Documentary tackles the tough questions, “What is existence? Why are we here?”
I’m currently in the middle of watching The Nature of Existence, a Q&A-style documentary by filmmaker Roger Nygard where he gathers a slew of philosophers, scientists, religious experts and wild eccentrics to answer existentialist questions like tackling the deep questions in life (listed below).
Because Nygard selects interviewees with diverse backgrounds (including everyone from children to a Satanic Magus), we get a wide variety of opinions. Notable participants include author Orson Scott Card (who wrote Ender’s Game, one of my favorite books of all time) and one of the physicists who discovered string theory, Leonard Susskind. I also liked the inclusion of a number of Eastern spiritual experts to balance the Western beliefs. Overall, the documentary is never too scientific or too religious, and the audience is left to sort the info for themselves. The minimal production is clean and doesn’t detract from the experience.
You can watch The Nature of Existence on Netflix Instant.
EXISTENCE
Why do we exist?
What is the best thing about existing?
What is our purpose?
Is the world a better place for having had humans in it?
How can we improve humanity?
What is the best advice or philosophy for living?
RELIGION
What is religion?
Why are there multiple religions?
Should religions be challenged?
Is skepticism a good thing?
Why do people get angry when their beliefs are challenged?
Which religion is right?
Can all religions be correct?
What does fear have to do with belief?
Do we have a need to believe in something?
What is spirituality?
SCIENCE
Can religion and science coexist?
What’s the difference between religion and science?
Can a religion change with society?
Was man created or did he evolve?
GOD
Is there a God?
What is the definition of God?
What gives you certainty in your belief?
How do you deal with doubt?
Who created God?
Is God male or female?
What does God need from us?
Who is/are the Messiah(s)?
Who is the Devil?
FAITH
What is faith?
What is a fact?
How can we tell which is which?
TRUTH
What is truth?
How do we determine truth?
Which truth is right?
SCRIPTURE
Is the holy-book(s) literally true?
What is the origin of the holy book(s)?
How do we accept a holy book that positively portrays unacceptable behaviors like slavery, incest, murder, etc.?
Can we take what we like about a religion/belief system and make our own version and throw out the rest?
MORALITY
What is morality?
Is there a moral yardstick that applies to all cultures?
Where does morality, or our “conscience,” comes from?
Is altruism or morality possible without belief in a deity?
SIN
What is sin?
What is the punishment for sin?
Is thought the same as deed?
Does God want to test us? Why?
SEX
Should a person have sex before marriage?
Is masturbation a sin?
What determines sexual orientation?
Why is God interested in our sexual behavior?
Should women be treated differently than men?
FREE WILL
Do we have free will?
Is everything predetermined?
What entity predetermines fate or destiny?
SUFFERING
Why is there suffering?
What is best path to happiness?
Does God intercede in human tragedies?
PRAYER
Does prayer work?
If so, why does God allow holocausts, and disasters?
If not, why pray?
Does meditation work?
How does meditation work?
SOUL
What is a soul?
Do animals have souls?
Does a soul have the same thoughts and feelings when outside the body?
If a soul does not carry our memories, then what is a soul since it is our memories that make us up?
What purpose does a brain serve if a soul can exist and feel without it?
AFTERLIFE
Is there an afterlife?
Where is it?
Where do we go after death?
Why do we need an afterlife?
LIFE
When does life begin?
When should abortion be allowed?
Is it ever appropriate to kill another person?
SUPERNATURAL
What are supernatural beliefs?
Are there extraterrestrials?
Who are they?
Do psychics work, and if you are religious, are they allowed?
Where do the voices in our heads come from?
DOOMSDAY
Will there be a doomsday?
What is the greatest danger facing man’s existence?
How do we stop conflict?
Should different cultures be preserved, or are our cultural differences the source of strife?
Should political leaders invoke a deity in decisions or policy?
