RE: Meaning in a World Without God
I think the meaning of life is the same with or without a god. If there were a creator, the purpose of creating humans would be for us to just do whatever humans are capable of doing. The reason you make a wall is so that it does what walls are capable of doing. The reason you make a table is for it to do what tables do. So if there is a god, you should just keep on being a human and that is probably good enough. You're not going to be rewarded for this when you die. You'll be thrown away or if you're lucky, recycled, just like any other creation.
If there is no god, then this is truly a remarkable circumstance that we've all come to find ourselves here. Since we don't know if we'll get the chance to be a human again, we might as well make the best of it.
Well said! (At least, assuming the god in question was both rational and fair. Which could be a big ask.)
Why would you need to assume that?
If I create a wall, and I expect it to do what it's capable of, that means I'm being reasonable. If I construct a wall out of wet sand, and I expect it to turn back high tide, the wall won't be capable of that, and I was therefore not very reasonable.
Fairness really can only come into play once consciousness is present. But, still, one can certainly imagine a sadistic, omnipotent narcissist who punishes its creations just to delight in their suffering... Thus, unfair.
So you're suggesting the possibility that God created us for a purpose that we will never live up to? In that case it's irrelevant what our purpose is and we should just define our own existence. Like an adult who wants to be a chef but his father wants him to be a doctor.
If god really is just a sadistic bully. Then the best thing to do would be to show no fear and carry on with they way you want to live your life. Like most bullies, he will hopefully sense your resolve and move on to a weaker target.
In any of these scenarios, making the best of your present situation is the best thing you can do. The purpose doesn't have meaning.