What is the meaning of life?

As an evolutionist (need not go into this)

I believe that the blunt purpose of life, is to mate. Simple mate and enhance the human race, by pro-creating more and more humans.

As BT (bible thumpers) have told me, and what I use to believe, as a leader for four years for the youth group at church, is that the meaning of life, is solely, to bring more people the "Good News'', to show everyone that Jesus died for your sins, and to blah blah blah, live a happy life, while your at it?

The meaning of life, I can see some come up and say, "Oh well the meaning of life is to be good to your neighbor, and be honest and live a happy life". THAT IS NOT A MEANING! That is a way of life.

If the Meaning of life is to spread "The Gospel", is that really that great of a meaning.

All in all, i'm proposing a debatable thread. I wonder, if your God, Yahweh, Allah, Vishna, Whatever, has made us, why do you think he has made us.

Please leave out:

He/She/It needed company. I highly doubt, that a divine celestial all powerful being needed company, that by the way, was willing to banish it's company to eternal hell or whatever, is a honest answer, nor logical.

Does the way the bible, or quran (although I've never read it honestly) explain logically, and reasonably, a good reason for the meaning of life.

(I apologize for the jumping around in the OP, I have had numerous phone calls, and have tried to stay in one place, will edit if needed)

.... The question should be, ... What does life mean to you ??

... perhaps Mortality is simply the future of entertainment.

This answer is just something to think about, I don't need responses about how there is no God, or approval that there is. That is not the discussion. OK Disclaimer over.

I once; during my stupid teenage years, decided to kill myself. I had it all planned. As I was about to get started a sort of silent thunder hit me. A voice, but not really a voice more of a thought that came from outside my body but I totally understood, asked me "Do you really hate the ones that love you so?" Stopped me cold. To this day I am sure it was God, even if it was just the part of me that is God or whatever.

Anyway, that isn't the meaning of life. Since I had God there I asked that very question. I mean not in so many words, more of a desire to understand what it is all for. Sort of THE QUESTION if you know what I mean. I got a chuckle and a "You wouldn't understand" So I asked if it was that complicated. The answer, "No, it is that simple"

I still don't know the meaning of life, but I do know that thinking about it isn't going to get me any better of an answer.

reply to post by Republican08


I believe that the meaning of life is to further the purpose of your soul.

And if you ask me why that is important, I cannot answer.

In other words, the meaning of life is a huge question.

I see two possible options:
either this film
en.wikipedia.org...

or 42 as in the hitchhiker guide to the galaxy

whichever you prefer but they sum it well enough

I happen to like this song's take.



Another turning point;
a fork stuck in the road.

Time grabs you by the wrist;
directs you where to go.

So make the best of this test
and don't ask why.

It's not a question
but a lesson learned in time.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs
and still frames in your mind.

Hang it on a shelf
In good health and good time.

Tattoos of memories
and dead skin on trial.

For what it's worth,
it was worth all the while.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.



[edit on 7/16/2009 by badmedia]

We must learn to love others.... That is all, pretty much.

That there are people willing to fight others in wars, and people being allowed to starve to death every day... we fail.

The meaning of life varies dependant on your own belief system. This is my understanding and opinion.

The meaning of Life is to progress to a point, to evolve so to speak, until we can become Gods our selves. I believe we once exsisted as Spirits and reached a point where we couldn't progress any further without taking a physical body. So we moved to the next step, where we gained a phsyical body and all the benifits and limitations that entails. Once we are finished here we will move on to the next state in a perfect incorruptable version of ourselves where we can continue until we reach our ultimate goal.

That is what I believe.

reply to post by Republican08


I really think the reason we have life is simple. We came to Earth to grow and learn lessons.

I believe that we are immortal souls, and that we originate from Heaven (or whatever you want to call the place we go before birth/after death)

I think that Earth, as well as other inhabited planets in the universe, are the classrooms for lessons to take place. I feel that in Heaven, we would not experience pain, disappointment, loss, etc. I believe that God allows all events, good and bad, to take place on Earth, and that we learn from pain and joy.

Let's say that in your lifetime here, you worked in an orphanage in a 3rd world country, and you saw a lot of horrible things. By the time you died, your soul would have felt those real feelings, and your soul would probably know a lot about compassion/be more compassionate.

If you're wondering where I came up with all of this - I read a lot of near-death experience books, and this seems to be the case, from what people report.

thats my 2 cents!

Legacy. What you leave behind after you die; memories; stories; offspring and their actions; physical imprints on Earth, where ever you have been and lived, all these things and many more are what will make your life to those who remain.

It doesn't have to be good or bad, morality is subjective to it's observer, the meaning of life must apply to all.

Just my tuppence.

reply to post by LeeannaHolland


Yes, unfortunately we do fail.

We do not love others, we wage war, and we allow people to starve.

And yet there are many caring individuals who do love others, who do not wage war, and who contribute to help the starving.

We are not all bad.

But will the good be annihilated along with the bad? Probably.

Originally posted by Sendran
Legacy. What you leave behind after you die; memories; stories; offspring and their actions; physical imprints on Earth, where ever you have been and lived, all these things and many more are what will make your life to those who remain.

It doesn't have to be good or bad, morality is subjective to it's observer, the meaning of life must apply to all.

Just my tuppence.

I think your viewpoint sir, is the most logical answer to the question, kudos, and thanks for posting. Legacy is the greatest one. IMO

Originally posted by Jesus H Christ
[SNIP]

If you've come across the "displeasure", it is also free for you to not post, or to try and wonder what it is I have posted.

Although Seeing a title, and a harshness i've implied to you in another thread elsewhere, shouldn't be grounds to put meaningly hurtful comments into another.

I'll be respectful, look again at the OP and you feel free to reply rightfully.

[edit on 16-7-2009 by Republican08]

Mod Edit: Removed off topic quote.

[edit on 16-7-2009 by Gemwolf]

reply to post by badmedia


Insightful song, I like it.

But I am also one to ask the questions, of "why".

Maybe a burden I need to always know why, but I must.

Good song though, keeps a nice balance in me. I've heard it quite a few times, still never gets old...

I've wondered the same thing many times, sir. I think it's someone that everyone, at some time, has to ponder. S&F

For me, I fell off a bike, got up and got back on. Made friends, made enemies; fell in love, got married; fell out of love and divorced; buried my mom; watched my kids grow; played poker and lost; played blackjack and won.

And thousands of other things that make up my life, small, seemingly inconsequential.

Individual experiences, and a domino theory. That one life touches some way on another, and another, through birth, friends, inspiration, to make up a larger whole than imaginable.

Originally posted by Republican08
reply to post by badmedia

 

Insightful song, I like it.

But I am also one to ask the questions, of "why".

Maybe a burden I need to always know why, but I must.

Good song though, keeps a nice balance in me. I've heard it quite a few times, still never gets old...

One of my favorites. Very deep.

As for the "why", first thing that popped in my mind was from the Matrix - "It's the question that drives us".

I think if one asks "why", then one is also asking "why not".

For this planet, this is just a school in the universe. This planet is under quarantine and has been for quite awhile, and is a lesson of good vs evil.

Further than that, there are other basic understandings one would need before I could explain it. People think death is the end, and it's not. But I'm not going to tell you to have "faith" in that, it's an understanding, which is based on knowing what you really are and so forth. When you understand that, then things make a bit more sense. If someone thinks it's all over when they die, then it wouldn't make sense at all.

reply to post by Republican08


I believe life is a self teaching experience that gives you knowledge that is understood by the experience. Anyone can read a book but textbook understandings can never give you experience.

Path of knowledge of life for what of a better term.

Ever wonder why we get stuck in circles sometimes, If you have or ever do find yourself stuck in one it is in my experience, because you are not learning that particular lesson.
Some people never make it past the first lesson while others seem to make it past every lesson. It does not truly matter though as long as you learn something, its anyones choice how far too go.

I think thats where the saying "Life is what you make it" came from.

I got my signature when thinking about this very question and trying to add my experiences so far in life. Dont get me wrong though, I am way off infinity

I think what I have described might go more in line with purpose rather than overall meaning though. Anyone who can answer the meaning is dead I reckon but no harm in speculating regardless of beliefs.

The more I think of lifes meaning however the more I begin to think that life itself is a paradox, god could not exist without us and we could not without him/her/it if that makes sense.

Good topic.



[edit on 16-7-2009 by XXXN3O]

Wow, The Meaning Of Life?
If I knew that then I guess I would be truly enlightened but I suspect you were close to the mark when saying to procreate and help the advancement and evolution of the species.
That's it.
A greater, spiritual purpose?
I doubt it.

But......?

Originally posted by orderedchaos
I've wondered the same thing many times, sir. I think it's someone that everyone, at some time, has to ponder. S&F

For me, I fell off a bike, got up and got back on. Made friends, made enemies; fell in love, got married; fell out of love and divorced; buried my mom; watched my kids grow; played poker and lost; played blackjack and won.

And thousands of other things that make up my life, small, seemingly inconsequential.

Individual experiences, and a domino theory. That one life touches some way on another, and another, through birth, friends, inspiration, to make up a larger whole than imaginable.

Extremely Sagacious post, and very contributal. Very.

Although, I gather from you, you make it seem like your post is humble, and small minded, while maybe you know, but not conciously know the insight the post holds within!

It was a sheer pleasure to read, honestly.

I think 'Butterfly Effect" is more rightful then domino, but nonetheless the same.


I too, have buried a parent, will soon be burying another parent, (well 2 in all, which is both )
I have won and lost, at many things.

But it is the legacy, the impression that we leave on others, which shape ourselves, but more ultimately others.

Which may be a step up from evolution, as a human intelligent evolution, which brings about no pro-activities.

That our immortalities, lay within others lives, and so on and so on.

It seems, despairing, that our lives shall be footprints, that when undoubtedly the existence of life comes to an end, that our footprints will be nothing, because there is no longer a place to lay a foot.

Hopefully, something I do, at my young age, brought about in talk by BTS members, will eventually butterfly effect a larger imprint of my foot into future generations, or eternity. Hopefully.

If we do not overcome earth and hold other planets hospitable, life is worthless.