(February 16, 2017 at 10:01 pm)Jörmungandr Wrote:(February 16, 2017 at 4:13 pm)SteveII Wrote: Another appealing quality of Christianity is having the question of purpose and place in the universe answered. a. with atheism, at best, you are a happy accident with no purpose that will very shortly die and cease to exist.
b. contrast that with the purpose of man is to "Glorify God and enjoy him forever". We were created for a reason and daily life has purpose and you really want others to know what you have found.
Truly the world is not enough. Yet to be solely focused on God as a purpose to one's life may also ring hollow. Friends, children, the world, these are fitting sources from which to draw purpose. Serving a God may be some people's cup of tea, but I doubt it's a big draw except to those who already believe. You've got the cart before the horse. This "purpose" does not draw people to God, although it may transform them after they have chosen God. In like fashion, worldly purposes draw those who are not limited by this God assigned purpose.
(February 16, 2017 at 4:13 pm)SteveII Wrote: In addition, Jesus modeled his teachings of love, compassion, and forgiveness for your fellow man and in doing so set an example that, if aspired to, would result in a very fulfilling life. Perhaps you are not old enough, but once you contemplate the brevity of life, finding fulfillment becomes important.
Putting the cart before the horse again. Regardless, you seem at cross purposes here. If the purpose of life is serving God, then patterning oneself after the Christ is a distraction. Yet you find it fulfilling. Surely the world and God's purpose is not enough even for you.
You are breaking the two things up: patterning oneself after Christ and serving God. I think the are two sides of the same coin. My point was the following Christ teachings results in an overall purpose for life. Do you think there is a secular parallel?
