What Is the Purpose of Life?
Why is there a universe at all?

I don't believe in accidents (and i don't believe we are some "laboratory experiment", either).

Your views...

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dumaurier

As for what my little peabrain can grasp of your questions, there seems to be little options left. You seem to rule out every possibillity but the creation.. So I think you allready have made up your mind..

At least. i cant think of anything else...

Now the purpose of life.. My idea of that would be to learn and experience everything you can before you die.. I feel that somewhere down the line you will need what you have learned after an uncertain number of re-incarnations..

my $0.02

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Just waiting for my peabrain to boot into English :\




[This message has been edited by H-kon (edited July 02, 1999).]

Dumaurier:

I'll answer your question with a question:

Is it more satisfactory to proclaim that the source of the universe is known, that the purpose of life is ascertained, and that such is the final word on the matter -- or is it better to admit that those things are not known, and devote your energies to a search for answers?

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I am; therefore I think.

H-Kon,
I totally agree with you!! And hey..as far
as the hell thing goes...do not worry about
it. Hell is a state of mind, ya know?

Dumaurier,
Ok, just what do you believe? I mean..
you asked...so let's hear your version.

Flash:

Great! I love what you say about hell being a state of mind. I fully agree with you! I might add that "paradise" is also a state of mind. What do you think?


You asked me to express my belief in the purpose of life. Well, it is a reasonable request, but please understand that i am speaking strictly for myself here; my view is mine and i am not implying that you or anyone must think like me on this or on any other issue; it's just my humble opinion, as we say in cyberspace lingo :)

So, where do i stand on this issue? Easy: to me there can only be ONE purpose in life and no other. It is this: to acquire virtues! But this requires some elaboration, don't you think? So, please permit me...

As you have probably already guessed, i am a firm believer in a Creator. I do not think in terms of "theory" with regards this opinion. In my mind there is no doubt that a Creator brought into existence the material universe. We have liberal choice to believe in whatever we wish. This is my choice.

Now, to me the Creator is absolutely unknowable. No matter how far and deep, how extensive our endeavour to attempt understanding what, where and who He is, we will fail. He is beyond our comprehension. But in order to communicate between ourselves we must use labels. So some call Him "God" some "Dieu" some "Jehovah" etc. In essence, we are speaking about the same thing, regardles of the labels.

Since He is the Unknowable, how do we know that He even exists? Big question! Well, how do we know that the sun exists? Through its effects, right? We can see the sun's rays, feel them, and observe their effects all around us. We can feel the sun's warmth, see it's light, and also observe how it provides life for the vegetable, animal and human kingdoms.

So, how am i convinced that the Creator exists? If you were to examine most Holy Scripture (Buddhist, Jadaic, Christian, Islamic, etc.--and note that i make a great distinction between "cult"-"sect"-and "true religion") you will note that the Creator is always qualified. He is always the Compassionate, the Kind, the Charitable, the Tolerant, the Help-in-Peril, the Ever-Forgiving, the Wise, the Omnipotent, the Omniscient, the All-Knowing, and so on and so forth. His qualifications are virtues since such concepts as compassion, kindness, charity, tolerance, assistance, forgiveness, knowledge, wisdom are all virtues. Of course, He is also given such qualifications as "The Wrathful God," the "Vengeful God," etc. which are not virtues. But this is another question irrelevent to my point.

So, in my opinion, we can only know the Creator (or God) through His attributes. These attributes (or virtues) are a manifest outpouring of the Creator just as the sun's rays are a manifest outpouring of the goodness of the sun. Now, observe that of all created things on this planet man is the only life form able to manifest through his being virtue in their full splendour! The mineral, vegetable, animal kingdoms can manifest only an infinitely small number of these virtues through their appearance but man can manifest all of them. Thus, a cat is compassionate to its kittens, as is a dog to its puppies and most female animals are to their young. But this compassion is not of choice. It is ingrained in their nature; it is instinct. A perfume of a rose is wonderful and this fragrance is virtuous for it imparts joy and pleasantness to the one who inhales it. But this fragrance does not come about as a choice on the part of the rose. In man, on the other hand, virtue is something acquired. We must strive hard in order to become good. We can choose to be virtuous or we can choose to not be. We have a choice in the matter. The vegetable and animal kingdoms have not this choice. Is this not so?

The highest goal of a human being, then, since he has this potential of manifesting through his being all virtues, is to attain and manifest them through his being. But why should we achieve this? Why should we even try to be good? Well, i think it is because evil doesn't even exist! But understand my meaning here. I mean that if you fill a glass with mud and then pour limpid water into it the mud will eventually empty out. The human being is like this glass (we have choices to either fill our being with mud or with pure, fresh and limpid water). An arguement in favour of the non-existence of evil is that of the analogy between darkness and light. When we speak of darkness in a metaphorical sense we always associated it with evil. Light represents good. So, my question is: can you bring darkness into a room? Can you switch on darkness, so to speak? No! But you can switch on light, right? If you switch off the light the room becomes dark. So, light has power whereas darkness is the absence of power. Light is goodness and darkness is the absence of goodness. Shadow depends on light, not darkness! An evil person lacks the goodness of virtue. Fill him with goodness and the bad vanishes. (Yes, i understand that this is debatable, but we can do this later).

Humans are social creatures. To keep a society orderly virtues are essential. When you walk into a restaurant and sit down, there is virtue everywhere! The waitress is practising courtesy as you are. There is "service" and there is respect, kindness, etc. I'm not saying we are living in a perfect society, but virtues exist and are manifest to a greater or lesser degree in our societies worldwide. A smile is virtue! A friendly greeting is virtue. In society one must practise virtue, want it or not.

The Creator is unknowable but we know His effects in that He created us. To paint a masterpiece requires love of the art. Love is a virtue. The Creator created this vast, infinite universe out of love. Could He have created it out of hate? Absurd! This love The Creator had for His creation is manifest everywhere in the fact that He created the universe. We witness how the solar system is perfectly balanced: the moon and stars do not fall on our heads, the sun heats the earth to the perfect degree to allow life to flourish, and so on. There is balance and perfect symmetry everywhere. Perfection is one of the attributes of the Creator. And "perfection" is a virtue. Likewise, "moderation" and "love" are virtues. Beauty is a virtue.


Voila: to me the purpose of life is to acquire and manifest virtues in our lives to the best of our abilities. This is what i believe and the way i see things.

As to my other questions, "Why is there a universe at all?" and "I don't believe in accidents," i won't touch these for this post is, i think, long enough as it is, don't you think?

Oh, before i leave, i'd just like to add that to me "hell" is that state of being where there is an abnormal absence of virtue, and paradise is that state of being where there is ample presence of virtues in one's life :)


It's been nice talking to you, Flash.

Be good.

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dumaurier

Uhm. Well. One thing is for sure. I get to learn more English while reading your post, and that was a pretty long one too :)

One thing i did get was the thing about the glass " if you have a glass with mud, and just add water all the time, eventually the mud will vanish" ( not quoting here ).

I do not agree with that, because if you continue to pour water into the glass, there will always be a trace of mud in the glass no matter how long you do it. (homeopathic theory) It might not be physical, but the water will "know" that the mud is there in a sence, so the Good will know that Evil is there too, just that Good cant see Evil, but it knows its there.
So MY conclusion is that Good and Evil is anti-materia, you cant touch it , or see it, you just know its there, and the same thing applies to Gods too. You cant see it, you cant touch it, but somehow you have a feeling its there, or maybe you just NEED it to be there... Because how can you have the good without evil? just like how can you have light without darkness? You need a little of both to be sane in this world to be honest. If you didnt, everything would have been boring, and we wouldn't have had this discussion .. . would we?

Flash: I think Hell is a state of mind, but only if God is too :)

my $0.04 cents ( inflation)

To those who dont know me. I am Norwegian of origin, so if you dont understand me, let me know, and i'll hit the books :)


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Just waiting for my peabrain to boot into English :\

Where are we promised that we are of any importance at all?

I personally think the meaning of life is about earning our purpose, rather than looking for one.

MaTTo

The purpose of life is to enjoy and give fate a kick up the ass on the way.

The purpose of life is the search for purpose.

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I am; therefore I think.

lmao

Very good Boris, I was giving this topic a little more additional thought and I was going to edit my msg and put that idea as well, but I see someone beat me to it. Good job, hehe

MaTTo

[This message has been edited by MaTTo (edited July 07, 1999).]

What if a person has already found his/her purpose?

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dumaurier

H-Kon, you wrote:

"...how can you have the good without evil? just like how can you have light without darkness? You need a little of both..."

I think the concept of "good" and "evil" are really subjective states. They depend on the thoughts a person thinks which influence his way of looking at the world. Evil, or bad, exists as long as the good does not overcome it. But in itself "evil" has no power because it can be overcome by the good. Thus, for example, a lion in itself isn't evil. It needs its dangerous fangs to eat and carry on its life for with its fangs it tears meat and kills prey as nature has predestined. But if a man be stupid enough to infiltrate a lion's cage when it is hungry and the lion swipes off that man's arm and eats it, it is simply acting on instinct because it is hungry and needs to eat. Is the lion's nature evil? One should think that it is the man's lack of common sense which rendered the event possible. An animal cannot distinguish between good and evil but man can.

Usually in psychology class students are confronted with a simple experiment. The professor puts a glass filled half-way with clear water and asks students to tell him if the glass is "half empty" or "half full." Most students reply that it is "half empty." Now, "empty" has a negative connotation. When your bank account is empty you might think that you're in some trouble. If your stomach is empty you feel uncomfortable. If your automobile is empty of gas it won't go anywhere. And so on. So, "empty" has a negative connotation. It is the absence of something!

Now, if you say that your bank account is full you are certainly very happy. If your stomach is full you are comfortable because you've eaten. If your automobile is full of gas it will go places. And so on. So, "full" has a positive connotation.

The opinion of the individual who said that the glass was "half empty" is grounded on a personal moral foundation that gives more importance to the negative than to the positive; that is to say that the individual was brought up in an environment which encouraged him to place more emphasis on the negative aspects of events and relationships and thoughts than on the positive. The person who viewed the glass of water "half full" has a more positive outlook and is generally happier in life due to the more constructive patterns found within his moral education. For example, if a child is slapped, verbally abused, or disdained in some way everytime he fumbles and makes an error, that child will grow up seeing more negative than positive. It is not his fault that he is a child!!!

All things are subject to the interpretation of the observer and no two observers understand the same thing in the exact same way. This simply means that our interpretations of the exterior world are dependent on our innate capacities, our secular education, social influence, family influence, and other factors which to a degree are beyond our control.

All variations which a person sees in this world proceed from his own vision. For example, the sun, although it shines and bestows light on all things, yet in each place it becomes manifest and sheds its
bounty according to the potentialities of that place. For instance, in a mirror it reflects its own disk and shape, and this is due to the sensitivity of the mirror; in a crystal it makes fire to appear, and in other things it shows only the effect of its shining, but not its full disk. And yet, through that effect, it trains each thing according to the quality of that thing.

In like manner, colors become visible in every object according to the nature of that object. For instance, in a yellow globe, the rays shine yellow; in a white the rays are white; and in a red, the red rays are manifest. Then these variations are from the object, not from the shining light. And if a place be shut away from the light, as by walls or a roof, it will be entirely bereft of the splendor of the light, nor will the sun shine thereon.

When i say that "evil" does not exist, by this i mean that it can be eradicated by its replacement with good. If one is ignorant he could dispel this by acquiring knowledge. So, ignorance is really the absence of knowledge. Stupidity is the want of common sense, and so on. Negative thinking is really the incapacity to see the positive in things, events, etc. Thus, what will you gain in your anger? Nothing! You are only upsetting your own neurological system with negative consequences to the body and mind! You are not more loved because of this outburst. But one who realizes that there is wisdom even in situations that seemingly contradict us, will maintain his calm and search for the positive within that experience. We should see the good in all things.

War is evil. But why do we have war? Because there's a lack of love! Inject love in the hearts of men and war will no longer be!

In sum, evil does not exist save within the eye of the beholder. Where good is lacking, there is want. Evil is powerless and completely dependent on the lack of goodness for its existence. Darkness, depends on light for its existence. Bring in the light, and darkness is dispelled.


Salutations

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dumaurier

Dumaurier:

If you've already found a purpose, good for you. But if your search is over, and there is even a tiny chance that you are wrong about the purpose, then the rest of your life might be a total waste.

Evil does not exist in mere relation to good. Evil, plain and simple, is harm. And humans are rather inclined to harm each other, even as children. If you disagree, try to dig up the memories of your own childhood, and recall the taunting and sneering that was either directed at you, or you directed at others. It is a hopeless dream to 'inject good' into the hearts of all men. We wouldn't be individuals if we were all alike. Some of us are inclined toward harmony, but others are inclined toward harm. It has always been like this, and always will be, unless we change our biological constitution itself -- in which case we shall no longer be human as the word is to be understood today...

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I am; therefore I think.

Dumarrier, if you are so certain on what the purpose of life is and why the universe is here, then why are you curious about everyone elses perspective even if it will disagree with yours?

I don't really see a purpose in this forum topic at all except a place to argue.

MaTTo

Dumarier:

A reply is coming your way soon. Gonna be away for some time, but i'll write as soon as i get home. :)

Matto: I agree with you on that, but maybe he is asking us because he is not really sure what to believe anymore.. Who knows. (though it doesnt sound that way :))

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Just waiting for my peabrain to boot into English :\




[This message has been edited by H-kon (edited July 09, 1999).]

Hi Matto,

I appreciate your concern and it is certain that we all wish to advance in our discussions until the light breaks through.

You wrote,
"if you are so certain on what the purpose of life is and why the universe is here, then why are you curious about everyone else's perspective even if it will disagree with yours?"

Matto, i must, in return, ask you three questions which require deep reflection: First, if you've found something marvellous, wouldn't you wish to share it with others? Second, is not sharing a reciprocal action?Third, when you give someone a gift, do you change your mind and ask it back?


As for your comment on your complaint that on this forum topic we argue, i must admit i have been guilty of this. However, i have stated what i believe to be the purpose in life here.

Now that i've spoken, please, tell me what, according to you, is the purpose in life? Why is there a universe? Why is there life at all? For what purpose?

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dumaurier

Boris, you wrote:

"If you've already found a purpose, good for you. But if your search is over, and there is even a tiny chance that you are wrong about the purpose, then the rest of your life might be a total waste."

My dearest friend, you can be assured that i have found. I know that there is absolutely no chance whatsoever that i am incorrect about the purpose. My life has been such a rich mixture of great things that i cannot begin to tell you about the myriad marvels. This is better than paradise!


With regards evil, we must not be naive. It does exist. Throughout my posts i use it only to emphasize that good has more power than evil, that when within your own heart you've decided to replace all "evil" thoughts with good ones, your entire life takes a turnaround and the days are brighter, the coffee is sweeter, the rose blossoms more beautiful, people's smiles more radiant. Troubles become repose, and one starts to see a profound wisdom in all things. But the greatest is that one acquires self-confidence, becomes more trustworthy, truthful, and fear is completely eradicated! What is also eradicated is this inner turmoil and dichotomous inner conflict that many experience. These, my friend, are some of the benefits of replacing that so called "evil" with goodness.

Note that when you were born, dear Boris, you weren't "bad" or "evil". No! You were a pure, gentle, tender baby. You were essentially good. It was only in growing up, and by the influence from the thoughts vehicled by those in your social environment,
which corrupted that initial purity. We humans are, in general, essentially good. In adulthood, it is my firm belief that our duty is to eradicate any "evil" thoughts and replace these with the good.


Now, you say that "it is a hopeless dream to 'inject good' into the hearts of all men. We wouldn't be individuals if we were all alike. Some of us are inclined toward harmony, but others are inclined toward harm."

Well, the only way you can inject goodness into the hearts of others is by being good yourself--and in the beginning of such lofty endeavour it is extremely difficult. Human beings influence each other be it even in the smallest subtle measure. Yet the influence is there (some call this "psychological suggestion"). Thus, if you keep company with thieves you will most likely be influenced into practising thievery. If you keep company with good people you will assuredly reflect this goodness. This is a plain fact, i think.

As to individual uniqueness, this is an undisputed fact. But goodness is very flexible and can be expressed in as many ways as there are people.

Truly the choice is ours between good and evil. In fact, this choice really determins the type of person we become. It is such an important choice, Boris, so crucial to our wellbeing that i cannot emphasize it enough.


Nice talking to you.

H-Kon,

Addressing Matto, you suggest that perhaps dumaurier "...is asking us because he is not really sure what to believe anymore...Who knows."

Believe me, H-Kon, this is not the case. I am interested in knowing other people's views (when they post them, of course). So, please tell us your views on this subject.


Have a good vacation and hope to see you back soon.




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dumaurier

Well.. i am no good in explaining things as you do due to that i am still learning English,.. but I am gonna try. :)

Dumarier:

I am not sure if this really matters, but i did understand your long post there better after i read your reply to MaTTo.

I think you are doing a good job in explaining it in a bigger view, but I am also thinking that since you are a man of light, you will have personal belief, and opinions ( maybe it was meant to be that ?)

First you say that "the concept of evil and good are really subjective states" when you wrote that, in my view you killed your own post by later trying to explain how things worked and all.. You did a good job, but since i am not sure if you tried making your post objective, or subjective, there is no "true" answer that i can give you.

The point is . Though I know that you are right in many ways, you are writing this from a subjective matter, but at the same time making a statement about it. . About that guy that went into the lions cave.. He deserves it if he did, and the Lion has all the right in the world to do in his territory, but that is not a good evil vs good analogy.

One thing that i believe is a good one.. Was Hitler Evil when invading Poland starting WWII? Or did he do it for a good cause? And were the Allies Good in launching a campaign against him and his allies? Think deep about that one.

The point is. Evil isnt defined by how the outcome is. If you end up doing something Evil, but have good intents about it, also knowing that it might go bad.. Is that Evil? No i would say, as long as you have good intents.
Lets say that someone does something that the outcome of is considered Evil. .Suppose the guy didnt know what he did was Evil, he had good intentions about it.. Is he Evil? Can the action be considered Evil?

All this comes down to is education.. Education today is rather a blue book. The base of what you learn today, is the same that your grandfather did when he was your age.. When education becomes so "in a box" there arent much room to explore the good and the bad things in life.. There is always a balance, but until we all can define good and bad through all cultures, that is never going to happen..

According to you Dumarier.. Since good and bad are not perceived the same by any persons, why are different people, with different views judging, the "bad" people?

So until we can "define" good and evil, write it down on a piece of paper to be the foundation for all cultures on this planet, this conversation will always be biased..

One last exapmple before i quit.

You in the USA are afraid and concerned of the Islamic terrorists that might attack US right?
Are those people Evil? No.. They are not. They are willing to do this for THEIR good cause, so for them the US are the terrorists.

US looks upon them as terrorists themselves, based on THEIR perspective of what is good.

An objective would view if this would be that one is as much terroristic and evil as the other guy..

Some will shake their heads at this i know, because they "know" the difference right?

So do you really know the difference? Or have you been "TOLD" to know this? *education*

Would the islamic terrorists do this if they thought what they did was wrong? I dont think so. They are doing this based on their religion, and their education. They are taught to hate the US and the West, so in their eyes, what they do is good.

So this discussion cant be settled until humans think alike i am afraid.


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Just waiting for my peabrain to boot into English :\

Hey .. that turbo keyboard worked LOL

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Just waiting for my peabrain to boot into English :\




[This message has been edited by H-kon (edited July 10, 1999).]

I knew it would, I'm still waiting to have mine delivered.. hehe

I'd like to say that I'm going to make this message frank. I've got places to be tomarrow and I must make this posting as short as possible.

<hr>

Dumarrier, I'm not sure what it would prove if I answered the three questions you asked me but what the hey here goes nothing.

1.) First, if you've found something marvellous, wouldn't you wish to share it with others?

It depends. If I could validate my claims and prove (what you call "evidence") what I "found" then ya, I'd share it.

2) Is not sharing a reciprocal action?

Yes. If you do not share, you are EVIL!!!!!

3.) Third, when you give someone a gift, do you change your mind and ask it back?

No, although sometimes I think about it!

Also, now that I've answered those rediculas questions that hardly prove anything -- could someone please explain to me why the discussion shifted from "purpose" to "good vs. evil" ???

Du - I will not rule out the possibility that there may be a God out there -- although it would make just as less sense as it would to say that "we were here by accident.".

But now you guys really have to kick your minds in gear here -- a god is an uncreated bieng. That means he is infinate of time, and that also means that there is no beginning or end.

Who's to say that time isn't God? Maybe God is the time that we exist in? That would have to be it if God was here forever.

If it is true, that there is no beginning, or no ending, then we shouldn't even exist in a universe of time;space!!!! Tell me that is not messed up!!!!!!

disclaimer
I get very confused when I talk about time, and stuff like that. My mind is young, and I have hard times fully grasping concepts such as infinity--as sure I will have a hard time when I'm older too. I was reluctant until now to post my views but now that I've done it I can rest assured that I will be corrected by the majors of this forum.

What is the purpose in life? Why is there a universe? Why is there life at all? For what purpose?

What is the purpose in life?

We aren't garanteed a purpose. I thought I said a while back that purpose was about earning it? Even if that means looking for the purpose, it's still a purpose! What was it that Tom Hanks said to Matt Dillian in Saving Private Ryan? "Earn this!"

Why is there a universe?

I believe that the universe came to be simply because it could! Just like one ultimate law of life! When it can happen, it will happen! My evidence of multiple universes (and perhaps universes within universes) is directed towards ours...I don't think we happened by accident, but was a direct reaction to something that took place somewhere else that is much bigger than just the universe as man sees it today. It was not "just there in the begginging" because -- I just said that time was infinite therefore there was no beginning of it!

ARE YOU AT ANY DEGREE CONFUSED NOW?

Why is there life at all?

There is more to life than just passing thoughts or just passing through it. It's about living what you have receieved. Finding that special purpose. Life is about living it.

Just because we humans have the ability to conceive thought, doesn't mean we
are correct in our assertions.

I love double overdrives' percpective, and I'll quote it once again: "Life is the universes' way of figuring itself out."

Anyways, just some stuff from the minor.

Let's hear the big voices on the subject.

MaTTo

Never give up, eat your greens and follow YOUR bliss!

[This message has been edited by MaTTo (edited July 10, 1999).]

Seeker:

Tell me when you get yours, and if it works for you :)

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Just waiting for my peabrain to boot into English :\

Hi H-Kon:

Loved your post. It is so good to read your opinions. I'm glad you are voicing your thoughts here.

Please permit me to answer some of the items you bring up in your post addressed to me.

You say that you assume that i have personal opinions and beliefs. Of course this is so! It is part of being unique. If all the granaries of the world were filled with grain, not one of these grains would be exactly identical. Every grain is unique. Every person is unique. It goes without saying that our opinions and beliefs are also coloured by this uniqueness.

This being so, yet there are certain facts to which we all adhere. For example, fire burns, willows grow, rivers flow into the sea, rain pours down, fish need water, man needs oxygen, humans need love. Now, all these things are "objective" realities and stand independent of opinions and beliefs. If all men were to perish suddenly, fire would still burn, willows will continue to grow, rivers will still flow into the sea, rain will still pour down, fish will still require water, etc. So, a man could develop a theory with regards the non-existance of Nature, but this nevertheless does not take away from the fact that humans are intricately involved with it! The theorist is interpreting "subjectively," according to his relative perceptions, experiences, awareness, but his theory in no way takes away from the fact that Nature exists!

Now, goodness stems from a moral code which is set against its opposite---evil. We know that if you prick a man he will feel the pain. This is so because the instigator is made of the very same skin and bones as the victim. This instigator would not wish to be inflicted with the same pain he imposes upon his neighbour. Knowing this, it would be "evil" to inflict pain on someone when you know very well that that someone will feel pain. Thus, the word "objective" is always in relation to our awareness of the effect, but the interpretation of that effect will vary from person to person.

As to the man who had his arm eaten by the lion, you will note that in certain countries some animals are considered "evil." The serpent, for example, is considered evil by certain tribes of Africa. In some parts of India the tiger is greatly feared and people invent all sorts of goodluck charms to hang on their doors to ward away the "evil" of its presence. In our own Western culture the black cat is an omen of evil, a broken mirror is a harbinger of bad luck, and so on. Now, superstition is really nonsense invented by the ignorant. This sort of "evil" will evaporate as quickly as morning dew once common sense and intelligent reasoning enters the picture. The point is that knowledge here represents good and evil the absence of good. You will agree that it is better to know than to be ignorant.

Your question with regards Hitler is a very good one. Was he evil or good? For the rest of the world he was evil, but for those who believed in his mission he was good. My answer to this is that in the universe one sees order in everything. Even in chaos there is a certain purpose of order; that is to say that the chaos is part and parcel of the universal order and chaos is limited in its range, having as its ultimate fate its progressive assimilation within the greater order of which it begat its being. Moreover, note that all in existence grows, progresses, evolves and the crowning result is "life" or a new creation. Anything with a regressive tendency dies; life is a forward progression while death is a backward regression. With regards humanity, anything that man does which contributes to its progress, improvement, growth, betterment, is longlasting and even eternal. But anything that man does which contributes to humanity's impoverishment and retrogression, is temporary and doomed to be silenced by the very law of the universe which is based on growth. You may liken this to the developmental stages of a human being. The fetus progressively matures until the baby is formed and then born. Once out of the womb it enters the higher world of Nature where all its powers gradually flower. On the physical plane, development has a limit and when that limit has been reached regression commences. Thus you grew from the stage of the baby to that of a young boy and presently you are in adulthood. Gradually your body will become old and weaken and finally it will return whence it came. Now, this analogy is with regards physical bodies. But it is exactly the same thing with regards the quality of thoughts. So, Hitler's main motive was narrow in scope with regards its aim, imbued with diseased arrogance, maniacal in its disregard of the wellbeing of others. In brief, the very foundation of Hitler's campaign was counter to the principle of the universe: unity and life! It was therefore lacking in universal goodness and we may say that it was evil in its consequentual effects. It goes without saying that his doom was foreordained at the outset. Evil can never conquer good. This is evident and according to the principles animating the universe.


You wrote,
"...Evil isnt defined by how the outcome is. If you end up doing something Evil, but have good intentions about it, also knowing that it might go bad.. Is that Evil? No i would say, as long as you have good intentions. Let's say that someone does something of which the outcome is considered Evil. Suppose the guy didnt know what he did was Evil, he had good intentions about it.. Is he Evil? Can the action be considered Evil?"

I would say this person's action was based on ignorance, which brings us back to square one: ignorance is the absence of knowledge; poverty the absence of wealth; sickness the absence of health; evil the absence of good! Certainly in our ignorance we commit many unintentional wrongs. Evil becomes evil when we deliberately know what is good and right but we do the opposite. For example, a murderer knows full well the outcome of the act he is about to commit but commits it just the same. This is a complete turning against good. This is evil and the murderer is responsible for his act of which society punishes!


I simply love what you say with the words,
"...The base of what you learn today, is the same that your grandfather did... When education becomes so "in a box" there isn't much room to explore the good and the bad things in life.. There is always a balance, but until we all can define good and bad through all cultures, that is never going to happen.."

This is certainly very true. There is no fast and easy answer but i believe there is an answer.


You further ask me,
".. Since good and bad are not perceived the same by any persons, why are different people, with different views judging, the "bad" people?"

I believe it is all a matter of the quality of a person's moral foundation. You see, casting a negative judgement is easier than casting a positive one. When one sees the bad in another, he has only to make the judgement, the reproach, and then wash his hands of the whole affair. He doesn't have to take on personal responsibility in relation to that "bad" he sees in another person. This is very much a child's attitude because children do this all the time without having the awareness of personal responsibility. On the otherhand, to not cast a negative judgement and look at the quality of another requires personal involvement and commitment. For example, one day i was in a shopping mall and an elderly lady was slowly walking in front of me carrying two heavy plastic bags of groceries. She was blocking my path and i was in a hurry! As we approached the exit doors i made a few strides ahead of her and opened the door, allowing her to pass before me. Astonished, she looked at me and said, "I didn't know that good people still existed!" I then proceeded to ask her if i could help carry her bags to the bus stop. She consented. Arriving at the bus stop i forgot all about my appointment and began chatting with her until the bus arrived. Finally, before getting on the bus she said to me, "blessed be your soul." My point is that i could easily have ignored this woman's plight and, instead, simply seen in her a slow person blocking my path. One has to have compassion for others. To blame others for their faults is a characteristic of children, not adults! To see faults in the exterior world is a deformation of perception because we all have faults, but it is our duty to overlook the faults of others for, you see, when we see other people's faults we also expend needless energy in trying to correct them when in reality our duty lies in expending that energy in correcting our own faults!

You also wrote,
"So until we can "define" good and evil, write it down on a piece of paper to be the foundation for all cultures on this planet, this conversation will always be biased.. "

Yes, this seems a good idea. It has already been done, however. We have only to open our minds to the Teachings of Moses, Christ, Buddha, and Mohammad. We have only to understand their spiritual Teachings. The social Teachings of these Divine Manifestations differed due to the requirements of the time in which they lived, but their spiritual Teachings are all the same: They all taught love, respect, compassion, justice, wisdom, for example. These Teachings are the Standard for the behavior of all humans on this planet.


In conclusion, you write:
"You in the USA are afraid and concerned of the Islamic terrorists that might attack US right? Are those people Evil? No.. They are not. They are willing to do this for THEIR good cause, so for them the US are the terrorists. US looks upon them as terrorists themselves, based on THEIR perspective of what is good...."

Once again, what i explained above with regards Hitler will have to be applied here, too. Any movement which today fixes as its aim the destruction of humanity's ordered life and wellbeing will utterly fail. This is impossible for it is against the principle of the universe! You will recall what happened to Sadam Husain when many countries converged to stop the furtherance of his political intentions. We are getting to that point of planetary development where no nation will dare wage war against another. The United Nations affords us a glimmer of the beginning of a great political union between nations. It is still in its infant stage. It needs a few more years before it fully matures. The goal of human societies throughout the globe is to unite into one fatherland, one great nation called EARTH!

THE UNITY OF HUMANITY IS NOT ONLY POSSIBLE, IT IS INEVITABLE!


H-Kon, your English is superb!!!


I have enjoyed talking to you

------------------
dumaurier

Dumarier:

Well I certainly enjoy talking to you too :-)

Your reply to my post was a very very good one. There is really nothing that i can point my finger on. We are agreed on this, thus making this conversation a little difficult.

One thing i need to do is make sure my posts arent so repetetive as the one i made :-)

Thank you for your time :-)


------------------
Just waiting for my peabrain to boot into English :\

hi
Instead of answering I would like to know a few specifics. First do you want the simple answer (for the answer is experience) or are you looking for a more expansive reason? Second do you mean only in your life, everyone's lives, this life time, or the whole deal?

Yours Zygos

you can belive what you wish, but if you expect it, it may not come true

Zygos,

I have trouble understanding your post. Would you please be more clear. Thank you.

------------------
dumaurier

H-Kon,

You're so kind, thank you.

I was wondering, need we necessarily point fingers at anything at all in order to have a conversation? Don't you think it sad that people should bicker and fight just because they have different views? It would be so marvellous if we could just learn to accept each other as we are, without trying to impose, without trying to cut the grass under the feet of someone who has different ideas. We are all searching and if we searched together, with genuine interest, we'd be the happier for it because united we would achieve results unattainable if we searched alone!


Perhaps you could elaborate your purpose of life, and maybe even tell us your opinion on why there is a universe at all? I think that if the conversation can be friendly, inviting, non-antagonistic, we could explore each other's views and most probably learn a lot. It is in this reciproval type of sharing, really, that people grow and learn to love each other, don't you think?

------------------
dumaurier

hi,

I was asking three specifics based on your original..but let me say them again 1. Do you want me to tell you what is the meaning of your life, my life, or everybody's lives? 2. did you mean in this life, the next life, or the entire time we exist.3. are you looking for a big or small answer...there that should clear it up..sorry for not being clearer

Hi Zygos,

Thanks for the clarification. I have elaborated between each point you bring up...

1. Do you want me to tell you what is the meaning of your life, my life, or everybody's lives?


Well, since the part is of the whole, and the whole is comprised of each part, i suppose you can start by

a) What is the meaning of your life?
b) What is (or should be) the meaning of life for everybody on this planet as a whole.
c) As for the meaning of my own life, i should be able to figure that one out by myself.


Now for point 2 of your post...

2. did you mean in this life, the next life, or the entire time we exist.

a) I mean first in this life because this is the most relative, of course;
b) And specifically while we do have life on this earth, which means the entire time we exist on this earth
c) As to the next life, i guess we should leave this for the time when we get there (do you think there are bulletinboards there? :)


Now for point 3...

3. are you looking for a big or small answer...

a) A "deep" or profound answer coming from the very depths of your heart would be the best *;
b) Make it as big as you want.


*Note that it is easy to intellectualize anything. We can create all sorts of imaginative schemes with our minds and justify just about anything with logic and reason. It'd be good if you were really honest and pondered very deeply your answers before posting.


A bientot

------------------
dumaurier

Maybe there is no purpose to life. Maybe you just exist and that's it. Why does there have to be a "reason"?

Maybe the purpose of life is carry on the species in order to prevent it from becoming extinct

Or, if you don't like either of those. Make your own purpose.

What other beings in the universe (that you know of) contemplate "purpose." This is a question about, "who am I, and what am I supposed to do."

It is existential question about the rules of the game. You say Damurier that you "don't believe in accidents." So that is a good start for you. Me I assume that accidents happen, but then I never ask myself that question, maybe because I have travelled alot, and realized that the rules are different in the next village.

this message will be short.
Generally, we adapt, learn and evolve.
That is what the meaning of life is
in one perspective, but in another,
life is what you make of it.
What does life mean to you?

-Dan

Well guys, i was kinda looking for more substance to your posts...

sigh...

------------------
dumaurier

Dumaurier,

I stated the meaning of life.
Truly no one can think of a better
explanation?

---------------------------------
"The meaning of life is what life
means to you.
As a species, we learn, reproduce
and evolve."
---------------------------------

There. I've said it again.

-Dan

I believe the problem is fundamentally one of perception: those who view life as a material existence only, will interpret everything from such a perspective; those who view life as having a spiritual significance, will see it from a spiritual perspective.

My view is that true "purpose" is of a spiritual nature. Material existence is subservient to this.

I see life from a spiritual perspective. All matter was created to serve a spiritual purpose. In other words, the universe has a spiritual purpose. Where there is no spiritual purpose, there is limited, constrained purpose, for matter, as we all know, is finite, limited. But the spiritual is infinite.

Thus, an expert engineer creates a fine piece of architectural art and its purpose is not the combining of the various pieces but that the final structure should serve a superior purpose.

This is a brief rendition of my view on the purpose of life.

------------------
dumaurier

My view is this: The universe is alive, the supreme organism! We are intelligent pieces of the universe, for the purpose of thought and love.

-Intelligent piece of the universe, Joe

There lived a wise man if, we can call him a man - named Jesus. A wonder worker and a teacher of those who search after truth, he attracted crowds of both Jews and 'Gentiles. He was the 'Christ. Nevertheless, Pilate, at the urging of our leaders, sentenced him to death on the 'cross. His disciples remained faithful, however, and after three days he appeared to them alive. This and many other marvelous things had been foretold about him by the prophets. The Christian sect, named after him, still flourishes to this day."


Flavius Josephus (1st Century AD.)

No man in history ever claimed what Jesus did.
Mohammed acknowledged himself to be a sinner.
Buddah rejected any form of personal veneration.
No man in history ever dared to identify Himself with God in the way that Jesus did.

and Jesus said, "Who do you say I am?"

Bruce:
You posted this same, exact message elsewhere and i am posting here the same, exact answer:

I'm of the impression that the points you raise may be better discussed in an independent thread. Here we are talking about "Proofs & Evidences of the Existence of God." Your post seems to be better suited to a thread on comparative religion. Why don't you start the thread? Just be warned that once one gets on the bandwagon of comparative adjectives, the road is quite rough and full of peril.

So, do you have any proof and/or evidence supporting or debunking our current topic?



------------------
dumaurier

The purpose of life:

To glorify God!

------------------
dumaurier

Why is there a universe?

To glorify God!

------------------
dumaurier

There are no accidents.
Life was all very well planned by God. His purpose was clear: so that all things in existence glorify Him.

Next time you walk outside, look at the branches of trees, at the flowers. Notice in which direction the branches and flowers turn. See how they're all turned upward glorifying their Creator with outstretched hands. Plants glorify the sun. Human beings should glorify their Creator with outstretched arms.

The notion that we humans are a laboratory experiment of some galactic civilization originates in the imagination of those who are completely out of touch with the Glorified Creator.

Man must believe. He must have faith. He must love. When he turns his belief in the direction of nonsense, nonsense is the fruit. When he places his faith in stupidity, the same is his reward. When he loves his imagination, he becomes the embodiment of fancy.

Humanity is established on the foundation of the love of God.

------------------
dumaurier

Glorify God!

Simple answer from a simple age.

Imagine a scientist breeding a special species of lab rat that would do nothing but glorify him. That's what we'd technically refer to as Mad Scientist.

Even if you believe in God, it's nonsensical and horribly depressing to reduce life to that.

------------------
I am; therefore I think.

Let me get this straight.
Dumarier, you're saying that we were
put on this planet to serve god.
Apparently, your statements about the
life aren't exactly right.
I wish you could think more genearly like
I do, in higher dimensions, at higher
levels of thinking.

Try to understand that the meaning of life
is not to serve god. In a sense it is,
but in another sense it isn't.
By saying that, you are only stating indirectly that we are dominent over all
forms of life.

--------------------------------------------

There are two parts, perspectives if you
will call them, to the meaning of life.
The first one is the general perspective
many of you tend to refer your views to.
The general perspective here is that we
were not put on this planet to serve god.

The general perspective of this topic
refers somewhat to the 1st law of
survival (the strongest always survive).
Do you see tigers, goats, cats or dogs
preying to god? No, only humans do.
That would mean that the meaning of life
is not to prey to god now is it.

I relate the general idea of life's meaning
to the 1st law of survival because that
is one way of putting it. Basically,
the meaning of life itself it to survive.
Every single specie on this planet including
us has survived because of a few things.
Life survives because it learns, it adapts,
and progresses - thus you have evolution.

--------------------------------------------
The second part here is the individualistic
ideas of what the meaning of life is.
As a whole, we have evolved tremendously
and developed ourselves into a complex
society. Life to us is no longer a game
of passing on our genes from generation
to generation. Each one of our lives goes
beyond that and thus has further, more
individualistic meaning.

The meaning of life is what you want it
to be; what life means to you.
If you want to go and prey to go and
believe that is the meaning of life
then do - there's you're meaning of life.
Each meaning is different for every
person on the earth.

-Dan

Evolution is an information-encoding process. So is our civilization.

Life as a whole seems to want to encode as much information about the universe as possible. Which would even make sense evolutionarily, since knowledge/adaptation improves odds of survival.

As some people put it, life is the universe's consciousness, its way of figuring itself out.

Why are we accumulating knowledge? Is there an end-point to all this? Are we building toward something, or just aimlessly following the laws of physics? If there is a purpose to life, it must be embedded in physical laws which drive our existence, and in the initial state of the universe.

One guess is as good as any other...

Here's a fascinating scenario:

The universe itself is a form of life. It had a birth, it is growing up, and eventually it will die of old age. Universes procreate, however, and life as we know it is the universal gonad. Our task is to learn about the organism and its behavior, and then figure out a way to give birth to the next universe. Then we would have served our purpose, and can die of old age, even as new life takes root in the new universe(s) we helped create. Or maybe we end up opening the doors to another existence, and breaking out of the 'cycle' -- perhaps to become part of an even greater life cycle or to originate life cycles of our own... It's the infinite universe and infinite God all wrapped into the same package.

Beautiful, and even sort of romantic, no? Just dreamt it up five minutes ago, and thought I'd share with the rest of you. Say, would anybody like to start a new religion based on my idea? ;)

------------------
I am; therefore I think.

Xeno:

God is closer to you than your life vein, says the Qu'ran. He it was Who gave you life, the air you breath, the food you eat, and the rational faculty with which you can appreciate His glorious handiwork. In every little thing can be seen the wonders of this most glorious Creator. No matter how far we can examine and understand the smallest of things in this magnificent universe, we will see God in it, through it, above it. He is the Omnipresent, the Inescapable. All things were created to discover the greatness of their creator. A piece of bread was made by able hands to aid in nourishing them. There is no other more lofty purpose than this in the entire universe for a piece of bread. Man's duty is to serve his Creator to the best of his ability. No matter how much logic and intelligence you try to inject into trying to understand the universe, you will always be led to the fact that the essence of everything could never be disclosed to the mind. In the beginning there was God, and naught was there but Him! He is the Fashioner, the Begetter of every atom and beyond.


Xeno writes:
Try to understand that the meaning of life is not to serve God. In a sense it is, but in another sense it isn't. By saying that, you are only stating indirectly that we are dominant over all forms of life.


dumaurier responds:
Man is, indeed, the ultimate creation for in him is seen that faculty with which he may consciously contemplate his Creator. If this is the meaning of your word, "dominant," then we agree.


Xeno, i understand what you mean with regards the Darwinian notion dealing with the "survival of the fittest." However, i differ in this view insomuch as such struggle is limited to the animal world. Man should not stoop to such levels as to allow his own brother to die of starvation. Strife and bloodshed befit the beasts of the field, not man. Man's station is high, very high. It is our duty to progress out of a past of ignorance and superstition and begin to realize with concrete means our mutual unity. For example, the age of nation building has come to an end. It is no longer appropriate for a country to declare independence but it is high time we labored diligently to build one world unity. In this we are capable. But if we remain in the past and continue thinking in terms of "survival of the fittest," we won't be able to establish one world on this planet. Nevertheless, i do believe that, want it or want it not, God works His works and the unity of the human race will be realized despite the desires of certain men. You are correct in stating that "life survives because it learns, it adapts, and progresses - thus you have evolution." Indeed! Let us stop thinking as our ancestors did. Let us truly realize that humanity can survive because it learns, adapts, progresses, evolves towards world unity.

Your other point concerns individualistic meaning and you say that "life is what you want it to mean." Individualism is a product of our capitalism. Take away God from the life of a person and you have individualism. God desires good for all of mankind. Today God desires to see man unified in one global community on this planet. You are aware that modern television, radio, the internet, airplane travel, etc., have made our limited national community into one very large community which embraces all peoples of this planet. The people of Indonesia just 30 years ago were oppressed, worked almost for nothing, had a life expectancy of 45-50 years, but today enjoy a strong economy, live to a ripe old age as in our own Western world, and enjoy all the benefits technological development and education has bestowed upon them. They have a seat at the United Nations, and are keen on international assistance to other nations in need. This is the meaning of life, my dear Xeno: that we labor day and night that traditional prejudices based on ignorant individualism and such backward notions as "survival of the fittest" be completely eradicated in order that we may all live for the betterment of the entire human race. But in order to live such a selfless life one needs to love humanity. There cannot be any love for humanity if there is no love of God in the heart. God created all and everyone that we should uplift our hands to praise and glorify His Name, the Unique, the Unifier of all of mankind.

"The Divine Messengers have been sent down, and their Books were revealed, for the purpose of promoting the knowledge of God, and of furthering unity and fellowship amongst men. (Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 12)

The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. If any man were to meditate on that which the Scriptures, sent down from the heaven of God's holy Will, have revealed, he would readily recognize that their purpose is that all men shall be regarded as one soul, so that the seal bearing the words "The Kingdom shall be God's" may be stamped on every heart, and the light of Divine bounty, of grace, and mercy may envelop all mankind. The one true God, exalted be His glory, hath wished nothing for Himself. The allegiance of mankind profiteth Him not, neither doth its perversity harm Him." (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 260)


"We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations.... That all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled--what harm is there in this?... Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the `Most Great Peace' shall come.... Yet do We see your kings and rulers lavishing their treasures more freely on means for the destruction of the human race than on that which would conduce to the happiness of mankind.... These strifes and this bloodshed and discord must cease, and all men be as one kindred and one family.... Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind...." (Bahá'u'lláh, Proclamation of Baha'u'llah)

------------------
dumaurier

Dumarier,
I still cannot understand how we can be
the ultimate form of life in the universe.
The bible says that we were created in
god's image; an image not of physical
importance but of spiritual significance.

The meaning of life that I stated was
only that of the physical. Why do we
live? Break society down and we are
no different than animals. Truthfully
we are intelligent, but primitive in
a sense. We act together in one way
but we still express acts of negativity
and violence because of emotions.

We cannot be the ultimate forms of life
in the universe. We live in nature;
we eat, sleep, drink, and feel emotions,
thus we cannot exist above nature.
Plain and simple is that we do not
exist above nature.

The meaning of life refers to the physical.
In a sense, you and I are talking about
2 different things.

I have to get a haircut now so I will have
to continue this post later.

-Dan

------------------------------------------
God is not a he, nor a she, nor an individual. God is the alpha and the
Omega. God is the essence of the universe,
perhaps the universe itself in one
sense.
By calling God a he, you are binding him
down to our level; to the physical where
we are chained down by the physical laws
of the universe. Thus if this were so,
God would be no different than you
or me and certainly not more pure than
you and me.

One must suffer before he or she can
become affinified with God who is
infinity. In the end, our path is the
same - we become one with God.

-----------------------------------------

Xeno, i will only take one point from your post and develop the theme.

You wrote,
I still cannot understand how we can be the ultimate form of life in the universe.


dumaurier responds:
The honor and exaltation of every existing being depends upon causes and circumstances.

The excellency, the adornment and the perfection of the earth is to be verdant and fertile through the bounty of the clouds of springtime. Plants grow; flowers and fragrant herbs spring up; fruit-bearing trees become full of blossoms and bring forth fresh and new fruit. Gardens become beautiful, and meadows adorned; mountains and plains are clad in a green robe, and gardens, fields, villages and cities are decorated. This is the prosperity of the mineral world.

The height of exaltation and the perfection of the vegetable world is that a tree should grow on the bank of a stream of fresh water, that a gentle breeze should blow on it, that the warmth of the sun should shine on it, that a gardener should attend to its cultivation, and that day by day it should develop and yield fruit. But its real prosperity is to progress into the animal and human world, and replace that which has been exhausted in the bodies of animals and men.

The exaltation of the animal world is to possess perfect members, organs and powers, and to have all its needs supplied. This is its chief glory, its honor and exaltation. So the supreme happiness of an animal is to have possession of a green and fertile meadow, perfectly pure flowing water, and a lovely, verdant forest. If these things are provided for it, no greater prosperity can be imagined. For example, if a bird builds its nest in a green and fruitful forest, in a beautiful high place, upon a strong tree, and at the top of a lofty branch, and if it finds all it needs of seeds and water, this is its perfect prosperity.

But real prosperity for the animal consists in passing from the animal world to the human world, like the microscopic beings that, through the water and air, enter into man and are assimilated, and replace that which has been consumed in his body. This is the great honor and prosperity for the animal world; no greater honor can be conceived for it.

Therefore, it is evident and clear that this wealth, this comfort and this material abundance form the complete prosperity of minerals, vegetables and animals. No riches, wealth, comfort or ease of the material world is equal to the wealth of a bird; all the areas of these plains and mountains are its dwelling, and all the seeds and harvests are its food and wealth, and all the lands, villages, meadows, pastures, forests and wildernesses are its possessions. Now, which is the richer, this bird, or the most wealthy man? for no matter how many seeds it may take or bestow, its wealth does not decrease.

Then it is clear that the honor and exaltation of man must be something more than material riches. Material comforts are only a branch, but the root of the exaltation of man is the good attributes and virtues which are the adornments of his reality. These are the divine appearances, the heavenly bounties, the sublime emotions, the love and knowledge of God; universal wisdom, intellectual perception, scientific discoveries, justice, equity, truthfulness, benevolence, natural courage and innate fortitude; the respect for rights and the keeping of agreements and covenants; rectitude in all circumstances; serving the truth under all conditions; the sacrifice of one's life for the good of all people; kindness and esteem for all nations; the guidance of the people, and the education of the nations and races. This is the prosperity of the human world! This is the exaltation of man in the world! This is eternal life and heavenly honor!

These virtues do not appear from the reality of man except through the power of God and the divine teachings, for they need supernatural power for their manifestation. It may be that in the world of nature a trace of these perfections may appear, but they are unstable and ephemeral; they are like the rays of the sun upon the wall.

As the compassionate God has placed such a wonderful crown upon the head of man, man should strive that its brilliant jewels may become visible in the world. (`Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions)


Humans have a conscious and intelligent mind able to perceive the greatness of the cosmos all about. On the terrestrial globe we are the ultimate form of life insofar as we are capable of developing virtues in their fullest. No other form of life below that of the human is capable of developing qualities to the same extent as man is capable.

We really cannot say that we are the ultimate form of life in the universe. If i have said this i meant that we are the ultimate form of life within the known universe for, you will agree with me, we have yet to discover with absolute certainty other intelligent creatures as ourselves in the cosmos.


Nice talking to you

------------------
dumaurier

The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve but a reality to experience - Frank Herbert

MaTTo

Matto,
that was a good speach. All I can say
about what you said is that there is
no better way to truly generalize
what the meaning of life is.

-------------------------------------------
Dumarier,
I was replying to your post yesterday
but it was never finished because my
brother came up and started playing around
with the computer and apparently closed
the browser window.
*Sob* It's not fair. It took me 45 minutes
to write all that *Sob*

------------------------------------------
Just one question everyone. How do I
put happy faces, sad faces, and what the
heckever faces beside my writing.

Another questions:
What is the difference between
a member and a junior member?

-------------------------------------------
There, I've said it. Oh boy, I'm getting
off topic.

-Dan

Xeno,

I'm so sorry for the major mishap that struck you yesterday. I can relate to how absolutely frustrating it can be when we've worked for a long time to answer a post and suddenly something goes wrong and you've lost your post. This also happened to me once right here on Exoscience. So, now what i do is copy the post which i wish to answer, bring it into one of my editors (Word or WordPerfect), save it on my harddrive and then i answer it from within that editor. My editors are configured to automatically save whatever document i'm working with every three minutes. In this way i never lose anything anymore. Try it. It works! Besides, you'll save on those tissues you've been buying to wipe away the tears :)


You also asked about inserting icon graphics into your posts. I hope someone else here will be able to help you. I don't know how.

With regards your third question, "What is the difference between a member and a junior member?"

It seems that there isn't any according to a post i read by Dave Watanabe a while back. But i conjecture that if you've posted a certain number of posts in Exoscience, you automatically become a "member." But it doesn't mean anything.

There you have it. Are you happy?


Salutations


------------------
dumaurier

Xeno,to quickly comment:
-using an external app like MS Word is a darned good idea. (huzah for spell-check)
-to make various smilie icons, read this: http://www.exosci.com/ubb/faq.html#smilies
-Member/Junior member - like dumaurier said, there's no tangible difference. you don't get access to any 'secret' forums. it's just a symbolic representation of the # of posts you've made (30 is the threshold, i think)

DaveW, Admin

:) Thanks guys :)
for the help.
------------------------------------------
Dumarier,
Do you agree with my postings or are you
skeptic towards them. In past postings,
you've seemed to agree somewhat to
some extent. However, in some of your
posts, you've seemed to indirectly
disagree with me. :(
I'm not sure. Perhaps it's the usage of
words.

-Dan