1. What is the meaning of life?
2. Is there a God?
5. Is there anybody out there?
7. What is love?
8. What is the secret to happiness?



I think the point of life is to go through it, enjoy when you can , suffer the trials of Job that are bound to inflict us, shout, scream, philosophise, write it, paint it, sing it out loud, try to be Stoic about it or a screaming nancy. The only limitation is that you must do all of this without harming anyone else on this planet. Hard for carnivores, I know, but everything that lives  must die. Better to be useful than not at all. It depends how you consider God. This you can discuss until doomsday. Consider this. All the science for geological time, quantum physics, evolution has provided a pretty good picture of the state of play. All this science has been on the basis of the evidence as so far gathered. Unfortunately it does not include all evidence. Logically Science deals with what is known. Science cannot explain everything yet
Perhaps the very random nature of the Universe, quantum behaviour and evolution included, is the reason for the Universe.

Perhaps out of the astronomical permutations of particles, atoms, molecules of life [ or death ] in the Universe there will arise something capable of creating another Universe. The Universe has already worked out how to produce life. To assume that we can know and whether or not you call it God or science is just a vanity that supposes that humanity is the end point when we may not even be the means.

For the faithful, no rationale is needed. For the rational, no belief is sacred.
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The Atheist / Dawkins Position.
Well nobody can prove that God exists. The point about science is that it can’t prove a negative. Even about  such ‘ magic’ as  Dowsing or Astrology, which Richard Dawkins has actually tried to do on TV using methods that would be laughd out of a laboratory if he tried them on any other ‘ scientific’ subject.
 The Dawk's dowsers were tested by putting containers of water in boxes and asking the dowsers to find the water. Any reading on the subject indicates that dowsers do not find water. They do have a good record of finding moving water. This water does not come from a tap, so is likely to contain dissolved metallic salts that turn this water into... come on you at the back there...an ionised solution. The sort of stuff we put in batteries. When flowing through the earth they pass through the Earth's magnetic field. What happens when you pass ions through a magnetic field? You alter the electromagnetic background. Are you actually saying that there is no way that this could not be detected by some technology or another? Some expensive piece of equipment hauled over the ground to find changes in the electromagnetic patterns? Is it worth attempting in the interests of water shortages? Work it out, do the science come back and then test it. Now if you can find individuals who can sense the changes without needing the expensive equipment, which are you going to choose?
Another ‘ wonder ‘ that raised Dawkins ire is Astrology. Now don’t get me wrong. I am not  an apologist of the whole kit and caboodle that appears in the red tops but am trying to look at what astrology actually says it is trying to do.

 Astrology is based on a pattern of stars that conventionally have been put into patterns called constellations since the time of the Babylonians. Astronomers still refer to stars using their Arabic names and recognise that the Earth in it's orbit, sees the apparent position of the Sun against the background of those stars which we conventionally call the Zodiac,[ literally 'circle of the animals'] or the Ecliptic. The position of any heavenly [ ooops ] astronomical body has a relative position determined by this zodiacal pattern from the First Point of Aries, though this has in fact moved 30 degrees round since first being plotted some 21 centuries ago. The Moon also moves through the Ecliptic, as do Mercury and Venus, though the superior planets move near the ecliptic less closely. So Astrology is based upon positions of the Sun , Moon and to a lesser degree, the planets, not the stars. They are fixed in the firmament.
    Now are you trying to say that the relative positions of the Sun and Moon at conception have no effect whatsoever? Even the menstrual cycle is related to the Moon? Are people affected by the condition of the mother at the time of conception with regards to diet, Vitamin levels and general well being? Is this a direct consequence of the time of the year, seasons and the position of the Sun? Is the health of any cadre affected by this? Why aren't we studying these effects. I'm not saying that these Astrologers have any answers. What I am saying is that scientists are continually failing to investigate mechanisms that may be valid because they dismiss it all as nonsense. Which merely means it makes no sense to them.
    What Dawkins is doing is not science. It is not investigating  natural phenomena by a methodolgy that is open to peer review, criticism or modification in the light of new eveidence. It is dogmatic ignorance akin to scientific fascism. Just don’t mention either homeopathy or psychic.

      'All events that occur in the Universe must obey the the physical laws of the Universe.

      Scientists do not know all the physical laws of the Universe.

      Therefore some events may occur for which scientists have no explanation according to the presently known physical laws of the Universe.'

      'The truth changes with the paradigm.'  Karl Hopper




      Professional fundamentalists


One hardly knows how to deal with the debate between the atheists and the religionists except to point out that to despise a man because of what he believes in, is a zero sum position. Mankind comprises over 6 billion individual, crazy animals, tending towards neotony, with visions and delusions of grandeur, eyes aglow with the truth as they see it, arguing their square inch of validity by unbending reason or faith, backing it with the ambiguity of language and the musty scrolls of long dead, soi-disant wizards affecting their own heresies. For every 3 believers of anything at least one is a heresiarch and every one of them will argue till the Earth unfreezes.

     'Moreover, they come from a scientific background, and science is usually not associated with religious zeal or political fanaticism.'

      Have you actually read any of the posts by those of a scientific or medical background? Just mention the word homeopathy and see what zeal and fanaticism is. A lot of doctors seem to think homeopathy practioners are ubermensch. They will not accept anecdotal evidence but make little effort whatsoever to test scientifically what exactly is going on.
     'Throughout the world, physicists and biologists tend to be more sceptical and less religious.' The physicists and biologists I've met included some of the most devout Christians and some of the nicest people I've met, never proselytising but having a faith allied to their science that seemed organic and natural.

      But these examples are as gross a generalisation as any you could make. Surely an individual of any persuasion should not confine his outlook to that of his vocational training or religious upbringing? What is wrong with thinking for yourself?  How can you have any democratic dialogue with a view point that maintains that the premises of the argument are invalid and then resorts to eliminating the opposition by violence of language or behaviour?
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      Cats and docs

God is neither good or bad, male or female, yin or yang, here or there or does not give a flying spaghetti monster how us imperfect little bags of emotion think of it. It's all of these and more.
The body of any animal creates energy throughout the fact of being alive. Energy is the crux of thisI have often thought that the whole psychic, spirit, soul, ghost doo dah is exactly as Einstein predicted. You cannot destroy energy and it may be a question of quantum mechanics that allows something to survive, to escapethe bounds of a coporeal existence to exist on another plane. Is this any more unbelievable than saying that particle phyicists have proved that there are at least 11 or 13 dimensions? They at least have mobile phones to point to as evidence. That and billions of Euros to prove whether they are right or wrong.

Perhaps the development of consciousness and intelligence of thought is a necessary part of evolution. We certainly value it in our children; are we not hoping that they will advance in the greater picture? Why deny that we expect the same of their internal store of well being? That they should advance in their psychiatric and mental health, that they should be more comfortable in their sould than we are. Was it any different for a parent in the Mesolithic?

Why should Souls not  grow, evolve and develop along with every other form of life in the whole Universe, part of the energy field you create by being alive. No scientist has found a mind separate to the body. Do they think it does not exist? Thinking that the energy just gets dissipated when the life is extinct may be ok for you but there is plenty of evidence that something survives the experience, even if it's just a quantum hole in the local Universe. Try looking for it and try to get funding  and you are left with ‘screaming Evie and Living TV.

The deal could be that because of the total, random nature of life, with cohesive separate units being continually created is that something evolves and something survives as an individual, if not as a species. It may well have an effect on how the genes actually operate, according to the latest research. Add all these together and what have you got? The total experience of the Universe floating around somewhere with no limits. We have evolved communication, a skill that detemines exactly what we are.Voila, something my be left that has a real interest in making sure that what has been created survives.Now a simple mind experiment is to think of what it would be like if everyone could see each others thoughts. You were part to all the information held in any mind,  anywhere.  Is there not a case where anything that is believed, theorised about and proved under such conditions will be  believed by all? Suddenly you are faced with the nature of your being. What do you believe? That you are a part of the cosmos? That you belong to one special, righteous clique that was right all along and everyone else is a heretic, kuffar, blasphemer that does not deserve the life that is given. That you were so badly treated that you have it in for every other bastard in the Universe. That you really didn’t want this to happen and you are seeking revenge. Or do you accept the gracious gift and say, ok, what’s next? In a way it’s exactly  what the religions have been saying. Whose side are you on? Good or Bad.
There is one truth I can state here. Evil never wins. Why? Because it is inherently selfish and co-operation breaks down at the real test. Are you prepared to die for your loved ones? True love is exactly that. Any mother or father knows it; the sacrifice is worth it. Love overcomes all. Whatever you feel about religion, Christian or otherwise, it boils down to that. Love.

What is the Purpose of Life?

The Objective? Making sure life continues, making more random individuals and hoping that one or more or a combination of them has the ability to start the whole thing up again somewhere else. The Opposition. Ultimately it always fails because it's selfish, ignorant and not good at working together. A really evil entity would never give it's life up for something -else but ' Negativity just won't pull you through'.

The biggest argument against God is that how can He [ and it is always a He] allow people who do not deserve it to suffer? The first thing to realise is that ‘It's not personal, it's just business.‘ Whatever creation you could devise in your dreams is still a zero sum game and a no win situation. However much you botox, you are still going to look your thinnest in a shroud. And you don’t even get to enjoy your riches!  Suffering is not bad for the soul if you have the strength to overcome it. It hurts like hell, which is what hell is, especially if you turn the experience negative. Remember there is no cosmic joke. It's just the way they tell them.

    “God’ could be envisaged as more a combination of all the symbolisms that are held on Earth. three distinct envelopes that we may all experience on our voyage through the Universe. Mother Earth, Sheila Na Ga, Gaia Madonna, virgin, whore and mother, Stella Mare,The High Priestess a  guiding light, our caring Muse of all arts that a civilisation may need,  who has to let us escape her bounds to grow to our best.
    Father Sun, The Phallus whose energy feeds, whose quantum actions affect totally at random every  life form on the planet, an Emperor and King whose mercy and justice are not often logical in the eyes of man, ruled by a throbbing need to expend his seed wherever it may fall.
    The offspring, as foolish as the Tarot Card ,as  romantic as the Lovers, as caddish as the Juggler, as devious as the Devil, as warlike as the Chariot, as dogmatic as the Hierophant, as caring as the Emperor, as wise as the Magician and all heading towards Death in the same manner, sacrificed as the Hanged Man with The Tower as a reminder that all man’s works must ultimately fall.
    All this is encompassed in the Green Man, as the Hero of Joseph Campbell, sacrificed in the quest for the truth of a Holy Grail that may only exist in the procreation of our sacred blood onto and into a thousand generations. It is a wonderful irony that a solid rock of the Ulster Protestant faith, Reverend Alexander Hislop wrote a book called  ‘ The Two Babylons ‘in the early 20th Century that is a meticulous appraisal of how all religions have a common base in a past so far back that we haven’t even explored it yet.
Is There a God?
 If there is any sense in the Universe, then all the good souls have got together up and created a co-operative entity to defeat and protect what is going on down here. It has limits for even a ‘merciful God’. It does not need to be worshipped every moment of the day, [ only something a lot nastier needs that]. It may well hear any ‘prayers’ that may be in it’s remit. More likely the agenda is way above our common preoccupations and cognisance but prayer works in the same way that hatred only hurts the hater. That forgiveness most helps the forgiver, and a quiet contemplation of the Cosmos has it’s own intrinsic benefits. In the meantime, have faith there is something good out there. You only have to deal with the bad down here.

Love. I pray that everyone learns to know what it means. Nothing and Everything
       

    Live long and Prosper.