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Topic: The meaning of life?  (Read 3669 times)

Lmfisher666

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The meaning of life?
« on: June 24, 2012, 10:38:55 pm »
what is the meaning of life? Why are we here? Please dont say God

falcon9

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2012, 12:25:06 am »
what is the meaning of life? Why are we here? Please dont say God

How about "42"?


A pseudo-zen koan advises that the meaning of life is to create the meaning of life.
One can lead a horse to water however, if one holds the horse's head under, that horse will drown.

             

hitch0403

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2012, 09:13:16 am »
I found that rather amusing.Someone asks,"what is the meaning of life"...then says dont say god....hmmmmmmmm .Pretty amazing life can form on its own...LOL!

Its really amazing how most of the human race wants to decide for themselves what is good and what is bad.The reason why the world is in the mess its in now!!

6000 years of futility trying to govern ourselves and only getting worse.When are we gonna wakeup and smell the coffee?

Thanx,Anthony

falcon9

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2012, 01:17:19 pm »
I found that rather amusing.Someone asks,"what is the meaning of life"...then says dont say god....hmmmmmmmm .

Conversely, it's rather unamusing and tedious when the religious adherent's 'blame' some alleged supernatural egregore for providing meaning to life instead of accepting that responsibility for themselves.

Pretty amazing life can form on its own...LOL!

Different subject, different religious preconceptions.

"The fundamentalists, by 'knowing' the answers before they start, and then forcing nature into the straitjacket of their discredited preconceptions, lie outside the domain of science --or any honest intellectual inquiry."
-- Stephen J. Gould
One can lead a horse to water however, if one holds the horse's head under, that horse will drown.

             

sdecaro558

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2012, 06:38:36 pm »
If you know that people are going to say God, and that people find meaning the worship of God and the guidance that God provides for their lives, yet you cannot accept that...  Why ask this question in the first place?

falcon9

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2012, 06:43:13 pm »
If you know that people are going to say God, and that people find meaning the worship of God and the guidance that God provides for their lives, yet you cannot accept that...  Why ask this question in the first place?

Your question begs the question; it would seem that the OP was looking for opinions which did not relate to just tossing 'g-d' out there in lieu of a more considered response.  For instance, your reply didn't even try to answer the original question in the thread title and came across as somewhat defensive, (where you might have posted "I dunno", nothing or some other opinion regarding the question).

"If there are no stupid questions, then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get smart just in time to ask questions?"
--Scott Adams
One can lead a horse to water however, if one holds the horse's head under, that horse will drown.

             

bigedshult

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #6 on: June 25, 2012, 07:22:08 pm »
the meaning of life meaning of life is to learn all you can. And to do what your heavenly father! Wants you to do! So you can return home with to him
one by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!

momoney555

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #7 on: June 25, 2012, 08:55:11 pm »
Wthout GOD, life has no meaning.

tzs

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #8 on: June 25, 2012, 10:18:49 pm »
Wthout GOD, life has no meaning.
without evolution,education, nature, and science we wouldn't be smart enough to spell the word god.....who doesn't really exist...... :dontknow:
TOOL-DEFTONES-MASTADON-NIN-DOWN-MOTORHEAD-RATM
SOULFLY-ROOTS-PANTERA(RIP)-JANE'SADDICTION-CLUTCH
BJORK-KATEBUSH-ALICEINCHAINS(OLD/NEW)
BOBBYBLUEBLAND-CHARLESMINGUS-CLASSICALMUSIC-BILLHICKS LordoftheRingsTheMatrixKingpin,Mybaseguitar,Mybowlingballs,300game
ourchild,Myhusband=My life in a nutshell

falcon9

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #9 on: June 26, 2012, 12:31:18 am »
the meaning of life meaning of life is to learn all you can. And to do what your heavenly father! Wants you to do!

According the the general xtian belief system, followers are not to learn all they can; they are to accept the 'bible' having all the answers unquestioningly, (via "faith").  The opinion expressed through your "DragonSpeak" is internally contradictory, (then again, so is xtianity so, carry on).


"So you can return home with to him one by faith ..."

DragonSpeak helps with spellling, not grammar.  That's on the user.
One can lead a horse to water however, if one holds the horse's head under, that horse will drown.

             

lvstephanie

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #10 on: June 26, 2012, 09:17:35 am »
the meaning of life meaning of life is to learn all you can. And to do what your heavenly father! Wants you to do!

According the the general xtian belief system, followers are not to learn all they can; they are to accept the 'bible' having all the answers unquestioningly, (via "faith").  The opinion expressed through your "DragonSpeak" is internally contradictory, (then again, so is xtianity so, carry on).


"So you can return home with to him one by faith ..."
DragonSpeak helps with spellling, not grammar.  That's on the user.

I beg to differ... There are only a few xtian denominations that take the word of the Bible verbatim. Even though it may have had some "dark" periods in its history, Catholicism (which is the largest denomination world wide) actually does endorse scientific discovery and a more rigorous, theological study of religion. There have been some priests and / or monks that have actually participated in advanced scientific research including the SETI project, particle physics, and evolution. They do believe that God created the universe, but not necessarily how it was created; the big bang theory is seen not as contradicting God as the creator, but as a tool that God used for creation. Thus scientific research is looked upon as a way to see the true beauty of God's creation. True, they still believe that God is creator, Jesus is our savior, the existence of a person's soul, and other ideas that cannot be proven, but see scientific research as a way of gaining more insight into what existence really is as well as what the meaning of life is all about. I think that certain blunders made by the early Catholic church (like discrediting Copernicus etc.) has taught them that science should be embraced, not viewed as their antagonist.

The issue I think you have is that the most vociferous xtians are usually from Evangelical denominations which by their nature are 1) much more conservative in their beliefs as the bible being the literal word from God (as opposed to Catholicism's belief that it is the inspired word of God) and 2) are more activist in voicing their opinion (ie they are evangelizing the gospel)

kewl4reals

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #11 on: June 26, 2012, 09:19:11 am »
i believe that the meaning of peoples lives should be to help others and make them smile 
AmNeStY InTeRnAtIoNaL rules!

southernhorizons

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #12 on: June 26, 2012, 09:43:57 am »
the meaning of life meaning of life is to learn all you can. And to do what your heavenly father! Wants you to do!

According the the general xtian belief system, followers are not to learn all they can; they are to accept the 'bible' having all the answers unquestioningly, (via "faith").  The opinion expressed through your "DragonSpeak" is internally contradictory, (then again, so is xtianity so, carry on).


"So you can return home with to him one by faith ..."
DragonSpeak helps with spellling, not grammar.  That's on the user.

I beg to differ... There are only a few xtian denominations that take the word of the Bible verbatim. Even though it may have had some "dark" periods in its history, Catholicism (which is the largest denomination world wide) actually does endorse scientific discovery and a more rigorous, theological study of religion. There have been some priests and / or monks that have actually participated in advanced scientific research including the SETI project, particle physics, and evolution. They do believe that God created the universe, but not necessarily how it was created; the big bang theory is seen not as contradicting God as the creator, but as a tool that God used for creation. Thus scientific research is looked upon as a way to see the true beauty of God's creation. True, they still believe that God is creator, Jesus is our savior, the existence of a person's soul, and other ideas that cannot be proven, but see scientific research as a way of gaining more insight into what existence really is as well as what the meaning of life is all about. I think that certain blunders made by the early Catholic church (like discrediting Copernicus etc.) has taught them that science should be embraced, not viewed as their antagonist.

The issue I think you have is that the most vociferous xtians are usually from Evangelical denominations which by their nature are 1) much more conservative in their beliefs as the bible being the literal word from God (as opposed to Catholicism's belief that it is the inspired word of God) and 2) are more activist in voicing their opinion (ie they are evangelizing the gospel)
That's a great explanation of Catholics and Science, but Catholics are Christians too, even if not evangelical, since they are followers of Christ. However, I don't like that you stooped to name-calling. I dont like being labeled an "x-tian". I never was a Tian, so how can I be an Ex-tian?

By the way, the original post seems to be intended to start a debate, and a lot of disagreement, so it should have been posted in the debate and discuss forum. Why ask a queston if you only want one-sided opinions? Most of the people that don't believe in God, probably don't have any explanation for the menaing of life either.

falcon9

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #13 on: June 26, 2012, 01:23:03 pm »
There are only a few xtian denominations that take the word of the Bible verbatim.

"Only a few" denominations, consisting of more than a few million believers in an inerrant bible in contrast to unknown millions of catholics and other sects who don't?  The point is, the contention didn't regard the number of denomination/sects but, the number of followers.

Even though it may have had some "dark" periods in its history, Catholicism (which is the largest denomination world wide) actually does endorse scientific discovery and a more rigorous, theological study of religion.

Oh, catholicism has had more than some dark "periods", they've been responsible for dark "ages", (which included the suppression of and active opposition to any scientific advancements), the various "Inquisitions" and the "Crusades".   

There have been some priests and / or monks that have actually participated in advanced scientific research including the SETI project, particle physics, and evolution. They do believe that God created the universe, but not necessarily how it was created; the big bang theory is seen not as contradicting God as the creator, but as a tool that God used for creation.

Yes, some of the followers of organised religions as a whole are well-known for 'co-opting'/retroactively-attributing things to a 'creator g-d'.  In the past, they'd engaged in the 'cultural theft' of "pagan" religious beliefs but, switched-over to 'co-opting' some scientific inquiry as "a tool of
g-d".  That remains the same type of religious presumptuousness as previous cultural thefts, (e.g., 'the medical staff didn't save the patient's life, g-d used them as "tools"', etc.).

Thus scientific research is looked upon as a way to see the true beauty of God's creation. True, they still believe that God is creator, Jesus is our savior, the existence of a person's soul, and other ideas that cannot be proven ...

In other words, they view scientific research as a "tool of g-d", not as a tool of human scientists, in order to santimoniously co-opt that too.  The sheer gall involved in twisting man-made "tools" into being attributed to a hypothetical supernatural egregore, (instead of the human scientists and engineers actually responisible for them), is astounding.  Such attempts at further co-opting and false attribution is revealed by the lack of that same scientific method's inapplicability to those faith-based religious concepts just mentioned, ("creator g-d", "saviour" and "soul").
 
I think that certain blunders made by the early Catholic church (like discrediting Copernicus etc.) has taught them that science should be embraced, not viewed as their antagonist.

Such "blunders" resulted in the dark ages, inquistions and crusades and thus, are a bit more far-reaching than attempting to minimize them as mere "blunders".  The catholic church leadership is still engaged in a policy of co-opting/theft; it's trying to do so with scientific inquiry now, just as it once did with the pagan religious concepts of other cultures in order to assimulate and absorb them.  The practice remains as disingenuous and dishonorable now as it was before.

The issue I think you have is that the most vociferous xtians are usually from Evangelical denominations which by their nature are 1) much more conservative in their beliefs as the bible being the literal word from God (as opposed to Catholicism's belief that it is the inspired word of God) and 2) are more activist in voicing their opinion (ie they are evangelizing the gospel)

That "inspired word" concept was briefly touched-upon as having no veracity, (lacks evidentiary basis and relies instead upon "faith" alone).
One can lead a horse to water however, if one holds the horse's head under, that horse will drown.

             

falcon9

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Re: The meaning of life?
« Reply #14 on: June 26, 2012, 01:36:15 pm »
However, I don't like that you stooped to name-calling. I dont like being labeled an "x-tian". I never was a Tian, so how can I be an Ex-tian?

The term, "xtian", originates with xtians themselves and does not mean "ex-"anything nor was it intended as a derogatory term.  Nothing was "stooped to" except your jumping to a false conclusion.

By the way, the original post seems to be intended to start a debate, and a lot of disagreement, so it should have been posted in the debate and discuss forum. Why ask a queston if you only want one-sided opinions? Most of the people that don't believe in God, probably don't have any explanation for the menaing of life either.

While I generally agree that the topic is more suited to the d&d subforum of the Off Topic forum, it's hypocritical to characterize the exclusion of religiously-based one-sided opinions as only wanting other one-sided opinions.  Most opinions tend to be polorized as "one-sided", (although some are 'no-sided').  The "meaning of life" is an open-ended philosophical inquiry and the OP apparently is already aware of the standard religious viewpoint on that matter and wanted other viewpoints, (that's viewpoints, plural - as in more than one and more than "one-sided" religious ones).
One can lead a horse to water however, if one holds the horse's head under, that horse will drown.

             

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