Tag Archives: evolution

The origin of life

Where did humans come from?  Created by god is one persistent answer to this question believed to be postulated in different forms by multiple races and cultures since the beginning of humanity.

More recent records propose a let omnipotent solution, that of black holes and natural evolution.  That is not a grand design but rather a happenstance occurrence.

Missing Motive

Whether you accept the creationist or evolutionist answer to explain the mystery of life, or even both in some combination, these solutions lack a definitive conclusion of the most important element of any mystery.  That is motive.

The reason for the existence of the universe remains hidden to me, although we can, and do, rationalize how the universe began the story is supported only by speculation as to motive.

Love is the Answer

One of my favourite underlying explanations as to the motive for building a universe is from the oft expressed creationist view that god was motivated by his love.

Being all alone is tough so god created the universe to allow for development of a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure.

Love without Hate

Love cannot exist without hate and if love was the motivation for creation unfortunately time has shown it cannot, and does not, exist without hate.

I question whether an omnipotent being  would not have know this and so purposely was driven to create something complex to stave off the boredom and loneliness of just being without anything constructive and defined ((i.e., an universe).

The search for Answers continues

Or perhaps the answer lies in the accident of evolution.  The mental pursuit of motivation continues until the story ends and perhaps even then we will not have a satisfying answer.

Accident or Design

Our universe is composed of many things that make logical sense.

For example humans breath in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide, plants breath in carbon di-oxide and release oxygen.  The eco system components complement each other perfectly.

Our world is comprised of materials which are useful.

For example we can use trees to create heat which enables us to survive in weather conditions that can be uncomfortable or even deadly.

It just is.

I wonder how this complex array of integrated components (e.g., earth, water fire) to name just a few basic things that naturally compliment life, came to be.

Things work together naturally in an organic way.   People kind have extended the ways things are used  so we can have better lives, however, the core substance of the things appears to me to be too ordered to just randomly occur.

A Higher Power

Throughout humankind the concept of some thing being the brains behind the universe (i.e., a god) exists because intuitively it makes sense.

Although we can explain human creation through the theory of evolution the basic components of the universe connect together in such a logical way it is hard to believe some external design was not at play.

Random

Could our world, our universe developed just as a happy accident? Were things planned and or orchestrated with a purpose.   Is our universe by design or a natural progression.

Given the complexity of the Universe we live in I personally find it hard to contemplate it all as something that was created without a plan and direction.

The real mystery lies with figuring out what that thing was.

Programming Non Violence

In yesterday’s post I postulated that an evolutionary change was needed if humankind was to achieve a simple state where we could all be friends.

I received feedback that was neither feasible nor, even if achievable, practical.

Consider Artificial Intelligence

Sci-fi author Issac Asimov proposed the three laws of robotics:

 

  • A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
  • A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
  • A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws

What if we were able to manipulate the human genome such that these principles could be genetically coded (similar to the way we would program them in a robot) and thus they would become universally adopted by all humans.  In essence, the basic genetic coding of the human race would eliminate man’s violence against man.

Being programmed into our genetic make-up would mean managing your violent behavior would not need to be learned.   Rather than training everyone in one of the key tenants of civilization, it would be built in.  And we all live happily ever after – focus on the ALL.

What about…….?

Does this make the controller/programmer of the human genome a God.  That is the all powerful power that guides human behavior.  By engineering our own genetic make-up are we treading where only God is supposed to play.

To quote the News of World newspaper headline of a couple of weeks ago, following the latest mass killing in the U.S.,  “God won’t fix this”

Arguably engineering the human genome is not godlike but rather an exercise of intelligence and common sense.  I recognize this is a very controversial position though and I am not promoting it but rather exposing the thought here for dialogue purposes.

And if we control free will, that is to say by removing the ability to decide to be violent against your fellow man, are we not in some way limiting human capability by restricting the freedom to act in any way.

Philosophically speaking….

This is an interesting topic, personally I am not sure there is a right answer; however, I am pretty convinced man’s violence against man is wrong.