Sense of Purpose Without Religion

Video illustrating atheist spirituality

Personally, I have a sense of purpose that is routed both in science, philosophy, and instinct.
Science : I am to help make the world a better place for future generations of the Earth. This leads to a sense of moral obligation and social obligation very much like the commandments/law to me. If I do not do something to advance the world, rather it be a good act or an industrial revolution - I have failed in my life. I sin far less than I ever did as a Christian.

Philosophy : I'm an existentialist. I believe that humans feel they must have a purpose - yet are free to make their purpose - when I have a lapse, when I feel useless, I just try to remember to internally make the meaning in my life, and set the value.

Instinct : I am to live. I want to live. I want to thrive. I already have purpose.


I do have lapses, as aforementioned - sometimes I feel like blaming Christianity, or my mum, for raising me christian - really, that's human nature - and very similar to my constant lapses of faith when I was a Christian.

 

What you gotta realize is that *some* religions are there as a general path to explaining subjective experience in an intellectually honest way. Sure sometimes religions can become corrupted but that is the nature of any social institution which exists.

And when you say "God" you have to define it. Christian God? Pagan? Hindu?

What I define as "God" can be experienced directly. It is the principle which directs atoms, chemical reactions, plants, animals, everything. You "meet" God when your body and mind aligns with this universal principle. And the experience can be "super-natural" for sure.

If you're talking about the Christian God. The corruption of their canon, its history, and the general public's misinterpretation of the core messages. Then I'm alongside with ya.

There are many "super-normal" experiences pertaining to "God" which can be experienced on command as real as happiness or sadness.

 

I originally said theism so I assumed we were talking about theism with deities. As long as you're not assuming the existence of things that can not be proven I have no beef with your "religion". I made it extremely clear that I was talking about deities. When people say theism, they mean deities. They certainly don't mean spirituality where "God" is a metaphor or a symbol.

 

Theism automatically means gods.... but what counts as a "God".

My "God" isn't a metaphor or symbol. It is an actual divine "being".

But does a God have to have a limited physical body? A personality?

I guess the word is even kind of limiting. Maybe I need to make a new word like the Jews did.

 

Well the idea that a "God" exists in the world seperate from oneself, and has physical influence on the world or oneself, although it can't be perceived is what I have a problem with. If don't know or care whether that is you. I was simply stating that such beliefs make a mockery of truth. What cannot be perceived and distinguished from oneself is not believable, as perception is required to posit something material.

 

That makes sense.

 

How did this thread turn into a debate on the existance of a higher power? The OP rules that out as a source of meaning and purpose, for this discussion.

 

Oni said it best at the beginning: The question and this thread are fucking useless. Not wanting to discuss something that was fucking useless we then had our own discussion. Get over it.