How does God = purpose?

[Arvel Joffi]

I'm still trying to understand this line of reasoning, as it's something endlessly touted by theists: "Without God, life has no purpose." How does a supernatural creator give your life purpose? Suppose that, say, evangelical Christians are right. It would mean that there are rules to be followed, that we have souls, that some are heavenbound and others hellbound, and that God, in his own "unique" way loves us all. You could argue, whether you're right or not, that God = everlasting life; God = love; God = wrath; God = morality, etc. But I don't see any correlation for God = purpose. Is it that theistic purpose is really so pedantic, so shallow, so simple that purpose is just trying to go to Heaven?

Enlighten this poor, lost fool, whose life has no meaning other than to seek wisdom, love, and joy!

[espritch]

From the theistic p.o.v., man's purpose is to serve God. Of course that still leaves the question of what God's purpose is.

I've never found this satisfactory either. I guess theists figure that as long as God fufills their need for a purpose, they'll just let God worry about his purpose.

[Arvel Joffi]

I see. Slaves have purpose: To serve their master.

[PinkPanther_04]

I see. Slaves have purpose: To serve their master.
Now you're getting it. What in the world would slaves do without a master? They'd be hopelessly lost and wind up immoral and depressed with no one to tell them what to do. And please don't suggest that they become their own masters and decide how they want to live their own lives. That's just arrogance.

[fatpie42]

I see. Slaves have purpose: To serve their master.

Yeah, that's about right. However, you must remember that the God of Judaism was, in a way, chosen by the Israelites as a people. They chose the kind of embodiment of the divine to worship and that became their master. The problem came when things started going badly for them, thus leading to the concept their master punishing them.

[GenesisNemesis]

"Everything that has a beginning has a cause"

Then what's the cause for short-lived children?

[Vitalstatistix]

I'm still trying to understand this line of reasoning, as it's something endlessly touted by theists: "Without God, life has no purpose." How does a supernatural creator give your life purpose?Objectively he doesn't, but if you think he does, then voila! He does. Purpose is a subjective thing & you're free to make it up so you think someone gave it to you.

[ziffel]

From the theistic p.o.v., man's purpose is to serve God. Of course that still leaves the question of what God's purpose is.

I've never found this satisfactory either. I guess theists figure that as long as God fufills their need for a purpose, they'll just let God worry about his purpose.


Why would an omnimax god need to be served?

It's amusing just how human-like they've made their god to be. They call him "king", he sits on a chair, he gets happy, sad, angry, jealous, he starts wars, hears petitions, seeks people to bow down at his feet, and so on. It's really comical if you think about it.