We humans are uniquely intelligent creatures. We know a lot, and yet we often confuse ourselves with what we know, and what we assume. I do not assume an enlightenment beyond the normal intelligence of any man, but we all have questions we never ask about. I have my share of opinions.

We have many hangovers from antiquity, things people believed, but which most of us don’t really believe any more due to new enlightenments. Mankind has always thought of everything as having a beginning and an end. We think that way because everything we deal with in this world seems that way. There are things however, which are beyond physical reality, which we take for granted, and never challenge. There are things with which we are very familiar, which never began, and no matter what happens anywhere, they will continue to be, and never end. They are more than simple realities. They are principles of reality, which do not change. If they were not realities, they would not be as unchangeable as they are, and have proven themselves as such under any and all circumstances.

Mathematics is a basic science. Much that makes the modern world, rests on the facts of mathematics. We owe Albert Einstein for his advancement of the world in its understanding of this basic science. But I will stay within my own understanding here. No matter what happens, 2+2 will always equal 4. This is a simple fact that will never change, nor will the speed of light ever be other than 186,000 miles a second. Mathematics goes beyond the manipulations of mankind. It is not true because we say it is. We are intelligent because we understand it. That is what gives coherence to the universe. Consistency is what makes existence understandable.

Science has a theory of the beginning of the universe referred to as the Big Bang Theory. This is not a truth. It is simply the best explanation they have been able to come up with to explain the beginning. But the Big Bang theory does not start with a beginning. It starts with an already existing nucleus of matter which explodes. It does not explain where or how this matter originated. There never was an existence of nothing. That’s a contradiction.

The sun is 93 million miles away. It takes seven or eight minutes for light to reach the earth from the sun. The star that is the next nearest to us is Alpha Centauri. It is four light years away. That means its light, while traveling at 186,000 miles a second, takes four years to reach us. All other stars are further away. We will never know just how far or how big the universe actually is. I believe It is safe to say it is bigger than we shall ever know. It is also safe to say that the universe is governed by mathematical and physical principles, which we did not invent, and fail yet to completely understand. There are undoubtedly other planets such as ours many light years away.

They say the universe is ever expanding from the Big Bang. I think that everything in existence is at the center of the universe. This is true because the universe has no limits of size, therefore everything that is in it, is equally distant from its outer extremities, which are not determinable.

The existence of everything is controlled by many unchangeable, cooperating laws. They did not crawl out of nothing, spontaneously, for no reason. They are part of creation.

We have before us an exciting future as we grow and make our way. We keep learning more about our place in everything. Our future lies basically in our ability to educate ourselves in the realities of existence. This is not likely to be advanced by our politicians on either side of the aisle. They are more interested in maintaining their own plush careers, than in the progress of mankind. It is our scientists and philosophers who generally advance our understanding of reality. May God bless America.

Richard Westlund is a Collins resident.