Nice graphics with Pink Floyd's "Comfortably numb", featuring Van Morrison.
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The wonder of human justice.
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Justice is an entirely human notion.
There i
The wonder of human justice.
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Justice is an entirely human notion.
There is no such thing as justice in nature. In fact nature thrives on injustice. It requires it.
Evolution, which is the survival of the fittest, could not take place in a just world. We would never have evolved under such a system.
We are the ones who invented justice and we take it for granted now, but what is it exactly?
In its most basic form, justice represents our strongest animal instinct -- that of self preservation. We demand it because we want to be protected from others, more powerful than ourselves.
In essence, justice means equality. That's why she is always shown blindfolded.
Equality however, keeps changing over time.
Mayans, for example, gave the death penalty to commoners who dared wear cotton clothes.
Indians had the untouchables, a large section of their population they consider dirty and would not even touch.
Slavery was legal till recently in our history.
Now all these things and many more are thankfully gone. We still have a long way to go, but we are now more equal to each other than ever before.
This equality seeps into every part of our society.
In 416 BC, for example, right before the Athenians slaughtered all the people of the island of Milos for wanting to remain neutral in the Peloponnesian wars, they first asked them to surrender.
They said, look, we know this seems unfair to you, but we are more powerful than you are and as we all know, justice is only ever applied between equals. Otherwise, the powerful exact what they can, and the weak grant what they must. Sorry about this, but we did not invent this system. It has always existed and always will, and we know that if you were in our place you would do the same.
That logic, true as it may be, is slowly changing. The others will not stand for it. We are becoming more equal, even as nations.
War will soon be obsolete because people, being more equal to their leaders, will have more power and will just not stand for it any longer. The days of Alexanders, Napoleons, and Hitlers are thankfully over.
Some people believe that justice is brought about by Gods. That is not true however. The notion of justice has always existed, since man began to think.
Today's law in most western countries, for example, is based on Roman law, which was created before Christianity, when the Gods were petty, cruel and unjust, and people were at the mercy of their whims.
Even our Gods are changing. Ancient Gods demanded sacrifices, sometimes even human. Today's Gods are much kinder, more loving.
Examining justice, throughout history, we see one thing holds true : The more advanced we become, the more equal we become, the more justice we have.
And that can mean only one thing.
That in the future there will be more justice, more equality.
A better chance for happiness.
No one will give it to us -- no Gods, no external saviors - we will make it ourselves.
We will, ourselves, construct our paradise.
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Not that anybody asked...
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I can not bring myself to
Not that anybody asked...
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I can not bring myself to be a religious person.
I can not believe in Gods and Angels and Heavens and Hells. It all sounds too limiting, too convenient and too anthropomorphic.
I don't think religious people are wrong in believing in it however. What matters is that you believe in something that fulfills you and as long as they don't try to enforce their morals and beliefs on me, whatever makes them happy is just fine with me.
But I'm not ready to believe there is nothing after we die either.
It may well be true.
But its just as possible that it isn't.
Looking superficially at the world, you may be led to believe that there is no life after death. That there is no God, no Creator of any kind, for if there is one, who created him ?
But what do we really know about our existence ?
To examine that, lets ask the most basic questions:
Who What Why Where When
Who
Who are we?
Yes we are humans, but are we alone, are we unique in the universe, or are there others like us?
Do we die and disappear or do we live on in some way?
We have no context. Nothing to compare us to except other animals born on our planet, from which we ourselves have evolved.
Given the size and richness of the universe, that's a pretty small sample.
What
What are we?
Yes we are living organisms of biological origin.
But we know so little. How do our bodies really work? We have advanced immensely but we still can't change them, can't stop them from getting cancer or aging. We know much less of our brains. We don't really understand how they work and we're nowhere near imitating them.
Of matter, we know its mostly empty space. We're not even allowed to look deep into it because by looking, we change it.
Why
Why are we here?
The universe does not need us. It would get along fine without us.
So why did it generate us?
We don't serve any purpose and fulfill no apparent need.
Where
Where are we?
The universe is big. Too big for us to understand.
Where does it end?
Even if they told us the answer; would we understand it?
We would keep asking -- ok, so what's outside that?
When
Like the Where, this is a question we can not know the answer to.
Would never be able to understand it.
When did time start?
Any possible answer would beg the question -- ok, what was there before that?
So we can't even answer the Who, What, Why, Where and When of our existence.
We can see that we probably wouldn't even understand the answers.
We're playing in a game where we don't know and maybe can't know all the rules.
Given that, how can we be anything but agnostic
Some people say its cowardice.
They say: "You are only an agnostic because you linger on to your need of a daddy and are afraid to be alone and afraid of the repercussions in case there is a God. You should be brave. Do away with God, you don't need him."
I find that so childish.. Like a schoolyard dare.
I don't need backing. I don't need a peer group.
We all die alone.
The only thing I want is the truth. A truth I can believe.
Since we've seen how much we don't know, how can we know there is no higher power ? Not even a cold and uncaring one. How can we know there's nothing after we die ?
I'm an agnostic because I haven't given up wondering.
Hasn't given up thinking.
And based on what I know to be true, an agnostic is the only thing I can be.
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Yes, I know, but it had to be done. Edgar Alan Poe's poem, the Raven, narrated by Vincent
Yes, I know, but it had to be done. Edgar Alan Poe's poem, the Raven, narrated by Vincent Price (altered his voice a bit) and set to "Kodo - Kevin Youst's Deep & Ethnic Remix".
I've skipped some of the verses as it was getting too long. Here's the full version:
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-
Only this, and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;- vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
This it is, and nothing more."
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"- here I opened wide the door;-
Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"-
Merely this, and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice:
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore-
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;-
'Tis the wind and nothing more."
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door-
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore-
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door-
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."
But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered- not a feather then he fluttered-
Till I scarcely more than muttered, "other friends have flown before-
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never- nevermore'."
But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore-
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee- by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite- respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!- prophet still, if bird or devil!-
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-
On this home by horror haunted- tell me truly, I implore-
Is there- is there balm in Gilead?- tell me- tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil- prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us- by that God we both adore-
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked, upstarting-
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted- nevermore!
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Our creator and his plans..
A truly wise God, would not sit down and design every singl
Our creator and his plans..
A truly wise God, would not sit down and design every single life form from scratch.
He would set up a system, like Evolution, whereby life would evolve by itself and adapt to its environment automatically, taking care of all the immensely intricate checks and balance nature has.
That would also explain the fact why many species failed. Either God did something wrong when he created them, or they're just normal byproducts of a process he set up?
We, his most intelligent creations, were born out of that system of evolution, but we have now taken it over. Evolution no longer applies to us. Many people would die off young and never reproduce without modern medicine, even penicillin. The survival of the fittest has now become the survival of everybody.
A truly wise God would have foreseen this. This is his plan, or he's wrong again, poor guy..
And if this is his plan, if he did want us to take over this process, he would make sure we had the tools to control it properly, and what better method for that than to build the controls directly into his creation, in the form of DNA blueprints.
Its an incredibly powerful and beautiful system, self correcting and self sufficient, something a real God might invent, and a very potent gift to give to your children when they're old enough to handle it.
And maybe this ability to change ourselves genetically is not just a perk God wanted us to have, but a vital part in his plan for us.
It gives us the potential to cure disease and deformity, to create plants and life more suited to our needs, it helps us mold our world and it may even be the key to helping us conquer space.
Another way a wise God would provide for his creation is to give it some form of easy energy it needs to develop and sustain civilization. Like coal and oil, for example.
We still don't know for sure where oil comes from. Most say oil is from ancient plankton and algae, and coal is from plants. Others say it occurs naturally.
Maybe an involved God would even go so far as to create a world where plant and animal life would go wild in the beginning, as ours did, so as to stock up in fuels, then at a given moment send a meteor or something so as to effect such a change as would be required to nudge his creation into a second phase, one where intelligence could emerge.
He could even calculate the amount of hydrocarbons needed till we can produce energy by other means, like fission.
They say oil will be finished in 50 years..
Like all good conspiracy theories, there is absolutely no proof that these things are true.
But if there is a God, maybe he's not as dumb as we make him out to be.
Maybe he has a plan and its on track..
And if he does, what's next ?
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