Humans and Stardust

[Freddy]

Well it’s not so much that the why needs God, as much as that it leads to Him when we think about what it entails.

It leads some to Him.

 

[NormalBeliever]

Some are pantheists, granted. But nobody’s an atheist once they’re down that tunnel.

 

[Freddy]

Some are pantheists, granted. But nobody’s an atheist once they’re down that tunnel.

Possibly. But people generally start with a belief in God and therefore assume that He must have a purpose for us. So the ‘why’ is then a reasonable question to ask.

 

[Greenfields]

I was about ten ,when I realised how futile everything is without a higher purpose .I would have come to this conclusion even without a catholic upbringing .For most of us there is an innate belief in this.

 

[Freddy]

I was about ten ,when I realised how futile everything is without a higher purpose .I would have come to this conclusion even without a catholic upbringing .For most of us there is an innate belief in this.

Life has meaning. Family has meaning. Spread over many generations. But ultimate meaning? Your life will have as little impact in the grand scheme of things as a distant direct ancestor of yours had a million years ago.

 

[Greenfields]

Apart from helping as many souls as I can to love ,know and serve Jesus yes
For the rest I’m not too concerned.

 

[Duke12VonFalkenburg]

Your life will have as little impact in the grand scheme of things as a distant direct ancestor of yours had a million years ago.

There is no way anyone could know this. Only God can see and know this.

What about the life of a poor carpenter from a backwater province called Galilee?

What about the life of a humble Jewish fisherman?

What about the life of a medieval peasant farm girl from Domremy?

There are many other examples so many others we will never know about. My point is this, we are all just drops of paint on a great portrait of reality. You see a mess and meaninglessness in the humblest drops of paint but the truth is we are all part of something much greater than us.

 

[Greenfields]

Actually ‘grand scheme’ ,who ,what ,why ,how ?

 

[Gorgias]

Life has meaning. Family has meaning. Spread over many generations. But ultimate meaning? Your life will have as little impact in the grand scheme of things as a distant direct ancestor of yours had a million years ago.

You’re presuming that “ultimate meaning” implies “in the context of human (or earthly, or the universe’s) history”, aren’t you?

 

[Freddy]

Freddy:

Life has meaning. Family has meaning. Spread over many generations. But ultimate meaning? Your life will have as little impact in the grand scheme of things as a distant direct ancestor of yours had a million years ago.

You’re presuming that “ultimate meaning” implies “in the context of human (or earthly, or the universe’s) history”, aren’t you?

Well…yeah.

 

[Freddy]

There are many other examples so many others we will never know about. My point is this, we are all just drops of paint on a great portrait of reality. You see a mess and meaninglessness in the humblest drops of paint but the truth is we are all part of something much greater than us.

It’s a bigger canvas than most people imagine. And you’re right. Our one drop of paint makes up the whole. Just like each drop of water makes up the ocean. But remove one drop of water and…there is no change. And that one drop of water represents the whole of humanity. Everyone who is and has ever been.

 

[Rau]

But it doesn’t make sense to ask it if you know there’s no answer.

Why does the universe have the number of galaxies that it does ? Why not half that amount?

This question is reasonable, as is the question, why is there more than 1 galaxy, more than 1 star. Or even, why are there any stars, why was there a Big Bang? Why is there any matter, why is there this level of energy, or any energy?

The questions above make sense and can’t be discarded as though they don’t.

 

[Rau]

So, here’s the thing. The folks who tend to spout the “you’re made of stardust” narrative are, as I see it, generally doing so in an attempt to undermine the notion of God as creator. In other words, it’s a cutesy attempt to say “despite what you’ve been told, you weren’t made by God – you were made by physical processes in the center of stars.”

It baffles me that people would think these 2 ideas are mutually exclusive. It also baffles me that to assert a fairly solid scientific conclusion should be portrayed as a statement contrary to Faith.

 

[Freddy]

Freddy:

But it doesn’t make sense to ask it if you know there’s no answer.

Why does the universe have the number of galaxies that it does ? Why not half that amount?

This question is reasonable, as is the question, why is there more than 1 galaxy, more than 1 star. Or even, why are there any stars, why was there a Big Bang? Why is there any matter, why is there this level of energy, or any energy?

The questions above make sense and can’t be discarded as though they don’t.

Why as is ‘how did that happen?’ is quite reasonable. Why as is ‘what’s it for?’ makes no sense to me.