(January 30, 2014 at 11:48 pm)Lek Wrote: I have a powerful desire to know why the universe exists and our purpose for existence as individuals. I don't see science as a way to discover this. Do atheists search for the same thing and, if so, what is their source or method? I think most atheists don't see any purpose at all.
I neither need nor want any external agent to define my purpose as an individual. The universe has no purpose, and I see no reason for there to be one. It's here and I live in it. I'd love to know more about how it works and what led to its existence. 'Why' implies an agency behind everything, but that just leads to more 'whys'. Why did God create the universe? Why does God exist? It doesn't take long before there are no answers. Assuming the existence of God doesn't actually answer 'why'. It just ends up tacking on a few more questions, but you run out of answers just as surely as we do.