Without out God, what is the meaning of life?

This is a common question. Those raised to believe in God have a hard time imagining life without Him. Philosopher’s throughout the ages have struggled to answer this.  But to an engineer like me, the answer is easy:

Life itself has no meaning – It is what you make of it.

We all are the result of space dust evolving into mammals over the course of billions of years.  We will spend our short life on a small planet, in a galaxy filled with millions of stars and planets that is only a minuscule part of an enormous universe.  One million years from now, nothing we do today will matter to anyone.  At some distant point, even our universe will collapse, and not only our dust will cease, but time and space will disappear.   This isn’t a popular message.  You’ll never hear it from the pulpit or a politician wanting to be elected.  But those of us educated in the sciences appreciate how infinitesimally insignificant we all are.   This is one of the most exciting revelations I’ve had in my life.  I am alive!  The odds of it happening are astronomical and I’m going to make the most of the time I am.  And human life on this planet is filled with emotion, creativity, relations, and adventure.  Most all other space dust can’t experience this, and even less-evolved organisms can’t.  We all are incredibly lucky to be here in the state we are.

Your life is whatever you make of it.  Its meaning is determined by what you make of it, the ones you love, and how others perceive you.  There is no God to glorify. No God demands you be his servant.  The “meaning of life” is not a philosophic question any more than the shape of the earth.  We know earth is round not flat, and we know our life carries no more inherent meaning that the atoms of space dust that we are made of.

You yourself put meaning in your life, bring joy to others, and help friends and family fulfill their dreams. It is a personal challenge and one we all can enjoy. I would never tell someone else what their life should mean, but I have defined myself in ways many others also appreciate.

The Meaning of John Sonnenberg’s Life:

  1. Help my family and friends be happy.
  2. Leave a legacy on this earth where people are glad they knew me and are better off because they did.
  3. Be happy, play hard, love, and search for ways to make myself and others happier.
  4. Assist people who suffer, particularly the those who need it, try, but can’t get it.
  5. Make the most of my opportunities for my family, friends, and co-workers.
  6. Always try to do better. Better husband. Better father. Better engineer. Be better.
  7. Help rid society of prejudices, superstitions, scams, religion, and unreasonable logic.
  8. Learn enough about art, science, history, and sports to really appreciate the life and work of others.
  9. Make memories now that I’ll cherish when I’m too old to get out and make more.

If you are a God-fearing person, finding the answer to “What is the meaning of life?” will be just as rewarding and enjoyable as figuring out why we created God.  My book Why Adam and Eve Created God has everything you need to understand why you believe in God and how He was created by us. But you’ll have to discover your own meaning to life.  Others may want to tell you what your life should mean. I won’t. And I really hope you’ll take this one on yourself. First study my book to fully appreciate where the 2000+ Gods we created came from. It reveals why you and all other believers feel attached to god, and will show you so much about God you will be ready to let go of Him. Once you let go of God, life become so much more meaningful.  For thousands of years great philosophers have debated the meaning to life.  Study their thoughts and debates to see some very interesting perspective on life.

There is no absolute meaning to life. No rules. No roles. No restrictions. Everyone has the opportunity to give meaning to their life. Or not. We created God, and we create the meaning to our life. In times past, we created Gods and doctrine to tell others what their life should mean. Once a individual realizes that they are responsible for life, it is more enjoyable and rewarding. I feel so sorry for people who don’t embrace life, but rather look to some ancient traditions to find satisfaction during their short time existence here on earth. Our very existence is quite short, given the vast expanse of space and time. Those of us who know there is no afterlife want to make the most of the one we do have. We really enjoy and appreciate life so much more knowing we are in control.

What do the major religions teach about the meaning of life?  This is another area they really don’t agree.  Even most Christian denominations have different teachings about this.  Here is a short list of what various religions teach about the meaning of life.

Christian meaning  of life:

  1. To know God.
  2. Search the Bible/Torah… and discover it yourself.  Listen to your conscious (the voice of God) and you’ll find meaning.
  3. For God’s glory.
  4. Praise God and trust in Him.
  5. Everyone has a purpose. Their destiny defined long ago by God.
  6. To glorify God.

Muslim meaning of life:

  1. To glorify Allah.
  2. Worship of Allah, the One True Almighty God of the Universe .
  3. Faith and righteous deeds.
  4. Ibadah.  Submittion to Allah.
  5. Faith, prayer, concern for the needy, self-purification, and the pilgrimage to Makkah.

Buddhist meaning of life:

  1. To end suffering.
  2. Before too long life ends in death, and whatever is worthwhile and good, should be done.
  3. Reaching an enlightened state of mind, ending samsara (cycle of life), and entering nirvana.
  4. Respect and care for all living things.
  5. Realize the nature of life to travel down and enlightened path.

Hindu meaning of life:

  1. Pursue wealth and joy in life.
  2. Life is a journey.
  3. To seek truth.
  4. Give without expecting anything in return.
  5. What you give will be returned to you.
  6. Be good. The quality of the next life depends on the soul’s Karma in this life.
  7. Love all living things.