First on the slate, is man's confusing theories on his origins. This is one subject that has not been solved conclusively and is one source of man's division in terms of beliefs. But, perhaps, to the Supreme Being or nature that confusion doesn't matter or exist. After all, we could all be right if the adage “Anything is possible through God;” or should I say the Supreme Being, since he, she, or whatever you believe is the creator, is the Alpha and Omega. So why then don't we think it's possible that all theories of man’s origins are correct? Maybe, we are merely describing the elephant like the blind men in “The Elephant and Blind Men Fable!” As I write this, I am still thinking in the context of my dream and relating it to the field of research; where different subjects are exposed to different conditions. Our folly here is that we might be too narrow-minded or “mentally-blind” to see beyond our knowledge. I mean, it's pretty clear that if there is a Supreme Being, he must be able to do anything; including having the ability to not exist; however weird that seems. At his point I don’t know what you think but I see another creation theory in the making; one that states that all creation theories are right since everything is possible to a truly powerful being.

You might also agree that trying to find out exactly how we came into being, the way we have in the past, is not only mind-boggling but a waste of time. It really should not be top-priority currently, unless the plan is to hand-over our plight to our maker. With our follies still lying unresolved, I believe it should not be our in our list of important concerns; even in the near future. That is if we are to tackle earth's problems and unresolved matters, in their order of importance. But some things, you will agree, are discovered by default. So it's also possible that we might one day stumble on our maker by coming up with all these theories. Maybe this is it!

We know that different religions try to deal with this issue differently. Scientologists and Atheists have their own theories too. But none has managed to help quell the follies of man; which I believe, should be the most critical area of concern. Currently the follies of man depend on man's conscience and that alone. No belief system has been able to quell sin amongst its adherents. We would still have jealously, murder, greed and envy etc. in any of the scenarios if a test would be done. Many people proclaim holiness in their places of worship, but that holiness is only with them in that place. When they leave these holy places, their “own-will” takes precedence. They pursue what their hearts desire from then on, until they hit a rough patch or find themselves in the prayer halls again. Talk of follies running in our blood!

To further aggravate the matter, different and conflicting doctrines are developing, within the various belief systems; leaving the masses with flexible doctrines these days. Religion has even entered the domain of politics. In short, man is busy mangling his own belief systems and acting very debonair about it.

A good test of man's true faith can be dolled out in this example. Assume everyone was a Christian or let's just take it as it is. What would Christians do if a modern day version of Noah came forward and said he's gotten information from God that Mother Earth will be flooded again and so he needs to build an ark? How many would believe him and repent? I'll let you answer that as I remind you of the saying that history repeats itself. In another scenario, imagine being in a boat in a storm; with a split- second to make a critical decision. To survive, you have to either throw your mum overboard or an empty box you believe contains your Supreme Being in spirit form. Which option would the majority go for?

When I think of such scenarios I thank the Supreme Being—if he exists that is—for being very lenient by not making us make such tough choices. In the different faiths that we have, I believe there are stories of men and women—more so in the days of yore—who've had chilling encounters with the Supreme Being; or should I say external forces. We still do have such encounters. But the debate on whether we are making the right decisions, nowadays, than before is an issue for another day. All I can say is that it's not an enjoyable spot to be in. Undergoing a test by the Supreme Being—that is if he really exists—can be maddening and a true test of one's faith. And the worst thing is that the experience is unique to a particular person. The rest of the world, can merely choose to believe or not believe; which leads to man's other folly. The folly that seeing is believing and anything otherwise is subject to someone’s own personality, beliefs, experiences, or moods.

Let's come back closer to reality. Aren't there some things that we cannot solve on our own, like the Israeli-Palestine conflict; which in a way is linked to other conflicts in the world today? What if Palestine and Israel suffered some serious natural catastrophe! Will that be enough to overshadow their conflict and make them work together? And when that catastrophe is done with, will they get back to fighting one another?

According to Christianity man began to fall from grace when he ate the forbidden fruit. So some Christians must be cursing Adam and Eve—the first sinners on earth—for the suffering that we have to undergo throughout our lives. But come to think of it! What if we looked at life today and identified the “fruits” that we can eat and the ones that we shouldn't. And then challenged ourselves to stick to those we can eat for a day, then a week, then a month, then two months and so forth. Would God or the Supreme Being—assuming he is there and watching—ignore our efforts? Isn't it okay to accept our weakness and take baby steps here!

I'll take us back to the theories of man's origin. I certainly don't have “solid” proof on which theory is right. But I would like to repeat a pertinent view that I raised when we started this topic. And that is, what if all theories explaining the origins of the universe, so far, are true or interconnected.” I also raised the possibility that man might simply be discovering how the Supreme Being did it.

I take this view because something must have activated the big-bang. And something must have led to the creation of life and its different forms. Things just don't drift into place on their own, do they? Isn't it true that every event has a cause? I know many will disagree with me, but what if the holy books are merely vehicles through which the Supreme Being simplifies himself and his relation with us. If he or she were to give scientific explanations, including formulae on how the universe was created, would the holy books be as “big” as they are?

If we are to assume that every religion is right in believing that theirs is the only true belief, then it means there are many gods as earlier argued. And if that is so, we agreed that we must accept that all these gods are friends and consult one another. We must also agree that they rarely argue or wash their dirty linen in public. But remember, we must also accept that these gods have let us thrive and live on our “own free-will,” which makes it very tricky. Our free-will means we could all be right, wrong, or partially right and not know so. That's why we must seek to end the uncertainty, once and for all, by testing these faiths. I believe, somewhere in our conscience, we all want to do the right thing. So whoever is not for this test, isn't interested in the truth. Now, this could be getting too spooky for some of you, I bet! But this might just be our role, in the process and we might not have a choice. With end of the World 2012 drawing closer and closer this could be the proverbial straw that one catches when drowning in a bad storm.

Otherwise it seems we will continue mangling our religions until they become so obscure that "The Grand Counter Test" I propose, could soon become a very welcome sight for sore eyes.. Click below fot the next chapter sample.

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