Stand Up!

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."
- Galileo Galilei

“Stand up for what you believe in! Stand if you believe in creation! Stand up if you believe in a god!” my biology professor commanded to the lecture hall. As a dozen faithful Christians and Muslims stood, my professor’s eyes sharpened to a point as he peered through his glasses at his new opponents. They stood like witches at the Salem Trials.

Unaware of his intentions, the students stood up for their belief, for their god. In reality, they were the first to commit heresy in an evolutionary biology class. Witnessing this clash of ideology, I was challenged to examine my own beliefs. Sitting in the jury of this witch-hunt, I was reminded that through out the years, I have come to my own conclusion of what god is (or is not).

My metaphysical needs have evolved over time. As a child, I attended Catholic Church; as a teen, I attended Presbyterian Church; and entering adulthood, I turned to Taoism. None of which I could ever subscribe. In more recent times, I have let go of the need altogether. After years of contemplation, I accepted the fact that I don’t have the time or understanding to challenge questions that have historically perplex the greatest intellects. Even with the decision not to dwell on such matters, I still needed an answer. Now, my solution intended not to be academic nor profound, but satisfactory to my inquisitive mind.

Simply put, I ask myself an important Socratic question, what is the function of religion? Fundamentally, I believe that it sets out to answer the most important question to society, “Why do we exist?” What greater question has motivated mankind? The differing ideologies on this question have been solely responsible for war, science, religion, and politics.

As profound as the question might seem, I think the answer is quite simple. When we think about how we work as an individual or as a society, we are motivated by what we don’t have or by finding information that we don’t know. We are motivated by the question “why?” Why can’t we have greater? Why can’t we know more? Why can’t we be the best? The common denominator in all these questions is why not who. My god is a question not a person.

My god deliberately didn’t want us to understand. It wanted Galileo to peer into the night and ask why. It wanted Newton to ask why an apple fell towards the earth. As long as we strive to answer the question, why we will continue to understand what it means to be human, and society will grow closer to god, why.

Brown Heart

I have a brown heart. Growing up, my mom worked odd hours to make ends meet, and the only person who was able to watch me, a four year old, at odd hours of the day was an immigrant.

Her name was Hilda. She emigrated from Mexico to pursue a better life, and when she came to the US she married a Russian Immigrant named Reinhardt, and collectively they pursued the "American Dream."

Growing up, I developed much admiration for their family, and a Spanish accent. This esteem developed into an exceptionally close bond with Hilda. Normally, I would throw a fit when my mom dumped me at the babysitter, but instead, I would throw a fit when my mom came to get me.

I haven't talked to Hilda or her family since I was nine. According to my mom, Hilda had a plan to kidnap me and take me to Mexico City. She was no longer my babysitter after this "plan" was uncovered. My bond with Hilda was transparent, and I still question if the "plan" evasion was a euphemism for my mom's jealousy.

I don't know where to begin to judge if one family is better than another, but if success is a qualifier, then Hilda's family surpassed many Americans: Reinhardt worked full-time and paid his taxes; Their children grew up to be role model citizens- Jimmy, her oldest son, was a super athlete, Ledi joined the Army, and Janet graduated college.

Removing families like this would be detrimental to the diversity of our country and the economy. I don't believe that Hilda's family was an outlier or even uncommon. Additional hard working educated people can do nothing but foster a stronger nation, despite the banal complaints regarding health care, education, and crime.