IN THEORY:How faith can sustain life on Earth

Yahoo.com has offered opportunities for celebrities to ask questions to Yahoo users. Renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has reportedly chimed in with a question ? "In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain itself?" Hawking has reportedly said that the ability for humans to continue living depends on our ability to colonize away from Earth as the planet is increasingly threatened by disaster.

From a faith perspective, what do you think humans must do to sustain the human race?

I come down on the side of optimism on this question. I do not believe that an absolutely good God put us on earth to destroy it and all of humanity. I believe that somehow, someway, someday, we will wake up and decide to fix what is wrong with the human race and with our world in general.

Sadly, religion has almost always been more a part of the problem of potential self-destruction than it has been a part of the solution. It comes down to this: if this world is going to survive, Christians and Muslims and Hindus and Jews and all the other religious organizations are going to have to start working with each other instead of against each other. Is this possible?

In my opinion, not at the present time. As to the future? Yes, it is possible. Things can change with enough faith, prayer and understanding.

One day, men and women of faith will awaken to the truth that it will take religious freedom and religious tolerance in order for our world to survive.

When that day comes, we can begin to form a heaven on earth instead of the hell it has sometimes been, with bitterness and violence among the various religious factions on earth. Religion is only part of the problem ? but it almost always is a major part of the equation.

We have a long way to go, for there are many other problems too, but if enough of us decide to help stop the insanity, we can build ourselves a new world free of prejudice and useless and unnecessary violence.

Let's all pray, every day, often, for peace in our world and understanding among all people.

THE REV. THOMAS E.

WITHERSPOON

Unity Church of the Valley

La Crescenta

St. Nektarios reminds us, "Seek God in your heart, not outside it."

In the same vein we can say that the answers to humanity's problems are no farther than ourselves, and certainly not beyond the reach of our planet.

We have created this mess, now we must clean it up.