XPost: alt.religion.wicca, alt.arts.poetry.comments, alt.writing   
   XPost: alt.magick   
   From: dmh7@skypoint.com   
      
   Diana wrote:   
      
   >>   
   >>   
   > Hi Dale.   
      
   Oh, hello!   
      
   >   
   > I really was trying to point out the obvious. Seriously. (I wasn't   
   > trying to win an argument.)   
      
   > My debate skills are not so great.   
      
   Can't you be arrested for this in Nebraska?   
   >   
   > The thing I do wonder about is this:   
   >   
   > Everyone seems to be waiting at this terminal talking, and debating   
   > (some more vitriolic, others not) about "why we are here". Me too.   
      
   I know "why" we're here. Really. But the truth is my "answer" makes a   
   lot of people uncomfortable. They want "more."   
      
   >   
   > Science seems to end in faith. It uses logic and creates hypotheses and   
   > theories to prod life and get concrete and definite results. (Amen to   
   > that.) It can postulate and come up with tangibles (mostly) to our   
   > beginnings, but cannot answer "the ultimate why".   
      
   Because that isn't what science does. If you set out to descover the   
   physical structure of a lamp, there is simply no reason to also set out   
   to discover "why a lamp." That's the job of philosophy and religion, if   
   they want it. Science doesn't "end" in faith, since it was never headed   
   there. As you suggest, we all answer that for ourselves, and life's   
   "meaning" is the route traveled, not a pre-fabricated terminus with   
   cafeteria and bathrooms...   
      
   >   
   > I want a why, dammit. ;)   
      
   Give me a Y!   
      
   >   
   > A blind Faith (it seems) believes without questioning all the available   
   > data.   
   >   
   > (courtesy of dictionary.com   
   >   
   > 1. Faith Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a   
   > person, idea, or thing.   
   > 2.Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. See   
   > Synonyms at belief. See Synonyms at trust.   
   > 3.Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance: keeping faith with one's   
   > supporters.)   
   >   
   > By this, I mean faith absolute.   
   >   
   > I'm a firm believer in taking the principles of science and coupling it   
   > with intuition and faith and hope that this isn't all for naught.   
      
   Well - IF one is hoping to rest their entire value as a human being on   
   the assumption that some "cosmic entity" cares about them, or that a   
   program has been set in play which is working on their behalf, then they   
   could be disappointed. But if one understands that we generate our   
   meaning in conjunction with others, and that life's meaning lies in   
   living, then it ain't so tough. "Faith" (in the smallest sense) and   
   intuition are often behind even the strictest scientific endeavors; one   
   is sometmies casting their net into dark waters after all. So - in a way   
   - science begins rather than ends in "faith" or - vague hope. Science   
   has also often been bolstered by dreams and hunches. It's what happens   
   after that spark which matters at least to science. And intuition and   
   dreams are not totally mysterious forces either: both are types of   
   knowledge in an ephemeral or inchoate state. The real point is that   
   humans are NOT the center of or reason for the universe, and it doesn't   
   kowtow to our need for seeing patterns where none exist, for   
   interpreting the patterns that do exist as signs from a loving but   
   invisible imp, or for transferring our need for control to mysterious   
   "energies" that supposedly control our fate.  The human race happened,   
   it's here, and that's it. Mankind radiates meaning like the sun radiates   
   light.   
      
      
   >   
   > Thank you for your post, Dale.   
      
   Sure. you're welcome. I'll send you a bill...   
      
   Dale   
      
   >   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)