Logical Implications and Hidden Agendas

By Randall Osborne

The meaning of life, what does that really mean? It comes down to finding your life's purpose, that defining moment when you understand that your life goals need to focus on things that are bigger than yourself. Self-love and self-doubt can be equally destructive. Purpose comes from finding that sweet spot where you can be confident and humble at the same time. Then we can identify the things in life that give us fulfillmentto have the ability to see where we fit into the puzzle of life and do what we were meant to do.

This book is meant to be a map to guide us along the journey to that goal. It can help you stay focused and avoid the distractions that lead to confusion and apathy. Start at the beginning and fight the urge to jump ahead and skip crucial steps in the process. It just requires commitment and objectivity. Then what may now seem unattainable becomes very realistic.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098095734

Book preview

Chapter One

Meaning-of-Life Stuff

We all instinctively want our life to have significance. To know that we have value and what we do in life matters. Many abandon any hope of finding that and settle for insignificant fleeting things and just live for now. If you lack meaning and purpose in your life or do not have complete confidence in the direction your life is going now, now is the time.

As the title suggests, we are going to look for the logical implications that come from an objective evaluation of the evidence available. Then we will look at why some commonly held beliefs are so illogical. The answer to that usually involves some hidden agenda. Understanding that agenda helps put many issues in context and keeps us from core beliefs we may believe for the wrong reasons. Erroneous core beliefs can influence us to make dangerous life choices.

Finding the Meaning of Life: Why Should You?

Because you can. You have the ability to reason and choose what to believe. That is unique to human beings. Others can try to coerce you to believe something, but no one can force you to believe anything. Many have chosen to submit to torture and death rather than give up their beliefs.

We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any set of circumstances—to choose one’s own way. (Victor Frankl)

Ignorance or misguided beliefs can be dangerous. Many decisions you make in life will have a major impact on you, your quality of life, the people around you, and even society at large. Having a well-reasoned set of core beliefs makes it much easier to make wise decisions and avoid serious, many times unintended, consequences. Very few people go through life without having major regrets over some of the life choices they have made.

I conceive that the great part of the miseries of mankind are brought upon them by the false estimates they have made of the value of things. (Benjamin Franklin)

Fulfillment and purpose are not something you want to miss out on. Life is not worth living if you are just going through the motions. A life well lived is the most valuable thing there is, and a life full of regrets is the most devastating.

He who will not reason, is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not, is a slave. (William Drummond)

Why Many Do Not Seek

It can be very difficult to overcome environmental influences. Growing up, we are told many things by the authority figures and peers in our life. Plus, we all have very different life experiences that impact us in different ways. If we just adopt core values based on those things, we forfeit our free will and you will just get swept away by the flow of life.

It seems overwhelming, maybe even impossible, so we give up before we even start. There are so many options that appear to have merit. Is there really that much difference? It is easier to make it up as we go and just do what seems right at the time.

There is a strong emotional appeal to do whatever feels right, live in the moment, and not worry about the consequences. However, the reality is that what we do has consequences to us, to those around us, and to society at large.

There is fear of commitment to one set of values. Once we commit, there are logical implications based upon what your core values are. Our feelings many times do not line up with our intellectual choices. Commitment is hard, and whimsy is easy. Believing something and even committing ourselves to it does not mean we will have the self-control to follow through with it.

There are basically four categories that sum up why people believe what they believe.

Sociological: parents, friends, society, culture

Psychological: comfort, peace of mind, meaning, purpose, hope, identity

Religious: religious leader, scripture, church

Philosophical: consistency, coherence, completeness (best explanation of the evidence)

Most put philosophical last, if at all, when it should be first in order of priority. We are talking about philosophy in the classical sense (rational and supported by the evidence). Then if it syncs up with some of the other categories, great, but if not, changes may be necessary. This is not something you want to be wrong about.

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. (Thomas Jefferson)

It is part of the cure to wish to be cured. (Latin proverb)

Critical Guidelines

Success usually depends upon a plan that is laid out in a logical sequence. You need a clear starting place and a logical sequence leading to a conclusion. In this case, a clear set of core values will help guide you through the maze of decisions and subsequent actions that will make up your life. First, let’s establish some self-evident principles that a vast majority of people would agree on.

We have free will as established earlier, so even though it may be hard sometimes, we have the ability to make our own choices about our beliefs.

Absolute truth is impossible to determine in many situations, so usually, the best we can hope for is a preponderance of reasonable evidence. As in a courtroom, we compile and examine available evidence until we can make a decision beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, some faith is necessary for us to function. Confidence to engage in the uncertainty of life comes from our belief in certain things. Even if you are winging it through life, you are demonstrating faith in your ability to do so.

Regardless of what we believe now, we have to strive to be as objective as at all possible. Most people try to make the evidence fit what they already believe or just flat out deny the obvious because they do not want to believe it. So objectivity is essential if a valid verdict is to be reached. Note: The intellectual exercise of following the options through to their logical conclusion can be useful in clarifying the choice. However, making key life decisions before you clarify a core value can be dangerous.

Law of noncontradiction: Two contradictory claims cannot both be true. Much confusion occurs when people try to put concepts together that are contradictory. Opinions can contradict, but reality cannot. In that case, if it is a key issue, evidence needs to be objectively examined until one claim clearly stands out. Proceeding before the issue is clearly decided will make all subsequent issues incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to determine accurately.

Clearly define words and concepts being used as evidence. Again, a lot of confusion ensues when meanings are assigned that do not belong. Clear definitions and well-reasoned values make subsequent decisions much easier to determine.

Seek logical implications. If you proceed in a logical sequence, certain logical implications become apparent. This makes the process less confusing. In our thought process or discussions, many times we get off on tangents that are not relevant to core issues. If we firmly establish the core values first, it becomes easier to determine the peripheral issues. Note: This is where it takes courage to face the implications. We tend to halt the process because we see implications that may require change on our part, and thus, we instead become willfully ignorant.

Look for hidden agendas. Many people are driven by emotions such as pride, power, and greed. Therefore, they will go to great lengths to get you to believe whatever will help them accomplish their agenda. However, they usually hide their real motives and try to make you think their motives are something more admirable than they really are.

Honestly ask yourself some key questions. If there are hidden motives, what would they be? If I put my faith in this, how will it affect my outlook on life and my role in it? Have I examined the evidence and logical implications of this core value adequately before putting my faith in it? Can I maintain objectivity concerning this issue? Our core beliefs affect every decision we make, so it is vitally important that we get it right.

The age-old sequence is as follows:

Origin: where did we come from?

Identity: who are we?

Meaning: why are we here?

Morality: how should we live?

Destiny: where are we going?

Note: This is laid out in a condensed outline form in order to provide an overview or help see the big picture. Then appendices and references are provided to fill in more details for additional study.

Where to Start

To start with origins, it soon becomes obvious that the question of God’s existence or nonexistence tops the list. The concept has so many connotations to it we need to define it. To start with, we are talking about whether or not there is an intelligent agent behind the creation of the universe and life. Therefore, to start with, we are only talking about one attribute of God, which precedes all others, and that is the Creator, not a god of any particular religion or any other attributes. Those come later, and remember that staying with the logical sequence is important, one thing at a time.

This has to be the starting point because two clearly defined paths (Creator or no Creator), and many logical implications come from these two core values. This is a core value that is also rarely determined using the guidelines we discussed before. Many give up too easily for the reasons given above and, thus, end up confused about many key issues in life. However, nothing in life should be more important, and thus, it is worth the effort.

It has become a fairly common belief that science has all but ruled out the existence of a Creator, and thus any rational person should see that and accept the obvious. Anything else is superstitious nonsense. Therefore, a good starting point would be to look at science and also philosophy to see where the evidence leads on this crucial issue.

As stated before, we need to clearly define some things before we start. We will refer back to the guidelines often to help keep us on track.

What science is and what it is not is important: systematized knowledge derived from observation, study, etc. (Webster’s dictionary). This describes true science such as natural laws which can be observed, studied, and verified with relative certainty, that is, the effects of gravity can be observed and studied. True science is limited because if it is something that cannot be observed, such as a past one-time event, then it cannot be verified scientifically. We can only gather evidence and try to arrive at the most logical conclusion.

Philosophy: the study of the principles underlying conduct, thought, and the nature of the universe (Webster’s dictionary). This is the same as what we have been talking about with core principles. Your philosophy of life dictates how you live your life. Many in recent times have confused science and philosophy, and it is an important distinction.

Forensic science: the application of scientific principles and techniques to matters of criminal justice, especially as relating to collection, examination, and analysis of physical evidence. This is another category that combines science and philosophy. It looks at available evidence, but the original event cannot be observed and studied. True science, when studying observable phenomenon, can draw conclusions with relative certainty. Forensic science, on the other hand, requires a lot of interpretation and speculation based upon the evidence available. This applies not only to criminal justice but also to any application where you do not have an observable, repeatable event. This is a very important distinction because once someone interprets and speculates, their human bias enters into their conclusions. At that point, it ceases to be true science and becomes philosophy. Science can point you to a conclusion, but true science involves very little speculation.

Mathematics: could also be categorized as true science because it is not open to interpretation. There is only one right answer to a math equation. Mathematical probabilities can also be very useful in determining the validity of a theory.

Therefore, to believe conclusions based on speculation, we should not automatically trust them but objectively examine the evidence for ourselves. We are not all-knowing, so there is no way to know the absolute truth about anything. Some faith is required. Some things have a very high probability of being true, but there is still some room for error. The most important issue is that we do not forfeit our free will to the bias of someone else’s interpretation of the evidence. We are looking for high probability evidence coupled with a preponderance of evidence pointing to a particular conclusion.

Let us use a contemporary example to help put it in context. If you watch CSI or detective shows, many of them talk about following the evidence. Scientific principles are used to gather and evaluate the available evidence. The detectives use the evidence collected in an effort to find out what happened. How many times did the detectives think they had it figured out (probably you too) only to find out there is new evidence that changes everything. Sometimes there are unseen factors that change the context of the evidence collected. What happens when the detective has a suspect they believe to be guilty before they examine the evidence or they have a hidden agenda? They tend to make the evidence fit what they already believe even to the point of ignoring evidence that does not fit what they already believe. They can even go as far as planting evidence or coming up with wild illogical theories because they are convinced they are right or they have motives other than finding the truth. It is part of human nature to want to think we are right and to resist admitting we are wrong about anything.

Evidence of a past event that cannot be recreated or observed firsthand requires interpretation. This means our human fallibility enters into it. Remember this when someone is telling you what they think happened in a past event. They are speculating, and even though they may be very intelligent, they are still human, which means they are fallible. What you are looking for is a preponderance of evidence so you can draw a conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt. Just make sure the evidence you examine is real and not an unsubstantiated theory.

Logic would dictate that we start with real science and then look at philosophy. Therefore, we will start with some natural laws that have come of the result of a lot of observation and study. This means there is a very high degree of certainty. So it stands to reason that any theory that goes against established natural laws would have to be in error. As we said before, if it is going to be a core principle, we need to be confident enough to put our faith in it.

First law of thermodynamics: the universe has a finite amount of energy, and energy and matter can be converted but can neither be created nor destroyed.

Second law of thermodynamics: the universe is winding down or using up the available energy, also known as entropy or going from order to disorder.

Law of the conservation of angular momentum: if an object is spinning and a piece separates from that object, it will be spinning in the same direction.

[A law] is more impressive the greater the simplicity of its premises, the more different the kinds of things it relates, and the more extended its range of applicability. Therefore, the deep impression which classical thermodynamics made on me? It is the only physical theory of universal content which I am convinced, that within a framework of applicability of its basic concepts will never be overthrown. (Albert Einstein, Thermodynamics in Einstein’s Universe, and Isaac Asimov’s Book of Science and Nature Quotations)

Energy can be converted from one form into another, but can neither be created nor destroyed, is the most important and best-proved law in science. This law is considered the most fundamental generalization about the universe that scientists have ever made. (Isaac Asimov, In the Game of Energy and Thermodynamics You Can’t Break Even, Journal of Smithsonian Institution)

If your theory is found to be against the second law of thermodynamics, I can give you no hope; there is nothing for it (your theory) but to collapse in deepest humiliation. (Arthur S. Eddington, The Nature of the Physical World)

There are only two predominate theories about how the universe came to be, and they both involve the big bang. There is the theist and the atheist theory of the big bang. It boils down to the first cause or origin of the universe, and from that, we get two different theories about the specifics of what happened in the big bang.

Either there was a divine intelligence that caused and guided the big bang or it was a random uncontrolled event where nothing caused it and nothing supernatural guided the process. In other words, the first cause was something or it was nothing. Some have put forth theories concerning things such as dark matter, god particles, gravity wells, etc., but there is no scientific evidence to support these theories (because these things are not observable and, therefore, cannot be verified beyond reasonable doubt). Plus, it still does not explain where those things came from. Therefore, it still comes down to everything came from nothing. This is how it is stated in many textbooks on the subject: There was nothing and then nothing exploded.

Another way to put it is that something has to be eternal, either the universe or something outside of the universe. That is because the reality of it is that everything could not have come from nothing.

Let’s look at other cosmology discoveries in a further effort to see where the evidence leads.

An unguided big bang would mean that disorder (a big explosion) created order. This is contrary to the second law of thermodynamics as well as what we continually observe in the real world.

One theory was that the universe was expanding and contracting in a series of big bangs, and so the universe itself is eternal. Recent cosmological discoveries have determined that the universe is continuing to expand and that contracting would be physically impossible (second law of thermodynamics, theory of relativity, background radiation and galaxy seeds). Therefore, it must have had a beginning. Energy, matter, time, and natural laws all came to be at the beginning. They either came from a divine intelligence or from nothing.

Background radiation was detected in 1965. It is the residual energy left from the big bang. It provided more compelling evidence that the universe had a beginning and ruled out the steady state theory.

Temperature ripples in the background radiation called galaxy seeds were discovered in 1989. They showed that the explosion and expansion of the universe was precisely tweaked to cause just enough matter to congregate and allow galaxy formation, but not enough to cause it to collapse back on itself. These ripples are so exact that any slight variation one way or another, and it would not have happened (in fact one chance in one hundred thousand).

Theory of relativity shows that time, space, and matter are correlative or interdependent. They all came into being at the same time, so they had a beginning. Einstein saw the implications of his theory and did not like it. He, like many scientists, liked the idea of the steady state theory, so much so that he concocted a mathematical equation