Theists only - The purpose of life?

[_Themis]

Jason Bourne

his life is both full of joy and incredible pain and sorrow.

Without the incredible pain and sorrow, would we recognize joy when we encounter it?

Absolutely.

[_Nightlion]

The purpose of life is to know God and to make God known.

Yes, I believe in hell. Yes, I believe it will be occupied. No, I don't believe that all non-Christians are automatically destined for it.

+1

[_bcspace]

Do you honestly believe the purpose of life is to choose the "right" religion and follow its guidelines?

Yes, and to be refined by the consequences of our choices.

If yes, do you believe eternal damnation is a just reward for making the wrong choice?

Depends on the choice, yes. Everyone will have, imho, too many witnesses to make the wrong choice in ignorance.

[_Jason Bourne]

Jason Bourne

Without the incredible pain and sorrow, would we recognize joy when we encounter it?

2 nephi 2 teaches there must be opposition in all things. I suppose that is true. However if there is a God that created us it seems he could empower us to understand joy without pain. Does God know pain? Does he need to in order to know joy? If Adam and Eve had remained in the garden would they understand joy without sorrow and pain? The Book of Mormon says no. I think traditional Christianity says they did and would have.

[_moksha]

Do you honestly believe the purpose of life is to choose the "right" religion and follow its guidelines? If yes, do you believe eternal damnation is a just reward for making the wrong choice? If no, do you discount the possibility that hell is a necessary metaphor for evil in this domain and that it may not exist?

Without such damnation, Black Fridays at Wal-Mart would be much more dangerous.

[_thews]

The purpose of life is to know God and to make God known.

Yes, I believe in hell. Yes, I believe it will be occupied. No, I don't believe that all non-Christians are automatically destined for it.

Interesting answer. In most discussions about what one does to deserve hell, serial killers are typically used as a foregone group that deserves eternal damnation. IMHO, I don't believe the brains of serial killers have the capacity for empathy. If their brains or environment hardened them to a point where they consciously choose to do evil things, then it was their God-given brain that failed them, or their environment which failed to nurture them.

To "know" God, one would have to have contact with God in my opinion. If one feels "contact" by prayer, it's indirect. If God answers your prayers and brings joy to your life, then why doesn't God do the same for all? One look at CNN's front page will show many who live in hellish situations. Did God reward you and deprive them because he doesn't love them as much? I tend to think of life as knowing yourself. In this domain, God isn't known, which is the crux of its purpose in my opinion... the knowledge of good and evil. To know evil, it has to exist.

No. I cannot imagine a loving creator that would condemn its creations to eternal damnation or hell, at least as I understand it, for getting the wrong beliefs given it has given us so little to really go on to figure it out.

I agree. I find an egotistical foundation to those who claim to be saved, or feel they are one of God's chosen "blessed" religions. The entire concept of adhering to the guidelines of a religion and being rewarded for it is, again in my opinion, a self-serving testament of the extent one is controlled by a man-made influence. The influence I'm referring to is the supposed consequence for one's decisions, as it's not known by any human.

[_Ceeboo]

Hey thews,

I'm also asking the Atheists to refrain from posting

Well, that should surely make for great thread, full of reason, intellect, and deep thought. :) :)

Do you honestly believe the purpose of life is to choose the "right" religion and follow its guidelines?

No

what do you believe is the purpose of life?

To offer love
To accept love
To offer compassion
To extend your hand to and for a perfect stranger
To forgive
To realize we all carry our own cross
To help when given the opportunity to do so
To learn to be humble in success
To take the time required to pause and reflect
To find and appreciate all the small and precious things from God/Creator


Peace,
Ceeboo

[_Hoops]

I agree. I find an egotistical foundation to those who claim to be saved,

That's me.

or feel they are one of God's chosen "blessed" religions.

And yet that's not me. Nor anyone I know, nor have I ever, ever heard that preached from any pulpit in front of which I sat (or knealt).

The entire concept of adhering to the guidelines of a religion and being rewarded for it is, again in my opinion, a self-serving testament of the extent one is controlled by a man-made influence.

I'll assume you mean the LDS system of rewards and not bore you with the Christian idea of it.

The influence I'm referring to is the supposed consequence for one's decisions, as it's not known by any human.

If I understand you correctly, I agree. Thank goodness for Christian churches.