There is something because the without something, existence would have no purpose. The existance of something is the basis for all that we see, feel and do.
Where did the something that we call the universe come from?
God created the Universe. The Universe is the physical realm of existence and Heaven/Hell is the spiritual realm.
How do you explain human nature?
Homo sapiens are inherently greedy and violent creatures. Human nature is to consume, to amass belongings, to procreate and to crave power over others. It's our humanity and our soul that separates us from other animals. It allows us to control our animal urges and live in an orderly society. Our laws are crafted to control the more animal aspects of our human nature (murder, assault, theft, rape, etc.) so
that we can live in a civil society. People who give into our instincts have lesser control over their humanity and are jailed to keep the peace of those who
do obey the laws of society.
Based off of your description of human nature I would say you consider humans inherently bad or evil. How are our souls and our humanity not corrupted by our inherent bad or evil nature? Or how do inherently bad/evil people come up with good laws?
Human beings are simply animals. Most of our animal instincts drive us to bad or evil behavior. However, I believe that humans are the only creatures on earth who have souls. The soul is what differentiates us from animals and gives us the understanding of good and evil. The soul gives human beings a duality of physical (animal) and spirtual (the soul). The soul influences our behavior and tells us what is good and what is evil.
Some people choose to favor their animal instinct and indulge in sinful behavior. It's when people turn their back on what the soul tells us is right and wrong that people turn to evil and sin.
What happens to a person at death?
I've heard many versions of what happens at death, spanning many different religious views. Here is what I believe happens, culled from what I've been taught and what I feel in my heart is right. When a person dies, he or she is brought to the gates of Heaven. The person's life is judged based on the negative and positive things they accomplished while alive. If the person is truly good, they're allowed passage to
heaven. If they're at heart a good person, but may have a 'tarnished' soul due to excessive endulgence in their vice(s) of choice (sex, drugs, etc.), they are
sent to Purgatory so their soul may be cleansed. While time doesn't exist in heaven, a soul is very aware of passing time while their soul is purified and they've sufficiently attoned for their sins. The truly evil (those who have committed horrible acts, and show no remorse) are sent directly to hell and are punished for eternity. Those who believe in God, no matter what God they pray to, will be eventually accepted into Heaven. I do not think God would punish any soul for praising his glory in the wrong manner. Those who deny God's existence are sent to a
particular level of hell, which is basically limbo.
How does a person go from being "inherently greedy and violent" to being a "good person"?
The soul is the difference between a "greedy, violent" homo sapien animal and a "good" human being.
Who or what decides how much indulgence is "excessive indulgence"?
I'm not sure how to define excess. One could argue is that more than one of anything is excessive, or that more than one needs to survive is excessive. Only God knows what truly separates need from greed.
Where does the idea of Purgatory come from?
I was taught about Purgatory in CCD when I was very young. I'm not certain where the concept of Purgatory originated, but I believe that God does not see things in black and white. Purgatory is the gray area, where people who are neither pure enough for heaven or sinful enough for hell are sent as their soul is purified and they atone for their sins.
Since every religion has exclusive claims to who God is and what happens in the afterlife then how can all paths lead to the same place?
For example Buddhism is pantheistic and says there is no personal God and everyone can reach "godlikeness" on his own. Islam says that Jesus was just a prophet, and not the only way to God. Christianity says that there is a personal God, and that the only way to Him is through Jesus.
(I think the answer to this follow up question was included in the next one)
How do you determine what is right and wrong?
Generally speaking, right is thoughts or actions that
help yourself or another person and wrong are thoughts
or actions that hurt.
Let me rephrase the question a bit. How do you know that what you see as right and wrong actually are right and wrong? Or how do you know what good and evil are? Do you think there is some sort of objective ethic?
I believe that the common set of ethics held across the world is due to the fact that human beings have souls. The general sense of right and wrong is the same across the world, though the specifics may differ. That general sense of right and wrong is because of the existence of the person's soul. No matter what God they pray to, the soul guides their sense of right and wrong.
How do you know that you know?
I don't know that I know anything. All I know is what
I believe. I don't know there is a God because there
is no physical proof that he exists. God defies
science. However, I believe in God. That's faith,
believing in something you cannot know because of
proof, but something you do know because you have
faith -- that you know in your heart to be the
absolute truth.
If you don't know that you know anything then how can you "know in your heart" that something is "absolute truth"?
Faith. It's the sense that what I know is right.
Do I think there are aliens? Yes. Can I know that there are aliens? No, unless one knocks on my door sometime. However aliens have no connection to my soul while God does. So while I can say I believe in aliens, I cannot prove they exist because there is no scientific proof. The spiritual connection I have with God allows me to know God exists without scientific proof.
Science is defined as "the effort to understand, or to understand better, how the physical works, with observable evidence as the basis of that understanding". Given that definition how does God defy science?
God is not physical, God is spiritual. Science can only prove or disprove what exists in the physical world. They haven't invented the gauge or meter yet that can prove or disprove anything spiritual.
What kind of evidence would qualify as proof of God?
I don't think there will any be any true evidence of God. God won't allow it -- proof would remove faith from the equation.
What is the meaning of history?
History is the record of what has happened. It's
guide for ourselves to study, so we can grow and
evolve our humanity. We study the past so we can
avoid the errors of history in the future, though when
leaders with flaws of human nature (greed, lust for
power, etc.) are in power, the errors of history are
often repeated.
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