Discussions

Do you enjoy being here ?  
Are you doing what you want while being here ?  
Or just putting in time ? Wonder why your here ?

I think of this from time to time. I have a different take on it so people will probably come on here and slam me for it but whatever. First of all none of us asked to be here in the first place. We were brought into this world by the actions of others as they were before that and on and on . I know I never asked to be here and then when I heard I have to die in the end I like everyone else probably just asked why ? So for that reason alone I believe we will all get a second shot at life in the next world. Hopefully a much better world. As far as my purpose here on this planet I’m not sure I have one.

I’m not sure of my actual “purpose” on this earth, but I do try to make the most of every day. I figure we only live once and we will all die at some point. Try and be happy, eat dessert first if you want to, spend your money and travel/explore, do more of what makes you happy and let go of the people who don’t

I have explored many answers to this question and the truth is we have no purpose except the one we give to ourselves. Enjoy your life and others because in a hundred years no one will remember anything about you. Just a forgotten face in a photograph.

I don’t believe that an individual has a specific purpose, as in what we do as a career, or even the using of ones gifts. People always seen to get wrapped up on the self and look at the specific reason and I don’t go along with that.  
Life right from the beginning was a special event, and what life is, for myself, is a continuance of life itself, regardless of species. Animals, plants, reptiles, bacteria, viruses, or whatever form of life you look at strives to continue it’s existence, in most cases it is an evolutionary process, but people have an advantage (or disadvantaged) of complex thought, which allows us to affect evolution, but also create perils for our species.  
 
But then again, I could be really wrong.

Yes, I am extremely happy with my life, even with all the complications that one runs into, every day is worth it.

Yes, Rick Warren answered the question loud and clear in his book titled: The Purpose Driven Life. The last time I checked, that book has sold close to if not more than 30 million copies. You can get it cheaply at any thrift store-so widely available.

Your sole purpose in life is to become the person you were meant to be.  
 
I guess who that is, is up to you.

I sometimes feel like the only reason I’m here is to make everyone else happy! I sacrifice so many things I want to please others. No one sacrifices in return for me.

By exaiming a object you can tell a lot about the one that made it eg.space craft( precise,intelligent,organized,etc.),how much more the human race.If we are made by and in the image of God would it not follow that we should consider him.  
as the westminister confession sums it up....the chief purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

My purpose in my life on earth is to know, to love, and  
to serve God.

how is that possible when there is much horrible things that go on in the world murders , rapes , abuse , homeless ness .starvation the list goes on life purpose is not easy

I can't speak for the OP, but I can speak from my own faith tradition (because I would have a similiar answer from who you quoted).  
 
Bad things happen because of choice. We could have had paradise, but we chose otherwise. Those bad things happen because of the choice people make, independent of what we believe.  
 
But here's the good news - nothing happens without God's express permission. While that's incredibly hard to comprehend especially when you're on the receiving end of Very Bad Things, God has the power to stop Very Bad Things, to usurp our bad choices. And yet He sometimes doesn't.  
 
Father Ripperger, a fairly famous exorcist, summed it up really well. He says (quoting many Church Fathers and much smarter people then himself, LOL) that Very Bad Things happen it's because God is allowing it for your benefit. In our faith tradition, there is the idea of redemptive suffering and heroic virtue. It becomes a connection to Christ. It becomes a gift of sorts, even when you wish God wasn't so generous with those sorts of gifts.  
 
I know I'm not explaining it well. If you Google Father Ripperger and spiritual warfare there's lots of YouTube videos and podcasts you can listen to from him. But it helps to keep in mind that Very Bad Things happen because it's something we can use to glorify God.  
 
God used a Very Bad Thing to redeem us. This wasn't a singular event, but one that transcends time and space. We can therefore offer our Very Bad Things back to God not only for ourselves, but for the whole world.  
 
edit for typos  
 
Edited by Abbysmum, 2019-03-03 15:27:33

I'm not trying to be sassy just trying to understand .  
example a baby can not walk or talk someone rapes & murders a innocent child if things are so lovely why does this happen ?

I often think about my purpose. I feel as if there should be something calling to me, you know. But nothing of that sort seems to be happening, so while I search for my purpose, I try to make the most of my life. I don’t hold grudges, I forgive and I try to be the nicest version of me. Doing these things not only benefits others but it makes my life less tiring and more rewarding.

Those things happen because people are people, and part of my understanding of life is that there are no guarantees. In a way we are all terminal, it’s just the timing that’s the unknown. When it comes to suffering, we have made great strides forward in a way, but if we look globally, suffering among people is still a great problem.  
I prefer to keep my beliefs to myself, but the prayer of serenity can be a help. Not exactly sure of the words but the idea is, change what you can, accept what you cannot, and know the difference between the two.

I guess it was only a matter of time that someone would bring their religious slant to this question. Too bad was hoping for some more individual intellegant theories.

I read your first comment then your last comment and it leaves me a bit confused. You shared your beliefs, maybe not a religion, but beliefs, with or without a God beliefs can be shared, and if people follow the same sort of thinking in a way it becomes a religion.  
You stated that you believed in a second chance in maybe a better world, if questioned on your beliefs you would have to share your thoughts, and those thoughts could be interpreted as scripture for those who shared your ideas, especially if they contained logical thought.

I'm one of these people that, when pressed, would say something along the lines of "There is no guidebook but for the one you write yourself".  
 
It's a mixed bag, with a mixed amount of control over all the variables. But you gotta do the best with what you have.  
 
My job is incredibly pointless. In all honesty, i likely let its negatives bother me WAY more than I should. But, it isn't everything.  
 
I write about things that interest, concern and annoy me on a blog. And I'm also in the process of writing a book which may or may not ever see the light of day.  
Based on a quickly penned out English assignment I wrote in high school which was filled with plot holes, I started writing, (and subsequently trashed) 3 different drafts in the past 7 years. However, having come into IT knowledge that I didn't have then, in combination with world events making my premise seem less farfetched. . . i may well be able to pull this off.  
 
Let your freak flag fly.  
 
Edited by Simonwalcal, 2019-03-03 20:37:53

Could I have permission to PM you?

Well Don my concept of a better world does not necessarily mean the better world that the so-called Bible promises because it promises a better one or a worse one . My basis was just because we had no say in being put here that maybe that would equate to something better because we had no chance in the first place . It seems like it would only be fair for all of us to get a redo someplace better because the struggles of day-to-day life on this earth is nothing to be excited about . That’s why I left religion right out of this comment because some people will start to preach their beliefs. I don’t care what you believe just as long as you keep it to yourself and don’t force it on me . This was just my spin on it. I was interested in hearing other theories besides the ones we were forced to listen to in Sunday school .

The toughest, and most intriguing, part of the question regarding purpose is that it changes constantly with the situation. My purpose for these few moments is to seek to understand my thoughts, on the matter, in a coherent way that translates well to word. My purpose in an hour or two will be to maximize sleep in order to be more productive tomorrow. At the micro level, your purpose corresponds to your particular need at the moment.  
 
I am guessing, however, that you are looking for an answer, on a macro level. more akin to the meaning of life. A type of umbrella purpose that is a major variable in every life decision. In order to do that, I think people could benefit from thinking about their death. Once you pass, what will be your legacy. When asked, how will people sum you up in a sentence or two. If you know what you would like them to say, you know how you want to be remembered. If you know how you want to be remembered, you will know how to act in order to facilitate those memories.  
 
On the days when I give a sh*t, I want to be remembered as someone who tried to learn everyday and made at least one person laugh everyday. I ask myself if I have done those two things each night before bed.  
 
That is as close to the meaning of life that I have come up with having given this a lot of thought. Everyone's meaning of life is as unique as they are but will ultimately be summed up in a couple of sentences.

One of the most convincing reasons to believe atheism is false comes from man’s desire for life to have purpose.

"Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals." For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals: one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath: man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? “  
 
-Ecclesiastes 4  
 
A spirit has been entrusted to you. Eternity has been placed in your heart. Come to terms with that.....than you’ll find purpose.

My purpose on this earth can be compared to a single word's purpose in a novel. The other words in the same sentence, they're my family. Without them I mean less, and without me they have no meaning. However, in the grander scheme of things, if you remove me from the page, the value of the title really isn't effected. But, if you take me out of that sentence, and the whole meaning is lost.  
 
Some words in that sentence have more impact, and seem more important, but you still need every single one for the purpose and meaning to get through. But in the end, I'm just one word among thousands of others. Yeah, some may seem more important, I may not be on the cover, but my value isn't less than any other in the book.  
 
I'm not so disillusioned that I have a specific purpose, and that life will have less meaning if I don't reach the goals I've set for myself.  
 
I try to be a positive influence to my children, a reliable co-worker and a friend you can count on. I find if you do this, everything else will take care of itself.

Atheism makes no claims has no doctrine it is simply a lack of belief in a god, for that to be false you need to prove god exists first . faith is not a reason to believe anything what cant you believe on faith?  
Prove god exists and there are no more atheists end of argument, so I await your proof, and Nobel peace prize for proving a god exists.

I will not state my personal beliefs on this thread as I feel that it is hard to have an positive & effective conversation about this (and some other) usually very personal subject(s) online. So much is lost "in translation". I would rather discuss this and any other potentially difficult subject one on one with whomever I am having a conversation with. Body language and facial cues are important in real communication & if it is to be productive in any real way. Those need to be present. Considering these aspects, I am happy to discuss this subject offline.  
 
I am going to detour slightly because of a statement made. It still fits the thread subject well, as it needs to be considered while pursuing purpose of being. Think of it as food for thought: a philosophical sideline to the main idea.  
 
I find that the following statement is pretty popular in society in general, and very sad & narrowminded and I would like to share why I hold to this. I am not picking on anyone: this is a general observation on something often repeated. I would like all of us to examine it closer. Skinny Moon just happened to be the one posting it to this conversation:  
 
 "I don’t care what you believe just as long as you keep it to yourself and don’t force it on me."  
 
Please consider...sometimes what someone believes is something the other person needs to hear. Maybe it is a wake up call for change in some way or an idea to be considered for further fair research by the hearer. Maybe the delivery isn't ideal (to bring this response, this can often be the case), but there could just be a message that we need to hear in spite of method. Notice, I am not promoting nor dismissing any particular religion.  
 
What a person believes is a religion. It is the idea or set ideas that they follow. If the person's purpose is all about self (fulfilled in pleasing self, making yourself better by doing good, etc), it is called Humanism. This is a form of religion. It was popular back in Greek & Roman days just as now. It was & is taught in schools (early years & onward), by the way.  
 
Consider...Atheism is a religion. Spiritism is a religion. Animism is a religion. Vegetarianism is a religion. Strangely enough, Santa Claus teaching all by itself has all the markers. Education in itself can be as well. There are still more. All have a central philisophy, zeal, self-serving teaching and deeply held beliefs and agendas. People get passionate. People get defensive. It is personal. There are many beliefs out there that fit the definition of religion, even if a person chooses to define it differently. It doesn't make those beliefs any less a religion. We are confronted with many beliefs & religions every day, whether you recognize them as such or not. They all shape your view of life in one way or another. We didn't ask to have them in our faces & ears, but they ARE in our face...all the time...even on the screens we look at. Sometimes we are not aware that we are adopting these ideas/beliefs. We don't even have to leave home.  
 
This quoted statement, then, limits sharing and learning from one another with an open mind (definition: willingness to learn). The quoted statement is, at its core, a very selfish and closed statement. I have observed that most people saying this have some sort of negative experience to base this on, are bitter toward that experience & don't want to consider if they might need to change at a basic level in some way. They don't want to change. At our core, none of us do. It sounds like a toddler/teen type attitude (but we all still have that attitude). A person holding to this doesn't really question if portions of the negative experience were based on truth or not, they just dismiss it all as fake without pursuing, on their own, all aspects to see what could be true in the real/perceived mess of fake.  
 
Another thought about this statement...how would a person then deal with any educational system (school, not just "Sunday school") where students are stuck in a room (maybe even partly by choice to pursue a degree)...forced to go listen to someone, becoming indoctrinated by whatever the curriculum (and or teacher) says? Doctrine means "teaching", by the way. What about having to listen to parents/guardians when under their care? What about law enforcement? This statement is far reaching and can apply to many situations.  
 
Maybe a better way to approach a person with any belief (honestly, we ALL have them), is with respect & kindness, gentleness, an open mind (definition: willingness to learn), and the willingness to listen. Notice, all of the example religions noted above are loud, forceful in their message and are unbending. A religion doesn't have to have a building (although some do), nor actually call their leader or philisophy a god in order to be a religion. Again, these are just a few examples of many.  
 
I think we ALL have work to do. I think nobody should stop learning and we need to respect each other (even if we don't agree), & keep listening to each other. Let's keep the conversation open & ongoing. I believe if we honestly and with our whole being are pursuing the truth on this thread's subject, and keep listening and learning, we will find it.

....but you’re searching for prove, trying to convince yourself that He doesn’t exist. Your at far greater risk not believing than I am believing that their is a God. God does exist whether you want to acknowledge it or not, and He does establish a moral law by which He judges every human being in the world, whether you want to acknowledge it or not. My duty as a believer is to tell you that. What you do with that is between you and God. Just don’t rule out the still small voice inside of you.  
 
But I have a feeling....even if you were provided with all the evidence in the world. From the prophecies beginning in Genesis to the fulfillments in Revelation. You still wouldn’t believe.  
 
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’ ” (Psalm 14:1).

Atheism teaches (and believes) that there is no God (capitalized because the word can be used as a name)...so that is a doctrine. It is an idea often *taught* in universities. Whole classes & programs are built on this subject. It takes its own brand of faith to believe atheism. There are books, etc out there. Profs, experts, passionate people, movements, etc. I don't know...would they die for their belief? I really haven't heard. Read my definition of religion above. It fully fits.  
 
I find it so interesting that Atheism focuses mainly on "God" more than any other gods. It is quite something. This is what the movement, teaching & books are built on.  
 
So, on your subject & after doing online searching, I found some of the names of well known people who were well known atheists that set out to prove God didn't exist and came to a different conclusion than they were expecting. You could probably find the same names in a search of your own.  
 
You put out a challenge to others (which could lead to posturing & fighting with no real willingness to learn on both ends), but would you be willing to do the work to see for yourself? It starts with a simple search and no potential fighting. These people that I found wanted to know for themselves & did not rely on the opinions of others. They did their own research to find proof of their position & read opposition, asked questions, those led to further questions that they pursued and so on. They seemed as though they were thorough. They did have to read the Bible (as it is important to be thorough). They also read other resources pertaining to their search. Find experts, but really question teachings on both sides. Remember context, written, historical & cultural, to get the best understanding. That goes with any text, and I think is hard for us Westerners to do with stuff from the East since our culture is so different.  
 
I am going to turn this around...this is my challenge to you:  
1. Approach this exercise with a willingness to learn. You are searching for truth, right? Maybe one or both sides is wrong. Have you considered that?  
2. Be willing to listen, learn, consider and ask tons of questions.  
3. Get and make definitions. Write those down.  
4. Find undeniable proof for yourself one way or the other. Write your findings down.  
5. Remember to record why you came to that conclusion. Document your evidence. Can it, without holes or weakness, stand the scrutiny of those who disagree?  
6. Be willing to pursue answers personally without attacking people. Make it a personal quest.  
 
This is all I will tackle on this subject here, as it has the potential to hijack this thread really badly, but it gives you a way to continue without disrupting the OP's purpose of this thread. Maybe it will help that person too?

I once heard someone say, "As soon as someone encounters someone with an open mind, their initial reaction is to fill it with their 'BS'".  
 
An open mind is a wonderful thing, the problem is, as soon as someone says, "Have an open mind" what they are really saying is, "See things my way."  
 
As an agnostic, I hear this all the time from Atheists and Christians alike. Purpose is something that an individual discovers, not something that is shown to them through religion or doctrine. But that's MY opinion.