Purpose? No idea what it is.

[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".

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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".