At times, I still wonder what I exist for. After 69 years, you should think I would have a clue, but I really don't. Some people think that we are here to use the special gift that they say God or a higher power has given us but I am not sure of that. My Buddhist training says that I am here only to learn and try to even out the karma, positive or negative, that I earned in past lives. For example, if somebody decides to punch me in the nose, perhaps I punched him in a past life and now we are even. It seems as if Karma can be painful as well as pleasant. There are other thoughts of our existence and hopefully one or two of you will let me know what you think. I have talked to some people and they seem to believe that when this life ends, "Bingo", that is it. No more, no less. I can't buy into that thought process as there are too many instances of incarnations that I feel are valid. Some Christians feel as if they will join with God and have a glorious life in heaven, but some of these same people have a great fear of death. Even when a loved one dies they weep and are sad. But in reality, if death will bring you into a place of holiness and non-pain, mental as well as physical, why be upset when somebody gets to go early? I suppose there are many different viewpoints and I suppose that we all think we are correct, but of course, we won't really know until that time comes. Most of my family live on into their nineties and are for the most part still mentally alert. So if I follow suit I guess I still have about 20 years left to figure out why I exist.
I think the answer has to be different for each one of us. Probably most people never find their answer, but they find a way of rationalizing their existence through religion or whatever they decide to believe. In times when infant maortality was high and many women died in childbirth, the belief that God had taken that person away to a better place was a comfort, as we can see from novels and biographies from those times. I love life and value it as I know it's the only one I will ever have. I have no fear of death. I just see it as being the final sentence in my life story.
I feel that we are here for a reason all though I will admit I do not at this point know what mine is. I think I have about 30 years to get clearer on the subject and will be working harder on getting the signal. I do not believe that there is only one life time but there is no way of knowing if or when you will reincarnate to this world.
Great question Richard! Sorry though, because any answer that might be given is merely objective. I am a Christian, and as you pointed out there are many who are afraid to pass on. Like the song goes, "Everyone wants to get to heaven, but nobody wants to die!" In the past, many of my students were all to anxious to find out what the "will of God," was for them. I had two answers: "Be careful what you ask for," and " You may not know what the will of God may be for you to do, but you do already know what the will of God is for you NOT to do!" In the many advents of life here on earth, no matter what the religion or lack thereof, we all really know way down deep the things we should not do. If we practice the "thou shalt nots" so to speak, eventually the "thou shalts" will come to light.
Nice to meet you Bobby! I fully agree with you about our knowing right or wrong acts prior to doing them. As far as asking God for things, I pre-thank Him instead! Thanks for your reply!
Parents are sad, and often cry, when their children go off to college, or when someone they love moves across the country, even if it is a good move for them. However assured someone might be that they will see someone again in heaven, they are still going to be without them for a long time, and that's a reason for sadness and loss. Most people, even those who might deny it, fear death. For one thing, not all of Christendom believes in the assurance of salvation. In Philippians 2:12, speaking to Christians, Paul advises them to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling," and while there are parts of Christianity who believe in the assurance of salvation, or that once they are saved, they will always be saved, whatever their future decisions or actions. I am a Mennonite and we, rather, hope for salvation, believing that God will judge us when it is time, and that our part in it is to do our best to live lives of faith, hoping that we will be accepted into heaven. The Mennonite view is that we cannot know with certainty what our actual standing with God is, while there are other Christians who believe that, regardless of the way they live their lives, because of a one-time decision for Christ somewhere in their past, there is no possibility of anything other than that they will have salvation. Then, of course, there are a lot of other viewpoints that fall somewhere in between. Even among those who believe that they have the assurance of salvation, there is still a large amount of uncertainty as to just what that means. While the Bible certainly suggests that heaven will be a good thing, we don't know a great deal about it. Wherever there is uncertainty, fear is a reasonable reaction.
I think that as we get older; we do wonder more about what happens at the end of life. I look forward to seeing my loved ones and family again in Heaven, but have no idea what that might actually be like. Does it mean that we are going to live on another planet, or possibly this same one; but taken care of better and somehow restored to its earlier, more pristine self. Will there be animals in heaven, and if there are animals; will they be the ones we have loved here on earth? If there are going to be plants in heaven, then it seems reasonable to assume that there will also be animal life. I can also see where reincarnation could be an answer to these questions. If we die, then come back to live another life; and interact with people that we knew in a previous existance, then in a way, we are seeing our familiy again. Even if there is actually NO meaning to life, and we just exist here the same way that a bug does; then I think that it is comforting to us to believe in a future life. Maybe, it only means that mankind will continue to exist, not each person.
Thanks Ken for your response. Your explanation of sadness makes sense to me as well as a bit of the Mennonite philosophy which I had no idea of. It is true that so many people have ideas of death and the associated trauma.
Hi Yvonne! I really enjoyed reading your thoughts. While I do believe in reincarnation, I have no idea what or where my next life will be. It is not a major concern as I feel that it will be an equal or better (hopefully) existence but of course if this life was just to even out some "easy" Karma, I may be in for a big surprise next time around.
Richard, I think a lot of people fear the process of dying, as that process can be pretty awful for some while being relatively easy for others. We fear pain and the possibility of losing control of our mental facilities, etc. But as to fearing what's on the other side of dying, past the physical, I don't think most people fear it. Certainly Christians don't--not Christians who are secure in knowing Christ. And as for being sad and weeping when a loved one dies, we are not weeping for the loved one but for ourselves. Because, even though we know our loved one is gone on to a better place, we also know it's going to be a long time before we see that loved one again. It leaves a hole in our hearts that needs to heal; and, though God fills the space, we still feel it. Besides, I've personally been known to cry when I saw a truck I had particularly good memories of going down the driveway with its new owners.
I saw my mother dwindle away in mind and body but I saw her whole again when I visited her in the hospital 24 hours before she died. No I wasn't there. I wasn't lead to be there. My sister and niece were there when she passed away. My phone rang and it was the nurse and she said my mother had me down to contact. I could hear my sister and niece in the background crying uncontrollably. I told the nurse my mother's wish not to be resuscitated. I didn't need the nurse to tell me it was the right decision but she did. I know at least one reason why I existed on that day and that was to let my mother have peace from all the physical pain she was feeling. It may not be one reason why we exist but several - in the past, in the present, and in days ahead.
My simple view is to love, share and to impact other people's lives. The love we give and receive is all that matters and is all that is remembered.
Thank you Von, for sharing that personal experience. That was definitely a good reason for existence in my mind.
You exist for the purpose of experiencing life, for experiencing it's good and bad sides. To enjoy certain moments and to learn on your mistakes. To find your passion/s and do everything to show them to a larger public! Also you live to give people as much as you can, and be yourself!
Our church is doing a Bible Study for the next six weeks on our Purpose in life. This past Sunday was the second session. It's really a 40 day Bible Study on this topic though and so in between the six Sunday sessions we have a Bible Study book with a lesson for each of those 40 days and once a week we meet in a small group to discuss the week of lessons we have studied. I am very excited about the topic we are studying but just as excited that my daughters and two of my older granddaughters and I have joined together to be our small group. This past Sunday was our first small group meeting. We watched a video on the Bible Study topic and then went to our study guide which had questions for our to discuss among ourselves. It was really interesting to hear the different view points from our different ages which are 16, 20, 33, 45, and 67 years old. I think most of you on this Forum know that Faith and Family are my two favorite things in this life. Now I get to spend the next six weeks with my favorite people discussing my favorite topic. Life just doesn't get any better than this and I am thankful that my daughters and granddaughters made time in their busy lives to do this together. I know we are all going to learn and grow spiritually from this time together as well as do some nurturing of the love we have for each other too. We have talked about maybe making this a regular thing in our lives with our doing different Bible Studies that interest us. I am praying this will work for us so we can not only learn spiritual truths, etc. but also learn more about who and where each of us are in our lives. This stressed woman has just been blessed with exactly what I need for this weary season of my life.