I Googled that phrase and came up with this.
https://www.google.com/#q=without+god+l ... no+purpose
This is what religious people are being taught by their leaders. So we have all these people walking around thinking that there is an empty hole inside them that can only be filled by god and without god there lives have no purpose or meaning.
The thing that strikes me as being strange is I have always regarded all religions as myth and I am not a believer of any of them, but at the same time I don't have this empty hole inside me they talk about. I have never felt that my life has no purpose or meaning and in fact all of the things that these religious people say I need don't ever even cross my mind.
There is so much interesting REAL stuff to learn that I am so busy reading, working or doing whatever I happen to be interested in at the moment to have time to even think about this hole I am supposed to have inside me that I can't find. If anything I need a bigger hole to fit all of the things that I occupy myself with, my hole runneth over!
Anyway, I started thinking about teaching people that nonsense and it struck me as being a cruel thing to do. It's tantamount to saying, hey there is something wrong with you (when there isn't) and then telling them that you have the cure.
The phrase snake oil salesman comes to mind.
Without God Life Has No Purpose
Moderator: Moderators
- Talishi
- Guru
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2016 11:31 pm
- Location: Seattle
- Been thanked: 2 times
- Contact:
Re: Without God Life Has No Purpose
Post #2Their syllogism runs thus:man wrote: Anyway, I started thinking about teaching people that nonsense and it struck me as being a cruel thing to do. It's tantamount to saying, hey there is something wrong with you (when there isn't) and then telling them that you have the cure.
1) Without God life has no purpose.
2) Life has a purpose.
3) Therefore, there must be a God.
This commits the fallacy of many questions. Does life have a purpose? That is the first question.
Man imposes purpose on his own life. This is not so strange when you consider that man also invented God.
- OnceConvinced
- Savant
- Posts: 8969
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 10:22 pm
- Location: New Zealand
- Has thanked: 50 times
- Been thanked: 67 times
- Contact:
Post #3
I don't understand why there are Christians who think that without God there is no purpose.
This was my purpose as a Christian:
Doing God's work through the ministries I was involved in.
Being a witness to Jesus when it comes to work colleagues, friends and families.
Becoming a better Christian and more Christlike.
Travelling as much of the world as possible to see what God has created
Being a great Christian father
Being a great Christian partner
Writing my books (with the hope that I can glorify God in them)
Now that I am no longer a Christian, here are my purposes in life.
Being a productive member of society
Being a good example when it comes to work colleagues, friends and families.
Becoming a better person and improving myself
Travelling as much of the world as possible to see what evolution has produced.
Being a great father
Being a great partner
Writing my books (with the hope that people will read them)
All that's happened is that God has been removed from my purposes.
And this is the thing that I see. The only difference between a Christian and an Atheist is that the Christian believes God is the one who gave them their purposes in life.
This was my purpose as a Christian:
Doing God's work through the ministries I was involved in.
Being a witness to Jesus when it comes to work colleagues, friends and families.
Becoming a better Christian and more Christlike.
Travelling as much of the world as possible to see what God has created
Being a great Christian father
Being a great Christian partner
Writing my books (with the hope that I can glorify God in them)
Now that I am no longer a Christian, here are my purposes in life.
Being a productive member of society
Being a good example when it comes to work colleagues, friends and families.
Becoming a better person and improving myself
Travelling as much of the world as possible to see what evolution has produced.
Being a great father
Being a great partner
Writing my books (with the hope that people will read them)
All that's happened is that God has been removed from my purposes.
And this is the thing that I see. The only difference between a Christian and an Atheist is that the Christian believes God is the one who gave them their purposes in life.
Society and its morals evolve and will continue to evolve. The bible however remains the same and just requires more and more apologetics and claims of "metaphors" and "symbolism" to justify it.
Prayer is like rubbing an old bottle and hoping that a genie will pop out and grant you three wishes.
There is much about this world that is mind boggling and impressive, but I see no need whatsoever to put it down to magical super powered beings.
Check out my website: Recker's World
Post #4
Of course anyone can create their own purpose in life without God. God gave us free will to do whatever we want.
The point that Christians or theists make is that in the atheist point of view our existence is an accident therefore our existence has no purpose. In the Christian point of view our lives have purpose because God created us because of His love and we are part of His eternal plan.
BUT that doesnt mean you can't create your own purpose in life. If an atheist decides that they will dedicate their lives to helping and protecting people living in poverty then good for them. That gives me joy. I WILL NOT think or say that 'your efforts are meaningless because you reject God and you're going to hell anyway'.
And I should point out that sometimes even Christians will reject God and live for themselves.
The point that Christians or theists make is that in the atheist point of view our existence is an accident therefore our existence has no purpose. In the Christian point of view our lives have purpose because God created us because of His love and we are part of His eternal plan.
BUT that doesnt mean you can't create your own purpose in life. If an atheist decides that they will dedicate their lives to helping and protecting people living in poverty then good for them. That gives me joy. I WILL NOT think or say that 'your efforts are meaningless because you reject God and you're going to hell anyway'.
And I should point out that sometimes even Christians will reject God and live for themselves.
- Divine Insight
- Savant
- Posts: 18070
- Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:59 pm
- Location: Here & Now
- Been thanked: 19 times
Post #5
The problem is that according to Jesus the eternal plan of this God so-called "loving" God is to cast the vast majority of the souls that he creates into a state of everlasting punishments.jarrlous wrote: The point that Christians or theists make is that in the atheist point of view our existence is an accident therefore our existence has no purpose. In the Christian point of view our lives have purpose because God created us because of His love and we are part of His eternal plan.
How exactly does that equate to being an act of a "loving" God?
Moreover, according to the Christian dogma loving decent atheists will be cast into a state of everlasting punishment as well just because they see no reason to believe in a religion that claims to have a "loving" God who does such 'hateful' horrible things.
This God necessarily has to be horribly mean to genuinely loving decent people.
Therefore hatred and cruelty would be the bulk of the "purpose" of this God.
A purposeless universe would be far more benevolent.
[center]
Spiritual Growth - A person's continual assessment
of how well they believe they are doing
relative to what they believe a personal God expects of them.
[/center]
Spiritual Growth - A person's continual assessment
of how well they believe they are doing
relative to what they believe a personal God expects of them.
[/center]
Post #6
[Replying to Divine Insight]
It is not part of God's plan for people to go to hell. He hates the idea of people going to hell.
Simply being a "good and loving person" doesn't get you into heaven. Accepting Jesus as our saviour does. And why should we go to heaven if we reject Him?
The thing people need to understand is that God isn't nice. God is love. And He loves us so much that He gave us free will. To me that's better than nice.
It is not part of God's plan for people to go to hell. He hates the idea of people going to hell.
Simply being a "good and loving person" doesn't get you into heaven. Accepting Jesus as our saviour does. And why should we go to heaven if we reject Him?
The thing people need to understand is that God isn't nice. God is love. And He loves us so much that He gave us free will. To me that's better than nice.
- Talishi
- Guru
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2016 11:31 pm
- Location: Seattle
- Been thanked: 2 times
- Contact:
Post #7
How do you go about confirming that you have free will? If you offer that you will not stay in for supper tonight but will go out for pizza, I could make the counter-claim that you were scripted to go out for pizza from the foundation of the world.jarrlous wrote: The thing people need to understand is that God isn't nice. God is love. And He loves us so much that He gave us free will. To me that's better than nice.
Thank you for playing Debating Christianity & Religion!
Post #8
[Replying to Talishi]
I'm not quite sure what you're saying. Are ypu saying that God has written our lives in a screenplay?
I'm not quite sure what you're saying. Are ypu saying that God has written our lives in a screenplay?
- Talishi
- Guru
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2016 11:31 pm
- Location: Seattle
- Been thanked: 2 times
- Contact:
Post #9
I'm saying that, and God, speaking through Paul, is also saying that:jarrlous wrote: [Replying to Talishi]
I'm not quite sure what you're saying. Are ypu saying that God has written our lives in a screenplay?
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, "Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth."
Thank you for playing Debating Christianity & Religion!
- OnceConvinced
- Savant
- Posts: 8969
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 10:22 pm
- Location: New Zealand
- Has thanked: 50 times
- Been thanked: 67 times
- Contact:
Post #10
I am yet to come across an atheist that believes we are here as an accident. I certainly don't believe that. I believe we are an inevitable outcome of millions of years of evolution.jarrlous wrote: The point that Christians or theists make is that in the atheist point of view our existence is an accident
I think you misunderstand. They are saying that there is no divine reason or purpose for us being here. ie it was not planned. There was no ultimate goal.jarrlous wrote: therefore our existence has no purpose.
Last edited by OnceConvinced on Sun Oct 30, 2016 8:03 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Society and its morals evolve and will continue to evolve. The bible however remains the same and just requires more and more apologetics and claims of "metaphors" and "symbolism" to justify it.
Prayer is like rubbing an old bottle and hoping that a genie will pop out and grant you three wishes.
There is much about this world that is mind boggling and impressive, but I see no need whatsoever to put it down to magical super powered beings.
Check out my website: Recker's World