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“Without God, Life Has No Purpose, And Without Purpose, Life Has No Meaning
- Thread starter Skwim
- Start date
Purpose, meaning, significance, and hope are all human constructs. I see no evidence that they require a God.
False.My life became more meaningful when I discarded his religion.
It's interesting that the author considers his life purpose-driven (his book's title) when he considers that life has no meaning if he can't spend eternity praising a god that seems like it has endless need. I can scarcely thing of a less meaningful existence, not to mention that his world view has caused him to find daily life meaningless, purposeless, and hopeless. He pays a great price for that belief.
And of course, if he is wrong about his religious beliefs, which is virtually certainly the case - then his life really is meaningless if lived that way - like somebody dissatisfied with what is real and present, however beautiful and inspiring to others, and living his life as if waiting at some kind of cosmic bus stop waiting to be taken away to something better, likely a grave.
Ouroboros
Coincidentia oppositorum
You can find meaning and purpose in life without God or religion, but even if it was true, what's the purpose of such a statement? It's a bit like: without a job there's no destination. Without a destination there's no need for a car. Without a need for a car, driving the car is boring.
But I'm quite certain from experience that driving a fun sports cars are fun in of themselves, without having a job or destination.
Life can be fun, purposeful, and have meaning. For me, to have and care for a family gives meaning and purpose. And having dogs adds extra sugar on top of it.
But I'm quite certain from experience that driving a fun sports cars are fun in of themselves, without having a job or destination.
Life can be fun, purposeful, and have meaning. For me, to have and care for a family gives meaning and purpose. And having dogs adds extra sugar on top of it.
Believe it or not, why not support it either way?
PureX
Veteran Member
If "God" means love, honor, beauty, and/or truth, then perhaps it is correct.
Skwim
Veteran Member
Not.
Without a God given purpose, humans are free to construct their own purpose.
I believe in God, but it’s clearly not necessary to believe to construct a purpose in life
I see it is the Truth. We have been created to show Love to one another.
O CHILDREN OF MEN! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest.
(Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words)
Regards Tony
I also find more meaning in life after leaving religion. With a world view that things are finite, rather than eternal, it tends to light a fire under my behind to get things done. The world view that there is no safety net under me to catch me if I fall does tend to help me to be more thoughtful in the actions I take. Also, rather than taking solace that god is working behind the scenes to make everything work out, I feel more urgently about looking into the issues I face and how I can best deal with them.
The solace I take now is in the fact that I am doing all that I can, and the only unease I feel is in the fact that I can do more. It definitely propells me forward into doing the best I can versus the way I used to view things, with god being the one in control. When you answer to no one but yourself, the decisions you make suddenly become a hell of a lot more important.
Pretty much. It's easy to fall into nihilism and existential despair if we're just meaningless meat robots in a random universe.
First,the book imitates the work of Miles Munroe and appears shortly after Munroe's book. It is redundant. Secondly it is bad advice put wrongly put forward as representative of biblical canon and Judaism as if it were the essence of Christianity. It is the essence of bible sales, the essence of being told not to do anything without demanding direction from God. This ought to theoretically put a lot of pressure upon God to respond, yet somehow it doesn't. I think a lot of people find that God is unimpressed by people waiting to be told what to do.
Rick Warren is supposedly a youth pastor, so he is teaching young people that you have to find God's personal purpose for you before you do anything meaningful with your life. It results in a lot of needless hesitation paradoxically. Young people already are concerned when they don't know what to do for work, education and relationships. This book and its associated seminars is bad advice I think. Its often sold in the same places that have books like "I Kissed Dating Goodbye," "Pigs in the Parlor," Chick brand tracts and "The Spiritual Man." The message ultimately is "Listen to your pastor, support your pastor, and you need your pastor. Don't leave your pastor." Hence Rick Warren finds a lot of support among pastors. Its no surprise that his book appears in their church bookstores.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Certainly not true.
In fact, when I left Christianity, life became much better and more meaningful once I left the stained glass windows and Rose Colored Glasses behind.
The proverbial air is much more fresh and clean once the mental pollution had dissipated.
Heyo
Veteran Member
True.
Unfortunately life also has no purpose, meaning or significance with god.
Paster Rick Warren “Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.”. . . for me.'
I don’t find that many nihilists amongst my atheists friends. Though in saying that, perhaps we just happen to be happy drunks.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
Wow, just wow! I do not think that believers should make assertions like that. He can speak for himself, but he should not try to apply that to everyone, because that is arrogant...
That said, if there is a God, and if God revealed to us what our Purpose should be, then if we do not fulfill that Purpose we are not living for what we were created for.
I believe that I was created to know and worship God, but that is because I am a Baha'i.
Short Obligatory Prayer
TO BE RECITED ONCE IN TWENTY FOUR HOURS, AT NOON.
I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.
There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Bahá’u’lláh
Short Obligatory Prayer
I do not expect other people to agree with me or live the way I live. Everyone has to decide what their purpose is, what will give their life meaning. That is why God created us with free will.
It is my concerted opinion that many atheists and probably most believers live a more fruitful life than I a do, but to whom much is given much is expected, so I try not to blame myself. Only God can judge.
Knowing God is only half the battle, it is worshiping God that I have difficulty with.
I will probably never get that right, so I will just have to hope that God knows I tried and forgives me for my failure.
Oh, I'm not trying to equate nihilism with atheism.I don’t find that many nihilists amongst my atheists friends. Though in saying that, perhaps we just happen to be happy drunks.