This is certainly not an exhaustive list, and there are people who would place themselves under one of these categories as advocates but believe differently than I've described. But I did my best to summarize simply some of the most common beliefs about the origin of the Universe and the purpose of human life. If you've known me for very long at all (or read any of my other blogs), you probably know which perspective I would advocate, but as a scientist I'm a fan of testing. Start the conversation: which worldview do you find most reasonably describes our world?
1. Hindu Creation Story:
There are several different stories that describe the origin of the Universe and of the world. One describes the Universe as we know it being created by Lord Brahma, one of three gods that make up the triumvirate (Vishnu who sustains creation and Shiva the destroyer of evil). In this origin story, Lord Brahma wakes every morning to create a world, which he destroys when he goes to sleep at night. One day for Brahma is equivalent to 4 billion earth years, so that the world is being created and destroyed in a cyclical fashion every 4 billion years (although this time period is also described simply as an unimaginable period of time, and some interpretations describe the Universe as being destroyed/recreated in that time). Then, when Brahma has lived 100 years, the universe is destroyed by Shiva, to be created again 100 years (for Brahma) later. After each universe is destroyed, there is left a vast ocean on which a giant serpent carries a sleeping Vishnu. From Vishnu’s navel springs a lotus flower from which Brahma arises to create a new Universe. The purpose of human life is to offer right sacrifices to gods in order to keep the order of the universe (dharma), and to realize that all life is illusory, or maya, and that everything, including the self, is simply part of the eternal Oneness, called Brahman.
2. Naturalism:
The beginning of our universe occurred approximately 13.8 billion years ago. Multiverse theory suggests that by combining the laws of gravity and quantum theory, universes can appear out of nothing “with many possible histories and many possible states of existence”. One of these universes (ours) contains just the right physical laws and situations so that advanced life can exist on our planet. People came to exist via evolution over the history of earth’s approximately 4 billion years after life was formed by the random workings of the natural laws of physics. There exists no teleological purpose for human life and all life can ultimately be explained by the interactions of energy, matter, dimensionality, and the physical laws of the universe.
3. 6-Day Creation Interpretation of the Christian Bible:
The Universe was created by God, whose character and acts are described in the Bible. His creation of the Universe and of the world is described infallibly in the first chapter of Genesis; each day described is a literal 24-hour day and the genealogies in Genesis have virtually no gaps, making the Earth approximately 6,000 years old. God created specifically every specie on earth and created man in his image to fill the earth and manage all of life (as opposed to evolution). The purpose of human life is to know God relationally through his incarnate Son, Jesus, which is possible by being cleansed from sin due to his defeat of sin and its consequence--death--via his crucifixion and resurrection.
4. Intelligent Design Interpretation of the Christian Bible:
The Universe--time, matter, and energy at the moment of the Big Bang--was created by God, whose character and acts are described in the Bible. His creation of the Universe and of the world is described infallibly in the first chapter of Genesis and throughout the Old Testament; each day described in Genesis can be interpreted as an epoch of time with a beginning and an end. Thus, the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old and God created life on earth. It is contested within this perspective whether God used evolution to create all species and man (theistic evolution) or created each species by intervening in nature millions of times to create each new species and man. The purpose of human life is to know God relationally through his incarnate Son, Jesus, which is possible by being cleansed from sin due to his defeat of sin and its consequence--death--via his crucifixion and resurrection.
5. Buddhist Description of Reality:
There is no metaphysical explanation of the universe because all is eternal and in flux. So, similar to the Hindu idea of the universe being constantly created and destroyed, the universe goes through cycles, but has always existed in some form or another and will always exist in some form or another. There also exist countless heavenly realms into which people can be reborn. The purpose of human life is to escape samsara (or suffering) produced by the false idea that anything is permanent. People can achieve Nirvana (or escape from the constant cycle and illusion of life) either through salvation offered from buddhas or bodhisattvas, or through meditation and rejection of desires.
6. Ancient Chinese Religion:
Deities exist within the world or universe as mountains, rivers, the sun and moon, etc. and when people die, they can also reside in the world as deified spirits. The purpose of human life is live harmoniously within human society and within the order of the spirit world.
7. Agnostic or Relativistic Worldview:
The agnostic perspective suggests that the origin of the Universe is either unknown, unknowable, or not worth seeking, and a truly relativistic perspective suggests that reality is shaped by what people believe. For example, if I believe that God exists, then He does objectively exist for me--in a sense we can change and even create reality by believing it. So people can decide however they want the Universe to have originated and decide whatever purposes they want for their lives.
Resources:
http://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-religions/hindu-sacred-texts-about-human-origins-0066
http://www.reasons.org/about/faqs
https://answersingenesis.org/age-of-the-earth/how-old-is-the-earth/
http://www.innovationslearning.co.uk/subjects/re/information/creation/hindu_creation.htm
http://www.budsas.org/ebud/whatbudbeliev/297.htm
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Chinese-Religion/Beliefs/Ultimate-Reality-and-Divine-Beings.html
