Our ethical systems evolved from paganism. Maybe "evolved" is a stretch.
On Feb 15, 4:59 pm, Eman Abdulla <[email protected]> wrote: > Maybe not to some,but one could argue that finding God is the ultimate > moral act because one gives recognition and gratitude to the One who > provided life, opportunity to experience the world and really > everything else. I realize that people believe in God for so many > reasons, but ultimately one has to think it is the truth in order to > embrace it. > > On 2/15/12, gwilliamsny11 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I appreciate Eman's perspective re the experience of God leading to wanting > > to make the world a better place. However > > > I am of the opinion that connection with "God" is not necessary to live an > > ethical life. For me whether there is a God in the sense of > > > a supreme Goodness, Truth, originator of divine wisdom, all powerful etc. > > isn't all that important. The fact that there is continuing > > > suffering, apparent injustices on a world wide scale, fundamental > > unfairness, random good and or bad luck - limited control over one's > > > destiny and a multitude of additional realistic limitations plus the fact > > of human creativity means to me that each of us has a core choice > > > to live an artistic ethical life in promoting that which is constructive, or > > cave into cynicism and a lazy what the hell attitude of everything is > > > equal so in the end nothing really matters very much. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Eman Abdulla <[email protected]> > > To: minds-eye <[email protected]> > > Sent: Wed, Feb 15, 2012 10:54 am > > Subject: Re: Mind's Eye Re: Life's Purpose > > > There is room for variation and idiosyncrasies as to the meaning of > > life for each of us, each within his/her angle of the world and inner > > dynamics. I do believe, however, that a general view of the purpose of > > life can be twofold: one aesthetic, and one ethical. Thoughtfully > > savoring life with all it has to offer to the best of our abilities > > and marveling in the magnificence and uniqueness of our existence can > > be an end in itself. Ethically, we need to try to make the world > > better with than without us, each within their means. To connect both > > ethics and aesthetics, human beings are endowed with such incessant > > thirst for knowledge and pursuit of truths of their existence and the > > world they inhabit. I think that under that bridge between marveling > > in the wonders of life, and making a positive imprint on it, lie much > > of the sciences, arts , and even religions that human beings have > > created, developed and pursued since the dawns of their existence as a > > species. Being a Muslim, I will add that to me pesonally, finding God > > through His magnificent and complex creation is a purpose that I place > > within the first category , which had to do with experiencing life, > > but once God is found, it leads up to the second layer, which is > > trying to make the world a better place, or at least preserve what is > > good about it. > > > On 2/15/12, gwilliamsny11 <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> After 75 years of experience on this earth plane here is my conclusion as > >> to > >> the meaning of -at least - my life: > > >> Living from day to day confronts us with a never ending array of problems > >> ranging from practical issues such as > > >> what is on the top of my to do list - to philosophical such as why am I > >> bothering to get up at all - to urgent: I have to do something > > >> about the pain in my tooth- > > >> Since I am preoccupied with one or more problems to be solved and it gives > >> me satisfaction to master each and all of them --it follows > > >> that the good life must be concerned with becoming an expert problem > >> solver. > > >> Adopting this ethic reinforces my interests in science (particularly > >> scientific method); philosophical theory and discourse (particularly > > >> Spinoza, the Pragmatists, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle); continuing to > >> examine the implications of viewing the nature of meaningful > > >> coincidences from two alternative perspectives (Jung: mystical magical > >> transcendent collective unconscious and G Williams > > >> naturalistic, personal unconscious, by products of the idiosyncratic > >> creative process); depth psychology notably Freudian > > >> classical psychoanalysis, British Object Relations theorists especially > >> Guntrip, Winnicott etc); continued learning about the nature of > > >> psychodynamics; continuing learning about the nature of the self and how > >> it > >> develops (particularly Spitz, The First Year of Life) - Freiberg: > > >> The Magic Years; and adopting the seminal incite that the key to > >> emotional > >> success is adopting and practicing the discovery that the > > >> best attitude to coping with the daily experiences of anxiety, > >> depression, > >> frustration and stress (tension) is an attitude of bring them on > > >> and I will tolerate them the best I can which is essentially the > >> concluding > >> message of Molly Bloom in Joyce's must read classic: > > >> Ulysses - that after a life time of experience much of it traumatic she > >> sums > >> up with yes, yes, yes, yes yes yes, again yes. Top that ethic > > >> if you can. > > >> Gibbs A. Williams gibbsonline. com > > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: pol.science kid <[email protected]> > >> To: minds-eye <[email protected]> > >> Sent: Tue, Feb 14, 2012 11:53 pm > >> Subject: Re: Mind's Eye Re: Life's Purpose > > >> Do you mean ... to always do the right thing?.... > > >> On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 3:37 AM, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> I understood that Erica meant it was our cognitive abilities which had > >> made > >> us aware of better streamlining ourselves. > > >> I hope this opens up for a more mortal and less moral interpretation, yes. > > >> On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 9:08 AM, pol.science kid <[email protected]> > >> wrote: > > >> yes... thats such an interesting thing... happiness is a choice.... but > >> we > >> dont quite know about it do we.. nor do mot of us care.... > >> sometimes i hate happiness ... but thats really not possible is it... it > >> only exposes the essentially morbid mind... > > >> On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 1:26 PM, Erica Moreau <[email protected]> > >> wrote: > > >> I thought happiness was the purpose [not that people can recognize > >> that happiness is not a feeling, but rather a choice...] > > >> On Feb 5, 10:55 am, RP Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > >>> Life has no purpose except evolution ; a person has to search his own > >>> purpose in life and live for it. Some live for the attainment of wealth > >>> and > >>> fame , some for the freedom of their country , removal of corruption , > >>> some > >>> for the attainment of wisdom and some for the happiness of their > >>> children. > >>> You have to set your own priorities. > > >> -- > >> EverComing > > >> -- > >> EverComing- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
