Only the dullest of the dull and only the most committed and close minded of atheists can possibly deny that these recorded miracles by the Son of God occurred. In this respect, the Bible is a historically accurate document. What happened, and has been reported, did happen. There is no possible counter argument by the secular and Godless left that can explain away these facts! We list them here and defy any atheist to counter them. Were all those who wrote down what they saw and heard simply mad? Jesus proved to all that he indeed was the son of God and that those who would follow him would have life more abundantly and most certainly, that has been demonstrably true.
Many secular humanists express the view that the true meaning of life might be in some kind of ‘connection’ to others: biologically, socially and culturally. Here, it is important to note that many humanists that view mankind as constantly evolving beings see the true meaning of life as one that might well possibly change or be changing. (really?) Included in these sad groups we should give honorable mention to those environmentalists who find it convenient to worship mother earth. These groups are generally anti-human, anti-civilization, anti-modernity, anti-energy and anti almost everything. They worship at the alter of nature, wishing all human endeavor and progress to somehow cease and disappear. They know that the earth would be a better place were humans not present. So, we have here not merely anti-theists but a group wishing and ‘praying’ for the negation or all human life and all human activity. We posted a few of these silly groups in the appendices. Good grief!
For many secular humanists, hedonists and atheists by any other word, life’s true meaning is to make the most of life on a personal level. Their answer to the question of the meaning of life is that humans are here simply to just enjoy and strive for a happy existence. Sigmund Freud, the Viennese drug addicted doctor, who invented the psychological therapy method known as psychoanalysis, called this view the pleasure principle. The main idea behind this stance is that humanity is meant to experience maximum pleasure and minimum pain. We present, in a further chapter, a discussion of Epicurus, the Ancient Greek philosopher credited with founding this school of thought. Of course, not being of the “hair shirt” personal masochism school, on some level, I can appreciate the attraction…
The humanistic branch of psychology, most associated with Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, grew out of a need for more personal meaning than Freud’s psychoanalysis could provide. Humanistic psychologists concentrate on individual potential and purpose in life. Many people do see personal achievement and the purpose of their own place in the greater world to hold a basic meaning of their lives. Maslow had the answer, eat drink and be merry and be content with the limited dunce you are!
Existentialists hold the philosophical viewpoint that some humans make individual choices in their existence. French existentialist Jean Paul Sartre said, "Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself." In this view, personal freedom may be seen as having the potential of both positive and negative outcomes depending on the choices one makes. Little comfort this does the dunce, who with limited potential in the first place, has made nothing of his life. Sartre had nothing to offer him or the 95% of humanity who are incapable of coherent reflection and who, in any case, lack the talent to change anything…
One argument that we find of significant merit in the search for life’s true purpose is to advance or help humankind. Many people feel that the one true meaning of life is to be grateful to our Creator for ones abilities and work to advance human happiness and decrease suffering. This outlook often contains views that humankind, especially those gifted with superior intelligence and ability, will find satisfying purpose and meaning by working to reduce and end suffering. Life’s meaningful purpose in this view includes the desire to devote ones talent to those pursuits benefiting those in need. The scientists who have found cures and preventatives for disease, of course, rank high under this formula. Doctors, Dentists, nurses and all those who help to directly reduce misery and suffering are obvious members of this group.
There can be many variations on what it actually means to help others. Many people may feel the answer to what their life’s meaning is about is to contribute to society through their work. Others may feel that it’s important to help discover technological or other types of advances to aid in the positive progress of humankind. Some fortunate people decide that following and developing their God given talents is their true purpose in life. Artists and musicians who create great beauty and wonders certainly find their lives meaningful as do writers and poets. Indeed, there is great satisfaction and joy in such pursuits. Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, Beethoven and Mozart certainly fit into this category, as would Dr. Jonas Salk who, in 1952, developed the first effective polio vaccine.
Trans-humanism is another interesting school of thought suggesting the meaning of life is to improve the human body by extending that life. There is nothing in this discipline precluding those so engaged from having religious beliefs. In fact, many do. Trans-humanists seek mental and physical improvements in humankind such as the advances concerned with slowing and even arresting the aging process. Trans-humanist views hold that since life began through evolution, it is up to ‘evolved humans’ to control and extend the quality of life. Recent developments in the medical properties of nanobots, as they relate to the extension of human life through a slowing the aging process, suggests the possibility of almost endless life We are nearing a tipping point in life extension, thanks to technologies that enhance our health and maximize resources
Extending human life expectancy is not a new story. When our genes evolved thousands of years ago, it was not particularly in the interests of the human species to live past a child-rearing age, as resources such as food were always in short supply. Human life expectancy in the dark ages (450-800 AD) was about 37. Today, mostly due to technological labor saving devices, the use of petroleum etc., it is now pushing 80, and we have been adding about three months each year for the past several decades. Today, this is due mostly to advances in medical procedures, diet and pharmacology which however, do not address the bodies overall genetic aging process.
The science of life extension is however about to go into high gear. Until recently, health and medicine was a hit or miss affair. We would discover interventions such as beneficial drugs but many also had undesirable side effects. We did not have the means to design truly life-prolonging interventions on the cellular level. But, that is changing! The breakthrough in stem-cell biology recently reported offers just one example of the progress.
With the completion of the human genome project in 2003 and the advent of techniques such as RNA interference, which can turn off the genes that promote disease and ageing, medicine has transformed itself into an ‘information technology.’ It is now subject to what I call the "law of accelerating returns - a doubling of capability (for the same cost) each year. For example, the amount of genetic data collected has doubled every year since 1990, and the cost has come down from $10 per base pair to a fraction of a penny. As a result, technologies to literally reprogram human "software" (i.e. the genes) that underlie human biology, will, in the next ten years, be a thousand times more powerful than they are today and a million times more powerful in two decades. According to models, we will be adding more than a year every year to our remaining life expectancy in only 15 years from now. That will be a tipping point in life extension. Rather than the sands of time running out with passing time, they will be running in. The further out in time we go the more advances we will be able to take advantage of.
Within a couple of decades, we will have "nanobots" in our blood stream, (basically small robots the size of blood cells), that will keep us healthy at the cellular and molecular level. There are already dozens of successful experiments with a first generation of such devices in animals. One scientist cured type-I diabetes in rats with a blood cell-sized device. Scientists at MIT have microscopic devices that can scout out cancer cells in the bloodstream and destroy them. These devices will be a billion times more powerful than they are today in 25 years, and will continue the accelerating path to radical life extension.
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