The Meaning of Life

[JamesJD]

Isaiah referred to life as "the furnace of afflictions". The man that the Lord and Satan judge in Zechariah 3 is called a "brand plucked from the fire".
"he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal"-John 12:25.
"Why is light given unto him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter of soul: which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they find the grave?"-Job 3:20-22.
The purpose of life is to suffer and get the blues, as even Christ did. Our species is barely capable of achieving spirit; and suffering makes one realistic about the meaning of life.
"as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I have received of my Father"-Rev 2:27.
Life ends tragically for everyone, and occurs tragically in the meantime; it's a sort of purgatory on earth.
There's plenty of evidence of an afterlife in haunted sites investigations; EM fluxes, thermal fluxes, digital & film evidences of objects moving & apparitions, & EVPs (electronic voice phenomena).
The movie "Ghost" starring Swayze, had the death scenes based on a study of near death experiences of Vietnam vets. Typically, they reported finding themselves next totheir own body, & seeing others also next to their own bodies; some are taken up into the light, & some get dragged down by shadowy figures to judgement. That's what a scientific study says happens upon death.
http://www.bellwitchfansite.com
http://www.ghostpix.com
http://www.ghostresearch.org
http://www.crissangel.com -see him dare death suicidally (Rev 9:6) via googlevideos, and also he levitates, walks on water, and has many unusual tricks that defy explanation, like mind-reading. He believes in God, but presents himself as a magician.
The meaning of life is not a Monty Python show. There is plenty of evidence of afterlife.

 

[Zor]

So, what's the meaning of life?

 

[billwald]

Why must life have a meaning?

 

[JamesJD]

Why must life have a meaning?

A meaningless life is the doctrine of "He with the most toys wins". But, if there is an afterlife, as haunted site investigations indicates, all you can take with you is what's inside of you; music, knowledge, love or hate, spirit or antispirituality, and personal relations with others, which should be good if a person is truly Christian, or justified at the least.
The godless prefer to think there's no afterlife, especially, afterlife judgement for their violations of others' beliefs, etc.
If you were suddenly without a body, in darkness, with no-one around; could you be content, or would it be hell? Social conformity to godlessness would be no consolation there.

 

[IzzyPop]

A meaningless life is the doctrine of "He with the most toys wins". But, if there is an afterlife, as haunted site investigations indicates, all you can take with you is what's inside of you; music, knowledge, love or hate, spirit or antispirituality, and personal relations with others, which should be good if a person is truly Christian, or justified at the least.
The godless prefer to think there's no afterlife, especially, afterlife judgement for their violations of others' beliefs, etc.
If you were suddenly without a body, in darkness, with no-one around; could you be content, or would it be hell? Social conformity to godlessness would be no consolation there.

Why would godless or godliness have anything to do how you could handle 'the void'? Why does God have anyhting to do with the meaning of life?

I am an atheist. My life is full of meaning. I have a family, friends, and I spend time and or money on charity. Why does whether or not I believe in God have to do with my contentment?

 

[The Nihilist]

Isaiah referred to life as "the furnace of afflictions".
The meaning of life is not a Monty Python show. There is plenty of evidence of afterlife.

Isaiah was a sissy and needed to deal with it.

What evidence can you possibly imagine exists for an afterlife? No, books don't count. I want actual evidence. Things hosted by Jonathan Frakes probably won't cut it either.

 

[The Nihilist]

A meaningless life is the doctrine of "He with the most toys wins". But, if there is an afterlife, as haunted site investigations indicates, all you can take with you is what's inside of you; music, knowledge, love or hate, spirit or antispirituality, and personal relations with others, which should be good if a person is truly Christian, or justified at the least.
The godless prefer to think there's no afterlife, especially, afterlife judgement for their violations of others' beliefs, etc.
If you were suddenly without a body, in darkness, with no-one around; could you be content, or would it be hell? Social conformity to godlessness would be no consolation there.

How hilariously pretentious!

A dark place, you say? HOW COULD I POSSIBLY KNOW WITHOUT EYES TO SEE?

 

[JamesJD]

Isaiah was a sissy and needed to deal with it.

What evidence can you possibly imagine exists for an afterlife? No, books don't count. I want actual evidence. Things hosted by Jonathan Frakes probably won't cut it either.

It's a topic that always riles the anti-theists; afterlife evidence they refuse to admit exists. Perhaps you've avoided ever watching any of the many tv documentaries of haunted sites investigations done by psychologists and OSIR and such. Many unexplainable phenomena are caught on digital and film cameras; ghost scratches burning words into peoples' skin, spontaneous combustion, objects moving, apparitions. Then there's all the scientific instruments used to detect anomalies, like EMF meters, thermal flux detectors, geiger counters, EVP recorders that get voices.
Then there's all the witness reports, which I'm sure you'd reject, yet are also evidences.
Stumble on into the afterlife too soon for you, pretending there's no answering for wrongs done to others in this life...I don't care, if that floats your boat, I care not about your afterlife any.
When a person honestly mistaken learns truth, he must either cease being mistaken, or cease being truthul. But you're not honesty mistaken, you're in denial. My mother, as she was about to die, saw the ghost of her close old friend, come to see her into the afterlife, then she died.

 

[Stinker]

Isaiah was a sissy and needed to deal with it.

What evidence can you possibly imagine exists for an afterlife? No, books don't count. I want actual evidence. Things hosted by Jonathan Frakes probably won't cut it either.

Evidence of an afterlife?

Well, the Bible does not address this, but it seems to happen to everyone that pays attention to such things about themelves. We all take a trip in our dreams. We aquire prior knowledge of what someone is going to say and what minor/major things are going to happen.

 

[JamesJD]

It's a topic that always riles the anti-theists; afterlife evidence they refuse to admit exists. Perhaps you've avoided ever watching any of the many tv documentaries of haunted sites investigations done by psychologists and OSIR and such. Many unexplainable phenomena are caught on digital and film cameras; ghost scratches burning words into peoples' skin, spontaneous combustion, objects moving, apparitions. Then there's all the scientific instruments used to detect anomalies, like EMF meters, thermal flux detectors, geiger counters, EVP recorders that get voices.
Then there's all the witness reports, which I'm sure you'd reject, yet are also evidences.
Stumble on into the afterlife too soon for you, pretending there's no answering for wrongs done to others in this life...I don't care, if that floats your boat, I care not about your afterlife any.
When a person honestly mistaken learns truth, he must either cease being mistaken, or cease being truthul. But you're not honesty mistaken, you're in denial. My mother, as she was about to die, saw the ghost of her close old friend, come to see her into the afterlife, then she died.

PS: What would a pagan know about Isaiah being a "sissy"? For everyones info, Isaiah was cut in half slowly, without crying or moaning in pain; he only uttered a curse that they be "cursed, doomed and damned" (as they deserve). That's my kind of sissy there. Could you be that cool, about to find out if there's an afterlife, being cut in half?!? WIMPETTE!

 

[JamesJD]

Why would godless or godliness have anything to do how you could handle 'the void'? Why does God have anyhting to do with the meaning of life?

I am an atheist. My life is full of meaning. I have a family, friends, and I spend time and or money on charity. Why does whether or not I believe in God have to do with my contentment?

I believe there's a middle ground between heaven and hell, for those without ghosts awaiting justice when they die, regardless of what they were taught to believe. I didn't mean to offend, only make people consider the limits of their evil before they die.
IF Jonathan Edwards is for real, most folks will be alright after death. Those who get judged have something to worry about (and anyone who doesn't tithe me---JOKE).
Like a dead friend used to say; "Life's just a meatball". Yet, I see him in dreams sometimes.

 

[JamesJD]

Evidence of an afterlife?

Well, the Bible does not address this, but it seems to happen to everyone that pays attention to such things about themelves. We all take a trip in our dreams. We aquire prior knowledge of what someone is going to say and what minor/major things are going to happen.

I'm glad you mentioned that. The Bible DOES mention ghosts. When Christ appeared after resurrection, they thought he was a ghost, so he told Thomas to put his finger on his scar, to prove he's solid.
Another one is when Saul banishes or kills the mediums, suddenly he needs consultation because of danger arisen. The prophets of the temple could not get an answer for him, so he disguised himself & sought a medium. As soon as she went into a trance she knew he was Saul, but he promised no harm to her. She summoned the spirit of the man of God Samuel from the sleep of death, disturbing him. Samuel predicts his impending death in 7 days, and it was so; 1 Samuel 28:3-19 KJV.

 

[The Nihilist]

I am not getting into this with the esp/ufo/tv show hosted by Jonathan Frakes crowd.

 

[JamesJD]

I am not getting into this with the esp/ufo/tv show hosted by Jonathan Frakes crowd.

I never heard of Jonathan Frakes, and made noreference to him either. So butt out, then!

 

[The Nihilist]

I never heard of Jonathan Frakes, and made noreference to him either. So butt out, then!

He played Cmdr Riker. After that ended, he hosted shows about a bunch of paranormal crap that only the peculiar believe, mostly about the kind of stuff you're talking about.

 

[Blackguard_]

The purpose of life is to suffer and get the blues, as even Christ did. Our species is barely capable of achieving spirit; and suffering makes one realistic about the meaning of life.
"as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I have received of my Father"-Rev 2:27.
Life ends tragically for everyone, and occurs tragically in the meantime; it's a sort of purgatory on earth.

The meaning of life is to make us realistic about suffering through suffering?

A meaningless life is the doctrine of "He with the most toys wins".

No, that would mean the meaning of life was toy collection.

 

[JamesJD]

The meaning of life is to make us realistic about suffering through suffering?


No, that would mean the meaning of life was toy collection.

NO...the suffering gives us a sense of our mortality, & causes the blues, a state of mind whereas brainwaves are altered by sadness. The sufferings of Job made him a prophet.
If all your life is about is a toy collection, you must leave what you cherish behind in death. I have a huge catalog of music to take with me, I've composed, emblazoned on my memory. I won't lose that. I even sing in my sleep here.

 

[Wr4ith]

It's a topic that always riles the anti-theists; afterlife evidence they refuse to admit exists. Perhaps you've avoided ever watching any of the many tv documentaries of haunted sites investigations done by psychologists and OSIR and such. Many unexplainable phenomena are caught on digital and film cameras; ghost scratches burning words into peoples' skin, spontaneous combustion, objects moving, apparitions. Then there's all the scientific instruments used to detect anomalies, like EMF meters, thermal flux detectors, geiger counters, EVP recorders that get voices.
Then there's all the witness reports, which I'm sure you'd reject, yet are also evidences.
Stumble on into the afterlife too soon for you, pretending there's no answering for wrongs done to others in this life...I don't care, if that floats your boat, I care not about your afterlife any.
When a person honestly mistaken learns truth, he must either cease being mistaken, or cease being truthul. But you're not honesty mistaken, you're in denial. My mother, as she was about to die, saw the ghost of her close old friend, come to see her into the afterlife, then she died.

I'm an occultist and I don't believe that there is an afterlife. at least not like how most people see it.. I believe ghosts are not sentient and are just recordings at best. Your ego dies with your body. Your.. soul might still exist... but it doesn't have your memories or personality. And is probably not sentient at all. That's my take on it. Just a theory though. So ye, even some Occultists believe that there's nothing after death(for my consciousness at least).

I'm just saying, ghosts aren't evidence for an afterlife.

 

[ScMay]

It's a topic that always riles the anti-theists; afterlife evidence they refuse to admit exists.

Someone needs to learn the definition of atheist and theist! Disbelieving in god is does not prevent someone believing in an afterlife, though it is a strong predictive factor that you wont.

Perhaps you've avoided ever watching any of the many tv documentaries of haunted sites investigations done by psychologists and OSIR and such.

Oh because we all know TV documentaries are SO reliable in revealing scientific discoveries (evidence of an after life would be worthy of a Nobel prize!). Why are psychologists investigating these sights anyway unless they are explaining what people feel as in their heads? OSIR? No idea what that acronym means.

Many unexplainable phenomena are caught on digital and film cameras; ghost scratches burning words into peoples' skin, spontaneous combustion, objects moving, apparitions.

Again, reliability. Camera's catch a lot of things, things like UFO's, aliens and Nessie the Loch Ness Monster.... I'm yet to hear of a reliable recording.

Then there's all the scientific instruments used to detect anomalies, like EMF meters, thermal flux detectors, geiger counters, EVP recorders that get voices.

And they have found what exactly? Please refer me to science journals where the data has been published and shows a statistical correlation between certain 'paranormal' factors and changes n these instruments.

Then there's all the witness reports, which I'm sure you'd reject, yet are also evidences.

AGAIN reliability, unless we believe in horny space aliens who want to create human hybrids, Nessie again, EVERY religion on the planet (lots of 'eye witnesses' to miracles and prophets!), that there is a panther stalking the bushland arounder eastern Melbourne Australia (we have a kids basketball team named after that myth with many 'eye witness accounts') etc. we can't take eye witness accounts on their word alone.

Stumble on into the afterlife too soon for you, pretending there's no answering for wrongs done to others in this life...I don't care, if that floats your boat, I care not about your afterlife any.

Why do you presume to know anything about the afterlife? Have you been there? Can you prove that you're opinions about it are right?

When a person honestly mistaken learns truth, he must either cease being mistaken, or cease being truthul. But you're not honesty mistaken, you're in denial.

Hmm... mind reading now? Most people don't believe in ghosts and afterlife because:
A. there is no evidence
B. So far attempts at 'evience' presented to us have been bogus
C. it reeks of wishfull thinking

My mother, as she was about to die, saw the ghost of her close old friend, come to see her into the afterlife, then she died.

While I'm sorry for your loss however a correction would be she 'saw' something that she interpreted either correctly or incorrectly as the ghost of her dead friend. Its not unheard of for people to see things that aren't really there due to tricks of the brain, particularly when the brain is disrupted (like as you approach death)

 

[JamesJD]

[QUOTE/]

Oh because we all know TV documentaries are SO reliable in revealing scientific discoveries (evidence of an after life would be worthy of a Nobel prize!). Why are psychologists investigating these sights anyway unless they are explaining what people feel as in their heads? OSIR? No idea what that acronym means.


Why do you presume to know anything about the afterlife? Have you been there? Can you prove that you're opinions about it are right?
[/QUOTE]

There's 2 different OSIR orgs. One is the Office of Scientific Investigation & Research; an international team at the behest of govs only, to investigate anomalous activity of all sorts, connected to the UN, which was featured in the old series PSI Factor, hosted by Dan Akroyd; & each show began with "Taken from the true case files of OSIR".
http://www.psiberific.com/OSIR.htm
http://www.psifactor.tvheaven.com
http://www.OSIR.org is reserved by them, but not used by them, as they're not open to the public, nor dependent on the public for work.
The other OSIR is amateurs Organization of Scientific Investgation & Research http://www.OSIR.com
You'll probably say they're not nobel prize winning enough to be accepted.

Why yes, I HAVE been dead...Aug 4 1971, for 3 HOURS, which I can prove with jail and hospital records, because I hanged myself. Recall Maria Shiavo had only been dead 5 minutes to become a veg. A priest was giving me last rites, when he saw a movement, so he got the docs to try to revive me. I have tracheotomy scar now.
Multiple friends say they saw me appear to them at the time of death.
Later, in Jan 1973, I hanged myself 7 more times in the same jail; each time going unconscious & reviving back on my feet. The first of those 7 tries I heard a female voice tell me "You don't have to die" (3 times). But I wanted to die & kept trying. Rev 9:6 & John 12:25.
Soon after, gov sent an investigator to me to question me about why many people had identified me as the apparition seen hanging in their jal repeatedly, in various locations of the jail. (They shuffled me around while I kept hanging myself). But I'm not dead, so it's not ghosts of me exactly. It wasn't traumatic or emotional, so I rule out a psychic imprint on the scene. It's more of a ghost ship type phenomena, a time warp phenomena. Google up "time warps" & on page 1 you'll get top physicists confirming that they accept time warps as real within the EM field fluxes of large enough planets.
They closed down the jail & built a new one not long after.
This isn't lies, it's my life story. Yes, I believe there's an afterlife. After the priest got the docs to try reviving me, he was a family friend, the same friend my mother saw his ghost as she was about to die. So, he was watching over my progress, when suddenly, out of a coma and speaking, saying this is a spirit holding the body alive while James is on the other side, & speaking to the priest about theology. Then, back into a coma before my family got there to see what he had called them about.
Funny thing is, attempts to kill me by others have failed since also. Ephesians 6:16 & Isaiah 54:15-17.
I couldm't care less if you accept that or not; I don't need you for anything. I'm just explaining why I firmly believe there's an afterlife, from personal experiences. Your afterlife aint my problem.