I read today that the atheism proponent Lewis Wolpert proposed in a new book that man's tendancy toward religion is some kind of genetic mutation based on causal evolution (something in our prehistory caused our ancestors to develop religion - and that somehow worked it's way inot our genetic pool).

Causal evolution of genetic predisposition to religious belief flies in the face of evolutionary theory – it would not provide a single benefit allowing the advancement of the species and therefore, it would be much more likely that the majority of the population would not have the “religiosity gene.”

If we are created by God, it only stands to reason that we are imbued with “religious beliefs (that) are at least partly genetically determined. How else can you explain the fact that there's no society ever discovered that didn't have some sort of religious belief?"

Quite simply, no matter how much or how often God is denied, it does not cause him to no longer exist. Napoleon (granted, not known as a great thinker) once said, “You think your are too intelligent to believe in God. I am not like you.”

Belief in the non-existence of God requires 1) the belief that there may be a god to not believe in and 2) a complete lack understanding of your station in the universe.

Belief in the possibility of a god requires the humility to accept there may be forces greater than an accidental existence.

Belief in God as your creator requires the humility to accept that existence came from something bigger than yourself, something other than a mere accident.

The God I believe in is “…immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will,” (Westminster Confession of Faith, Ch II.1)

A closer reading will note that it does not limit God to my interpretation of him. He is incomprehensible – I can understand aspects of him, but I cannot understand him in totality – because, although I am created in his image, I am not him.

When I free my interpretation of God from the box I want to place him in, I understand that science is a good and great tool for us to understand the universe, that it will likely be used to discover new life forms and that those life forms were created by the same God in which I believe.

What I've Been Thinking

It’s been a few days and I realized I’ve got to get my thoughts up!

What’s been on my mind lately? Number one, the current screenplay I’m working on. It’s about one of the relatively unknown founders of Las Vegas who has more to do with the original city than anyone – yet after going to grade school in Reno (granted, Northern Nevada views southern nevada (not cap’d on purpose) as nothing more than their rich, bastard, step-sibling), living in Las Vegas for twenty years and actually being pretty well informed about the valley’s history (from 1905 on – that was my downfall), I’d only heard minor passing references to Helen Stewart. Her life and times are fascinating.

Two, the stimulus package/pork barrel. If it’s a stimulus package, let it stimulate. This package doesn’t seem to have enough job creation or consumer-level spendable money associated with it.

Three, the GI Film Festival in Washington DC. I wish I could be there; we need this kind of festival. It’s not exclusively pro-American, but it is pro-soldier and our military personnel aren’t given near the amount of respect they deserve. Did you know that if you start out as a Private E-1 right out of high school and want to make a career of the military that by the time you hit ten years in, if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree you’ve gone as far as you can. Most senior officers (majors and colonels) and noncommissioned officers (senior sergeants) have master degrees. We have the most highly educated military force in the world – yet the press portrays them as yokels. Support a soldier today!

For now, that’s pretty much it.

According to Forbes, Americans will keep buying movie tickets despite the economic downturn. Good news for aspiring screenwriters, like myself.

Movie Tickets
Despite the fact that movie theater attendance decreased
by 5% in 2008, theaters made $9.8 billion, a 2% increase from 2007, according to
the Motion Picture Association of America. Even though tickets can run $15 a pop
in some cinemas, going to the movies is still one of the cheapest forms of
entertainment available.

Slumdog Millionaire

If you haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire, you're missing one of the best movies of the decade.

The screenwriter, Simon Beaufoy, did a masterful job weaving the plotlines (it's actually several stories woven into one) into a coherent and riviting story. The director, Danny Boyle, shot the film using handhelds so the feeling of being in India isn't lost someplace on a soundstage. The entire cast is perfect, especially the young children.

Interestingly enough, despite winning the Golden Globe for Best Picture and having a ton of great press with a lot of Oscar buzz, Fox Searchlight (the US distributor) still has it in limited release.

If it's not playing in your hometown, make the drive to see it. You won't be sorry.

An Open Letter to Jim Gibbons re: a Six Percent Salary Cut

Governor Jim Gibbons of Nevada promised he would not raise taxes during his administration.

His solution? Cut the salaries of public employees by six percent, force them to give up longevity pay and force them to give up pay raises for two terms.

I, like the Governor, am afiliated with the Republican Party. But this guy is nuts. Sure, the state is in a fiscal crisis - which one isn't. Cut spending, fine. But try to impose pay cuts on those who can least afford it just so you can keep an election year promise of not raising taxes?

I've got news for you Jimmy. You're raising taxes in abstentia on a group that can't even write a portion of the salary cut off. Businesses being taxed in Nevada - especially public companies (i.e. casinos, mining corporations and developers) could at least take a deduction against federal taxes.

But not individuals. Not teachers, not custodians, not the state employees who would be forced to enact your ludicrious plan.

I knew there was a reason I didn't vote for you.

So, This Is It

The purpose of this blog is going to be multifold.


One is to express my varied opinions about most everything. From movies and screenwriting to international politics and religion.


I mostly intend to post essays, but on occassion I may use a different format - you'll just have to watch!