Talking of terrestrial, does anyone know of the Bible's stance on life on other planets/moons? Or perhaps the Holy Books of one of the other major religions?
I ask because, you never know, within even our lifetimes "something" may be found elsewhere within our solar system and if it is I wonder if that confirms or flies in the face of the scriptures.
If it confirms the scriptures then it puts into sharp focus the issue that probably, above all else, bothers me about most organised religion: What makes us so special?
If we are to believe that there are "more stars in the heavens than grains of sand on every beach" (and a nifty session on the space telescope ought to confirm that), and if we are to suppose that by the time you get to a 3rd generation star, like our sun, then the elements that make up that stars solar system are likely to contain all the right ingredients for life forms like ourselves (ie the heavier elements), then one gets the impression that perhaps we're not the apple of Gods eye as we may have hoped.
For me, organised religion seems rather self centered in this respect.
Of course there is no proof of life elsewhere as yet but I use the notion only to make a point.
If we conceded that there is nothing so special about us, that we are animals descended from a very long line of animals, evolution as Darwin put it, then it puts the whole "special relationship with God" thing onto rather rocky ground doesn't it?
To be blunt, why isn't it good enough for us to be born, grow up & learn from our parent/elders, have children of our own and after a few thousand weeks we die and make a good bit of compost and food for other creatures & plants, that may then themselves be harvested for food for future generations. Simply dust to dust.
Why do we have to be the ones who rise above the natural circle of life that we see around us everyday and have a conciousness that exists on a higher plane?
Believing that we are somehow "above" other animals, and have a different destiny makes it OK for us to slaughter them without grief as without a soul they are not "like us" merely commodities for us to control, we poison their world (and ours) with little more regard than to claim ignorance and self pity ourselves when we are the victim of flood or famine. I find the idea that we are different rather unnatural and self centered.
Life is the exception, rather than the rule, a mutation of nature, our planet a dot of blue & green in a sea of blackness, a brief oasis of life in a desert of nothing. For us to have been put here personally by God would mean that the world, the plants and the animals were put here for us and us alone and that is not the case. We must be in harmony with our world, these things are not a God given right.
Perhaps the real miracle about all this is that we are here at all, we've not sent ourselves to extinction yet (not so for many species of other animals though) and have an opportunity to learn as much as a human (or what will be human) brain can about the nature of our world and of the universe around us.
If we already have all the answers in a book of scriptures written nealry 2000 years ago then what's the point?
Not to appear disrespectful to those close with a faith here but I can see how the those in the middle ages might have brought all that stuff about Adam & Noah but, frankly, this is the 21st century, don't we owe it to ourselves to set aside a ridiculously simplistic and humanized self centred version of the "History of the universe" and find out answers to the big questions ourselves?
Lastly, on the subject of everlasting life. Nothing is forever.
In 1987 I saw a star explode, it really does happen and is not just a theory. We die, Giant Turtles die, Giant Redwoods die, Planets die, Stars die, and at some point one might suppose that the universe itself will "die" either in a big crunch (perhaps to be reborn) or will just expand into emptiness, losing all energy and fading away peacefully.
IMO, the closest we can come to eternal life is through our children.
I reckon if you're going to worship anything - worship them!
But don't take my word for it or anyone else's for that matter, if the notion of ending up as a pile of compost appals you then by all means get a faith if it helps you through the day. I would only urge you not to press your own personal beliefs onto others as if in some way the fact that a religion is organised makes its own set of beliefes any more valid than anyone elses on the planet
"My ignorance amuses me..."
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