But P.J., first you tell us God is indifferent to human conceptions of good and evil, then you tell us the benefits of loving people and showing kindness. If the meaning of life really is unknowable and God is just a force at work in the universe what is the impetus for being loving and kind?
I will admit that I am arguing this out of the conceit that when we act in ways that benefit all creation and not just ourselves we are doing “good” and when we act only to benefit ourselves we are doing “bad.”
I believe we are all like individual cells in a larger organism (for lack of a better term). When I say “we” I don’t just mean people, but also cats, grass, trees, stars, planets, iPods, Slurpees, etc. Personally, I want the cells around me to be as strong as possible. This is why I believe not only in helping out the people in my life, but am pro-environment, education, for better art, better homes, better opportunities and so on.
Also, I believe God is the only explanation for why our species has managed to get this far without killing itself off despite countless chances of doing so. That suggests to me that humanity still has some purpose in the bigger picture and it makes me want to be the best I know we are capable of being.
I’m not an idealist. There will always be selfish people, uncaring people, people who are more interested in bettering themselves than bettering their world. I think these people are important in the overall design if for no other reason than to remind us the advantages of selfless living just like there will always be poor to remind us the advantages we have, lonely people to make us hold those we love closer, and suicides to renew our dedication to our own lives.
The world is not complete without the negative to show us the positive. So some people will never care about my views on love and will never be able to share them and that is ok, because when I see these people I realize how important these priorities are to me.
We are a universe of individuals each playing their own role some for the better of all and some for the better of themselves. Hopefully, for our continued existence and strength we can maintain a balance where the strong cells outnumber the cancerous ones.
