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Originally Posted by GoCardinals
The question then is, what are you going to do with the rest of your life?
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I never understood why that even matters?
If you aren't going to commit suicide because your life has no more purpose, then you just continue living the life you had before. What, exactly, has changed?
In truth - nothing.
But what is even more baffling is why so many people wrap up their purpose with a god. The absolute *last* thing anyone should want is having your purpose handed to you by some outside source and telling you - like the authoritarian dictator we atheists believe god is - what to do in order to fulfill that purpose.
Would you like it if someone told you who to marry, what career path to take, which college to go to and what to major in, how many kids to have, where to live, what house to buy, and on and on and on? What point is there to free will if we have to abide by some purpose that a deity hands you - whether you like it or not? Whether it makes you happy or not?
This is one of the absurdities of religion. If god wanted something done - he could just - well - do it. Right? Why, for crying out loud, would he assign "tasks" to lowly mortals who might fubar the entire plan or simply ignore their purpose altogether and do something that makes them happy? If I were an omnipotent being and I needed something done - <snap> - and it's done. Let the mortals do what they want, let them have their free will.
Even were I to believe in god, one of the last aspects of religion I would buy into is this idea that we're put on this earth to do nothing but worship, praise, and love god while simultaneously being his servant, bootlicker, and arse-kisser. I have said it before - there's not much I haven't said before - that an all-powerful god does not *need* us to serve him. Quite frankly, the entire concept is absurd as if God is a bedridden cripple and we mortals have to run around doing his bidding to keep his "divine plan" on track.
Personally I think those who entwine their purpose around god are really only looking for validation for a choice they've already made. Even some adults can't make a decision without consulting everyone they know and getting a thumbs-up from all of them. Otherwise they start doubting themselves.
After all, how many people embark on their lifelong journey doing something they don't really want to do? Never in my life did I ever meet someone who said something like, "Well, I wanted to be a lawyer especially since that's where my talents lie - but instead I'm majoring in social work because I 'feel' that's the purpose God set before me. Now I have to work a lower income job and sacrifice the money lawyering would grant me in order to please my wonderful savior!"
Nope. As near as I can tell, people do exactly what they want to do - or at least try to (not everyone succeeds). They use god, purpose, destiny, and all the rest of it to validate their life's choices because they're the type that are too insecure not to have such validation. Most people are followers, not leaders, and if it takes a god to lead them, so be it. But none of it is real. It's not like God leaves a "to do" list stuck to the refrigerator or anything.
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Originally Posted by GoCardinals
Does it make any significant difference to your guaranteed spot in heaven in regards to what you do in your life?
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Not according to the Christian doctrine, at any rate. All you have to do is believe and beg for forgiveness every now and then - and your place at the right hand of God is pretty much secure. You don't even have to listen to any "feelings" or "tingling sensations" which are supposed to tell you what your purpose is. If you don't like the purpose, just do something else. You won't go to hell for it as long as you keep believing and repenting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoCardinals
So logically speaking, such a believer should immediately commit suicide or at least keep praying 24/7 to have a naturally caused death ASAP.
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Why do you think suicide was labeled as an unforgiveable sin back in the 3rd Century by the Catholic Church? The Bible never says suicide is a sin at all much less an unforgiveable one. There were suicide cults a'plenty in those days just looking for a reason to skip this life altogether and get right to heaven.
Which just goes to show you the fault in the argument that atheists have no purpose in their lives. No, actually, it's the other way around. Regarding your "eternal reward," all you have to do from then on out is to keep the faith and repent. That's it. What kind of purpose is that?
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Originally Posted by GoCardinals
I mean, why getup in the morning and go to work, and pay taxes and see all the misery in the world, and go through the pains of diseases etc?
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Yeah, good question. I ask myself that question at least once every day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoCardinals
I see that many followers of such faith systems pretty vigorously abide by the first condition - but many don't seem to know or don't care what's the significant purpose of their life AS PER prescribed by their faith. (condition # 2 above)
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Well, like I said - it's not as though God leaves an outline of your life on the refrigerator when you get up in the morning. There is no god ordering you to fulfill some purpose or destiny - which is why you don't see people carrying out their purpose. Because a lot of them have no idea what their purpose is, and the rest invent their own purpose. Doesn't matter if they're saying they're doing god's work or not - whatever they're doing, it's because they want to. Not because some celestial dictator assigned them a pathway in life and now they're stuck with it.
As we atheists have pointed out numerous times: Isn't it really coincidental that a person's god agrees with his or her own personal opinion on everything? That includes a person's perceived purpose, as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoCardinals
So the question from such believers is, what's the purpose of your life based on religious guidance (if you have any) after a spot is guaranteed in heaven?
And what happens to your guaranteed spot in heaven if you fail to follow the purpose of your life as prescribed by your faith?
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Unless one's purpose is to simply get into Heaven, then they have no more purpose. But I would think most people want more from their life than to simply wait around to die. As such, I can guarantee that a believer's "purpose" is whatever they want it to be - and god's purpose for them will magically match up somehow. Like I said ... reeeeallly coincidental there.
And if you fail to follow that purpose - well - the believer will probably say that their failure isn't *really* a failure but rather they *are* fulfilling god's purpose for them, regardless of whatever they happen to be doing. People don't readily admit to failure.
Besides, there is nothing about punishment or losing your place in Heaven if you fail to deliver on god's purpose - not that I'm aware of. Catholics, Mormons, and JWs might have some made-up rules regarding that, but nothing in the actual Bible.
A person's purpose is just an illusion - a label we give our own lives. Those of us who do not believe don't need a purpose and, as for me, I'm perfectly willing to simply experience my life and what it has to offer without any purpose whatsoever. Who is to say that a purpose is even necessary? But believers seem to have this burning need to be *told* what to do, what their purpose is - or else they lose their motivation to do anything at all. It's as if they need a swift mental kick to the backside to keep going and so they invented this contrived notion that god has set before them a specific path to follow.
If you were me, you would know all too well what it means to have no purpose whatsoever. And that very lack of purpose shows me that we don't *have* a purpose - except that which we grant ourselves.
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