Got a fun and very interesting book to recommend to you, David: Calculating God by Canadian author, Robert J. Sawyer. Well, to everyone else who is intereste, too.

It is a really well-done and very intriguing science fiction work which speculates about genetics, human origins, and the existence of faith and God. It was also a Nebula Award winner.

You've probably read my saying this elsewhere, at least I think I've mentioned it before. It drives my brother nuts to believe, on one hand, in a Supreme Being, and yet, see the kinds of horrible things we do in everyday life, the poverty, murders, etc. He rails and asks how can there be a god with this happening and if there is He must be very cruel.

What I have proven sufficiently to myself to believe, is that there is a Supreme, a Cosmic, or Universe. The stickler is that IT is not a personified being as many religions have portrayed. It is also impersonal. It is the Center, the Ultimate and Complete of Being, with all things possible and available. There are no restictions of time or space. Where humankind gets into trouble, IMO, is in assiging blame to this Cosmic and deciding how IT is to be personified.

It may sound cold, but in my opinion, the Cosmic has no concern whether we achieve our highest good or not. Certainly, it has a universal love of all creation, but it is equal for all things. Because we have free will, it is up to us to get in the flow, to align with the Cosmic, in order to achive our highest good.

So, when I meditate or pray, I usually address it to the god of my heart or the Cosmic Masters, and give thanks that "this or something better" is so, for the highest good of all concerned. By doing it that way, I believe I am stepping into the stream of higher consciousness, becoming at one, which the word AT-ONE-MENT means to me, to be at one with the Cosmic.

Arrgghh, I've probably gone on too much. I would say this, though, no one can force faith on another. Faith is something which one must prove to themselves. We test the faith of our loved ones everyday when we rely on them or they on us to behave in certain ways.

I have had too many instances where I had no choice but to have faith, step out and believe and thus have it proven to me that I did attain a moment of connection which saved my life, literally, or other dramatic and not so dramatic happenings. This has never been done without questioning, though. That's why I love the metaphysical lessons of the Rosicrucian Order AMORC, one is given lessons and experiments in order to develop a belief or not, in the principles which are put forth. Members are expected to come to their own conclusions and to question everything.

Thanks, sorry it's so long.

kat