Ah... Another post, preceded by another (previously sworn against) lack of activity. I make, as always, sincerest apologies, and likely need not explain the circumstances of the pause. And though the effort required to write at all is insignificant, I should only like to post with - indeed - significance. Thus, no promise will be made concerning the next post; but with hope, it will find existence sometime in the tangible future.
The post of now, however, is one of great significance - to me, at any rate. It may become, in the process of its creation, something blasphemous. But please understand that this is only for intellectual criticism; I've no intention of disposing my faith! Let us delve into the ultimate significance of life.
How might a Christian respond to this question? "The significance of life is to understand and appreciate God's creation and love for that creation, and to prepare it for eternal Heaven." A Hindi? "We live to achieve Brahman, through reincarnation along the Wheel of Life." An atheist? "There is no significance in life. We live and die; that is all." Many place life's ultimate meaning in religion (or lack of it), yet facts: what logically we have deduced and determined to be correct - tell us that such vague uncertainties cannot exist, that there must only be one ultimate purpose for our existence.
It is irrefutable that everything about us here, on Earth, is composed of matter. That things beyond Earth are composed of matter. That all we know of tangible is matter. We have even placed laws and comprehension on non-matter: energy, physics, and time itself. We have determined that our universe began from super-compression of matter, which, becoming so dense, violently exploded outward, quickly expanding. For us, this is the beginning of 'life'. From the Big Bang, the sun would form, followed by our solar system, the Earth within it. Single-cellular life, over millenia, would become cooperative, and these alliances would diversify: the land-dweller, the fish, the bird, the reptile. Soon, then, would come the human. And here we are.
And yet, this incredible matter - the basis of the universe - must have come from somewhere before the Big Bang. Surely it simply wasn't 'in existance'. And too, scientists have attempted to explain this; yet, no cause theorized by them is self-propagating, and all-encompassing. We've still no absolute idea from whence existance itself derived. However, even if this is answered, the (arguably more important) question persists: what was the reason for this creation?
Douglas Adams, a brilliant author, has stated that because humans evolved with purpose and logic foremost in their minds - essentialy that everything does something, and that all things have a reason for being done - they apply this pathway of thought to things beyond their comprehension. It could be that we haven't come across the meaning of life because we are incabable of understanding it, cognating as we do. But the prevalent theory is that of God. That it was his design that led us to be created. Persistantly, it seems, a similar question lingers: what was God's design? What is God's aim in this? And if God doesn't exist, then why exist at all?
And here we arrive at a stumbling block. I've no authority to pass any deeper into the topic. Yet, I shall. Lately I have considered the 'scalablity' of organizational levels of life. (Organizational levels denote levels of existance - the sub-atomic, atomic, molecular, cellular, organism, ecosystem, ecosphere, universal, etc...) Maybe it is that there is infinate scalability in these levels. That we, as multi-cellular organisms, are acting as cells for something greater than us, just as our cells exist for us, and their organelles for them, etc. And that what encompasses us is in turn encompassed by something else, and that in turn, for infinity; in both directions. If this is true, than, just as we have control of our cells, this 'infinitely largest level of existance' would have control of us, indeed all below it in this heirarchy. Therefore, this could be God. Perhaps all existance is working in harmony, to achieve what we have titled, God. Yet, boldly, still, the question: what is the purpose of 'God'?
I am quite determined that there is only one reason, ultimately, for this life. But as of yet, what that reason - that purpose - is, remains secluded.
4 comments:
A much-awaited post. Much-rewarded as well. That last paragraph was really interesting, in my opinion. This would certainly explain a God that can organize the universe while providing for the circumstances of the lives of each human being. I mean, think about it. What an author, to intertwine the lives of six billion souls in such complex ways, without a single Plot Hole and no detail withheld, and yet able to show the bigger picture. A huge picture.
The only difference between the analogy between humans and cells and God and "everything else" is that we can't tell every single cell in our body apart, or what each is thinking, doing, needing, and our cells aren't nearly as varied as the universe. There are trees, stars, galaxies, comets, wolves, zebras, computers, people, aliens (?), etc etc etc.
Anyways, much enjoyed, and look forward to another DnD meeting.
In the meantime, don't lose too much sleep over this issue. It's not blasphemy at all, since your "infinitely largest scale of existence" is, after all, simply another way of saying the same thing. :)
--Bazirilath the Glavier.
(btw, I'm not some crazy stalker... I kno Thalib :)
Nice question. I think that the meaning of life is different for everyone, and therefore cannot be pinpointed to a certain specific. Each person is utterly different and complex, and the reactions of one person to the same situation are entirely different to that of another. Each person contains an impossibly complex equation of emotions, experiences, knowledge, heritage, religion, exc. that one simply cannot calculate. Yet, I do believe that there is one basic meaning of life for all. We just react to it differently. The question you posed earlier was superb, "The significance of life is to understand and appreciate God's creation and love for that creation, and to prepare it for eternal Heaven." But I do not think that it is our job to understand. God does not need us to understand... He already understands all. What He needs us to do is
-follow the rules He set down for us
-try to bring others to Him
Basically, love His creations (people) and try to prepare both them and yourself for death so that we may rise to eternal Heaven.
Hmmmm, I think that you are on to some interesting points here, though I fear I must admit that I can not follow your post fully, as you're intellectual mind apparently surpasses mine.
I am also very much interested in the points you have brought up. I am what most people would call Christian, but for the sake of my ever questioning mind I'll put that aside for a moment and just theororize with you. If it is as you say that we are here to 'understand and appreciate God's creation and love for that creation, and to prepare it for eternal Heaven' I must disagree with you partially. If that is our only reason for our existance then why do the christians believe in our souls carrying on after death? Our souls will be past that point of just understanding and appreciating so there has to be something more to it that carries on into the afterlife. The answer I have always heard is that God created us for his own Glory. I accept this answer in the way that I can see why God would want a willing relationsihp with his creation (the rest of creation doesn't really have a choice), but in a way it makes me view God as a Great Manipulator. That He set in motion a game between himself and Satan, a game he already knew the outcome for mind you, that would send millions to Eternal damnation and an 'elect' few to heaven. Sounds kind of messed up to me, but perhaps there is a peice of the puzzle we as humans have not been uncovered yet...one that will all make sense in time.
Post a Comment