Thought is the seed of action. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Warning! This is very stream of consciousness and somewhat disjointed.

It seems like since the new year began, I have been lost in deep thought. I have pondered many questions and I don't know if I have any answers but I do have ideas. I watched Dogma for the 876th time. Something really struck me this time. Rufus said,"I think it's better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. Life should malleable and progressive; working from idea to idea permits that. Beliefs anchor you to certain points and limit growth; new ideas can't generate. Life becomes stagnant. " I have come to the harsh realization that I think this is true. Changing a belief can really be almost imposible. Once someone says that they believe something, there's almost no way to talk them out of it. Right or wrong. If something that comes to pass as fact goes against your belief system, what then? You spend your life in doubt. You can't afford to spend your life in doubt, no matter what it is. Church laws are fallible because they are created by man. Who's to say that what my church laws are fit with what God's laws are? It's better to have an idea of what's right rather than to have some law put forth by whatever denomination tell you what's right. Find your own truth. I refuse to have my life become stagnant because I have locked myself into some law that some other guy thought of. Faith is a blessing and not a burden. I don't think that any denomination has truly got it totally right. As long as we cling to these "beliefs" or "laws" we as humanity won't get it right. We have to be able to admit that we're wrong. Does it matter what we have faith in, or does it matter that we just have faith? I have the idea that God is big enough for more than one religion. I also have the idea that religion may be the ultimate downfall of man. I'm not saying that God is the downfall by any means. I'm saying religion is. People need to have relationships with God, not religions. You have all these people doing all these horrible things supposedly in the name of Jesus or God - wars, biggotry, murder. God signifies love and peace. He wants us to love each other. If you really love someone, how can you kill them? How can you discriminate against them? How can you treat them as having any lesser value than you yourself? I heard some crazy stuff on New Years Eve - from a group of people that claim to be Christians. All Christians should carry guns. Christians need guns to defend themselves against those that don't believe the same as they do. What?!? You've got to be kidding me. What about Matthew 5:39 "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." If I am to meet God because someone else kills me, so be it. Killing another human to defend my ideas is not justifiable. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall inherit the earth. I plan on being a peacemaker. I plan on being a thinker. I plan on being one that spreads ideas. I plan on being someone that shows what love can do on this world. I've got lots of thoughts....lots of ideas. Now I need to put them into action. This is my year.