"The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think
of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors
so that in glory and triumph they could become the momentary
masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties
visited by the inhabitants of one corner of the dot on scarcely
distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner of the dot. How
frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one
another, how fervent their hatreds. Our posturings, our imagined
self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position
in the universe, are challenged by this point of pale light." -
Carl Sagan
We fight over promised lands. We tell ourselves we must face in the
direction of a holy place everyday. We even work on trying to
determine how to face the holy place from space.
If the universe was designed for us, there sure is a lot of it that
wasn't.
The photo was taken from the edge of our solar system. Even on the
galactic scale, the entire solar system is tiny and insignificant.
Yet, the edge of our solar system is, on the astronomical scale,
right next to the Earth. On the scale of our Universe, even our
galaxy is insignificant.
How is it that we can all look at the same thing as see different
things? We all look at this and are struck with awe. We are humbled
by our insignificance. Yet atheists see in this a godless universe
where the only meaning is what we make of it; the religious see
this as proof of the power of god.