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If there is no god. What's the purpose of this life?

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Experience can be a harsh teacher, but it’s one of the best ways to learn….what to do (and how to behave), and what not to do (and how not to behave)!

It’s an ability unique to humans.
Sorry to be picky, but many animals also learn from experiences and usually adjust accordingly.

Enjoy the Lord's Day regardless as to when you celebrate it.
 

Hockeycowboy

Witness for Jehovah
Premium Member
Sorry to be picky, but many animals also learn from experiences and usually adjust accordingly.
Like which ones specifically? I wasn’t speaking of instinct. Humans have a built-in guide: they know how to act properly, but can choose to follow a different path. And vice versa: others can see that behavior, observe the outcome, and learn to make other choices. Choices that are not necessarily life or death.

Have a good day, too.
 
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Hockeycowboy

Witness for Jehovah
Premium Member
The entire primate line, but even dogs do as I repeatedly experienced with mine.
That’s from training. Not from a built-in cognitive ability, knowing appropriate selfless behavior, beforehand. As different from an instinctive behavior.
 

Hockeycowboy

Witness for Jehovah
Premium Member
The entire primate line, but even dogs do as I repeatedly experienced with mine.
To a degree, yes….
I saw a YouTube vid, where a lady had 3 dogs, and she came home to a messed-up kitchen (or some other room.) She said to them, “OK, who did this?” The first two dogs were just wagging their tails & happy, but the third one…. He looked so guilty, with his eyes down & his tail between his legs! You knew right away who did it! It was funny!!
So, you’re right, to a large extent .

But, humans can choose to be devious… a human who did that….caused that mess….could act happy & “wag his tail” if he had one, just as if he’s as innocent as the others.

Conversely, from the other perspective, those innocent dogs in the video, exhibited no empathy for their unrelated compadre. They would not “stick up for him” or try and shield him from the consequences. But other humans could… and do.

Have a good one.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
That’s from training. Not from a built-in cognitive ability, knowing appropriate selfless behavior, beforehand. As different from an instinctive behavior.
Nope, as what you're saying used to be believed but has repeatedly proven wrong. Here's one source and there's plenty more:
Previous research has shown that animals can remember specific events, use tools and solve problems. But exactly what that means – whether they are making rational decisions or simply reacting to their environment through mindless reflex – remains a matter of scientific dispute... -- Do Animals Think Rationally?

Here's another more in-depth link: Animal learning - Insight, Reasoning, Behavior
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Conversely, from the other perspective, those innocent dogs in the video, exhibited no empathy for their unrelated compadre. They would not “stick up for him” or try and shield him from the consequences. But other humans could… and do.
Elephants actually do as well as chimps per Jane Goodall's experiences with the latter.

Thanks for correcting a previous post of yours, and I'll see ya on the other side of the weekend as I'm outta here till then.

shalom
 

beenherebeforeagain

Rogue Animist
Premium Member
Personally, I think it is an open question whether all humans are making rational decisions or simply reacting to their environment through mindless reflex...subject, of course, to behavioral modification...whether internally or externally applied...
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
I believe Human beings were created, for way more than working a 9-5, raising a family, then dying. What are your thoughts?
What purpose do you suppose humans were created for? How do you suppose you could ever know for sure? And if you cannot know for sure, then what meaning does your life have anyway?

For me, an atheist, the only way out of that dilemma was to define my own purposes for myself.
 

Whateverist

Active Member
I believe Human beings were created, for way more than working a 9-5, raising a family, then dying. What are your thoughts?

I think even if God as popularly conceived doesn’t exist, that which has given rise to and still supports god belief does exist and is sufficient to provide all the meaning desired though that may not be easy to find or look like what you expected.
 

Hockeycowboy

Witness for Jehovah
Premium Member
Elephants actually do as well as chimps per Jane Goodall's experiences with the latter.
Those are exceptions to the rule; they are not the majority behavior for these animals.
And when they do exhibit this behavior, it’s usually for their relations, not outsiders. For animals, concern for outsiders is exceptional behavior.
Thanks for correcting a previous post of yours, and I'll see ya on the other side of the weekend as I'm outta here till then.
Yes, I was in the process of editing apparently, because I only noticed your reply after I finished.

Have a safe weekend.
 
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Hockeycowboy

Witness for Jehovah
Premium Member

Yes, this is well-known.

But show me this chimp, after getting the banana, selflessly give it to an unrelated chimp who’s hungrier than he is? (And not for mating purposes, lol.)

“…animals can remember specific events, use tools and solve problems. But exactly what that means – whether they are making rational decisions or simply reacting to their environment through mindless reflex – remains a matter of scientific dispute... -- Do Animals Think Rationally?

Now that caveat, I agree with.

There’s a lot for us to learn! Many, unfortunately, reach their own conclusions before knowing the pertinent aspects of a certain subject. (Whatever the subject may be.)

I guess we all have that unflattering inclination, to some degree! It would seem this inclination is directly related to the level of pride we have: the more pride one has, the quicker we are to reach decisions that agree with our biases. The less evidence we require to confirm those biases for ourselves.

(Thoughts such as this, and other people’s ideas, are vastly superior to any reasoning an animal might have.)
 
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YoursTrue

Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
Even with a God, why would life have a purpose?
I'm not going to answer that now perhaps, but since evolution is mindless obviously life as defined in the theory of evolution would have no purpose.
 

F1fan

Veteran Member
I believe Human beings were created, for way more than working a 9-5, raising a family, then dying. What are your thoughts?
We are animals that think. Don't think so much.

Humans often want to be more significant that what nature offers us. That is the greed that comes so naturally in our minds.

If human beings were created why were the mentally ill created? Why were children with genes that cause childhood cancers created? Why are children with defects created? Why are there so many born with low intelligence? Why is there bacteria that kills humans?

If you are going to ask questions I suggest the bigger picture for context, not just select bits.
 

nPeace

Veteran Member
Would it be so bad if humans weren't special?
I think so... Life would make no sense. In fact, nothing about this earth would make sense.
The earth and animal life seem to get by well without humans. Yet humans are striving... or at least wanting to be able to get along well with the planet.
So why do they have that desire... and why are they failing, for the most part?
The answers I have found perfectly answers those questions, as well as shows humans are special.
 
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