BAD RELIGION
(From page 100) like energy is. The
universe has so much energy and
there's so much consciousness also
When I die, the consciousness can't
disappear, just like energy can't
disappear. There has to always be
this much energy in the universe, and
some of that energy will be con-
sciousness. As long as there's some
consciousness in the universe then
the collective soul is there.
Greg G. What your talking about
is gamma rays. If somebody could
tell me what a soul is, then I could
have a basis for judgment. The word
soul has never, to my knowledge,
been defined by anyone.
Brett Your soul is your essence.
Jay My soul is my food.
Greg H.-Soul Train?
Greg G. That's a basic recurring
theme in the philosophy of science
you can't address whether some-
thing exists or not if you can't define it.
Truth is the same way. You can only
define truth using the word truth.
Brett
You concoct a tautology and
it becomes meaningless. Two plus
two equals four, that's a truth, but all
you're really saying is four equals
four. It goes in circles. What I want
to know is, can two plus two equal
five? Because if two plus two could
equal five, then, in my opinion, there
could be a soul. But I can never get
myself to that juncture. In other
words, we have the capacity to
reason, but some things you can't
understand with reason.
To believe in some things you have
to make a leap of faith.
Brett Yeah, and I can't make that
leap. To say two plus two equals five
is a leap of faith. You can't under-
stand how that could be true. There's
no way your mind could ever say,
'Oh, I get it!'
Greg G. The only reason two plus
two equals four is because it's de-
fined operationally. We can repro-
duce that concept over and over
again. Two and two equaling five
could be true if you could get some-
one who could make you believe it.
But it's amazing how much we rely
on assumption and things other
people have supposedly proven.
That's a leap of faith right there.
Greg G. But the underlying
assumption is that you could go and
do it yourself. That's the difference
between science and religion. Even
ordinary old you can, with the proper
tools, reproduce scientific history.
Brett This brings me to my next
comment, which relates back to
Stephen W. Hawking. In my opinion,
basically what he's doing is search-
ing for God. That's what the most ad-
vanced realm of physics is basically
dealing with-the creation of the
universe. If they could get a grand
unified theory, it would be This form-
ula equals God.' This is science, but
his math is so advanced that for me
104
(From page 8)
CRIMINAL PURSUIT
to believe him is just the same as me MAIL DROP
going to temple and believing the
rabbi. It takes just as much faith. I just
have an easier time believing it.
Greg G. - I still maintain that if
you're given the right mental tools.
you could start to understand it. Our
scientific system or mathematical
system doesn't know how to deal with
the idea of infinity. That's where
religion comes very close to science.
Brett-But Stephen understands it.
I know he does. He's sitting there in
his wheelchair thinking about infinity
all day.
What is religion doing for society?
Greg G. In small communities
religion serves an important social
purpose. Personally, I think the belief
part is very important because at
least you're addressing a question.
Any time you're driven to ask ques-
tions, that's good. I feel perfectly con-
tent with the fact that I don't have a
religion. Some people feel empty or
something. I have a great faith in a
lot of the things I study, but it's not
securing a place for me when I die.
A lot of people feel empty if they
struggle to find faith, but I don't feel
that at all.
Brett Wait till you're on your
deathbed, buddy.
Jay-I believe in some kind of global
harmony. I don't belive in man-
created religions, which is what
everything is now.
Greg H. I believe in Nintendo.
Brett My problem is that I go sit
in a room and try to think up
something that will be satisfactory to
me. I'll think of something pretty
good, then I'll go, 'That can't be it,
I thought of it. If I thought of it, it's
shit because I'm just me.
Do you have a moral code of any
sort?
Greg G. Yeah, but that's probably
instilled from my upbringing. Half of
the things I do, half of the ways I think
can be seen as anti-American, but
the other half is what you would con-
sider being part of the American
ideal. My point is that your ethics are
motivated by your upbringing.
Is there a universal moral code?
Brett The universal ethic for me,
if I could be the ideal me, is to smash
the ego and the self-centered, con-
stantly inward-looking creep that I am
and to be thinking about others
rather than myself. That's the way to
be comfortable. The times I have
done that, I've been happy. If
everyone did that, everyone would
feel good because no one would
have their eyes focused in, they'd be
focused outward on helping some
one else. That, to me, is the universal
moral gesture.
A final message for the readers?
Brett A message for the readers?
What have we been talking about this
whole time? Okay, you want it in a
nutshell-Just Say No.
Greg H. Be excellent.
I'm pissed because cops won't
leave me alone. I learned about the
skatepark in Raleigh, NC but it's too
far to skate. I've been kicked out of
every mall in Durham and Raleigh.
The only good skating I get is run-
ning from the law. Should I keep
running?
Jerry
Probably In Jail
Yeah. Get them to chase you into a
ditch so you can really get rad. Ted
LIGHTNING RAD
In your January 90 issue a kid
wrote in about almost getting hit by
lightning. Well, I have a story to tell
you about what happened to me:
Picture this, about eight kids
skating a 12-foot-high ramp out in the
country (in an open field). The sky.
got grim, no rain (yet), and it started
to thunder. We didn't notice because
we had the tunes too loud. I was do-
ing a Smith grind when all of a sud-
den lightning hit the steel coping
about three feet in front of me. I
freaked! The ramp caught on fire.
Luckily it rained hard enough so not
a lot of damage was done. Now we
always skate the lightning ramp in a
storm because lightning never strikes
twice. We hope!
Lightning Ramp Kid
Poughkeepsie, NY
HARDCORE HOSTESS
I'm a girl, I don't skate. I have a
ramp and a lot of cool skaters come
over to my house to skate my ramp.
Am I stupid?
Some girl in California
U.S.A.
vampire" letters. Are you telling me
no one has written in saying they
support vampires? That sucks! Peo-
ple write in saying they hate vam-
pires. Well who the hell are they? Do
they know any vampires? I doubt it.
They are just prejudiced toward a
group of beings who are different
than us. My point is, this type of pre-
judice is the kind that helps skate
harassment thrive. So don't hate peo
ple because they have a different way
of living.
Vampires are cool
Aston, PA
THE ICE FAN COMETH
I just have to say I've been waiting
all my life for a dude like Ice-T. The
dude is someone to learn from. He's
unselfish and realistic. I think skating
should adopt a "syndicate" system,
because from what Ice-T said, it
works and is good.
Darren Hembd
Port Orchard, WA
CIVIC DISSENTER
I'm ticked off at the city council of
the town I live in. They didn't ban
skating or anything, they just don't
keep the sidewalks clean. I launched
a curb and as soon as I hit the ground.
I hit a rock or something, and I really
slammed hard. It took a chunk out
of my board, my knee and my
shoulder. It hurt bad and now I get
nervous every time I launch. I hate
the mayor.
Some Dude That Skates
Mesquite, TX.
Sounds like you better work on your
sweepers, bro. Ted
GROSSOETRY
I read that article on Jeff Grosso
in the recent February issue and his
ideas, personality and experiences
Well, it's a pretty bad sign if you have really made me think. It inspired me
to ask. Ted
BURIED TRIBUTE
I would like to thank you guys for
sticking in there for almost ten years.
The silent underground (me) keep
quiet. We don't complain about
things like harassment, school or the
fact that we don't have shiny new
boards, G&S pants, new Airwalks or
$15.00 shirts (which is too much at
the mall). We just skate to be what
we are. You guys revolutionized
skating. From the early days of
Duane Peters spinning an el rollo to
Ray Barbee doing a kickflip-to
madolie. So, from the underground,
I tip my hat and hope to see you in
years to come. 1981-????
CIVIL BITES
Dave
Team Quickness
I just read your April 1990 issue
and was completely pissed off. In
your Mail Drop Tally Whack there
were thirty-nine "anti-vampire"
letters and only eighteen "I'm a
to write this poem:
The Sky's End
Out of the darkness on the cliff
Close your eyes and quickly drift
The stars above that shine so bright
will guide you to a fervent light
Your soul rides over the sky's edge
Your body rides over the ramp's
ledge
We sail into a darkened dream
Where no one can hear our hearts
scream
You ride higher as you descend
Off of the clearing's end
You fly forever and cannot die
We all must find the end of the sky
We yearn to hold it in our hands,
The moon we see over midnight
sands
If we do, hope it won't break
Like the sun did, for our sake
Ride far into infinity
The breeze will sweep just you and
me
And, we forever shall descend
Until we reach the sky's end..
Juge
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