“Eternity Views Our Life on Earth”
@ H. Schwab
061215 – 120515
Following are thoughts in an ultra-religious view – beyond the religions of historical origin – but still
slightly anthropomorphic:
Was the “ultimate Spiritual Essence of Existence”, “Eternity”, God, always alone – absolutely
alone – in solitude – in all eternality and emptiness, whatever that was before time and space occurred?
… always in solitude, alone? Why? Did that lead to “creating” something – something “real”, now
with dimensions of time and space – something to watch, to observe, to take an interest in?
Time and space occurred only when and through creation of something “existing” as we know
it – either in our universe or in any other one before or besides us – when something “changed” in
“time” and was “different” in then-originating space at a “here” from a “there” in “existence” – both
measurable.
Our once created universe is, to the extent that we can observe it, relatively small and shortlived, when seen in the dimensions of eternity. Our universe has only a 300 meter diameter if the size
of our Milky Way galaxy is seen as a mere pinhead within it – and is only 4 ½ months old if 1,000 of
our years on Earth are seen as merely a second in the time of our universe.
Why so small and why so short-lived – with emptiness (actually “spacelessness”) and
timelessness beyond our universe?
Is that creation of our universe merely for the “pleasure of God”, as ancient monks taught us to
think?
Can we, therefore, dare to want to bring joyful “pleasure” to the ultimate “Spiritual Essence of
Existence”, the only transcendental observer from far beyond our small universe – to “Eternity”, God?
Go and plant a beautiful garden!
Behave well!
Bring a bit of joy and warmth – at least to the small area of the world around you!
Creation as we know it – and the fact that we are allowed to participate in it – can be wonderful!
We can be deeply grateful!
Postscript:
We all will have to die. That is the way all life was “created”. Will we still stand in front of
God after our “death” – by means of the science-demanded “conservation of information” in the
remaining and ever expanding radiation after the collapse or fading of our universe, many billions of
years from now? Or will we merely remain as a bit of memory without the dimensions of time and
space – after we possibly leave both of those dimensions when we “pass away” – “eternal” life then
being the absence of time? That would provide us with profoundly deep peace and harmony.
What a most comforting thought that could be for us!
An addition:
Did the “Ultimate Spiritual Essence”, God, actually create existence as we know and experience
it merely for “His own pleasure”, as early monks formulated it?
Is the world we live in, here on Earth, actually something to observe with “pleasure”?
Every living being is ruthlessly attacked by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and predators – humans
included – and suffering! That is how nature works!
Is it a pleasure to see a small child suffer from a bad disease or in an accident?
Is it a pleasure to see how many people fail in life and suffer?
Is it a pleasure to see an old person suffer from cancer or deep loneliness?
Is it a pleasure to see wolves hunt for graceful deer, lions hunt for beautiful gazelles, and,
actually, all animals fearing instant death by a predator all the time while, actually, feeding on other
living beings, at least on plants?
It is not a “pleasure” to see political dictators or misguided religious leaders let their subjects
suffer or kill them most cruelly – in battle, by their secret police, or by some religious “inquisition” –
not being stopped by any transcendental force from above – where the cries of the suffering ones are
not being heard!
Every living organism on Earth is made to live for only a very, very short time (on a cosmic
scale) – then given to death!
Is watching this kind of existence not similar to watching variously armed gladiators fight for
survival or martyrs being killed in the Roman Colosseum arena, as Roman emperors actually did watch
it for their “pleasure”?
One can be very deeply scared and saddened by this view of the world and eternity – and its
Creator – where no “loving Father” can be found above!
Additional thoughts:
But, most importantly, there is a significant difference between the Roman arena and our world.
Our universe was created with the phenomenon of the dynamics of change – showing an “evolution”
– not only in astronomic and geological observations – more importantly, right where we are here on
Earth, in nature and during our observable lives.
Could it be that God is watching Earth not for His “pleasure”, but, given the excitement of such
“evolution”, is watching Earth for His “interest”, whatever that means – to see what is coming out of
that experiment of material, mental, and emotional evolution in our part of our universe?
This view would lead to the conclusion that such evolution is not predetermined and that God
does not foresee everything in the future – which would otherwise make such watching meaningless.
But this assumption of a not-predetermined evolution would make divine intervention in cruel
developments that much more desirable – and the absence of such intervention a dark mystery!
Why do tsunamis surprise poor fishing villages on the shore? Why did the World Wars get
started? Why did Hitler mysteriously escape several assassination attempts and the Holocaust occur?
Why do all the bad things happen, which fill history books as well as newspapers every day?
God, have mercy upon us!
What does evolution actually bring to the world?
Life occurred on Earth billions of years ago and became ever more complex. Finally, animals
occurred – with ever increasing capabilities and with some elegance.
Ultimately, the mind occurred – primitive at first in animals, but with enormous capabilities in
“humans”!
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What is the role of us, the humans in this world?
On Earth, the organisms that were better adapted to the conditions of their lives survived and
multiplied more; others suffered and faded away. Mate selection by females based on indications of
strength or feeding capability of the males was the other selection criterion – and often misleading.
Humans became the first organisms we know so far in our universe that developed the ability
to formulate a will to intervene in the course of history and evolution – thereby becoming the first new
beings to also observe the universe (and themselves) and to act upon it!
With the evolution of the mind, emotions occurred – and “values” – of “good” or “bad”. This
“ethical” behavior allowed the upbringing of the next generation and efficient group action – to kill the
larger hunting target or defend against neighbors – later, to implement very large irrigation projects –
leading to large communities with their hierarchical structures and “governance”.
The assessment of “beautiful” or “ugly” developed – as in some of our better “cultures” on
Earth. Poetry occurred as did music – to touch our “souls” – as in the “Ode to Joy” with Schiller’s
poetry and Beethoven’s music – offering “joy” as the crowning goal of life on Earth! Read the text in
a good translation and listen to the music in a moment of calm!
Are we able to at least partially generate a somewhat “better” world – with a little less suffering
and with some better opportunities fairly for all? Don’t we strive for more joy and warmth in this world
– possibly even for a bit of humor and laughter – to thereby dissolve so many problems and leave basic
joy?
What a wonderful gift of nature that was to mankind – and to the world!
Is the generation of such a world the purpose and possible fulfillment of our lives?
How did recent evolution actually progress on Earth after ethics and higher values appeared?
The originating Christian ethics led to a closing of the cruelties of Roman arenas as in the
Colosseum (after many Christian martyrs were still cruelly killed there for the glory or “pleasure” of
the Roman gods and emperors)!
The following period of peace within the Roman Empire was short.
Very soon, religious wars began – at first, defensively against the enemies of the Christians and
supposedly for the “pleasure” of the Christian God.
Finally, however, wars were conducted between Christian subgroups. The formulation and
imposition of a common “creed” of all Christians under Emperor Constantine at Nicea failed. The last
and especially cruel intra-Christian war in Europe was of 30 years duration in Germany, ending with
the plague sometime around 1650 AD.
Later (as already in history before), mighty rulers and nationalities felt free to conduct wars
among themselves for territorial expansion or material benefit. Especially cruel were the First and
Second World War and the ensuing political dictators with their ideological movements (from Hitler
to Stalin to Mao Tse Tung to Pol Pot and more!) – when many millions of people were tortured and
killed by them – also in the bombing of civilian areas in times of political conflict – culminating in the
atomic bomb.
Now, it is the Muslim world that leads the cruelest fighting and killing in the name of their
“Allah” as seen by some of their religious sects – presently mainly between Sunni and Shia and between
subsections of those.
On the other hand, a wave of new religions or “philosophies” had appeared from about 600 BC
to the times of Jesus (see some progress in ancient Indian thought, Confucianism and Taoism in China,
Buddhism in India and China, the development of the scriptures of the Jewish Old Testament, and,
finally, the Greek philosophers after 450 BC).
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Furthermore, the “Scholastic” era of scripture research, then the “Renaissance” of broad
intellectual research and the “Enlightenment” with emphasis on intellectualism occurred in the mental
development of the West. Various movements with emphasis on religion, emotion and the formulation
or implementation of values occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries. In political organization,
democratic (federal) Switzerland came into existence in 1291 AD and the United States in 1776.
Actually, some much greater eras of mental evolution than the above mentioned historic ones
occurred on Earth in more recent times (though not yet named). Possibly as a consequence of the
Renaissance, rational observation of nature (as by the Greeks after Thales of Miletus) and technical
development began in the West. With the help of Galileo’s use of the telescope, modern astronomy
opened the world of deep space. Newton opened the mind to a view of the world in terms of physics.
Consequently, technology progressed and steam power was invented – lifting some burden from
mankind, but also starting the concept of unemployment, as among the weavers, and leading to
rationality in economic thought and policy. Transportation changed to railroads, the automobile, and
airplanes. The world became smaller – more interconnected.
Politically, the improvement of ships and navigation led to the development of trade
connections to the Far East, to the discovery of America, and the control of most of the world by means
of European “colonies”. The world became still smaller with the inventions of telegraphy, then radio
and television – and warfare became more dangerous with modern weapons.
This led to the formation of, first, the League of Nations, then the United Nations and the
European Union.
Now, after WW II, a still newer phase of evolution occurred (also not yet named) with the rapid
expansion of the sciences and technology in all areas. Space exploration led to limited space travel
but, mainly, to the development of excellent telescopes. Those allowed the viewing of billions of
galaxies all the way to the limit of our universe at about 13 billion light years distance – and the
expectation of very many life-carrying planets out there. Molecular biology explained life and let
medical knowledge progress. Of special interest was the discovery of genetics, not only explaining
much of biological evolution, but possibly allowing mankind to influence and to control evolution –
where dangers of abuse are already being seen! Artificial intelligence is looming on the horizon.
In technology, the transistor, digital technology, and the internet appeared, with steadily
increasing computing power and instantaneous connection (free of cost) for all! Thousands of “apps”
appeared to alleviate every need and for everybody to use. No youngster (or old person) wants to be
seen or live without an iPhone or iPad!
Did the world become one great unit?
Did it become a better world?
Could one still accept old beliefs? The binding forces in earlier human society resulting from
traditional religions faded and church membership declined in this new era of scientific rationality.
Consequently, reliance on “old” values and rules faded, too. With decreasing guidance for the young,
consumption of addictive drugs increased (now almost an epidemic – with many victims). Many
searching young people joined extremist movements, also violent ones (Muslim jihad), where they
were readily welcomed and found a new “home”. Thus, Muslim violence throughout the Islamic world
may have become the contra-movement to the recently clarifying era of science with its dissolution of
society’s coherence in personal values.
Actually, each phase of mental progress had its negative counteraction. The scholastic period
was followed by some religious wars. The rationality of the Renaissance was countered by more
religious wars of great cruelty. The Enlightenment led to emotional counter-movements – Rousseau,
then the Rosicrucians, the widely famous Freemasons, and, finally, the Napoleonic wars,
enthusiastically supported by the French population.
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The phase of modern rationality of the 19th century was followed by the two world wars, then
the ideologies of Communism and National Socialism with horrible dictators and their crimes against
humanity.
The newest phase of the all-invasive sciences and the internet brought mental clarity to
previously underdeveloped areas of the world – but some political and religious leaders then feared to
lose control. North Korea, Zimbabwe, and, most destructively so far, Syria’s ISIS are attempting to
bring the totality of their leadership or the controlled fellowship of Allah under their control by means
of politically restrictive systems, supposedly as a “blessing” to their nations – but also as a violent
burden (if not atomic danger) to the world – as by the current wave of millions of refugees.
Almost more dangerous may be global warming, ocean acidification, and, especially, the neverending population increase on Earth. The reduction of global warming and ocean acidification would
require international cooperation (see the failure of cooperation among fishing communities leading to
the depletion of fish stock – resolved only by the Environmental Defense Fund’s [EDF’s] concept of
community formation among all fishermen). Unfortunately, such EDF sponsored cooperation cannot
be fully expected on the present international level – yet.
Population increase requires contraception as a countermeasure – opposed by important forces
and the Pope on the basis of religious principles – as if God had wanted a catastrophe on Earth by way
of overpopulation. Such increase in population, partially based on increasing life expectancy, also
requires a solution of the increasing problem of caring for the elderly.
May another period of mental progress bring continuation of a positive “evolution” of existence
here on Earth! May such progress bring relief to mankind!
Europe has accepted the “Ode to Joy” as its “national anthem”!
Why is evolution such an important part of creation of our world here on Earth – but why is
evolution to a “better” world so slow, often cruelly interrupted, and generally endangered?
Does all of that evolution occur (and can it be viewed from “heaven”) “for the pleasure” or, at
least, for the “interest” of Allah, God, or the Ultimate Spiritual Essence in “Eternity”?
Will “Eternity” watch with “interest” how mankind on Earth can or cannot resolve its problems
of existence – whether it will perish or prosper – hopefully to new horizons of evolution?
Can transcendental guidance, support, or intervention be found anywhere? … – please!!!
With always greatest reverence for “Eternity”:
What is our specific human mission within our universe as we see it?
Can we ever make any part of this world, specifically life on Earth, some “pleasure” to observe
by “Eternity” and also by us?
How can we reduce suffering and increase opportunity fairly for all?
We must work to improve our personal and society’s economy, the soundness of all parts and
the structure of human society, and the quality of all political or religious governance!
May there be more joy and emotional warmth! … and merely a little bit of humor, too!
Is that our task, our purpose in evolving existence?
Let us start working for that right now!
And beware – we may be watched!
“/Specials/Writings/c-pt/9-EternityLife 12-04-15”
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