And that is why, my young friends, when Man loses his Life he goes from
being a Something created by Time and Chance into becoming like his
creator - Nothing.

http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/archives/001750.html


In the Beginning was Nothing:


A Creation Story for Young Materialists


Throughout history children have been awed and thrilled by retellings
of their culture's creation story. Aztec's would tell of the Lady
of the Skirt of Snakes, Phoenicians about the Zophashamin, and Jews and
Christians about the one true God -- Jehovah. But there is one
unfortunate group -- the children of materialists - that has no
creation myth to call its own. When an inquisitive tyke asks who
created the sun, the animals, and mankind, their materialist parents
can only tell them to read a book by Carl Sagan or Richard Dawkins.

http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/archives/001750.html


In the Beginning was Nothing:

But there is one unfortunate group -- the children of materialists -
that has no creation myth to call its own.

In the Beginning was Nothing:

http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/archives/001750.html


In the Beginning was Nothing:


A Creation Story for Young Materialists


Throughout history children have been awed and thrilled by retellings of
their culture's creation story. Aztec's would tell of the Lady of the
Skirt of Snakes, Phoenicians about the Zophashamin, and Jews and
Christians about the one true God -- Jehovah. But there is one unfortunate
group -- the children of materialists - that has no creation myth to call
its own. When an inquisitive tyke asks who created the sun, the animals,
and mankind, their materialist parents can only tell them to read a book
by Carl Sagan or Richard Dawkins.

No child, though, should have to go without an answer which is why I've
decided to take the elements of materialism and shape them into an
accurate, though mythic, narrative. This is what our culture has been
missing for far too long -- a creation story for young materialists.


******

In the beginning was Nothing and Nothing created Everything. When Nothing
decided to create Everything, she filled a tiny dot with Time, Chance, and
Everything and had it explode. The explosion spread Everything into
Everywhere carrying Time and Chance with it to keep it company. The three
stretched out together leaving bits of themselves wherever they went. One
of those places was the planet Earth.

For no particular Reason - for Reason is rarely particular -- Time and
Chance took a liking to this wet little blue rock and so decided to stick
around and see what adventures they might have. The pair thought the Earth
was intriguing and pretty, but also rather dull and static. They fixed
upon an idea to change Everything (just a little) by creating a special
Something. Time and Chance roamed the planet, splashing through the oceans
and scampering through the mud, in search of materials. But though they
looked Everywhere there was a Missing Ingredient that they needed in order
to make a Something that could create more of the same Somethings.

They called to their friend Everything to help. Since Everything had been
Everywhere she would no doubt be able to find the Missing Ingredient. And
indeed she did, hidden away in a small alcove called Somewhere, Everything
found what Time and Chance had needed all along: Information. Everything
put the Information on a piece of ice and rock that happened to be passing
by the planet Pluto and sent it back to her friends on Earth.

Now that they had Information, Time and Chance were finally able to create
a self-replicating Something which they called Life. Once they created the
Life they found that it not only became more Somethings it began to become
Otherthings too! The Somethings and the Otherthings began to fill all the
Earth -- from the bottom of the oceans to the top of the sky. Their
creation, which began as a single Something eventually became millions of
Otherthings.

Time and Chance, though, where the bickering sort and were constantly
feuding over which of them was the most powerful. One day they began to
argue over who had been most responsible for creating Life. Everything
(who was constantly eavesdropping) overheard the spat and suggested that
they settle the debate by putting their creative skills to work on a new
creature called Man. They all thought is was a splendid plan - Man was a
dull, hairy beast who would indeed provide a suitable challenge - and
began to boast about who could create an ability, which they called
Consciousness, that would allow Man to be aware of Chance, Time,
Everything, and Nothing.

Chance, who had always been a bit of a dawdler, got off to a slow start so
it was Time, who never rested, that was able to complete the task first.
Time rushed around, filling the gooey matter inside each Man's head with
Consciousness. But as he was gloating over his victory he noticed a
strange reaction. When Man could see that Everything had been created by
Time, Chance, and Nothing his Consciousness would fill up with Despair.

Chance immediately saw a solution to the problem and used the remaining
materials she was using to make Consciousness to create Beliefs. When
Chance mixed Beliefs into the grey goo, Man stopped filling with Despair
and started creating his own Illusions. These Illusions took various forms
- God, Purpose, Meaning - but they were almost always effective in
preventing Man from filling up with Despair.

Nothing, who tended to be rather forgetful, remembered her creation and
decided to take a look around Everything. When she saw what Time and
Chance had done on planet Earth she was mildly amused but forbid them to
fill any more creatures with Consciousness or Beliefs (which is why Man is
the only Something that has both). But Nothing took a fancy to Man and
told Time and Chance that when each one's Life ran out that she would take
him or her and make them into Nothing too.

And that is why, my young friends, when Man loses his Life he goes from
being a Something created by Time and Chance into becoming like his
creator - Nothing.

The End

In the Beginning was Nothing:
A Creation Story for Young Materialists

http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/archives/001750.html


In the Beginning was Nothing:


A Creation Story for Young Materialists


Throughout history children have been awed and thrilled by retellings
of their culture's creation story. Aztec's would tell of the Lady
of the Skirt of Snakes, Phoenicians about the Zophashamin, and Jews and
Christians about the one true God -- Jehovah. But there is one
unfortunate group -- the children of materialists - that has no
creation myth to call its own. When an inquisitive tyke asks who
created the sun, the animals, and mankind, their materialist parents
can only tell them to read a book by Carl Sagan or Richard Dawkins.

No child, though, should have to go without an answer which is why
I've decided to take the elements of materialism and shape them into
an accurate, though mythic, narrative. This is what our culture has
been missing for far too long -- a creation story for young
materialists.


******

In the beginning was Nothing and Nothing created Everything. When
Nothing decided to create Everything, she filled a tiny dot with Time,
Chance, and Everything and had it explode. The explosion spread
Everything into Everywhere carrying Time and Chance with it to keep it
company. The three stretched out together leaving bits of themselves
wherever they went. One of those places was the planet Earth.

For no particular Reason - for Reason is rarely particular -- Time
and Chance took a liking to this wet little blue rock and so decided to
stick around and see what adventures they might have. The pair thought
the Earth was intriguing and pretty, but also rather dull and static.
They fixed upon an idea to change Everything (just a little) by
creating a special Something. Time and Chance roamed the planet,
splashing through the oceans and scampering through the mud, in search
of materials. But though they looked Everywhere there was a Missing
Ingredient that they needed in order to make a Something that could
create more of the same Somethings.

They called to their friend Everything to help. Since Everything had
been Everywhere she would no doubt be able to find the Missing
Ingredient. And indeed she did, hidden away in a small alcove called
Somewhere, Everything found what Time and Chance had needed all along:
Information. Everything put the Information on a piece of ice and rock
that happened to be passing by the planet Pluto and sent it back to her
friends on Earth.

Now that they had Information, Time and Chance were finally able to
create a self-replicating Something which they called Life. Once they
created the Life they found that it not only became more Somethings it
began to become Otherthings too! The Somethings and the Otherthings
began to fill all the Earth -- from the bottom of the oceans to the top
of the sky. Their creation, which began as a single Something
eventually became millions of Otherthings.

Time and Chance, though, where the bickering sort and were constantly
feuding over which of them was the most powerful. One day they began to
argue over who had been most responsible for creating Life. Everything
(who was constantly eavesdropping) overheard the spat and suggested
that they settle the debate by putting their creative skills to work on
a new creature called Man. They all thought is was a splendid plan -
Man was a dull, hairy beast who would indeed provide a suitable
challenge - and began to boast about who could create an ability, which
they called Consciousness, that would allow Man to be aware of Chance,
Time, Everything, and Nothing.

Chance, who had always been a bit of a dawdler, got off to a slow start
so it was Time, who never rested, that was able to complete the task
first. Time rushed around, filling the gooey matter inside each Man's
head with Consciousness. But as he was gloating over his victory he
noticed a strange reaction. When Man could see that Everything had been
created by Time, Chance, and Nothing his Consciousness would fill up
with Despair.

Chance immediately saw a solution to the problem and used the remaining
materials she was using to make Consciousness to create Beliefs. When
Chance mixed Beliefs into the grey goo, Man stopped filling with
Despair and started creating his own Illusions. These Illusions took
various forms - God, Purpose, Meaning - but they were almost always
effective in preventing Man from filling up with Despair.

Nothing, who tended to be rather forgetful, remembered her creation and
decided to take a look around Everything. When she saw what Time and
Chance had done on planet Earth she was mildly amused but forbid them
to fill any more creatures with Consciousness or Beliefs (which is why
Man is the only Something that has both). But Nothing took a fancy to
Man and told Time and Chance that when each one's Life ran out that
she would take him or her and make them into Nothing too.

And that is why, my young friends, when Man loses his Life he goes from
being a Something created by Time and Chance into becoming like his
creator - Nothing.

The End

http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/archives/001750.html

In the Beginning was Nothing:

A Creation Story for Young Materialists

Throughout history children have been awed and thrilled by retellings
of their culture's creation story. Aztec's would tell of the Lady
of the Skirt of Snakes, Phoenicians about the Zophashamin, and Jews and
Christians about the one true God -- Jehovah. But there is one
unfortunate group -- the children of materialists - that has no
creation myth to call its own.

When an inquisitive tyke asks who
created the sun, the animals, and mankind, their materialist parents
can only tell them to read a book by Carl Sagan or Richard Dawkins.