In dealing with existence, the following core questions are relevant. How did the Cosmos come about? Is there any purpose or any meaning in its existence? What, if any, is the relationship between mankind and the Cosmos? Do we matter? How did we come about?
To date, all the attempts to reach answers to these questions have surely been speculative; unless one believes in revelation (from an un-Earthly source). The speculations found in religion are confounding. Many of those found in philosophy founder in a sea of semantics. Those found in science seem to be no more than indicative, suggestive; with the guardians of the prevailing explanatory paradigms within each scholarly discipline being somewhat fiercely protective (but not in all the realms of research).
The idea of a Universal Creator or God, having being instilled in young minds for most of human history, is somewhat persuasive in explaining how it all happened, and our place in what is.
The Catholic Church’s First Cause is logically acceptable. A minority, seemingly believing in little of the attempted explanations, deny God, or question any need for a Creator. Hinduism’s omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient Brahman (pronounced Brummen?), as distinct from the projected Creator, Brahma, is claimed to be unknowable, but Realisable through deep meditation.
Yet, there is substantial evidence that many, many humans without a handle on any religion have a great unarticulated yearning for the Divine. We reach out instinctively. When life is intolerable, we reach out in hope. (In humanity, there are always exceptions.)
Often, those who seek communion with the Divine are more tolerant of the religious beliefs of others, unlike many of the adherents of the more competitive faiths. Competition implies arrogance. Arrogance is not consistent with a Universal Creator God.
In the event, could there not be an enabler of self-creation (for which there is allegedly evidence) here and there in the Cosmos? Could there also have been a trigger, a Creator, of what is now an ever-existing Cosmos?
We do not want to throw out the baby with the bath water (so to speak), do we?
RAJA ARASA RATNAM 