"Purpose?"

[Zzyzx]

.
From another thread:

I believe that we all have a purpose. We are allowed to "opt out" of fulfilling this purpose, but we have it regardless.

Questions for debate:

1) Do all humans representing all beliefs, religions or convictions have an assigned "purpose"?

2) Where does that "purpose" originate and by what agency is it assigned?

3) How does a person learn their assigned "purpose"?

4) Are humans entitled to change their "purpose" from the original assignment without incurring a penalty?

[realthinker]

.
From another thread:

I believe that we all have a purpose. We are allowed to "opt out" of fulfilling this purpose, but we have it regardless.

Questions for debate:

1) Do all humans representing all beliefs, religions or convictions have an assigned "purpose"?

A purpose other than self-recognized implies a value judgment applied outside of one's self. As we are talking in a general sense about the purpose of each example of humanity, we're implying a judgment rendered by a sentience beyond humanity. I have yet to find a conversational example of that with which to discuss my purpose, so I claim that there is no non-trivial purpose to humanity.

In a sense, the purpose of each of us is to simply be human. At this we cannot fail.

2) Where does that "purpose" originate and by what agency is it assigned?

3) How does a person learn their assigned "purpose"?

An individual may recognize that they have a contribution to make in the fulfillment of the hopes of prosperity for family, community, and country, and in this they may find purpose. Beyond this, I think any other purpose one might try to fulfill is likely to be a waste of effort.

4) Are humans entitled to change their "purpose" from the original assignment without incurring a penalty?

If an individual does not recognize a purpose with respect to the prosperity of family, community, and country and fulfill that purpose with integrity and diligence, I believe there should indeed be some penalty. The penalty is most likely to be imposed by fellow man, but to some degree it is imposed naturally in the consequences of not fulfilling necessary requirements for prosperity.

[JehovahsWitness]

QUESTION: What is the purpose of life?
That depends:
Purpose is defined as:
1. The effect that is intended or desired; an intention.
2.The object toward which one strives or for... an aim or a goal:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/on+purpose

Asking what is the "purpose of life" is by implication asking WHY is life here? For the atheist, life has no purpose in the sense of being here as a result of an deliberate action of a "creator" (of course they can still give their lives purpose by working towards goals).

To illustrate, your cat knocks over a tin of paint that falls on a nearby canvas. The resulting 'accident' looks quite nice so you hang the "painting" on the wall. If someone asked you "Why did the painting come out as it did? What was the purpose or intention of the painter" since the 'painter' was your cat (and gravity) there can be no answer to that question. It just is.

However, if there is a Creator we can turn to hm and ask "why did you make me? What was the purpose". The answer can be found in the bible and it's simple: The purpose of live is to "live forever and be happy"! Happily, soon that original purpose will be fulfilled for the faithful. http://www.lifes-purpose.info/indexBird.html

[McCulloch]

However, if there is a Creator we can turn to hm and ask "why did you make me? What was the purpose".

The problem is that I have no means by which I know that I can ask this question of the Creator, you allege to exist, nor does he have any means by which I know [ he | she | it ] is or has answered.

The answer can be found in the bible

The answer, provided by various humans can be found in the Bible, the Gita, the Qu'ran, Guru Granth Sahib and various other sources. Why would you conclude that the answer in the Christian Bible is the right or authentic one?

and it's simple:

I am quite suspicious of simple answers. They are frequently wrong. Other readers of the Bible have come to other conclusions on the answer to this question.

The purpose of live is to "live forever and be happy"!

How miserable we are! The purpose of life is to live forever and ever since life started, it has failed to even come close to this purpose. Who designed such a system whereby nothing achieves its purpose?

Happily, soon that original purpose will be fulfilled for the faithful.

Yes, you just keep waiting for that to happen. It's gonna happen real soon now. Yes. This generation for sure. Others (including Jesus himself) have predicted that it would happen soon too. They were all wrong. But you, I believe.

Swedenborg 1757,
George Rapp 1829,
William Miller 1844,
Charles Taze Russell 1874,
Jehovah's Witnesses 1914,
Sun Myung Moon 1917"1930,
Herbert W. Armstrong 1975,
Bill Maupin June 28, 1981,
Harold Camping 1994,
Jerry Falwell before 2009,
Nostradamus 1999,
Paul Sides September 13, 2007,
Mark Biltz September 30, 2008,
Jack Van Impe 2012 (revised often)
Alice A. Bailey 2025,
Frank J. Tipler before 2057,
Assemblies of God by the end of World War I,
Isaac M. Haldeman within a generation of 1948,
Chuck Smith before 1981,
Martin Luther "around the corner" (he died in 1546),
Claas Epp, Jr. March 8, 1889,
Edward Irving believed that he lived in the "last days" in 1828,
J.F. Rutherford 1925,
Watch Tower Society 1975,
Montanus 200 AD,
Edgar C. Whisenant, 1988,
Benny Hinn "a few years" in 1989,
Jesus "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." circa 30 AD.

[Zzyzx]

.

Asking what is the "purpose of life" is by implication asking WHY is life here? For the atheist, life has no purpose

What makes you think that you are qualified to answer for Atheists? Are you an Atheist? Do you SPEAK for Atheists? If neither, it may be prudent to ASK rather than pronounce. It is common for Theists to ASSume that they know the thinking of those who do not worship their favorite god, the key word being assume.

in the sense of being here as a result of an deliberate action of a "creator" (of course they can still give their lives purpose by working towards goals).

Yes, those who do not "believe in" ANY of the thousands of proposed "gods" can individually decide what their "purpose" shall be. Likewise, worshipers of ANY of the "gods" can decide that their "purpose" is decided by an invisible, undetectable, supernatural entity.

However, ifthere is a Creator we can turn to hm and ask "why did you make me? What was the purpose".

Agreed if there is a creator one can ask.

However, there is no assurance that any answer is anything more than the individuals own mental construct (imagined as being from god).

The answer can be found in the bible and it's simple: The purpose of live is to "live forever and be happy"!

Where, exactly (verbatim quote) is that found in the bible? AND, what assurance can be offered to demonstrate that biblical statements are true and accurate?

[KentGoldings]

1) This is a very broad question, but a the affirmative position can be refuted on the basis of one flawed premise: The key operator here is "assigned," which implies an unidentified source of said purpose. Without defining this source, there is no rational means for accepting the position.

Furthermore, purpose needs to be defined as absolute or transient. Transient purposes exist, certainly, as defined by the person. Absolute purposes may exist, though their existence is unfalsifiable by nature and subject to scrutiny. The three main types of "purpose" to debate here seem to be both exogenous forms, and the endogenous/transient form. (Endogenous/absolute is silly to consider as any self-originating purpose may be instantly altered, thereby making it transient in nature.)

a) That said, I would take the negative position on this. We cannot ascertain what this source may be, and have no evidence to suggest that any such source even exists. Any attempt to define it may be questioned on these grounds, and any assertion that lacks evidence or relies upon a supernatural force/entity can be dismissed on grounds of being unfalsifiable or an argument from ignorance.

b) An alternative line of reasoning would be to attack the use of "all," when defining the set of humans under consideration. Some humans may indeed possess a subjectively determined sense of purpose. This does not imply that all humans do. This would also conflict with the notion of the purpose being assigned from an external source, requiring that the initial question be altered to include both endogenous and exogenous "assigners" of purpose.

2) Here is an attempt to define the source, fulfilling the conditions necessary for debating #1. If the source is claimed to be supernatural, then refutation 1 a) given above would be applicable. If the source is endogenous and transient, then it originates from the individual's own thoughts.

3) If exogenous and absolute, this cannot be done for the reasons noted above. If endogenous and transient, then individuals learn any given purpose through defining it themselves.

4) Absolutely.

a) If endogenous and transient, then the individual in question has an unquestionable control over their purpose(s). They may change them as they see fit in response to the demands they encounter or the goals they pursue.

I do not believe that purpose is exogenous in any way, so the other options are moot.

[Wood-Man]

The idea that an individual's purpose can derive from outside the individual is a cognitive error. The word "purpose" makes sense only if there is a thinking and planning entity that has the purpose. Purpose is an attribute of that entity and, by definition, is never involuntary. This is simply what the word means.

When we are using language, it's important to keep in mind the full definition of the words we use. The word "purpose" invokes an emotional response because we have a built-in desire to have a purpose. So, when someone uses "purpose" in a sloppy way (violating the meaning of the word) it is possible to still feel the positive emotional response. From a rational perspective, purpose is meaningless when used in this way, but we don't always think that through.

So, God's purpose for me means exactly what it says... God's purpose for me. For it to be my purpose, I have to choose it as my purpose. Certainly, an omnipotent God could make me choose to adopt the same purpose that she has for me. I might never even know it and think all along that I chose it myself. That's the no-free-will zombie possibility. For some reason, that sort of purpose isn't very appealing to me, probably because it doesn't seem real. If an omnipotent God wants to do that, there's nothing much I can do about it, though.

On the other hand, maybe there is an omnipotent God but she has decided not to make me adopt her purpose. It's my choice. If I said "no thanks" but choose instead to make my purpose the advancement of humanity (for example), this would be just as much a purpose. I might hold it just as intensely and passionately as someone who feels they've adopted God's purpose as their own. After all, I am the one who determines how much passion and commitment I apply to whatever purpose I choose.

So no matter how you cut it, if I have free will then I'm the one who must choose my own purpose (or maybe choose not to have much of a purpose). There is really no difference in this between atheists and theists.

[fewwillfindit]

The answer can be found in the bible and it's simple: The purpose of life is to "live forever and be happy"!

I disagree. It's not about us, it's about Him. From a biblical perspective, eternality and happiness are a byproduct of our purpose, which is chiefly to glorify God.


Isaiah 43:7

...everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.


1 Peter 4:11

--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.


1 Corinthians 10:31

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.


Romans 11:36 - 12:1

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.


And more: (1 Chr 16:10; Ps 71:8; Rom 15:5-7; 16:27; 1 Cor 1:31; 6:20; 2 Cor 4:15; Gal 1:3-5; Eph 3:21-4:1; Phil 1:11; 2:9-11; 4:20; 1 Tim 1:17; 2 Tim 4:18; Heb 13:20-21; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 4:16; 5:11; 2 Pet 3:18; Jude 1:25; Rev 1:6; 4:11; 5:12-13; 7:12; 14:7; 15:4; 19:1, 7)


Disclaimer: All of the above is based on the presumption of the person I quoted, which is, "the answer can be found in the Bible." Certain restrictions may apply. Fees may vary from state to state. May not be available in all areas. See your local store for details. May cause vomiting, upset stomach, nausea, headaches and drowsiness. Do not take while operating machinery.

[Wood-Man]

So, God created us just to glorify him? Does he really need our approval? Why would a glorious God create a bunch of creatures just for for them to worship him? Is he really that egocentric? Doesn't such a motive for creation actually make him rather non-glorious? This perspective really seems to demote God to the level of a pharaoh or an emperor!

[fewwillfindit]

So, God created us just to glorify him? Does he really need our approval? Why would a glorious God create a bunch of creatures just for for them to worship him? Is he really that egocentric? Doesn't such a motive for creation actually make him rather non-glorious? This perspective really seems to demote God to the level of a pharaoh or an emperor!

For that answer, you'll have to do a thorough study on the subject. If you are interested, the scriptures above would be a good start.