Why is the origin of the universe meaningful?

[Filthy Tugboat]

Arguments for God often always rely on the ultimate question of, "without God how could the universe exist." And often arguments of a prime mover which I think are somewhat legitimate but just don't share any relation with religious conceptions of God. But really, why is the origin of the universe important at all? Why should I concern myself with how it all began and, with that concern, any concept of God or deep scientific study into the big bang and evolution? Why does it matter what happened billions of years ago?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Filthy Tugboat]

Because unlike dumb beasts satisfied with food shelter and a means to reproduce, some humans understand knowing where one is from is central to knowing were one is going. We are all born with a fundamental need for purpose, and some of us are not satisfied with Disney or Goldman Sachs telling us what it is.

JW





FULL Article: https://www.jw.org/en/publications/maga ... god-exist/




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[postroad]

[Replying to post 2 by JehovahsWitness]

So it wouldn't matter if you're beliefs were not based on actual events ?

Their purpose alone justifies their defence and indoctrination?

[Filthy Tugboat]

[Replying to post 1 by Filthy Tugboat]

Because unlike dumb beasts satisfied with food shelter and a means to reproduce, some humans understand knowing where one is from is central to knowing were one is going. We are all born with a fundamental need for purpose, and some of us are not satisfied with Disney or Goldman Sachs telling us what it is.

JW

Whom are you referring to as dumb beasts? I feel kind of attacked....

But seriously, why is knowledge of the origins of the universe central to knowing where one is going? How does that impact you in your day to day life? I certainly agree with not being satisfied with the purpose given by culture, government or the aristocracy but I don't know how that ties into knowledge of the origins of the universe.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 4 by Filthy Tugboat]

Because if the universe and all that is in it is the result of an intelligent creator then knowing Him and what he has in store for us will satisfy our most fundamental needs and have a profound effect on the success of any future plans we make. If we are here because a Creator put us here, we do well to know why in case He has placed conditions on our staying.


JW

[Filthy Tugboat]

[Replying to post 4 by Filthy Tugboat]

Because if the universe and all that is in it is the result of an intelligent creator then knowing Him and what he has in store for us will satisfy our most fundamental needs and have a profound effect on the success of any future plans we make. If we are here because a Creator put us here, we do well to know why in case He has placed conditions on our staying.


JW

How does knowledge of the origin of the universe effect "what He has in store for us?"

If it were important to a creator that we know something, wouldn't it be plainly obvious in the way the sky being blue is plainly obvious to anyone not colour blind or blind? And even they can confidently rely on the society around them to know the sky is blue because it is just such an obvious fact

How does knowing the origins of the universe help us to understand why "a Creator put us here?"

I get what your saying and I know what is tied to Christianity and it's different sects but I still can't see what happens at the beginning of the universe being important. How God created the universe doesn't seem to have a single impact on what you've suggested. Why would it require knowledge of how the universe was created to have a relationship with God?

[Zzyzx]

.

Arguments for God often always rely on the ultimate question of, "without God how could the universe exist." And often arguments of a prime mover which I think are somewhat legitimate but just don't share any relation with religious conceptions of God. But really, why is the origin of the universe important at all? Why should I concern myself with how it all began and, with that concern, any concept of God or deep scientific study into the big bang and evolution? Why does it matter what happened billions of years ago?

Religions in general attempt or pretend to provide answers to what is not known in their era. As more is learned about the Earth, Solar System, and Universe the ‘gaps’ in knowledge recede and/or diminish.

Where once ‘gods’ or ‘spirits’ could be evoked to ‘explain’ storms, droughts, floods, volcanoes, illness, or even sunrise and sunset, those ‘explanations’ are no longer deemed valid by most well informed people. So, religions now stake their existence upon attributing remaining unknowns to favorite ‘gods’.

Or, ‘If you don’t know the answer it must be god’ – ‘If scientists don’t know how the universe formed it must be god’. And, as proof, 'Ancient people thought so and wrote this book, so it must be true’.

[JehovahsWitness]

How God created the universe doesn't seem to have a single impact on what you've suggested. Why would it require knowledge of how the universe was created to have a relationship with God?

Perhaps we are talking a cross purposes, when I speak of the origin of the universe, I am not referring to the exact physical process that was employed to bring it about, but rather who or what initiated its existence.

Think of it this way: On being presented with the reality of a full meal, it's the difference between asking how the meal came to be on the table and asking how the eggs were cooked.

I suppose there are three types of people, those of us that ask how things came about, those that want simply to know how the elements that came about, work and those that don't understand why anyone should even ask such questions at all.

How does knowing the origins of the universe help us to understand why "a Creator put us here?"

It doesn't, it lights the fire beneath those if us that need to know more to search for more, confident that our need to fit the pieces together can be satisfied. One cannot search for something one does not believe exists, one cannot search for satisfying answers from a Creator if one doesn't believe there is a Creator. It all begins with "How did we get here?"



JW

[Inigo Montoya]

[Replying to post 4 by Filthy Tugboat]

Because if the universe and all that is in it is the result of an intelligent creator then knowing Him and what he has in store for us will satisfy our most fundamental needs and have a profound effect on the success of any future plans we make. If we are here because a Creator put us here, we do well to know why in case He has placed conditions on our staying.


JW

Of course the problem here is that you DON'T know and are acting out the scenario anyway as if you do.

[Filthy Tugboat]

[Replying to post 6 by Filthy Tugboat]

Perhaps we are talking a cross purposes, when I speak of the origin of the universe, I am not referring to the exact physical process that was employed to bring it about, but rather who or what initiated its existence.

Think of it this way: On being presented with the reality of a full meal, it's the difference between asking how the meal came to be on the table and asking how the eggs were cooked.

I suppose there are three types of people, those of us that ask how things came about, those that want simply to know how the elements that came about, work and those that don't understand why anyone should even ask such questions at all.

JW

So the event that initiated existence is still important to you, why? What does that have to do with your philosophy, theology or day to day life? What impacts does it have on you knowing what happened 13 billion odd years ago?

I'm not trying to argue for or against God or science or anything here, just trying to understand why such an abstract event seems to matter to people in debates on morality, politics, religion, culture and just about anything else. Does knowing that answer change your views on religion or any other ideology, can you imagine not having a clue about that event, knowing you don't know anything about it, would that change anything else that you believe and know?