Taking science at face value offers a rather grim model of self and world?

Question

Some may choose to see them selves as seed bodies existing for a brief time on a tiny planet of life in a vast universe of death? Death may appear to them as the norm and life the abnormality? The meaning of life may appear to them to be its’ own self-perpetuation? The motivations in everything one says or does may appear to them to be the product of the biochemical functions of a meat machine? Those who accept such appearances as reality, may wind up feeling sorrow, fear and anger as disease and death draw ever closer? Some may lose hope and faith, give up, turn to crime and or drugs in a reckless attempt to fill the remainder of their lives with as many fleeting moments of pleasure as is possible? Some may become aggressive, depressed or suicidal? Some may do nothing, act helpless and behave badly?

Answer 1

Quite the opposite, science shows us "meat machines" as you call us, that we are "quite finely tuned" things of great spiritual insights. As the saying goes, "we are not physical beings having spiritual insights, but spiritual beings having physical insights."

Science is a fantastic tool to gauge our universe and its wonders, to judge our distance and degree of involvement in it. Also, instead of Death, I would use the word "entropy." Also, the "meaning of life" is much simpler than its "own self-perpetuation." What you describe is a world of hopelessness and despair when in fact the world is far from that when you look at it closely. It is ever-renewing, self-sustaining, always healing and nurturing itself and its inhabitants. It gives us resources and warmth (from above and below) and water and natural resources to keep our homes and needs supplied. Nothing about it encourages despair.

Those who live their lives in pursuit of pleasure and not in healthy and encouraging work may find their lives vain and shallow though.

Answer 2

So, what do you suggest? Immerse oneself in religion? Or are you suggesting that one should hide the grim reality behind the immersion in the study of science, hoping for a glimpse at hope or an alternate reality? If death is the end state and all paths lead to death, why bother doing anything? Why do we have this innate passion to survive even when death is imminent. How is joy even possible for the bum who has discovered a dollar on the sidewalk ?

Personally, I find the world incredible and wonderous, even though I am a mere voyager in space and time who has been given a visa to visit this foreign land which we call reality.

Perhaps my passage in death is really a transformation to another dimension, a different stand of space-time. Who is my guide in this journey? am I taking it alone? Is it crowded with billions who have traveled there before me?

Where you have been is interesting, but only affects the starting point to where you are going.

Sleep well bubba.Keep on truckin'

Answer 3

Evolution is how we got here, not a prescription for the meaning of life. Life is what you make it, and its meaning is what you discover or decide it is.

You can read in the papers every day about people who kill themselves and/or others in the name of their religion or what they think their god is telling them.

So what if you know how you work; that your mind and body are biochemical in nature? Is ignorance better than knowledge? And who is to say that these things are not amazing and wonderful?

You are what you are, whether you know how you work or not.

What else will you accept as reality, but what you see and hear and experience? Some stories you are told by others, that have no evidence to back them up?

If you believe in your religion only because you are afraid of death, how strong can such belief be, when you yourself recognize its main function is to relieve your fears and anxieties about your own mortality?

With all the death and destruction caused by people in the name of their religions, throughout history, why do you assume lack of religion is what causes people to behave badly?

Answer 4

This mindset is repeated over and over again - and it makes me realize that many consciously or unconsciously treat their religious belief systems (whether taught during childhood or adopted later on) as thought systems that they choose to create a virtual world that gives life meaning. The problems that result are many -- including the perception that things like science and atheism and other systems are at odds with one's adopted thought system and, therefore, need to be challenged, dismissed, disparaged or, more subtly, separated into a different category that is 'outside' one's belief system. Science - and any system of ideas - don't have to be in conflict with the spiritual path. If we instead use our path not as a way to create an artificial layer of meaning but, instead, use it as a context to directly experience god, then we'll get to the point where beliefs and concepts are no longer needed -- where we'll have direct experience of god and KNOW. And this is not some self-deluded existential defense mechanism where one convinces oneself of the experience of god from one's entrenched belief system; it's the real, mind-blowing, self-transcending, non-dualistic experience of god that gives people utter certainty. For a Zen perspective, read '3 pillars of zen'. For a christian one, look up stuff on St John of the Cross and Meister Eckhart.

Answer 5

You are an idiot. You understand that model of the universe that most atheists accept, but you filter it through your own Christian perceptions - i.e., everything but Christianity is awful. We believe that the existance of life is the closest thing to a "miracle" in this world. It is a beautiful thing - complexity risen from simplicity, rather than some innately imperfect and sinful being made from dirt. And why, faced with these facts, should anyone be morose?

Answer 6

Well here we go still looking for your head! Check out a few good books include the holy bible. Read up on different belief,s religon,s ect. In other words get educated dude.

Answer 7

Genesis 1:1-"In the beginning God...."
Colossians 1:16- All things were created by Him and for Him...

Hows that for some meaning in life.

Answer 8

I don't share your view of science...it has done many things to make this life better and opens doors to see things that we would otherwise not be able to see.

Answer 9

i think of it relatively is all the pollution, exceedingly in case you have been constipated, that have left the physique. considered one of my drugs reasons constipation enormous time. pill laxatives did no longer artwork so I had to "flow the different direction". The circulate I had via fact the consequence of that became, properly ... if basically somebody could bottle that feeling!

Answer 10

boy talk about a grim look, science makes sense to me but i dont see death as the norm nor do i look at people as meat machines, you really are a sad case.