The Purpose of Life

Discussion in 'Eastern Philosophy' started by kmguru, Jul 18, 2014.

  1. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    It's a bit like asking, "What is the purpose of a roller-coaster?" It's about the journey, not the destination.
     
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  3. sweetpea Valued Senior Member

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    Yep, that's about it. And on the ride, just be kind to others.
    It seems that's not enough for some, they have to throw in this little daisy: Everything is God.

    Check it out.
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2019
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  5. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    That would include you, SP.
     
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  7. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    Only to be forgotten several generations after you are gone. We are insignificant, yet we are everything.
     
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  8. sweetpea Valued Senior Member

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    I'm getting on with the ride, I leave you to sidetrack yourself with non-necessaries.
     
  9. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    You have never questioned existence?
     
  10. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Sure.

    The beauty of atheism is that we recognize we are the masters of our own destiny. We decide what the purpose of life is. The fact that there are 7 billion people with 7 billion purposes is what makes life interesting.

    If we all decided on the same thing, say, to serve God, it would be not only a mighty boring place, but it would also be quite fascist (in the sense that there would be One Correct purpose of life, and anyone not appearing to view to that single goal would be Wrong.)

    It seems to me that theists do not question existence, since they already have their answer.
     
  11. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    And if they slip on a banana peel and break their neck, would that be part of their master plan?

    How many Theists are there in this world?

    There are many ways to serve God. If you were to choose one, which would it be?
     
  12. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Probably not. Shit happens.

    If you slip on a banana peel, break your neck and die, is that a sign that God doesn't like you so much?
    A lot!
    Make trappist beer!
     
  13. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    It certainly does.


    It's a sign that you never had control of your destiny.

    Would it stand to reason that at least one might question existence, even though they are a Theist?

    If that's your calling.
     
  14. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Right; we covered that above. But is it a sign that God doesn't like you very much?
    Perhaps. Since they have been told what to believe about their existence, however, it is much less likely.
    If someone decided their calling was to kill the weak to get humanity closer to God's image, would you tell them "hey, if that's your calling, go for it!"
     
  15. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    Is death a reality of life?

    Reads like you are telling them what to believe.

    No, but I see no harm in brewing beer.
     
  16. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Of course. But accidentally slipping on a banana peel and dying is not a reality of life; 99.99999% of the people in the world avoid that. If it happened to you, would that be a sign that an omnipotent God didn't like you very much?
    Not at all. They can believe whatever they like. But after decades of being told what to believe, many will tend to go with that. Human nature.
    Ah. So there are ways to "serve God" that you've decided are OK and ways that you've decided are not OK. Great; you are using your own standards to decide what's good and bad.
     
  17. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    I'm not sure what you're getting at.
    Do people who believe in God not slip on banana peels?


    Billions. Why?


    Only for one who believes in God. Being an atheist, there is no way I can honestly serve God. But there are plenty of ways I can serve my fellow man.
     
  18. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    It would simply be my time to die. I have no control over such things. Do people die because God is not happy?

    The Spiritual Path is very wide, a multitude of signposts pointing the way.

    Everything that has happened has brought us to this moment. Are you disappointed?
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2019
  19. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    Of course they do, and they are in no more control of their destiny than are atheists.



    I have already answered this above.



     
  20. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Right. So not sure why you posed the question.

    OK, but you asked me. Not sure why.
     
  21. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    When atheism can control the universe, much less change the orbit if the moon, I will be a believer.

    Would you agree there are different perspectives on which the word Theism rests? Could you say the same for the word Atheism?
     
  22. kx000 Valued Senior Member

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    My answer is omnipresent happiness.
     
  23. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Neither Theism nor Atheism do those things; physics does.


    There is no organized atheism. Every atheist came to their convictions on their own. There are as many flavours of atheism as there are atheists.
    So, yes, there are about a half billion perspectives.
     
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