Simple, uncomplicated view of existence

Dear editor:

With all the back and forth about religion lately, it is time to settle the argument in a simple, easy- to- understand, short and concise comment.

First, if I were to write a dissertation on the subject, it would probably start out similar to Mr. Wiedmann’s letter in Saturday’s paper ( succinctly, I believe he was saying that today’s world and knowledge of the cosmos does not square well with a document written 2,000 years ago), but I would add the following ( true “believers” out there, do not write me off yet!):

I am semi- educated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree and have been around for awhile ( I qualify for a senior citizens discount at Kroger’s) and I read a great deal. I read about many subjects, but the one that intrigues me most concerns attempts to understand the vast cosmos out there and our place in it. I have read most of the books by those at the leading edge of this subject. The more I read the less I know and the more questions I have: The “Big Bang,” wow, something the size of the palm of your hand is now the universe — try to understand that in your mind’s eye.

By the way, who or what put that chunk of stuff there to start with and what was there before that? “Wormholes.” Will we some day travel through those? “Multiverses.” More than one universe? If so, where are they and how many? Dark energy/ dark matter. We do not quite know what they are but they make up 95 percent of the mass of the universe — the universe we see is 5 percent of the mass! Then there is the “Cosmic Horizon.” That is 46 billion light years away and is, as far as we can see, because light from any further has not reached us yet and never will because of its speed and the rapidly expanding universe ( and other factors)! So, does the universe end and if it does, what is beyond that? If there is a God, when did He/ She arrive on the scene? What was here before that?

So, to put things in perspective: The human race has existed for a few thousand years ( perhaps a few million, depending on your definition) on a planet that is 4 billion years old ( and will live for about another 4 billion before it is incinerated by our dying Sun) in a solar system, which is one of billions in a galaxy which in turn is only one of billions of galaxies in the universe.

In my opinion, any rational, intelligent person would have to know there must be life as we know it ( or as we don’t know it!) literally teeming out there — how can we understand all that and comprehend how totally insignificant our little speck of limited existence is? There is a term you hear that is an attempt to explain things — “Intelligent Design.” I like that term. Is Intelligent Design the PC word for God? — perhaps.

See, I told you it would be simple and uncomplicated.

Charles “Pete” Peterson Lieutenant colonel, USAF retired

Hot Springs