I make no claims that what I'm presenting is solid fact. I simply Offering my ideas based on my observations. I welcome any feedback and insights to help me comprehend our world.
I've often pondered the meaning of existence. For me, this is a layered question, and some of the layers are beyond my comprehension.
The first and most basic layer is why am I here, the individual. My conclusion is that this is decided by the individual. We are given the ability to choose, our choices throughout life heavily influence who we become. When we try to shift the responsibility of assigning meaning to us, we are also assigning blame. If we took no responsibility for our actions, then the ability choose would have no value, and in turn our lives would have no value. We would be merely organic machines.
What should the purpose of life be? To produce good actions. This is more complex and when I start to reach the limits of what I comprehend. The way I break it down is chaos and evil consumes, goodness creates. Another observation is that evil confuses, while good enlightens.
I could go on for hours with metaphors and still not pinpoint it, but there are good actions, evil actions and neutral actions. This is where my logic collides with traditional philosophy and religions. I think of a rock. I don't think it could be considered good or evil, simply neutral. Some actions can't be labeled good or evil, but I wonder if it's a dangerous places to spend time, where you stand between two strong opposing forces, they may both draw their line between you and them.
Why should we be good? I don't think fear should be a reason. Fear that the all powerful God will thrust us into eternal pain and suffering for not being good. Sounds like a pretty good reason, but if the reason is fear of consequences, to me the decision has little value. It is mere self preservation to concede. Are we so blind to the universal benefits that we need this threat? Does the gratification offered from evil deeds outweigh our will to be of value? Being good should be done because of a comprehension of their cosmic effect and a desire to create instead of consume.
What put us here? An UnEarthly force. Something ancient and powerful. Something that comprehends the universe far more completely than we might ever. I believe we humans may have been created for a few different reasons. One may have been simply to create intelligent life on this planet, which was teaming with primal creatures. Or maybe they saw value in the unique way the primates were developing. Maybe they saw and appreciated the family units, and the emotions developing, and wanted to integrate high functioning intelligence. And not just creating us and walking away, guiding our evolution.
When God Flooded the earth(which is a belief not limited to Christianity) he did so to cleanse the evil from it. I can only imagine the route some humanity had taken. Intelligent, cruel, stubborn, and they were all destroyed on a massive scale to clear the path for righteous generations to come.
I also believe that's what the apocalypse will be. Where the most valuable life on this planet is collected and protected, and a great deal is left to perish.
And my point isn't to create fear, just applying logic to the situation.
So that is where I'm at for the most part. I welcome enlightenment. If you see flaws in my logic please let me know. If you agree I'd love to hear it. If something seems wobbly I'm all ears. Thanks for reading this.
I have much I would like to add to your understanding, but I don't wish to sit here and write a book. I could give concrete illustrations to help you understand some things you ponder, but in all honesty I think there is already a book that would aid you beyond excitement, and don't let the title mislead you - It's called "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis.
ReplyDeleteHe does not even speak about the God of the Bible until about halfway through the book. It starts out as a type of understanding that all humans share, and then builds by process of elimination, up into the most extraordinary understanding, all with logic. The thoughts this guy had are so incredible, that I and others find ourselves constantly saying "Who thinks like this! These ideas are so wonderful!"
http://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christianity-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652926/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375438427&sr=1-1
Again, every person I have ever gotten to read this book, gets beside themself with excitement. The guy, Lewis, who happened to die in 1963 on the same day that JFK was assassinated, started out as an atheist, and had a tough mentor who taught him how to argue and think. It was not until about age 30, give or take, that he came to see the living God in Christ.
I'll be more than happy to converse with you as you begin to read the book, if you should desire.
If we were in person, I would take a different approach with you, as I am fully able to think and speak on my own (without having to point you to another's book), but this will have to be my way and start at saying "hello" to you. :)
Sincerely,
Todd
St. Louis, MO
One example from that book, paraphrased:
ReplyDeleteGood is its own definition. You can be good for goodness' sake, when it does not suit you, when it is downright disagreeable to you, to do good. You can be uncomfortable, and in misery, doing good, for the sole purpose of doing good.
But bad is not like that. You cannot be bad for badness' sake. You can be good for goodness' sake, but not so of bad. Bad takes its very definition from goodness - badness is spoiled goodness. For example, money, sex, food, in and of themselves, are things, maybe even good things. But greed (the pursuit of too much money), and immorality (sexual perversion, sadism, masochism) fornication, are by definition, bad or wrong sex. Food is fine for the body, but too much food (gluttony) is bad.
So you see, that badness is not even an independent idea. It takes its definition from goodness, and then spoils it to come up with what it is. Badness = spoiled goodness.
And this happens to agree with what the bible reveals to us about the Almighty God, Who existed before all creation, independent of any and all things. And the devil, who is the bad one, as head of all evil, is said to be the one who destroys all things that are good.
= = = = = =
Deep and incredible stuff, Isaac!
Purpose to me is a reason that something was made to be. True purpose can only be determined by the owner or creator. I suppose we can make up new purposes for how to use different tools- but I think those distract us from what our the true purpose is.
ReplyDeleteI think there are 2 ways to think about Good vs Evil, one is static and the other dynamic. A static way would be 'God is Good' a dynamic way is 'Good is from God' - I'm a fan of the latter as I don't think God does Good things but rather things are Good because God does them. This puts God as the authority of Good rather than subjected to it.
To my knowledge we're here to continue our spiritual growth- to get a body and to prove to God what type of person we'll choose to be while we're away from him.