[MD] For Peter

[ARLO J BENSINGER JR]

[Ham]
the MoQists by their own description are selfless automatons...

[Arlo]
Kindly provide us with one MOQist who has ever self-described themselves as
such. Who's "own description", I'm curious, is this?

[Ham]
... produced and controlled by biological, social and intellectual forces...

[Arlo]
Controlled AND enabled. You fail to see that. While biological forces constrain
our agency (I can't fly), they also enabled an agency far greater than the
level beneath them (but I can walk). Social and intellectual forces are equally
constraining and enabling. Our "freedom" is always part of this dual coin, we
are "free" to do what we do because of our being "on" a certain level, but we
are also always "constrained" by the structures therein.

[Ham]
... whose only purpose is to move an insensible universe toward its own 
inevitable betterness....

[Arlo]
This isn't my purpose. Quality may be "moving" the universe towards its own
inevitable betterness, but Arlo's purpose in life is to purse Excellence, as a
father, son, friend, and all my chosen (an unchosen) roles. And I don't need
your "God", or an immutable negated negation, to give me that purpose.

But I do think "purpose" is overrated. What was the "cosmic purpose" of little
Caylee, the child missing and presumed dead (at her mother's hand!) in Florida?
What "cosmic purpose" was fulfilled by the toddler who (as a disturbingly many
appear to be these days) died as the result of being left by accident in his
mom's car on a hot summer day while she went in to work?

And you know, when I think about it, I'm a little miffed that Paris Hilton was
given a "purpose" that includes being an idiot while having millions of dollars
while mine apparently involves working hard until almost the day I die.

I think Despair.com nails it, who the hell wants on their epitaph, "His only
purpose in life was to serve as a warning for others."? But, it seems, this
really is the only "cosmic purpose" for a great number of folk. 

[Ham]
This is worse than postmodern nihilism.  This is living in a state of total
self-denial.

[Arlo]
Worse than... gasp!... postmodern nihilism?! Say it ain't so!