
Let's say we live in a universe filled with trillions and trillions and trillions of cubic parsecs of vacuum, along with dark and illuminated matter. Let's say that we don't quite know yet how that space or matter came into being in our universe,but that clues are scattered all over the place,some of which we can discern now, others we'll be discerning later. Let's say that our consciousnesses came into being after said universe existed for billions and billions of years. Let's say that said consciousness recognized that it owes its existence to inorganic elements and molecules,that somehow those inorganic elements and molecules became animate of their own accord due to the fact that it had billions of years to turn into more diverse and complex forms, after all, our world is completely saturated with several constant energy sources,negating the effects of entropy on our warm and wet planet. Let's say that after, oh, say, 4 or so billion years (who's counting?), that that consciousness was able to look deeply inward as well as far outward,outwardly piercing the veil of space and view it out to, oh, say, 12 or so billion light years in all directions.The universe is conscious of itself!
It knows it's alive!
Wouldn't that be awesome?
It's capable of reflecting on itself and saying: I have consciousness and I see all around me!
Le's say that man ascended (not descended) from an ape-like creature. That means we managed to progress from using straws to pick up succulent termites, to cooking Cajun Gumbo in, say, 4 million years.
Somehow, Christian theologians says that's a BAD thing.
Why?
Because it implies that we might be better than worms. And then they would be wrong.
I say we've made a really good go of it. Sadly, that's bad according to those self-made worms. They don't realize the awesome contribution to the universe that Man is. The universe is conscious of itself because of us and they don't see the magic in that. Simply said , their lives are devoid of REAL magic, instead, theirs is filled with supernatural battles of good and evil, sinning people, disgraced humans. How sad for them. They even say that we've fallen from some high mystical state where these two people frolicked naked and plucked fruit from trees in a paradisiacal garden,like uncivilized forest dwellers.
Where's the dignity in that?
There is no dignity in that. There's just no dignity in believing we're just "worms", to quote their terminology. Instead, there is dignity in learning that even tho space is as good as infinite, in all that infinite space we're alive anyway. We can yearn to reach beyond our atmosphere,and do it just about monthly now. We send probes into deep space and despite the seeming impossibility of ever being detected by another civilization, we keep doing it anyway . In the meantime, we're learning more and more of our immediate neighborhood. And the more we know, the more we come to appreciate our little chunk of rock called Earth.
But I digress.
My point is that at the most basic level we're all made of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen...the inorganic elements of DNA&, and it's ALIVE! That's very cool. We're made of the stuff of the universe. And what's even more awesone is that the heavier elements in our bodies didn't come into being until lots of stars lived, grew old and then exploded in novas and supernovas to form them. So not only are we made of the stuff of the universe, we're made of stardust! You can't get any more magical than that.
I prefer this kind of magic. This is the true miracle. Mythological beginnings are just that,mythology. They were good enough for beginning civilizations a thousand generations ago, but they don't work in a world where science and knowledge now has reign over superstition and ignorance. Science and knowledge don't make anything any less magic,they bring the magic of life to full view.
At least for me.
And I like it that way.
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