Alas it's an interesting topic. Does human life have a purpose? What are your opinions? (Religious and non-religious)

the purpose is whatever you make it [existentialism ftw] personally, i want to travel, meet people, make music/art, and get seriously, seriously fucked up. [drugs ftw as well] just my 2 cents

yes we do have a purpose, like any other animal we exist to produce offspring and keep our species in existance.

Well, I in fact have a very good purpose, but the rest of you humans.....mmmmmmm not really. ^_^

[quote]Well, I in fact have a very good purpose, but the rest of you humans.....mmmmmmm not really. ^_^[/quote] --"The Selfish Gene". (book)

Why would there be a purpose? And is purpose the only qualification for value or sanctity?

[quote]Why would there be a purpose? And is purpose the only qualification for value or sanctity?[/quote] You'd be surprised at how one's outlook on life and purpose can change when on their death bed. Especially if one never had any purpose in life to begin with.

nope. if someone killed me the world would go on if i killed someone else the world would go on. WE DONT MATTER GET IT THROUGH YOUR SKULL

[quote]nope. if someone killed me the world would go on if i killed someone else the world would go on. WE DONT MATTER GET IT THROUGH YOUR SKULL[/quote] .....and how old are you?

Actually never mind, its not like it matters. I sometimes forget I'm on Sheezy.

[quote]Actually never mind, its not like it matters. I sometimes forget I'm on Sheezy.[/quote] Praise jesus.

I'd agree that people's minds change dramatically on their death beds. For instance someone who is brought up a christian may lose their faith as they get older and start developing pessimistic views for scientific theory such as evolution or the big bang and the theory that God doesn't exist. However, the second they are on their death beds they start praying to this god they claim doesn't exist because they fear the unknown. As far as I am aware there is no proof that god does nor doesn't exist - and as much as I would like to argue he doesn't exist, a part of me kind of hopes he does because then at the end of the day we have somebody to blame for letting the world get as out of hand as it is now. Given that thought if evolution is the key to human existence rather than us being created by an all knowing superior being in his image then it's not a case of "we are still evolving" it's a case of where does evolution eventually stop? I'd say us humans are probably 99.9% more than likely to be in the last stage of evolution because humanity as we know it today is self destroying, corporate building, earth polluting, war starting... and not to mention people care more about their desires in life rather than their needs or helping others. Yeah, I'd say since there is hardly anybody following the morals that religion set aside for us in the beginning that the world has become a wreck of a place. Just because genesis doesn't make any sense (because it's clearly obvious that genesis is written as pure mythology) doesn't mean to say some of the other stuff in the bible isn't good enough to learn a lesson or two from - and this is coming from someone who isn't that religious.

Evolution never stops, humanity has just replaced arms and teeth, with computers and televisions.

If we don't have a purpose we should have one, namely not exterminating all major vertebrates. And if we can manage that spread to the stars and seed life (not just human life). But I'll settle for a 32nd flavor of Basket Robbins...

[quote].....and how old are you?[/quote] that does not matter, but do you get what i was saying?

As a Christian I would of course argue that human life is in fact sacred, not because of what we can do but because we were created in the image of God and have worth an that merit and that merit alone. Even if one were to believe in evolution that does not exclude the possibility of a creator beings influence or direction of such evolution. If however someone was an ardent naturalist with a world view that had no room for the transcendent or divine then it stands to reason that human life has is not sacred and of no greater worth than a horse, a dog, a goat, or a centipede. The only differences would be mass and genetic complexity but not an intrinsic difference in worth. That said there would be no moral difference from the holocaust and someone calling an exterminator to rid their house from termites. As for those who say they believe human life isn't sacred or doesn't have an intrinsic value I highly doubt they practice what they preach. That is to say they don't use, back stab, cheat and kill their way through life without regret, with no remorse. Such few people who actually do so are psychopaths. The funny thing is those who say "human life is not sacred it has no value!" find themselves treating people like they are of value and might even do something oddly heroic to save a stranger from some calamity. And that I think is an indicator the the value of human beings.

Nothing is sacred. That's why it's all funny.

[quote]yes we do have a purpose, like any other animal we exist to produce offspring and keep our species in existance.[/quote] For once, I completely agree with [u=Arefrigerator]. It might be a bit biased because I am Athiest, but the meaning of life is mainly to pass on our genes and die. However, me, also beliving in no afterlife, if we can make the world not suck so much, then it might be a bit more enjoyable trip.

[quote]I'd say us humans are probably 99.9% more than likely to be in the last stage of evolution because humanity as we know it today is self destroying, corporate building, earth polluting, war starting... and not to mention people care more about their desires in life rather than their needs or helping others.[/quote] That is where all the other animals on earth are too, so we're probably not that far ahead of the game. Everything you've described is the result of the need for self preservation, put into an environment where the activities for doing so can rise to larger levels of complexity than before. That doesn't mean we aren't still dumb animals in suits and ties, running around eating and fucking everything we can get our hands on.

[quote]Alas it's an interesting topic. Does human life have a purpose? What are your opinions? (Religious and non-religious)[/quote] Yes. On the christian perspective, we were all fearfully and wonderfully made by God. (psalm 139:14) God is sacred, and for a sacred God to create us all in His image, (Genesis 1:26) I'd say human lives are sacred indeed.