Sunday Musings - What is the meaning if Life?

I know. That's a pretty heavy question for a Sunday morning right!

As a kid, every Sunday morning I went to Church and attended Sunday school. There I was immersed in the teaching of the Bible and got to learn some important rules of life. How to be kind, the importance of respect, etc. It was a time that I now reflect upon and am thankful that I was exposed to these teachings as a child.

As I grew older I became immersed in the teachings of Science. The theory of Evolution in particular made me question the learnings I had gained from the Bible. My further studies throughout high school and University further strengthened my scientific knowledge and beliefs.

This post is not about whether faith or science is the truth, rather that our beliefs are what drives us as a human race and everyone's beliefs need to be respected.

So why are we here?

1. SCIENTIFIC - The biological reasoning for our existence is to reproduce. We are born, grow, have offspring, nurture them to adulthood and then die. We evolved from simpler species over millions of years and are now a very sophisticated species. A pretty simplistic view of the animal kingdom and the reason for our existence.

2. FAITH - Our existence was created by a higher being or force and we were put on this earth. Religions all have different faiths, but most believe in a higher being, deity or force to guide worshippers on their journey in life.

What got me thinking about this was my learnings of both a religious and scientific nature and what I see happening across the world in the human population today.

I believe that the human race, as a species, is becoming much more complex. Our relatively large brains are the reason for the advancements in our race, but are also the reason behind the issues in our societies today.

A larger brain is why we were able to domesticate animals and cultivate crops, allowing us to settle in larger communities and cease existing as hunters and gatherers. This has now led to enormous cities and dense population gatherings across the world.

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Our brain power has also resulted in dramatic increases in technological advancement throughout the ages. From the invention of the book through to the computer, humans have been able to prolong our lifespan and improve our lifestyle and access to the necessities of life, thanks to the power of our brains.

This increased power, I believe, has also come with the downfalls we see across society also. Rampant drug use is and increasing curse for many communities. The addictive nature of certain drugs and the power that our brains have over our bodies, makes it extremely difficult for many to resist their power and then fall into the cycle of addiction that consumes their lives.

The increase in the incidence of mental issues, I believe, can also be contributed to our larger brain. As the access to information through the internet has occurred, we can now access an array of stimulation that was not possible in earlier centuries and decades. Other brain stimulating technology, such as television and gaming devices, has also resulted in humans becoming less social in the physical sense, and more dependant on communication through technological devices (Steemit for example). This means we are no longer accessing the physical social stimulation and cues that we were biologically evolved to do. The resulting mental health issues, such as depression and other psychological issues, are increasingly seen, particularly across the modern and developed countries in the world.

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Which now brings me to the question of: Why are we here?

I don't know and if I did I guess I would be a very rich man! As a species, we have surpassed our biological needs for existence. As a species, we have faith as an important system giving many people purpose and belief.

Although I do not know why we are here, I do believe, that as a species we have a duty to uphold. That duty is as the caretakers of the earth we live in. No matter your belief system, we are the dominant species on earth, and as such, have a responsibility to ensure the existence of our home for future generations to come.

We must treat each other with respect and live in harmony. As our population continues to increase we must use that brain power for good and continue to develop technology for the benefit of the species and the planet as a whole. Love is a powerful force and we must harness it for good.

This is my Sunday opinion piece.

Thanks for reading.

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Thanks to @ryivhnn and @bearone for the footers :)