God’s Purpose For Humans and Earth

[cardero]

Two things many religions share in common is an obedience to GOD and a desire to promote God’s will. My question is, why would God designate a place where humans could do this? Wouldn’t this purpose be better served where God and the other angels reside? If designating a place like earth is removed from God, why doesn’t God promote this obedience and will Himself instead of using humans? What would be the importance or purpose of placing humans in their own domain and setting this endeavor before them? If heaven is so -well heavenly why not begin our existence there instead of the belief that humans have that existence starts on earth? What is the actual advantage or disadvantage of beginning an existence in this physical existence?

 

[sojourner]

Two things many religions share in common is an obedience to GOD and a desire to promote God’s will. My question is, why would God designate a place where humans could do this? Wouldn’t this purpose be better served where God and the other angels reside? If designating a place like earth is removed from God, why doesn’t God promote this obedience and will Himself instead of using humans? What would be the importance or purpose of placing humans in their own domain and setting this endeavor before them? If heaven is so -well heavenly why not begin our existence there instead of the belief that humans have that existence starts on earth? What is the actual advantage or disadvantage of beginning an existence in this physical existence?

Earth is not removed from God. God created the universe, of which humanity is part. All creation shares a certain unity as part of creation, and all creation shares part of God. I believe God is very closely tied to the creation.

Because what we are accomplishing is God's will for us.

Where else would humanity be???

Earth is a place. Heaven is not a place.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

In Christian theology I think that there are a few answers:

1) By virtue of our place in the cosmos, we can choose whether or not to worship God without immedeately being condemned. That is, we are not in the immediate presence of God which requires worship or banishment (hense the story of Lucifer). We are not in the prescence of the glory of God and therefore can reject God without immediate rejection from God.

2) God obviously gets some kind of thrill from this.

 

[BruceDLimber]

Hi!

My question is, why would God designate a place where humans could do this? Wouldn’t this purpose be better served where God and the other angels reside?

Clearly, if this weren't the ideal place for us to learn and grow, God would have designed something else!

The Baha'i scriptures say this about the earth and about learning:

“O SON OF BOUNTY!
“Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My command I made thee to appear, and have ordained for thy training every atom in existence and the essence of all created things. Thus, ere thou didst issue from thy mother’s womb, I destined for thee two founts of gleaming milk, eyes to watch over thee, and hearts to love thee. Out of My loving-kindness, ’neath the shade of My mercy I nurtured thee, and guarded thee by the essence of My grace and favor. And My purpose in all this was that thou mightest attain My everlasting dominion and become worthy of My invisible bestowals.”
-- The Hidden Words, Part One, #29


“Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess. Through a word proceeding out of the mouth of God he was called into being; by one word more he was guided to recognize the Source of his education; by yet another word his station and destiny were safeguarded. The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”
-- Baha’i Education, p. 2

As to our purpose here, we Baha'is see it as twofold:

1. As individuals, we are to acquire the spiritual virtues we'll need both here and in the Next Life, and
2. In aggregate, we're to carry forward an ever-advancing, spritually-based civilization.

And the purpose of religion is to show us HOW to go about this!

Best,

Bruce

 

[robtex]

Patrick, two things...

1) I am sure you have already done so but it may be worth mentioning in the thread..that maybe mankind should be asking God this as opposed to other men.

2) God obviously gets some kind of thrill from this.

or maybe more a more specific speculation:

2) If you could measure the question by the output or result alone I would say the answer, based on the thousands of beliefs and Gods running around who may be as yall said, just one fella, that the reason God does this is he digs having people study, speculate, postulate and articulate theories on his existance.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

he digs having people study, speculate, postulate and articulate theories on his existance.

An argument for a divine sense of humor?

I've often thought that fundie Christians would be on the comedy channel in heaven...

 

[Super Universe]

Humans are not here to be obedient. You do not have children for the purpose of them to honor and obey you although that is certainly something you wish for.

The purpose of the earth is to be a home for the newest life experiment in the universe. This is not the only free will place, it's all free will. The whole thing! The whole universe! But the earth has more species of life than any other. This planet is the most valuable jewel of them all.

God did not come here and order us to obey His laws, the angels did because, like any faithful servant, they could not bear constantly watching our misguided faith go toward the wind, moon, and sun.

Why not begin our existence in heaven? But you did. Not this fragile temporary human form that you now hold on to so tightly but your everlasting soul, the real you comes from God, and only it can survive death. What human lives forever?

But the soul is but a spark, a tiny piece that must grow and develop. That is your job. That is your human purpose. To experience life, experience this wonderful planet, learn so that your human personality becomes something worth saving.

 

[EnhancedSpirit]

Humans are not here to be obedient. You do not have children for the purpose of them to honor and obey you although that is certainly something you wish for.

The purpose of the earth is to be a home for the newest life experiment in the universe. This is not the only free will place, it's all free will. The whole thing! The whole universe! But the earth has more species of life than any other. This planet is the most valuable jewel of them all.

God did not come here and order us to obey His laws, the angels did because, like any faithful servant, they could not bear constantly watching our misguided faith go toward the wind, moon, and sun.

Why not begin our existence in heaven? But you did. Not this fragile temporary human form that you now hold on to so tightly but your everlasting soul, the real you comes from God, and only it can survive death. What human lives forever?

But the soul is but a spark, a tiny piece that must grow and develop. That is your job. That is your human purpose. To experience life, experience this wonderful planet, learn so that your human personality becomes something worth saving.

I love the way you put this and I can't frubal you till I spread some around.


God's only purpose is to create life through love.

Our individual purposes are like those of the cells in our bodies, each has different jobs to do. WE are like cells of a larger being. We have been multiplying just like the cells of the newly concieved child. We have formed groups of likeminded 'cells', just like the organs in the body. I do not know exactly what we are becomeing, but I know it's something wonderful. Revelations describes something as being like birthing pains . . . as we are reborn into the spirit of God, as one.

 

[michel]

Two things many religions share in common is an obedience to GOD and a desire to promote God’s will. My question is, why would God designate a place where humans could do this? Wouldn’t this purpose be better served where God and the other angels reside? If designating a place like earth is removed from God, why doesn’t God promote this obedience and will Himself instead of using humans? What would be the importance or purpose of placing humans in their own domain and setting this endeavor before them? If heaven is so -well heavenly why not begin our existence there instead of the belief that humans have that existence starts on earth? What is the actual advantage or disadvantage of beginning an existence in this physical existence?

Because we need to show faith, and that we genuinely want to become 'good'. Put it this way, would you park a car somewhere illegal if there was a policeman looking at you?

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Two things many religions share in common is an obedience to GOD and a desire to promote God’s will. My question is, why would God designate a place where humans could do this? Wouldn’t this purpose be better served where God and the other angels reside? If designating a place like earth is removed from God, why doesn’t God promote this obedience and will Himself instead of using humans? What would be the importance or purpose of placing humans in their own domain and setting this endeavor before them? If heaven is so -well heavenly why not begin our existence there instead of the belief that humans have that existence starts on earth? What is the actual advantage or disadvantage of beginning an existence in this physical existence?

you are searching for oranges in an apple orchard. Scripturally there are only two reasons I have found as to why God leaves His children on Earth. One is to reconcile the lost to a relationship with God. Two is to reconcile the fallen to a right relationship with God.

Any test you are put through applies to either of these two reasons.

 

[kai]

i think we could be some kind of infection he has placed in isolation on this side of the universe maybe there are lots of devoted fans all living in harmony and devotion on the otherside out of our way.

 

[cardero]

Enhanced Spirit writes: I love the way you put this and I can't frubal you till I spread some around.

That’s okay, I fruballed Super Universe for you.

Enhanced Spirit writes: God's only purpose is to create life through love.

This seems to be the response I have been given as well.


“I may BE credited with the miracle of life. Notice that I said "credited" and not "worshipped." It was MY pleasure to enact a functional physical body for souls to inhabit, but please, put away YOUR donations.”

"One thing that can BE assured is that I will never abuse or use MY UNDERSTANDING unjustly or selfishly. So please, no more burnings of incense or animal sacrifices. The things I do, I do out of LOVE and MY fondness for sharing.”

HELLO IT’S ME: An Interview With GOD
Chapter: The One True God?
Pgs: 323

 

[cardero]

i think we could be some kind of infection he has placed in isolation on this side of the universe maybe there are lots of devoted fans all living in harmony and devotion on the otherside out of our way.

I have considered this as well, sort of like a Bizarro Earth just on the other side of the sun that we cannot see. The only other difference is that they eat corn on the cob vertically instead of horizontally.

 

[bibleonly]

Man, Adam was first created from the dust of the earth by God and then God breathe into his nostrils and Adam became a living soul. He then was given a test. Set up in a garden of paradise, everything was provided for him. The test would prove his love for his Creator through obedience. He fail miserably with his willful disobedience, so He as Head, the human race was removed from the presence of God and given into the hands of the enemy Satan. Adam from the choice of his own freewill prove that he loved Satan rather than God through is obedience to the Devil.

 

[kai]

I have considered this as well, sort of like a Bizarro Earth just on the other side of the sun that we cannot see. The only other difference is that they eat corn on the cob vertically instead of horizontally.

yes or the forgotten petrie dish he left in some cornerof the laboratory

 

[bigvindaloo]

Two things many religions share in common is an obedience to GOD and a desire to promote God’s will. My question is, why would God designate a place where humans could do this? Wouldn’t this purpose be better served where God and the other angels reside? If designating a place like earth is removed from God, why doesn’t God promote this obedience and will Himself instead of using humans? What would be the importance or purpose of placing humans in their own domain and setting this endeavor before them? If heaven is so -well heavenly why not begin our existence there instead of the belief that humans have that existence starts on earth? What is the actual advantage or disadvantage of beginning an existence in this physical existence?

The idea seems to be Heaven is a better place and we are given an opportunity to join in if we acquire virtue by following God's law and promulgate it here. Perhaps we are an accident of imperfect creation, and need rectification. Heaven needs to be earned. It is a very Aristotelean ethic, to acquire virtue by controlling the passions through obeiance of law. In turn it is a recognition that perfection does not exist on this earthly realm, and a recognition of a belief that it can exist elsewhere.

 

[bibleonly]

Since Adam and his children (the whole humam race) are slaves to Satan, bound by fetters in his prison house. There is none that are righteous no not one. There is none that seeketh after God no not one. You can't please God by your good deeds, all that will do is dig your pit deeper into hell.

 

[EnhancedSpirit]

Perhaps we are an accident of imperfect creation, and need rectification. Heaven needs to be earned. It is a very Aristotelean ethic, to acquire virtue by controlling the passions through obeiance of law. In turn it is a recognition that perfection does not exist on this earthly realm, and a recognition of a belief that it can exist elsewhere.

We are not an accident, even our mistakes are part of the design. Part of the creating.

And it's not about obedience to a law, it's about understanding a law. If you throw an apple straight up in the air, and it comes back and hits you on the head, this is not a punishement for not obeying the law of gravity, it's a consequence of not obeying the law of gravity. God's laws are not about crime and punishement, they are about cause and effect.

 

[Super Universe]

Since Adam and his children (the whole humam race) are slaves to Satan, bound by fetters in his prison house. There is none that are righteous no not one. There is none that seeketh after God no not one. You can't please God by your good deeds, all that will do is dig your pit deeper into hell.

So much judgement in only two lines of text. Is that the best that you've learned from your old time fire and brimstone religion?

No being is a slave to Satan. Even those who commit sin after sin are not, they are slaves to themselves, their own selfishness. Satan is nothing but an excuse.

There are many righteous humans. Look up Mother Teresa, Ghandi, visit your neighborhood soup kitchen or charity when you get a chance.

Your faith is founded in fear but that is your choice. There is no greater blasphemy than to view God as one who kills and punishes the beings that He created.

Good deeds should not be meant to please God. He does not hold anyone above another. Good deeds are meant to please your own heart and to be contagious and spread like the seeds of wildflowers.

 

[EnhancedSpirit]

So much judgement in only two lines of text. Is that the best that you've learned from your old time fire and brimstone religion?

No being is a slave to Satan. Even those who commit sin after sin are not, they are slaves to themselves, their own selfishness. Satan is nothing but an excuse.

There are many righteous humans. Look up Mother Teresa, Ghandi, visit your neighborhood soup kitchen or charity when you get a chance.

Your faith is founded in fear but that is your choice. There is no greater blasphemy than to view God as one who kills and punishes the beings that He created.

Good deeds should not be meant to please God. He does not hold anyone above another. Good deeds are meant to please your own heart and to be contagious and spread like the seeds of wildflowers.

again, so perfectly phrased. . .

Have I told you lately that I love you?