When my religious friends get a little too intense I tell em to go visit a terminal children’s hospital ward. Don’t give me any of that “works in mysterious ways” rubbish either. I’m not saying there isn’t a higher intelligence than us somewhere, because that’s unknowable in an infinite universe, but to then somehow pivot to thinking that intelligence would care about every little thing we do is beyond insane.
One day when I was a young boy on holiday in Uberwald I was walking along the bank of a stream when I saw a mother otter with her cubs. A very endearing sight, I’m sure you’ll agree, and even as I watched, the mother otter dived into the water and came up with a plump salmon, which she subdued and dragged onto a half submerged log. As she ate it, while of course it was still alive, the body split and I remember to this day the sweet pinkness of its roes as they spilled out, much to the delight of the baby otters, who scrambled over themselves to feed on the delicacy. One of nature’s wonders, gentlemen. Mother and children dining upon mother and children.
And that is when I first learned about evil. It is built into the very nature of the universe. Every world spins in pain. If there is any kind of supreme being, I told myself, it is up to all of us to become his moral superior.
I think it’s entirely possible that there are entities more intelligent than humans (let’s face it the bar isn’t very high) but I think that’s different to “higher intelligence” an entity of God like capability, I don’t think that high IQ necessarily grants you access to alter the fundamental laws of reality.
That’s such an interesting point. I believe that historically any intelligence that was much higher than the norm has tended to be perceived as “Godlike”. That means this misconception potentially applies to us today as well (he walked on water therefore he is God etc.) or that the “God” that people believe in today is somehow above relativistic misconception. Personally I lean towards the former.
When my religious friends get a little too intense I tell em to go visit a terminal children’s hospital ward. Don’t give me any of that “works in mysterious ways” rubbish either. I’m not saying there isn’t a higher intelligence than us somewhere, because that’s unknowable in an infinite universe, but to then somehow pivot to thinking that intelligence would care about every little thing we do is beyond insane.
-Sir Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals
I think it’s entirely possible that there are entities more intelligent than humans (let’s face it the bar isn’t very high) but I think that’s different to “higher intelligence” an entity of God like capability, I don’t think that high IQ necessarily grants you access to alter the fundamental laws of reality.
That’s such an interesting point. I believe that historically any intelligence that was much higher than the norm has tended to be perceived as “Godlike”. That means this misconception potentially applies to us today as well (he walked on water therefore he is God etc.) or that the “God” that people believe in today is somehow above relativistic misconception. Personally I lean towards the former.
I’m intellgent, and I’m high.
No disrespect, but the irony of misspelling that word is chef’s kiss 🤣
But you have heard of me.
But not higher!
What makes you think that the universe is infinite?
You’re right. I should have said “because that’s unknowable in a really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, big universe” but I thought “infinite” wouldn’t take up as much (drumroll) space! 🤭