If a tree falls in the forest ... and we all know the rest. Does the universe exist? If life were not here to record it in the manner they do, would it matter? If "God", as such, looks down on a lonely planet, barren and lifeless, can that "God" exist? Or does one human who trains a bunch of dogs and cats to live in harmony become "God" in that environment? Should the human race extinct itself, by whatever means, does that mean: A) God dies with them? B) God remains for whatever species survive the event? C) God spends the next four and a half billion years creating an entire universe and so that He/She/It can manipulate life on one planet so that only one species evolves to interact as directly as, say, a Christian might believe the interchange between God and man? D) God picks up the bat, ball, and goes home, swearing to never play that stupid game again? E) There never was a God, there never was a Universe; any other perceptions are unfortunate random events? There's always the "none of the above", or the "all of the above" answers, but they have as much substance in the end as a Zen martini. Actually, I shouldn't ridicule the "none of the above" answers: if I've missed something (ha! if only I could be as perfect as God wants me to be ...) then the "none of the above" can be valuable. thx, Tiassa ------------------ "Let us not launch the boat until the ground is wet." (Khaavren of Castlerock)
tiassa, Well, you've certainly missed the one I would have chosen: the universe exists regardless of our presence, and there is no God (at least not in the way we picture him/her/it.) ------------------ I am; therefore I think.
I vote that the universe doesn't exist, and neither do we. HA! HA! HA! ROFLMAO! ------------------ God loves you and so do I!
Hey, I've got a good riddle... If a man is talking, but no one is around to hear him, is he still wrong? ROFLMAO!!! ------------------ God loves you and so do I!
Lori, That's easy. Reality decides what's right and what's wrong; as long as the man can think (and thus follow certain laws, including causality), truth and falsity indeed exist. ------------------ I am; therefore I think.
That was supposed to be funny. You really know how to kill a joke, eh? ------------------ God loves you and so do I!
Hmmm .... Boris: You're after my heart there; I skipped the answer you offered because that's probably the one I'm after in the end. And it certainly defeats the question. Also, your 9/14 reply to Lori made me smile. Lori: I generally tend to believe that the universe is, in itself, a paradox. And I don't want to kill a joke, but I'm curious why you find the "Universe" answer so laughable. (By the way, if a man is talking, it almost doesn't matter whether there's anyone to hear him ... generally we're wrong about most things.) Oops, just looked at the clock. Gotta run. Thank you both for your answers, though. thx Tiassa ------------------ "Let us not launch the boat until the ground is wet." (Khaavren of Castlerock)
You're a man? What the hell are you doing with a name like Tiassa? But hey, that was a joke, ok? I didn't mean there's anything funny about the universe, just the notion that it or we do not exist?????? ------------------ God loves you and so do I!
Lori-- A tiassa is a small, Dragaeran cat. thx, Tiassa ------------------ "Let us not launch the boat until the ground is wet." (Khaavren of Castlerock)
Hello Tiassa, You ask: "If 'God', as such, looks down on a lonely planet, barren and lifeless, can that 'God' exist?" Well, of course, God can exist prior to the creation of mankind, whether you believe in "God", as such, or not. Additionally, the Word of God tells you that when God first created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland. You also ask: "Or does one human who trains a bunch of dogs and cats to live in harmony become 'God' in that environment?" Well, of course not... The Word of God tells you that there is only one God and that God gave mankind dominion over the animals of the earth. You further ask: "Should the human race extinct itself, by whatever means, does that mean: A) God dies with them? B) God remains for whatever species survive the event? C) God spends the next four and a half billion years creating an entire universe and so that He/She/It can manipulate life on one planet so that only one species evolves to interact as directly as, say, a Christian might believe the interchange between God and man? D) God picks up the bat, ball, and goes home, swearing to never play that stupid game again? E) There never was a God, there never was a Universe; any other perceptions are unfortunate random events?" The Word of God gives you your answer which is "none of the above"... The Word of God tells you that God will continue to exist for all eternity and will share in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit with the souls of mankind who, through their own free will, choose fellowship with God in the Holy Spirit for all eternity. As you can see, God gave you the answers to the questions that God knew you would be asking. [This message has been edited by truestory (edited October 12, 1999).] [This message has been edited by truestory (edited October 12, 1999).]
I like cats. I have 10 at the moment. Anyone like a kitten? I can Fed Ex. Just kidding. ------------------ God loves you and so do I!
Humans will put an end to themselves, but God has promised to make a new Heaven and earth. He'll always be there for us...if we let Him.
