Meaning of life?

[{LAW} Gamer_2k4]

Meaning of life? To honor God, our creator. Simple.

The meaning of life is to honor an undetectable, vague, apparently man-like being who created everything ever and decides everything that will ever happen ever because some people a few hundred years said so? Honestly I think you should take a rain check on that one.

Again, like I told Geo, if there is a god, he doesn't exist merely because people say he does.  Either a god exists or one doesn't, but what people believe doesn't change that.

Well in my christian point of view:  The bible says God pretty much created us because he was bored...

I stopped reading here. But at least you're an honest Christian rather than one desperately trying to validate what you believe in to the point of self-deception.

Um...all he did was tell you his personal interpretation of the Bible, like all of us do.  What makes him any more honest than other Christians? Just because he says what you want to hear?

you can "be" and atheist and believe in God.

Actually, no, by definition.

[Mangled*]

Mangled just stop trying to convert me. All your religious logic is flawed. I know basically nothing compared to many Christians I know but even I can see how pathetically flawed/biased your views on any religion are. Besides that fact you seem to be stuck in some awkward 13 year old fantasy of rebellion in which you have to disagree with everyone around you and you will only be satisfied when they claim you as a genius.

I wasn't trying to convert you. I'm not trying to convert anybody, all I did is give my opinion on what you said the meaning of life is. Take it or leave it. If it makes you feel uneasy then what can I do about that?

Um...all he did was tell you his personal interpretation of the Bible, like all of us do.  What makes him any more honest than other Christians? Just because he says what you want to hear?

Not what I want to hear, he said what I have never seen any Christian say before... That God made us for no real reason, he was just bored. I think that many religious people might feel like that deep down but aren't man enough to admit it.

That allowed?

[BondJamesBond]

I wasn't trying to convert you. I'm not trying to convert anybody, all I did is give my opinion on what you said the meaning of life is. Take it or leave it. If it makes you feel uneasy then what can I do about that?

wow.

wow

wowowowowowowowow.

If you can't find out why this paragraph totally destroys your credibility, then you fail. even more. if possible.

[The Geologist]

You two are fuming at each other so much, it appears you've both lost track of the actual point.

[SDFilm]

[Agnostic]. To find the answer inadvertently by life experience. Or something roughly Buddhist.

My meaning of life is to make sure my nation's language is used correctly...

42 is the meanig of life

It was only a small sentence of five words and a number, yet you still managed to fail. Good god man, I'd be surprised if even one of those 157 posts of yours is typed correctly.

Just adding a single extra letter and a full-stop would have given you your very first correct post. Starting the sentence with numbers saved you from that harsh pitfall of adding a capital letter.

[M.rSnow]

Why bother wasting time at this? It's not like your going to get anywere. In a cople of year's we will all be dead. And all out thougth's will have been in vain.

Instead of trying to find out why you should live as you please. So the Live love laugh is pretty good after all. Unless there's anything more pleasing than love and laugh.
(Soldat)

[Captain Ben]

[Agnostic]. To find the answer inadvertently by life experience. Or something roughly Buddhist.

My meaning of life is to make sure my nation's language is used correctly...

42 is the meanig of life

It was only a small sentence of five words and a number, yet you still managed to fail. Good god man, I'd be surprised if even one of those 157 posts of yours is typed correctly.

Just adding a single extra letter and a full-stop would have given you your very first correct post. Starting the sentence with numbers saved you from that harsh pitfall of adding a capital letter.

who cares as long as the message gets across?
congratulations you got pissy over nothing

NOTHING

[sai`ke]

Thinking that something needs to have a meaning or reason is a funny human trait. It helps some of us deal with the pointlessness of it all.

Personally I believe in Spinoza's God, which is an abstract notion. God is nature. They as two names for the same reality, namely the single substance that is the basis of the universe. All entities are actually modes or modifications of this substance. Things are determined by nature to exist and cause effects. We presume ourselves to have free will but it's just a result of our awareness of appetites while being unable to understand the reasons why they want and act as they do. Spinoza's God is merely a notion of the orderly harmony that exists, not a God who cares about human beings. It is governed by fundamental laws of physics we have, and still haven't discovered.

I wonder though, and I hope someone can answer me this without getting angry. Why do you Christians believe in Christianity, why not Islam? Or Buddhism? What convinced you of the fact that this was the 'right' faith other than things people have told you (read upbringing). Do you think you would be a Christian if you had been born in Iraq, Morocco or Iran for instance? I'm not trying to convert anyone. If having faith helps you that's fine (as long as you don't force your views upon others) but there is no real indisputable proof or disproof for Christianity or any other religion for that matter. Lots of 'facts' in the religious books have been disproved however, which would to be honest, at least make me doubt the rest of the content. Especially since there is a lot to be gained from religion. For years it has been used as an effective means to control a large population of people.

I do believe that church and state should always be separated however. To prevent repeating grave mistakes from the past.

[{LAW} Gamer_2k4]

Why do you Christians believe in Christianity, why not Islam? Or Buddhism? What convinced you of the fact that this was the 'right' faith other than things people have told you (read upbringing). Do you think you would be a Christian if you had been born in Iraq, Marocco or Iran for instance? I'm not trying to convert anyone.

Well, as far as I know, Christianity is the only religion that says that we can't get to heaven based on our own good deeds.  We need to acknowledge that we're sinners, and also that God is the only one who can save us from that (which he did by sending Jesus to die and resurrect).  Every other similar religion, to my knowledge, says that good deeds are the measurement by which the afterlife is determined. 

Would I be a Christian if I wasn't born into a Christian family? Probably not.  But that's just the way religion works, right?

[Captain Ben]

ALL THE OTHER RELIGIONS ARE DOING IT WRONG

[Snow]

Thinking that something needs to have a meaning or reason is a funny human trait. It helps some of us deal with the pointlessness of it all.

Personally I believe in Spinoza's God, which is an abstract notion. God is nature. They as two names for the same reality, namely the single substance that is the basis of the universe. All entities are actually modes or modifications of this substance. Things are determined by nature to exist and cause effects. We presume ourselves to have free will but it's just a result of our awareness of appetites while being unable to understand the reasons why they want and act as they do. Spinoza's God is merely a notion of the orderly harmony that exists, not a God who cares about human beings. It is governed by fundamental laws of physics we have, and still haven't discovered.

I wonder though, and I hope someone can answer me this without getting angry. Why do you Christians believe in Christianity, why not Islam? Or Buddhism? What convinced you of the fact that this was the 'right' faith other than things people have told you (read upbringing). Do you think you would be a Christian if you had been born in Iraq, Morocco or Iran for instance? I'm not trying to convert anyone. If having faith helps you that's fine (as long as you don't force your views upon others) but there is no real indisputable proof or disproof for Christianity or any other religion for that matter. Lots of 'facts' in the religious books have been disproved however, which would to be honest, at least make me doubt the rest of the content. Especially since there is a lot to be gained from religion. For years it has been used as an effective means to control a large population of people.

I do believe that church and state should always be separated however. To prevent repeating grave mistakes from the past.

Man, it's nice to see others ask that question. Personally, as I grew up I was forced to go to a Catholic school. We had to pray each morning, sing and learning religion was a large part of school. We only learned about Catholocism. We were even told that other Christian sects or cults were doing it wrong and one of the nuns said that they were committing heresey. So as we grew up, we believed blindly in the Catholic God and in Jesus. One of the things I should point out about my religious education was that we were programmed to fear God. If we were bad people, we'd go to Hell and burn for eternity in lakes of fire. One of the nun teachers even showed us Medieval torture instruments that she thought demons used on souls in Hell.

So growing up with that ingrained fear, at first I ignored the presence of other religions or followings. If you were a wayward sheep... you'd end up burning. I was so afraid of the notion of not getting into Heaven. We were basically told that that was the end goal. Be a good person, good little lamb and you will get rewarded. Plus, I should mention that the entire community was Catholic. It was a small town, so that reinforced that belief in the religion.

As I got older and smarter, sure that fear was still there, but I started questioning it and examining the whole aspect of religion. I personally realised that if the only reason to be a good person in life is so that you can be rewarded with eternal life, then being a good person is a sham. A truly good person is someone who will still be a good person, even if there is no reward at the end. I also started to see just how hippocritical some of the catholic followers (in my community) were. Within 10 minutes after confession, they'd be huddled outside of the church talking smack about neighbors or people they knew (but didn't attend that particular church). Well, didn't you just confess your sins? Aren't you coming here to learn to be a better person? What's the point then?

So yeah to sum it up. My answer and belief is that a lot who believe in a certain religion, believe it because they were raised in it and/or because of fear. In some countries deviating from the rules can mean severe physical consequences.

edit-- I forgot to add that a religion by itself isn't a bad thing. As I said before in the thread, I have respect for religions, when pretty much the bottomline of most is basically a set of rules to follow to be able to live a healthy happy life in peace with one another. It is that bottomline that I respect. I also respect those who believe in and follow a certain religion. It is their choice and belief. Anyway, the basic rules as I also said earlier, is the same for almost all religions. In my opinion and my belief is that religion becomes a bad thing when it's organized and used as a tool of control. The Catholic church was quite quilty of this throughout the ages. The instruments of torture that were designed and used during the Inquisition boggles the mind.

[STM1993]

Religion is actually a good thing, because even if none of it were true, it can help a person truly become better in life because he has a reason to be good (and would eventually become genuinely good rather than for rewards) and something to believe in at least.

But how you are raised by this religion is the main issue.

If you have been forced into religion by any means like Fear, you will definitely develop doubts. If you have been nurtured properly with some use of religion, you'll grow up believing in your religion very closely. When converting, you have to actually develop that kind of spiritual and personal bond, otherwise it is completely pointless.

Therefore, I respect religion, I don't mind anyone being converted, but what really makes me mad is how some people have converted others (or been converted) and how some of the converted behave as a result of how they have been raised/converted.

[Graham]

Btw guys I just made my first post to annoy homer... I really didn't think anyone would take it seriously.

[SDFilm]

[Agnostic]. To find the answer inadvertently by life experience. Or something roughly Buddhist.

My meaning of life is to make sure my nation's language is used correctly...

42 is the meanig of life

It was only a small sentence of five words and a number, yet you still managed to fail. Good god man, I'd be surprised if even one of those 157 posts of yours is typed correctly.

Just adding a single extra letter and a full-stop would have given you your very first correct post. Starting the sentence with numbers saved you from that harsh pitfall of adding a capital letter.

who cares as long as the message gets across?
congratulations you got pissy over nothing

NOTHING

Not pissy, it was acutaly quite funny.

[Captain Ben]

you're crap at being funny

[tehsnipah]

Meaning of life= God's TV shows.

[Mangled*]

Meaning of life= God's TV shows.

You mean Televangelism? Where liars on TV cheat gullible people out of their money because "God needs it more than you do."

That's the meaning of life?

[The Geologist]

My sarcasm detector is reading dangerously high levels.

[{LAW} Gamer_2k4]

You mean Televangelism? Where liars on TV cheat gullible people out of their money because "God needs it more than you do."

Finally we agree on something.

[Graham]

Meaning of life= God's TV shows.

You mean Televangelism? Where liars on TV cheat gullible people out of their money because "God needs it more than you do."

That's the meaning of life?

While I agree with Law here please tell me you actually get his post and this was just twisting it to make a point... please....