If God exists........

Originally posted by Starrman
Nonsense, you don't define the journey by its finish point and you certainly don't define the direction of it by that either. Knowing where you are going and getting there are different things; my journey has no known finish point, but it is a journey nonetheless and one which has meaning, since I experience upon the journey and seek out new places. As I said before, the search for meaning is enough meaning in itself.

If there is no meaning to search for, then the search for meaning is meaningless. One would be no worse off sitting at home and arbitrarily assigning the first thing that comes to mind.

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
I am not confusing anything with anything. I am talking about happiness...bliss...which I have experienced on a few occasions, although not as often as I'd have liked.

Wouldn't it be natural to search for the cause of this bliss rather than concede it to be without cause?

Originally posted by Halitose
Wouldn't it be natural to search for the cause of this bliss rather than concede it to be without cause?

Of course it would be natural to search for a cause. Best to experience it first before running off on the search though.

Originally posted by lucifershammer
If there is no meaning to search for, then the search for meaning is meaningless. One would be no worse off sitting at home and arbitrarily assigning the first thing that comes to mind.

Oh come on, you can search for meaning if you have none to begin with. Or are you suggesting Meno's Paradox?

Originally posted by Starrman
Oh come on, you can search for meaning if you have none to begin with. Or are you suggesting Meno's Paradox?

No - I'm not talking about Meno's paradox.

I am saying there is no point in searching for meaning if that meaning does not exist to be found. You'd be no worse off not searching in the first place.

Originally posted by lucifershammer
I am saying there is no point in searching for meaning if that meaning does not exist to be found. You'd be no worse off not searching in the first place.

That is true. But to discover this lack of meaning, you'd have to look. Discovering meaningless would lend meaning to your search.

Originally posted by lucifershammer
No - I'm not talking about Meno's paradox.

I am saying there is no point in searching for meaning if that meaning does not exist to be found. You'd be no worse off not searching in the first place.

You're presuming that there is no meaning before you've even begun searching.

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
That is true. But to discover this lack of meaning, you'd have to look. Discovering meaningless would lend meaning to your search.

How would you know if something has meaning or not?
I have in my home things that are very meaningful to me that others
would just think of as worthless, as I'm sure others do too. Meaning
can come from several places, this is important to me because it
belonged to my dad, that is important because it was what my son
used to do something for the first time. If someone's life is void of
meaning, that says more about that person than it does life itself.
Kelly

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
That is true. But to discover this lack of meaning, you'd have to look. Discovering meaningless would lend meaning to your search.

But, in order to look, you'd have to have some idea of what you're looking for (note to Starrman - this might be Meno's paradox). If there is no meaning to be found, then you cannot have an idea of what meaning you're expecting to find.

Originally posted by whodey
The point to this thread is that I don't believe faith has any thing to do with "proving" that God exists. Let me just add that I think this is why God is not in the business of "proving" himself analytically or scientifically.

Well, I think this thread is winding to a close and I think I have proven my point. As for the atheist up until this point, their are no takers who would choose to serve the God of the Bible if they could prove he exists.

Originally posted by lucifershammer
But, in order to look, you'd have to have some idea of what you're looking for (note to Starrman - this might be Meno's paradox). If there is no meaning to be found, then you cannot have an idea of what meaning you're expecting to find.

The notion that "there must be something out there--something more than this" should be enough to get you started. You need no more precise notion than that. All you'd be looking for is something different, something new.

Originally posted by KellyJay
How would you know if something has meaning or not?

I don't claim that your life is meaningless!

Originally posted by whodey
Well, I think this thread is winding to a close and I think I have proven my point. As for the atheist up until this point, their are no takers who would choose to serve the God of the Bible if they could prove he exists.

What about theists who believe in other gods? Does the god of the Bible ever categorically state that other gods do not exist, or does it merely order its followers not to follow other gods, on pain of pain eternal?

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
What about theists who believe in other gods? Does the god of the Bible ever categorically state that other gods do not exist, or does it merely order its followers not to follow other gods, on pain of pain eternal?

The God of the Bible forbids serving any other gods other than himself. Therefore, if one truley believes that the God of the Bible is God, then they would be foolish to serve other gods.

Originally posted by whodey
The God of the Bible forbids serving any other gods other than himself. Therefore, if one truley believes that the God of the Bible is God, then they would be foolish to serve other gods.

He also forbids a lot of other things and then, Lo and Behold !, he orders the israelites to do them in mass.