Purpose.....

[Faith_in_Fate]

Im Greatly confused on the purpose of being on earth or of living... why do we live..? is it to serve a God... is it too die... i havent an idea this is an answer i have been looking for, for a great time... its unclear... the Bible doesnt really tell... please answer...

[Skeptic]

Our collective human ego and high sense of self worth has made us believe that we are better than or above the other animals of the world. Do the deer need a purpose?

Consider the birds...

There is no purpose. If you insist on having a purpose, in a purely scientific view; it is simply to reach sexual maturity and produce progeny, shelter them, teach them to live so that they reach sexual maturity and produce progeny. Simply put propagate your genes.

[byofrcs]

Im Greatly confused on the purpose of being on earth or of living... why do we live..? is it to serve a God... is it too die... i havent an idea this is an answer i have been looking for, for a great time... its unclear... the Bible doesnt really tell... please answer...

Once we have evolved to the point where we feel that we need a purpose our goal is to find a purpose.

The purpose should be good. Good within this context is that which supports the first goal i.e. maximises the purposes of others and the golden rule applies.

Our level of intelligence has created this need and there are many competing products packaged to fill this need. There are a huge number of religions to choose from, though I feel that this is one thing that you should do-it-yourself and it shouldn't cost you a penny.

[BeHereNow]

Faith_in_Fate

You live because you live.
Your purpose is to be you.

When you are being you, you are serving your purpose.

Eat when you are hungry. Rest when you are tired.
If you cannot eat, do not eat. If you cannot rest, do not rest.

Just Be Here Now and the questions will answer themselves.

Others will disagree.

[Nick_A]

I believe Man on earth has the same purpose all of organic life has which is to transform substances. Life on earth is like a living machine that eats itself which we know as the food chain. All the processes of life transform substances.

However I believe that Man also has a potential conscious purpose that is spoken of in the Lord's Prayer: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This is the conscious purpose to connect levels of reality that cannot be done by unconscious continual REACTION but requires conscious ACTION. IMO Christianity (not Christendom) can help us awaken to it.

[Lionspoint]

The purpose of our existence is as unknowable as to our understanding of the events of our universe 20 billion (?) years ago. These things are, as yet, unavailable to us. Of course some people attmept to conjure reason by explaining there is an afterlife and this is a very transient existence we live. While I would agree that our lives are short and transient that does not give one shred of evidence that there is anything happening beyond our death.

I for one have spent enough time contemplating life after death and the total vaccum of evidence for it to come to this conclusion:

There may very well be life after death, and I truly suspect that there is. That said, I do not believe for a moment that anyone who has ever lived, is alive, or ever will live, is more knowledgeable about the subject than any ant wandering to and fro. It is something that we should not concern ourselves with because this life is far too important. We need to focus on the here and now and let tomorrow take care of itself. You and I and everyone alive is important and we all need to be stewards of one another.

Any thought about death is wasted time not thinking about life.

[QED]

Why must everything have a purpose? I think it's rather obvious that not everything has a purpose: there are unforeseen consequences of processes which nobody could ascribe purpose to. If there can be exceptions (and I would argue that purpose is a property that is only bestowed upon things by evolved intelligences -- in which case most things in the universe have no purpose) we can't simply assume that people (for example) must have purpose.

[Beto]

I can't see how some theists can advocate unconditional "free will", while believing humanity has a purpose assigned by a second party, as if one didn't negate the other.

[BeHereNow]

beto I can't see how some theists can advocate unconditional "free will", while believing humanity has a purpose assigned by a second party, as if one didn't negate the other.

Poor grasshopper. You always get stumped by the simple ones.
With the difficult ones you do not even understand the question.
By “humanity” I will assume you mean what your words say.
Humanity is the human race. All species, all genders, all individuals.
The group might have one single solitary purpose.

Each individual within the group might have complete fee will. The majority of the individuals in the group may not even noticeably contribute to the solitary purpose of the group. They have complete free will, and only exist to support the few individuals who cause movement towards the purpose.

Maybe this is too complicated for you. Let me try by way of example.

For example the purpose of humanity might be to invent and improve milk chocolate. There are those who do their part, and the remainder is window dressing.
When milk chocolate is perfected, we might expect the demise of humanity.

Or, suppose a battalion has a purpose assigned by a second party, namely to take a particular strategic point.
All of the group will be focused on this solitary purpose, as directed by the secondary individual.
Each of the smaller groups, such as companies and platoons, will operate under direction of the general to accomplish the common purpose.

And yet, when each soldier is ordered to charge the hill, they might choose to run and hide, might choose to stand and charge, or might choose to make their way a few steps at a time. Despite each individual having free will to disobey, or obey in their own way, the purpose might be realized.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

QED Why must everything have a purpose? I think it's rather obvious that not everything has a purpose:

Well, it is obvious that not everyone sees every purpose of every action or existence. This is not the same as saying a purpose must be realized or it does not exist.

there are unforeseen consequences of processes which nobody could ascribe purpose to. If there can be exceptions (and I would argue that purpose is a property that is only bestowed upon things by evolved intelligences

There is no doubt that intelligent beings attempt to ascribe purpose to actions and existence. Equally true they are often mistaken.
This is particularly true when they attempt to ascribe purpose to the actions of other intelligent or sentient, (conscious) beings.

Individuals have a purpose when they perform an action, not always of course, but often. If you care to argue this is not true, I am willing to engage.

As to whether sentient being who are not self aware have purpose to their actions, I believe science has no convincing evidence. I will assume this is an unknown, and let you show I am incorrect. I will say it might be true.

So I conclude the actions of individuals for certain, and living things potentially, have purpose (self purpose).

Our knowledge of the actions of nonliving things is so incomplete, as any statement is simple conjecture. Individuals such as scientists have been trying to ascribe purpose to the actions on a molecular level, and I know you knowledge in this area is well above my own, so you might show us if science has proven that particles move in a completely predictable manner, and therefore can assume to have no particular purpose to their movement.

-- in which case most things in the universe have no purpose) we can't simply assume that people (for example) must have purpose.

Well, can we assume that people (for example) must not[/b[ have a purpose, simple because most[/i] things have no purpose, assuming of course you can show science has convincing evidence particles have no purpose to their movement? If you can not, well. . . .

We do know that many movements, or actions have purpose, at least for the actor, or at least this seems to be convincingly true. No evidence shows it is not true.
Whether this small example translates into a greater purpose for the being themselves is a different issue.

The OP asks several questions.
First, does our existence (as individuals, as living beings) have purpose.
Second, do our actions (as individuals) have purpose.
Implied is a third question, is this purpose answerable to a higher calling or being.

It might be that existence itself has purpose, living or not. I see no scientific evidence that says it does not.

It might be that simple existence has no purpose, but living existence does. We would agree that living individuals attempt to ascribe purpose to the existence of life, and the actions of the living, and for a certainty, they are often mistaken. We should be able to agree that this is not evidence that there is no purpose.

We should be able to agree that our actions often, even mostly, do have purpose to ourselves, god or no god.

So the real question becomes the implied Do our actions have purpose to a higher calling?.

Some of us who believe there is no god involved directly in our daily lives believe our actions have a purpose to a higher calling.

That higher calling is the wellbeing of other existence, and other living things in particular.

There is of course no scientific proof for this.
Others, besides yourself, will of course take this lack of scientific proof, to be proof it is not true.

[Beto]

Poor grasshopper. You always get stumped by the simple ones.

A bit of an overstatement considering you don't actually know me.

With the difficult ones you do not even understand the question.

You seem to have a hard time verbalizing them adequately.

By “humanity” I will assume you mean what your words say.

Use a dictionary if you have doubts.

Humanity is the human race. All species, all genders, all individuals.

Sure.

The group might have one single solitary purpose.

If we assume humanity was "created". This assumption is illogical.

Each individual within the group might have complete free will.

The majority of the individuals in the group may not even noticeably contribute to the solitary purpose of the group. They have complete free will, and only exist to support the few individuals who cause movement towards the purpose.

No "unconditional free will" exists with an assigned purpose. Being given "free will" removes it. I can't help it if you don't understand "unconditional" and fail to realize the paradox. "Free will", like "love", are non-existent if they're not unconditional. Thus, from my perspective, "free will", "love", and "unconditional", are just as abstract as the modern "God" construct, with no place in reality.

Maybe this is too complicated for you. Let me try by way of example.

Ouch.

For example the purpose of humanity might be to invent and improve milk chocolate. There are those who do their part, and the remainder is window dressing.
When milk chocolate is perfected, we might expect the demise of humanity.

Or, suppose a battalion has a purpose assigned by a second party, namely to take a particular strategic point.
All of the group will be focused on this solitary purpose, as directed by the secondary individual.
Each of the smaller groups, such as companies and platoons, will operate under direction of the general to accomplish the common purpose.

And yet, when each soldier is ordered to charge the hill, they might choose to run and hide, might choose to stand and charge, or might choose to make their way a few steps at a time. Despite each individual having free will to disobey, or obey in their own way, the purpose might be realized.

I'm done addressing your weak (false) analogies.