Honestly, what I believe doesn't really matter all that much.  You see, popular opinion claims that whatever one chooses to believe must, therefore, be true.  However, with a bit of logic, one can see the obvious problem with that proposition.  I ask you to consider a hypothetical situation.  Suppose Larry (not his real name) believes with all his heart, soul, mind, and spirit that he can drop a piano on Bob (also not his real name) from three stories up, without injuring, hurting, or harming Bob in any way.  Let's also assume that Larry believes Bob will be better off because of this unexpected musical gift.  Does his belief in any way affect the laws of physics that would require Bob to endure at least a lengthy hospital stay, if not the services of an undertaker?  Absolutely not.  We all can agree that there are some absolutes.  (By the way, the assumption that there are no absolutes in itself is an absolute statement.)

Let's take it a step farther and put this argument into reality.  The people who were responsible for the tragedies of September 11, 2001 sincerely believed that what they were doing was right.  In fact, they had so much faith in their cause that they were willing to kill nearly 4,000 men, women, and children to prove their point.  Did their belief justify their actions?  Be careful how you answer.

Even while many try to rationalize the coexistence of conflicting value systems, I propose that there is such a thing as an absolute standard.  This standard was given by the Creator of our world.  Just as the head of the household sets the rules of that household and the creator of a game sets the rules of play, only He has the authority to dictate what is right and what is wrong.  Any other standards are merely the arguments of men--and who gets to decide which man's argument is supreme? 

This standard is presented in the Old Testament, or covenant, of the Holy Bible.  Here, God gave us a written record of activities and behaviors that would make us unclean, and therefore unable to enter His presence.  Breaking any one of these laws was more than enough to ban us from His mercy.  There was no concept of "three strikes and you're out".  One was all it took to break the delicate relationship between man and God.

Thankfully, however, the story didn't end there.  In the New Testament, Jesus provided a way to bridge the divide created by man's sin.  This bridge would never need repairs, additions, supports, or protection because no matter the depth of the flood, nothing could ever wash out His path to Heaven.  Why?  Because the path was Jesus, himself.

According to the eyewitness testimony of those who heard His teachings, Jesus died on the cross, and at the moment of His death, He bore every sin any human would ever commit.  That includes the white lie you told to your mother when you were 8, the candy bar your neighbor stole when she was 11, the gluttony I experienced at the last church social, the addictions at the local bar, night club, or street corner, the prostitution down on the corner, the genocide of various groups because of their race, religion, or gender--the list is innumerable.

So what?

Because Jesus took the punishment for all sins, the only toll for crossing His bridge to God is belief in the bridge's existence and enough faith to take the first step.  Once we begin that journey, God leads us across to lands beside still waters, rivers flowing with milk and honey, paths that move safely through the valley of the shadow of death, peace that passes all understanding.

On the authority of the One who created the universe and all that is in it, this is the absolute truth.  You can choose to believe it or not, but your decision does not in any way affect the fact that Jesus is the only bridge of salvation, and He is the only means through which you can experience true fulfillment.

Honestly, the only thing left is to believe.