Count-Down 9: The Meaning of Life

Amazing

I can recall a number of JW articles talking about the meaning of life - of course that meant doing something the Watchtower said would make you happy, like selling magazines door to door or working at Bethel in New York - but, since leaving the JWs 15-years ago, I have not necessarily searched for the meaning of life. I kind of figured that if there is a special meaning, it will become evident.

I love what my oldest son once said: "I don't look for the meaning of life ... rather ... I create my own meaning." That is my son.

For those of us who also believe in God there is meaning in having such a relationship. However, the Catholic Church never taught us that our purpose and meaning of life was to "worship" God ... no, it was simply to know, love, and serve God ... that was our greatest achievement. Whatever your views on life, or the meaning you derive from it, I hope that you never feel that you must grovel to some system of though put in place by another human ... instead, just look inside your own heart and the meaning of life will be there to greet you.

Jim Whitney

Cellist

Can you define the difference between worshipping god and serving god? To me they amount to the same thing. It's just that every different religion gives you a different set of rules to live your life by.

Cellist

Cellist

Definition of worship from the 'Oxford English Dictionary'; 1 a homage or reverence paid to a deity, esp. in a formal service. b the acts, rites, or ceremonies of worship. 2 adoration or devotion comparable to religious homage shown towards a person or principle (the worship of wealth; regarded them with worship in their eyes). 3 archaic worthiness, merit; recognition given or due to these; honour and respect.

Where does grovelling come into this? I never grovelled when I was a JW.

Cellist

Blueblades

Hi Amazing! Viktor E. Frankel's book: Man's Search For Meaning. Look it up. If there is a purpose in life at all, there must be a purpose in suffering and dying. But no man can tell another what this purpose is. Each must find out for himself, and must accept the responsibility that his anwer prescribes.

Blueblades

Amazing

Cellist: I am not into debating various definitions. But, one definition of worship is the "highest form of devotion to someone to the exclusion of all others." One's marriage mate can be an object of worship by that definition. On the other hand "service" is something anyone can do for anyone else. I serve my customers, but I do not worship them. Some serve their employer, but do not worship her or him. God himself serves us with the highest form of love and devotion by dying for us on the cross. As JWs we groveled before the Watchtower, whether we have the courage to admit it or not. The real worship "functionally" for the JWs is toward their organization. Jehovah is simply a branding logo. Catholicism gives one point of view that I find interesting ... "to know, love, and serve God." It is so moderate and unimposing compared to the JW life. As a Catholic one serves God by simply doing good to one's fellow human, especially those in need. When Ray Franz was on the GB he tried to steer the JWs toward the view that "service to God" means all the things we do in life ... but he lost, was forced to resign, and the Society went back to service meaning selling magazines and attending meetings. My main point was bolded in red ... wise words I found coming out of my 33-year old son.

Blue: Excellent quote ... thanks. This is why I only offer a point of view ... and otherwise, leave the matter to others.

Jim W.

Undecided

The meaning of life for a chicken is to feed some human as well as for a cow. The meaning of life for humans is to make some God feel needed by worshiping him. We have free-will to do this or lose our life forever. Of course we have to do alot of other things to stay alive but the main thing is worship God, or is that worship Christ, it gets me confused.

Ken P.

Seeker4

I agree with your son - we create the meaning of our own lives.

S4

OUTLAW

Amazing..I`d have to agree with your son..Sounds like a smart young man...OUTLAW

anewme

No one should tell you how to worship God. You should do whatever your heart moves you to do.
When a relgion tells you to donate a certain sum, or hold the hands a certain way, or attend a certain number of times a week in order to worship properly, this is wrong.

Freely giving according to your hearts appreciation is what God loves (I think)
Some score touchdowns for God, others serve him in distant orphanages, Im sure men and women all over the world care for their families in a fine way and offer that as part of their worship....and so it is.

"Whatever you are doing, do it whole-souled for (your God)" [Jesus Christ]
Your life then becomes a song and prayer of thanks and praise to the Creator.

Anewme

Narkissos

Side note: in the Ancient Near East, the most common definition of what we call "religion" or "worship" was, precisely, serving the gods, and the Hebrew Bible is no exception (cf. the use of the root `bd, which applies to gods as well as to kings, masters, parents etc. -- always superiors). More particularly, it has often been noted that the duties of Israel toward Yhwh in Deuteronomy (and "deuteronomistic" texts) directly parallel the duties of the vassal king to the suzerain in the Assyrian treaties (including serving and loving the king of Assyria). This "service" of course included "tribute" and "offerings" (two uses, one "political" and the other "religious," of the same word minchah, for example). Although it's a long way, the persistence of the phrase "serving God" in Christianity can be traced back to that context.

Interestingly, in the Mesopotamian Enuma Elish (VI), "serving the gods" appears as the very purpose of the creation of mankind:

When Marduk heard the word of the gods,
His heart prompted him and he devised a cunning plan.
He opened his mouth and unto Ea he spake
That which he had conceived in his heart he imparted unto him:
"My blood will I take and bone will I fashion
I will make man, that man may
I will create man who shall inhabit the earth,
That the service of the gods may be established, and that their shrines may be built.

Count-Down 9: The Meaning of Life

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