Case closed, Hank, you win!

What glaring, ridiculous & wilful misunderstanding. We ARE part of nature, made of the same basic elements as every other organism. It stands to reason that we may display characteristics/systems similar to other organisms. It doesn’t mean we’re “part plant” or “part crystal” (I’ll leave that predictable nonsense about “real gods” alone), it just means we’re organisms from Earth. Reductio ad absurdum - taking someone’s argument to a ridiculous extreme so as to de-bunk it - is a transparent and very immature tactic. Attack the actual argument, not some fantastic version of it that you’ve invented.

There’s nothing ‘lowly’ in describing a human as an animal. It’s simply a fact. We’re animals. Smart, adaptable, inventive animals, but still animals. There is, however, a peculiar arrogance in assuming humans are NOT animals, when all real evidence points to exactly that conclusion.

commonalities means something like - what we share with others in the sense that it is not really special or unique.

This is one definition from Websters — common implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence.

Examples such as “a common error,” “lacking common honesty,” and may additionally suggest inferiority or coarseness as in “common manners.”

It certainly looks from my perspective that it everyone was suppose to emphasize their sameness in the sense of commonality then anyone’s individuality would be seen as counter productive to society. Then to be tolerant of everyone’s need to be like everyone else we should discourage any extreme individualists that might actually be able to improve the human experience or at least solve some of the problems other people have made for the rest of us.

Invisible dieties don’t need to infuse people or human existence with meaning. People look for that meaning themselves in anyplace they believe they can discover it for themselves. Sometimes they look for it in the wrong places and from the wrong people. It is never a wrong reason to want to discover meaning and purpose in life. People can however be convinced that they might be able to find that meaning in ways that leave out or are actually contrary to their spiritual nature.

Some look for it in material goods, physical pleasures, psychological or physical experiences such as drugs or hedonism. Others look for meaning from science or artistry. Some look for meaning from other people in their lives, which sounds noble in and of itself.

Karl’s assertion is unsupported by facts, and is apparently driven by the unproven notion that belief in invisible deities somehow infuses human existence with meaning that it would not otherwise have. How absurd!

In this world our animal nature is obviously present - no one can deny that physically we share much in common with the same physical materials that make up the majority of physical existence.

Grumpy is right, we could also be part plant, or crystal or just the rejects from the fully functioning warrantied editions based upon the “real gods.” Think as highly or as lowly as you want to about yourself, none of it matters to you anyway.

Trying however to convinvce others of the commonalities we all share with the physical world in which live, makes us all devalue what ever is of any real significance in our lives.

The only lasting significance in any of our lives are the relationships we share and the virtues we can possess and encourage in each other.