Origins
1: 1 What is the purpose of our universe? We only have direct experiences with the things we interact with, can we trust what we believe to be reality? 1: 2 There is, of course, much more out there than we experience through our senses. Just like there is much more that makes up the matter in which we and our environment are made than we can perceive.
1: 3 Do we need to know about the extremely macro or micro? Of course, both have and do influence our existence. But does hypothesizing about the structure of the atom change who or what we are? Change our purpose, if we have one.
1: 4 Unless my life is just an all-encompassing dream, then we certainly exist. But why? Is our purpose to be a parasite, sucking every last resource from the Earth and exerting dominion over all other life? 1: 5 Building machines that pollute and poison our air and water? Is it our purpose to develop technologically so we can travel through space, hopping from one planet to another and consuming everything just to keep our species alive?
1: 6 We evolved the ability to understand, manipulate, and change our environments. We have changed our environment to allow for greater population densities. However, has that improved the biosphere?
1: 7 Humanities successes in attaining greater and greater populations have not improved Earth from the standpoint of its capacity to sustain life in all of its forms, just life in the human form.
1: 8 We were “created” or evolved to be stewards of the anomaly we see around us. 1: 9 We could have fulfilled a noble and heroic role. A role that should have been an honor and a privilege to perform. However, it was not enough.
1: 10 We had to arrogantly separate ourselves, and take for granted that we are born possessing, and surrounded by, life. We should be the consciousness of the living Earth.
1: 11 The elements brought together by the cosmic forces of energy and gravity formed a massive rock. 1: 12 The layers of life that cover this sphere serve as the vital organs, sinew, and skin of the living being, Earth. 1: 13 We should have been the Earth’s sentience, a cognizant, perceptive, compassionate essence of a living system. 1: 14 Instead of acting like the antibodies of this vast organism we have become a virus. Putting in jeopardy the whole, sacrificing the “host” to increase our numbers and ensure only our survival. Like we could survive away from the womb in which we developed.
1: 15 Just as we were created or evolved to fulfill the role of sentient defender, watcher, and guardian. And just as we have mutated into the antithesis of these things.
1: 16 Something has been created or evolved, that guarantees our extinction, but also levies an eternal punishment for our betrayal and our fall from grace to indecency.
1: 17 Acceptance is enlightenment; the only way existence makes any sense is that we are condemned.
1: 18 Our realization of mortality, the intelligence to make weapons of mass destruction but not the ability to overcome superficial differences such as race and orientation. 1: 19 The capability of strong emotions like empathy, sorrow, and grief. These examples suggest our lives here are a designed punishment, now of course people will say that some lives are much worse than others, or that their life does not feel like a punishment. 1: 20 Just wait, we have no idea what the future holds. Life can be relatively easy then be devastated by an accident or loss of family to disease or violence. 1: 21 We don’t know what our last life was or what our next will be. Do you see a purpose for our existence?
1: 22 Acceptance is enlightenment, we are condemned, so we must let go of our preconceived notions of heaven, reward, salvation, and the utility of prayer. 1: 23 We are trapped here, with no way to be forgiven, no way to beg our way out. Accept it, look around, and do what is right, not because God told you or because you will be rewarded, but because it is all we have left.
1: 24 Nothing or no one is going to help us, we cannot live our lives for an afterlife that will never come. Our only option is to relieve whatever suffering we can for those who are willing to humble themselves and reciprocate.