In conclusion

When I first began debating the question that I might want to research, I had many ideas and I thought that if I started with my beliefs, stating things that I thought mattered, it would help narrow my thoughts. I have many beliefs, some which I feel strongly about, while others, I feel like there could be more than one thing I believe about that particular topic. I pondered several different beliefs to discuss, topics such as how I believe people should care more for strangers, how justice is not always fair, or the energy I have felt while mourning someone’s death.  Some of these ideas I will continue to believe while others I feel the need to explore.  While recalling some of the things I remembered, especially about the strong energy around me, I felt while mourning for a loved one, I remembered the shooting star I saw at my time of need and I mentioned that I saw a circular rainbow that was in the sky above the funeral home that I was about to enter.  I questioned whether these things were signs of a miracle or was it just life revolving in a circle.  These were the types of topics that I wanted more information about, so I began searching where life comes from and what happens when we die.

As I continued on my journey exploring where life comes from, I read some interesting articles such as Let’s Talk About Death, by Jonathan Aiken. Mr. Aiken seemed to have Christian beliefs and surmised in his article that if you weren’t Christian, there was no chance for a pleasant passing, since Christians were the only ones to have this ending.   Further along in my journey of the knowledge that I was obtaining, I came across an article about how life may have begun in ice. Could it be possible that RNA molecules could have existed in temperatures so cold that life as we know it would have ceased to exist from conditions such as hypothermia?  This seems so extreme but then again when I read articles about the big bang theory, I wonder if life could have happened by sheer accident or were we made from a creator, namely God?

Creationist seem to believe in God, but are willing to accept that evolution may have played a part in creating the universe.  They also believe that God may be of any religion, and some traditional creationist resent that God is only portrayed as a Christian God.  When I was younger, I was taught that there was a God and if we didn’t believe in God, then we would perish in Hell.  The more scientific articles I reviewed, the more doubts that I began to have, doubts such as my belief in where life came from. I was afraid to explore some of these thoughts because I was afraid to go against everything that I was taught, however I continued to explore different possibilities such as Darwin’s’ theory about the origin of life.

In the article titled Darwin’s example, Phillip Appleman discussed how when Darwin faced death, he was not afraid to die.  How could this be? Appleman stated that this was because Darwin knew that death was inevitable, that death was a natural part of a natural process.  After reading the article, Appleman stated that the meaning of life is found in all of us.  Does this mean we can all find our own happiness within ourselves? If we believe in the scientific explanation of where life comes from, does that mean we may go to Hell for doubting the belief in a creator? Having doubts about a creator also made me wonder about if it is possible for life after death. This is when I read the article about near death experiences.

Apparently, many people claim to have had some near death experiences, where they claim that they know there is a God and they have seen signs of life on the other side. They claim to have had experiences such as seeing a white light at the end of a tunnel or seeing loved one’s standing around their lifeless body, while they floated above, where they could see them.

Some psychiatrists and neuroscientists doubt that these experiences can be corroborated.  These professionals state that they can induce these so called experiences by stimulating the brain. Other people believe these people having these near death experiences may be inventing these stories or they may be suffering from some sort of trauma and this is how their mind attempts to handle it.

I have agreed with many of these articles and some I feel may be biased such as the Creationist believing solely in a power in which they cannot see or prove.  In conclusion of my research I cannot help but feel that while I am interested in where life comes from and what happens when we die, I believe my true research will never be answered because my question would be do I believe in God, is God our higher power and is God the creator of life? I think I will still believe in miracles of some sort and wonder how they happen but to believe in one creator, responsible for creating all of life and when I wonder how if there is a God, how come things aren’t different such as everyone blissfully living in true happiness, dying peaceful deaths and seeing the other side? My research into what I believe will continue.  

 

 

weblog 8 critique 5

Is there Life After Death?

 

            Many survivors of near death experiences firmly hold the belief in life after death.  These near death-experienced survivors simply don’t think there is a God, they claim they know it. In the article titled Is There Life After Death?  the authors Brendan Koerner and Joshua Rich discuss what some psychiatrists such as Bruce Greyson, seem to believe. Greyson has spent years studying the evidence of the mystical.  These near death experiences are not new, with stories dating back to over two millenniums ago and these tales from the realm are not limited to the western world. Many stories have emerged from places such as Micronesia and India, with each experience being different for each person, usually based on their background. Often these stories consisted of seeing a while light or a tunnel, finding peace on the other side, finding a rainbow or viewing loved ones while floating above one’s physical body.     

            Until recently many people dismissed these so called experiences as hallucinations or inventions and many of the people who have described these experiences, fear being labeled as crazy.  Perceptions in the medical community began to change when author Raymond Moody published Life After Life. In this book, Moody had interviewed over 150 people who reported their near death experiences. Moody found that the people who claimed to have had these experiences often became less materialistic and more loving.  Often these people became more spiritual.

            Other psychiatrists and neuroscientists believe these experiences cannot be corroborated. There is absolutely no proving that these experiences cannot be explained away.  One neuroscientist claims to have induced these NDE’s (near death experiences), by stimulating the brain. Physiological findings offer glimpses that perhaps the insight is into the human mind, or the experiences into the afterlife result from the brain trying to block trauma.

            While many people are instrumental in gathering information, I believe actual experiences cannot be proven. I think it may be possible that some people may have been given a glimpse of an afterlife and after reading some of the accounts, I am touched that people can hold such strong convictions about what they see, so strong that it helps them pass into death, feeling more peaceful with acceptance. I think of these people when I read about children, who at the brink of death see what they believe to be Jesus, leading them into an afterlife. I can’t help but wonder if this is what they have been told and taught to believe or if they actually see into an afterlife? Either way there is no proof.

weblog 7 critique 4

            Darwin seemed to recognize death as it approached him.  Death was after all, a natural part of a natural process. He did not believe life continued after death, nor did he believe in the Old Testament.  Darwin simply thought the sacred books of the Hindoos, or the beliefs of any barbarian, could not be trusted.   People, like insects and animals, were just a part of nature.   In the article titled Darwin’s Example,  Philip Appleman discusses the difference of science versus religion.  Darwin of course, held firm beliefs that life was all about science.  Priests and preachers on the other hand, encouraged the belief in God, the creator of all.

 Appleman, puts into words, thoughts about what happens if you are not religious and death creeps up on you. He writes about how people are encouraged to treat their bodies like a temple, but what happens if cancer creeps up on this temple? If you believed like Darwin, you would not be afraid but you would still hate the idea of our mortality. This is when we realize, according to Appleman that the meaning of life is actually inside of ourselves. He declares that Darwin understood the meaning of life and this is why he was not afraid to die.

I felt as if this article defined Darwin’s belief in science versus religion.  I agree that death is inevitable and whether or not we treat our bodies as a temple, horrible diseases such as cancer can still evade us. I believe like Appleman stated , that when faced with death, the meaning of life can be found within ourselves.  Happiness and contentment is obviously what gives life meaning, Darwin believed this and the author of this article believed this.  I believe this also, though I am still researching the meaning of life.

 

weblog 6 critique 3

Creationist Ideas

 

 

            For many years, dating at least back until the time of the ancient Greeks, man has wondered, “who made the universe?”  The creationist had an idea that people didn’t make the first people nor did they make animals, therefore there must have been a God.  The magazine Skeptic mentions in an article that creationists believe life to hold more religious beliefs and life had to have a designer. They believe God to be the maker of life though not everyone has the same beliefs in God.  Traditional creationist resent that God is presented as a Christian God.  Intelligent Design theorists believe God could be of any religion and perhaps not a supernatural deity as portrayed, while Gnostics belief God built the earth, did horrible things to Adam and Eve, and used the earth as a prison for pre-existent human souls.   Then scientists such as Charles Darwin believed that the universe was created by chance variation. Who is right?

            Creationist typically believe in God, but are willing to accept that evolution may have played a part in creating the universe.  They accept the idea that science requires the entanglement of religion.  Is this true? Maybe the creationist do not want to accept the idea that life is science based and religion does not factor in. Evolution surely happened, whether there is a belief in God or not. If there were a God that is a creator of everything, why would he allow evil to happen? How would he choose who lives and who dies? Why is it that after our death, the world as we know it seems to exist? What is the mystery of life all about?

            After reading this article, I feel like maybe I have some creationist beliefs. I believe there is a maker but where did this maker come from and how did this maker get to be “the one that is the sole existence”, the only God or is there more than one God? Other parts of me want to believe that evolution must be the answer. No God, no maker, just by chance, some form of energy combining atoms, creating life. Maybe the answer lies in our unconscious brains. Maybe unlocking this unconscious will open the door to the mystery of life.

 

 

 

McIver, Tom. Skeptic. Altadena, Ca. 13 no2 60-3 2007.

           

 

weblog 5 critique 2

Is it possible life began in ice?  

            Did life begin in ice? Researchers quoted in the World Science Magazine say that it is possible for life to exist in places much colder than Earth. The possibility exists that early in the known history of earth, temperatures were much colder and freezing was likely. This theory, like many others, has been around for a number of years.  One might be curious and wonder, how can life exist below freezing temperatures, if life as we know it would cease to exist, from ailments such as hypothermia? Scientists agree that freezing temperatures could have played an important role in the chemical reactions that led to life.  Does this mean life did not begin with Adam and Eve? Perhaps Adam and Eve were the first created from molecules?

 Some experts believe that comets and meteors slammed the earth repeatedly in the beginning of early earth and chemical molecules combined to jumpstart life.  The chemical molecules the experts are referring to are known as Ribonucleic acid, or RNA.  Some theories state that this self-replicating molecule, RNA may have slowed down its molecular breakdown when the earth’s temperatures were below freezing. While freezing slows down some of RNA”S breakdown, the cold temperature actually speeds up some of RNA”S key activities, such as metabolism and cell formation.  Warmer conditions tend to affect RNA molecules by preventing the buildup of complex molecules needed to conduct life processes. So where did life come from, since the earth has definitely been affected by global warming?

After reading this article I believed that the theory has been around along time, based on the scientific explanation of the big bang theory.  I believe RNA is self –replicating, but resulting in creating life due to a chemical reaction doesn’t seem like it could be possible. Life feels much more on a grander scale than molecules colliding and happening at random.    

Reference: 

A.V Vlassov, S.A. Kazakov, B.H. Johnston, L.F. Landweber, 2005. The RNA World on ice: A New Scenario for the Emergence of RNA Information. J. Mol Evol. Jul 21. 

World Science. 09, Aug. 2005.

                 

essay 2

            Reviewing articles pertaining to life after death, I came across a particular story of interest by Jonathan Aiken, titled “Let’s talk About Death”. This article stated that people tend to believe that life does not end at death. This author spoke about Christians and how only the Christian God is portrayed in the Bible, and he being the only God committed to his creation.  I wondered if the writer must be a Christian himself and was stating his belief. 

            The writer also spoke about his conversation with a protestor and how it was almost a certainty that their opinions on life after death would differ. The writer spoke how he believes himself to hold Christian beliefs and that President Bush might actually go to “heaven”, while the protestor, a self-proclaimed atheist believed our president would go to hell? I don’t believe this was the reason for Mr. Aiken’s belief that he was an optimist. I believe the writer held this view because like many other people, they feel a need to believe in something.

            Where does our life come from and where does it go after we die? Is it the very end or is there something more? Whether we return to orbit as energy or whether we continue on our life journey after death, will forever remain a mystery. Obviously what happens after we die is not meant for ordinary people to discover so easily or we would already know that answer?

            Mr. Aitken concludes at the end of his article that in his opinion the only people that he has heard of or known that died a peaceful death were Christians.  I think that there must be more people besides Christians that have died peaceful deaths. Supposedly we all must suffer through death, as our Lord Jesus had to suffer for us, so that we may find life everlasting. So why would certain Christians be exempt from this? Maybe this is not how life really ends and needs to be explored more.

   

Aiken, Jonathan. Let’s Talk About Death. Am Spectator 40 no9 N 2007. The American Spectator.

weblog 4 Neonaticide-critique 1

            Steve Pinker discussed in his article Why They Kill Their Newborns, reasons why people kill their babies and how this act has been practiced in most cultures, throughout the years. Women that commit neonaticide, killing their babies or letting them die, are not psychotic, depressed or suicidal, such as women typically are when they kill their older children. These women may be acting out their biological emotions, and that could be as simple as letting the weak die. Desperation is sensed in these women and they very rarely spend any amount of time in jail. Neonaticide is immoral, and it is an immature act, a horrible tragedy.  

          Bruce Chapman author of “A Modest Proposal: Should we change our minds about Infanticide?  criticizes Steve Pinker’s article and appears to disagree with him about neonaticide being a natural instinct. He states that neonaticide is evil and religiously or morally wrong. Understandably, Bruce Chapman feels as if the weak do not have a right to live, that they are like mice. If you are not born with strong survivor skills then you do not have a right to live.         

         I feel like Neonaticide is immoral and if these women that commit these acts are not psychotic, suicidal or depressed, then they should be sentenced to jail for this crime. These women have a choice that animals such as mice do not have, that choice is to proceed with their pregnancy and give birth. After giving birth, women should be held responsible if they commit neonaticide.  I believe these women must have some psychosis to commit this crime. 

weblog 3 Does Life Come From and Return To Energy?

Does life come from and return to energy?  

Often times I have pondered the idea that maybe life is everlasting, certainly life cannot end at death. Throughout my younger years, brought up as a child learning the catholic faith, I was always taught there was only one God, and he was the creator of life.  I was also taught that after death, if we truly believed in our God, paid our penance for our sins, our souls would be saved and we would find everlasting life in heaven.  Speaking of heaven, this brings me to wonder about our universe, the stars, the moon, the sun and all of the other planets.  Bursting with energy, the unknown space, like life and death, is forever a mystery.

As I grew older, I began to experience the pain of losing loved ones to death. Their parting was usually not easy. They died in ways such as horrible car accidents, terminal cancer, or suicides. I couldn’t understand why if we had such a loving God, why did he allow us to suffer as we did?  Finally a friend told me that God sacrificed his only son for us, so that we may live forever, and to journey through death was our time to sacrifice our bodies.  I thought about this and wondered how one God could be so powerful, to create all of life.  Where did God come from?

As much as I tried to follow this religion, I had so many questions that I felt could not be answered. Though I had doubts about where life came from, I never doubted the existence of a higher power.  I also realized at this time that my beliefs were not the same as everyone else’s and that each person has their own belief about what God is or isn’t to them.

Over the years I have learned that some things cannot be explained. I had a close relative that knew they were going to die, he told everyone goodbye, but did not tell me. After his suicide, I realized that I was the only one that he did not say goodbye to. I was devastated over his death and this reality seemed to worsen my pain.  Two days later, his first niece was born. I couldn’t help but wonder if he exited our world to make room for her? On the third day after his passing, I was driving along the highway with my husband, when suddenly my car ran out of gas. My gas gauge was not quite on empty, my gas- light never came on, but suddenly here I was pulling over, out of gas.  While I was sitting in my car waiting for help to arrive, I was wondering why my nephew did not say goodbye, when suddenly I saw a shooting star move across the sky. I was shocked at the energy I seemed to feel from just that small miracle. Was it a sign from God to have faith or was it my nephew leaving this world as a ball of energy, ready to return to the vastness of space?

I felt a weight lift off my shoulders and over time, I was able to grieve and move on. I never forgot about that ball of energy in the form of a shooting star. A few years later, he had another niece born on his birthday. Could this be a twist of fate?

Yesterday, as I was attending another viewing for a loved one, I was outside the funeral home waiting for some other family members to arrive, when suddenly right above the funeral home, I saw a circular rainbow. Once again, was it possible that this was a sign from God, or was this a life in disguise as a form of energy? This just seemed so coincidental.

The Bible says that God is eternal, outside of time, with no beginning and no end, and anyone who disbelieves is devoid of understanding.

The Big Bang theory is a scientific theory that states the universe was created over ten billion years ago from a cosmic explosion. Does this mean matter, such as light particles found creating the rainbow, may form from energy?  How about a shooting star? Certainly a shooting star comes from dust and space matter, which once again makes me wonder, does life come from energy and does it go on after death?

Several religions preach of a God, creator of all life, while other religions do not necessarily believe in God as a higher being. Religion and faith is different for each person, and though I continue to have faith that there is life everlasting, I often wonder if I make it through purgatory, will I find a rainbow at the other end or a shooting star?

Weblog 2 What I believe…

            I believe that life comes from energy and does not end at death

  

            Since I was young, I have always been taught about God and I believe God is different for everyone, definitely a higher power than we are. I have learned about evolution and the Big Bang theory and I often wonder where we really came from? Could it be from particles of energy and matter? Or is it that God created everyone and it all started in the Garden of Eden? When life as we know it ends, do we return to energy? What happens after death?  These are the questions that I have pondered, since I first learned how short time really was. Fully coming to the terms of death and learning about precious life.

            A loved one very dear passed awhile back. It was very upsetting to know this person knew they were going, yet did not say goodbye. When suddenly through my darkest time of mourning, a shooting star passed by in front of me, and by sheer coincidence I saw it.  I felt a wave of energy at that moment, very soothing. It felt as if that were my loved one saying goodbye.

            It was at this time, when my beliefs were torn both ways, towards energy giving and taking life and God putting that shooting star out there for me to have faith. I believe that there is a God, and God controls everything, including energy, and I believe it may be possible, that this could be where life comes from.

What I believe…

What I Believe

1. I believe that people should care more for strangers.
2. I believe that society generally displays bad manners.
3. I believe that government works for the government, not for the regular people.
4. I believe justice is not always fair.
5. I believe knowledge is only limited by our ambition.
6. I believe that science should lead us to the future.
7. I believe that reality can be humbling and harsh.
8. I believe that life comes from energy and does not end at death.
9. I believe that happiness is what we make it to be.
10. I believe that goodness is rare.
11. I believe death is full of suffering.
12. I believe that God is different for each of us, definitely a higher power than we are.

Often while driving down the road, cars may need to yield to other drivers. When yielding to these drivers, an expected wave of thank- you, has virtually disappeared. When entering a building, holding the door for the person behind you, often no words of thanks are uttered. Shopping experiences are often shadowed by the fact that the customer service personnel seem to have forgotten what customer service actually means. No greetings of hello are granted and rarely the thank you for your business is mentioned. How can society display such a true lack of good manners? Were people not taught manners, or do they simply ignore what they were taught and why? Do people ignore the manners they might have been taught, because generally society has progressed to this point and they follow this path? I believe people are taught manners when they are younger, but often as people get older, they take others actions for granted and have no desire to express thankfulness.

  

Children are often taught manners when they are young, beginning with learning the words “please” and “thank you”. As they grow older, children learn to excuse themselves when they are interrupting other people that are speaking. They also learn to pardon themselves when they pass in front of someone. While a lot of people in our society do not practice good manners, there are still plenty of people that try to teach their children respect for themselves and others. Teaching children respect for others is where manners begin. For all of the times when people do not say thank you, there is still a person that will say words of thanks. A young man may hold the door for an adult as they enter a building, people may wave thank you as they are allowed to cut into traffic. Business establishments often try to cater to their clients and often hire associates that do practice good service. While some people in society choose not to use good manners, there are still plenty of people that will.