The Meaning Of Life

[chicagoastronomer]

All I got to say is:

Wherefore my bowels shall sound like a harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kirharesh. (Isaiah 16:11)

Yea....that's it.

Joe

[sdcinder]

</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (takes12no1,)

1)for the religous. We are here to learn and grow and become more godlike. At somepoint we will either progess to godhood and have our own world to populate with spirit children, or burn in hell for all eternity because we were not worthy of free agency.

I'm not sure which on I choose, but #1 seems to have a rosier future.<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>


Hmmm... this doesn't not describe my choice of spirituality nor the particular book I follow. It is quite interesting that you bring this up though, as well, it does describe one of the sects of "Christianity" that exist today. I do not believe that I will have my own world to populate, I am not worthy of that. My God, Jesus Christ, says that I am worthy of Heavnen only by His Blood which was shed for me. Now, that I believe.

The purpose/meaning of life is quite different for a secular person vs. a non-secular person. I will even go so far as to say that among non-secular people it is different. We are called to do different things and are not all blessed with the same attributes or talents. I am very artistic, my better half is more inclined for public speaking, my oldest daughter is more musically talented. We are all different, very different. Does that make one of us wrong? No. I do not seek to be God, my mind is too limited to be fair and just in my decisions and the Book I follow does not mention ANY of that whatsoever but does say that I will go to Heaven to worship Him.

Why is it I keep getting the feeling that this particular board is more for people that are anti-Christian than anything else? :rolleyes:

[antayla]

Because Christians don't tend to discuss. They preach. The idea is that we like to discuss things that are open to discussion... Christians automatically assume that they are right, that there is no other way of looking at god(s). It's perhaps amusing to bait Christians for awhile, but it gets boring when some of us want to talk to people who will bend their minds just a little to see other people's point of view.

I don't think Christians are wrong, it's perfectly possible they are right. I just think the Christian god isn't a very nice person and I would never follow "his" commands. I mean, look at some of the very nasty things he did in the Old Testament... and condemning humans to eternal torture for being human? What a sadistic tyrant! Screw that. My personal view is that we are all part of whatever "god" is, and no part is better or worse than another... I have complete faith in existence being what it is, and frankly, I don't need some tyranical intermediary telling me what to do in order to enjoy utter faith in all that is.

[takes12no1]

Well I was wondering if anybody would recognize the mormon influenced doctrine. Having been exposed to it, I find it to be the most compelling "sect" of christianity out there. Sort of takes what I like about Budhissim and mixes it with Christianity.

I asked a devout catholic friend "why are we here, here on earth?" He said to worship and obey God. I thought, screw that! That's gotta be one of the most pointless degrading things I've ever heard. Of course it probably works well for the majority of the population who really doesn't want to be thinking too deeply about things.

I guess I just don't see a God creating something that pointless. Like the post above, I find it hard to worship such an entity.

So the logical person in me can somewhat make peace with the idea that if there is a God, the reason he would make earth and put us here, is as a father to teach his children the value of free agancy and the importance of standing up for the good. Although I have no way to prove it scientifcally, at least it does not create logical fallicies that conflict with the reality we face everyday.

[Vee]

i haven't read the rest so I don't get influenced

the meaning of life is quite simple really, the meaning of life is ever-changing.

[Technosoul]

The reasons are like what some have posted already which is that when people have too much free time on their hands they spend it thinking about things not directly related to the activities of hunting or gathering food to eat. Not sure it we were just bored or if it justified not-working so you could be a king, or a religious "higher-up" who would be served by the less educated masses of workers.

This started happening mostly in areas where people did not have to roam around in the seasonal quest for food. Mainly next to rivers where they would have a year around supply of water for planting crops and where they could then build better shelters to live in, the cities.

With a large population farming much more food then needed they could have a group of non-workers or noblemen that did nothing but supervise the collective to insure that the food supply was stored for the wintering months and that everyone could survive as part of the socialism of that day and age. The transformation from tiny tribes to large populated areas centering around those "stay-put in one place" kingdoms of people.

Intellectualism, philosophy, and religion then became one of the purposes for the wealthy few who managed to gain control over the workers by hiring armed forces to keep the civilazation in order and so they would not have to do any hard work and get their hands "dirty" doing lowly tasks.

Part of the task of the wealthy few was to make sure that the workers were entertained with some distractions that they would find rewarding for their work efforts. Music, plays, poetry, art, and sports were introduced to make people think that organized life as part of the early versions of socialism were improving their (the workers) life and giving it a goal beyond that of just tending to crops or livestock.

So you had the rulers, the workers, and their version of Hollywood entertainment. That three-party system has pretty much stuck with us everywhere people settle in to create a city or "united kingdom".

And as that bunny in that children's book once said "if you use your head you will not have to use your feet as much". No greater wisdom has ever been spoken.

In some areas it was not just the wealthy few who had time on their hands to "just think" but also the old folks who had to retire from the younger work force, the old folks would sit around and "think about life" and were respected for their long experience and what they could pass on to the next generation of kids. That is how it started off before non-elders found ways to retire early.

Technosoul.

[Samildanach]

Our mission here is to create meaning for those that follow not necessarily to have any for ourselves.

[Inquisitor]

As correctly noted, the meaning of life is different to different people.

I can only speak for myself and for people who share my religious belief.

To me, the meaning of life is to die and to properly prepare for death. Life is simply an exam, depending on how we live our temporary life we will live our ethernal life. Simple as that.
Life is battle between good and evil and this battle takes place in our souls. One dies when God is satisfied that one either won the battle or lost it completly.

[m5lange1]

Inquisitor,

Out of curiosity, in the dieing once the battle is lost or won... on what basis would God be deciding on the death of infants?

[Inquisitor]

Inquisitor, Out of curiosity, in the dieing once the battle is lost or won... on what basis would God be deciding on the death of infants?

If one dies in infancy it means that God sees his/her ability to win the battle or to lose it.

Just like some talented kids excused from exams or some very stupid ones.

[m5lange1]

Interesting theory Inquisitor.

I have always believed in the progression of souls. I am not sure why I believe it, but it seems to be deeply woven into my being because it is something I believe in VERY strongly.

Strange since it is not taught in the religion in which I was raised nor does it have any familiarity to my parents, wiith whom I discussed this beief when I was much younger.

In organized religion, the closest thing to it I have been able to find is Hindu and Janist beliefs in reincarnation in which we keep trying material life over and over, the exam you refer to perhaps, until we finally get the passing grade.

As with most matters of faith, this is not partcularly defendable, but it is what I believe in any case.

[LDS]

Disclaimer: I dont have a perfect understanding, if I did I would write volumes, I know only the basics.


"And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them"


This life is a test, but its more than that. Its like a spiritual boot camp, while it is sometimes a challenge, if we do it with the right mind set our soul can grow a huge amount. "Line upon line precept upon precept..." This earth, isnt only a proving grounds, its a school. Allowing us to cultivate great attributes such as charity(the pure love of christ). Yet there is always a catch 22, in being able to cultivate great attributes, we can also cultivate terrible ones such as selfishness.
"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, ..."


Thats my belief anywho.

[Technosoul]

Hello LSD

Okay, everyone knows a infant knows nothing except how to suck milk and cry when it needs attention. The rest must be learned, it must even learn how to focus it's eyes in order to see properly. So everyone is aware that life is about learning and about finding out about things in our surrounding.

But religion and/or science cannot lay claim to that. It is just a normal and progressive part of life because we start off so stupid and thusly so innocent.

How can we say that the meaning of life is about finding out about life? Well, I guess you could say that. But to imagine that we must take a final exame or test to see if we learned everything correctly is missleading. That this is a boot came for some army in heaven, even more of a poor anonolgy.

No one is really a "captive" of their mother's milk, or "in bondage" because as a child we cannot change of dipers our self. Learning to things for our self, to become more independant, is an important part of life, we cannot spend forever being spoon fed. But even cats and dogs must do that.
Becoming liberated through learning, from parent care, is not a religious purpose as far as I can tell. Unless you can become independant of God, and independant of all chruches and religions, and go it on your own, without being dependant upon some so-called devil, then I guess you are free from any religious reality, and school is out for the summer.

Technosoul.