Purpose? No idea what it is.

[GrandizerII]

Similar to yours.

If defined as "working toward some sort of goal", then we can have purpose without God.

And human societies and persons can dictate/determine our reason(s) for existence. Nothing about either definition you provided necessitates that a God has to exist for purpose to be a thing.

I agree with what you are saying, but would add that life is purposeless with or without a God. As you have stated persons can determine their own reasons for existence, someone might say "My purpose is to live a long and happy life" but that doesn't mean that they have a purpose, that is just their own idea of a purpose.

I think most people realise that in the big picture our lives are insignificant and pretty pointless, that's why theists claim that this is just a dress rehearsal and a real purposeful life is waiting. I've heard this claim many times.. "God has a purpose for us" but never an explanation of what that might be.

I'm probably not explaining my thoughts very well here and I'm pretty sick of typing the word purpose.

To be fair, I think I do know what you're saying because I used to have this thinking as well: that if purpose is not eternal/everlasting and on a cosmic scale, it's not really purpose. The thing with this thinking is that I see no reason why purpose needs to be defined that way, other than because of the influence theistic thinking has had on Western culture/society. Just because theists have convinced us that purpose needs to be universal, cosmic, transcendent, everlasting, doesn't mean this is how we should view it. All that shows is that, even as atheists, theistic thinking still has a hold over us.

Just think of the concept of "love" for a second. We know love need not be eternal/everlasting, transcendent, on a cosmic/universal scale in order to be really love. And yet many theists would like us to think we can't truly love unless this love is grounded in God or something of that sort. Same with the notion of justice, mercy, goodness, etc.

But yes, you make a really good point regardless. Even if God existed, it still wouldn't mean we had purpose to our existence (in the ultimate and truly objective sense), and if we did, it still would need to be established just exactly what that purpose would be. But if we start to adhere to a casual/more familiar sense of the term "purpose" (like with "love"), we don't need a God to exist for that at all, period.

[The Grand Nudger]

The only kind of purpose a godless universe would lack by necessity is god-purpose.  

All other purpose, all other things being equal, is unaffected by the absence of god-purpose.  Those people are wrong.

[Whateverist]

My dad's life had a purpose. He helped work on and launch the Apollo missions that got us to the moon. That's pretty noteworthy in my book.

It is, and it is tangible.  Most of us will have to make do with considerably less obvious purpose.

I think when it comes to purpose what matters is not how spectacular it may seem to others but rather how relevant it feels to you.  If it gets you up in the morning and keeps your interest, I think we should be content.

---

I don’t get the whole, ‘subjective meaning as a motivator’ thing either, sadly. It’s not that I desire to stop living; it’s just hard to live with the utter pointlessness of life sometimes.  Should I kill myself, or have a cup of coffee? 😏

Tea.

And not spiked with anything either.  

---

Guinness is just liquidised marmite.

Okay world, I've had my creativity fix for today.  I demand no further amusement.  (But go ahead and work on tomorrow.)

[Macoleco]

Indeed there is no final purpose because we will all die at the end. But I see it this way:

1. I have always thought that asking the question "Are humans here for a reason? If yes, what is that reason?" is very egocentric. Why do we ask that question in the first place? Because we are giving humanity an inherent value that it actually doesnt have.

2. Something doesnt have to be eternal to have value. This why our lives have value and leaving a legacy to future generations has value too.

3. And finally, humanity belongs to the universe. So whatever happens to humanity molds the universe in some way. Does it matter? No, but at least we changed the cosmos, somehow.

[Whateverist]

1. I have always thought that asking the question "Are humans here for a reason? If yes, what is that reason?" is very egocentric. Why do we ask that question in the first place? Because we are giving humanity an inherent value that it actually doesnt have.

And when this question is asked what they really mean is: "Are all humans here for the same reason?"

To ask if one has purpose in their life does not require that it align with everyone else's purpose.  Yet given the authoritarian, soul crushing structure of fundamentalist beliefs no true believer will even consider they have a purpose unless it is the certified true purpose of their sect.  Above all else one must humble oneself to the herd, unless you're a charismatic preacher.  Then it is possible you are filled with the holy babble.

[Dr H]

Eternity with 72 virgins. If that doesn't count as purpose I don't know what will.

You better hope you get the virgins, instead of the white raisins.

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I hear theists saying that without God life has no purpose. The only part of this statement I disagree with is the without God part.
As far as I can see there is no purpose at all to our lives. I've heard atheists arguing with theists about the question of purpose saying things like "We make our own purpose" and "We don't need God for purpose".

I'm interested in what both atheists and theists think purpose is. Ultimately whatever you are doing, have done or are going to do is one big waste of time. I'm thinking about past generations in my family, I have no idea about who those people were, what they did, I know nothing.

I see a certain paradox inherent in that view.  For something to be a "waste of time", implies that there's some better use to which that time could have been put.  What would that be?

When it comes down to it, I suppose I'm in the "we make our own purpose" crowd, at least as far as abstract activities.  I'm here, now, and I'm having a blast.  I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts, and when it's done I won't be around to care one way or the other.  What more do I need?

Evolutionarily, of course, my purpose is to do my utmost to promote the success and broadest dissemination of my species.  
But that's kind of a clockwork process over which I have little, if any control, and I'm content to let it run its course.  

I understand purpose as working toward something, so I could say my purpose is to go through life without hurting anyone or that my purpose is to have children and bring them up well and hopefully leave the world in better shape than I found it... But so what? Ultimately so what?

Why does there have to be an "ultimately"?

Even if by some ridiculous miracle God does exist and has a purpose in mind for us, what the hell can you possibly work toward for in eternity? Nothing, nothing at all.

Well, in that case you could be working to keep your ass out of the lake of fire and endless torment for all eternity.  If you were inclined to believe in that sort of thing.  I'm not.

I'm not depressed by the fact that I am pointless. I'm just thinking out loud.

To paraphrase one-time Fluxus artist George Bercht, "all emotions allowed; even depression".

---

Guinness
Anything else is just flavored water.

Guinness is just liquidised marmite.

I'll take real beer.

That would have read more kindly had you made it "real ale".  

[Cod]

I see a certain paradox inherent in that view.  For something to be a "waste of time", implies that there's some better use to which that time could have been put.  What would that be?

I'm not saying that... I'm saying that I personally can't argue with theists about purpose.

When it comes down to it, I suppose I'm in the "we make our own purpose" crowd, at least as far as abstract activities.  I'm here, now, and I'm having a blast.  I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts, and when it's done I won't be around to care one way or the other.  What more do I need?

Good for you

Why does there have to be an "ultimately"?

Will any of this matter when our star dies?

[Dr H]

Will any of this matter when our star dies?

I don't expect to be around to have to worry about that, either.  

[Chicken]

I personally believe there is no purpose, but also that the concept of purpose is a human construct itself. Therefore insofar as I’m concerned purpose can be created by humans as well. My purpose biologically is to survive and reproduce, but the human mind can overcome this if it so desires. My point is that purpose, like most things, is entirely subjective, and can be as simple as living on until death, having accomplished nothing of merit or vice.

[The Grand Nudger]

I see a certain paradox inherent in that view.  For something to be a "waste of time", implies that there's some better use to which that time could have been put.  What would that be?

I'm not saying that... I'm saying that I personally can't argue with theists about purpose.

Sure, and there's really no need to, insomuch as you can simply accept that your life has no god-purpose.  It may still have transcendent purpose, eternal purpose, real purpose..etc. 

Will any of this matter when our star dies?

There's really no need to set up some future hypothetical to answer that question.  All of the people who fought in the revolutionary war are dead.  Their star, as it were, has died.  Nevertheless, their purpose transcended the limits of their life, and no matter what happens from now until forever it will always have been something that was meaningful, and did happen. Even when our star blinks out...all of that will still be true.

Did it matter? Yes. Did it god-matter? No.