Thursday, April 10, 2008

The purpose of Life

Listening to NPR is my daily habit. Recently Rick Warren who wrote "The Purpose Driven Life" made the statement that without god there is no meaning in life.

Really?

It means nothing that I rise every morning, make coffee, watch the sun come up while my dog sits on my lap and contemplate the things I will do this day?

It means nothing that I go to work and my boss and coworkers are glad I'm there and that what I do makes a difference in someone's life?

It means nothing that I go to lunch with my daughters or my son and that we laugh about something that happened a long time ago?

It means nothing that my grandson calls me on the phone just to tell me he loves me?

It means nothing that I go home in the evening, take my dog and myself for a walk, enjoy a drink with a neighbor or friend, eat dinner, watch a movie and settle into bed with a good book?

There is no god in my life but there is great meaning.

22 comments:

Unknown said...

Ah but let me make the argument before any Christian can butt in: "He is there. You just don't know it!" LOL.

BTW, I am an NPR junkie myself. I drive for a living and I haven't changed the station in seven years. Michigan Radio carries some really good programming.

According to many a god-believer life is meaningless without a god. It's a faith thing I know. When people can learn to be happy without a god hanging over their head then they might realize they are shackled.

Unknown said...

Oh, and glad to see you are still posting. I haven't been here in a while :(

Interested said...

Larro, thanks for stopping by.
I expect some of the believers will say that god is in there, somewhere. However, my answer is as always, I am responsible for my life; good and bad.

BEAST FCD said...

Think about it this way: Wouldn't it be extreme boredom if everyone's having the same stupid goal in life?

Like the five fingers on our hands, our destinies are charted differently from everyone else. It seems that trying to get everyone to toe the line is no different than the Saudi government trying to get every woman on the damn planet to wear burkas.

Beast

tina FCD said...

NPR rocks! Great stories on there. I take offense at religious people telling atheists they have no meaning. WTF! They can kiss my a$$.

Beast, that picture on your comment thingy fits you!

BEAST FCD said...

Lol thanks tina.

Lizzie said...

i agree interested. our lives have meaning, everyones does. for the christians, what a great meaning that you were put on earth for some allpowerful beings amusement...

tina FCD said...

Atheist girl, I love that statement!

rick b said...

AG Said
i agree interested. our lives have meaning, everyones does. for the christians, what a great meaning that you were put on earth for some allpowerful beings amusement...


As a Christian I would say that not only are you very ignorant, because you really do not know the Bible, but you were put here for our amusement as we laugh at you. Rick b

Lizzie said...

look dude, im not trying to insult you people. interested's post was about how christians think our lives are meaningless because we dont believe in a creator. i think that we make our own meaning OURSELVES!!! as an athiest, i feel like serving a god as the purpose of life is very strange. you are correct tho, i dont know the bible, but i do know that you people are suposed to not judge and care about all people...you did a great job being a christian just then...bravo.

rick b said...

AG Said i dont know the bible, but i do know that you people are suposed to not judge and care about all people...

Well yet again you are correct, you do not know your Bible, and it shows, you mis quote a verse you do not know.

Jesus said, when we do Judge. Judge correctly, the Bible tells us God Mocks some and even sits and the heavens and laughfs at them. Then their is much sarcasm and even believers mocking the pagan, so I sugest before you claim the Bible is wrong, you should first read it.

How can you say it is wrong if you never read it. That would be like me saying something like your not real, simply because a person posts here and says Hi, I'm AG, You could be some middle age man claiming that.
Rick B.

Lizzie said...

look dude, again, im not saying i know the bible. i also never said it was wrong. im not trying to quote a verse, i didnt even know that was a verse. i'm going to quote the guys from the blog The god Dam, who quote bill and ted. "be excellent to each other" i understand your point. your faith is important to you, rock on. but dont force it at other people and come on our blogs and call us ignorant. the point of all of this is to share knowledge and learn from one another. i dont understand all this hatred. you say god mocks people, does that mean you can go around hating on all the people different than you? i think it is sad that hatred is okay, as long as it is against a filthy atheist. im nice to people, i listen, i have never hurt anyone, i love animals, i give to charity, what is wrong with my life just because i dont believe in god? i wish more people lived by the words of bill and ted.

rick b said...

Look AG, I do not hate you and I,m not hating anyone, I was making a point. But If your ignorant than their is nothing wrong with me saying so. It is no different than the guys here telling me I am wrong and saying to me, God does not exist.

It's ok for them to tell me I am wrong but not the other way around. Then you tell me I should care or need to care about people, but then when I do, you tell me I am wrong or it is wrong.

Example, If I really do believe Hell is real, and I really do believe God is real, then it really is caring to tell you your going their, but then when I do, you get mad at me.

Then why is it you can say you never read the Bible and claim it is wrong or fiction, but I cannot tell you your incorrect and why? That sounds like your the one with the hate problem. Then when I said God Mocks people it is not as simple as God saying I mock you. you should really read your Bible and understand the context of that verse. Rick b

Lizzie said...

again, rick, i understand your point, i do believe i said that. i never said that the bible is wrong or fiction. if anything, to me, the bible is like memoirs of those who wrote it down. there is a difference between calling someone wrong, and calling them ignorant. if you want to tell me why i am wrong go for it. i dont think there is anything wrong with that. but...there is a more elegant way of doing so. example, no name calling. explain your point, thats it. thats all you can do. just like i cant change your mind, you cant change mine. there is also a difference between caring about people and actually caring about people. sometimes, and im not saying you specifically, people say they care about people. for example, forcing democracy on other nations because we "care." when they were fine to begin with...just different. we only "care" because it scares us when something is different. we want everything to be the same. sometimes caring means leaving well enough alone. i dont have a hate problem, neither do you. i think maybe the both of us have a bit of an intolerance problem. i am, i'll admit it, am a tad intolerant to radical religions, evangelists, and people who cannot argue their points except to say i'm wrong. but having been an atheist my whole life, id say i am allowed. i have been name called, bashed on and hated just because of my nonbeliefs. i have never called a christian anything, and have always listened to them when they say they care about me and dont want me to go to hell. i sit there and take it, because i know it is important to them to spread the word. do i like it? no. do atheists ever do it? not unless a theist starts it. but for you to say i have a hate problem, no! thats wrong. we are suposed to learn from eachother. this isnt a lecture, this is a discussion. so if you want to tell us we are incorrect go for it!!! but dont call us ignorant for thinking differently, or say i have a hate issue when all my life i have been in the religious minority and hated against. if you want to tell me why my atheist life is meaningless do it! but you know what...to me, life has meaning only while we live it.

Cayden said...

Yes. You don't need any god to find meaning in life.

By the way, how strong is the atheist movement in your country?

rick b said...

AG, You say your not ignorant for not believing the Bible, so if you feel that way then fine, but let me tell you what God thinks about your beliefe and He even states in His word what He thinks.

God said, The Fool hath said in his Heart their is no God, So I guess according to God your A fool. Rick b

Lizzie said...

good thing that comments from non existant being have no effect on me.

rick b said...

it, even sadder that the non-existant
faith you have will result in eternal damnation for you. but I guess in some ways you will be happy and get what you want, eternity with out God, but Eternity with out God comes at a price, eternal suffering. rick b

Lizzie said...

so far eternal suffering is working out just fine for me thank you. sticks and stones dude, sticks and stones.

rick b said...

Sticks and stones?
I never called you a name, and your not suffering yet, but after you die you will be. Rick b

Interested said...

Rick you are welcome here but do try to remain civil. I know how strongly you believe in what you say...but...pleas remember that others have strong beliefs also.

rick b said...

yes but only one can be correct. either God is real, or he is not. he cannot both exist and not exist at the same time.

In recent weeks you might have noticed your grocery bill go up. If so, you're not alone. Food prices are soaring worldwide. Consumers in many western nations are just beginning to notice the change, however in many parts of the world the rising cost of food has already reached crisis levels.

According to the United Nations, global food prices rose 35 percent in the last year. Since the new year prices have continued to rise. This year corn prices have hit a 12-year high and the price of wheat has jumped almost 90 percent. Likewise, in just the past few weeks the cost of rice has gone from $580 a ton to $760 a ton. Rice is the staple food for more than three billion people around the world. Most of these live in poorer nations, and some already spend 50 to 70 percent of their incomes on food.

Experts are describing the problem as "the perfect storm." Its cause is said to be a combination of various factors: Growing populations means growing demand. Also, the growing middle class in places like China means growing demand for more varieties of food. For example, the demand for beef has increased in China, which in turn effects the price of corn and other crops used to feed cattle.

Unusual weather conditions and drought have also been a factor. In Australia prolonged drought has reduced wheat exports by half and the rice crop this year will be the smallest in history. In Bangladesh a cyclone last summer destroyed 600 million dollars worth of its rice crop. Events such as these have decreased the overall food supply.

Rising oil prices have also had caused food prices to rise. Oil prices effect not only the cost of transporting food, but also the cost of fertilizers which are made with oil-derivatives. Government mandates and subsidies for biofuels have also had an impact. In the US it is estimated that almost thirty percent of the grain harvest is being diverted to make ethanol. Likewise, the European Union plans to start producing enough biofuels to meet at least 10 percent of its transportation needs by 2010.

This situation has not received enough media attention, prompting some to label it the "silent famine." Malnutrition and hunger are growing problems, and charitable organizations are having trouble keeping up with the growing demand. The black horseman of the Book of Revelation speaks of a condition wherein a man's daily wages are so poor, he can barely support himself, much less his family (Revelation 6:5-6). Could it be that we are getting close?

The article was from Chuck Missler, @ www.khouse.org