Last post established my first two axioms:

First axiom: There is something beyond the reality of the universe.

Second axiom: The universe exists because a Power of some sort created it.

What do I believe about this Power? Is there anything else we can deduce before diving into specific religious beliefs?

First, if it isn’t part of our universe, there’s no reason to think it is bound by time. That’s a result of physical matter changing location, form, and energy. Which means eternality and immutability. (A logical conclusion based on our understanding of infinity).

Third Axiom: This Power is eternal, having no beginning or end, and is unchanging in characteristics.

Why do I think that power is good and what is “good?” Either our Power defines good for us by its own eternal behavior and evil as a corrupted form, it is good/bad/mix, or it is beyond good or evil.

One important observation for me is that evil can be defined in terms of corrupted or twisted good. There aren’t separate good and evil behaviors apart from one another. That implies there is only a single standard, regardless of origin.

If this Power is beyond good or evil, we are most likely the source of the concept of good and evil. I find this difficult to believe since we apply that standard to ourselves and fall short of those standards. How would humanity decide which are good in spite of us not doing them well, and which bad in spite of doing them? Many behaviors we call good are not strictly beneficial in terms of survival instincts. C.S Lewis gives this line of reasoning more justice than I could in a post or two. I recommend reading Mere Christianity for the full idea.

If there’s true good and evil apart from one another then there must be something external to that Power defining good and evil. That would result in some additional structure greater than our Power. And perhaps means other Powers also exist. The trouble with that is this: eternal, infinite things can’t be different from each other in substance/characteristics. Infinity+1 is still just infinity.

Fourth Axiom: There is only a single Power.

The only possibility is the simplest: our Power IS good, or we call good as that which conforms to our Power.

Fifth Axiom: This Power embodies good, and evil is a corrupting or twisting of it.

So why do we even understand good and evil, and more generally, why are we self-aware? The implied question first: is our Power self-aware? I can’t see how the answer could be no. The Power that made us can’t be less capable than its creation. It must have personality and self-awareness.

Sixth Axiom: Our self-awareness is a reflection of the Power’s own characteristics.

So, I think that answers the original question: we are meant to understand and meant to be self-aware. Why? That’ll be for next time.