"Why" not "how" we are here.

How" the light comes on is a science and engineering question, and the laws of physics do not require a social agreement to function

Diest TKO wrote:

"Philosophically speaking, what is the most valuable information is the universe to you"

Whether there is a supreme being who controls my life or expects something of me. However, that question seems to be unanswerable at present.

I would like to know what existed before the big bang and exactly how life evolved, but that sort of information is not really valuable to most people. Knowing how to cure whatever serious diseases I will contract in my life would be extremely valuable. So would knowing the winning Powerball numbers before the next big jackpot.

IMO, the information that would be most valuable to mankind would be how to construct a society that would give every person the opportunity to live a "good" life.

Is there more to you than what you see in the mirror?

We have researched the claims for the existence of a "soul" which can (allegedly) survive the death of the body or which can (allegedly) detach itself from the body. And those of us who have checked it out do not see any reason to believe that such a thing as the "soul" exists.

Instead, we are satisfied with the explanation that the conscious, aware "Self" is established by the structures and the processes of the nervous system, particularly the brain, but working in conjunction with the nerves and the sensory organs. We may not know exactly what is going on or exactly how it works, but we don't see anything that even remotely points to the possibility that a supernatural "soul" exists.

We have researched the claims for the existence of a "soul" which can (allegedly) survive the death of the body or which can (allegedly) detach itself from the body. And those of us who have checked it out do not see any reason to believe that such a thing as the "soul" exists.

Instead, we are satisfied with the explanation that the conscious, aware "Self" is established by the structures and the processes of the nervous system, particularly the brain, but working in conjunction with the nerves and the sensory organs. We may not know exactly what is going on or exactly how it works, but we don't see anything that even remotely points to the possibility that a supernatural "soul" exists.

When we use the word "soul" in English, then, we mean a synonym for "person": "Not a soul was at the beach this evening." Sometimes we mean "mind" when we use this word. Only religious people mean "disembodied spirit"; only religious people give this word a supernatural, life-after-death meaning.Cliff Walker.

Only religious people mean "disembodied spirit"; only religious people give this word a supernatural, life-after-death meaning.

eorl wrote:

Only religious people mean "disembodied spirit"; only religious people give this word a supernatural, life-after-death meaning.

Often that twist is even reserved for the critic of religious beliefs. Many, if not most, religious people have a pretty day to day approach to their practice. But that is often dimmed down in this kind of straw man tactics where the emphasis is on what doesn't add up.

Personally I do not care. Religion, humanism, they are all means to an end. Towards becoming able to live free and in harmony with the world. If it takes worshipping imaginary dragons every full moon, or singing to houseflies, I don't care as long as the practice brings happiness and harmony.

Real Life, the end of Eternal Bliss justifies the means of believing the most absurd doctrines or blowing oneself to pieces along with others?

If you kill any who disagree with you, you're happy and there's perfect unity. Zero dissent in the world.

Good plan?

Real life, it does seem to me that the modus vivendi of Christian and Muslim fundamentalists rests on the end-justifies-the-means rule. As a fundamentalist Christian wouldn't this apply to you?