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I would have to disagree with the last statement. I consider myself a realistic but optimistic person. If I died, my wife, parents, and my closest family relatives will care and be saddened. My co-workers who I have worked with for years will care. The people who I have worked with in business will care. In other words, people who I have close relationships with and those I have made an impact on will care. I'm guessing you are a pessimist?
No, I am not a pessimist in any sense that is relevant to people living today. I think humans will survive and continue to flourish on the earth long into the future, probably for tens or hundreds of thousands of years.
If we’re lucky, we might be able to colonize other worlds as well.
However, everything that exists has a shelf life, so to speak. It turns out that the universe is a pretty dangerous place. Asteroids, supernova explosions, black holes, gamma ray bursts, evolutionary changes, mass extinction events, things we don’t yet know about, etc.
Eventually, something is going to do us in. But I’m talking about deep time here. Nothing for us to worry too much about in the present day.
And in 50 to 100 years after that, no one will be alive who knew you. At best, you'll be a name on a genealogy chart.
We are specks, brief flickers in the grand scheme of time.
If that's how you want to think of it. This is how I look at it: I can enjoy life, live it as long as I can, and make an impact on those around me. Or I can say "I'm just a speck in this universe.....screw life, I won't matter after I die". It's all about how you think.
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Originally Posted by Harry Diogenes
But it is for you in order to accept a god just exists for no reason? Once you accept that your ultimate source just exists for no reason, then why do you have a problem that an ultimate source that is not a god would also just exist for no reason?
I believe everything exists for a reason. The challenge is finding that reason.
I'm just baffled by this need for a "purpose". I'm baffled as to why one would think that life is pointless as an atheist, and why a belief in God would give a meaningful "purpose" to begin with.
I'm atheist and irreligious, I see no divine purpose, but I do find life has much value. To think that life formed and could perceive the universe is simply amazing. I have an innate fascination and value to live and value for other peoples' lives and well-being. I see no capital P "Purpose", but I do think that since we have lives, we should have the goal to make life better for those around us and those who follow us. Life is beautiful, lets make it more beautiful and allow for people to enjoy it more with less suffering.
I'm just baffled by this need for a "purpose". I'm baffled as to why one would think that life is pointless as an atheist, and why a belief in God would give a meaningful "purpose" to begin with.
I'm atheist and irreligious, I see no divine purpose, but I do find life has much value. To think that life formed and could perceive the universe is simply amazing. I have an innate fascination and value to live and value for other peoples' lives and well-being. I see no capital P "Purpose", but I do think that since we have lives, we should have the goal to make life better for those around us and those who follow us. Life is beautiful, lets make it more beautiful and allow for people to enjoy it more with less suffering.
Life, body, living can also be and is suffering for many, and for all at some time or other. It is that suffering that we want to end, for us and for the world. How to end that suffering is what religion teaches, and what the purpose is. End of suffering.
Life, body, living can also be and is suffering for many, and for all at some time or other. It is that suffering that we want to end, for us and for the world. How to end that suffering is what religion teaches, and what the purpose is. End of suffering.
That is not the purpose of all religions. Growing up within christianity, I was taught that the purpose of life is to give glory to god.
I'm just baffled by this need for a "purpose". I'm baffled as to why one would think that life is pointless as an atheist, and why a belief in God would give a meaningful "purpose" to begin with.
I'm atheist and irreligious, I see no divine purpose, but I do find life has much value. To think that life formed and could perceive the universe is simply amazing. I have an innate fascination and value to live and value for other peoples' lives and well-being. I see no capital P "Purpose", but I do think that since we have lives, we should have the goal to make life better for those around us and those who follow us. Life is beautiful, lets make it more beautiful and allow for people to enjoy it more with less suffering.
Great post! It's not that we "need" a purpose. It is natural. We create our own purpose in life. Why do you wake up in the morning? You give yourself a reason. Do you want to be alive for 10 more years? You give yourself a reason to live.
I don't want any insults. No "life is BETTER without God. Christians are stupid!" remarks.
Very simple question: from your point of view, what do you think is the purpose of life? what is the purpose of our existence? what is the purpose of our universe?
obviously life can exist without the need for God (in your point of view) so I am curious how you view it.
Ask yourself, "What was the purpose of an innocent child being born into an extremely poor family in a backwater 3rd world hellhole where the parents have to sell their youngest children into slavery, sex or otherwise so that the older children have a chance at life? To give some deranged perverted human monster a few minutes pleasure with the child before torturing and murdering him and then getting away scott-free with it?"
If that was God's purpose for creating this child--just to suffer and die in extreme horror and agony, then I don't hesitate to call God a completely stupid heartless moron without any redeeming values. Such a God is not worthy of worship nor is he even worthy of a single thought on mankind's part. Which is why "There is no God" makes perfect sense when you look at how the world works.
To answer your question: there is NO purpose in life. We're born, we suffer, the rich get the pleasure, we get the bones, and then we die and are forgotten. End of story. That's the sad reality of it. The Harry's and the William's of the world had the extremely good fortune to be born into royalty. For them life is a bed of roses. The rest of us had the extremely bad fortune to not be born into royalty and affluence. Life is a crap-shoot. There are a couple of winners but 99.9999% of us are losers.
Ask yourself, "What was the purpose of an innocent child being born into an extremely poor family in a backwater 3rd world hellhole where the parents have to sell their youngest children into slavery, sex or otherwise so that the older children have a chance at life? To give some deranged perverted human monster a few minutes pleasure with the child before torturing and murdering him and then getting away scott-free with it?"
If that was God's purpose for creating this child--just to suffer and die in extreme horror and agony, then I don't hesitate to call God a completely stupid heartless moron without any redeeming values. Such a God is not worthy of worship nor is he even worthy of a single thought on mankind's part. Which is why "There is no God" makes perfect sense when you look at how the world works.
To answer your question: there is NO purpose in life. We're born, we suffer, the rich get the pleasure, we get the bones, and then we die and are forgotten. End of story. That's the sad reality of it.
Was curious to see when you'd pop-up, thrillo. I've read your posts. When it comes to the atheist spectrum from 1-10....1 being "I am an atheist and I am open a deity existing but there's no evidence" to 10 being "THERE IS NO GOD!", you're a solid 10.
I don't know how you view life or what your background is. I know in one of your posts, you make the claim that you were a Christian for 60+ years so I assume you are older and wiser than most of us. I'm not sure if you read something and something "clicked" and you suddenly had this extreme hatred towards God and one day you said "**** all of this religious bull****. I'm an atheist now!"
Here is my counter argument for you:
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Ask yourself, "What was the purpose of an innocent child being born into an extremely poor family in a backwater 3rd world hellhole where the parents have to sell their youngest children into slavery, sex or otherwise so that the older children have a chance at life? To give some deranged perverted human monster a few minutes pleasure with the child before torturing and murdering him and then getting away scott-free with it?"
God does not control where we are born or how we are born. We can be born as slaves and live a ****ty childhood and fight our way out. I've seen a lot of atheists use that argument: "why did God do this to innocent children?" I know many Christians do that.....they use God in their claims. eg: "thank God I was born into a good family" or "thank God I was able to fight my way out of poverty". Evil and good exists in this world. That's the reality of it. Poverty exists in this world. Child molesters also exist in this world.
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If that was God's purpose for creating this child--just to suffer and die in extreme horror and agony, then I don't hesitate to call God a completely stupid heartless moron without any redeeming values. Such a God is not worthy of worship nor is he even worthy of a single thought on mankind's part. Which is why "There is no God" makes perfect sense when you look at how the world works.
Again, I do not define God as a human being or a magical genie that "does things". It seems like that is how you define God. I know many (not all) Christians define God in this way as well. Evil exists in this world. I know many atheists use the argument "why would a God allow evil to exist????"
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To answer your question: there is NO purpose in life. We're born, we suffer, the rich get the pleasure, we get the bones, and then we die and are forgotten. End of story. That's the sad reality of it
Unfortunately, I would have to disagree with you. And don't you dare turn this thread into one of your "GOD DOES NOT EXIST!!!" threads. Evil exists in this world. If you suffered in life, I give you my sympathies. If you witnessed suffering, I'm sorry that you had to witness it. "the rich get the pleasure, we get the bones" yea, that's bull****. I'm not rich and I know many people in their 60s who are also not rich but they are living a good life.
If that's how you want to think of it. This is how I look at it: I can enjoy life, live it as long as I can, and make an impact on those around me. Or I can say "I'm just a speck in this universe.....screw life, I won't matter after I die". It's all about how you think.
You are not speaking to your question.
Your question 'what is the purpose of life, what is the purpose of our existence, what is the purpose of the universe'. You are saying what you choose to do with your life. That is not the same as understanding why people - or the universe - exists at all. What is the 'purpose' of existence - there is none. None of us asked to be born. Once born, we follow the instinct of continuing to be alive. That we are able to do so with a consciousness gives us the ability to ask 'why'. I doubt a frog asks 'why' it is alive. Wanting an answer to 'why' is a byproduct of consciousness. But there is no answer. Nothing exists on this planet for a 'purpose'.
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