Survival: The Ultimate Mission. Robert M.D. Skaf

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СКАЧАТЬ survival of the human race, but it is a fact that they have been improving the genes of imagination and creativity, it is the fact that without this pool of genes, very few scientists if any, would have been able to invent or discover anything of any use to the human race. One more thing. At the turn of the century, time magazine chose Einstein as the man of the century because he was a scientist. While I agree with their choice, one can easily see why I dispute their justification. The reason Einstein shines above so many bright stars like Edison and Bell is his ability to be creative, his courage to dare imagine what was beyond the obvious and his dreams of exploring past the limited confine of science. To me he was a sage poet as much as a scientist and if it was not for his poetic aspiration, I doubt if he would have accomplished much in the field of science. Science can enable a person to learn a craft. However, to invent, to discover, one would require the imagination and creativity of an artist. You would probably agree with this opinion once you realize that Einstein himself strongly believed that imagination and creativity were more important than knowledge.

      Of course the primary goal of any artist is to establish a money making career. Of course many artists are vain enough to be motivated by the silly notion of fame and immortality. Nonetheless, all artists are subconsciously doing what they are predisposed to do which is simply the enhancement of the survival of the race. Frankly, I see nothing wrong with this ruse of nature - if one elects to classify it as such- since in the end, it is going to benefit our race. Intelligent life is not easy and will never be. We have emotions, feelings and aspirations that need nourishing. Without an active life, boredom sets in - posing a serious threat to our very existence. We should be grateful for anyone who helps us enjoy and appreciate life even when the effort is going to benefit the person involved.

      Scientists, politicians, warriors and many others would also like to see themselves immortalized and many of them have easier time in achieving their goal than artists - since their contributions to humanity are more tangible than those of the latter ones. So like it or not, from the common person who performs a simple act of kindness to the genius whose work might change the way we think and live, the underlying motivation happens to be an innate obsession with immortality that is inherent to all human beings. Believing in an eternal life has less to do with religion and more with greed. We are using religion to get another shot at life. People who believe in such possibility are no different than the ones looking for a heavenly reward for their good deeds. They too want to stay alive - actually they even expect a better after life to which they feel entitled. As certain as one can be of the absence of such a life, one cannot deny how important this faint hope is for the survival of billions of people. Put into this context, even a person of science would find converting anyone who happens to believe in this theory to be self-defeating. After all, preserving life is the main goal of science. Regardless of the motivation, a good deed ends up helping simultaneously the giver and the taker survive - an achievement which is a benefit to the cause of humanity. Believe it or not, some researchers tell us that helping others trigger the brain cell to produce anti-depressant hormones such as dopamine. Scientists may be bothered a great deal by the fact that all religions including the most popular ones such as Islam and Christianity happen to flourish by appealing to the greed and fear of the populace, however, as long as science does not have all the answers, and as long as people’s faith helps the survival of the species, one ought to be careful not to denounce any religion. Although philanthropists may be helping their own cause by being generous to others, they will be glad to hear that their help to humanity outweighs by far their personal gains. For this reason, they should feel proud of their contribution even when they are going to personally benefit from such endeavour. My advice to any giver is as follows: don’t try or allow anyone to deny the fact that giving is gratifying - both on this earth and after - you have earned it.

      At this point, I would like to explain my understanding of the afterlife compared to the eternal life as described by most religion. As a humanist, I have no problem believing in the afterlife, however, eternal life as promoted by religious leaders does not constitute life -at least, according to the continuous creation theory described in this essay. Also, according to the same philosophy, immortality is not achievable by one person alone, it requires several groups of souls who are able to interact, cooperate and dialogue among each other. Immortality is only possible for the entire species. One person alone would be bound to become stagnant and therefore expire, whereas an entire group or a species may be able to live forever. Earlier in this paragraph I have outlined how artists help the race survive, however, upon reflection, one will find that our entire life as individuals is also structured toward keeping the entire species alive. The individual you help stay alive could or is actually another copy of yourself. After all aren’t’t we all copies of the first human? The person who is going to be alive years after your death may turn out to be none other than yourself. We are only immortal as a species not as individuals. It is only natural to help others. As humans, we will always be givers and takers, this is our biggest advantage. Parents must be prepared to devote their entire life to pave a bright future for their children. Without this inborn instinct to give, to love and care, our race could not survive. Unlike other living forms our off springs require years of nurturing, devotion, and care; without a long term commitment, their fate would be doomed, and subsequently our species. The compelling force of your subconscious mind wants you to assist the human cause. By being generous and helpful you are connecting with the great human spirit and it is this contact that is giving you a reason to be at peace with yourself, or to experience a state of ecstasy. To not help and care for others is unnatural if not un-human. Help others and be happy and feel great about life. Helping your own children survive is instinctive, helping others may not be divine but is human and certainly way above instinctive. It is simply what sets us apart from all other species - intelligent or non-intelligent.

      As far as I’m concerned I have come to the conclusion that death happens to be part of life. Without death, life would not even exist. If we were to live forever - not only would there be a risk of losing interest in life - but also as individuals we would be in no position to discern the difference between life and death. This may sound repetitive, but just look at things from this perspective: if everything that ever existed happened to be constant and absolutely permanent, how can anyone tell the difference between such a state and death. I have said it before and I am going to say it again, existence is more than just filling space. Even the matter knows it. This is why it keeps recreating itself. A simple atom can be more active than one might realize. As it fuses or splits it turns into a new element. Even an atom that has no feelings finds itself compelled to transmute - destroying itself in the process - for a good reason. Without this process, an atom would be the same forever and this forever would turn out to be nothing. However, the Continuous Creation does not allow this state of absolute stagnation to take place for it would be counter to the law of existence. The rules are clear and simple: to exist one must change. And there are no exceptions; we all must abide by them. Natural death has been devised to ensure that life should never lose its appeal. In one way, having to change is the only characteristic shared by anything that happened to exist … in any shape, size or form. This constant change happened to be the reason I thought that using the term Continuous Creation would be a better description of an infinite universe. In essence, there is no life or death, there is a continuous creation. It may appear to us as if matter and particles stay the same forever, but this is not the case at all. Every few billions of years or so, a star self-destructs and in the process old materials disappear and new ones are created. Although we may find this a little strange and far-fetched, scientists have been observing such events as they occur; they also inform us that even our entire universe will end up destroying itself sometime in the future. Billions of years mean nothing, since time only exist in an intermediary sense.

      Death is part of the Continuous Creation which is made up of endless facets. If the continuous creation is life and if death is part of it, then one can be sure that a creative life goes beyond what is biological or physical. However, whether physically or spiritually, the Continuous Creation feels a need to recreate and reinvent itself and it achieves this goal through a myriad of methods. Whether we like it or not, there is nothing we can do to change this arrangement. And we should n’t - even if we could. It has taken the evolutionary process billions of years, if not forever, to bring us to the state we are in and what do we know in comparison СКАЧАТЬ