I've become very concerned with the lack of hope and purpose I see (question inside)?

Question

I see a lot of religious people making comments indicating that, without God (or their religion, but largely the Christian God), there is no hope, no purpose in life, no reason for living. This mentality has me very worried. Atheists, other spiritual beings, those who find joy in life itself, would you please share some of the things about life that inspire you and how you reconcile your beliefs (which don't include the "great reward" of heaven) so that life IS meaningful to you?

Christians who find hope and purpose in life beyond God, please also share.

Personally, I find nature awe inspiring. How such incredible beauty can come about through very simple rules & laws & elements amazes me. In addition, I feel every day is a wonderful opportunity. While many complain about not getting more time, I feel we should be very glad that we have any at all. This life is an experience, & even if it sucks, at least we got to be here. Even the smallest experience makes it worth it.

Answer 1

I find that we are more capable of things than we actually think/believe. I find the spiritual/emotional/psychological strength of other human beings to be very beautiful. I know a young woman who is in her final stage of cancer and still has a very intense yoga practice. Watching her do a forearm stand and knowing that she's dying is awe inspiring. I have never seen such grace in my life. Thanks for the question.

Answer 2

I believe in God, yet I don't believe that we can truely undesrtand the concept of God nor should we really be trying to get that answered. I will say however that I believe God reveals itself in everything including religion. And with everything we must be responsable with it or things get thrown out of ballance. If we look into the concept of God in the three big religions (Judaism, CHristianity, Islam) we will see that the descriptions of God counter the integrity of each religion. I use integrity for lack of a better word but let me elaborate. All of those religions revolve around an all knowing and all seeing God that can do anything, he interacts with us s in ways beyond the normal physical world, (yes Jesus Christ would count God/Son of God is pretty well beyond this world). So what is there to say that there isn't a hidden truth behind these religions. Maybe they are divine just as any other religion and everything else around us. Look at what happens when we take our natural resources for granted. The world goes to Hell and us with it. These resources are usually taken for granted because we don't think about other possabilities, such as why not have everything running on the same energy source? Now apply that to religion, This Idea is great why would I want consider other ideas? We need to examine all aspects of what is around us both physical and metaphysical and decide how it can best be applied to our lives. Fire is great yet we are better off not setting everything on fire.

Answer 3

Well, I'm Wiccan, so I suppose I fall into the "other spiritual being" category. Nature inspires me. Animals inspire me. The sunrise and the sunset inspires me. The moon inspires me. Trees inspire me. The air inspires me. The oceans inspire me. Breathing inspires me. And I don't have to "reconcile" anything with my beliefs in order to be hopeful. Many Christians accuse us (Wiccans) of worshipping the created instead of the creator, but they fail to understand that to us, everything in nature is a direct manifestation of the Goddess and the God, and therefore has the Goddess and the God within it. Trees have the essence of the divine, as do all people, plants, animals, rocks, bodies of water, etc. It's not difficult to find hope when you wake up every morning surrounded by the Divine.

I will add, however, that human beings don't particularly inspire me. But we're such a tiny part of the whole equation that I don't let it get to me. I also look forward to the lessons the Divine is trying to teach me, even if some of them are very painful, because I love to learn.

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Answer 4

I'll start with a parallel. It sounds as if some christians really do spend their entire lives preparing to die. As if life is just something to be gotten through as safely as possible.

This is how I felt about school, particularly high school. I endured and lived through it only because I knew there would be a reward at the end.

The thing is, it's a proven fact that in my case I wasn't just whistling Dixie. Sure I might have died before graduation, but let's not nitpick.

But back to the question - I haven't been especially in touch with my spiritual side lately, I'm sad to say. I hate winter, and like high school, I simply endure through it. And I'm feeling very apathetic today.

What gives me joy is my two cats who are a friggin' hoot, my husband who is a friggin' hoot, my bike which is a friggin' hoot, the birds in the backyard, the sunlight playing on the walls and ceiling inside the house....I'd come up with more if I were in a better mood!

Answer 5

Ok, as far as religion goes I am in name, a Catholic, but I have as much idea as anyone about what happens after we die, for me, the worst thing would be nothing - a black hole of non-existence, and when I consider this, every second, every millisecond, every emotion - love, loss, pain, joy - they all matter so much to me that the thought of not having them, makes me appreciate everything, no matter how small.
To be lost without religion, is to not be living your life, and it shows a lack of knowledge about who you are. People with this type of mentality, appear to me to be desperate for positive experiences, as the lives they are leading indicate that they are resting their hopes on the next life, rather than making a go on this one. It's not a dress rehearsal, and should not be treated as such, but should be approached with integrity, hope and good-will. Look forward to the pale blue sky at dawn and the dew on the grass. There are some things that everyone can love.

Answer 6

Life is very meaningful to me, and I am an Atheist. I am happy to be alive, I know that when I die, the game is over. There nothing more...I don't live for heaven or hell, for a reward or punishment. I live for LIFE> I try to make every moment count. I relish sunny days, good weather, nature, animals. My family inspires me to love being alive. I have no real reason for loving life, I just do!

Answer 7

It is the beauty of nature that surrounds all of us that brings purpose, hope, and joy of being alive, I live in the country, and when I go out onto my deck in the morning I give thanks to what I get to see, the rising of the sun the birds singing a good morning song, deer in the fields, ducks in the pond, I could go on but what really is important here, is to be thankful for this wonderful life and beauty we have been given, I have heaven right in my own back yard may God bless.

Answer 8

I am inspired by many things...art, music, nature, animals, how kids see the world. I think it's important to breathe in the positive and let go of the negative. Life is too short to concentrate on mundane things like petty differences. My kids inspire me to be the best mom I can be. That means teaching them to stand up for yourself but be willing to compromise on the small stuff. It means teaching them to think for themselves but show respect. My cat and dog teach me unconditional love. No matter how long I've been gone, what I look like or if I have bad breath, they are extremely happy to see me. That's what all love should be like. We're so superficial sometimes, we humans. Nature teaches me that things can be beautiful yet scary at the same time. Music teaches me that others feel the same way I do, and that makes me feel like I'm not alone in this world.

Life is what you make it. Take time to appreciate the small things and learn lessons from unlikely sources.

Answer 9

i find my bliss in the little things as well...in the faces of kids at the store, the amazement I feel seeing people help each other, sand in my toes at the beach, good food with friends and even the bubbles that shoot out of the soap bottle when you set it down while doing dishes. Breathing in the air on the first warm day after a long winter was the latest.

Answer 10

What an awesome question Mrs. Mayor!
I'm a pagan, and I find inspiration and awe through nature (trees, plants, rivers, rocks, animals, birds, insects, weather, et al), the stars, the moon, the sun, the planets, my children, my grandchildren, and other people as well.
Life is a beautiful experience, indeed!