Takethiswaltz -> RE: The Hubble Deep Field: The Most Important Image Ever Taken (9/23/2006 3:32:07 PM)
|
I realize I'm a little late in adding my two cents; this thread seems to be winding down. But here goes anyway, for anyone that's interested. Our universe is awe-inspiring; divine, even. Does this divinity come from the hand of a god? Probably not. Nature is divine- intricate, orderly, and, dare I say, unpredictable. We don't have a complete understanding of it; we never will. Thinking so is hubris. Nature is bigger then us in such a simple way. Take, for example, the presence of pathogens. No sooner are we on the road to eradicate or at least control a particular pathogen with an antimicrobial, then the slick little germ adjusts its RNA and our method is no longer effective. HIV has mutated so many times in an effort to avoid eradication we are not even aware of most of the mutations. Conciousness? Hunches? These are simply the memory of a vast amount of life experience which we draw upon in a given situation. We often do not even realize we have these memories. The detective with a "hunch"? He has memories and experience that he cannot name, so he calls it a hunch. As a critical care nurse, I frequently can spot a patient that is about to "circle the drain", although no objective data seems to support this. I could call my recognition a hunch, and many nurses will tell you of the same experience, but is this instinct of a metaphysical source? No way. It's simply years of experience watching people and the way they converse and interact with others; the ease with which they breathe; how peacefully they rest; how easily they eat and drink. I could claim to have good instincts, but its really just years of experience and memories; memories, that on most days, I don't even realize that I have. Our universe was once completely barren; that is, lifeless. This scientists know. Then carbon was introduced, which is at the core of all living things. Where did this carbon come from? This question has never been answered. Even if you ascribe to the theory of evolution , which in my mind is a reasonable and scientifically sound theory, we can't explain the nexus from inorganic matter to organic life. Some may believe it was the hand of a supreme being, many simply admit "we don't know". Scientists have never been able to turn a rock into a butterfly, and never will. I was raised believing in God. I raised my children believing in God and will raise my grandchildren in the same vein. Do I think God had a hand in the formation of the first living cell? Who knows. It's just one answer to a question that will never be answered. My belief in God is more self-serving. I pray, I meditate, I find a little bit of peace. And for those who ascribe to the Christians values of compassion, forgiveness, love, and so on, check out the Old Testament. God was one scary dude. From my little peice of the world to yours, T.
|
|
|
|