Discussion»Questions»Religion and Spirituality» Life has existed on Earth for 3.5 billion years, will end when conditions become unsuitable. Do you think life had any meaning or purpose?
Yes and no, as living beings we can adopt whichever purpose(s) we want. But I doubt there is any overriding purpose we all serve, that would require a deity to formulate it before creating us.
'Course our lives have meaning to do whatever we do in life and serve some purpose to make our life significant but I consider that life began as a random event and was not meant to serve any great purpose in particular .
The only meaning life has is what we think it does. In the grand scheme of things though? No, it's meaningless. No more purpose or meaning than say, the iron contained in an asteroid.
Many find that a dark and sad thing to think about. I personally don't understand how beliefs in reincarnation and/or afterlifes and grand purposes are any less dark or sad. In fact I find it kinda comforting and giving more reason to live life well and without looking for conflict.
Since this is in the religion section, I am going to go out on a limb and hope I can post a few scriptures without soliciting a bunch of hateful rhetoric.
(Psalm 104:5) He has established the earth on its foundations; It will not be moved from its place forever and ever. (Ecclesiastes 1:4) A generation is going, and a generation is coming, But the earth remains forever. (Isaiah 45:18) For this is what Jehovah says, The Creator of the heavens, the true God, The One who formed the earth, its Maker who firmly established it, Who did not create it simply for nothing, but formed it to be inhabited: “I am Jehovah, and there is no one else. (Psalm 37:10, 11) Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; You will look at where they were, And they will not be there. 11 But the meek will possess the earth, And they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. (Psalm 37:29) The righteous will possess the earth, And they will live forever on it. (Matthew 5:5) “Happy are the mild-tempered, since they will inherit the earth.
According to the Bible the world as is should have already been destroyed, yet we are still here. So what now? Either the Bible is wrong or those who think what it means is wrong. People can quote scriptures all day long, but everyone has a different way of understanding them.
Good point Lulu! Not all people believe the Bible scriptures are translated the same. I can read a scripture along with another person of a different belief system and interpret it differently. It is 'people's understanding OR Misunderstanding of the words in the Bible. Even the King James version id different from other translations.
Exactly SA. If you were to ask 100 people what they see in a painting they are looking at, most of them would see something different then the others who are looking at the same thing.
Met a guy once who claimed that "neighbor" (as in "Love thy neighbor") meant only "people living very very close to you". Nobody else! Alas language can be ambiguous. At least he did not make it an excuse for hating Mexican immigrants ;-))
I believe this too Rose. I think this is why I know some really caring and loving Christians that read the same Bible that some others use to be nasty and judgmental.
It all comes down to who you are and how you see things.
Right you are Peas. If people would stop judging others and stop thinking that their way was the only way it would make a big difference on how they are viewed. There is no one truth and as long as our truth works for us, that is all that matters.
I always said that I feel lucky the way I was raised. I grew up and went to church. What I was taught was nothing like the fire and brimstone teachings some churches have. My view of what it was to be a Christian was to be tolerant; even of lifestyles I may not choose for myself. I was taught to be more concerned with MY actions, not the actions of others. Their beliefs were just as valid as mine and I figured the God I worshiped had a plan for everyone. I am just a small piece of this world and my beliefs should never be put upon others.
Using scare tactics just to keep butts in the seat is no way to get people to join a church. And yet that is what most religions do. We are all part of a plan and no one is any better then anyone else.
So many people will just take someone's word for what is being said and they don't question it. And those are the ones that people who run religions zero in on. Asking questions can label someone unteachable and rebellious.
The fact that I always asked questions actually developed my relationship to God and what I do believe in .
This post was edited by PeaPod is just popping by at December 19, 2016 12:31 PM MST
JakobA the unAmerican. 