Posted by Colin on August 27, 1999 at 00:55:11:
In Reply to: Why suffering? posted by cody harrington on August 13, 1999 at 16:28:11:
If there were some higher form of intelligence why
would this entity think from the perspective of
human values?
Also I might envisage an entity who does not think
within the same standard time frame as us regular
human's.
What I am moving toward here is that
humanity appears to want the concept of a higher
intelligence but also want it to be human. Our
values are human values and we all think they're
pretty good.
When we incorporate an idea of, "God" or an Alien
intelligence we often attribute them with values
that we perceive humanity would hold, by humanity
we mean ourselves, if we had the power to shape
the world.
So, if we were "God" or Aliens we wouldn't allow
the rest of humanity to misbehave, the naughty
children that they are.
Perhaps individuals have a role to play in the
world and this role is to move toward a greater
understanding of themselves, which, in turn, may
lead to a higher value system for the whole of
humanity. It does seem that each of us has a good
idea, through our perceptions of God, about what
we truly value.