To the atheist: What is the ULTIMATE purpose of human life?

Question

What is your ultimate goal?

Zut, To the ATHEIST.

Liesel, That's interesting. But why bother?

atheist, Everybody dicides their own. That leaves ALOT of possibilties....not to mention confusion.

I think kornaholic nailed it. No wonder this world is in the mess that it in.

God help those that seek Him.

Answer 1

Yeah, you're right. Finding meaning is a difficult catch to the whole atheism thing. Smug satisfaction only takes you so far.

For a long time I thought there was no purpose and that we were all just collections of atoms affecting other atoms, and that the chemical equation of our entire lives could be figured out from day one if only we knew how. This mostly came from the fact that I did a lot of drugs and doing lots of drugs makes you realize how much who and what you think you are is controlled by chemicals in your head.

Needless to say I don't really believe that anymore, if only because it's not a fun thing to believe. I recently upgraded my status to agnostic because of my one piece of evidence for the primary existence of good in the universe which I can't ever seem to refute. That is that when I do something selfless and good for a person, I invariably feel good myself. Always, always, always this makes me feel good, and not just good but really good.

Now I've heard the argument that this feeling can be accounted for biologically speaking because it enhances our survival if we work together and thus makes us more evolutionarily fit. I don't buy it. Not because I don't see it as plausible, but really because doing good is too inconsistent in society. If it were biologically based I think it would be more prevalent in the population as a whole. That's not to say that many people don't do good things, but too many people don't do good things. To put it another way, practically everbody has sex. This frequency of acting to get a good feeling tends to show me that is an evolutionarily based, biological function. Not enough people do good, though it will always make you feel good, and therefore it doesn't have the mass appeal of a biological process.

That said my ultimate purpose, my religion if you will, is to do good for other people. It works for me. I think the jist of Christianity (somewhere towards the back of the Bible I think) and most other religions is that simple principle. If I get up to heaven and some bureaucrat at St. Peter's desk says I met all the requirements but blind adherence to a large quantity of often contradictory doctrine and therefore am going to hell, I'll be really surprised.

Answer 2

Life is a journey, not a destination. Learn everything you can while you are here and give as much as you can to others less fortunate. Everything is a circle... every pro has a con. Every high has a low. Everything balances out in the end. And everything influences something else. The PURPOSE of life is to enjoy it and learn from it. Help the people left behind to be better people.

However, I cannot call myself a true "atheiest". I am spiritual, not religious. I believe in a higher power, not a higher being. Religion is for people who are afraid of God... sprituality is for people who embrace what HE represents.

Good question....

Answer 3

MY ultimate goal is that I....... will be a good person and help out the earth and all her creatures to the best of MY ability and with what I.... have been given ..

That in turn ME doing that, it will make people around ME happy. That I live a good and happy life and help those around ME to live the same sort of life.

Just because i'm athiest doesn't mean I'M selfish, I really think you should do more research into athiests before asking questions liek this.

( what a jerk question, just because i dont believe in god doesn't mean my purpose in life is different from someone who does believe in "god". We are all human, we all have the same purpose in life. Why point this question towards just athiests, why not ask EVERYONE)

Answer 4

Why do you care what they think man? The purpose of life is to eat, sleep then die. Sounds pretty easy, try to have a little fun every now and then. Make sure you do what the government says because they can't let you live your one life how you want too. Life sucks. I use to believe, prayed everyday but things just got worse.

Answer 5

Human life is what the individual human makes it. We give human life some value so that society can function, but inherently it's up to each individual to find a purpose to keep them going, whether they find it in God or something else.

My ultimate goal is the same as every other living organism: to live as long as possible and procreate (the biological imperative).

Answer 6

We all want something different out of life. Our goal in life is our purpose. To have a really meaningful life, one should also focus on helping make this world a better place. Whether you volunteer your time, donate to charity, or give blood, help your fellow man. As for my goal, I want to be the premier film critic right up there with Roger Ebert and Leonard Maltin.

Answer 7

What is the ULTIMATE purpose of human life?
Like every other specimen of Flora or Fauna I only have one purpose in this life on this planet and that is to procreate.

Many humans, especially Xians, like to believe they have a 'higher purpose'.
This is a direct result of their inflated ego.
It's why they invented the invisible guy in the sky concept - there has to be more than just this. LOL

Answer 8

I am an atheist. The ultimate purpose of human life is different for each human.

I have several ultimate goals in life:

1) to live a full and enjoyable life, full of different experiences that allow me to learn and grow.
2) to have my children grow up to adulthood and be contributing, upstanding members of society
3) to love my family and friends

Answer 9

the ULTIMATE purpose of all life on earth is reproduce their own kind. My ultimate goal is to be a good husband and father and promote compassion and respect among other human beings.

Answer 10

To be the best I can be while I am alive, if I can help another without harm to myself I will help that person. Respect others beliefs, whether or not I agree with them. Leave an impression with those I know and interact with that will be fixed in their memories as good thoughts about me, when I am gone I will exist in their memories.