Ahhh, the continuing debate with my Atheistic YouTube friend on the meaning of life and where it all came from....here's his latest response:I don't understand how my thoughts on the matter of a beginning, matter one way or the other. I am not a cosmologist or astrophysicist, so my knowledge of the origin of the universe is limited just as yours is.I simply refuse to plug a GOD into the holes in my understanding when all that does is create more questions than it answers. This called a "God of the Gaps".Without a God in the equation, we have surpassed the Tower of Babel and gone into space, visited other worlds, determined that the earth was round and revolved around the sun. Even our smallest sky scrapers tower beyond the one desribed in Babel.The bible does not offer me any comforts or answers on anything in the world I live with. Disease does not come from demons, the world was not a flat disk on the face of the waters, the heavens of God are not "above" us. Not a single scientific fact is presented correctly in the bible.The gods of the bible are man made. Just because you want an answer to the beginning of the universe does not mean that invisible men in the sky are the answer. Or aliens, or faeries, or magic or witches or demons or whatever myriad belief ancient man has postured to explain something.If I personally do not know the answer to the origin of the cosmos, my choices are simple: 1. research it myself to find an answer 2. allow scientific advancement to the point it can explain it 3. believe in a vindictive, petty, jealous, god who created everything from nothing by simply wishing it into being.One of these options I flat out refuse. Guess which one. My Response to that was:You bring up some thoughtful topics and I appreciate that.  It gives me a little more information to ponder and examine, question, etc....Regarding the 3 points you brought up at the end of your email which I have to agree, pretty much sum up the problem.  1.  Research to find an answer.  Admittedly I'm too lazy or incapable of getting the basic things done in my life at present, let alone to go on a search for the holy grail, or the beginning of the universe, however I can surmise just from what is our physical reality that we are on a huge pile of dirt floating aimlessly in the middle of nowhere and our science is not getting us close enough to any other planets to really determine if there IS life anywhere else, and since I am not personally involved in those projects, which although have given us glimpses into worlds beyond ours, ET has not phoned us back yet!  So my reality, and I assume yours is the same suggests that we, on this planet, are all that is alive in the sense of an intelligent life, not just some swirling mass of matter around spaceballs unable to sustain an intelligent developed lifeform.  And the odds are we won't see it in our lifetime to know if it does exist...at least not by physically going "out" somewhere.  I do have a theory that through meditation and going "inside" and filling in or discovering what is in the gaps between our thoughts (there are spaces between each thought we have, unless maybe if you have racing thoughts, are manic, with extreme mental illness etc.) and we might find some answers or be given insights into something...and ultimately we might find it to be G-d, which would I'm sure not make you too happy!...but anyway I think that there might be some answers there and it will probably be our best shot of discovering what is out there if we can figure out what is in our own brains...spiritually.2.  Wait for science to explain everything?  Yeah, good luck on that one! We may have conquered The Tower of Babel and visited a large rock we call the moon and sent some materials to float forever, taking pictures which haven't given any proof or answers of any other life out there and I highly doubt that we will get to the point of Captain Kirk and begin visiting planets at will and report back to earth on our findings.  We're too busy right now building a space station and I think those discoveries are too far off for our own satisfaction, unfortunately.  I'm not saying for sure that nothing will be found but it hasn't yet and therefore, as you say, "does not offer me any comforts or answers".3.  Believe in G-d.  I'm no expert on the bible, and I'm not a bible "thumper" but I'm trying to understand what it contains and if I can benefit from it.  Also, your take on G-d seems a tad on the harsh side, however, and I might remind you that from what I have gathered that much of what is in there was written in the form of parables and is not to be taken literally.  Perhaps you've chosen to pick out parts of it, which if taken literally put G-d in a negative light and based upon that have rejected the whole concept and thrown the baby out with the bathwater.  Although some peoples personal religious beliefs about the Bible have caused quite a lot of trouble over the years, there are many people out there that are using its' principles and gaining happiness, serenity, understanding, compassion, freedom, the list is endless it seems.  So, was this just some story written by man to explain our existence, maybe, or could it be that it is "the truth" of our existence and all that surrounds us and can be the tool we need to explain the unexplainable?  You're right though, in the sense that it does bring up more questions than answers, at least in the beginning it appears, however I am beginning to believe in a sort of "karma" to the universe and the "coincidences" that have occurred in my life seem to be based in some sort of surrender, and in right actions.  Doing the good or right thing and surrendering to a power which I call G-d that has helped me in "unhelpable" or intolerable situations.  If we were from another country we might call G-d something else or believe it's something else that causes miracles, whatever, they happen and many people attribute them to a G-d of their understanding.  It may be a jump to say that just because I've had experiences and can relate them to biblical principles that the entire bible is "the truth" and explains everything in the universe, but on the other hand who am I not to believe?  Can I prove that it is NOT "the truth"?  No, I can't do that either.  So, for now I'll choose to believe it unless proved otherwise and play along with the possibility that it contains "the answers" and see where the journey leads me.  I'm curious if you gave it a fair shot and have kept an open mind to it or did you shut the door (contempt without prior examination?) to its' possibilities without a thorough exploration?...I'm quite interested in your responses to these 3 points as well.Thanks! Harryand the debate continues....