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The purpose of life

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
I think you're inaccurately conflating individual purpose with universal significance. The discussion of purpose has nothing to do with our geocentric position when it comes to the cosmos. I don't think none of us here are saying the universe is alive why you and the other guy keep bringing up sentience when nobody here said the universe is aware.

I wouldn't even go as far as to say we know the universe is or isn't alive. As you said we are small in the universe so it would be arrogant on your part as a miniscule life form to assume the universe lacks sentience. We don't know but that is not the topic of discussion.

As I said before I feel my purpose is to help people. I'm good at it, I'm able to connect with people in my profession so I would say therefore that is my calling and purpose. Someone else who is good at sports may think their purpose is to be an athlete.

As I've said we all define our lives differently based on our experiences.

My first post on this thread read

"There is no purpose to life. Just ask the universe and listen closely to the answer.

There are personal goals, that's a whole different game."​

Life itself has no purpose. Sure there are philosophical views, there are religious views, there are egocentric views, they are simply personal opinion. People are welcome to their views but consider, no one has ever provided a purpose for life in general other than to procreate. Call that a purpose if you want, it still boils down to a personal goal.

As i have mentioned several times. The speed of light and the huge scale of the universe prevents any form of grand scale sentence. As i have also said before, piezoelectric material can produce electricity which may evolve sentience. That can only be small scale as in inhabited planets.

As i said, people gave personal goals, there is no argument with that, helping people is a purpose to your life, not life in general.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Dear Nowhere Man,
Do you believe god?
No.

I think God in the conventional term of the word is a mental puppet that people use to help cope with the reality by which we live in.

You can say the universe suffices well enough without any real need for an avatar.
 

susanblange

Active Member
Dear susanblange,
I see a person who obeys god... Right?...
Yes, I do obey God. It took me years, but I have become holy. God answers a lot of my "prayers" before I ask and he has blessed and prospered me. I don't normally formally pray, God is in all of my thoughts.
 

Epic Beard Man

Bearded Philosopher
Life itself has no purpose.

That is an opinion an an objective fact as you say, an opinion.

Sure there are philosophical views, there are religious views, there are egocentric views, they are simply personal opinion.

Agreed.

People are welcome to their views but consider, no one has ever provided a purpose for life in general other than to procreate. Call that a purpose if you want, it still boils down to a personal goal.

Well, I still offered the idea of duty and profession. If one succeeds at a thing and demonstrates that it benefits others as well as providing self-fulfillment, one can deduce the idea that they may have purpose in such an action.

there is no argument with that, helping people is a purpose to your life, not life in general.

Which is why I said definitively, one cannot provide a general definition of purpose nor explain the purpose life generally because it differs from person to person.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
That is an opinion an an objective fact as you say, an opinion.

I think we are confusing concepts here. My take on life is anything considered to be alive. Which in the bigger picture (i have used the universe throughout this thread but can be limited to earth) has no purpose.

Well, I still offered the idea of duty and profession. If one succeeds at a thing and demonstrates that it benefits others as well as providing self-fulfillment, one can deduce the idea that they may have purpose in such an action.
. That is a personal goal, not a purpose for life but a purpose for an individual's life.

Which is why I said definitively, one cannot provide a general definition of purpose nor explain the purpose life generally because it differs from person to person.

Exactly.
 

Epic Beard Man

Bearded Philosopher
My take on life is anything considered to be alive.

The idea of the thread was clear I believe we can discern what the question "what is the purpose of life" versus the definition of life means.

That is a personal goal

I think defining words are in order. when talking about personal goals we are talking about setting plans to achieve a desired objective. Having a purpose, means something is created for which something exists. If I set the goal to reach the NBA that would classify as a personal goal. Once I reach the NBA that personal goal is achieved, therefore my success and elevation in the game of basketball would be because of my talent, and if I find fulfillment and continuing success I could perceive that my talents had a purpose meant for the game of basketball. Considering not everyone is talented as I, even in the NBA, my standout would make me appear that my talents were meant for the professional game of basketball. As you see, the underlining factor here is whether or not I have self-fulfillment and perceive my talent as destined for me to achieve this high level of success.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
The idea of the thread was clear I believe we can discern what the question "what is the purpose of life" versus the definition of life means.

Yes and i provided the purpose of life according to me. Thanks

There was nowhere in the op that stated 'individual life'


I think defining words are in order. when talking about personal goals we are talking about setting plans to achieve a desired objective. Having a purpose, means something is created for which something exists. If I set the goal to reach the NBA that would classify as a personal goal. Once I reach the NBA that personal goal is achieved, therefore my success and elevation in the game of basketball would be because of my talent, and if I find fulfillment and continuing success I could perceive that my talents had a purpose meant for the game of basketball. Considering not everyone is talented as I, even in the NBA, my standout would make me appear that my talents were meant for the professional game of basketball. As you see, the underlining factor here is whether or not I have self-fulfillment and perceive my talent as destined for me to achieve this high level of success.

I am not into basket ball but the same principle applies.

You set a personal goal to help people did you not?

And it is true that you have helped individual lives. In the process of which you could very well have destroyed invading lives, bacteria for example.
 

Epic Beard Man

Bearded Philosopher
There was nowhere in the op that stated 'individual life'

The OP asked:

What is the purpose of life, according to you?


@ChristineM That is as individualistic as it gets.

You set a personal goal to help people did you not?

Yes, but purpose is not realize until internal conditions are met. People become doctors and nurses all the time and set goals to complete the criteria to become said profession. What makes it distinct is the criteria of self-fulfillment, and an ability to excel at said field.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
The OP asked:




@ChristineM That is as individualistic as it gets.



Yes, but purpose is not realize until internal conditions are met. People become doctors and nurses all the time and set goals to complete the criteria to become said profession. What makes it distinct is the criteria of self-fulfillment, and an ability to excel at said field.


The OP asked
"What is the purpose of life, (comma) according to you?"
I replied, according to me. What is wrong with that?

You appear to quote me with
@ChristineM That is as individualistic as it gets.

Could you please identify the post i said those words.

It does not matter what conditions are met, you are talking of individual lives while i am talking of the whole mishmash of life.
 

Epic Beard Man

Bearded Philosopher
The OP asked
"What is the purpose of life, (comma) according to you?"
I replied, according to me. What is wrong with that?

You appear to quote me with


Could you please identify the post i said those words.

It does not matter what conditions are met, you are talking of individual lives while i am talking of the whole mishmash of life.

Ok we're apparently going in circles. You identified, according to you, your views and I did mine so we can end it there.
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
and you may quote me

we are here to learn all that we can before we die

I've been saying this for decades
and I notice....it tends to surprise people

Well, either this knowledge does last longer than our own existence, and hence has some value, or it disappears along with us and hence has no value - apart from how our living affects others. Unless one believes we have some kind of existence outside of materiality - which presumably you do. Seems to me that the vast majority have very little to pass on. :oops:
 

Thief

Rogue Theologian
Well, either this knowledge does last longer than our own existence, and hence has some value, or it disappears along with us and hence has no value - apart from how our living affects others. Unless one believes we have some kind of existence outside of materiality - which presumably you do. Seems to me that the vast majority have very little to pass on. :oops:
indeed.....I see the pending scenario.....

I stand from the dust and heaven is there to see what has risen

If I stand well....fine ...good
and They might ask me to follow

if not ….They will leave me wherever I fell
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Well, either this knowledge does last longer than our own existence, and hence has some value, or it disappears along with us and hence has no value - apart from how our living affects others. Unless one believes we have some kind of existence outside of materiality - which presumably you do. Seems to me that the vast majority have very little to pass on. :oops:

Well, this does raise an interesting question. If one's knowledge and experience are contained in one's brain cells, what happens to those cells after death and decomposition sets in? Do they eventually turn to dust and become part of the atmosphere?

It might explain how some people can suddenly come up with a great idea or a sudden rush of inspiration or brilliance just out of the blue. Someone may have inhaled the decomposed brain cells of some great thinker of the past.
 

frbnsn

Member
No.

I think God in the conventional term of the word is a mental puppet that people use to help cope with the reality by which we live in.

You can say the universe suffices well enough without any real need for an avatar.
Do you believe everything in the universe by themselves?
 

Jos

Well-Known Member
Nope, this is fallacious. You are presuming that space is significant. When in all likelihood it's not at all.
Why is it insignificant in all likelihood? Isn't that just your opinion?

And along with that we're sentient. Sentience alone tells you something, something that is deafening.
What is that something?

Ok, so you truly think that that black stuff is more significant than us Sentient beings?
Isn't just a subjective opinion to think that humans are more significant because of sentience? Aren't you just placing a subjective higher value on sentience than non sentience?
 
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