There is an ever-present sense of wonder that seems to be the driving force behind history’s greatest discoveries, inventions, and breakthroughs. This force has fueled the progression (and regression) of society and inspired humans to attempt to answer the question of origin by constructing plausible fables involving a creator who created humans in his own image. While the majority of the world still believes this account in some variation, there is a growing group of skeptics that choose to believe a different reality. Personally, I’ve been on both sides of this philosophical divide. The only practical solution that I see is to eliminate the divide entirely.
It is with the unfinished “if” that an infinity of possibilities gain newfound appreciation. We are only limited in what we understand by what we have considered and what we can imagine. With these investigative works inspired by that lingering “if”, true leaps in comprehension are gained and the stagnant acceptance of a topic deemed non-dynamic is shattered. This is to say, it is only by going out on a limb that we can achieve the clearest views.
The purest and most defensible investigations use scientific methods to objectively evaluate the validity of a hypothesis. I was fascinated by science as early as the 4th grade, yet I have also believed in God since then. With my bachelors and masters education in geology, I first grasped the concept of geologic time and learned the methods of evaluating a theory and conducting an investigation. It is with the tools of deduction, reasoning, and a unique perspective of time that I embark on an expedition to investigate the correlation between God and Time while examining the bigger picture of societal life and offering suggestions for improving our existence.
You do not have to agree with every idea that is expressed to appreciate the intention and direction that it follows. Because there is no definitive way of proving or disproving the God argument, we must accept that every individual is free to believe whatever they desire, and that their beliefs are no less possible than any other alternative. This freedom of belief is a very important concept that needs to be honored by all people before there can be peace and harmony in the world. Only once we share a mutual respect for the ideas and beliefs of one another can we leave discrimination and hate in the past and evolve into a more utopian society.
All photos by the author
