A just world?

Agreed; as a secular/humanist/rationalist/materialist/skeptic I have no gods to thank or blame. I don't believe in Karma, voodoo, or clay idols.

What happens happens, it doesn't always have a reason or mean anything, one way or another.

I learned a while ago that I'm okay with that, I'm much more at ease with the idea of an uncaring or impartial universe than I am with a malevolent or vindictive one.

I completely agree with you, but unfortunately I've learned this the hard way. I really try to consider myself as a decent guy with some obvious faults. But I've been hit over and over and over again to the point that it's hard to get up.

All you can really do is just deal with it though, as you said. Moping around and whining don't really get anything done. I've been working to fix my issues. It's the hardest thing I've gone through, but I think it's starting to clear up just a little.

But to go back on track, I agree. The world is not a just place. There are no special tests, or tracks on life's path. There is no wonder of the supernatural world deemed as "fate." There is life, and all it's joy and pain. Not much else to do other than live it. :/

I’ve never heard that before. And I was even a bartender for a while, listening to dunks philosophies all night long. But I see you have two distinct things going on here.

Being good won’t do that much for a person’s success, other than creating relationships with others who may help in some way.

Now working hard, having dedication, that will really help your station in life.

Being a good person and working hard will carry you far.

They will carry you far if your lucky. S*** tends to happen though.

Good men are not rewarded or punished for being what they are and the same can so easily be said about the wicked men in our society. It is the people in the middle, the men who decide that whatever may befall them they will forever stand tall and carry on, that are truly blessed with good lives. This is not denial, this is a realization that life sucks, but that we are forced to confront those situations and always come out on top. If we, even once, refuse to stand up we will never find our feet again.

You are correct that life is not just or fair, but that is the entire point of our species. If life was fair and just and perfect we would have never evolved or been ushered out of Eden. Instead, we're imperfect, devious little creatures forced forever to make horrific mistakes that will break many of us. Blind idolatry does not help us, nor does learning from a book. Instead, it is our daily experiences which make us better people.

Good, bad, wicked, benevolent, they're all simply words used to describe others by those who cannot comprehend what they are not. It's nothing more than describing color to a blind man. So instead of focusing on the fact that life isn't fair we should start living our own life and be ready when the **** hits the fan. What I'm trying to say... don't worry... be happy.... do do do do do do... and so on.

The first ape-man to get the idea of using a femur as a club and kill all the barehanded ape-men with it was probably pretty wicked. He wasn't a "good" ape-man, but he is the ape-man we must all thank for sitting in our warm homes, typing at our computers, today.

It's a wicked world we live in. We have raised ourselves from the primordial soup by being wicked creatures. It's only when we have what we need for ourselves that we indulge sparetime concepts like being "good" and "just". All you need as proof is to watch how poor people will fight eachother over a sack of rice. Being "good" is a luxury -- it shows that you have what you need for yourself.

The first ape-man to use a weapon on a contemporary actually used an electromagnetic spear that an alien space ship left behind.

However, the ape man did not commit murder, for Ghuennik (Henry) was a good-hearted fellow, and when the ape man came up behind him, others tore the spear away. And after a jury of his peers had found him guilty, they executed the would-be murderer.

I think I'll go watch Stargate after DragonGrim's post haha.