Friday, September 23, 2011

Pillars of Creation and religious experience

Pillars of Creation
Hubble image NASA

This famous photo taken of a region in the Eagle Nebula where stars are born has awed humanity ever since it was taken by the Hubble telescope on April 1, 1995.

The human species is religious whether we want it or not. Religious behaviour is not a late social addition to our psychology and society within the evolving hierarchical power systems as Marxist philosophers have claimed. For archaeology clearly demonstrates that early man was a tool maker, homo habilis. Archaeology also shows that discoveries of early homo sapiens sapiens, possibly also homo sapiens neandethalensis,  demonstrate religious characteristics not even our closest relatives show.  Humanity is homo religiousis as clearly demonstrated by the Palaeolithic caves in Lascaux, France, or by the ceremonial burials with red ochre (blood) found in the Near East.

Atheism
Atheists define themselves as non-religious people and deny the claim presented above that religion is were integral part of humanity. Rather, fighting atheists think that religion is a negative learned attribute in the society occupied with paranormal phenomena and false views of the physical reality and something that should be washed away from our civilization.

As a human being an atheist also realizes the enormity of the Pillars of Creation and may be bothered by it. The image - and the reality it depicts - touches the religious wires in our being whether we want it or not.

So in order to reject this annoying feeling approaching religious some atheists spend quite a lot of energy to mock feelings created by such images and to emphasize their scientific explanations and facts on ground that belong to the scientific world view they so value above all.

Sunset at sea

Ocean
In a discussion with some atheists I made the statement that the space is full of majestic music that tells about the greatness of the God of Israel (for He is the only true God).

Someone commented that he can not hear any majestic music from the space, only empty tinkering and ticking sounds and meaningless humming of radio waves.

Well, I think this person does not feel the awe of Creation when looking at the open ocean when sun sets in the horizon and the waves roll.

So it is not so much the reality out there, the Pillars of Creation or the turquoise sea, but what is in the eyes and heart of the observer.

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Monotheism
For believers in the three great monotheistic religions deeply rooted to the Torah - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - the Pillars of Creation proclaim the glory of God.

 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.  
Psalm 19:2-6 NSAB

6 comments:

  1. The Pillar to the (left) appears to be of a man pointing up as in saying that there is still something greater at work than just what is seen. The (center) pillar appears to be a mother holding a baby, the third (right) pillar is one without form, that appears to have died, or is lacking physical form. If you put it in a biblical perspective it could be considered to be the "Father" to the left, the "Mother and Child" in the second, and the spirit in the third. All of which combine to form the pillars of creation, which could be considered humanity and the human spirit which are the "Pillars of Creation" here on earth. If you look at the origin of religion, and the formation of religion in Hebrew, you find that letters and words were formed, and the power that came forth from the language allowed for the creation of the civilization that you see today. 0135719186420 LOVE = 13 and there are 26 letters in the alphabet, 26 is the number of YHVH. 13-26=? Think about it. 13-26=-13 or HATE? :) - (7c5b6h)

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    1. Finding meaning in randomness of interstellar clouds... hmmm. Well, we can detect interesting shapes also in the clouds in Earht's atmosphere with "truly deep significance" we decide to give them. Only they change slightly faster than the cosmic clouds captured by Hubble cameras.

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    2. First impressions are lasting ones, humanity "Opens its Eyes" and looks into the heavens, and sees to its astonishment truth clouded in mystery. For years I have seen this image, for years it has convicted my soul, for years it has laid a path before me, for years there have been truths revealed, for years I have questioned, for years I have perceived abstract answers to which the mind can hardly conceive. A consciousness that awakens, the soul of the universe begins to awaken, a perception that is perceived through more eyes than can be numbered, and as one they are perceived by one. This is one perception, there are many, and the many are perceived through the perception of one. I am but one of many that believes in one. My perception is my own, I do not proclaim that it is right, only right for me, and for me it is a connection to the one to which I perceive and ultimately believe. (7c5b6h)

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  2. Speaking in terms of prime numbers, where one and two, become three. One and Two can be considered the Two that are One in Humanity, Male and Female, the Two required to perpetuate the species into the heavens, the Third is a marked guide path perhaps as a sign from the "Creator", this belief of mine is not one that can be proven, like any other faith, but it takes faith to believe in anything to begin with. It was through my firm faith in something greater than myself, that brought me to this and it has been a struggle in my soul that brought me to this belief. I do not have any "True" knowledge, nor do any mortals on this earth, but in truth it did come from true "Faith". In what has been born in my soul is an evolutionary approach, to where evolution "Nature" plays a role in creation, and where life follows a path that was laid out long before it was conceived. As the species to which evolve looked into the heavens, they would see signs to lead them out into the heavens that would guide them to their destiny. Not all might follow these guide posts, but those who did would find further signs in the heavens not immediately but the path would be laid before the peoples. In my speculation I would assume either the people would be divided into five, or would be in some way divided to continue the perpetuation of the species further into the universe. The "Pillars of Creation" may hold the key to humanity's continued survival, they are what is was and forever will be in its infancy which means by the time we reach it, it will have evolved to a point to which life should have had a chance to take root. 012357111317 - 0135719186420 (7c5b6h)

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  3. It's easy to release one's beliefs when they don't go along with what "Science" dictates, science is very black and white, no room for "Shades of Gray" but in fact it is through the black and white that the shades are able to be perceived at all. There are always going to be things that science can explain away, but ultimately there is something that provided for the ability for science itself to exist in the first place, the principles to which guide all that is was and will forever be. Maybe there is something divine at work, maybe it's just chaos that inevitably forms some kind of order, or maybe its order that creates the chaos in the first place. Regardless there is something that has been set in motion, something that has brought us to the point to which we are today, and something that will carry on long after we have returned to that to which we all came from. I have no answers only questions, and those questions lead only to more questions, but isn't it with questions that we ultimately seek answers? It sad how quickly someone can loose their faith completely the second it comes in conflict with science, instead of incorporating the two together. (7c5b6h)

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  4. The path that is in my mind is one for humanity, a vast network that is formed, I see an engine formed throughout the world, I see people pumped out into space periodically on intervals, I see Europa being colonized for its water supply, even potentially being used to form a mobile water source, to travel the stars the one thing that is most valuable is a source of water to sustain human life. Plants and animals can be reproduced to sustain a steady source of food, nourishment, etc. Water is the only thing in great abundance to which is necessary and in short supply in the barren wasteland of empty space containing the vastly scattered oasis' that exist. I know that right now we are training our children to learn for things that haven't even been created yet, to be prepared for concepts that haven't even been conceived yet. That technology will evolve past the entire computational ability of the human species in less than a lifetime. In actuality I see humans never leaving the confines of this world unless it is ultimately necessary for survival, but the problem with that is you have all your eggs in one basket and the potential for long term survival rests on the expansion of the conceptual being beyond the world to which we were first conceived. I have perceived the mechanical nature of the mind, the ability for the mind to conceive in fact and fiction, and differentiate between the two, the problem is with the release of our conceptualizing beyond the known we loose the ability to conceptualize the unknown, and in doing so narrow our ability to conceptualize at all. There is a reason why faith has been a pillar in the minds of humanity for so long, because it gives rise to the conceptualization of possibility. Is it enough to just exist for the sake of existing? To create for the sake of creating? Or do we create because "Creation" is in our "Nature"? (7c5b6h)

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