What is the point of life?

[storm]

Not in a 'oh, I'm depressed, what is the point of it all?', but rather what is the point of being here, what should our lives be about? What should we do with our 70-80years (if we're lucky).
Is it self gratification, simply the continuation of the species through procreation, to 'make a better world'(+if so what does that mean), or is there no point or overall aim we should have. Or are we just here by happenstance and it doesnt matter - so it's a stupid question?

[Archangel]

Who the fuck are you, and why are you starting threads in this section?

[UNC]

The point of life is to be in a place of power at GMF so that you may ask questions like "who the fuck are you?"

[VoxAngelikus]

Who the fuck are you?

[UNC]

good one

[VoxAngelikus]

Hardly. That was way too predictable on my part.

[UNC]

I was being a tad bit sarcastic

[VoxAngelikus]

Ohhhh... Well.. Then that was a good one. (see what I did there?)

[redsox39]

So I am currently reading "Blasphemy" by Douglas Preston. I love his books, especially the Agent Pendergast series coauthored by Lincoln Child. They make you think, most of the time I am constantly trying to figure out what is going to happen before it does and who is responsible, and sometimes I can, sometimes I can't. This book however is blowing me away.

The premise of Blasphemy is that the US has built a $40 billion supercollider, named Isabella, larger than the one in Europe to finally put us back on top in nuclear particle research. I haven't gotten all the way through the book yet so I don't know how it will end, but the gist is that when the scientists bring the collider up to 99.9% power, they experience a break in space-time, and something speaks to them. They believe it is a malware program and spend attempt after attempt to find it. Finally however they try to engage it in conversation. While it is not really clear whether this contact is supposed to be God (it does say that the closest thing to it we humans can understand is God), it brings up some very interesting conversation.

When asked what the purpose of existence is, it replies that it doesn't know. Then explains that if it did know, there would be no reason for existence. So basically if we are living in a space between the beginning of the universe and the end of the universe, it is a futile exercise for us to exist if there is no point or if the point is already known. If God already knows the purpose of existence, then our existence is just a moot point and really it is just God playing with us. If you are already at the end of a journey, what is the point of traveling it? If however the meaning of existence is unknown to God, He simply created us, then we are all working toward a future state which is unknown.

Stephen Hawking has proposed that before the Big Bang, time did not exist and a tiny bit of space morphed into time and triggered the Big Bang, then before time there was no difference between eternity and one second. Which wouldn't it then follow that the moment time came into existence, it always existed? Which completely contradicts the previous thought. Further, if the universe is constantly expanding, won't there be at point at which it reaches a "critical mass" if you will and reverses itself? Then does existence itself cease to exist? Or can we reach another state before that time and alter the future?

We as humans tend to define things in relation to other things. We have Laws of Nature, and place everything into its own definitive individual existence, but what if everything is not separate but everything is one? That is, we are all connected to each other and the universe and working toward an unknown state? I don't know what happens when we die, outside of the fact that eventually our physical body stops existing, and eventually we will be forgotten on this earth. But if the purpose of existence is unknown and the point is the journey we take, then what if we affect the universe simply by living our lives? What if what you did, each action, created a small wave in the entire being that is the universe? Why does there have to be a God? Why can't there just be a higher power that we are all connected to?

Don't get me wrong, I was raised a Christian, and I do believe there is a higher power. Whether that is the Christian God, or not, I don't know. Religion to me is a creation of man to answer a need. Why do I need to believe verbatim a book that was written by men? Man is fallible. Why can I not simply feel connected to and believe in a higher being in my own way? Why does it have to be either religion or science? Why cannot there be evolution that was begun by God? Who is to say that it wasn't God who initiated the morphing of space into time and created the Big Bang?

There are some things about this book that disturb me, the main one being the possibility that there are so many people out there willing to raise up against something they don't understand, and I think to understand me here you need to read the book. But overall, it made me think. It expressed a lot of my thoughts and feelings that I've never been able to put word to before. Anyway, so many thoughts running through my head, like, who the fuck are you?

[freegood]

Who the fuck are you?

[UNC]

I don't know who the fuck anyone in this thread is other than Arch...and I wish I didn't know that much

[Fuh Q]

Who the fuck is this guy?


But seriously, I think the meaning of life is to reproduce. To what end? I have no idea

[Archangel]

I don't know who the fuck anyone in this thread is other than Arch...and I wish I didn't know that much

Oi!

[Claibo]

Who the fuck is this guy?


But seriously, I think the meaning of life is to reproduce. To what end? I have no idea


next time you think... think you shouldnt post.

[storm]

OK so, it seems my intro and some other posts have disappeared from GMF....inc my rep.

Perhaps this is why:

01.06.09: Whoops...
So the board has been messed up all day. Turns out that lastnight when I ran some updates some files didn't transfer properly during the upload process. Everything appears to be fixed now and everyone should be able to log-in, use rep, etc.

Intro section only shows 83 threads I dont think there's only 83 members..........so I suspect I'm not the only one 'gone missing'

[Morfin]

So go re-post this intro you claim you posted and which was magically deleted or lost.

[Claibo]

what an idiot....

[Blue]

OK so, it seems my intro and some other posts have disappeared from GMF....inc my rep.

Intro section only shows 83 threads I dont think there's only 83 members..........so I suspect I'm not the only one 'gone missing'

DEAD THREAD you fool.

[Archetype]

So go re-post this intro you claim you posted and which was magically deleted or lost.
You're far too forgiving, heathen.

[mongo]

i think this guy forgot the second half of his user name, "...front".

[storm]

So go re-post this intro you claim you posted and which was magically deleted or lost.


Give me a minute! I've just worked out what happened ya putz.

This forum is getting more and more full of small minded, cynical arseholes. All I wanted to do was make a contribution and get a conversation started, but instead this thread of now pretty well stuffed because some wankers feel the need to fill it up with useless, repetitive, abusive posts. How much intelligence does it take to post what the last bloke just did?

Why come to a philosophy thread with that attitude- or do some of you just search around for someone to flame to get gratification.

Thanks to those who responded with some genuine interest and thought and to the spoilers - man, get a life.

[Morfin]

Wow, testy testy. You'll fit in well.

It's funny, but all the small-minded cynical assholes have all followed the rules about posting an intro, etc. (You can find mine in the Archives of the old forum, likely).

You? You come in and whine. Yeah, maybe the whole intro thing is parochial or lame. So what? The powers that be think it's best. So follow the rules. Then you can start posting and maybe add something.

[Blue]

There is no rule anywhere on these boards that say n00bs have to post an intro.

[Claibo]

There is no rule anywhere on these boards that say n00bs have to post an intro.

just that they will be denied a rep converter.... whatever... unspoken rule.

[storm]

Morfin, can you help me? Cant seem to find your intro - got a link please?

[Morfin]

Morfin, can you help me? Cant seem to find your intro - got a link please?

The admins have deleted all prior to 7/04/08. So, you'll have to talk to them.