are we here for a purpose?
are we here by chance or destiny?
yes
Side Score: 29
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no
Side Score: 49
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How do you think the first person on the planet was created? His parents? O yeah thats right HE DOESNT HAVE ANY!!!! And how do you think trees and plants were created? O yeah one day someone just crapped it out of there but... God created everthing on the planet and if you dont believe than the Bible says you will perish. Side: yes
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Yes. What this purpose is, well, there are different theories. Whether you are religious or not, you can admit that we are "here" in order to further the human race. It seems primitive, but makes sense. However, is the question is are we here for purpose though of by God, we will have the usual Atheism debate. And that is not very fun, is it folks? Side: yes
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Small to the universe is not small to the man. Do you have people you care about? What if they died? You'd feel horrible, right? What about some distance planet that is also teeming with life? What if it gets swallowed whole by a star? This is a question of values. No matter how large or small, if someone believes they have a purpose, that purpose is likely important to them. Side: yes
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The Proton adds structure to the atom. The element adds structure to the mineral. The mineral adds structure to the planet. The rat adds structure to the ecosystem. The planet adds structure to the solar system. The solar system adds structure to the galaxy. The galaxy adds structure to the universe. Flip a coin, there's no formula to predict which side it will land on with any accuracy. Mathematics can tell you that you'll end up with roughly a 50/50 ratio- but only if you flip an even number of times and no anomalies occur. Science has proven that animals are only capable of basic level structure and hierarchy, but few are capable of creating functional systems from separate pieces. If an animal cannot be conscious of its role on the planet and STILL fit a niche, it's quite possible- if not dead certain- that humans are also here to fill a gap. The fact that the only beings with the sentience to understand there is order to the universe can outright deny that there is no purpose to that, to our very placement, is just sad. The likelihood of all the correct circumstances being met to be here, let alone here having this debate, still eludes scientists today. Side: yes
The fact that the only beings with the sentience to understand there is order to the universe can outright deny that there is no purpose to that, to our very placement, is just sad. The likelihood of all the correct circumstances being met to be here, let alone here having this debate, still eludes scientists today. Order doesn't imply purpose. That is a faulty inductive premise. Further, the processes that brought us here ARE well understood, you mean that YOU don't understand or know of them. Side: No
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I agree, order does not imply purpose. But it's usually a pretty good indicator that's hard to ignore. My statement is the equivalent of assuming a man will die after been shot in the head- the opposite is possible but highly unlikely. No, the process are not understood. There is only theory. There is a massive difference between theory and law in silence. Side: yes
yes, we were created in the image of God. We are here to glorify God. Nothing more, nothing less.Why do people get so hung up about this issue. It used to be if you believed in God you lived accordingly and if you didn't, you lived accordingly. Why are so many atheists so preoccupied with changing other peoples beliefs? You want to be an atheist, go ahead. I'll make you a deal, I won't force you to believe what I believe and you don't force me to believe what you believe. Are you OK with that? Thats what a free country is about. When we get to the end of our lives we will both then know which one of us was right. I'm ok with that. Yes, I admit there are believers who try to shove their beliefs down others throats and that is just as wrong. God doesn't ask us to force our faith on anyone else. Side: yes
yes, we were created in the image of God. We are here to glorify God. Nothing more, nothing less. You're only "passing the buck." Purpose doesn't exist because a grand authority claims to have given you one. It has merely done for you what you yourself could do: choose a path and follow it. It's not a destined purpose, but it still allows you to have a meaningful life. Why do people get so hung up about this issue. Because it is a false statement. Why are so many atheists so preoccupied with changing other peoples beliefs? I don't care what you believe. I do however find it pitiful that you cannot give yourself control of your life and must relinquish it to a perceived authority, who is really just a man pretending to speak for god. Side: No
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It's just a matter of accident that life is possible in this universe, and after a series of improbable but inevitable mutations we became beings looking for meaning. Being the imperfect creatures that we are, we looked for meaning in some grand authority, when all along that meaning we seek can come from our actions within our ephemeral lives. Side: No
Whoa. You are possibly the most pessimistic person I have come across. When you listen to atheists, in general, they don't believe there is a God, but in a way, like the idea that there is one. It sounds as if while you don't believe in God, you don't even want him to exist if he does. Side: yes
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Denial cannot change reality. And accepting reality is not pessimism. I can only speak for myself, but I certainly don't like the idea of a god existing; not the god of the Bible, that's for sure. Why would anyone want to spend eternity with a god who's either completely inept, or cruel and barbaric? Side: No
Whoa. You are possibly the most pessimistic person I have come across. I was merely stating facts. I have no emotional investment with them. When you listen to atheists, in general, they don't believe there is a God, but in a way, like the idea that there is one. It really depends on the individual. Many humans like to feel secure, even in adulthood, and see the idea of god as a parent that is always there, because the cold truth that we sit on a knife's edge always in danger of oblivion is frankly maddening to confront daily. That's why we see some people support god even if they don't believe. Others like myself find the theological baggage that describes god to be very petty and malevolent, and wouldn't wish for such a being to exist. Still others do not even care about god. You may as well ask them how they feel about fly ash's role in Portland cement. It sounds as if while you don't believe in God, you don't even want him to exist if he does. I don't really care about god, and am quite pleased that those descriptions of god which I find malevolent and vindictive are also contradictory and cannot exist. Believe it or not I take a sort of comfort in the callousness of nature. In the face of a society comprised of man's laws that are dispensed with prejudice, we live in an environment that behaves predictably and ignores personal beliefs, wealth, and even power. That to me is an ultimate form of justice. It is worthy of more respect than we give to petty gods. Side: No
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but as you were not there at the beginning of the universe, you can not yet prove that theory, nether can i prove mine. we both have to take a leap of faith for each of our ideas. i personally rather leap for the idea of an happy ending, rather than just an end. It doesn't work that way. Before you buy into the apologetics nonsense that says things like "no one was here so we can't know" and "if both are by faith then both are equal" try thinking it through to realise that these are augments sold to people as platitudes designed to make you feel warm and secure inside because they halt your thinking. Firstly, we do know a lot of things, and can know a lot of things without having to be at the scene of an event. This is so obvious that you take it for granted. When a house is in ruins and parts are everywhere hundreds of feet away, nearby panes of glass are shattered, and the house is on fire or burnt, we can infer an explosion took place without being at the scene at the time of explosion. That our universe expanded from a singularity, and our reality seems to exist as a result of a lot of change during the early universe is something we infer from all the evidence left behind. Secondly, even if something is taken on axiom or theory only, it's not the same as taking it on faith and even if it were the formation of the universe as described by physics requires fewer assumption than religious dogma does. It's more elegant, it seems to follow mathematical laws and physical laws, so it is in no way equal to religious faith. Even if it were just a hypothesis it would be superior to dogma. Also finally, hoping for a happy ending is largely irrelevant to this. We're not talking about hopes, and hopes don't change reality. All we have are facts. Side: No
When looking at Life, in contrast to the universe; No, we have no reason to be. We are not able to change anything in our universe. The universe barely even knows we exsist. But, in contrast to the Earth or to other animals; yes we have a purpose. People ask "why are we here" we are here because our ansectors need 2 legs, apposible thumbs, and intellect of agriculture to survive. And so we were formed from their need to live. And so we carry that same purpose. Side: No
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I do not believe so. Our evolution and been rationally explained through science, And just because the very begging has not been discovered doesn't mean we should all believe in a "higher power" putting us all here for a purpose. Babies come out of the womb crying, and then die seconds later. Id there a purpose for them? No just as there is no purpose for us. We simply exist through unseen circumstances and evolved to a point of thinking rationally on our own. Side: No
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To say that life has a purpose is akin to saying that gravity has a purpose. Should the circumstances be adequate, life will arise, without, it seems, any input from meddlesome deities. Similarly, should the circumstances be adequate, a rock which topples from a ledge will fall to the ground. Why did the rock fall? Did it have a destination? Was it embarking on some intrepid quest? Or was it merely being acted upon by an incontrovertible force? The issue which confuses people into thinking they are part of some enigmatic "plan" is their complexity. How can we think? How can we feel? They cannot answer this, and refuse to accept the mundane answer given to them by scientists, so they attribute their existence to magic. Instead of asking how, they ask "why?" Side: No
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