I would say that Evolution provides the answers to your questions. It is really good that you are questioning.
I hope these answers help you to understand and work through some of the confusion that was evident in the answers you had come up with.
Is there a God?
No.
What is the nature of reality?
The accumulation and investigation of all available knowledge gives us our current view of reality. Our understanding of the Nature of things is a work in progress.
What is the purpose of the universe?
Purposes belong to conscious entities. Unless the universe is conscious, the question is stupid!
What is the meaning of life?
There are infinite meanings. It depends on whose life one addresses. For a religious delusional fundamentalist it would rely heavily on proselytising or perhaps bilking honest people out of their pension cheques. For most people it is to be happy through the achievement of goals and objectives. Common happiness-producing objectives include raising a family, getting educated, finding love and friendship, becoming “successful”--etc.
Why am I here?
A combination of chance and Evolutionary fitness.
Does prayer work?
Only if you ask before you let go of the bridge railing!
Is there a soul? Is it immortal?
The idea of soul or spirit was an invention of primitive man trying to understand how something unseen was obviously animating life as well as the movement of leaves and so forth. From this puzzlement we got to dryads and nymphs of all sorts of wood and water and vale and dale! The unseen substance we now know as good old plain air.
Is there free will?
There is still plenty of scientific controversy over this notion. We certainly appear to have choices which is much the same thing. Living does not require that any creature have perfect knowledge.
What happens when we die?
What happens when anything dies? You get buried. You decay.
What is the difference between right and wrong, good and bad?
The good is what helps people and societ--and the bad is what hurts them. Generally speaking, it is self evident--although Society uses a long experience and the latest reasoning to define the details of offences against the community.
Why should I be moral?
Because it will increase your chance of survival and optimise any possibilities of happiness. It will allow you to live in a group setting with the maximum cooperation and assistance from others.
Is abortion, euthanasia, suicide, paying taxes, foreign aid, or anything else you don’t like forbidden, permissible, or sometimes obligatory?
Those are legislated to reflect the values of the community in question. Therefore (because values are relative and Reason is not an equally shared commodity)--the rules differ from community to community.
What is love, and how can I find it?
Love is both a reasoned and emotional response to someone who reflects our highest and most esteemed values.
Does history have any meaning or purpose?
History contributes a tremendous body of knowledge to humans. They can use this knowledge in myriad ways to the betterment of the human condition.
Does the human past have any lessons for our future?
History contributes a tremendous body of knowledge to humans. They can use this knowledge in myriad ways to the betterment of the human condition |
