Why I believe life has a purpose -- Part I

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Guiding my way out of an archaic, myopic and, at times, destructive belief system like the Jehovah's Witnesses was not an easy thing to do. In fact, it was hell. My journey left in it's wake an existential angst and an intellectual and emotional vacuum. Does God exist? What is the meaning of life -- and what is the meaning of my life?

Tough questions. Let me announce at the outset: I have not found the answer to those questions. Nonetheless, all is not lost. There is no need, in my humble opinion, to give up the search and muddle along through life simply enjoying our experiences and cataloging the universe. There can be more.

I will start by saying that each and every one of us -- theists, atheists, people who don't care one bit -- all of us take a Leap of Faith. That's right. I mean exactly what I say -- a Leap of Faith. In what way?

Well, for starters, we take a Leap of Faith in proceeding with the assumption that we actually exist, that, as Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am." Now, did Descartes actually prove anything? No. But, intuitively (and that word is very important) we simply know that we are living a real reality.

Immanuel Kant once said of David Hume: 'he awoke me from my dogmatic slumbers.' Kant said this because Hume shattered the certainty that Kant had built up in his life: that God exists, that a triangle's interior angles all measure up to 180 degrees, that cold is cold, etc. Kant, through Hume, recognized an important truth: we really don't know anything for certain. Nothing! In fact, Kant was so absorbed in that thought that he wrote a book about it entitled, "Critique of Pure Reason"

But, one simply cannot get along in life if we sit on our bed's and meditate on how we don't know a damn. Nothing gets accomplished. So, we get up. We go with the assumption that we really live a real life. Is it illogical to conclude that? In a sense, yes it is. That was the whole point of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason.

Yet, all is not lost. Following on the heels of Kant's first Critique came his "Critique of Practical Reason". In this epic book Kant shows how we are justified in making these little, daily "leaps of faith" because, if we don't, we cannot be practical. Without faith -- or, if you don't like that word, without belief -- we would be nothing.

A lot of words, all this. A lot of words to get to an intuitive thought we all simply take for granted. But, the point is made and it is this:

1) Faith (belief) is essential to conscius, reflexive beings (humanity)

J. Bradley Potts

Gopher

I believe you made a good point. I cannot be sure, but I believe so.

teenyuck

Ok, if you say so...

1) Faith (belief) is essential to conscius, reflexive beings (humanity)

You could have said it in that one simple sentence.....sheesh!

Satanus

Do animals believe that they exist?

SS devil's advocate class

MegaDude

Brad, great post. One of the biggest hurdles anyone faces after the JWs is, what do I do next, or believe next? Eventually we realize we have to take responsibility for our own world view instead of comfortably letting someone feed us theirs. That can be really tough. There are so many competing philosophies, religions, beliefs. It's like a supermarket full of existential choices. I came to the conclusion if you want to have any peace or enjoyment out of this life, you have to make peace with not knowing for sure. That was so hard for me. To go from a religion that spoon fed me all the answers to life's difficult questions, to realizing they were just marketing a viewpoint for reasons that had nothing to do with the pursuit of "truth," and then letting go of the fantasy that anyone had all the answers.

Thank goodness so many others have already made this journey ahead of me and wrote books sharing their experiences. It saved me a lot of time and confusion.

DanTheMan

I enjoyed that post.

Even though existentialism tends to be morbid and dark, the bottom line of it is that the only meaning in life is in our individual experiences. The universe is incomprehensible and would get along just fine without us around to observe it. Even when you get down to what we're made of, it boggles the mind. Cells made of molecules, molecules made of atoms, atoms made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, but what are those components of atoms made of? Unexplainable quantum space-time weirdness.

Life is so strange.

gumby

My journey left in it's wake an existential angst and an intellectual and emotional vacuum. Does God exist? What is the meaning of life -- and what is the meaning of my life?

I don't think there is anything more imporant to anyone on this board, than the things mentioned above in bold. Nothing! ( aside from feelings and actions toward loved ones)

I disagree in having faith in something, as far as an answer to these items mentioned above. You can have faith that there is something beyond our life for us.......but to be able to define that in any manner without any proof, gets into a "faith" I cannot personally subscribe to.

Gumby

logansrun

Dan,

Even though existentialism tends to be morbid and dark, the bottom line of it is that the only meaning in life is in our individual experiences.

Existentialism does not have to be morbid and dark. It can be liberating and empowering. All the same, I'm not talking existentialism here per se.

The universe is incomprehensible and would get along just fine without us around to observe it.

Ah, but how do you know that? Are you so sure that we are not the end product of the Universe/God? Proof? None yet. Inclinations? I think so.

Also: quantum "weirdness" says pretty loud and clear that the thoughts of the observer of a phenomenon are pretty damn important after all, ala Shroedinger's Cat. I'm getting ahead of myself but think of what we do know: mind affects matter (quantum physics). Could Mind also have something to do with the origin of the universe (and functioning thereof) itself? Perhaps...

Even when you get down to what we're made of, it boggles the mind. Cells made of molecules, molecules made of atoms, atoms made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, but what are those components of atoms made of?

Ad infinitum up and ad infinitum down it would seem. Don't forget humans in the mix, though.

Bradley

logansrun

Gumpy:

I disagree in having faith in something, as far as an answer to these items mentioned above. You can have faith that there is something beyond our life for us.......but to be able to define that in any manner without any proof, gets into a "faith" I cannot personally subscribe to.

Now you are using the word "faith" in a manner I did not. We can never be absolutely, positively, unequivically certain about anything, yes, anything. That is both a good thing and a bad thing. It can be uncomfortable or it can give hope, depending on how you look at it.

All the same, I'm not talking about a "pie in the sky" type of faith anyway. There will be more to come.

Bradley

gumby

We can never be absolutely, positively, unequivically certain about anything, yes, anything. That is both a good thing and a bad thing.

So far....I have not seen the good side in it, that is, as regards to life and it's purpose. How can not knowing why and how we here......be a good thing.......if it brings discontentment throughout your life? Unless you reach a point where you are comfortable at NOT knowing these things.....then I do not see a good side.

Gumby

Why I believe life has a purpose -- Part I

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