(March 13, 2014 at 3:53 am)fr0d0 Wrote: And therein lies the answer.

(Envisioning God has a noticeable effect on reality)

Does it? Explain.

Quote:Though I'm not sure of the reason, I could say that I and the universe are here because God wanted it and my purpose here is to do his will.

Its amazing to me that you don't find that answer to be the most depressing possible answer.

Your purpose is to do the will of another - AKA - your purpose is to be a totally obedient slave (unless of course God has you on salary for this service).

(March 13, 2014 at 4:05 am)Esquilax Wrote:

(March 13, 2014 at 3:53 am)fr0d0 Wrote: And therein lies the answer.

(Envisioning God has a noticeable effect on reality)

Does it? Explain.

Apparently, belief in hell makes people feel more accountable for their actions... And also more depressed. On the contrary, belief in heaven makes some people feel more satisfied in their lives.

(March 13, 2014 at 5:35 am)max-greece Wrote:

Quote:Though I'm not sure of the reason, I could say that I and the universe are here because God wanted it and my purpose here is to do his will.

Its amazing to me that you don't find that answer to be the most depressing possible answer.

Your purpose is to do the will of another - AKA - your purpose is to be a totally obedient slave (unless of course God has you on salary for this service).

Actually it's the most fufilling answer - doing the will of the creator, knowing that you'll be with him for eternity. I see that as much less depressing than living life trying to please myself and never being able to accomplish that. Then I fade away and die with no memory of what I've been able to accomplish. You can't even enjoy the memories of your life here.
By the way, I refer to God as "he" because the writers of the bible referred to him in the masculine gender. He/She has no gender, but is spirit.

(March 13, 2014 at 12:37 pm)Lek Wrote:

(March 13, 2014 at 5:35 am)max-greece Wrote: Its amazing to me that you don't find that answer to be the most depressing possible answer.

Your purpose is to do the will of another - AKA - your purpose is to be a totally obedient slave (unless of course God has you on salary for this service).

Actually it's the most fufilling answer - doing the will of the creator, knowing that you'll be with him for eternity. I see that as much less depressing than living life trying to please myself and never being able to accomplish that. Then I fade away and die with no memory of what I've been able to accomplish. You can't even enjoy the memories of your life here.
By the way, I refer to God as "he" because the writers of the bible referred to him in the masculine gender. He/She has no gender, but is spirit.

How do u know what happens when we die?

(March 13, 2014 at 12:37 pm)Lek Wrote: Actually it's the most fufilling answer - doing the will of the creator, knowing that you'll be with him for eternity. I see that as much less depressing than living life trying to please myself and never being able to accomplish that. Then I fade away and die with no memory of what I've been able to accomplish. You can't even enjoy the memories of your life here.
By the way, I refer to God as "he" because the writers of the bible referred to him in the masculine gender. He/She has no gender, but is spirit.

I'm just going to say this, and walk away: eternity, by definition, is enough time for you to grow completely sick of god's company, to grow to hate him, and then to become so utterly bored that you long for your death, his death, or ideally, both.

That's the end result of all this. You'll just go on and on until you've experienced everything enough times to grow so bored of it all that reality itself becomes a Groundhog Day style torture.

Your afterlife (doesn't, ever) end with you endlessly contemplating suicide.

Not just that, but think about it-- you are in heaven with god. All questions are now answered, or can be answered with a direct query to the almighty. There is nothing new to discover. There is nothing new to learn. You have come to the finish line of human achievement and wound up in a room with no books, no windows, and no tools, and you are expected to stand there and be grateful for the rest of eternity.

That's not just depressing, it's horrifying. Methinks that the Bible writers may have gotten heaven and hell mixed up.

(March 13, 2014 at 12:37 pm)Lek Wrote:

(March 13, 2014 at 5:35 am)max-greece Wrote: Its amazing to me that you don't find that answer to be the most depressing possible answer.

Your purpose is to do the will of another - AKA - your purpose is to be a totally obedient slave (unless of course God has you on salary for this service).

Actually it's the most fufilling answer - doing the will of the creator, knowing that you'll be with him for eternity. I see that as much less depressing than living life trying to please myself and never being able to accomplish that. Then I fade away and die with no memory of what I've been able to accomplish. You can't even enjoy the memories of your life here.
By the way, I refer to God as "he" because the writers of the bible referred to him in the masculine gender. He/She has no gender, but is spirit.

Wow....just......wow.

Each to their own I suppose. Me? I'd be begging for it to end with a fortnight.

With the exception of what is the purpose of life (which I feel is to reproduce and continue said life) your desire sounds much like mine to learn and observe how we got here and where we are heading. I'm an atheist. what are you?

(March 13, 2014 at 12:37 pm)Lek Wrote: Actually it's the most fufilling answer - doing the will of the creator, knowing that you'll be with him for eternity.

I agree. Until I think about it for two seconds and realize what a bunch of hogwash. Will my cats be in heaven by any chance? What about mosquitoes? Dinosaurs? Only the herbivores?

Quote: I see that as much less depressing than living life trying to please myself and never being able to accomplish that. Then I fade away and die with no memory of what I've been able to accomplish. You can't even enjoy the memories of your life here.

Poor us. How could the Universe be so thoughtless to not offer us everything we can imagine and desire?

Quote:By the way, I refer to God as "he" because the writers of the bible referred to him in the masculine gender. He/She has no gender, but is spirit.

Ohhh, yeah, a spirit. That.