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Why are we here.

watsup

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I guess that this has been discussed time and again in freshman dorm debate sessions, but I thought I’d give it another shot.
As far as I can tell, we are here because of the Big Bang, abiogenesis, and evolution. Beyond that, in a more philosophical sense, I would say that every person has to make their own decision. In some cases, that decision leads to evil and hopefully, in most cases. It leads to a positive life in good coherence with the other humans on the planet. In my case, I use Humanism as a guideline for determining the answer, which is basically the last phrase of the previous sentence.
Why are you here?
 
to serve God
 
tshade said:
wrong-----------------do you think all the logic of the universe just began from nothing ??
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Those that do not believe have no answer for how it all came about. The talk about the big bang, what caused it? They can't explain how all live emerged from a single microbe, they never address the millions of years gap in the evolution theory.
 
I guess that some people say we are here to have a good time.

Others say that we are here to help others.

I like to think the second choice is closer to the truth.
 
If there's a reason for our existence only one thing is for sure: we're not meant to know it.

So perhaps it's all a single-question test: How well do we live our lives knowing the very purpose of our life is uncertain?

Whether we realize it or not, we'll all provide an answer to that question.
 
watsup said:
No evidence, no God. Try again.
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Those who disbelieve will never find scientific evidence for God. That's because He wants you to come to Him through faith, because faith shows love, while science does not.

As you know, humanism doesn't discount the existence of God (atheism does that), it merely puts emphasis on our human condition, e.g., how we relate to each other, our potential, etc. To that end, my "humanist" philosophy is similar to my religious one--be good to other people, help them accomplish their goals, try to aid those who need it. I believe strongly that we can make the world a better place. The advancement of science is a good example. Through science, we have created new ways to accomplish our worthy goals--from medicines to the exploration of space.

So, I guess, in a nutshell (since I'm a nut ), my philosophy is to simply help others and always do the best you can in whatever you set out to do.
 
In purely secular reasoning, there is no purpose. We haven't been around that long, on the grand scheme of things and at any point it could all end, multiple ways, be it a giant asteroid or w/e and then billions of years will pass without us.
 
Integrityrespec said:
Those that do not believe have no answer for how it all came about. The talk about the big bang, what caused it? They can't explain how all live emerged from a single microbe, they never address the millions of years gap in the evolution theory.
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Just because you can "explain it" with a fairytale, doesn't make your beliefs valid. God of the gaps is lazy. Without any proof, it's just wishful thinking.
 

Not sure what you’re getting at. Are you saying that there is indeed an overarching “reason” for our existencd, we just don’t have access to it. That seems very strange and odd. And how do YOU know this????? You’re going to need to expand and expound.
 
Integrityrespec said:
Those that do not believe have no answer for how it all came about. The talk about the big bang, what caused it? They can't explain how all live emerged from a single microbe, they never address the millions of years gap in the evolution theory.
Click to expand...

Do you have an alternate explanation? What is it, and how does it reference “why we are here”?
 
No reason in particular, other than to survive and reproduce, as have all our ancestors back to abiogenesis.
 
The only roadblock I hit whenever I think of a possible reason for human existence other than a religious one, is one that goes back to before I was born.

Before I was born, I was what you might call "oblivion" or "oblivious"--no thoughts, no memories, nothing to indicate existence. Butt after being born, I now have thoughts and memories, I feel I have existence.

If, after my death, I were to go back to "oblivion," then it would essentially mean that my life had no purpose. My physical body might have been used to create other humans (not yet, though ), but if that were my only purpose, then why would I have developed a brain--a brain that had thoughts and feelings unrelated to reproduction? Even if I were an atheist, I would have to question an "evolution" that gave me those unneeded things.

That's what makes it difficult for me to discount the existence of God. I do believe that God might have used evolution to create me for a purpose--but evolution, by itself, simply dictates my returning to oblivion, with all those other thoughts and emotions having no purpose.
 
watsup said:
Are you saying that there is indeed an overarching “reason” for our existencd, we just don’t have access to it.
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I said if there's reason for our existence, we're not meant to know it. That accounts for a this possibility that there is no reason for our existence.
 
NatMorton said:
I said if there's reason for our existence, we're not meant to know it. That accounts for a this possibility that there is no reason for our existence.
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That’s fine and dandy, but it still doesn’t explain why, IF there is a reason, that we should not be meant to know it. You still need to expand on that part.
 
After careful consideration, observing the trends these days, with respect to a few facts here and there largely made up, and opening a new bottle of Calumet Single Rack Black Label 15 year Bourbon... I have come to the conclusion that our exclusive purpose is to annoy other people.
 
watsup said:
That’s fine and dandy, but it still doesn’t explain why, IF there is a reason, that we should not be meant to know it. You still need to expand on that part.
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In the entirety of human history, do we have verifiable evidence that even a single person figured it out?

The empirical evidence supporting the assertion is rather overwhelming.
 
NatMorton said:
I said if there's reason for our existence, we're not meant to know it. That accounts for a this possibility that there is no reason for our existence.
Click to expand...

Nat, the way it was once explained to me, evolution is always aimed at something, usually reproduction (some add "survival," but that can be said to be for reproduction, too). For example, we have eyes so we can see danger coming, legs to run away from it, etc.

But if evolution has reproduction as its reason, then what's the reason for reproduction? It must be to reach some kind of goal. That, itself, raises another question--why does evolution continue to produce animals that die of old age? And if reproduction is its goal, why do some animals eat other animals? Why didn't evolution create nothing but vegetarian animals?

I believe there are answers to all of that--we just haven't discovered them yet. But whenever we do, I think it will make sense to us and will give us a secular, scientific reason for our existence.

(For the record, I'll still prefer the religious one, though. )
 
NatMorton said:
In the entirety of human history, do we have verifiable evidence that even a single person figured it out?

The empirical evidence supporting the assertion is rather overwhelming.
Click to expand...

If “not a single person” has figured out an overarching philosophical-based reason as to why we are here, then the most likely explanation is that there simply is not one. Occam’s Razor. To then go on to claim that it is somehow being hidden is definitely a bridge too far.
 
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