What is the purpose?

[TimTam]

Forgive me if this has been addressed...but according to Christian theology (or any theology for that matter) Why did God create us? To Christianity more specifically (since there are more here than anyone else) why create people and then have their role to give praise to you? Why create the bible? Why is anything happening? I am being totally serious this is something that I have never seen addressed properly.

 

[Bunky]

$

 

[barry49s]

Why did God create us?

To serve him.

See, I used to go to church.

 

[hasbeen99]

According to the Bible, the primary purpose of mankind on earth is to have a deep, intimate, loving relationship with God. The reason why is because it makes Him happy.

 

[articulatekitten]

My personal take on this, as a current pagan & a former Christian, is this:

I'm not sure there is a personal creative "entity," but I think it's very possible. And if there is, perhaps this god has a deep creative urge; & perhaps also the kind of longing to perpetuate itself as people who long for children. How much more creative can you be than to create a huge family?

If so, maybe s/he created humankind with the potential to learn, grow, and build character with a similar agenda as parents who have babies & try to raise them to have certain values, & hopefully have a loving relationship with the parents as well. But free will plays a part too.

I find the worship/adoration thing to be a bit TOO MUCH for an intelligent, questioning sort of person without more CLARITY in "revealed truth" to base it on. But I do think that respect, love & a sincere desire to know what is true count for something. If they don't, they should

 

[TimTam]

According to the Bible, the primary purpose of mankind on earth is to have a deep, intimate, loving relationship with God. The reason why is because it makes Him happy.

but isnt that, and I mean no disrespect, extremely narcisistic?

 

[reb]

There is no god. This is an invention of man. Early man worshiped rocks, wind, the sun, the moon etc. when times got hard or for luck. Then some guys decide they needed it to be something unseen that only they could have intimate access to and they could be the middle man for gods message. Man has to have something to turn to in hard times. Man is a joiner and needs the group experience. You can't worship another man because eventually all men fail at being good. You have to have something that is always right and when there is killing or the crops go bad it is a "growing experience".

 

[BigVito]

but isnt that, and I mean no disrespect, extremely narcisistic?

I agree, TT. The God of the OT is a very arrogant and self-centered deity. It reminds me of those sad couples that have kids so someone will love them.

 

[hasbeen99]

but isnt that, and I mean no disrespect, extremely narcisistic?

If the adoration only went one way, then yes, I think it would be. But God has always been (according to the Bible, and reinforced by my own observations) the initiator, and has always loved mankind more than mankind has loved Him.

Much like the ideal parent, no matter how much you love Him, He loves you more, and He loved you first. A child can't even comprehend the love his mother and father have for him. So it is with God.

 

[hasbeen99]

I agree, TT. The God of the OT is a very arrogant and self-centered deity. It reminds me of those sad couples that have kids so someone will love them.

To say God is arrogant is to say that the POTUS is arrogant because he thinks he's the most powerful man in the world or something. He is. That's the nature of the position. And if you read the OT, you'll discover He always, always acts in love and gentleness before power and strength. Again, just like a loving parent does.