Purpose without God

Okay, so in a previous thread it was commonly agreed that God was holding us back as a species. (Joke).

But with God off the table, does life and existence really have no meaning, no purpose? - I ask this question as a few times in these forums theists have implied or stated directly that without God there can be no meaning. This of course would mean that atheists like myself live a meaningless existence and that as an individual i have no purpose.

Obviously i disagree with that conclusion, but am interested to hear what other non-believers (and believers) think when it comes to the question of the 'meaning of life,' without the belief in a supreme being. Perhaps there is no meaning, perhaps some people are okay with that? Does life need to have a purpose? Is it just our fear or mortality that makes us seek out meaning in life?

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Okay, so in a previous thread it was commonly agreed that God was holding us back as a species. (Joke).

But with God off the table, does life and existence really have no meaning, no purpose? - I ask this question as a few times in these forums theists have implied or stated directly that without God there can be no meaning. This of course would m ...[text shortened]... need to have a purpose? Is it just our fear or mortality that makes us seek out meaning in life?

The meaning of life comes from whatever humans decide the meaning of life is. No god need apply. All religions are man made and therefore are the moral codes.

Originally posted by sonhouse
The meaning of life comes from whatever humans decide the meaning of life is. No god need apply. All religions are man made and therefore are the moral codes.

And human decisions have just made everything "peachy keen" so far.

Every abominable act that you lay at the feet of religion is a direct result of these "human decisions". No need to blame God.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke

God's great love from which the redeemed cannot be separated is the first matter which bring great meaning to our lives.

Obviously i disagree with that conclusion, but am interested to hear what other non-believers (and believers) think when it comes to the question of the 'meaning of life, without the belief in a supreme being. Perhaps there is no meaning, perhaps some people are okay with that? Does life need to have a purpose?
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I would like to respond to this with the lyrics to a Christian hymn on "The Love of God". For I think the first and most important facet to the meaning of human life is to realize how great and far reaching God's love is.

"The love of God is greater far
Then tongue of pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.

The guilty pair bowed down with care.
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints and angels' song.

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God's love, so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam's race -
That saints' and angels' song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.


O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints and angels' song.

[ From Hymns LSM, author Fredrick M. Lohman (1917) ]

Here's some folks singing the hymn THE LOVE OF GOD

YouTube

Originally posted by Suzianne
And human decisions have just made everything "peachy keen" so far.

Every abominable act that you lay at the feet of religion is a direct result of these "human decisions". No need to blame God.

It's almost as if they read that those who were religious leaders nailed the Son of God to a cross in the Bible but then wonder why religions are so screwed up in the world today.

Originally posted by whodey
It's almost as if they read that those who were religious leaders nailed the Son of God to a cross in the Bible but then wonder why religions are so screwed up in the world today.

How else to remain blameless and guiltless (in their minds) for denying God?

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Okay, so in a previous thread it was commonly agreed that God was holding us back as a species. (Joke).

But with God off the table, does life and existence really have no meaning, no purpose? - I ask this question as a few times in these forums theists have implied or stated directly that without God there can be no meaning. This of course would m ...[text shortened]... need to have a purpose? Is it just our fear or mortality that makes us seek out meaning in life?

Without God we can still get meaning, but just what we want out of it. Since there are a few
billion of us, that meaning will vary from person to person. Since there are a few of us who
take great pleasure out of getting satisfaction by taking from others, or abusing others, the
meaning of pleasure and pain at the expense of someone else is just another version of
the some's idea of what they get out of life.

We may as a group agree that those people are bad, their ideas about meaning and
purpose are not to be inspired too, but what do we offer in its place our own version of what
should and should not be. Is it better or worse than theirs, according to us yes, according
to them no.

If that is true, does it boil down to might makes right since we can force someone to either
stop, or at least not do the things we dislike in public so that we are exposed to them? We
can disapprove, but so what our approval was not really being looked for was it?

If we were created for a reason, for a purpose, than it would found only in the Creator
design. C.S. Lewis spoke about our ability to argue shows us that we are all aware of a
right and wrong, that we argue, because we not only are aware of it, but we also know the
other guy is too. This awareness shows us that this right and wrong is not man made, if
it were, we would not debate it, we would fight like animals. We argue because we are
appealing to the truth we know is in the other guy.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Okay, so in a previous thread it was commonly agreed that God was holding us back as a species. (Joke).

But with God off the table, does life and existence really have no meaning, no purpose? - I ask this question as a few times in these forums theists have implied or stated directly that without God there can be no meaning. This of course would m ...[text shortened]... need to have a purpose? Is it just our fear or mortality that makes us seek out meaning in life?

Humans have been given a higher intellect than the animals. We know our fate early on. We are born, we grow, we reproduce, and we die. Is it unreasonable to ask "Why? What's the point?"

Religion gives us "the point".

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Obviously i disagree with that conclusion, but am interested to hear what other non-believers (and believers) think when it comes to the question of the 'meaning of life,' without the belief in a supreme being.

I would turn the question around and ask why the belief in a supreme being provides meaning in life. It may provide goals or desires, but it doesn't magically produce some overall meaning. Meaning is whatever you make of it.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I would turn the question around and ask why the belief in a supreme being provides meaning in life. It may provide goals or desires, but it doesn't magically produce some overall meaning. Meaning is whatever you make of it.

Can we get meanig in life aside from the God that created the said life.

I suppose. It might behoove us to find out why such a God made us though.

Originally posted by Suzianne
Humans have been given a higher intellect than the animals. We know our fate early on. We are born, we grow, we reproduce, and we die. Is it unreasonable to ask "Why? What's the point?"

Religion gives us "the point".

Were we given higher intellect, or did we earn it evolutionary?

Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.

Weinberg

Originally posted by Captain Strange
Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.

Weinberg

To have the ability to call anything good or bad requires a belief in something.

Originally posted by KellyJay
To have the ability to call anything good or bad requires a belief in something.

When you talk nonsense like that you should be able to back it up with argument.
You cannot.
So shut up.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Okay, so in a previous thread it was commonly agreed that God was holding us back as a species. (Joke).

But with God off the table, does life and existence really have no meaning, no purpose? - I ask this question as a few times in these forums theists have implied or stated directly that without God there can be no meaning. This of course would m ...[text shortened]... need to have a purpose? Is it just our fear or mortality that makes us seek out meaning in life?

I suggest reading the book of Ecclesiastes....
It talks of the vanity of life, etc...