virgoascendant

A great question returns: Humans conduct many experiments on lower life forms which have no way of comprehending even our presence. Yet, some atheists don't seem to be able to perceive this (ironic?). We could be in the midst of Intelligence(s) and Mind(s) as far above our own cognition, as we are above the common kitchen cockroach. Would we be aware of their presence? Their machinations? I think not. Even among our own kind, there are persons whose I.Q. is so high, most of us can barely comprehend how they think, much less "what" they think.

So, following this line of thinking, here are my answers/scenarios for the questions from the Sci-Fi website:

1) Who are the intelligent designers? Unknown at this time, and, for the time being, not important. What would we do with this information?

2) How many are there? Also, unimportant to establishing the presence of a First Cause, or Supreme Intelligence. Unless, of course, we intend to attempt to fight them.

3) Where are they? According to my response to the posting above, they could be right here, in front of us (you and I) right now. If the Intelligence factor is exponentially greater than ours, it could be that we can't perceive them, just as single-celled animals can react to our presence, and what we do to their environment, but they are not "aware" of us.

4) What is the purpose of their tinkering and periodic re-speciation campaigns? Again, unknown. Possible, perfection of the physical species, or "natural selection" of the best, most durable species, or, more than likely, attending to the hatching of the true harvest, embryonic human souls destined for spiritual greatness and eventual Godhead (Christ Consciousness). This line of thinking is well within certain belief systems (very old) that tout the evolution of the human spirit above any physical concerns.

5) What are their design criteria, and why? We are arrogant in the extreme if we think we can comprehend their "design criteria" on such a scale, when we can barely comprehend out own (actions, reactions and side effects of those actions) in the physical world. What we call "chaos" is actually order and complexity on a level we can not comprehend.

6) What physical mechanism permits them to introduce new living things onto the Earth and/or remove old ones? Knowing this level of super-science would put us one step closer to "divine intelligence", which, obviously, we haven't achieved yet, since there are so many other, easier, simpler questions about our world, and our experience, that we have yet to answer.

7) Does this process leave any traces behind? If so, what form might they take? As a matter of fact, it does. Every physical manifestation of this world, which is orderly, simple, and complex, is all the evidence we need. Hidden right in plain view. We live "in" it, so we take it for granted. When mankind can fully recreate even the simplest of natures most complex forms, (pick one), then we will have come yet another step closer.

8) When is the next model year for Earthly life, and what would we see if we could observe the rollout in progress? Unimportant.

9) Are the designers doing anything else to the Earth while they're at it? We're so primitively dumb, how would we know? Is a child in her first year of pre-school aware of all the administrative, government and political machinations that take place just to open the school she's attending? Probably not. Even an attempt to explain it to her would draw a blank stare.

Finally, I'll add one of my own, which atheists, agnostics, and even true-believers always ask, sooner or later.

If God is the Supreme Being, and Creator-of-All, who created God? I mean, if you say there has to be a First Cause, it would hold for God as well. Right?

To which I would answer both 'yes' and 'no' with a paradox of my own, which illustrates our lack of ability to comprehend. "First" means first, not second, or third. So, no, the First Cause is not the result of another Cause. First is first is first. Best illustrated by this paradox "Nothing created the First Cause, or "It was Nothing that created the First Cause." A baffling, yet simple paradox which may well hold the answer to questions we do not yet know how to ask. Another clue: Scientists suspect that, as microscopes grow more and more powerful, and as telescopes and other such devices also grow more and more powerful, they are discovering an interesting paradox: the Universe, or, rather, the stuff between the smallest elements that make up almost 100% of the Universe consist of – Nothing.

Evolution had to start someplace At every level of existence in the physical universe, from subatomic particles, all the way up to single cell animals & far-flung solar systems, all fit into a hierarchy of being, from simple to complex, as does humanity & sentient intelligence itself. Given that, how can a non-belief system, which perforce must acknowledge this tiered level of existence & also must acknowledge the apparent Intelligence of not only the Human Race, but also the Intelligent design of every facet of existence, fail to also see that we, too, must have been preceded by some greater than our intellectual & physical selves? I submit to you, that it is illogical to acknowledge the existence of Reality, a well-ordered Universe, & sentient Beings, while at the same time refuting the fact that it all must have started at some point in the past, by a vastly superior, intelligent First Cause.

That the lives we live,here and now are not all there is to our existence? That the earth really is a school, and our purpose here is to better our spiritual selves? That heaven, whether you perceive it to be full of fluffy white clouds and angels, or reunion with long-passed loved ones, or God, is not full of people whom disparage each other because of religion, creed, race, or sexual preference? That reincarnation is real ("energy and matter are never destroyed, they merely change form"), and the only salvation for humankind? That the real lesson of Jesus's life and death was his achievement of the Christ Consciousness, and his triumph over the bonds of materiality and crass physical life ("rising from the dead")? That karma ("for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction") is neither good, nor bad, it just "is"? That if your life is going badly now, you and only you are to blame, and only you can fix it? That we won't be able to leave here until we undertand?

A great philosopher, Gaius Meus (that's "me" for you folks that never took fake Latin) once defined the three disciplines as such:

Science: Man's attempt to understand the world around him through perceivable phenomenon.

Philosophy: Man's attempt to understand the world around him through assumption combined with cognitive thought.

Religion: Man's attempt to understand the world around him through blind faith.

Finally, there's one other:

Politics: Man's attempt to steal as much as he can, and run like hell!

What say you?

...or openly and blatantly cheating on their significant others? Is that the problem with Hollywood-style relationships? (Example: Brad Pitt + Angelina Jolie - Jennifer Anniston?

Even though I have been guilty of the silly or humorous response to some questions from time to time, I much rather prefer intelligent, witty and stimulating discourse, and the deluge of email ain't bad either! But, why does it have to cost 5 points?

Sorry! Just feel like that sometimes!

Hint: Consider the group this question is posted in, and, also my own answers scattered throughout this site.

Can anyone finish this completely innocent limerick and have it NOT be dirty? 10 Points go to the best effort. Make 'em good, this is costing me 5 points! Go!