Mater memento mori
There are times in my life when I openly ponder what the point is. I ask the question in the most sincere manner possible: why do we exist?
Of course there are a ridiculous number of answers to that question and it seems to matter greatly on the person doing the answering. If that person identifies himself, or herself as being religious, philosophical, a social scientist, a biological scientist, a physicist, a chemist...etc - it will have a profound effect on his, or her answer. It would almost seem that the person answering the question gains more from the discussion than the knowledge-seeker.
We may exist merely to perpetuate our species in a rather simple biological/evolutionary drive. We may exist out of complete random chance. Stardust that beat the odds (some really, really, really...did I mention really?...bad odds). In some sense our existence may have no real purpose at all.
We may have been designed by an omniscient, omnipresent being known as God. That entity may be good, bad, or neutral. God may rule lesser gods, or simply one of many. God may be alone. God may have created the universe, then left it alone. God may have created many universes. God may micromanage everything. God may have created God. God may come to Earth as a human once. God may have come to Earth as a human several times (known as Avatars). Humans may have invented (or created) God (or gods). Humans may be destined to become God (or gods).
It starts getting a bit bizarre there and I forget the p and q notation in my head. Also, that reminds me of the people who "hear" God (or gods) and that starts another winding paragraph, which reminds me of The Long and Winding Road, which reminds me of Paul McCartney, who I sort of believe died in early November 1966. I know most people think it was a hoax, but doesn't it sound like the kind of shit MI-5 might pull?
Anyway, back on topic...so where does one find the answers to such a question? I know, I know - the stoner hippie answer is that, "the journey is the answer, man. Plus, the New York State Thru-way is closed man." Somehow that seems lazy and sorely lacking in empirical evidence.
Is there something between birth and death that gives us meaning? We are the only known life forms that can examine this existence...
ab absurdum
Of course there are a ridiculous number of answers to that question and it seems to matter greatly on the person doing the answering. If that person identifies himself, or herself as being religious, philosophical, a social scientist, a biological scientist, a physicist, a chemist...etc - it will have a profound effect on his, or her answer. It would almost seem that the person answering the question gains more from the discussion than the knowledge-seeker.
We may exist merely to perpetuate our species in a rather simple biological/evolutionary drive. We may exist out of complete random chance. Stardust that beat the odds (some really, really, really...did I mention really?...bad odds). In some sense our existence may have no real purpose at all.
We may have been designed by an omniscient, omnipresent being known as God. That entity may be good, bad, or neutral. God may rule lesser gods, or simply one of many. God may be alone. God may have created the universe, then left it alone. God may have created many universes. God may micromanage everything. God may have created God. God may come to Earth as a human once. God may have come to Earth as a human several times (known as Avatars). Humans may have invented (or created) God (or gods). Humans may be destined to become God (or gods).
It starts getting a bit bizarre there and I forget the p and q notation in my head. Also, that reminds me of the people who "hear" God (or gods) and that starts another winding paragraph, which reminds me of The Long and Winding Road, which reminds me of Paul McCartney, who I sort of believe died in early November 1966. I know most people think it was a hoax, but doesn't it sound like the kind of shit MI-5 might pull?
Anyway, back on topic...so where does one find the answers to such a question? I know, I know - the stoner hippie answer is that, "the journey is the answer, man. Plus, the New York State Thru-way is closed man." Somehow that seems lazy and sorely lacking in empirical evidence.
Is there something between birth and death that gives us meaning? We are the only known life forms that can examine this existence...
ab absurdum