Does Christianity Provide Meaning and Purpose?

[Diogenes]

Does Christianity provide meaning and purpose? Or does it merely defer the question?

[Diogenes]

I ask the question not so much as a challenge to one of religions' claims (providing meaning in life), but because of existential despair, or something like that.
What I mean is that the search for meaning, for purpose, for some kind of eternal, beyond our selves meaning for life, for existence, seems universal. Worse, acknowledging there IS no purpose is unimaginable. We cannot accept it. We cannot accept that we are just biological machines like all the other animals; that we have no soul; that we will cease to exist [FOREVER] when we die.

So, we must invent a purpose. We invent an all powerful, all knowing 'God' who has always been and who created us and has a purpose for our lives, for existence itself.

OK. Fine. What is that purpose? What is there other than "Trust and Obey?"

[1213]

...We cannot accept that we are just biological machines like all the other animals....

Maybe we can't accept it, because it is not true.

OK. Fine. What is that purpose? What is there other than "Trust and Obey?"

I think anyone can choose their own purpose. In my opinion the best purpose and the best meaning of life is love. And from Bible I have learned what love truly means, which is why for me it is then providing also the meaning and purpose.

[TRANSPONDER]

I won't make this diirected, personal or specific other than our pal's idea of Love as derived from Biblical fundamentalism is indistinguishable from control, deception and malice, even if the per. is told it is Love. We should reject it, as we reject all the other obvious misrepresentations, denial and fallacies that are presented. by religious apologists and enablers

But that is rejected as much as a flat earthist Antarcita - denier has no place in how to deal with the continent politically, then the question of meaning in an existence that has no cosmic plan for us, only survival instincts, thanks to evolution, and anyone who denies that has no place at this table let alone on a school board.

Life is finite, and instinct tells us to fear it. Religion exploits that, just as it exploits Faith. But when one realises that Eternal life sucks, even an afterlife without a hell, then we should not fear death, but only how unpleasant it can be. We need help to make it as easy as going to sleep, which ain't bad

Just as Faith is not a virtue, but thinking (logically) is, we have to stop these people lying to us.

[Diogenes]

And of course, that is the point; there is no great cosmic purpose. The universe simply is. And no theist has ever described any great 'purpose' or meaning; there is nothing offered by belief in any god except the hope that the GOD can supply some meaning for life.

[1213]

And of course, that is the point; there is no great cosmic purpose. ...

And your argument for that is ignorance. Why do you think it is good enough?

[1213]

...Life is finite, and instinct tells us to fear it. ...

It would be nice if fear would not rule people, because as Yoda says, "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18

[TRANSPONDER]

And of course, that is the point; there is no great cosmic purpose. The universe simply is. And no theist has ever described any great 'purpose' or meaning; there is nothing offered by belief in any god except the hope that the GOD can supply some meaning for life.

Religion can, any religion, and no religion, though it requires understanding of ourselves beyond 'a big invisible human made us, and all our customs are what He (rarely She - religion is so darn Patriarchal) has as a Plan for us'. Just as science needed to explain that the universe is not a flat disk with a dome over it - which religion now pretends it was teaching all the time, when it was fighting science tooth and nail in the Renaissance.

It is tougher and requires more education and indeed learning than we have now, and we are still subscribing too much to the too simple 'God plan' - at least, in America, where you have to be Religious to get elected, or pretend to be.

...Life is finite, and instinct tells us to fear it. ...

It would be nice if fear would not rule people, because as Yoda says, "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18

It sounds well, but is untrue. Or misunderstood or misrepresented. Fear Naturally leads to a fight or flight reaction, fear of the dark, unknown, death and anything not like Us. Which is why Christianity (and other religions and indeed political Dogmas) are bullies if anyone steps out of line, or whines and plays the victim when anyone says 'obey the law.

.John is peddling a palliative - a drug to make us think we are healed, and worse, the religion told us we were sick in the first place.

[theophile]

And of course, that is the point; there is no great cosmic purpose. The universe simply is. And no theist has ever described any great 'purpose' or meaning; there is nothing offered by belief in any god except the hope that the GOD can supply some meaning for life.

Why can't God provide a relative purpose and meaning that is cosmic in scope? Not sure why we need this to be absolute. If there is to be universality, it should come through faith, by which I mean the free and willing commitment of all things to this end. Not out of intimidation, but because it feels right, and we can stand behind it. Even if no one else does. Even if there isn't a powerhouse God there to back it up.

That, in fact, is what the bible shows us, is it not? i.e., God providing one path among many that we could take? Other 'gods' with competing purposes and devotees to whom Israel repeatedly turns? Spirits, like God, that take hold of us and that need to be cast out? Ones, like Jesus, who stand alone in living it out? ...

As to what God's purpose is, I find it a bit head-scratching that people struggle to see it. I understand there's complexity to work through, and I'll hear a 100 dismissive arguments against (like God committing genocide, condoning slavery, etc.), but it blazes red hot in Genesis 1. And Genesis 1 is where we should look, since it provides the purest, most uncompromised view of God's intention and the end we are called to.

Put simply, it is to be for life. To create the conditions for life and to foster life of every kind. To create a world where every one can flourish and be.

Granted, it gets ugly real quick from there, since it's on us to accept or deny that purpose. To give our power to it (and as such to God) or not. But that's it, pure and simple. Like it or not.

[Diogenes]

Why can't God provide a relative purpose and meaning that is cosmic in scope?
....
As to what God's purpose is, I find it a bit head-scratching that people struggle to see it. I understand there's complexity to work through
....
Put simply, it is to be for life. To create the conditions for life and to foster life of every kind. To create a world where every one can flourish and be.

So... in the end you come down to the same purpose as the naturalist, the evolutionist: "life." All of life, all organisms, strive to live and reproduce. It's in our DNA. It's how we survived, it's why we are here.

But there is NOTHING in this that requires the invention of a personal god to account for ANYTHING.
Put another way, adding "God" to the algorithm changes nothing. There is no purpose, no meaning, nothing but the effort to remain alive.

In other words, adding "God" does not answer the "'Why?' questions." Why are we here? What is our purpose? What meaning is there in life beyond mere survival?