When a person asks you about your universal beliefs, Religion, Philosophy, Virtues, and/or existential attitudes towards the unknown — I don’t know about you but I get a little bit anxious!! I get anxious not because I don’t have a response; but rather I know the response that I will give to this person is going to either 1) upset, 2) enrage, 3) confuse, or in many cases 4) precipitate many more How and Why questions.

I really enjoy philosophical discussions with anyone who has spent some time, in thinking about matters of existence. Now when I say I enjoy PHILOSOPHICAL discussions I don’t mean Religious Beliefs or Dogma. It is perfectly fine to practice a religion and I belittle no one for doing so, as I see the many rewards it gives so many people. But when discussing philosophical questions like why am I here, I refuse to argue biblical interpretation especially with those who refuse to recognize the numerous allegorical stories within that book. Having a philosophical conversation is about the passing of ideas with the intention of not having to prove one’s position correct. It’s more about the wonder, the uncovering of universal truths, the journey we travel to get from here to there – and less about “FAITH”, the supernatural, and rituals (not to say they are irrelevant but rather they become difficult to pin down).

The wonder of why we are here? What is the purpose of this life? Why do we suffer? What happens to us in Death? Is there a real you, or is it an illusion? —- Questions like these are what make philosophy a very enjoyable conversation.  I also believe most human beings who are not overly self-absorbed, actually find these questions intriguing, fun to answer, and often will embrace the topic.

Unfortunately in many cases forums and small discussions about ‘PHILOSOPHICAL’ inquiry  get snow-plowed by a few folk who must insist on making their religious positions known to everyone as well as manipulating the foundation for which the discussion is held. Because situations like this happen quite frequently, it creates a discontent for many who are looking to have a broad and unscripted conversation – in effort to – perhaps dance and encounter truth in the many ideas that are exchanged within philosophical Q & A.

I have said this before, and I will state it here again: I have nothing against anyone who actively practices their Religion, and lives a life in accordance with the dogma and teachings of their Church, Synagogue, Temple, and/or Mosque.  Everyone is entitled their beliefs —  that includes myself and our many neighbors.

With that being said…I will say this:

“Religion is Like a Penis: It’s fine to have one, It’s fine to be proud of it. But please don’t whip it out in public, and start waving it around. And finally it’s rude and selfish to shove it down anyone’s throat”

We as conscious beings are only beginning to discover what being “human” is all about – in my opinion. We are all traveling on that road, trying to get from here to there, and majority of us are consistently contemplating questions about our very existence. It is in our Human Nature to want to understand every part of this life and the hidden mechanisms of this creation. That wonder is why philosophical discussions are so interesting, informative and enjoyable to be a part of – especially if an opportunity allows us to have direct engagement with the conversation.

So when a persons asks me the question about my beliefs, usually looking for a one word answer like… Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, etc… I just respond with a simple statement designed to avoid the four possible outcomes listed above. I will say something along the lines of: “I believe that I am a conscious energy, adhered to this body called David Rollman, on an unknown path, to an unknown destiny, within an unknown time, in order to discover that which is unknown…..care to join me?

So to all my friends, family, fans, and followers – searching for the answers is a lot of fun, but more importantly never stop asking questions?  Life is an evolutionary process, as far as I can tell, in which the path of discovery leads us to further examination that doesn’t have a clear end.  Questions & Answers, Truth & Understanding, Good & Evil, Heaven & Hell, all tend to be circular in nature.  What I mean by that is, each attitude seems to chase the other with no recognizable finish — as the Universe seems to be held together by the very nature of these principles and cannot exist without the other.   For instance, Good can not exist without Evil as the very nature of “being good” precludes  the supposition that Evil must be present in a world filled with Good — in order to carry out the balance of nature.  (Also How in the hell could you know what is Good if you didn’t have a direct understanding or connection to its evil counterpart?  (The only reason you know where “there” is located is because “here” exists at the same time).

However, wonderful and enjoyable I find philosophical discussions/debate/conversations to be…please don’t forget that NO ONE PERSON, has the Human Being User manual figured out at all.  There are many within our world that have more well informed opinions based upon time served in the study of particular disciplines (recognizing facts, statistics, predicted hypothesizes, and plain old life experience).  Regardless, of how you have come to know of something, at the end of the day…Opinions (surrounded by facts) they still will be.  Conscious life is not only about the information but also about enjoying the ride. Don’t ever forget that!!

Aart Van Der Leeuw said it best, “The Mystery of Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.”

-David S. Rollman