Religion

       Ahhh this oughtta be interesting. Religion is one of my favorite topics to rant about because it's a topic that brings forth insane amounts of opinions. To start, I guess what I am is labeled as either agnostic, which means I don't bother to stress or concern myself with any religion, or you could call me a logician, which means that I believe almost strictly what can be proven through logic. I do however accept that everyone deserves to have their own views and beliefs about god or a general higher power. There are certain aspects of religion that do bother me though. I find a lot of flaws in organized religion including the idea of the pope. Why does a religion need a leader who claims to be able to interpret the bible and the word of god. I personally believe that no one should have the power to tell you what to believe. Faith is the power to believe what you believe regardless of what others tell you. Although I lack the faith that others cherish, I see the advantages of living a life by a moral code such as the bible or any other religious books/ scriptures. Another thing that bothers me though is to hear people thank god for the achievements that they have met by working hard but then blaming themselves for shortcomings or misfortunes. Why not believe that the good things in your life were caused by your positive actions and outlook? I guess the main idea here is that regardless of what you believe in, don't forget to believe in yourself. The biggest worldwide issue with organized religion is lack of tolerance.  No matter what religious beliefs you follow, you have no right to believe that they are better or more believable than someone else's. Personally I think its great for people to have religions if it helps guide them through life righteously but too often we are blinded by these same groups.  Most of all I guess I just recommend that you believe whatever you want or disbelieve whatever you want. As far as the idea of heaven and hell goes, I once read that it was a possibility that because time is relative the last moment of your life may be spent in a type of dream world that seems to last an eternity and this is what heaven and hell were shaped from. Because I'm a strong believer in science, this made a lot of sense to me especially because DMT, the chemical naturally found in your body which causes dreams, is released at the time of death. I don't want anybody to take my sharing of ideas as me telling you what is right or wrong but I thought it would be helpful for you to know my beliefs. Oh and by the way, don't pick and choose the sins by which you judge others. According to the bible, if homosexuality is a sin, so is wearing clothes made from mixed fibers.

Music

      Once again I must apologize for my lack of posts but time is not something that I've had an abundance of.  I am excited though to be writing this post because music is easily my favorite topic to write and talk about.  For as long as I can remember music has been the biggest influence on everything  I've done and continue to do.  It never ceases to surprise me when I ask people what kind of music they listen to and receive "I don't really listen to music." as an answer.  Personally, I don't know what I'd do without music.  It controls my mood, my confidence, my style, and even my personality somewhat.  Throughout my seventeen years I can recall being into country, alternative, hip-hop, indie, and even folk-rock.  Nowadays I find the greatest joy in hip-hop and indie artists.  When I say hip-hop I don't mean that I listen to a bunch of songs that sound the same and rhyme only about women, money, and violence.  It bothers me that the genre seems to have become that.  When I turn on the radio all I hear is the same few songs played over and over with nothing to offer but a catchy beat and an easy-to-remember hook.  I take pride in my ability to find artists who break the mold and shine through their lyricism and subtle messages.  Some of my personal favorite hip-hop artists include G-Eazy, Macklemore, The Kings Dead, Kid Cudi, Childish Gambino and Asher Roth.  On the other side of the spectrum I find myself enjoying vocal and instrumental talent by artists such as Jack White, The Neighbourhood, Death Cab For Cutie, Passion Pit, and Foster The People.  I try not to criticize the music taste of others because I know that everyone has their own opinions and that everyone gets something different out of the music they listen to.  Music is just one of the many forms of art that adds pleasure to the lives of individuals even in the hardest of times.  I recommend that no one be afraid to become passionate about the music they enjoy but instead to embrace it and let it comfort you, excite you, and even give you chills at times.  Music has been around forever and I'm sure it's not going anywhere soon.

     Check out one of my favorite songs as of now and enjoy.