Reply #18: Yes, the truth lies outside organized religion, and all other human endeavor.

[napoleon_in_rags]

Nobody can get it, so all we have is illusions and approximations and some of those illusions are better for success, e.g. religion.

n a purely personal level, though, I never did like the idea that "everything has a purpose but we can't understand it." It seems to cheapen the experience, struggle, and triumph of life while being impossible to prove or disprove in a "Russel's Teapot" sort of way.

Don't get me wrong, I hate that idea too...But that doesn't keep me from acknowledging that it might be true, and it might be those farthest from having the truth who are the most successful in evolution. I gave you the right link, my point is if the people with high IQ's have the best idea of what's going on, why is there no correlation between IQ and income? I'm sure I could correlate income and survival tightly.

I have to go out now. Thanks for the conversation and great OP!