Duty is meaningless homage in my understanding. God gives meaning to life. Duty is like a prison sentence. Sorry if I've got hung up on the word there

Well duty just seems like something that would apply better if you felt answerable to something like a god. A purpose on the other hand seems more like something I might choose for myself.

Well purpose is something I see God as answering. I looked for that answer and find it in God. Maybe that's what we're all looking for, which would tie in with an opposite in nihilism.

---

In my view God isn't authoritative in that way. Quite the opposite. Some view God as this I know, but I don't recognise it in my own faith. In trying to understand faith I might come to the same understanding from what some people say.

(October 4, 2014 at 5:46 pm)fr0d0 Wrote: My feeling is that theism is the acknowledgement of purpose. In that respect I can view nihilism as it's polar opposite.

If your purpose for this life is to get to heaven, then what will be your purpose in heaven? To persist? You can persist in hell. What purpose does persisting have?

(October 4, 2014 at 5:58 pm)fr0d0 Wrote: Duty is meaningless homage in my understanding. God gives meaning to life. Duty is like a prison sentence. Sorry if I've got hung up on the word there

Actually, this is one of the many places I get hung up. In what way does god provide a meaning? The message in the Bible I see, is: if you believe and/or live right you'll get eternal life. I think I might like to live forever (though even though I like life, forever is long enough to give me pause before asking for that) but I don't see how that gives living now any more purpose. The other message is god specially created humans. Okay, but that's his purpose not ours. And it's far from clear why he created man. Finally there's god loves you. Well, okay, but so do a number people. Why is god's love any different?

Even if there is a god, I think we are left with creating our own meaning of life.

what would be the "objective purpose" of life for a theist? sing kumbaya for all eternity?

(October 4, 2014 at 6:07 pm)fr0d0 Wrote: Well purpose is something I see God as answering. I looked for that answer and find it in God. Maybe that's what we're all looking for, which would tie in with an opposite in nihilism.

Yes but what is the purpose? What is god's answer"

(October 4, 2014 at 6:24 pm)Jenny A Wrote:

(October 4, 2014 at 6:07 pm)fr0d0 Wrote: Well purpose is something I see God as answering. I looked for that answer and find it in God. Maybe that's what we're all looking for, which would tie in with an opposite in nihilism.

Yes but what is the purpose? What is god's answer"

It's important that nobody at this point derails this thread by saying "42."

(October 4, 2014 at 7:22 pm)bennyboy Wrote: It's important that nobody at this point derails this thread by saying "42."

You son of a bitch.

I think it's possible to give value to yourself without their being value but it's illogical to give yourself value while not believing there is objective value. Why you chose to live and what you want to do in your life can be chosen by us freely sure...but I don't think you can believe something is morally wrong without believing it's objectively wrong to do so. You can't also give value to life without believing objectively there is value to life.