Does God Exist? (1 Viewer)

[Generator]

Pace Setter

I believe that [that the point of living] is to live (an idea that includes, but is not entirely dependent upon, surviving).

Quite clear.

 

[lengstar]

i think he means: what does it mean to live? what do you do with your life that gives it meaning?

 

[Not-That-Bright]

And that's what theists believe too, they have the same meaning to their life as we do.. they're living a mortal life just like us even if they do believe in a god.
Their god gives them no further meaning than what we have.

edit: And i explained, i live my mortal life... do mortal things that i wanna do, enjoy mortal experiences, it's currently fun in the context of my mortal life even if it is ephemeral.

 

[Generator]

i think he means: what does it mean to live? what do you do with your life that gives it meaning?

That's the point that I have been addressing...

Edit: My original point... It's your life, and your sense of meaning.

Your life cannot be pointless if you give it meaning (be it from within or by placing your faith in the hands of a god/spiritual path).

Edit: As always, it's personal.

Edit 2: OK, living... In my mind, to live (rather than survive) is to move beyond, and possibly disregard, what we must/should be do in order to survive.

 

[lengstar]

-_- i don't get you either. basically from a religious person's point of view, they would see atheist as hedonists.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Exactly, you give your life some meaning within mortal barriers, u decide the meaning u're gunna give ur life.
Having a god, living forever doesn't really give u any more meaning any way that i can see.

edit: Hedonists? why because we're enjoying mortal pleasures? Tell me which theist isn't living a mortal life like me?
It's not like we don't have morals.

 

[lengstar]

i'm not disagreeing. i quite enjoy life's 'pleasures'.

 

[lengstar]

OK, living... In my mind, to live (rather than survive) is to move beyond, and possibly disregard, what we must/should be do in order to survive.

examples would be a big help, in case pace setter still doesn't get you.

 

[Generator]

examples would be a big help, in case pace setter still doesn't get you.

In my mind I cannot help but think that it is a basic concept that should be understood by all.

Drinking (not to excess), living life on the edge, finding a partner for life yet choosing to not reproduce, etc... In other words, acts that aren't exactly helping us to survive yet may allow us to enjoy what we have... Giving your own life meaning, in other words.

I'm sorry, but I do not know of any other way to explain it... It just makes sense to me (as does the idea of a god to many others).

Edit: The examples provided above are there in order to illustrate my point... They are just general examples.

 

[lengstar]

does that answer your question pace setter? now can we FINALLY lay this debate to rest? at least for a week? please?!

 

[Pace Setter]

Generator: Let me put it this way. Imagine you're a robot. (which we all are, but lets not start that argument) Imagine you've completed a mission that was given to you by your designer. But instead of self-destructing, you continue going about doing everything you did before. Now "why" do you still do this? Maybe the designer programmed another mission into your system, one that your not completely aware of? If not, why havent you gone and killed yourself? Open up the lid and have a look at the wires. Why are you doing this? Why did you buy that banana? Why did you get married? Is it a designer? Survival? Or something else? I'm not asking about whether you "believe" you've got a legitimate right to live, or why you want to live. I'm asking about why you want to "want to live". (extra "want" added deliberately.) Pull the metal apart and have a look at the wires, the design. A bit like some of the eastern religions(i dont belong to them). Just for a few minutes, before doing anything, look at what your doing what caused it, why that cause occured.

The whole "why the cause occurred" is the basis of my argument about a god/creator. How did the "why" get there?

edit: I havent read the latest post yet, wait a sec...

 

[lengstar]

what are you asking? you asking us to pull our intestines out and have a look at them?

 

[Generator]

Generator: Let me put it this way. Imagine you're a robot. (which we all are, but lets not start that argument) Imagine you've completed a mission that was given to you by your designer. But instead of self-destructing, you continue going about doing everything you did before. Now "why" do you still do this? Maybe the designer programmed another mission into your system, one that your not completely aware of? If not, why havent you gone and killed yourself? Open up the lid and have a look at the wires. Why are you doing this? Why did you buy that banana? Why did you get married? Is it a designer? Survival? Or something else? I'm not asking about whether you "believe" you've got a legitimate right to live, or why you want to live. I'm asking about why you want to "want to live". (extra "want" added deliberately.) Pull the metal apart and have a look at the wires, the design. A bit like some of the eastern religions(i dont belong to them). Just for a few minutes, before doing anything, look at what your doing what caused it, why that cause occured.

The whole "why the cause occurred" is the basis of my argument about a god/creator. How did the "why" get there?

It's a little hard to imagine that I'm a robot when i do not agree with the point that you raised in the brackets. We both have a different outlook on life... For me, as a current product of a continual evolutionary process, wanting to live through engaging others within social constructions and the like is sufficient yet you seem to want to me to believe that a god may be behind it all... I am sorry, but even though I am not entirely sure (i.e., I'm an agnostic of sorts), I still do not believe.

 

[Vladormarx]

without god life has no meaning

 

[lengstar]

tell me how 'God' gives life meaning?

 

[katie_tully]

without god life has no meaning

i dont believe in god and my life is plenty meaningful.

 

[Pace Setter]

In my mind I cannot help but think that it is a basic concept that should be understood by all.

Drinking (not to excess), living life on the edge, finding a partner for life yet choosing to not reproduce, etc... In other words, acts that aren't exactly helping us to survive yet may allow us to enjoy what we have... Giving your own life meaning, in other words.

I'm sorry, but I do not know of any other way to explain it... It just makes sense to me (as does the idea of a god to many others).

Edit: The examples provided above are there in order to illustrate my point... They are just general examples.

That’s an example of the type of question I was asking. This was the kind of answer I was expecting

Why do you enjoy living on the edge/adrenaline? Because, in the more primitive days, it helped you survive. A raised adrenaline directly results in the ability to raise your heart-rate. i.e you can run faster and have more strength-allowing you to get away from wild animals back in those days. The body makes you enjoy adrenaline because it increases your chance of survival. It’s also the case with many foods and drinks that taste good. Because of your body you enjoy foods that your body reckons has the best chance of keeping you alive-i.e keeping you starvation-free.

That's the kind of answer I was looking for all along, without the same conclusion of course. Looking at your above quote, I can to agree that I have a different view. However, whilst I'd say either one of us is definitely wrong, I'm willing to leave it there, or after your last post.

I just got cut off from BOS, so I reworded my original reply which is now in a much less thorough form, but still gets the main point through i think.

 

[asscookie]

What would all those poor Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons do if there were no pagans left on this earth?

 

[Vladormarx]

while ur alive that is

 

[acmilan]

Haha Mormons are funny they wont stop coming to my house offering to give me a free version of the second bible "The Book of Mormon"