I guess you say "nihilist." I say "almost-nihilist",technically speaking, that is. My purpose? I say it's ALL subjective for me. I am selfish too,to an extent. And seeing to it that I help others that I care about,is also selfish, since it makes ME feel good. So I guess in one sense,we're not that different. Rock on, brotha!!!
Why do so many people NEED to believe in a greater purpose?
by gringojj 110 Replies latest jw friends
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marsh
Not sure what thread to put this on anyway,
Church yesterday was excellent then lunch with Christian friends we discussed so much...........I heard of a man Nicky Cruz. what an amazing story www.nickycruz.org
This man was once described as the 'son of satan' He met David Wilkerson a skinny street preacher who showed him relentless love.Nicky beat him up,spat on him,and threatened his life.Yet the love of God remained-stronger than any adversary Nicky had ever had encountered.
today Nicky reaches out to todays youth because they relate to his background.
Jehovahs way of Salvation..............
1.SALVATION Look to the Son John 6:40,Listen to the Son,Matt 17:5 Obey the Son,John 14:21 Salvation only in the Son,Acts 4:12,Through the Son John 14:6
2.VICTORY,PEACE & REST .Victory,1 Cor 15:57;Col 2:15,
Peace,John 14:27 ,16:33
Rest,Mathew 11:28.
3.THE REASONS WHY WE MUST GO THROUGH THE SON.
Life given by the Son,John 5:21;10:28
Our Judge is the Son John 5:22
Therefore the same honour must be given to the Son as is given to the Father .John 5:23
THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.
1 Cor 15:3
1 Cor 2:2
Luke 24:26.
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marsh
HYMN
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred
Let me bring your love;
where there is injury,
your pardon Lord;
and where there's doubt,
true faith in you.
Oh Master ,grant that I may never seek
so much as to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved,as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is despair in life
let me bring hope;
where there is darkness,only light;
and where there's sadness,ever joy.
make me a channel of your peace,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
in giving to all men that we receive;
and in dying that we're born to eternal life.
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AuldSoul
I don't know, exi. He may be a true nihilist.
It matters not if you die or suffer, he doesn't care. It matters not if he dies or suffers, he doesn't care. And, as the coup de grâce, he doesn't care to off himself. That seems pretty nihilistic.
But at least he chooses nihilism. Well, except for the fact that he revels in it (i.e. "love[s] it") which sort of blows the whole nihilist concept.
TS, I used to be like that. I attempted suicide twice and not for attention. I was supremely disappointed when I found out I was still alive. I felt doomed as the ultimate failure, that I couldn't even kill myself successfully. You have said repeatedly that you are open to having a greater purpose, which means you aren't quite where I was, but you are on your way. You seem to want a greater purpose given to you, but that is what the JWs taught. They had a greater purpose all wrapped up for you in a nice big box with pretty wrapping paper and a cheerful blue bow on top.
Now you don't have anyone giving you a purpose so you come to the conclusion there is none. When all around you there are clear proofs that people who are not religious have greater purpose than you describe. Dawkins wrote a book or two . Hawking used his abilities to delve into physics in an almost spiritual way, speculating freely about what might be. Asimov created worlds that spark philosophical thinking to the delight of millions. They were not given a greater purpose. They chose one.
And that is what it's about. Choice. I'm not better or worse than you. I chose differently. Enjoy your choice!
AuldSoul (of the "Prefers Not to Encourage Self-Destruction" class)
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Nate Merit
The human brain is hardwired for religious experiences. Evidently it does (or did) have some evolutionary purpose. What that is I have no clue. At least today. Ask me when I don't have the flu.
You can learn about the parts of the brain hardwired for religious experience with a Google search. I know you know that but I felt obligated to write something appropriate.
In misery,
Nate -
existentialist
Sorry, not to belabor or nitpick the semantics of nihilism,, but tetra seems to care, even a little bit, since he hasn't killed himself yet. Suicide is easy to do: jump off a cliff,take too many sleeping pills,run in front of a train,etc, but he hasn't done it yet.If you really want out,you'll be out, trust me.
It may be the case that he wants to continously enjoy something/someone/somewhere/some way that compells him to forge on.The way he describes life sometimes, it seems that no matter what "crap" (obstacles,conflict,disappointment) he encounters,he still thinks it's worth living out the rest of his life, whether it be minutes or decacdes.After all, he feels that it's satisfying to purge his JW demons by contributing to this board. Talk about incentive,project,or purpose....
If he truly hated his particular life, as opposed to the broader concept of life in general, he would have offed himself, but the fact is,even he realizes that things change,but more importantly people change.They change by choice.The choices they make determine where they go,and how they feel. This freedom makes them limitless in what they want to do,or where they want to go. So, until we die, we are always a work in progress.Death is the obvious barrier against what we want to do. Other than our physical death, what's stopping us? Nothing. So there is always more room for choice,change,and circumstance, however we define those to be. Even Tetra knows that if you become resteless,dissatisfied,bored,and so on,you can always make a choice to engage in something else,or go somewhere else, for better or for worse. Freedom isn't a choice,it's aready what we are born with and inescapable,wheter it be wealth, evil, religion, altruism, selfishness, or suicide. The problem is, we are nauseated by this fact of freedom and we can't do anything about it other than realize the fact that we are "sentenced" to keep making choices. It's like humans are free, but in a prison. We are "free" to make any choice we want, but we are "bound" to this process of making choices. We can't escape it, or turn it off. Sometimes we want other people to make choices for us, but even then, we still give them consent if we listen to them, since we can always choose not to listen to them or concede.This upsets alot of people. But, like I said, the fact that we are free enables us to "readjust" ourselves until we're where we want to be, or do what we want to do. Tetra sold his condo,wishes to pursue art for his own enjoyment,etc, and that sounds like he's got a plan of some sort, no matter how "small" it may seem to him.
Forge on, Tetra. -
Nate Merit
Dear Existentialist:
Welcome, newbie, to The Bored. I mean, The Board.
Your post takes me back. Back. Back. Okay, thats far enough. Now I can see you better.
Your post reminds me of the mental pretzels I baked and thorughly enjoyed eating in Philosophy 101 and Reality 202. Ah, those were the daze my friend, we thought they'd never end. We'd sing and dance forever and a day. We'd live the life we'd choose, we'd fight and never lose, for we were young and sure to have our way...." Hopefully, you know the rest. If not, what you dont't know can't hurt me.
Yours in Existential Ennui,
Nate
"Freedom is just another word for nuthin left to lose" -
Nate Merit
Marsh, thats a prayer written by Saint Francis of Assisi.
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Narkissos
Nihilism: THE philosophical bogeyman.
The closer approached, the stronger denied.
Why?
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diamondblue1974
Religion itself was constructed out of a sociological need to believe in a higher being or for something which would explain the reasons for being here....which in all honesty no one knows for sure.