I was raised as “Secular Humanist” yet attended a Jesuit University and studied world religions, political systems and philosohpy. After working for many years in different industries, I have found that I depend less on the idealism on my college days and approach issues more as a pragmatist.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. I agree with Marx’s statement that “Religion is the Opiate of the People” when it applies to extremism. By the same token I think that the “Existentialism” that
emerged as a movement in twentieth-century literature and philosophy, most notably by Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche, represents the other extreme. Individualism as they saw it endorses self-centered behavior.

The conflict between “Capitalists” and “Enviromentalists” illustrates the dangers of these extremes. Yet we are finally seeing a recognition that we do not live in a world with limitless resources. A futurist that spoke at the Banker’s Club two years ago pointed out that “Water” , not “Oil” ,would be the most important resource of the next century. His reasoning, quite simply, was that “water sustains life”.

Event the Pope has declared it a sin to pollute the environment. The Vatican unveiled a list of seven ‘new sins‘ in March 2008. – “You offend God not only by stealing, blaspheming or coveting your neighbor’s wife,
but also by ruining the environment . . . .”

Bishop Gianfranco Girotti,
Head of the Apostolic Penitentiary

Now is the time for people who traditionally find theseselves at opposite end of the fence to work together towards the “Greatest Good for the Greatest Number”.

To be happy. (We all need freedom to find our own definitions of happiness).

Once humans achieve a certain level of personal happiness, i think most humans want to share their happiness and themselves (ie., life experience), with others. Share what they found with their fellow man/woman/human.

Humans can also find happiness vicariously through others, i.e., such as a parent watching his/her child grow. A human being is truly happy, when they are fulfilled in all areas of their life. When there is no void in their life “unfilled” or unfulfilled.

Does death give meaning to life? Or does death render life meaningless? That is the age-old question Existentialism poses.

For me, i think purpose is what gives meaning to life. We are all matter and energy. Just like water. We are after all, made up predominantly of water. Like water, we possess the ability to create, change, and affect our surroundings and not only our course, but of history. But the unique trait all humans possess is the ability to impact one another’s lives. Hopefully, positively…for the better.

I remember once watching Lord of the Rings, when the sage Gandalf said to Frodo, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

With all that said, i really don’t know what the meaning of life is for me. But as one of my R.N. friends so wisely taught and told me, “it’s to keep going.”

Heidegger is an ambitious topic, but you make the point well- it’s absurd to think that we can exist outside of our relationships to one another and the world. Our leaders would be well-served to recognize this and use it as a filter through which they run their proposed policies.

Thank you,

Raj Moorjani

This is a great piece. You are clearly widely read and learned in matters spiritual and political. What are your goals in running these pieces? What motivates you to place your material in the newspaper? In any event I look forward to learning more from your thought pieces.