Blog #1

Trevor Poirier

23 July 2013

AP English 11

Mrs. Wilhelmus

The Garden of Eden

            Every once in a while, questions about our existence spring up in our minds, and they can be a bit puzzling.  Regardless of our level of intelligence, we can only know so much about the world we live in, leaving some questions left without a definite answer.  This is where beliefs come in.  Whether it be a religion or philosophy, some form of belief shapes the way we view the world.  This includes not only how us humans got here, but also what our importance is. 

            "Who am I?" and "Where does the world come from?" are usually the first two questions that come to mind when pondering our existence.  We all wonder who we truly are to this world and what our purpose is, assuming we have one.  Secondly, everyone wonders exactly how and when we got here.  Just thinking about the answers to these questions is extremely perplexing, and is a quick way to make your head hurt.  The one thing I personally struggle with is the concept that answering the questions is not knowledge-based.  You can read all sorts of books and attend all sorts of sermons and churches, but will never have a concrete answer.  So many things in this world require intelligence and can be solved by research or figuring.  Obviously we would have long known this information if that was the case.  Every event in life has a beginning and end.  For example, we are born as infants and at some point die.  But what if the world had no beginning, and even if it did, how could something so complex come from nothing?

            I was raised a Christian, and I believe that this world could not have been made from nothing or by chance.  I believe that there is a greater power, God, that is responsible for creation.  I also think that we each have a purpose in this world beyond our occupation and identities.  Although I do not know this for sure, it seems the most logical based on my knowledge of the past and what I've learned throughout my life time.  Does this mean I never have inquiries or doubts?  No.  I think it is good to doubt your beliefs every now and again to change or reaffirm them.  However, my beliefs are what they are -- beliefs, and that may never change.  I do not know for sure if they are correct and may never know.  The answer to the questions "Who am I?" and "Where does the world come from?" are simple.  There is no answer.  That is up for us to decide or not decide.