How Did We All Get Here?

[franklin]

How did we get here seems to be a common question religious people challenge atheists and nonbelievers with. Why is that?



What is our purpose here on earth?

Where are we going?

Who are you? and on and on it goes with all these meaningless questions.

It's questions like these that just baffles me to no end.

So my question to all those religious people out there is: Why does there have to be a purpose or a reason for us being here in the first place?

I have another question for the religious: Does it really matter? Where we came from, where are we going after death? What's the big deal?

The way I see it. We're here. Life goes on, we eventually die and that's it. Why do religious people seem to have this overwhelming strong desire to make life as we "know" it so complicated?

Just another open discussion on one of those extremely super hot summer days where the Mercury is about to burst to over 110 degrees here in the beautiful downtown bible belt of South West TX ...

 

[AV1611VET]

What is our purpose here on earth?

David asked basically the same thing:

3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

 

[Washington]

How did we get here seems to be a common question religious people challenge atheists and nonbelievers with. Why is that?



What is our purpose here on earth?

Where are we going?

Who are you? and on and on it goes with all these meaningless questions.

It's questions like these that just baffles me to no end.

So my question to all those religious people out there is: Why does there have to be a purpose or a reason for us being here in the first place?

I have another question for the religious: Does it really matter? Where we came from, where are we going after death? What's the big deal?

The way I see it. We're here. Life goes on, we eventually die and that's it. Why do religious people seem to have this overwhelming strong desire to make life as we "know" it so complicated?

Just another open discussion on one of those extremely super hot summer days where the Mercury is about to burst to over 110 degrees here in the beautiful downtown bible belt of South West TX ...

It matters because the thought of absolute extinguishment after death scares the _______ out of people; hence the plethora of various stories about the survival of death and how to attain it. And it doesn't really matter what the story is as long as it brings the necessary sense of peace.

 

[Ectezus]

The way I see it. We're here. Life goes on, we eventually die and that's it.

The "and that's it" part is hard to accept for some people. So they rather spend the only life they have for certain praying, to reassure them they do get a life after this one, sadly wasting this life in the process.

- Ectezus

 

[Alunyel]

The "and that's it." part is what gives life meaning.

Knowing that when you die, that's it, the end, means that you can appreciate life a lot more, whereas if you feel as though you've got an unlimited supply of life (as Christianity believes), then how can one not take the life they do have for granted?

Eternity is a very long time to live for, whether you end up in hell or heaven or wherever, eventually the stagnation of living for eternity in heaven would be no different from the suffering and the stagnation of living in hell for eternity. If life was infinite, then it would have no meaning.

 

[Hespera]

Consider the lillies of the field. Apply your questions to them, and observe that you are no different. Just more aware.

 

[corvus_corax]

Consider the lillies of the field. Apply your questions to them, and observe that you are no different. Just more aware.

Kind of, but not really, Jesus-esque, yes?

 

[Assyrian]

Throw in a bit more existential despair and you have Ecclesiastes...

 

[Hespera]

Kind of, but not really, Jesus-esque, yes?

oh really? I thought it was Mao. haha. But really, far as I can figure it the meaning of life and etc is the same for us as it is for a flower or a hop-toad, no sense in getting all confused about it.

 

[LifeToTheFullest!]

As Twain said, "I was dead millions of years before I was born, and I'll be dead millions of years after I die."

 

[AV1611VET]

As Twain said, "I was dead millions of years before I was born...

Twain obviously wasn't a YEC.

... and I'll be dead millions of years after I die."

Twain obviously wasn't a dispensationalist.

 

[LifeToTheFullest!]

Twain obviously wasn't a YEC.Twain obviously wasn't a dispensationalist.

No, he was much smarter than to believe such fairy tales.

 

[AV1611VET]

No, he was much smarter than to believe such fairy tales.

Ah, so that's why he wrote fiction?

 

[LifeToTheFullest!]

Ah, so that's why he wrote fiction?

Are you referring to Jonah and the great fish, or the Bible in general?

 

[BananaSlug]

Come on now, let's not get this thread closed. I'm sure for as long as humans have been sentient they have pondered the meaning and purpose of their existence. Not believing in God doesn't give my life any less meaning. I still try to become a better person every day by expanding my knowledge, helping others in need, and treating others as I would like to be treated. My mission in life is to help influence the next generation of young minds to see the world with wonder and awe and know that they can make a difference in the world. Such things are true even without the existence of a god.

 

[gaara4158]

Ah, so that's why he wrote fiction?

Fiction to be taken seriously, but not literally. You are familiar with the didactic potential of fictional stories, are you not? (The writers of the Bible sure were...)

 

[juvenissun]

It matters because the thought of absolute extinguishment after death scares the _______ out of people; hence the plethora of various stories about the survival of death and how to attain it. And it doesn't really matter what the story is as long as it brings the necessary sense of peace.

What to scare about? Nonsense.

People care because they want to search the real meaning of life. And you are simply close your eyes to it. As an intelligent being, you should be shamed.

 

[juvenissun]

How did we get here seems to be a common question religious people challenge atheists and nonbelievers with. Why is that?



What is our purpose here on earth?

Where are we going?

Who are you? and on and on it goes with all these meaningless questions.

It's questions like these that just baffles me to no end.

So my question to all those religious people out there is: Why does there have to be a purpose or a reason for us being here in the first place?

I have another question for the religious: Does it really matter? Where we came from, where are we going after death? What's the big deal?

The way I see it. We're here. Life goes on, we eventually die and that's it. Why do religious people seem to have this overwhelming strong desire to make life as we "know" it so complicated?

Just another open discussion on one of those extremely super hot summer days where the Mercury is about to burst to over 110 degrees here in the beautiful downtown bible belt of South West TX ...

Very good question. Since you are asking to religious people, you are getting a religious answer:

The life on the earth is to prepare for the life in the eternity. If you compare the length of time of the two, then the life on earth becomes extremely critical.

And the earth, is the unique place for us to do the preparation.

That is a nutshell of answer from Christianity.

 

[Hespera]

Juv sez....

Originally Posted by Washington

It matters because the thought of absolute extinguishment after death scares the _______ out of people; hence the plethora of various stories about the survival of death and how to attain it. And it doesn't really matter what the story is as long as it brings the necessary sense of peace.
​

What to scare about? Nonsense.

People care because they want to search the real meaning of life. And you are simply close your eyes to it. As an intelligent being, you should be shamed.quote/////////////



Hespear sez..



As for 'nonsense", well, it does not scare me, but who is to say whether it scares some people. It is nonsense to claim you know whether or not it scares everyone.

i am interested in the meaning of life, but the idea that some middle eastern types got the secret handed to them a few thousand years ago and wrote it all down on some scroll type parchments...nah.

People who think that are closing their eyes to the reality around them.

As for whether they should be 'shamed"? "shamed" and "ashamed' are two different things, which does juv mean?

Personally i think that whether a person believes his mind is a gift of god, or it evolved, they should be "ashamed" to abuse that marvellous intellect by forcing it to "believe' the kind of nonsense that people bring up to try to discredit science, sos to make the middle eastern sky god religion be "true". tsk.

 

[RichardT]

It matters because the thought of absolute extinguishment after death scares the _______ out of people; hence the plethora of various stories about the survival of death and how to attain it. And it doesn't really matter what the story is as long as it brings the necessary sense of peace.

I put my trust in Aubrey de Grey to make me live forever. If I die before then I won't be depressed because I'll be just as I was before I was born.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB2LfJjAI9o

MFoundation-Aubrey de Grey's Publications