Topic awaiting preservation: The meaning of life.

Why were we put here on this planet. What is the net result that will become of our being here? I know there is no answer to this, only clues to how we can further enlighten ourselves and ease our minds.

I am catholic, and i have thoughts about life that don't necessarily conform with the church (nor are they against the church or any of her beliefs). For example i don't think that the big bang theory can be ruled out by christians (nor am I forcing you to believe the way i do). The big bang could have been the way god said "let there be light." Nonetheless, i have a christian approach. What do wiccans, pagans, hindus and the like think about life. What do they think about the big bang.

I am not looking for life's answers, i am just looking for other people's thoughts on why we are here; so that i can get a wider perspective. Please share your thoughts.

Haha you know Orienos, the meaning and prupose of human's existence aways was a very fine point of every religion. Since ever humans wondered about that, and religions often gave them an answer. If I say Heaven, Nirvana, Valhalla.. Don't that make you think about something ? Yes, the common point of all these religions was to promise a good and peaceful afterlife if the human existence was good. Unfortunately, nobody came back to say if these places really existed...

I don't believe in these religions, and here is my opinion about that : This universe was not created intentionally. It was the result of combined lucks and elements that reacted together at the good moment. Everything in our universe that comes from it was not done purposely : the way things are, the way we are, the way we live, has no particular purpose in the universe.

An animal is a combination of thousands of complex things, but it does not really have a conscience. An animal is not really aware he lives. And it doesn't think about the purpose of its existence. It is the same for everything we know in this universe.

What is different about us humans is that we have an evolved conscience. We are aware of our existence in the universe. And so, inevitably, humans wonder why they live. They wonder why all those millions, even billions of conditions requested for them to live, to be aware of that, were reunited.

Religions gave their answer. But there is no 'real' answer to this question. Our existence has no predefined purpose : we live, this is a gift, and it is up to everyone to profit from this awareness the best they could. There is no need to wonder about your existence : your life is a gift, just use it, and thanks the universe for this experience.

The way we use our life is up to everyone, I don't think there is a particular/predefined purpose to reach in our life. I personally just take it as it is : I am given a life, well I will do what I want in it. I will try to profit from it my best. I will try to realize all my dreams. I will make everything that pleases me, and never refuses something. Profiting from life the best we can and the way we want is in my opinion the only way to fullfill it in a good way.

If I do so, I know in the future when I will be older I will be able to say : "I did what I wanted, I liked the experience that was my life, now I can go safely."

This is my way to see an human existence. No purposes, no meanings, just taking it as we can. My memory is again lacking, but I remember reading somewhere this sentence that sums it up well : "Life can be sumed up in this way : live the best we can. Only like that we won't have regrets later."

Edit : following DL's advices. You're right, that was a bit "raw"



[This message has been edited by Moon Shadow (edited 05-24-2003).]

Meaning?
Whatever you make of it.

Purpose?
Like every other species - to live, reproduce, and die.

Everything else is incidental. We can certainly make more of life than that simple purpose, don't get me wrong. But in the end, that's about all it comes down to.

We weren't "put here" we developed here.

=)

(moon shadow - breaking your thoughts down into logical paragraphs would go a *long* way towards making your post more readable!)

This is how I try to live my life Orienos, this is how I get my answers. By listening to wise words.,,,,,,,Like these

"So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and bow to none. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and nothing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home".
Tecumseh ? Shawnee (1768-1813)
sorry 'bout the C'n'P
tao

The meaning of life...

I always hated that phrase, it makes no sense. What is the meaning of an apple? What is the meaning of my car? See, no sense at all...

Life doesn't mean anything. It's doesn't sum, nor does it divide, it just is. Although, life in a strictly scientific sense does have purpose and consequence, which is probably a side point of what you?re on about but it's important none the less.

DL hit it dead on -- reproduce. Perseverance: The instinct that drives the theory behind the human condition, also known as survival. Everything else is a product we use to stimulate and occupy our over inflated brain whilst the rest of the process slowly unfolds. The complexities of religion and our social constructs do a pretty damn good job of that, and if you ask me, that's the closest you'll get to pinning a 'meaning' to life.

By that?s just my 0.2

quote:

---

Purpose?
Like every other species - to live, reproduce, and die.

---

I would like to change this up a bit...

Purpose?
Like every other species - to live happily, reproduce and pass on valuable information to our children,
and die so we can enter the realm of many misunderstandings and see what life after death really is all about.

Where as how the world began, well...there are tons of theories.
I think we discussed one earlier in another thread, I'm just not sure which one.
I'm sort of tired. Yup. Blah...ahhh, love the weekend...super-fun...


.quotes.

If there really was a purpose for having us here. Or a meaning to life. Then I think whoever put us here or assigned us our purpose is pretty pissed. Don't call me a hippie because i heard Bill O Reily say this too but were pretty much destroying the planet. Unless were just labrats.

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Now Officially Superior!

I hardly think we're destroying the planet... We're just making it difficult for us to live on. The planet will recover long after we're gone. If we ever go that is. I'm tired of this 'save the planet' crap. Say it like you mean it. "Save the planet so I can breathe, not get sick, and stay alive" That's what environmentalists really boil down to.

Besides if we truly become an issue we'll find a way to kill ourselves off. That's how it works in nature. I mean look at the things we've managed to do to ourselves already... AIDS, Chemical/Biological weapons, Nuclear Weapons. We'll kill ourselves off, do some damage and the planet will heal.

As to the topic of this thread... I agree with DL-44. Humans overcomplicate life trying to make it seem more important than it is. If we would just live our lives to their fullest... we'd see how important we had made life truly become.

GrythusDraconis
"I'm sick of hearing that beauty is only skin-deep. That's deep enough. Who wants an adorable pancreas?" - Unknown

The meaning of life is to find a meanining in life.

I agree that most people say that life is more important than it is, but I don't think that most people realize the true complicated of it. I think life is definatly complicated, unless you are just aware of the surface of things. And there is so much more to life than the majority of people realize, at least I would tend to think so.


.quotes.

GrythusDraconius: Yes i think destroying was too strong a word but we're definelty heading in the direction of it being unable to support human life at least temporarily.

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Now Officially Superior!