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What is the meaning of life?

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posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 04:15 PM
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reply to post by Republican08
 


Define Life?

In the biological sense, it is to procreate and everything before or after that is inconsequential.

In the Spiritual sense it depends on whether you believe life begins and ends with this body. If you do, this question has no meaning. Life is simply a group of actions which surround the act of procreation.

If you do believe that a part of us and who we are is eternal, it is a stepping stone. An extremely short part of our existence and our evolution as individuals.

We all see through a "glass darkly", so to speak. Even those who claim to know there is no God, know no such thing. The arrogance of that statement is almost breathtaking. To make that statement one would have to know everything about the Universe and all of existence. Most don't put that kind of thought into their stated beliefs and ignore that even using basic critical thinking; they could not possibly know factually that there is no God, no Higher Power, no Creator or no higher state of being.

I see most if not all who claim Atheism or a lack of belief as intellectual liars. Not to me, not to you, but to themselves. They are actually Agnostics as the other is not possible with the facts available to them.

In the end, the meaning is what it means to you personally. You can have a positive experience while in the flesh or a negative one. With the exception of the mentally ill, the meaning is ours to control with our actions and most importantly our attitudes. Is your glass half full or half empty?



[edit on 7/16/2009 by Blaine91555]



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 04:22 PM
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reply to post by Blaine91555
 


I believe that as animals, with an evolved form of conciousness, that although we are not eternal, that we have created an uncharted new field of a meaning of life.

An animals meaning of life is the same as ours, it seems with an intelligence of a human being they should acquire a new view on the meaning of life.

It's easy to stop thinking, and suggest well we'll find out if we die, but I don't like that answer, nor find it logical.



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 04:39 PM
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reply to post by Republican08
 


IMO there is no other meaning of Life then to live.

It's an individual choice wether to believe in a God, God-like Power or in nothing like that at all.

I do believe that a Life is but a Path and there are lessons to be learned. Which one only can learn by much self-reflection. In my 'believe' the flesh is of less importance since I am convinced that the Soul, the essence of Being lives on for ever and ever in many forms, worlds, universes and dimensions.

So BE LIFE, walk along the Path, wander off now and then see where it will bring you!

PEACE!



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 04:54 PM
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reply to post by Republican08
 


To learn what it is to exist and be well, you. In a nutshell.



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 04:58 PM
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reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
 


Why, why do your philisophical statements always raise more questions, and never answer the beginning question or any of the new questions.

Geehs oh pete!


(No offense in this post if it's read that way)



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:06 PM
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reply to post by Republican08
 


No worries friend. It's all good.
And my answer is simple, because I rather agree with the statement made by Socrates: "The only true wisdom is in knowing that you know nothing." *or something to that effect*



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:07 PM
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addition to post by Republican08
 


But that answer was a more wordy way of saying: "You determine the meaning your life." and that is more or less the meaning of life.


[edit on 16-7-2009 by Watcher-In-The-Shadows]



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:11 PM
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Ask your parents.....



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:13 PM
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addition to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
 


Oh, AND, what do you ever truly learn if all the answers are provided for you?



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:17 PM
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reply to post by Republican08
 


Do you also not find that assuming there is no God, no higher power or afterlife is intellectually dishonest and is an assumption?

We have barely scratched the surface of what is in this Universe we exist in. To flat out state there is nothing more than the physical body we are in is claiming to have all knowledge is it not. In what way is that any more or less disingenuous than a belief there is a God?

I don't think either side can criticize the other for their personal beliefs. Neither side can prove their positions.

Is it also a bit much to assume other animals do not also have a spiritual counterpart or a soul? Or, that even what we consider to not be a living thing such as our planet may not in fact be a living thing?



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:20 PM
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reply to post by Republican08
 


Very interesting proposition. Well, first I would say that there are two questions, not one, but they tend to get bundled together. The first is what is the meaning of Life? You are quite right in your conclusion, the meaning of life is to survive and to procreate. We see this in single celled organisms right up to us complicated humans.

The other question, which the spiritual often confuse with the afore mentioned one, is what is the meaning of Existence? Much different question.

It is not a question that the atheist gives any thought.

It is a question that the spiritual ponder often.

It is a question the religious think they already know the answer to!

I'm still pondering...



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:25 PM
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It's a game, or a ride. An experience. The point is to enjoy it, you created it yourself.



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:26 PM
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reply to post by Blaine91555
 


It's very possible, but not very probable.

By that standard it's intellectually dishonest to full fledgedly say that pixies, and unicorns do not exist. It's a possibility but highly improbably.

Although, I must still say that, there is a probability for pixies to exist on earth. lol.

I stand with dawkins, I am 1-7 a 6 on the highly religious to highly atheist scale. Look a grey area !
we've all been looking for it


Just like you are not a full fledged christian (assuming there) because you cannot know 100% there is a god.



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:28 PM
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Maybe this is a lot of nonsese in the thread here including what I said earlier.

What if the whole meaing of life is just that.

Give life meaning?

Its that bloody obvious its probably the right one


[edit on 16-7-2009 by XXXN3O]



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:29 PM
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reply to post by XXXN3O
 


Then it's a bit redundant, and whose meaning is the meaning to be followed, everyone's opinions will be different, look at religion for example.



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:30 PM
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reply to post by Republican08
 


Bear in mind what i said was intended to be just a little sarcastic, nothing offensive, hard to tell on boards.

Thats exactly my point there though.

Give it meaning. Your own. If we are seperate people which is a universal truth right now.

Infinite experience from finite experiences.

Make sense a bit more?

[edit on 16-7-2009 by XXXN3O]



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:32 PM
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reply to post by Republican08
 


Anything can be a religion is the thing. I know what you meant, of course, but ANYTHING can be a religion. Not just spiritual beliefs.



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:33 PM
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reply to post by XXXN3O
 


Comprende, if you're on my friends list, you can rest assure that i'm not being rude



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:38 PM
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First of all, in my opinion any one who follows the bible word for word, and see's each story only for as it is written is a mindless drone and lost in there own little world of "everything is going to be ok...."

Second, of course as a scientist especially in your line of expertise your only going to be able to understand what you can see physically which im assuming is life comes life goes world extinction theories take place and the tribulation never occures so obviously were all just here to bang out as many people as possible until we destroy each other (pretty brutal meaning if you ask me)

Im not here to preach any form of truth my opinion on this matter is that here on the physical plain of existance we have a choice. Why do we have a choice is the question. What dose our actions attribute to? Who am i really? am i truly just joe shmoe who lives in the united states of america selling stocks and bonds and thats my final purpose or am i somthing greater that i cant conciously understand in this state of existance.(which you can when cleared of ignorance and physical dependency amongst other traits)

Well my fellow members of ats what do you think would love some feed back. Oh and religions are what you would consider the work of satan use there writtings for what they are documentations of a period in time which those people existed not tools of today to empty out your bank accounts to be forgiven.



posted on Jul, 16 2009 @ 05:39 PM
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Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
reply to post by Republican08
 


Anything can be a religion is the thing. I know what you meant, of course, but ANYTHING can be a religion. Not just spiritual beliefs.


Personally I think that ties more into what the purpose of man being here is, the overall goal if you like.

Some might think to become god.

Some might think to become one with god.

Some might think nothing merged with nothing to create something that goes back to nothing. (My personal nose bleed point)



When it comes to the meaning of life I actually like the sound of giving your own life a meaning. An experience that is yours. It makes sense for us all to be different if we are to give a meaning to our lives and learn. Without our individuality we could not experience anything or learn a thing from life.
If we were all the same and gave the same meaning to everything we would be one. What happens when all of man has experienced every single different experience?

I doubt its rinse and repeat. Who am I to say though, merely speculating.

We are still moving as a species albeit much faster than before, wonder were the finish line is?



[edit on 16-7-2009 by XXXN3O]







 
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