The Meaning Of Life

[ThoraX]

the meaning of life is to reproduce.

exactly. think about it; all life exists to create more life, all of life's existance revolves around the eventual point where reproduction must occur. think in terms of animals. the reason they live is to eventually mate and carry on the survival of their species. it is also one of the single most important things to an animal during it's lifetime. the mating habits (nest building, courtship dances etc) and such things use up alot of time and energy for some animals when their entire life revolves around conserving energy and spending time effectively. hell, even plants and microorganisms need to reproduce and exist today because if the urge that's hard-coded into every animal. that's the meaing! now go out there and hump like bunnies, people! (not all together in a big pile, of course).

[Dirty Harry Potter]

well yes, but since we're sentinent beings capable of thinking for ourselves and not "slaved" by instincts, we could in fact, do something else and find a meaning in that.

And Jhunz, does it matter?

And Seth, feel free to think how you like, but erm...it's possible to break whatever beliefs oneself has, and thus change how life actually is.

[Dubbilex]

the meaning of life is to suffer, suffer at the hands of others, suffer of your own deeds and to ultimatly die someday which will be your only release from this prision that is your body... also the meaning of life is to inflict suffering upon others be it lower life forms or whatever tickles your sychotic funny bone...
be it a crule way to offer peace to other beings, death is a part of life, it is a part of us all. we can never excape it but we can choose how we will greet it, weather you go out fighting or as a old invilid man sleeping with his wife.

truely a bullet would seem so humain. it is our nature to destroy, and in the destruction springs new life and so the chain continue's.

I can't decide if that's goth or emo.  Someone help me out here

:p



Well, the purpose of life is to find your own purpose.  There is no preexisting purpose set in place for us, so this actual purpose (even if one decides to find one) is of tenuous validity.

I mean, Legionnaired's purpose in life is to follow the dictrines of Christianity and to become happy in doing so.  Mine is siumply to float along until i find that one thing that just fits and makes me eternally happy.  But since each of these purposes come from our own respective minds, one is no more "correct" than the other.  They're both purposes, and they're both what drives us, respectively.

In short, the entire point of life is in getting to the destination you set for yourself or feel was set for you.  It's really much simpler than we make it out to be - we just make it more complicated so we can seem more special.

At least I think so  

[lolfighter]

I can't decide if that's goth or emo.  Someone help me out here

Having had a tiny bit of contact with goths, I'd say that isn't goth. Goths generally complain that life is too shallow. Beneath all the makeup and black clothes and sulky attitude, they're romantics of the worst (or is that best?) kind. They reason why they seem so depressed and sulky is because they seek a deeper, beatiful meaning in life, but realize that they are searching for a perfection that can never be found, and that they'll have to settle for the next-best thing.

I'd call Seth's opinions angst. Please believe me when I say that I don't mean this in a belittling way: It'll pass. Life isn't like that.

Actually, maybe Seth IS an aspiring goth. If so, go ahead. You'll feel better for it I think.

[Seth]

Goth? haha thats kinda funny.

i'm not a goth i think goths are whiney cry babies, but you put it much better.


i've had quiet a few goth friends yes, some of which proceded to later commit suicide ( RiP ) but i'm no goth.

what i meant was the only reason your life exsist is to be tested, challenged, and it is you and your freewill that allows you to either overcome the obsticals of everyday or fail.

without challenge, a test, we would be obsolete our exsistance on this planet pointless... and all be it that "challenge" may have changed over the millenia ( or even man-made, thank you george bush ) but it has always been there in one form or another in each one of our lives, weather it be passing that final taking the driver's test or whatever.

if there wasnt someone/something challenging you everyday why would you bother to get out of bed, let alone live.


i dont mean to be quoting great people or nothing but, it is better to have honestly failed then to have faulsly won? right?

[Dubbilex]

..

i dont mean to be quoting great people or nothing but, it is better to have honestly failed then to have faulsly won? right?

nah B)

[Diablus]

Life. They sell those on Ebay right?

[Niteowl]

this is why i bumped this, and nobody really addressed the two prongs of this argument, just the one (salvation)

"
i used to be really religious, but then the logical fallacies kept on smacking me upside the head. so now i'm not. i'm just cynical and ebil. EEBIILL!

i'll state my case in pseudo-code, because.. well, i'm geeky.


Religion r = new Religion();
r.addReason(Reasons.SALVATION);
r.addReason(Reasons.KNOWLEDGEOFGOD);
r.addQuality(Qualities.FAIR);
r.addQuality(Qualities.COMPASSIONATE);

while(Time.goBackOneYear() && Time.getValue()>158,000 BC){
 if(r.allReasonsAndQualitiesConsistent()!=true){
  niteowl.adhereToReligion(false);
 }
}
"

[BobTheJanitor]

Could you possible translate that to BASIC? Or maybe logo? I never got around to learning a real programming language, just the easy junk they teach you in jr. high where you finish the assignments in 5 minutes and have plenty of time to go read a book.  :p

[Grimm]

Yea, Niteowl, we're not all a bunch of über-nerds who can speak in code, and it would be nice if you just said in plain english what point you're trying to make.

[ThoraX]

nah... just draw a picture in red crayon. it'll be easiest to understand.

[Dubbilex]

He's basically saying that if you can proive to him that Salvation, Knowledge of God, Fairness, and compassion didn't exist in religion in 158,000 BC, he won't follow that religion.

My guess is ol' hoots is trying to make some jab at the fact that religion has always been the pursuit of the big man at the expense of the little guy, and saying that the reasonhe doesn't follow religious dogma NOW is because of the sordid, shadowy past of basically every western religion.

But...well...I really do know nothing.  Take it or leave it  :p

[Niteowl]

Religion r = new Religion();
r.addReason(Reasons.SALVATION);
r.addReason(Reasons.KNOWLEDGEOFGOD);
r.addQuality(Qualities.FAIR);
r.addQuality(Qualities.COMPASSIONATE);

while(Time.goBackOneYear() && Time.getValue()>158,000 BC){
if(r.allReasonsAndQualitiesConsistent()!=true){
niteowl.adhereToReligion(false);
}
}


translation:
reasons for adhering to religion are Salvation (whatever, save my soul from Original Sin, release me from samsara, make sure i dont' reincarnate into a tape worm next go around, etc), and Knowledge of Whatever God you are talking about.

IF that religion is fair and compassionate, then it ISN"T consistent as you go further past it's origins, since obviously ppl weren't exposed to said religion before it was founded/invented/whatever. this also refers to SPACE, depending on WHERE you lived as much as WHEN.

[lolfighter]

Random fact: Buddhism is the only major religion that no war has been started over.

I don't remember whether I've said this before. I also haven't bothered to verify it, so I present it "as-is". If you have evidence that I'm wrong, you're probably right.

[BobTheJanitor]

Random fact: Buddhism is the only major religion that no war has been started over.

Quick, let's start one. Can individuals declare war? Or is that only the reserved perogative of soverign nation-states (and GW Bush)?

[Bogglesteinsky]

the meaning of life is to suffer, suffer at the hands of others, suffer of your own deeds and to ultimatly die someday which will be your only release from this prision that is your body... also the meaning of life is to inflict suffering upon others be it lower life forms or whatever tickles your sychotic funny bone...
be it a crule way to offer peace to other beings, death is a part of life, it is a part of us all. we can never excape it but we can choose how we will greet it, weather you go out fighting or as a old invilid man sleeping with his wife.

truely a bullet would seem so humain. it is our nature to destroy, and in the destruction springs new life and so the chain continue's.

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hang on. If the meaning of life it to suffer and die, why don't we just slowly suffocate babies as soon as they are born? They will suffer and die, and not have to do any of the boring waiting process called living in the mean time.

[rad4Christ]

but if religions brings joy and meaning to your life, all the better

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NiteOwl, if I'm in this because I want to feel good, boy was I screwed. My life was SO much easier before accepting Christ's salvation. Because when I made Him Lord of my life, now I had a purpose to live for, and a plan for me, but I was also a threat to Satan, and constantly attacked. When I decided to become a minister, I realized I was taking a major pay cut, going into unknown territory, and doing something that would be very hard. If it wasn't for the strength and love of my God, I'd be back in computers a long time ago. But you know, Christianity isn't the save all solution to your problems. It is only the acceptance of God's free gift of salvation, and the commitment to live for the Creator, your God, and your Friend. Is it painful? Yes. Tough? Yes. A constant struggle? Yes. Is it really worth it? YES.

Bob, as to your comment about tribesman. Yes, I agree, it's repugnant. Every day when thousands of people die without the promise of eternity, it's repugnant. I hate it, you hate it, God hates it. But, it happens. We are called as Christ's followers to go into the world and preach the Gospel. Why do you think we work so hard to tell others about Jesus? To increase our numbers? For political strength? No. Because ONLY by the blood of Jesus can anyone see heaven. I do it so people, teenagers, can know that God loves them, died for them, wants to be with them every step of their life, has a plan for them, and wants to give them eternal security. I do it so someday I can see those I care about in heaven with God. But when His followers aren't doing our job, if we aren't reaching out to others, if we aren't sharing the truth, then people like that tribesman in Africa suffer. Yes, it sucks. Do something about it. Go there. That's why I'm wehre I'm at. I'm sick of watching teenagers throw their lives away on drugs, beer, sex, money, whatever garbage they can. Not when there is a purpose for them, and a God who wants to give them a life more abundant and free than they could imagine. Yes, I have alot of struggles in my life, my job, and my spiritual relationship with God. But it's worht every bit of it because every day I'm renewed by a Spirit that never runs dry. Sounds hokey, I agree, but when the God of creation touches you, no words can describe, and no tongue can deny Him. It's simply (to use the word properly, for once) awesome.

Someone said if Legion wants to follow the tenants of Christianity, then so be it. It's so not about rules. It's about having a daily walk with God. Talkign to Him, listening, following. I do follow the guidelines set forth in the Bible. BUt I only do it because I want to, because I know God has a better life for me. And you know what? I may not make hardly any money, or have alot of the "pleasures" of life, but I wouldn't trade my relationship with God for anything this world has to offer, I'd openly give even my life for it.

PS. Niteowl, any contradictions/discrepancies you have in Christianity, I'd love to talk about them, in a friendly discussion. I'm always one ot test my faith to the fullest, so I love new challenges.

[Slink]

disclaimer:  i am not religious, i apologize if this rubs you the wrong way...


I would venture that there is NO meaning to life.  I don't see some artificial purpose for me, however beneficial having that purpose may be.  I don't dispute that life exists any more than anything else, but the question of WHY life exists.  To me, there is no reason for life to exist, it just does.

It's fairly simple, once you break it down.  life exists because it replicates itself.  It's more successful at creating an exact copy of itself than, say, a rock.  There are lots of rocks in the world, but they are created by outside forces, and are not copies of eachother.  When life first crawled out of primordial ooze, if it didn't replicate, it died, and soon the only things around would be things that do reproduce.  Funny thing, this is called natural selection.  Animals  > rocks.  It's that simple.

As a side note, that's why orgasms exist.  If reproducing wasn't entertaining, nobody would bother.  GG species suicide...

That's why i don't see some emphereal meaning to life.  How could there be one, if we're just here by accident?



edit, rad slipped his post in while i was typing mine:  Sometimes i love america.  It's the ability to interact on a regular basis with someone of such a different viewpoint.  I may have no idea what rad is talking about, but it's ok.  He's not gunna shoot me for it, just try to convert me.  While i may take issue with conversion, i'm free to do as i please.

This is very much my personal viewpoint.  I tend to be extremely logical, and of all the religions in the world, science seems the most logical.  Therefore, that's what i put the most belief in.

[Niteowl]

hiya rad, if you would like to have a conversation with me, feel free to continue with legion and my convo, somewhere around here. the main points i put forth have not been addressed.

so it is of your opinion that if ppl never hear god's word, then they go to hell? in my mind, that's an unjust god. and because of that, i refuse to believe in him. (yes yes,i know, but he still believes in me).

feel free to continue this discussion in whichever way you like, on this thread, in a PM, whatever. and no need to expound on christian theology, i'm fairly well versed in it.

[Seth]

Random fact: Buddhism is the only major religion that no war has been started over.

Quick, let's start one. Can individuals declare war? Or is that only the reserved perogative of soverign nation-states (and GW Bush)?

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i do believe you can pay order a form from congress known as the international declaration of war... you later then send it back and if they approve then you are at war with said people/contry