# Why are we here?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [July 2, 2002, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956 "2002-07-02T01:49:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2002, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/21 "2002-07-04T08:06:05Z")
Life is a party, and the purpose is to enjoy as much of it as we can before we pass out. š
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### Author:  [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2002, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/22 "2002-07-04T08:26:05Z")
Because we are not somewhere else.
In terms of Christian doctrines, there is no way of us knowing why we are here, because YHWH is ineffable. To find out why we are here is to try to understand His plans, which is utterly futile.
Itās all a crock to me š
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### Author:  [@Henry\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henry_B)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2002, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/23 "2002-07-04T12:25:15Z")
To make the next guy happy!
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### Author:  [@CptHowdy65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CptHowdy65)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2002, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/24 "2002-07-04T12:58:09Z")
this is our ārewardā for what we did in a past lifeā¦
make of it what you will
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### Author:  [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2002, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/25 "2002-07-04T13:22:44Z")
Alright, then, why is God here?
Seriously, no rational answer can go back before the Big Bang, because there was no ābeforeā. Matter and energy are here because of the Big Bang. Here is here because of the Big Bang.
Attempts to push with āwhy is X here?ā will be met with militant agnosticism (I donāt know, and you donāt either).
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### Author:  [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2002, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/26 "2002-07-04T14:23:53Z")
āAll attempts to address the question of why it exists are philosophical or theological, not scientific.ā
Why are they theological or philosophical even? These disciplines have even LESS ability to answer the question as far as I can tell.
The problem with the āWhyā is that science DOES answer āwhysā: causal whys. To claim that there is a purposeful why is to get ahead of ourselves: it presumes an intentional mind, and there is no reason to presume that a priori. Worse, if there is no āwhyā behind that intentional mind, then we are just back where we started.
Regardless of whether there IS a intentional mind behind reality, it does not follow from that that the this will is of any direct relevance to an individualās sense of purpose. One could well find the plans of God quite pointless: and take great meaning in their own particular purposes: as they to are a mind.
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### Author:  [@taklon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taklon)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2002, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/27 "2002-07-07T07:23:45Z")
we are all here because we are not all there.
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### Author:  [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2002, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/28 "2002-07-07T08:07:28Z")
I personally believe that one of the purposes of life is to answer that very question.
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### Author:  [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2002, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/29 "2002-07-07T13:59:01Z")
According to my landlord, the purpose of life is to pay rent.
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### Author:  [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/30 "2002-07-07T18:01:50Z")
At the moment and for the foreseeable future there is no way for any person on this planet, physicists and priests included, to know with any certainty why the universe exists. So, why does the vast majority of the planet fill in this huge gap in our understanding with an unverifiable belief, like the existence of a sentient supernatural being?
> [@](#):
>
> - originally posted by jacksen9\*
> **It feels good to feel and think that you have a āmissionā and that focus is what gives a sense of contentment, accomplishment, and energy.**
I agree with **jacksen9** , it helps individuals and societies deal with and learn to enjoy life in this reality, which is a highly uncertain and dangerous place to live.
As for myself, I represent the growing minority of people who have accepted the reality of our lack of knowledge and set myself upon the task of ridding ourselves of it through, what else, the scientific method. And you donāt have to be a scientist to contribute to the cause, you just need to participate in any venture that furthers human understanding. So thatās my āmissionā so to speak, but I havenāt relinquished the opportunity to experience our amazing world to itās fullest. Nor have I forgotten the importance of the positive messages of religion. I stole these from **AbbySthrnAccent** ās LDS website: Love, Morality, Humility, Kindness, Devotion, and Faith. Not mentioned much by religion, but equally important to me are the more modern concepts of Humanism, Justice, Equality, Freedom, and Tolerance.
So to sum up, we canāt currently know why weāre here, so Iām using my time to help us find out, but along the way Iām going to enjoy myself and play fair ā¦most of the time. Hey, I never said I was a saint in my un-religion.
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### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/31 "2002-07-08T17:44:18Z")
I donāt understand how anything can have āmeaningā in the absence of a creator. If the universe ājust happenedā, then everything in it is the simple result of cause and effect. If you donāt believe that the universe was created, it makes no more sense to question our purpose as it does the sunās.
IMHO, without a creator, we are just a horribly inefficient means of turning matter into energy.
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### Author:  [@dalovindj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalovindj)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2002, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/32 "2002-07-08T18:13:19Z")
Because a rock took out the dinosaurs.
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2002, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/33 "2002-07-08T22:49:56Z")
As Iāve said at length in other threads about atheism, I donāt think there _is_ a Great Why. I think itās an artifact of our overdeveloped brains. We ask āwhy?ā to various events in order to survive, and once we get a handle on the day-to-day stuff, our restless intellects attempt, improperly, to apply the same āwhy?ā reasoning to our very existence. It makes sense to ask āwhy?ā if you get sick, because you can eventually figure out you shouldnāt have drunk water from that particular stream, and that you should avoid it in the future. Asking āwhy?ā about the universe in general ā I think itās a foolās game. And Iām perplexed (and not a little disappointed) by the vehemence with which people are willing to defend their absolute unknowables.
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### Author:  [@owlofcreamcheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlofcreamcheese)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2002, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/34 "2002-07-09T03:55:31Z")
to build somethingā¦ god needs us to build something excessively complex. something unimaginably important. we are well suited to technology. very useless bodys that force us to build. jesus was a carpender. he was to build things.
you might ask āwhat ever it is, why canāt god just make it himselfā and really thats a silly question. if I wanted to build a car, and I made myself some tools, before I did itā¦ a screwdriver or something. would you say the screwdriver built the car!?
God is all powerful. but that doesnāt mean he has every single power anyone can think of. he can create worlds and humans and apples and such directly. humans can go and create some grand project.
god has all the time in the world. so the fact its takeing a hundred billion years is nothingā¦ to himā¦ he went āpoofā then stuff happened for a bitā¦ and then whatever we humans will makeā¦ fell out.
I sorta suspectā¦ after we become able to control time and spaceā¦ and understand every single aspect of the universeā¦ a future where star trek is like cave man days. we will find out that there is some sort of final projectā¦ one last cool thing we can doā¦ and thats the meaning of lifeā¦
erā¦ or something
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### Author:  [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2002, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/35 "2002-07-09T04:56:05Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by KRM \*
> **I donāt understand how anything can have āmeaningā in the absence of a creator. If the universe ājust happenedā, then everything in it is the simple result of cause and effect. If you donāt believe that the universe was created, it makes no more sense to question our purpose as it does the sunās.**
Who said atheists donāt believe the universe was created? We simply donāt believe it was created by what believers refer to as God. Hell, for all I (or you) know this universe is the plaything of beings of dimension X. Or perhaps there really is a god figure after all, but the simple truth is there is no way to know, at the moment at least. If a messiah shows up or we build a tunnel into dimension X then we can stop guessing, but until then Iāve chosen to keep my options open.
You seem to believe that it is impossible to have a life of meaning if you embrace our unavoidable unawareness in this particular question. I however, disagree. My life has plenty of meaning thank you very much.
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### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2002, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/36 "2002-07-09T16:05:23Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Who said atheists donāt believe the universe was created?
Not me. I divided the world into those who believe the universe was created and those who donāt.
Although I donāt try to get all of my information from cartoons, but I do remember one Bloom County where 2 of the kids are looking up at the stars trying to determine the cause of the universe. One decides that it was ācreatedā and the other believes that it ājust happenedā. To me, this represents a basic tenet of theistic and non-theistic philosophies.
> [@](#):
>
> You seem to believe that it is impossible to have a life of meaning if you embrace our unavoidable unawareness in this particular question. I however, disagree. My life has plenty of meaning thank you very much.
I donāt believe that at all. And Iām glad that your life has meaning, I really am. But do I distinguish having āa life of meaningā and finding āthe meaning of lifeā.
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### Author:  [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/37 "2002-07-09T17:49:50Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by KRM \*
> **Although I donāt try to get all of my information from cartoons, but I do remember one Bloom County where 2 of the kids are looking up at the stars trying to determine the cause of the universe. One decides that it was ācreatedā and the other believes that it ājust happenedā. To me, this represents a basic tenet of theistic and non-theistic philosophies.**
I think that dichotomy is faulty, because as I said Iām an atheist and I donāt fit into either of those categories. I can no more say I know the universe ājust happenedā than I can say God exists. I acknowledge the fact that I just donāt know the answer, and neither does anyone else. The real distinction between atheists and theists is that the latter group relies on faith to make their worldview whole. Iām fine with a big question mark in mine.
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*But do I distinguish having āa life of meaningā and finding āthe meaning of lifeā. \*\*
I mentioned my personal meaning of life earlier but Iāll repost it:
> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by Cainxinth_
> **So to sum up, we canāt currently know why weāre here, so Iām using my time to help us find out, but along the way Iām going to enjoy myself and play fair ā¦most of the time.**
For me, questions exist to be answered (with facts not faith) and life exits to be lived.
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### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2002, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/38 "2002-07-10T13:52:44Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I think that dichotomy is faulty, because as I said Iām an atheist and I donāt fit into either of those categories. I can no more say I know the universe ājust happenedā than I can say God exists. I acknowledge the fact that I just donāt know the answer, and neither does anyone else. The real distinction between atheists and theists is that the latter group relies on faith to make their worldview whole. Iām fine with a big question mark in mine.
You sound more like an agnostic than an atheist but I concede your point. I guess that the Bloom County strip should have had a third kid who said, āwho knows?ā. I still contend that if a person falls into the ājust happenedā group, then nothing has āmeaningā.
> [@](#):
>
> For me, questions exist to be answered (with facts not faith) and life exits to be lived.
I wouldnāt totally discount faith and, by extension, beliefs. I believe that the killing of innocent people is wrong as Iām sure that you do. This is opinion is based totally on beliefs and not on facts. Also, āfactsā can be more transitory than we would sometimes like.
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### Author:  [@Broodha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broodha)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2002, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/39 "2002-07-11T13:27:19Z")
I proudly proclaim from the highest hills:
āI donāt know!ā
Thereās nothing wrong with that.
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### Author:  [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-we-here/116956/40 "2002-07-11T16:43:12Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by KRM \*
> **You sound more like an agnostic than an atheist**
Youāre right, by definition I am agnostic. I donāt pretend to know definitively that God doesnāt exist, but he reason I declare myself an atheist is because I think the possibly of God existing is so infinitesimally small. Study of the evolutionary and functional aspects of religion has led me to believe that the belief in the supernatural was an erroneous but ultimately necessary emergent property of the human species. That however is only my personal theory on the matter.
> [@](#):
>
> **I still contend that if a person falls into the ājust happenedā group, then nothing has āmeaningā.**
And I still ague that people who believe the universe just exists have their own āmeaning a life,ā which might be for themselves to just exist as well, or maybe its too spread peace and love, who knows. And, who is to say that such a worldview is any more right or wrong than any other. In the absence of information weāre all stumbling around blindly, and thereās something to be said for the rare souls who buck the trends and strike off on a path of their own making.
> [@](#):
>
> **I believe that the killing of innocent people is wrong as Iām sure that you do. This is opinion is based totally on beliefs and not on facts.**
Well if you believe that morality and justice are necessary components of human life as so many do, then murder is factually a violation of that requirement. Whatās more, complex societies have installed artificial social contracts to ensure that an anarchistic state of nature where indiscriminate killing is disallowed and punished.
> [@](#):
>
> **Also, āfactsā can be more transitory than we would sometimes like.**
The alternative is dogmatic laws, which cannot be changed. Facts are open to continual reinterpretation. I wouldnāt have it any other way, because otherwise we would still think Galileo was a heretic.
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