The Needle in the Haystack

I've been thinking about God a lot lately, or at least the concept of God. Having been surrounded by the religiously apathetic and the anti-religious for the entirety of my life, I've found it difficult to differentiate between my viewpoints and those with which I have been surrounded. Those who know me might be surprised to learn that I have actually spent a considerable amount of time over the years attempting to find my own beliefs amidst the others - the proverbial needle in the haystack, if you will.

I've always felt something more than myself was out there. For the most part, I've thought of it simply as life. The energy of an infinite number of living creatures that, together, can make some amazing shit happen. I've been convinced that God was/is something as likely as vampires and aliens. But I've always had a hard time being able (or willing) to call this energy God. For one thing, I didn't/don't think it really matters. Some call it God. Some call it Allah. Adonai, Jesus, Jehova...there are a million, and I don't want to offend too many people by leaving some out or being flat-out wrong about others.

The point is, if there is a God, than God is Adonai is Jesus is...you get the picture. That's what the whole one God thing means, right? Maybe the name for what I feel, Life, is just another one of those names. I don't think that God and science are incompatible. Creation and evolution. I don't (or rather, haven't) read the bible, but I love to learn. Like politics, religion is an area where ignorance serves nobody.

In the meantime, I'm going to stick to the things in which I believe with all of my heart: treat others as you would be treated - with love, compassion and respect. We are all equal, and we all deserve equal rights. Judge not, lest ye be judged. Gamers and geeks are awesome. Leave the gun, take the cannoli. Never go anywhere without your boomstick - they can be found in the sporting goods department. The force is with you. Screws fall out all the time - the world's an imperfect place. Rexy is sexy, but peacoats are better and Browncoats are the best. And above all, watch out - the fire swamp keeps you on your toes.

- Adrienne Cook