Author Topic: Thoughtful Questions (Read 6050 times)

HolyAarom · « **on:** February 23, 2006, 07:44:56 PM »

There has been several questions asked in life such as What is the meaning of life? Well what do you think would happen? It has to be for your point of view.

One of the questions is: Have you ever wondered what would happen if you didn't exist?

Well if I didn't exist, there would be no Mario fan in my school. Answers like these aren't looked up that much. you need to actually think about what you're going to answer.

As for me, I think that if I didn't exist, it would have mixed reactions. Some people would have a better life, and some would have a worse life. Many of my friends and family wouldn't have as much influence as I always like to be cheerful to them.

MaxVance · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2006, 08:06:50 PM »

I think I know what the meaning of life is. Biologically, I think the meaning of life is to live to adulthood, have at least one child, and give the child(ren) a chance at surviving to adulthood.

Luigison · « **Reply #2 on:** February 23, 2006, 08:20:50 PM »

I think MaxVance is hot, I mean right. Though adulthood is a relative term. Our bodies haven't evolved to have us live much longer than child rearing years.

Markio · « **Reply #3 on:** February 23, 2006, 08:30:28 PM »

From a religious view, this life is the one we make the most of so we can earn our ways into heaven. Something like that.

From a non-religious view, we might as well have no reason to exist. We were born, and we support ourselves until we die. Just like other animals, except we happen to be smarter.

TEM · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2006, 09:18:17 PM »

I got a question, and several follow ups depending on how it is answered.

Does free will exist?

If yes, yay!

If no, is it because God or whatever thing it is you believe in controls our actions and everything that happens in the world?

Or no, is it because humans are just biological computers that take in a LOT of data and spit it back out in the form of their personality and actions?

No matter what the reason is for a "no" response is:

If free will does not exist, how can we blame or punish anyone for anything? How can we punish ourselves for punishing others when we can't help it?

Personally, I'd just answer yes to avoid all that hard thinking, but, do whatever you want.

Sapphira · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2006, 10:34:40 PM »

Free will exists. I 100% believe that with no doubts at all.

...If I tried to answer/explain these questions, I'm not sure people would understand. It'd become a long discussion--and possibly a debate or something. All my responses stem from my deeply-held faith...so, um, yeah. I'd correct you, Markio, but since people have different views, and people deem these things as "opinions" not "facts"...uh, yeah.

Meh, I'll say a little more. God doesn't control our actions (he's capable of it, but he doesn't); however, he DOES know what we're going to do. He gives us the choice.

Markio · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2006, 10:42:14 PM »

I can never ask thoughtful questions, because people always just answer them.

Sapphira, what I meant before was something along the lines of "life is pointless, unless there's another life you need to try to get into". I'm not really talking straight...ly today.

BP · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2006, 10:53:22 PM »

I've always viewed life as God's way of sorting us and where we'll end up spending eternity.
Everything and everyone exists for a reason.

Lizard Dude · « **Reply #8 on:** February 23, 2006, 11:26:21 PM »

Quote from: Markio on February 23, 2006, 08:30:28 PM

We were born, and we support ourselves until we die. Just like other animals, except we happen to be smarter.

Bingo! Bye bye!

PaperLuigi · « **Reply #9 on:** February 24, 2006, 04:38:27 PM »

God created us in his image and wants us to live our lives the way we want to. When we die.......well, I won't say anymore.

Hirocon · « **Reply #10 on:** February 24, 2006, 11:23:38 PM »

On the question of free will: even if you believe that unbreakable physical laws govern all physical processes, it is not impossible for free will to exist; improbable, perhaps, but not impossible. That's because, at a quantum level, physical laws are probabilistic, not deterministic. Free will could simply be power bestowed by God, if you will, on sentient entities (let's call them "souls"), to exercise control over quantum probabilities governing the atoms in human bodies. I'm not sure exactly how controlling the positions of electrons around atoms in your brain would translate into macroscopic phenomena, such as choosing to sin or not sin, but it's an interesting thought.

By the way, I've never actually studied quantum mechanics, so I could be way off. Ask a physicist, and they might tell you that physical laws are completely deterministic, without exception, in which case, the existence of free will would seem to require a violation of physical laws, a miracle, if you will. But if you're devoutly religious, then you probably believe in miracles anyway, so free will could still exist.

Markio · « **Reply #11 on:** February 24, 2006, 11:41:12 PM »

I think free will exists to an extent. For example, there is a pencil on my desk. I don't have to pick it up; I have no reason to pick it up. Yet, right now, I'm typing with my left hand while holding the pencil in my right. Couldn't that be considered an act of free will. I wanted to pick it up, so I did. I suppose this is on a very low level of freedom, but still... if you think about it more largely, then there is less free will we can act upon. For example, there is a pencil o my desk. I want to bend it into the shape of a circle. While I am not trying to do that while I type, it is safe to assume that I couldn't do that, since wood is a sturdy, non-bendy, er, thing of sorts. Also, I know for a fact that somewhere out there is a girl I saw at school today. I'm pretty sure it is beyond my power to make her levitate. So some things are in my circle of control, others are not. If that's not what you mean by free will, then... well... sorry for wasting your time, I guess.

Black Mage · « **Reply #12 on:** February 25, 2006, 12:01:51 AM »

Well, you're talking about activities that you cannot physically perform. You can will anything, be it levitating an object, flying through the sky, or any other obscure yet impossible activity. However, it won't happen, since you don't have the ability. It's a moot point. I can see where you're coming from, but just because we have free will doesn't mean we can do anything. We aren't God.

I suppose the question really comes down to if you feel there's a driving force behind your actions that is not your own. That is to say, did you really not pick up your pencil because you didn't want to, or because it is your fate to leave it be? Did God play his hand, and make you think you didn't want to pick up that pencil?

That said, I believe in free will. Though I suppose I do believe in fate to some extent as well. Some of the romantic type might say something along the lines of "We're all destined to meet that special someone," and I would say sure, but it's up to us to recognized that person and act on it.

I guess I don't see fate as the player of a chess game, and us as the pieces, but more as situations we're "scripted" to be confronted with in the future, but the outcome not determined. We don't control the situations we get into, but how we react and get through them.

BP · « **Reply #13 on:** February 25, 2006, 01:30:28 AM »

Here's a question I've sometimes asked myself: What if I wasn't born as a human? What if I were a fish or something? What are the odds, out of the millions of species on Earth, to be born a person? We're all very lucky... being a fish doesn't sound like very much fun.

dude677 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 25, 2006, 02:19:58 PM »

I asked my friend this question beofre:

"How do you know that's your special someone, and will you notice that she isn't before its too late?"

Also, this question is partly ripped form Calvin and Hobbes:

"Ever notice that,
when you're thinking of doing something,
you just keep looking at that object,
so you keep looking,
and thinking,
amd looking,
and thinking...
and suddenly,
you wake up?"

And my teacher told me this before:

"What would happen if the world never exisited? Would we still sit on our chairs, sipping our tea, looking at the stars?"