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zulucross
New Member
1 Post |
 Posted - 05/05/2003 : 03:57:03
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The Meaning of Life
To the questioning person the ancient Greeks, philosophers, wise men, poets, kings, intellects and storytellers have all tried to present the true meaning of life in a concise and understanding manner but most have failed to convince the reader of their message. Novelist Ernest Hemingway, who we mistakenly thought was living the high life said, "I live in a vacuum that is as lonely as a radio tube when the batteries are dead and there is no current to plug into."
Thousands of people worldwide commit suicide every year as a result of depression and loneliness. Clinical depression is a medical condition but for many people depression and anxiety is brought on by lack of direction in life. Many people just have no idea where they are going and most don't even know why they exist. The Western world is competing in one big rat race that is racing towards a finish line that nobody can see or reach. The world is made of winners and losers. The rich live in comfort and the poor live in desperation. The rich, the good-looking and healthy are invited to all the cocktail parties but the poor, the ill and the less-fortunate in appearance sit at home alone.
We live in a cruel world but it should never have been like this.
No Meaning of Life essay can have any substance to it without focusing wholly on God - as He IS Life. God and Humanity all starts in the Book of Genesis one of the greatest pieces of literature of all time.
Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with themselves, each other and in fellowship with God. Sin, sickness, illness, depression, misery, boredom, waste, greed, hatred, filth and unhappiness were unknown to them. God in His infinite wisdom realised that Adam and Eve needed the gift of choice but such a gift was to be given at a great cost. The choice to follow himself or herself or God. Unfortunately they chose to follow themselves. Thus entered sin and death into the world. Adam and Eve produced and the children ventured out into the world spiritually dead since the Fall. God, now having given man the gift of choice decided that He would invite mankind back into fellowship with Him. By deciding to follow themselves and not God, Adam and Eve brought the penalty of spiritual death upon themselves. This curse now had to be broken but only God could break that as He had placed the death penalty on mankind in the first place. God realised that all humanity should WANT to follow Him - not HAVE to follow Him. In order for humanity to seek God from the heart, God realised that there was no sense in casting a blanket magic spell' on mankind by making mankind follow Him as an order as that would get us all back to square one where we saw Adam and Eve before they were offered the gift of choice. God knew that if we wanted a true relationship with Him we would have to earn the privilege by seeking Him in earnest. God then had to decide where in all the length of humanity the perfect time or opportunity to present the rescue package would be most appropriate. God had to produce a rescue package that could be both looked forward to and be gratefully looked back on, so He decided to present the rescue package in 4 BC. The Old Testament faithful were apparently saved "on credit" as it were, until they could be perfected through Christ. (See last couple verses of Hebrews 11.) Jesus is the Lamb for all peoples (see Rev 5 and 7). Anyone who comes into God's "house" comes in through Jesus, no matter when they lived. We have to remember that Jesus is not only the Lamb, He is the Door (John 10) and He is the Word (John 1). The Word is the Door. The Old Testament came in (into God's elect) through the Word of God, which they believed in and did and persevered by. (Hebrews 11 is all about those who persevered in knowing the Word of God and doing it).
Now think of Passover, the picture of Jesus...Jesus is the Door, but He's also the Lamb, and the Lamb's blood is on the Door. Interestingly, if y
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2003 : 07:00:41 [Permalink]
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zulucross wrote:quote:
No Meaning of Life essay can have any substance to it without focusing wholly on God...
Well, you blew it then, since the first two paragraphs don't mention God at all. Your essay has no substance, per your own standards. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2003 : 13:00:17 [Permalink]
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I'm perfectly satisfied with, "42" as the answer. It neatly wraps up the meaning of life, the univers and everything.
Beyond that, why does life have to have a meaning?
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Slater
SFN Regular
USA
1668 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2003 : 13:38:48 [Permalink]
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5 will get you 10 that this depressing young man will never post a second time.
Any takers? |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2003 : 18:53:35 [Permalink]
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quote:
5 will get you 10 that this depressing young man will never post a second time.
Any takers?
You ain't a'gittin' none o' my money, bro! 
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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gezzam
SFN Regular
Australia
751 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2003 : 22:21:40 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by filthy
I'm perfectly satisfied with, "42" as the answer. It neatly wraps up the meaning of life, the univers and everything.
Beyond that, why does life have to have a meaning?
Too right there.....
Talking about 42, the meaning of life and Douglas Adams Has anyone ever read his amusing dictionary "The meaning of Liff"???? |
Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from.
Al Franken |
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Tim
SFN Regular
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2003 : 03:19:53 [Permalink]
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quote:
Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with themselves, each other and in fellowship with God.
Sounds like a freakin' Coke commercial. If everything was so perfect, why did they have to go and eat the stupid fruit? Sorry...I couldn't read past this point. I haven't got patience with these guys sometimes. I've met too many a depressing Christian! You'd think that if God was omnipotent He'd let His followers keep their personalities. I'd be much more interested in these guys if they had some fun every now and then. Imagine...an eternity of banal prayer to a spiteful, egotistical god with a sissy '60's hippie kid, and some holey ghost thing that nobody knows what in the hell it really is. Now, that sounds depressing!
And, I haven't read any of Douglas Adams' book in years. Maybe, I should try again?
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"We got an issue in America. Too many good docs are gettin' out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their -- their love with women all across this country." Dubya in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 9/6/2004
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moakley
SFN Regular
USA
1888 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2003 : 04:52:55 [Permalink]
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quote:
Anyone who comes into God's "house" comes in through Jesus, no matter when they lived.
This is your statement so this is "your" rule. It clearly mean that the bowels of hell are line with people who have never heard of the Jesus myth and babies too young to understand the Jesus myth. So this is a rule of your loving god ???
edited because I left some words out |
Life is good
Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned. -Anonymous |
| Edited by - moakley on 05/07/2003 04:55:24 |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2003 : 06:52:19 [Permalink]
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Oh, look. An opinion piece.
OK. I've got my Mt. McKinnley size grain of salt ready and let's read.
First paragraph prattles on about people who tried to define the meaning of life for everyone. In my experience, this is an impossible task as no two people are alike. The meaning of life is something personal. To some, it is the acquisition of wealth. To some, it is the study of their own religion. To some, it is the pursuit of knowledge. To some, it is public service. It is that which provides direction in our own lives. Religion can be a part of this but is not required.
Second paragraph discusses both depression (clinical and psychological) and class differences. What? No rousing call for an end to capitalism and the institution of Communism to bring about Utopia? I feel cheated. Sometimes, people kill themselves for selfish reasons. Sometimes, they kill themselves because they have a degerative disease that causes them great pain and suffering and choose to meet death on their own terms.
Subsequent paragraphs contain basic Fundie crap about how their way is the only way and the Adam and Eve myth is real. Ends off with a giveaway that the poster is a drive-by who lacks the conviction to discuss his religion. He only posted here to stand on this street corner and shout his beliefs through the loudspeaker. Empassioned plea to follow Jesus. Form over substance and appeal to consequences logical fallacies thrown in for good measure.
And Slater is trying to make money by offering a sucker bet. :)
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Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
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LordofEntropy
Skeptic Friend
USA
85 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2003 : 10:00:55 [Permalink]
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"We live in a cruel world but it should never have been like this."
Perhaps you need to talk to your Magic Sky Pixie about that.
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Entropy just isn't what it used to be.
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| Edited by - LordofEntropy on 05/07/2003 10:04:38 |
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Mespo_man
Skeptic Friend
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2003 : 10:31:32 [Permalink]
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quote:
We have to remember that Jesus is not only the Lamb, He is the Door (John 10) and He is the Word (John 1). The Word is the Door.
Make sure the Door doesn't hit you in the Ass on the Way Out.
(:raig
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2003 : 13:10:12 [Permalink]
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quote:
the Book of Genesis one of the greatest pieces of literature of all time.
Apparently he has no concept of good literature or has never read the thing. |
...no one has ever found a 4.5 billion year old stone artifact (at the right geological stratum) with the words "Made by God."
No Sense of Obligation by Matt Young
"Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith. I consider the capacity for it terrifying and vile!"
Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
They (Women Marines) don't have a nickname, and they don't need one. They get their basic training in a Marine atmosphere, at a Marine Post. They inherit the traditions of the Marines. They are Marines.
LtGen Thomas Holcomb, USMC
Commandant of the Marine Corps, 1943
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| Edited by - Trish on 05/08/2003 13:11:07 |
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LordofEntropy
Skeptic Friend
USA
85 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2003 : 13:39:26 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Trish
Apparently he has no concept of good literature or has never read the thing.
No doubt. We all know the Harry Potter books are the greatest pieces of literature of all time.
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Entropy just isn't what it used to be.
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Jayster
New Member
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2003 : 17:45:09 [Permalink]
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| zulu I found that interesting though I found the skeptics a little more interesting. I'm for God (take it easy skeptics I'm not a titty baby like zulu)but I learned you really need to take it easy and thank God for a life you can enjoy. I suggest a forty ouncer of Mickeys to calm those christian mama boy nerves and ask God to help you to be able to adapt to the people of today. |
Jayster |
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Tim
SFN Regular
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2003 : 03:45:29 [Permalink]
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quote:
I learned you really need to take it easy and thank God for a life you can enjoy.
And, what exactly is this supposed to proove? I don't know of anyone here that has a problem with taking it easy, but why should we thank God for this opportunity. It is God's idea, afterall, that we have to toil. He is the omniscient being that is supposed to have designed the idea that the sons should pay for the sins of the father. How could an omniscient being have not known that his toy people in the garden would munch out on His precious fruit of knowledge?
Plus, how could the toy humans have known that they were doing wrong? They hadn't yet eaten the damned fruit that let them know that disobediance to this spiteful god would piss Him off so much that he would have to punish every human born from that point on.
Yes, it's God's fault that we have to go out into the world and bust our butts on the job. Why in the hell should we thank Him for the need to take it easy?
Then again, for any of this argument to make sense, Jayster, you need to prove that God exists. Dude, you made the claim...You back it up! |
"We got an issue in America. Too many good docs are gettin' out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their -- their love with women all across this country." Dubya in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 9/6/2004
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Cold in here
New Member
Canada
48 Posts |
Posted - 05/25/2003 : 22:02:46 [Permalink]
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Egad! The Book of Genesis has once again been treated as a work of non-fiction? Don't get me wrong, I am a practising Anglican (Episcopalian to my American friends) and I believe in God, but to suggest that this "wonderful" piece of literature have some merit would be to call Gilbert & Sullivan Royal Historians. The "meaning of life" is something that you can waste your life questing, but you'll only find once you're dead, so don't bother.
N.B. Jesus probably wouldn't want you to beat yourself up because some bloody book tells you, ever spent any time reading the joyful parts of the NEW Testament? Probably not, I suspect you're busy reeling in the horror of my herecy, and begging forgiveness for my soul. Well don't worry, I'll repent in my own style. Sorry, I'm just an ordinary guy who refuses to believe that God is so uncaring, and unsupportive of other faith. Cheers, and sorry If I've offended anyone, just my two cents  |
Toronto is the capital of Canada, and I live in a giant igloo. Blubber anyone? |
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