The Universe Cares Not for Us

You’d think with a post title like that, the post behind it would be completely devoid of hope, inspiration, or forward-thinking. You’d think the combative theists’ claims that atheism leads to nihilism are well-founded. You’d think that atheism equals giving up on humanity.

You’d be wrong.

In a rather flippant final paragraph I wrote:

“We need to look at humanity to see how to fix it, not to look skyward and pray for intervention, or worse, the end of days. And I really do think we can do this; we have the knowledge, we have the means, let’s make this thing work for all of us.”

I really think this future is possible. And there are several important things I think we need to understand before we can achieve the kind of future we want to see. Keep in mind this is not everything, but these are the things I see as key to the way humanity survives into the future. And it will not be easy. Each and every one of us has to undergo a psychological change in understanding for this to happen. I am not suggesting any kind of manifesto for the future, as I do not have all the answers. But I see this as a starting point, and we have to start somewhere.

What follows in Atheist Climber’s post is a series of paragraphs identifying humanity’s failure to look out for ourselves, and how to rectify that fact. It is eloquent, it is soaring, and it expresses faith in humankind’s innate value and ability to overcome all obstacles, even those self-imposed by previous short-sightedness. Nobody’s going to come save us in our hour of need. Nobody, that is, but ourselves.

It’s for that reason that I am a science booster, primarily and without reservation. Science will save us, or doom us all, depending on the better natures of who wields it. There are no deities, no father figures to look out for us. Time we grow up and take responsibility for our own fates.

{advertisement}
The Universe Cares Not for Us
{advertisement}

5 thoughts on “The Universe Cares Not for Us

  1. 1

    In my circle of friends, the expression is, “The universe is indifferent to my existence.”

    That’s at best really. At worst, it’s trying to kill me.

  2. 2

    I get your meaning. Though, considering you’d have to anthropomorphize the universe to ascribe any sort of intent-to-kill, and I’m no deist, I’m content to say the universe is a dangerous and hostile place. We can dampen our selection criteria on this planet, now that we’ve got a handle on science, but the selection criteria get exponentially more dangerous elsewhere in this universe.

  3. 4

    Without intent, no more conscious than a machine, the universe can kill.
    With intent, with as much consciousness as a god, the universe can kill.

    If I’m the one whom it kills, I doubt that the difference will matter a whole lot to me….

Comments are closed.