Do we all have a purpose?
From another thread (about why christians don't wish death on those they 'know' will go to heaven when they die), a poster said:
One need not be a Christian or even a theist to realize one has a purpose to fulfill prior to death.
This made me question rather or not we all DO have a purpose, how we know what it is, how we know when it's accomplished and what do we do, once it's accomplised?
nobspeople wrote: ↑Thu Oct 28, 2021 8:39 am
...This made me question rather or not we all DO have a purpose, how we know what it is, how we know when it's accomplished and what do we do, once it's accomplised?
Thoughts for discussion?
I think all people are free to choose purpose for their life, how will they use it. I think best choice is to love others.
I suppose one can set a specific goal (establish a purpose) in life and work toward it, but as for being born with any purpose, No. Just as those who don't set any goal in life would lack a purpose.
I suppose one can set a specific goal (establish a purpose) in life and work toward it, but as for being born with any purpose, No. Just as those who don't set any goal in life would lack a purpose.
.
Why do you say one isn't born with a purpose? Not disagreeing, simply curious as to your reasoning.
I suppose one can set a specific goal (establish a purpose) in life and work toward it, but as for being born with any purpose, No. Just as those who don't set any goal in life would lack a purpose.
.
Why do you say one isn't born with a purpose? Not disagreeing, simply curious as to your reasoning.
I've simply never seen any evidence of it.
.......... Anyone here on Debating Christianity have any evidence of life having a purpose?
nobspeople wrote: ↑Thu Oct 28, 2021 8:39 am
...This made me question rather or not we all DO have a purpose, how we know what it is, how we know when it's accomplished and what do we do, once it's accomplised?
Thoughts for discussion?
I think all people are free to choose purpose for their life, how will they use it. I think best choice is to love others.
I suppose you can indulge in some sort of grammatical massaging, but I just don't see how 'choosing to love others' represents a purpose for life.
George Orwell:: “The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.” Voltaire: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."
Gender ideology is anti-science, anti truth.
I suppose one can set a specific goal (establish a purpose) in life and work toward it, but as for being born with any purpose, No. Just as those who don't set any goal in life would lack a purpose.
.
Why do you say one isn't born with a purpose? Not disagreeing, simply curious as to your reasoning.
I've simply never seen any evidence of it.
.......... Anyone here on Debating Christianity have any evidence of life having a purpose?
.
While we wait (maybe forever?) what would it take for you to see that would change your mind?
I'm not sure whether this counts as 'Evidence' but I'd suggest that biology has One purpose for us - survival as a species. In addition to which the evolution of pack - instinct and a concept of an individual place within that pack added an instinct of personal.survival.
This was summed up in a meme in the old days: "Eat, Survive, Reproduce" which has of course been institutionalized through human reasoning into the more sophisticated: "Dine out, drive carefully, and Your place or mine?".
That's just the basic biological Reason for existence, and most people seem to be willing to go along with that day to day survival and existence, with some entertainment to fill the many many leisure hours we never had in the past before industrialized society and for which we are hardly grateful. If they wish to have on their tombstone (should anyone be bothered to erect one) ' "I did my job, I added to overpopulation, I watched TV" good for them. Some of us require something more. I already mentioned the instinct of curiosity, once a survival instinct, now a human characteristic, and the innate desire to keep on living. I won't repeat it here. But it comes down to the old 'hard truths or comfortable lies?' Belief in an afterlife that we probably don't get, or accepting a finite life and making the most of it. That's the choice.
TRANSPONDER wrote: ↑Fri Oct 29, 2021 11:53 am
I'm not sure whether this counts as 'Evidence' but I'd suggest that biology has One purpose for us - survival as a species. In addition to which the evolution of pack - instinct and a concept of an individual place within that pack added an instinct of personal.survival.
This was summed up in a meme in the old days: "Eat, Survive, Reproduce" which has of course been institutionalized through human reasoning into the more sophisticated: "Dine out, drive carefully, and Your place or mine?".
That's just the basic biological Reason for existence, and most people seem to be willing to go along with that day to day survival and existence, with some entertainment to fill the many many leisure hours we never had in the past before industrialized society and for which we are hardly grateful. If they wish to have on their tombstone (should anyone be bothered to erect one) ' "I did my job, I added to overpopulation, I watched TV" good for them. Some of us require something more. I already mentioned the instinct of curiosity, once a survival instinct, now a human characteristic, and the innate desire to keep on living. I won't repeat it here. But it comes down to the old 'hard truths or comfortable lies?' Belief in an afterlife that we probably don't get, or accepting a finite life and making the most of it. That's the choice.
Seems to be representative of a thought that was said earlier: does humanity get to rightfully pick our purpose, or have it thrusts upon humanity(bolded above)?
Going further, if it is thrusts upon humanity (by biology, god, another person, who- or what-ever), must humanity comply, or shun it and take a different path - different purpose?
I suppose one can set a specific goal (establish a purpose) in life and work toward it, but as for being born with any purpose, No. Just as those who don't set any goal in life would lack a purpose.
.
Why do you say one isn't born with a purpose? Not disagreeing, simply curious as to your reasoning.
I've simply never seen any evidence of it.
.......... Anyone here on Debating Christianity have any evidence of life having a purpose?
.
While we wait (maybe forever?) what would it take for you to see that would change your mind?
Good question, but like "what it would it take to believe god exists?" I don't know. Bring on the evidence, and whatever it is and I'll see if it's good enough.