Does It Rely Matter If There Is A God

[locusts]

DOES IT RELY MATTER WHAT WE BELIEVE /??
Do you think that life has a purpose ?
c/p Evolutionist William b Provine say s /what have learned about the
evolutionary process has enormous implications for us .
Affecting our senses of meaning in life his conclusion ??

so what is the purpose of life // just to live and die ??????

[2sp_]

It matters to us all what we, as individuals, believe in.

I couldn't care less what anyone else believes, as long as I know that I'm true to my own thoughts.

[woofgang]

I guess it might matter to god!

[jim360]

I'd have thought it matters enormously to know the truth about how we got here, and about the world we live in. Knowing the truth (or at least trying to learn it) seems worth it in itself. The existence or not of God is then a part of that truth.

[Old_Geezer]

So many questions in one OP.

I guess it may well matter if there is a God, but for now I can not tell what it changes.

It depends on what we believe as to whether it matters. One could conclude nothing really matters, which may or may not be true, but risks descending into very antisocial behaviour.

Evolution merely tells us that our physical bodies have gradually been refined, that it ruins any belief in a sudden appearance in our existing form. Not sure what else it affects.

There may be no real purpose in life, which will be the case if we are merely physical, and thought a mere emergence of neuron activity, in which case enjoy what you can before you are no more. Or it may be the start of development into something greater/spitritual, your view dependant on your beliefs.

[pixie373]

It makes no difference really. The end result is the same. I can't see there is a purpose or why or what it would be. It's more likely to improve and continue the population than individual meanings for each person. Most people find their own purpose. Those that don't, are religious:-)

[beso]

pixie //Most people find their own purpose. Those that don't, are religious//

Exactly.

[keyplus90]

There is not a single thing in this world that has no purpose. then how it is possible that human do not have a purpose in this life?

According to my religion the purpose of this life is to prepare and be judged on the basis of the preparation for the life that is to come.

[jomifl]

The only 'purpose' any organism has, is to survive long enough to procreate.

[LazyGun]

There is absolutely no reason and certainly no evidence to support the notion of a divinely gifted "purpose", some holy mission that all living things share.

It is true that all living organisms will share some common, basic traits; The instinct toward individual survival, and procreation. For humans, who have adapted and evolved in such a way that we are - uniquely amongst living species- capable of abstract thought, capable of framing a debate about whether the divine exists or not, or whether life has a purpose, that purpose for each individual comes from the individual themselves.

For one person their purpose in life might be defined by having a family; For another it might be about playing sport, for someone else it might be to explore the unknown. Our purpose in life is our own, it is what we make of it.

That's not bleak, that is not sad - that is something to be celebrated, and its wonderful.What I think is bleak, what I think is sad, is to spend your life worshipping a being for which their is no evidence, wasting your life in training and preparation for the supposed next life - one for which, once again, there is no evidence, no reason to suppose actually exists at all. That is a waste...

[atalanta]

Humans have no more purpose in life than an ant or a tree or a whale or a daffodil. Each one exists to make more of itself, and that's that.

[Clanad]

So... an organism Sartre'(Being and Nothingness) termed "a useless passion " originated by purely random chance, lives meaninglessly, dies too soon be forgotten... but during life moans about 'quality of life' and 'human rights'?

Unique concept...

[pixie373]

Why not, clanad?

Keyplus, if the meaning of this life is to determine the afterlife, what is the purpose of the afterlife?

[naomi24]

Clanad, I'll echo Pixie. Why not?

To claim a 'purpose' assumes a designer. Without the hope of cheating death, God would be redundant.

[chrisgel]

As Lazygun says. we are the only animals to have yet evolved the capability of abstract thought. For this reason alone we regard ourselves as special and above all other animals. We think there must be a purpose for us.
Evolution is still occurring. There is absolutely no reason to think that in a million years our species will still be here let alone "top dog"
As far as I can see it our "Purpose" is to continue enquiring and exploring as our scientists are doing.
Since the bible was written our lifespans have more than doubled, infant mortality has reduced, diseases have been conquered and we have explored our Solar system with machines and men.
We would all have been looked on as gods by the backward, superstitious nomads of 2000 years ago so why we should heed their writings and act accordingly is a mystery to me and seems a betrayal of the progress we have made so far. IMO

[sandyRoe]

It matters to me. If there isn't then my entire life will have been wasted in austere living and mortification of the flesh. It's a thought too horrible to entertain.

[pixie373]

Never too late to change your mind, sandy. I feel most sorry for people like vicars and priests, who, in my opinion, spend their whole lives believing and worshipping something that isn't there. Soul-destroying.

[jomifl]

excellent point pixie, so the afterlife seems to be another round of praising god and being good....for another afterlife? this could get very silly.
How much praise does god need to support his delicate ego anyway>

[tamborine]

"...Soul-destroying..." pixie. Those with religious belief have a soul. A soul is a divine concept that beasts are bereft of.

The purpose of life imo, is to live in harmony with man & beast. To spread good and assist where needed.

[pixie373]

That's my purpose. You don't need religion for that.

[jomifl]

How fortunate 'beasts' are to not have a conceptually divine soul, it saves them having to kill one another.