Life is both ridiculous and unbelievable, yet it's real

[Scott C.]

First off, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I believe in God, the Savior, the afterlife and other doctrinal stuff.

But I am curious if many of us from different world views share something in common. If I were not experiencing my existence, I would find existence to be absurd and ridiculous. I would not believe it (altough I would not exist to believe it). I mean really, am I seriously supposed to believe that I am here now, a sentient being, coming and going, thinking, typing on a screen, I see these weird appendages coming out of this mass of clay and I can use them to my benefit? There are billions of us crawling around this sphere in the middle of space. We figured out how to put stuff together so we can talk and fly across the miles. I mean if you were "nothing" and someone told you this exists, would it not seem ridiculous and impossible?

Yet here we are. It's real.

So we have our distinct worldviews on how this came into being, what is the purpose, and what is the meaning. Some proposed answers strike me as ridiculous. But then my views strike some others as ridiculous. But then when I think about it, there is no theory on the reason or source of existence that is any more ridiculous than existence itself. We have no choice but to embrace the ridiculous unless we deny our very existence.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

What would you like to debate?

I see we are here to know and Love God.

As such life is full of purpose.

Regards Tony

 

[MNoBody]

A recurring nightmare we awake into every morning, one wit phrased it.
and it certainly seems that way from a few angles of perspective....c'est très bizarre.
"reality......perfectly imperfect", another said.

A question that comes up,
are you really feeling, or do you just feel real?
a few thoughts.

 

[Nimos]

First off, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I believe in God, the Savior, the afterlife and other doctrinal stuff.

But I am curious if many of us from different world views share something in common. If I were not experiencing my existence, I would find existence to be absurd and ridiculous. I would not believe it (altough I would not exist to believe it). I mean really, am I seriously supposed to believe that I am here now, a sentient being, coming and going, thinking, typing on a screen, I see these weird appendages coming out of this mass of clay and I can use them to my benefit? There are billions of us crawling around this sphere in the middle of space. We figured out how to put stuff together so we can talk and fly across the miles. I mean if you were "nothing" and someone told you this exists, would it not seem ridiculous and impossible?

Yet here we are. It's real.

So we have our distinct worldviews on how this came into being, what is the purpose, and what is the meaning. Some proposed answers strike me as ridiculous. But then my views strike some others as ridiculous. But then when I think about it, there is no theory on the reason or source of existence that is any more ridiculous than existence itself. We have no choice but to embrace the ridiculous unless we deny our very existence.

I have to agree with you, the existence of us being here is rather ridiculous when you think about it, I can't deny that, even though I am an atheist and ultimately do not see any purpose of it, I do still think of it as a mixture of amazement and ridiculous

However if I were religious, I still don't think, I would find any satisfaction in God as the explanation. Even if I could accept that God did create us, it does not answer the question of why? Because clearly God has a reason for having created us and the universe the way he have, yet none of his motivation for doing so is explained to us.

 

[osgart]

It is interesting to be able to see the galaxies of the universe aimlessly in constant motion and observe the sheer, senseless violence of all its forces. Comparing that fact to life's existence and it is absolutely ridiculous how order emerged from chaos. I don't think at all that this order is blind and unintelligent. The purposefulness of life is forever along for the ride and dominated by physical forces. Unless! there are divergent aspects of existence and somehow life can break loose from physical dominion.

I'm humbled to the idea that life is crossed up with mindless physics and we are meant to travel onward to better planes of existence.

Being is a crossbred reality born of two existences. Why the heck not? My constant identity does Not appear to come from blood, and neurochemical processes.

Intelligence is too intelligent to be mindlessly made. When things align into useful places such as the human body function that is a clue that mind creates mind. That being true there must be better realities.

 

[Scott C.]

What would you like to debate?

I see we are here to know and Love God.

As such life is full of purpose.

Regards Tony

I agree we are here to know and love God. We are hear to find joy in life and in the Lord. We are here to learn, to serve others, and to grow. I believe all of that. But still, when I take a step back and say to myself, here you are, and this is the reason, it's still astounding. The idea of an all powerful, wise, and loving God, who is from eternity to eternity is also amazing. It's an unfathomable concept.

 

[Scott C.]

I have to agree with you, the existence of us being here is rather ridiculous when you think about it, I can't deny that, even though I am an atheist and ultimately do not see any purpose of it, I do still think of it as a mixture of amazement and ridiculous

However if I were religious, I still don't think, I would find any satisfaction in God as the explanation. Even if I could accept that God did create us, it does not answer the question of why? Because clearly God has a reason for having created us and the universe the way he have, yet none of his motivation for doing so is explained to us.

Here's how I see it. God has said he loves us and he has joy in our growth and in our joy. His work and his purpose and his joy is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of us, his children. I can't answer the subsequent whys that can be asked when each previous why is answered. But I feel God's presence and his love. I trust him. I have faith that he offers me a good life now and a better life in the hereafter. I feel I am in very good hands. So I don't have to know all of the whys to have satisfaciton now and hope for the hereafter.

But back to my original post, I admit there are times, when what I believe can seem ridiculous and I have to ask myself "really, you're an eternal being who will never ever die?" Then I remind myself of the ridculousness of my current existence, which is indeed real. If we know that something which is amazing and incredible is real, then why not believe that the explanation, though amazing and incredible is also real? Or at least, we should not rule it out simply for that reason.

 

[Scott C.]

It is interesting to be able to see the galaxies of the universe aimlessly in constant motion and observe the sheer, senseless violence of all its forces. Comparing that fact to life's existence and it is absolutely ridiculous how order emerged from chaos. I don't think at all that this order is blind and unintelligent. The purposefulness of life is forever along for the ride and dominated by physical forces. Unless! there are divergent aspects of existence and somehow life can break loose from physical dominion.

I'm humbled to the idea that life is crossed up with mindless physics and we are meant to travel onward to better planes of existence.

Being is a crossbred reality born of two existences. Why the heck not? My constant identity does Not appear to come from blood, and neurochemical processes.

Intelligence is too intelligent to be mindlessly made. When things align into useful places such as the human body function that is a clue that mind creates mind. That being true there must be better realities.

That's deep. I think I need to read it a few more times.

 

[Left Coast]

First off, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I believe in God, the Savior, the afterlife and other doctrinal stuff.

But I am curious if many of us from different world views share something in common. If I were not experiencing my existence, I would find existence to be absurd and ridiculous. I would not believe it (altough I would not exist to believe it). I mean really, am I seriously supposed to believe that I am here now, a sentient being, coming and going, thinking, typing on a screen, I see these weird appendages coming out of this mass of clay and I can use them to my benefit? There are billions of us crawling around this sphere in the middle of space. We figured out how to put stuff together so we can talk and fly across the miles. I mean if you were "nothing" and someone told you this exists, would it not seem ridiculous and impossible?

Yet here we are. It's real.

So we have our distinct worldviews on how this came into being, what is the purpose, and what is the meaning. Some proposed answers strike me as ridiculous. But then my views strike some others as ridiculous. But then when I think about it, there is no theory on the reason or source of existence that is any more ridiculous than existence itself. We have no choice but to embrace the ridiculous unless we deny our very existence.

The reason we should believe in our existence is because we have good evidence for it. In the absence of all the evidence we have, yes, it might seem ridiculous. And we'd have no rational reason to believe it's real, unless and until we were shown the evidence.

 

[Ancient Soul]

First off, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I believe in God, the Savior, the afterlife and other doctrinal stuff.

But I am curious if many of us from different world views share something in common. If I were not experiencing my existence, I would find existence to be absurd and ridiculous. I would not believe it (altough I would not exist to believe it). I mean really, am I seriously supposed to believe that I am here now, a sentient being, coming and going, thinking, typing on a screen, I see these weird appendages coming out of this mass of clay and I can use them to my benefit? There are billions of us crawling around this sphere in the middle of space. We figured out how to put stuff together so we can talk and fly across the miles. I mean if you were "nothing" and someone told you this exists, would it not seem ridiculous and impossible?

Yet here we are. It's real.

So we have our distinct worldviews on how this came into being, what is the purpose, and what is the meaning. Some proposed answers strike me as ridiculous. But then my views strike some others as ridiculous. But then when I think about it, there is no theory on the reason or source of existence that is any more ridiculous than existence itself. We have no choice but to embrace the ridiculous unless we deny our very existence.

Personally I am THRILLED to be alive! I marvel at the miracle of "life", the self awareness that "I" exist as a being, to think, to feel emotions, to be able to do things, but mostly to embrace this grand adventure called "life". To be able to experience and explore both the physical and spiritual worlds, marveling at all the mystery and wonder of God's great universes, always learning more and more about the great question of the WHY of it all. It's what drives me, inspires me, always spiritually evolving, always understanding things I never thought possible. So I don't understand how someone could call their "life" something like "absurd and ridiculous".

 

[Watchmen]

For all we know we’re just a smudge on the petri dish of some higher being we’re not even aware of. No. I’m not talking about god.

 

[Nimos]

His work and his purpose and his joy is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of us, his children.

I could probably buy all that with God loving us and wanting to save us etc. if there weren't suffering in the world, I would even consider it plausible, if there simply weren't natural evil.

But my understanding of love and caring, does not include suffering of those I love or human sacrificing for that matter, whether it's his son or not. It might for God, and if that is the case, then we are never going to see eye on eye on what love and caring is.

 

[Scott C.]

Personally I am THRILLED to be alive! I marvel at the miracle of "life", the self awareness that "I" exist as a being, to think, to feel emotions, to be able to do things, but mostly to embrace this grand adventure called "life". To be able to experience and explore both the physical and spiritual worlds, marveling at all the mystery and wonder of God's great universes, always learning more and more about the great question of the WHY of it all. It's what drives me, inspires me, always spiritually evolving, always understanding things I never thought possible. So I don't understand how someone could call their "life" something like "absurd and ridiculous".

You misunderstand my thoughts on "absurd and ridiculuous". I too have a fulfilling life and I'm thankful for it. But it all "seems" ridiculously and absurdly impossible that it would be so. Yet it is so.

 

[Ancient Soul]

You misunderstand my thoughts on "absurd and ridiculuous". I too have a fulfilling life and I'm thankful for it. But it all "seems" ridiculously and absurdly impossible that it would be so. Yet it is so.

Sorry, just not getting you at all.

I find the fact that God has given me this most sacred gift in all the universe, my life, something I thank him for with all by being. So I just find it a insult to God to call such a sacred gift "absurd and ridiculous".

But I made my point, and you've made your's. So there is no need to continue discussing it further.