# What use could God have for living things? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 17, 2014, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399 "2014-07-17T20:33:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/1 "2014-07-17T20:33:16Z")
As a thiest I like to think we are part of a plan. I have no idea where it is going but I assume that God has some useful reason for letting life evolve. The liklihood of humans or anything from earth ever having a real impact on the universe is nill. If a billion earth years is equal to 1 God minute it become easier to imagine the posssibility of life in our universe having some eventual purpose for God or Gods. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/2 "2014-07-17T21:04:55Z")
I believe that eminent philosopher Kirk had something to say about a similar question. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/3 "2014-07-17T21:36:13Z")
Entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/4 "2014-07-17T21:38:16Z")
He’s a sadist. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/5 "2014-07-17T21:41:27Z")
From my Catholic catechism questions: Q: Who made us? A: God made us. Q; Why did God make us? A: God made us to share his happiness in heaven. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/6 "2014-07-17T21:44:05Z")
Who else will build the spaceship he needs? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/7 "2014-07-17T21:53:11Z")
What is an artist without an audience? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/8 "2014-07-17T21:55:01Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > Who else will build the spaceship he needs? Or serve as the crew, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![SylverOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SylverOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SylverOne)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/9 "2014-07-17T21:56:44Z")
Same reason humans have ant farms. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/10 "2014-07-17T21:58:18Z")
> [@SylverOne](#): > > Same reason humans have ant farms. And magnifying glasses, and windows open to the sun . . . ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/11 "2014-07-17T23:28:26Z")
> [@Revenant\_Threshold](#): > > I believe that eminent philosopher Kirk had something to say about a similar question. [Here’s the answer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0TvfqmWf4M) from another great philosopher. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/12 "2014-07-17T23:30:19Z")
I’m sure sci-fi thinkers are creative enough to come up with some WAGs. Maybe God is a being who is limited to _this_ universe. He has created life to showcase his talents to other beings who have dominion over other universes. Maybe we’re being evaluated by these other gods as we speak. Maybe God isn’t omniscient, and he’s bored out of his mind. He’s created life so he can be entertained. Maybe God isn’t all-mighty. Maybe life generates some type of special energy that God thrives on. Kind of like how the heat from a fire we start out in the wilderness keeps us from freezing to death. We keep God alive. Maybe the universe is a giant simulation. Maybe all the universes are. Maybe God is a scientist who is testing various hypotheses. Maybe in this universe, he’s trying to figure out what when electrons and protons repel each other. But he’s got major procrastination issues and can’t be arsed to sit down and write up his findings so he can freakin’ graduate already. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/13 "2014-07-17T23:30:31Z")
Wagering. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/14 "2014-07-17T23:34:33Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > From my Catholic catechism questions: > > Q: Who made us? > > A: God made us. > > Q; Why did God make us? > > A: God made us to share his happiness in heaven. For me, I think this comes closest. Just like some parents have children to share things with and teach about life, so God made us. I think. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/15 "2014-07-17T23:37:57Z")
IF…big IF… if god made us, he has forgotten about us. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/16 "2014-07-17T23:48:22Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > As a thiest I like to think we are part of a plan. I have no idea where it is going but I assume that God has some useful reason for letting life evolve. The liklihood of humans or anything from earth ever having a real impact on the universe is nill. > > If a billion earth years is equal to 1 God minute it become easier to imagine the posssibility of life in our universe having some eventual purpose for God or Gods. A man is praying to God. He says, “God, is it true that one billion years for us is like one minute to you?” God answers him: “Yes, it is true.” The man then asks, “God, is it true that one billion dollars to us is like one penny to you?” God replies, “Yes, that is also true.” The man then asks, “Can you loan me a penny?” God replies, “In a minute.” ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/17 "2014-07-17T23:52:36Z")
He was hungry. ---
**Author:** ![nani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58956e/32.png) [@nani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nani)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/18 "2014-07-17T23:55:24Z")
There are some value judgments here - “real impact,” “useful reason.” I’m curious if **HoneyBadgerDC** could expand on these a bit. Does my existence - or the existence of any random grain of sand on a beach - constitute a “real impact” on the Universe? Is there value inherent in just existing? Briefly, my own answers to these questions hinge mostly on two major points: the conception of God as transcending creation, as opposed to God as apart from creation; and the conception of God as being a system for assigning value, rather than as having a system for assigning value. If God is immanent in all things, then any particular thing has a real impact and real value just by existing, in addition to whatever relationships with other things it has. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2014, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/19 "2014-07-18T00:00:53Z")
Ever play “The Sims”? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2014, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399/20 "2014-07-18T00:12:49Z")
Gods gotta eat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-use-could-god-have-for-living-things/693399.md?page=2)