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"In my household, my wife lets me make all the important decisions like what to do about Red China and how to lower the national debt, and I let her make the lesser decisions like where we live and what we eat."

So, even though the size of a problem is clearly in the mind of the beholder, but still, there are big questions and BIG QUESTIONS and

• What is the purpose of the Universe?
• How did the Universe start?
• What is the meaning of Life?
• How did Life start?
• What is the nature of consciousness?

What I'm going to do is examine the answers that have been advanced. I'm going to talk about the various points of view from which these matters are discussed. I'm going to try to identify their essential features. And, I'm going to make fun of fate and destiny.

People have long been trying to find answers to these questions, probably since the time human beings began to talk and think. If you survey the answers that have been put forward, whether by religion or science, you will note one common feature. The answers always seem to give rise to more questions. Instead of satisfactory solutions to these puzzles, we get instead an infinite sequence of follow on questions.

One point I should make at the very outset. One plausible (or, at least, "reasonable") answer to the first Question is that the Universe has no purpose. This has probably occurred to every person who has ever thought much about this query. But, it seems that each person, after careful consideration, says, "Nahhh! That can't be right!"

We seem to be constitutionally unable to accept the proposition that the Universe has no point, no meaning, no purpose whatsoever. This is evident, despite the fact that this "fact," if true, would constitute the greatest cosmic joke ever. It would mean that no matter what we decide, it will be false, but that we are doomed to keep on coming up with new false answers for all eternity, being unable to discover or to face the truth. I just thought this worth stating in passing, just in case you need cheering up.

Speaking of cheer-ups, one of the maxims I used to pass on to my children was,

"Life's a bitch and then you die."

I usually brought this up when my kids were lamenting some unfairness or other in their personal lives. It was meant as another way of saying, "Hey, things could be worse, you could be dead." or even, "If things get too bad for you, you can take comfort in the fact that your pain and suffering will end some day." Actually, I don't think my kids ever got the point. They would usually respond, "Jeez, Dad, you're so full of shit." or something like that.

In order to discuss the nature of Big Questions we must first examine the nature of "belief." At least, I believe this to be true. Furthermore, I don't think that belief is volitional. That is, you can not arbitrarily decide what to believe and what not to believe. At any given time, you either believe it or you don't. Only new information can change your mind.

This doesn't mean you can not influence your own beliefs. If you don't believe in God and you feel you should, then maybe reading a lot of pro-God literature or talking to God-fearing and believing individuals will change your mind. Or, maybe not. There is no sure way to predict what any one of us will or won't believe.

By the way, for those of you readers who are or were Roman Catholic by religion, you may note that your church has a slightly different take on belief. It has been my observation that Roman Catholics make no obvious distinction between saying you believe something and "actually" believing it. If you do not think this is true, ask a RC friend to explain the difference.

I once saw a work of art, a mobile, that had these three verbs prominently displayed (as hanging signs); EAT, SHIT and DIE. Frankly, although an interesting thought (you got to admit that eating IS important, but shitting!?), my belief is that three events lie at the heart of the Big Problems; BIRTH, DEATH and REPRODUCTION.

Talk to you later...

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