in itself. You can’t truly know who you are until you push yourself to the limits.