…Without God Secular Vision for a Changing World (Responses to Exercise #1)
Select answers to Exercise #1, What’s So Special about Human Life?
We are capable of space travel and yet on the brink of destruction. Last century we experienced terrible wars in which over 50 million of us died. We may destroy our world through atomic warfare before reaching full capabilities to leave for space in order to save the species. Help!
We want to know and understand. Most asked question is “why?”
We are capable of creating and enjoying beautiful art & music!
Humans are the only animals on Earth to cry tears, and we cry when we are both happy and sad. Our best scientists don’t understand everything about crying and tears, but one scientist (Vingerhoets) says: “Tears are of extreme relevance to human nature. We cry because we need other people.”
We’re an amazing product of billions of years of evolution, but we somehow feel put down by that. We know more now than ever before, and can do both good and evil, but we refuse to own or be responsible for our knowledge or our morality. We invent gods instead.
The human being is the only species that views itself as better, greater and different than every other species.
Humans are the worst and the best species that ever evolved on earth. The spectrum of the values and behaviors of humans is vast, from cruelty and destructiveness to loving and caring behaviors, amazing discoveries, creativity and innovations in innumerable realms.
Humans have a high degree of ingenuity, are adaptable, slowly evolving creatures with a tendency to repeat the past, relearning old lessons. When applied to peaceful pursuits, these are good attributes. Unfortunately, we are often not peaceful and have been at war for much of our existence as a species.