NationStates Jolt Archive

What is the meaning of life? To be honest with you, I do not really know the answer. I know that there are hundreds, possibly thousands of scripture references in the Bible that can give you clues to the meaning of life. Perhaps the entire Bible itself is a clue?

Well, in short, and as close as I can come to real meaning of life (based on scripture references taken out of the Bible), the meaning of life broken down into the simplest terms is "to glorify God in the highest." Well, I am going to make this even simpler: let's just say that the meaning of life is simply "to glorify God." According to the Bible, I think as about as close as you can get to the meaning of life in simple terms of human understanding.

What does the secular world say about the meaning of life? Probably the most popular answer to this is "to be successful" or "be all you can be!" That's what most non-religious or non-spiritual folks will probably say. There are other answers, though. Some spiritual, but not religious, folks might say "only God knows." Those who are deeply atheistic, liberal and humanist will probably say something like "life is meaningless" or "life has no meaning."

Okay, now let's look at the 2 supposively most popular answers more closely:

Now observe this: It is entirely possible to glorify god and be unsuccessful according to a worldly secular view. It's true. As an example, one can glorify god, but still be subject to persecution, discrimination and/or segregation, etc.

Okay, but let's observe this: It's also entirely possible to glorify god and be successful in life. This is true. Your definition of success may have to change, of course, but it is still true nevertheless. As an example, one can glorify god and become a great leader in the church, such as becoming the next Pope.

Also: It is entirely possible to glorify god and be somewhat successful in life. As an example, you can glorify god and not be a great leader in the church, but you still have a stable family, home and career; you're not rich either, but you do have a steady, sufficient income.

Also: It is entirely possible NOT to glorify god and be successful in life. As an example, many rich billionaires, millionaires and political leaders in this world DO NOT glorify god, but they are successful (according to worldy, secular view).

And finally: It is entirely possible NOT to glorify god and be unsuccessful in life. We've all seen these major failures out there: People who commit henious crimes and end up paying for it with their life is just one example.

So just what is the real meaning of life? You decide. ;)

You forgot the correct answer on the poll. Its 42.

I'm guessing that at least 2/3 of the answers in this thread will either say 'sex' or 'the Bible is rubbish'.

I'm guessing that at least 2/3 of the answers in this thread will either say 'sex' or 'the Bible is rubbish'.

Th Bible is sx.

Close enough? ;)

Life has no meaning beyond that which we add to it.

I'm guessing that at least 2/3 of the answers in this thread will either say 'sex' or 'the Bible is rubbish'.

Sex (Hey, that's what the subconscious says)
Teh Bible is rubbish... :eek:

actually, the Bible is only rubbish when taken literally.

Th Bible is sex.

Close enough? ;)

Well, some of the Psalms get pretty interesting, so it'll do. :p

EDIT: Or do I mean the Song of Songs? My Biblical knowledge is alarmingly lacking at times...

EDIT: Or do I mean the Song of Songs? My Biblical knowledge is alarming lacking at times...

Song of Songs.

Song of Songs.

Ta. ;)

life is a pointless waste:headbang:

It depends on what you mean by "meaning".

The OP, by the way, completely baffles me.

It depends on what your views of the afterlife are. If you're an athiest your life only has the meaning you wish to perscribe it. If you believe in an afterlife then the meaning of life is defined by your spritual beliefs.

life has no inherent meaning. it just IS.

however, you will be happiest if you work hard at something that you find meaningful.

The meaning of life is that you are alive. I think, perhaps, that you are looking for our opinions on the purpose of life. Actually, it sounds suspiciously like you are trying to win converts, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

That having been said, the purpose of an individual's life is whatever they want it to be. If your purpose is to glorify god, then by all means do so. If your purpose is to win 6 Superbowl rings, what are you doing reading this forum? Go play some football! If you believe your life has no purpose, that's your own damn fault, so stfu and stop wasting our time with your useless blubbering. There's some of us trying to do real work here.

Firstly, I don't believe in any god. I think there's no one single purpose of life. There's nothing possibly all-encompassing enough to be the solitary purpose of life. However, I generally live my life thus follows:

I try not to bother people, I try not to harm people, and I want to improve the human condition in most ways that I can.

So really, I don't believe in anything, except perhaps the human race as a collective. I have no faith in anything else.

Why are my only options Christian, materialistic, or nihilist?

Non-Christians still care about other people sometimes, you know. :rolleyes:

So just what is the real meaning of life? You decide. ;)
I've already decided.

There is no real meaning.

But it's perfectly fine to make your own meaning for your own purposes (or even steal one that's already made), if you really are mentally weak enough to need a meaning of life.

hot sex :)

You forgot the correct answer on the poll. Its 42.
Nah, that's the answer to the Ultimate Question Of Life, the Universe and Everything. The meaning of life by itself is a tougher nut to crack.

Send me US$10 and I'll tell you.

The meaning of life is that you are alive. I think, perhaps, that you are looking for our opinions on the purpose of life. Actually, it sounds suspiciously like you are trying to win converts, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

That having been said, the purpose of an individual's life is whatever they want it to be. If your purpose is to glorify god, then by all means do so. If your purpose is to win 6 Superbowl rings, what are you doing reading this forum? Go play some football! If you believe your life has no purpose, that's your own damn fault, so stfu and stop wasting our time with your useless blubbering. There's some of us trying to do real work here.

nice post

welcome to ns general.

well maybe you arent new since you are a "2" but nice post all the same.

Okay, now let's look at the 2 supposively most popular answers more closely:

Then again, it's difficult to get an accurate poll count on a message board that's dominated by liberals, leftists and losers! We seriously need a more diverse message board. :p

There is an answer, but it's meaningless.

Life has no inherent meaning. We must attach meaning.

What is the meaning of life? To be honest with you, I do not really know the answer. I know that there are hundreds, possibly thousands of scripture references in the Bible that can give you clues to the meaning of life. Perhaps the entire Bible itself is a clue?Perhaps it isn't?

I find as a person of faith that holidays are much more meaningful for me! Actually, every day is much more meaningful for me now that I understand my faith more.

the meaning of life is to find the meaning of life and if you found the meaning of life there would be no meaning of life.

Life has no purpose on itself. But everybody wants life to have a purpose. If you're religious your purpose is God :)

If you're not then... well, good luck with finding something that fits you. It's a hard struggle, you need to get to know yourself inside and outside, but afterwards it will be so worth it to know what your purpose is. It doesn't have to be a big purpose like 'saving the world' but something that is yours and yours alone.

I, myself, am perfectly happy and fine and found my purpose in life :)

To live.

42.

There is none. Life is meaningless, and then you die. That's fine by me, though, because if there were a meaning, it would take away the greatest freedom we have: to choose a meaning.

Therefore, the meaning of life is nothing, or everything, and man is condemned (or, perhaps, blessed) to free.

What do you want the meaning of life to be?
That's it.
For you, at least. For me, or for some third person, it could be totally different.
There is no UNIVERSAL meaning of life, though.

Why are my only options Christian, materialistic, or nihilist?

Non-Christians still care about other people sometimes, you know. :rolleyes:

Stfu, "Other". No one cares about us. ;)

nice post

welcome to ns general.

well maybe you arent new since you are a "2" but nice post all the same.

Thanks. The '2' is because I'm an idiot and couldn't figure out how to log back in to my original account literally 5 mins after I created it and weighed in on my 1st issue. :rolleyes:

here it is (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Life)
also, why do you assume we are all christians? many of us, including me, are not.

The meaning of life is sex. Sex, sex, sex. And just when you think you've had enough, you find it in you to go one more time.

I'm guessing that at least 2/3 of the answers in this thread will either say 'sex' or 'the Bible is rubbish'.


I'm gonna think outside the box here and say that the meaning of life is to find the meaning of life. And sex and bible is rubbish:p

Then again, it's difficult to get an accurate poll count on a message board that's dominated by liberals, leftists and losers! We seriously need a more diverse message board. :p

You keep using words by which you obviously mean something other than the dennotative meaning of the word you're using. Please edit your post to say "Christian" instead of "diverse." And as I'm sure you're already aware, there are several more Christian message boards on the Internet. This one seems pretty diverse to me, though it's pretty large for me to have consumed all of it.

Also, the only time it's difficult to get an accurate poll is when you construct the poll in such a way as to give you the answer you want, not the true answer that you don't want to hear. That's why there's so many "Other" answers to this one.

You keep using words by which you obviously mean something other than the dennotative meaning of the word you're using. Please edit your post to say "Christian" instead of "diverse." And as I'm sure you're already aware, there are several more Christian message boards on the Internet. This one seems pretty diverse to me, though it's pretty large for me to have consumed all of it.

Also, the only time it's difficult to get an accurate poll is when you construct the poll in such a way as to give you the answer you want, not the true answer that you don't want to hear. That's why there's so many "Other" answers to this one.

Wrong. If this were a message board dominated by conservatives, right-wingers and Christians the poll still would not be representative of the general population and therefore not an accurate count.

Same if it were dominated by those who are "middle of the road" so to speak.

So, diverse means EVERYONE: Liberals, Centrists, Conservatives as well as those who don't fit in any of these 3 categories. :p

EDIT TO SAY: In no way is this a scientific poll, so I do not expect the final results to accurately represent the general world population. ;)

Song of Songs.

Song of Solomon? :eek:

Firstly: Oh for the love of... Not another one of these....

Secondly: The meaning of life is to live life to it's fullest. We might as well enjoy material pleasures as long as we can. Our memory will be wiped and we'll be reincarnated anyways, but we might as well live this life to the fullest as much as possible.

Song of Solomon? :eek:

Solomon had 500 wives and 500 porcupines. ;)

In the beginning, God created the earth, and he looked upon it in His cosmic loneliness.

And God said, "Let Us make living creatures out of mud, so the mud can see what We have done." And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man. Mud as man alone could speak. God leaned close as mud as man sat up, looked around, and spoke. Man blinked. "What is the purpose of all this?" he asked politely.

"Everything must have a purpose?" asked God.

"Certainly," said man.

"Then I leave it to you to think of one for all this," said God.

And He went away.
I love Vonnegut.

Life is utterly lacking in meaning and value. Life is suffering (and how you cope). From birth until death you can contemplate and theorize but ultimately no matter what your answer, you're missing the point. Life simply is. Whatever value or meaning you assign to it is self-delusion and nothing more.

I believe we have an ultimate goal, but it can't be revealed unless we live life and experience things. However, trying to answer the question of purpose leads to speculation and uncertainty that can derail experience, and so it is best to let it go and simply live. It requires some faith to abandon these questions, but the effort is worth it; even from a logical standpoint the question is impossible to discern because the answer requires the use of the statement to be proven. It's like trying to prove numbers are true using math!

In my opinion, it's kind of like a gigantic, even infinite puzzle whose final form can't be seen until we've completed it; we can kind of see it as more and more pieces are put in to place, but it's the finer details that ultimately determine the whole picture.

Now, imagine our life on Earth today as only one piece of that entire puzzle...we've got a long way to go before we can even get a rough picture of our purpose.

So just what is the real meaning of life? You decide. ;)

Continuation of the species. Thats what my Bio teacher told me! :D

Your life is completely pointless. Everyone's life is pointless. Even those who we may deem important, or having an effect upon events as a whole are pointless. Caesar has been all but forgotten. Napoleon has been all but forgotten. Washington has been all but forgotten. Jesus has been all but forgotten. All of these people, whom may seem important to us in some way, only exist in distant memories. Their true lives have been forgotten in a relatively short period of time. Slowly, we all shall be forgotten, we all shall be lost in time.

Many like to believe that we are but a grain of sand in a desert, but that is laying far more importance upon one than one truly has. We are not even a speck upon the grain of sand within the desert. We are not even the molecule which makes the speck in the grain in the desert. We are far less.

Even the human race is not even worth the grain of sand. We, as a whole, are far less than that. Not even the speck, nor the molecule, can truly give accurate importance to the human race. We are all pointless-our existance meaningless. Each person can make only the most minuscual effect on the world in their lifetime. What about after 100 years? 1000 years? 10,000 years? What of a million years? Your life is meaningless and unimportant, and nothing you do will have any real effect whatsoever.

Somewhere Nietzsche's weeping with joy at that post.

Many like to believe that we are but a grain of sand in a desert, but that is laying far more importance upon one than one truly has. We are not even a speck upon the grain of sand within the desert. We are not even the molecule which makes the speck in the grain in the desert. We are far less.
.

But isn't it true that our importance is proportionate? Surely the quantum particles are none the less important to the functioning of the universe simply because they are insignificant on their own? The reason why we might perceive our minuteness as "meaningless" is because we don't view ourselves as part of something more, something that can scale from a family, to humankind, to all of life, to the heavy elements, or to the universe itself.

Even though the actual changes of quantum particles are minute, their effects can have gigantic ramifications.

The secret of life is in the living
Not just standing there and watching life go bye
And the secret of love is in the giving
You've got to open up by reaching deep inside
You know it's worth a try

The secret of life is
Celebrate life in every way you can
Just jump right in and live it
Every single minute

The secret of love is
Celebrate love each moment of everyday
There's one thing to be sure of
You'll end up having more love
When you're giving love away

The secret of joy is in the knowing
That everything will somehow turn out right
The secret turns out to be as simple
As living life just one day at a time
Love will make it right

The secret of life is
Celebrate life in every way you can
Just jump right in and live it
Every single minute

The secret of love is
Celebrate love each moment of everyday
You'll end up having more love
When you're giving love away

The secret of life is
Celebrate life in every way you can
Just jump right in and live it
Every single minute

The secret of love is
Celebrate love each moment of everyday
There's one thing to be sure of
You'll end up having more love
When you're giving love away

If you're looking for a definition of the word, then dictionaries are friendly and helpful.

For a purpose, life has none. It has a number of interesting functions, but a purpose requires intention. Nature has no intention.

This thread did have a purpose however, and that purpose seems to have been proselytism. Fortunately, most of NSG doesn't seem to give a shit.

St Jello Biafra;11824179']Somewhere Nietzsche's weeping with joy at that post.

Actually, Soviet Haaregrad was much closer to the Nietzcheian view of the meaning of life. To Nietzche, life was a muddle that caused suffering, and the only alleviator of pain was art. To him, the Ubermensch, was valueble, it was just those who forced slave morality onto him that were valueless.

He was basically an objectivist.

But isn't it true that our importance is proportionate? Surely the quantum particles are none the less important to the functioning of the universe simply because they are insignificant on their own? The reason why we might perceive our minuteness as "meaningless" is because we don't view ourselves as part of something more, something that can scale from a family, to humankind, to all of life, to the heavy elements, or to the universe itself.

Even though the actual changes of quantum particles are minute, their effects can have gigantic ramifications.

The point I try to make is this: If you were to die, what would be the effect? For all humans, regardless of what may seem important, is that there would none. Thus, if the removal of oneself from existance makes no difference, than that entities existance is pointless.

We are all pointless, and meaningless. Our effect is so miniscual, that it is next to non-existant. Thus, life is meaningless, unimportant and has little relevance.

the meaning of life is that 1 thing

as the wise old curly put it.

"One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don’t mean shit"

The point I try to make is this: If you were to die, what would be the effect? For all humans, regardless of what may seem important, is that there would none. Thus, if the removal of oneself from existance makes no difference, than that entities existance is pointless.

We are all pointless, and meaningless. Our effect is so miniscual, that it is next to non-existant. Thus, life is meaningless, unimportant and has little relevance.

You mistake the question: "What is the value of human life." for "For what do we live."

And Nihilism is SO last century.

The point I try to make is this: If you were to die, what would be the effect? For all humans, regardless of what may seem important, is that there would none. Thus, if the removal of oneself from existance makes no difference, than that entities existance is pointless.

If I were to die now, the people I knew and loved would be saddened, and the possible effects I might have had on the world would come to pass. The sadness that they would endure might lead to totally different courses of action in their lives, which in turn might branch in to even more effects until the chain of cause and effect branches to a seemingly infinite level.

Now, simply affecting actions is not a meaning in itself; regardless, since we can't know if there is or isn't a purpose for certain in this existence, it makes little sense to contemplate it except as a thought experiment.

We are all pointless, and meaningless. Our effect is so miniscual, that it is next to non-existant. Thus, life is meaningless, unimportant and has little relevance.

It all depends on the scale. An individual life can have a huge effect on the people closest to the person, and that effect gradually diminishes as it spreads throughout the human population but it never becomes zero. Some people have a bigger effect than others, and their impressions travel farther and last longer.

On a universal scale, our effect is infinitesimally small but it still exists. As long as something exists, it has meaning in terms of its interaction with the rest of the physical world.

Wrong. If this were a message board dominated by conservatives, right-wingers and Christians the poll still would not be representative of the general population and therefore not an accurate count.

Same if it were dominated by those who are "middle of the road" so to speak.

No, your poll is not representative because, as has already been pointed out, the options are:

To Glorify God (Christian)
To Be Successful (Materialist)
Only God Knows (Christian)
Life is meaningless (Nihilist)
Other (The rest of the world, which happens to comprise a majority)

OK, so I'm assuming materialist. Success, of course, means different things to different people, but the implication seems to be materialistic. Sorry if I've got that wrong. However, it's obvious that 2/5 of the answers do assume a Christian faith. You're correct in saying that that even on a right-wing, Christian board the poll would not be representative of the general population: it would simply receive more responses in columns 1 and 3 and far fewer in column 5, and would be representative of what right-wingers and Christians think about it. On a "middle-of-the-road" board, which I'm still not convinced this isn't, you'll receive a distribution of votes similar to what you did here due to a lack of options with which centrists can relate. The reason it isn't representative is because you've constructed it with a bias towards those of a Christian faith and posted it on what appears to be a non-Christian board, so you're not getting very many specific answers.

So, diverse means EVERYONE: Liberals, Centrists, Conservatives as well as those who don't fit in any of these 3 categories. :p

Yes, yes it does. So why is it that when you receive a response typical of what any non-Christian message board would post we become "liberals, leftists and losers?" I'm not disagreeing that I'm a loser or even a bit of a lefty, but stating such things the way you did makes me think that you'd be happier with the results of your poll if you did post it on a more Christian-oriented board. Not that it would be representative of anything but the opinions of the members of that board if you did so.

EDIT TO SAY: In no way is this a scientific poll, so I do not expect the final results to accurately represent the general world population. ;)

Come on, don't sell yourself short. Scientists construct biased polls all the time. Yours is hardly less valid than theirs, it just isn't going to be very effective in arriving at any conclusion that isn't already determined. I think your expectation is very reasonable. Thank you for posting.

To Glorify God (Christian)

To be fair, there are other faiths that would agree with the idea of glorifying God.

To Be Successful (Materialist)

What is success?

Only God Knows (Christian)

Or any other religion.

Life is meaningless (Nihilist)

Or existentialists, or merely relativists.

Your life is completely pointless. <snip>

Paging Dr. Kevorkian. Dr. Kevorkian, you're needed in the NationStates forum...

Nature has no intention.

Aristotle disagrees.

Aristotle disagrees.

Aristotle liked to anthropomorphise all kinds of things that do not have human qualities. What's your point?

Aristotle disagrees.

Aristotle also thought that women were less valueble than men.

anyone can have a point in life. if you have 3 points in life, you have a plane of existance

To be fair, there are other faiths that would agree with the idea of glorifying God.

Certainly, but they'd call him Allah or something else and take exception to the label of God. And some would even take exception to the idea that you think that as a mortal being you are in a position to glorify him.

What is success?

Yeah, I think I covered that.

Or any other religion.

Again, they don't all call him/it God.

Or existentialists, or merely relativists.

I don't think you can claim that a general tenet of relativism is that there is no meaning to life, but, rather, that life means whatever any particular standpoint relative to their particular favored framework says it means, and that whatever anyone says in relation to that is valid. It's wishy-washy, not a definitive stance like "life is meaningless."

And existentialism. Um...yeah. Are you sure you've read enough on that subject? The entire point of existentialism is to pursue the meaning of life. The idea that existence precedes essence doesn't mean life is meaningless, but that the meaning is decided through existing.

Certainly, but they'd call him Allah or something else and take exception to the label of God. And some would even take exception to the idea that you think that as a mortal being you are in a position to glorify him.

And? There are religions enough in the world, and Christianity is not unique in naming their God, God, or in wishing to glorify him.

Again, they don't all call him/it God.

Simply not true. Judaism, some Pagan religons, Ba'hai, and others do use the name "god".

I don't think you can claim that a general tenet of relativism is that there is no meaning to life, but, rather, that life means whatever any particular standpoint relative to their particular favored framework says it means, and that whatever anyone says in relation to that is valid. It's wishy-washy, not a definitive stance like "life is meaningless."

Hardly. Meaningless just means that there is no universal meaning to life. A relativist (I take offense to the term "wish-washy") fits that tenant just fine.

And existentialism. Um...yeah. Are you sure you've read enough on that subject? The entire point of existentialism is to pursue the meaning of life. The idea that existence precedes essence doesn't mean life is meaningless, but that the meaning is decided through existing.

Sartre.

I should have said "Atheist" existentialism. My bad.

The meaning of life is to live. Don't over complicate things.

Aristotle liked to anthropomorphise all kinds of things that do not have human qualities. What's your point?

I haven't noticed that, but I haven't yet read everything we have left that he wrote. I'll keep my eyes open, though.

I don't think that claiming a purpose to nature is necessarily anthropomorphizing. Especially the way he puts it: "...teeth and all other natural things either invariably or normally come about in a given way; but of not one of the results of chance or spontenaiety is this true...If then, it is agreed that things are either the result of coincidence or for an end, and these cannot be the result of coincidence or spontenaiety, it follows that they must be for an end..."

Not saying I agree with him. In fact, in this instance I'm merely being contentious. But he is a highly respected academician in the Western world, at least, and he does make a solid logical argument if one accepts his definitions of chance and spontenaiety.

Aristotle also thought that women were less valueble than men.

So did just about everyone who lived at the time. So did just about everyone who lived before him. So has just about everyone who lived after him up to very, very recently. So, still, do many people today.

"Are you, Alice, menstruating right now?"
"What has that got to do with it?"

anyone can have a point in life. if you have 3 points in life, you have a plane of existance

That's awesome. :)

So did just about everyone who lived at the time. So did just about everyone who lived before him. So has just about everyone who lived after him up to very, very recently. So, still, do many people today.

Plato didn't. If anyone should have shaped Aristotle's beleifs, it was Plato.

No, your poll is not representative because, as has already been pointed out, the options are:

To Glorify God (Christian)
To Be Successful (Materialist)
Only God Knows (Christian)
Life is meaningless (Nihilist)
Other (The rest of the world, which happens to comprise a majority)

OK, so I'm assuming materialist. Success, of course, means different things to different people, but the implication seems to be materialistic. Sorry if I've got that wrong. However, it's obvious that 2/5 of the answers do assume a Christian faith. You're correct in saying that that even on a right-wing, Christian board the poll would not be representative of the general population: it would simply receive more responses in columns 1 and 3 and far fewer in column 5, and would be representative of what right-wingers and Christians think about it. On a "middle-of-the-road" board, which I'm still not convinced this isn't, you'll receive a distribution of votes similar to what you did here due to a lack of options with which centrists can relate. The reason it isn't representative is because you've constructed it with a bias towards those of a Christian faith and posted it on what appears to be a non-Christian board, so you're not getting very many specific answers.



Yes, yes it does. So why is it that when you receive a response typical of what any non-Christian message board would post we become "liberals, leftists and losers?" I'm not disagreeing that I'm a loser or even a bit of a lefty, but stating such things the way you did makes me think that you'd be happier with the results of your poll if you did post it on a more Christian-oriented board. Not that it would be representative of anything but the opinions of the members of that board if you did so.



Come on, don't sell yourself short. Scientists construct biased polls all the time. Yours is hardly less valid than theirs, it just isn't going to be very effective in arriving at any conclusion that isn't already determined. I think your expectation is very reasonable. Thank you for posting.

Some spiritual, but not religious, folks might say "only God knows."

Next time read the first post in the thread before you start making assumptions. A true Christian who is well versed in the scripture would never answer "Only God Knows" to this question. :p

Oh, and BTW, since obviously you know that I am now not being biased towards Christians, the rest of what you said in this post is just a bunch of BS. Please stop trolling. *Two Thumbs Down*

Paging Dr. Kevorkian. Dr. Kevorkian, you're needed in the NationStates forum...

I fail to make a connection. Life is unimportant. Our effect is miniscual to the point of non-existance. If I were to die tommorrow, would some people care? Surely. But over time my death would be forgotten. My existance would gone. Thus, my effect upon the world is non-existant. All that truly makes a person is what memories are left of that person-be it in mind or effect upon the world, the galaxy, or the universe. If I were to die today, it would have little, no effect even in the near future. There is no point in arguing what "may have been" as that time line would never occur. Thus, the effects of what "may have been" are unimportant to the discussion, as those events would never happen. Any effect I would have had never would have happened.

The same goes for the Earth in general. If, by some chance, the Earth were to be zapped out of existance tommorrow, virtually no effect would be had upon the universe as a whole.

True, there would be an effect, but the effect would be so miniscule, so tiny, that the point of having an effect and not would be so close as to be almost completely indifferent.

You forgot the correct answer on the poll. Its 42.

Damn straight.

And? There are religions enough in the world, and Christianity is not unique in naming their God, God, or in wishing to glorify him.

Fair enough. They are not unique in that, but to deny that the poll and it's conciever have an obviously Christian slant seems naive to me considering his OP.

Simply not true. Judaism, some Pagan religons, Ba'hai, and others do use the name "god".

It simply is true. I said not all religions use God, though you've provided a few good examples of some that do.

Hardly. Meaningless just means that there is no universal meaning to life. A relativist (I take offense to the term "wish-washy") fits that tenant just fine.

mean‧ing‧less  /ˈminɪŋlɪs/ [mee-ning-lis] –adjective
without meaning, significance, purpose, or value; purposeless; insignificant: a meaningless reply; a meaningless existence.

No universal meaning != no meaning at all. Relativists do not fit that definition at all unless they happen as individuals to believe life is meaningless or belong to a group that believes life is meaningless, and then they would believe that life is only meaningless for them if they knew of an individual or group who believed that life had meaning.

Sartre.

I should have said "Atheist" existentialism. My bad.

I'm not sure precisely what you mean here. Sartre never advocated that life was meaningless. In reference to atheistic existentialism he said, “Atheistic existentialism, of which I am a representative, declares with greater consistency that if God does not exist there is at least one being whose existence comes before its essence, a being which exists before it can be defined by any conception of it. That being is man....” Again, this does not insinuate that life is meaningless. It insinuates that God does not give life meaning.

While existentialism certainly shares a close affinity with nihilism, it does not assert an ultimately meaningless life as nihilism does. In existentialism, your life acquires meaning through existing. The implication is that we are born into a meaningless existence that achieves significance through continuance. In nihilism meaning can never be achieved.

I'm guessing that at least 2/3 of the answers in this thread will either say 'sex' or 'the Bible is rubbish'.

I say both.

Plato didn't. If anyone should have shaped Aristotle's beleifs, it was Plato.

Sure about that? I have read everything we have left that Plato ever wrote, and it doesn't seem like women played a significant role in his mode of thinking.

mean‧ing‧less  /ˈminɪŋlɪs/ [mee-ning-lis] –adjective
without meaning, significance, purpose, or value; purposeless; insignificant: a meaningless reply; a meaningless existence.

No universal meaning != no meaning at all. Relativists do not fit that definition at all unless they happen as individuals to believe life is meaningless or belong to a group that believes life is meaningless, and then they would believe that life is only meaningless for them if they knew of an individual or group who believed that life had meaning.

A) Meaningless does not mean insignificant, in this case, merely purposeless. There is no higher purpose, and therfore there is no true purpose, merely those we choose to accept.

B) Relativists beleive that there is no absolute truth, and therefore no absolute meaning. So... My point stands.


I'm not sure precisely what you mean here. Sartre never advocated that life was meaningless. In reference to atheistic existentialism he said, “Atheistic existentialism, of which I am a representative, declares with greater consistency that if God does not exist there is at least one being whose existence comes before its essence, a being which exists before it can be defined by any conception of it. That being is man....” Again, this does not insinuate that life is meaningless. It insinuates that God does not give life meaning.

"Man is condemned to be free."

There you are. Also, I beleive that at some point he also says that life is meaningless.

Sure about that? I have read everything we have left that Plato ever wrote, and it doesn't seem like women played a significant role in his mode of thinking.

They are equals in The Republic. That was his ideal society, and he felt that in an ideal society, women would be equal.

The meaning of life is to live. Don't over complicate things.

Amen;)

Next time read the first post in the thread before you start making assumptions.

I did read it. And you are biased towards Christianity. Read your own post.

A true Christian who is well versed in the scripture would never answer "Only God Knows" to this question. :p

Sorry, I didn't know I was talking to the foremost global authority on what constitutes a true Christian. :rolleyes:

However, I do agree that most Christians would tend to answer that the meaning of their life is to do God's will, rather than only God knows what the meaning of their life is. Not all Christians, but I'll accept most.

Oh, and BTW, since obviously you know that I am now not being biased towards Christians,

I know nothing of the kind. That simply isn't true, and you're not fooling anyone. I doubt even yourself.

Please stop trolling.

I will if you will.

*Two Thumbs Down*

Yes. I agree again.

I fail to make a connection. Life is unimportant. <snip>

Hey, you do have a point. But so do the people cursing the butterflies for the hurricane they have to endure. I just think it's nicer to be positive since we are here, whether I'm deluding myself or not. :)

I did read it. And you are biased towards Christianity. Read your own post.

Sorry, I didn't know I was talking to the foremost global authority on what constitutes a true Christian. :rolleyes:

However, I do agree that most Christians would tend to answer that the meaning of their life is to do God's will, rather than only God knows what the meaning of their life is. Not all Christians, but I'll accept most.

I know nothing of the kind. That simply isn't true, and you're not fooling anyone. I doubt even yourself.

I will if you will.

Yes. I agree again.

Still trolling I see.

Word to the wise: Treat others as you would want to be treated. :)

The meaning of life:


life (lf) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. lives (lvz)

The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism.
The characteristic state or condition of a living organism.
Living organisms considered as a group: plant life; marine life.
A living being, especially a person: an earthquake that claimed hundreds of lives.
The physical, mental, and spiritual experiences that constitute existence: the artistic life of a writer.

The interval of time between birth and death: She led a good, long life.
The interval of time between one's birth and the present: has had hay fever all his life.
A particular segment of one's life: my adolescent life.
The period from an occurrence until death: elected for life; paralyzed for life.
Slang. A sentence of imprisonment lasting till death.
The time for which something exists or functions: the useful life of a car.
A spiritual state regarded as a transcending of corporeal death.
An account of a person's life; a biography.
Human existence, relationships, or activity in general: real life; everyday life.

A manner of living: led a hard life.
A specific, characteristic manner of existence. Used of inanimate objects: “Great institutions seem to have a life of their own, independent of those who run them” (New Republic).
The activities and interests of a particular area or realm: musical life in New York.

A source of vitality; an animating force: She's the life of the show.
Liveliness or vitality; animation: a face that is full of life.

Something that actually exists regarded as a subject for an artist: painted from life.
Actual environment or reality; nature.

adj.
Of or relating to animate existence; involved in or necessary for living: life processes.
Continuing for a lifetime; lifelong: life partner; life imprisonment.
Using a living model as a subject for an artist: a life sculpture.

-American Heritage Dictionary


There we go.

I know, I kind of expected something more profound too. *nod* :)

A) Meaningless does not mean insignificant, in this case, merely purposeless. There is no higher purpose, and therfore there is no true purpose, merely those we choose to accept.

B) Relativists beleive that there is no absolute truth, and therefore no absolute meaning. So... My point stands.

Again, no absolute meaning != no meaning. If we're both relativists, and you insist that your life has no meaning, and I insist that mine does, who does relativism say is correct? Is it not both of us?

"Man is condemned to be free."

There you are. Also, I beleive that at some point he also says that life is meaningless.

I don't recall him ever saying life is meaningless, but if you can cite the work I'll concede. I also disagree with your interpretation of "Man is condemned to be free." Like I've been saying, it's not a meaningless existence, it's that the existence is the meaning. Man being condemned to freedom, to me, is more of a statement of the curse of having the ability to fuck up, which itself implies an end or purpose from whose path you've deviated.

It's been said already but I'll say it again. The meaning of life is 42.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/troll

troll

v.,n. 1. [From the Usenet group alt.folklore.urban] To
utter a posting on Usenet designed to attract predictable
responses or flames; or, the post itself. Derives from the phrase
"trolling for newbies" which in turn comes from mainstream
"trolling", a style of fishing in which one trails bait through a
likely spot hoping for a bite. The well-constructed troll is a post
that induces lots of newbies and flamers to make themselves look
even more clueless than they already do, while subtly conveying to
the more savvy and experienced that it is in fact a deliberate
troll. If you don't fall for the joke, you get to be in on it. See
also YHBT. 2. An individual who chronically trolls in sense 1;
regularly posts specious arguments, flames or personal attacks to a
newsgroup, discussion list, or in email for no other purpose than to
annoy someone or disrupt a discussion. Trolls are recognizable by
the fact that the have no real interest in learning about the topic
at hand - they simply want to utter flame bait. Like the ugly
creatures they are named after, they exhibit no redeeming
characteristics, and as such, they are recognized as a lower form of
life on the net, as in, "Oh, ignore him, he's just a troll." 3.
[Berkeley] Computer lab monitor. A popular campus job for CS
students. Duties include helping newbies and ensuring that lab
policies are followed. Probably so-called because it involves
lurking in dark cavelike corners.

Some people claim that the troll (sense 1) is properly a narrower
category than flame bait, that a troll is categorized by containing
some assertion that is wrong but not overtly controversial. See
also Troll-O-Meter.


So in general I understand that you (Unameability2) are just trying make me mad, angry and generally pissed off, but your technique is not working, so you might as well just forget it.

Sorry dude, but you just don't have the kind of talent it takes to get me all fired up! :D

Still trolling I see.

Word to the wise: Treat others as you would want to be treated. :)

Ad hominems will get you nowhere. If you're uncomfortable with your position, best to retreat and hope no one notices. Otherwise, please explain how your OP is demonstrably unbiased and how the seed that sprouted this entire thread wasn't a blatant troll. Let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone.

I tried giving you the benefit of the doubt, but you've made that increasingly difficult. I don't care that you're a Christian and, naturally, biased towards Christianity. I don't care that you instituted a thread that contained a poll and messages biased towards Christianity. I actually respected you for having the guts to do so, especially on a board you seem to believe is left-wing, knowing that you'd probably be fried for it. As it turns out, no one is frying you for it, but you're still trying to pretend for some unfathomable reason that the bias isn't there. I haven't seen any real examples that you've provided that demonstrate in the least that the bias isn't there, though someone else has been attempting to do that for you, and I'm not sure why you care that it is. You already admitted that the poll is "unscientific." Let it go.

Ad hominems will get you nowhere. If you're uncomfortable with your position, best to retreat and hope no one notices. Otherwise, please explain how your OP is demonstrably unbiased and how the seed that sprouted this entire thread wasn't a blatant troll. Let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone.

I tried giving you the benefit of the doubt, but you've made that increasingly difficult. I don't care that you're a Christian and, naturally, biased towards Christianity. I don't care that you instituted a thread that contained a poll and messages biased towards Christianity. I actually respected you for having the guts to do so, especially on a board you seem to believe is left-wing, knowing that you'd probably be fried for it. As it turns out, no one is frying you for it, but you're still trying to pretend for some unfathomable reason that the bias isn't there. I haven't seen any real examples that you've provided that demonstrate in the least that the bias isn't there, though someone else has been attempting to do that for you, and I'm not sure why you care that it is. You already admitted that the poll is "unscientific." Let it go.

Obviously you are not wise, but a fool, and I don't argue with fools who like to troll.

It's after 1AM in the morning here. Good nite.

So in general I understand that you (Unameability2) are just trying make me mad, angry and generally pissed off, but your technique is not working, so you might as well just forget it.

Sorry dude, but you just don't have the kind of talent it takes to get me all fired up! :D

No, I'm not. And obviously, I do, because it's pretty apparent that you are. I honestly didn't mean to get you pissed off. Try taking a deep breath, go all the way back to the beginning of the thread and start reading from there. I hope you have the time, because there's a lot of people who posted with a lot of valid and informed points. I happen to think you started a very good and informative thread, and I'm glad you did. But please, most of us aren't stupid. I'm not the only one or even the first one to notice the poll was tailored to your world view. If you still deny it, there isn't much else I can say about it.

Have a nice day.

Obviously you are not wise, but a fool

Obviously. :rolleyes:

What is the meaning of life?

Nobody knows for sure. So all you can do is your best and hope you might of been right.

You forgot the correct answer on the poll. Its 42.

42.

It's been said already but I'll say it again. The meaning of life is 42.

The true meaning of life is to quit posting "42" in these threads. It's over, it's done, it's old, it's tired.

The true meaning of life is to quit posting "42" in these threads. It's over, it's done, it's old, it's tired.

Why are we here, what's life all about?
Is God really real, or is there some doubt?
Well tonight, we're going to sort it all out
For tonight it's the Meaning of Life.
What's the point of all this hoax?
Is it the chicken and the egg time,
Are we just yolks?
Or perhaps we're just one of God's little jokes.
Well ça c'est the Meaning of Life.
Is life just a game where we make up the rules,
While we're searching for something to say,
Or are we just simply spiralling coils,
Of self-replicating DNA?
In this life, what is our fate?
Is there Heaven and Hell? Do we reincarnate?
Is mankind evolving or is it too late?
Well tonight here's the Meaning of Life.
For millions this life is a sad vale of tears,
Sitting round with nothing to say,
While scientists say we're just spiralling coils,
Of self-replicating DNA.
So just why, why are we here?
And just what, what, what, what do we fear?
Well çe soir, for a change, it will all be made clear,
For this is the Meaning of Life
-c'est la sens de la vie,
This is the Meaning of Life.

:D

The true meaning of life is to quit posting "42" in these threads. It's over, it's done, it's old, it's tired.

:fluffle: 42:fluffle:

And I can defend that with "solid" reasoning.

Six being the number for evil, 7 the number for good. Good vs. Evil. 6x7

get drunk. get laid. have fun. die. Thats about it.

:fluffle: 42:fluffle:

And I can defend that with "solid" reasoning.

Six being the number for evil, 7 the number for good. Good vs. Evil. 6x7

I forgot to mention lame.

I forgot to mention lame.

If you're feeling a bit annoyed, this might help:

Look, listen to this: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JSR_6qfXTg)

If you're feeling a bit annoyed, this might help:

Look, listen to this: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JSR_6qfXTg)

O.o

O.o

http://www.abestweb.com/smilies/smarty.gif

"Life" basically means:
a piece of matter, with the ability of interacting with the surrounding universe by using matter and energy in chemical-physical processes such as self-sustainment and self-replication.

This is also a paraphrase of what, according to the Genesis, God told the humans.

If you're asking about "what should humans do with their lives", then 41. 42 is the answer to the Great Question about "Life, the Universe, and everything else", not to "Life" alone.:)

Sorry to break it those who believe that there is purpose for life, but there isn't one. I wish there was but lifes not fair. If it was there would be a purpose, but there isn't. Life is a complex natural occurance and we are the result of natural occurance.

Why are we here, what's life all about?
Is God really real, or is there some doubt?
Well tonight, we're going to sort it all out
For tonight it's the Meaning of Life.
What's the point of all this hoax?
Is it the chicken and the egg time,
Are we just yolks?
Or perhaps we're just one of God's little jokes.
Well ça c'est the Meaning of Life.
Is life just a game where we make up the rules,
While we're searching for something to say,
Or are we just simply spiralling coils,
Of self-replicating DNA?
In this life, what is our fate?
Is there Heaven and Hell? Do we reincarnate?
Is mankind evolving or is it too late?
Well tonight here's the Meaning of Life.
For millions this life is a sad vale of tears,
Sitting round with nothing to say,
While scientists say we're just spiralling coils,
Of self-replicating DNA.
So just why, why are we here?
And just what, what, what, what do we fear?
Well çe soir, for a change, it will all be made clear,
For this is the Meaning of Life
-c'est la sens de la vie,
This is the Meaning of Life.

:D

GREAT!

So just what is the real meaning of life? You decide. ;)

to be as good as you can :)
that's what i think anyhoo. that and procreate (yay sex!! :p)


in my down moments i'd say "life is pain" or something silly & cryptic like that though

OK. Enough of me pointlessly bitching about "42" (I guess its some kind of natural law that someone post it). The real meaning of life is NSG.

OK. Enough of me pointlessly bitching about "42" (I guess its some kind of natural law that someone post it). The real meaning of life is NSG.

Bingo. :)

I don't think there is a greater purpose to life. I think the meaning of life is to live it. Nothing more than that.

The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding others not to respond to trolls.

Thank you for your time and attention. :)

Sorry to break it those who believe that there is purpose for life, but there isn't one. I wish there was but lifes not fair. If it was there would be a purpose, but there isn't. Life is a complex natural occurance and we are the result of natural occurance.

That's not what I believe. So, you believe differently. You stating what you believe doesn't change my mind (are you trying to gain converts :) ).

You stating what you believe doesn't change my mind.

Right on. Only emotion can do that, and by that I mean light emotion. Go easy. And no flamewars, please. :fluffle:

The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding others not to respond to trolls.

Thank you for your time and attention. :)

you keep using that word. i don't think it means what you think it means

-princess bride

you keep using that word. i don't think it means what you think it means

Now it's my turn.

Nice post. Excellent movie. ;)

you keep using that word. i don't think it means what you think it means

-princess bride

*awards the "Branin A1+ Medal for Creative Use of Princess Bride Quote"*

For me, I think life just exists, and that if you truly want a meaning to life, you can discover it for yourself, and don't have to be told what it is. It can be anything you want it to be, and it can even be nothing at all really.

Remember, life is a sexually transmitted...thing. We are pretty much here because sex works. If you believe in religion or anything like that, thats fine as well, because at least it gives you a direction to go in.

Ain't no meaning.
Try enjoying.

The meaning of life is to understand life.

Also, clowns.

The meaning of life is not a one size fits all type of deal. What has meaning does not necessarily have meaning to you.

What is the purpose of life?

"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25 (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/2_ne/2/25#25))

So we exist to have joy.
How are men to obtain this joy?

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God. But we cannot keep all the commandments without first knowing them, and we cannot expect to know all, or more than we now know unless we comply with or keep those we have already received." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, p. 255 (http://www.boap.org/LDS/Joseph-Smith/Teachings/T5.html)).

"If this life were all, we should be led to query, whether or not there was really any substance in existence, and we might with propriety say, "Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!" But if this life is all, then why this constant toiling, why this continual warfare, and why this unceasing trouble? But this life is not all; the voice of reason, the language of inspiration, and the Spirit of the living God, our Creator, teaches us, as we hold the record of truth in our hands, that this is not the case, that this is not so; for, the heavens declare the glory of a God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork; and a moment's reflection is sufficient to teach every man of common intelligence, that all these are not the mere productions of chance, nor could they be supported by any power less than an Almighty hand..."(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, p.56 (http://www.boap.org/LDS/Joseph-Smith/Teachings/T2.html)).



What is the purpose of life?

To experience joy.


How do we find true joy?

By keeping the commandments of God.


Anyone that proposes or follows any other way will know happiness for a time, but they will fall short of that true joy that God purposes to give unto us, unless they comply with the commandments of God. God did not give us commandments to exercise authority over us for His own pleasure, nor did He give us commandments simply to prove he could talk. Nor did he create us simply so he could have a pleasent little choir of angels to sing praises unto him for all eternity. God is not so shallow, nor his intentions for the human family so ignoble.

He wants us to learn to be like Him, for He is our Father, and we his children. Things earthly are in the likeness of things heavenly. Human children grow to be like their parents in form and in ability to act. Then why should it be thought blasphemy to believe that we can grow to be like our Heavenly Father? But we cannot do it unless we comply with His will for us. He knows the way for us to become like Him, and only He can guide us.

Such is the justice of God that no man or woman is compelled to obey his commands. All shall be as like, or unlike, Him as they choose to be.

Those who obey Him will grow by degrees until they are as He is, and this is true joy.

The mystery of life is not a question to be solved. It is a reality to be experienced.

the meaning of life is to find the meaning of life ...


Ahhh! Woooh! What's happening? Who am I? Why am I here? What's my purpose in life? What do I mean by who am I? Okay okay, calm down calm down get a grip now. Ooh, this is an interesting sensation. What is it? Its a sort of tingling in my... well I suppose I better start finding names for things. Lets call it a... tail! Yeah! Tail! And hey, what's this roaring sound, whooshing past what I'm suddenly gonna call my head? Wind! Is that a good name? It'll do. Yeah, this is really exciting. I'm dizzy with anticipation! Or is it the wind? There's an awful lot of that now isn't it? And what's this thing coming toward me very fast? So big and flat and round, it needs a big wide sounding name like 'Ow', 'Ownge', 'Round', 'Ground'! That's it! Ground! Ha! I wonder if it'll be friends with me? Hello Ground!


**splat**

Well, in short, and as close as I can come to real meaning of life (based on scripture references taken out of the Bible), the meaning of life broken down into the simplest terms is "to glorify God in the highest." Well, I am going to make this even simpler: let's just say that the meaning of life is simply "to glorify God." According to the Bible, I think as about as close as you can get to the meaning of life in simple terms of human understanding.

What does the secular world say about the meaning of life? Probably the most popular answer to this is "to be successful" or "be all you can be!" That's what most non-religious or non-spiritual folks will probably say. There are other answers, though. Some spiritual, but not religious, folks might say "only God knows." Those who are deeply atheistic, liberal and humanist will probably say something like "life is meaningless" or "life has no meaning."
A rational person would ask, "Why do you think there is one?"