Why is belief necessary?

We don't even know if there is life elsewhere in our solar system yet, let alone elsewhere in a universe so big it might as well be truly infinite. We've only been able to detect a few hundred extra-solar planets. Of those, we've only been able to directly image one single planet (that I know of). We certainly don't know enough either way to say we're the only sentient life (depending on how you're defining sentience i'd say we're not even the only sentient life on this planet. At least apes like chimps are self-aware...i'd imagine other species like dolphins are too, but I don't know for sure).But one thing i'd note is that us being the only life in the universe wouldn't make the universe our playground, unless you thought it was created just for us. I for one don't see the unviverse existing just so we can exist This message has been edited by happy_atheist, 11-04-2004 07:23 AM

I'm actually with you on this one. I was going to bring up the lack of existence before my birth myself but you beat me to it I guess as Morte said it's possible that reincarnation is true, but I have absolutely no recollection or knowledge of any previous life. If something has had absolutely no influence on me in any way at all I don't see how it could have been me in the past life, since what I class as "me" is defined by my experiences since I was born.However, if someone else cannot comprehend (or think they comprehend) non-existence it is perfectly normal for them to entertain the thought of an afterlife I guess.