The Capacity to Understand
One of the frustrating realities about human life is that we are all mortal. Life is short no matter how long we live. We also are not God and therefore are incapable of comprehending eternity. Who can fathom the
immenseness of the Sun or its incomprehensible blazing heat? Who can fathom the immensity of the universe? No doubt the most sophisticated telescopes on earth can never reach into the never ending vastness of outer-space. Where is the end of space, stars, planets, galaxies and matter in space? I would suspect that it will forever be impossible for human beings to find out. Even if human beings should accomplish travel to "local" planets, that would be "nothing" in comparison to a never ending universe.
Does anyone really understand where human life is leading? Those who control most of life on earth are either in religious beliefs or political beliefs, but also other areas of human life. All who have "Holy" books as
their guide will always say that they understand. Not really! No one can fathom what the future is, either in the human realm or beyond. There surely must be millions of people the world over who are frustrated to
the depths of their souls and beings over the seeming unsolvable problems of human life. Common people have no control over the price of gas at the fuel pump, but live in disgust at being manipulated by those whose
only goal in life seems to be money, power and control. Who is not weary to the bone over the never ending wars of death and destruction, always hyped up by massive propaganda, fed to the public by the "news" media and government? With government "the bad guys" are always the other guy. Who looks in the mirror?
Years ago the Worldwide Church of God published a booklet entitled "1975 in Prophecy" and the church members were led to believe that "the end" is near, and the church will flee to a place of "safety", generally thought of as being "Petra." Of course 1975 was long ago and as with all individuals and groups who have set dates and led people to believe "this is the end", they were wrong. They always are wrong. Ever since people have been saying "Jesus is coming are you ready", millions of "Christians" and church goers who were told that, have come and gone from this life and Jesus has not returned. Amazingly in the words of Jesus Himself, anyone can read that Jesus said "the Kingdom of God comes not with observation" and "the Kingdom of God is within you" and I wonder why anyone looks for a physical manifestation that is NEVER going to happen?
We are not living in the "end times", unless human beings themselves destroy all life on earth in their madness, through the stupidity of war. What if the intention of God the Creator is that the earth will exist FOREVER and NEVER cease to produce human beings? Is it possible to think and reason outside of the norm? There is no living human being now or ever was, apart from God who knows the future and the Bible does NOT give any details. The Bible may say something about eternity or salvation or everlasting life, but what is that? And what will beings be doing for eternity and will they be able to live in peace and harmony and happiness for all eternity? In the human realm it is more than obvious that collectively humans have never moved toward peace on earth and good will among men. Men have never beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks and learned war no more, based upon a passage in the Old Testament.
The human mind is very intelligent and should humans be resurrected with that intelligent mind, that mind will have to be kept challenged and active and busy forever or be so bored that life would have no meaning. So then what will "spirit beings" be doing for the next trillion years and forever beyond? We have no clue! Plucking on a harp is not particularly attractive. Is there some reason for this human existence? We are all prisoners on earth and are subject to the elements, the governments, those who control secretly behind the scenes, the religions and all the thinking those goes into human life. Making sense of it all seems to be beyond human ability. Even if we "see" we are generally not going to change the course of those who wield power and make the decisions all of us have to live with (often against our will).
If we believe atheism, then this is it and it all ends in the local graveyard. If we believe in God at least we have hope and an anchor, even though we have no capacity to understand what that future may be. Do we really control our own destiny?
Van Robison
I like Churchill's definition of History:
ReplyDelete'Human history is one damn thing after the other."
Actually if humans disappeared overnight, the planet would heal itself and regain lost ground quickly.
If bees go away, we all go away.
M.T.Hives
How did life begin on this planet?
ReplyDeleteHow did human life begin on this planet? Do we have a life after this life? Religious people are so sure that they have the answers but do they really?
Is it possible that none of us will ever know the answers to these questions?
Ah, Van, you sent me back to the book of Ecclesiastes. I got started and read the whole thing again. A great piece of literature.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I needed that.
Here is a passage that seemed particularly apt, from chapter 8:
ReplyDelete17Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
Yes Anonymous, it is possible, and even probable, that none of us will ever know for sure how life began on Earth. Bootstrapping scientists and bible thumping religious fanatics alike sit there and pretend that conjecture is truth.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I'm convinced that if we don't wipe ourselves out, we will fathom the secrets of life, just like we are fathoming the secrets of the universe.
ReplyDeleteRemember, a century ago, we thought those faint smudges in our telescopes were all nebulae. In the 1930s, we learned they were other galaxies, and now we know there are billions of them as far as we have been able to see.
Now, we know a little about the existence of dark matter and dark energy and a host of other facts no one would have dreamed of a scant century ago. We know what makes stars burn and how their lives play out.
Science will tell us all -- eventually, if we survive long enough. Forget that revelation stuff. Bronze age illiterate goat herders and camel jockies didn't know squat about the science that is so common today. Even less about the science that lies around the corner. They'd call it magic and attribute it to a deity.
"If we believe atheism, then this is it and it all ends in the local graveyard. If we believe in God at least we have hope and an anchor, even though we have no capacity to understand what that future may be."
ReplyDeleteWhat would happen if both of these beliefs were ultimately proven to be wrong? If so, what good is a false hope? Maybe whatever the future may be does not care what we choose to believe.