Dear Anis, Sohail and others,

I too struggled with the 'arrogant' aspect of how we assume that we all arrived here by a complete quirk of fate.  I would like to ask Anis if he feels that mankind or, the more politically correct, humanity is the end point of creation?

The way I see it, there is a wealth of information available to our senses and lots more that isn't and through inference and experimentation, we have explored the unseen from subatomic particles to astronomical objects too weird to comprehend.  Even today, there is a tiny percentage of the population who understand what Stephen Hawking describes but majority who believe in a supernatural creator who interferes in our lives at every opportunity.

Just last night, at a Town Council meeting in Oakville, an impassioned plea by a Muslim councillor who 'felt the hand of God' after going into remission from terminal cancer made a case for the retaining a prayer at the start of council meetings.  He felt that there is place for religion in politics and has effectively alienated 20% of his constituents who do not consider God the giver of political astuteness.

We have evolved to believe in something greater than us, a life after this existence and an inherent component of our psyche which causes us to enjoy beauty, love and experience emotions which we call a soul.  A very few people rationalize this belief into one that we can do without.  It does make life harder for us and at times lonely, but it is the only way I have found to be able to reconcile my knowledge with life.

Kevin Saldanha