Is Life Worth Living?

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Many decades ago Bishop Fulton Seen published a book titled Life Is Worth Living.

To some in this forum, that proposition is doubtful because we live on a hostile planet in a hostile universe.

European existentialist philosophers (like Sartre and Camus) back in the 30s and 40s were busy exploring the attractions of suicide.

Yet in Genesis, at the end of each day of Creation, God saw that what he had done was good.

The problem of evil is often invoked as an aspect of Creation that God is responsible for.

What say you? Is life really worth living?

How hostile really are the Earth and the Universe?
 
Is Life worth living?

Hmm, if not, should everyone commit suicide?
Is that what you are advocating?

Most people gripe and complain about certain facets of Life, but I have NOT personally heard very many people say that ALL of Life is awful.

Certainly, many people find obsessions which are powerful exciters (sexual, and otherwise).
So, for these people, Life is FUN at least (if not actually worth living).

To a Christian, this Life is supposed to be the time where we work on our Spirituality.
Later, we get rewarded for that Spiritual work (Heaven … or … Hell).
So, for a Christian, it should be that Life is VERY important to Live through.

Then, he throws out : "How hostile really are the Earth and the Universe?"
The Universe is a hostile environment for Human Beings.
There is NO air to breathe … it is 100s of degrees BELOW ZERO.
So, I would say that the Universe is the MOST hostile place in the world.

As far as Earth being Hostile.
There are quite a few Human Beings who are Hostile living there.
There are many hostile animals living there.

But, that is NOT the experience that most people have.
A person is born into a Family of people who protect and Love him (at least, most people have a loving Family).
So, with people around to assist me, I would NOT feel like the earth is hostile.

And, most people will not run into a mass-murderer (or a rapist, or a torturer).
So, for those lucky people, I imagine that the earth is not too hostile.
 
Charlemagne_III said:
Many decades ago Bishop Fulton Seen published a book titled Life Is Worth Living.

To some in this forum, that proposition is doubtful because we live on a hostile planet in a hostile universe.

European existentialist philosophers (like Sartre and Camus) back in the 30s and 40s were busy exploring the attractions of suicide.

Yet in Genesis, at the end of each day of Creation, God saw that what he had done was good.

The problem of evil is often invoked as an aspect of Creation that God is responsible for.

What say you? Is life really worth living?

How hostile really are the Earth and the Universe?
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The universe is less hostile today. We know more about it and the potential threats it poses. Death and the Dark are constantly repeated refrains in fiction and real life, however, I’m watching some turning away from that.

God put us here for a reason and tells us what to do and the right way to go about it. So yes, life is worth living if we follow certain standards and hold values that make it so.

Peace,
Ed
 
After 65 years of living,
and considerable thought about everything in the world,
I have come to the ultimate truth about this life.

Money is life. Money is love. Money is happiness. Money is everything.

I know some people won’t like discovering this universal truth. I know the tired old cliches that will be thrown at me.
But as any simple minded poor person can tell you,
life with money is good, life without money is bad.

Have a nice day! 🙂
 
empther (which looks like emptier mis-spelled) makes an intriguing claim :** “I have come to the ultimate truth about this life.
Money is life. Money is love. Money is happiness. Money is everything.”**

OK.
So what do you define as “everything”?
Because, there is more to the world than money … rocks, trees, oceans, kangaroos.

Without money one cannot live much of a Life. This much at least makes sense.

"Money is love" : This is different than I love money. This is that money manifests itself as Love.
Money has some sort of personality. And part of its personality is Love.
That is news to me (and the $5 bill in my wallet). No matter how much I try to … that $5 bill does not seem to Love me.
Maybe it is afraid that I will spend it.

Another time, empther gives Human emotions to money: "Money is happiness."
This is equally as silly.
Money cannot buy happiness … but maybe it can rent some happiness.

And finally, empther claims (at the top of every Post) : "Catholic loyal to the Pope, don’t even try to change me!"
Me thinks that Pope Francis would not agree with you claiming that Money is Everything.
The Pope might also say that the love of money (lusting for money) is the root of all (or most of all) Evil.
Man cannot serve both God and money.
You agree with that : Man should serve Money.
Hmm.
 
when Shakespeare wrote romeo and juliet -this is a cautionary tale/ we know how that ended/ plays have saddness, the politics of the world has sadness/ such as according to youtube, a documentary of the cuban missle crisis interviews british nuclear bomber pilots…that they were ready to send 150 bombers to russia during the cuban crisis/each bomb (i think) had the explosive power equal to all the bombs dropped on europe during ww2…so a near mishap…
i suppose missles are still pointed at nation to nation/ i suppose my cynicism includes russia that began traditionally an orthodox nation…while america has had christian beginnings (i.e. thanks giving and the early pilgrims): so jesus against jesus? on the individual level-i wonder if my ‘free will’ does not place an imposition on another human being/on topic, even printed money, which could on occasion be used for good:Any US dollar, has a measure of cocaine on it…again my cynicism continues/ free will against free will…the Cardinal Sheen answer-? first i ask-did not Father Sheen fly in a B-52 , then guest as anti-communist…if so? that is strange;…in the world of the strange, beliefs must not yield to strange; beliefs that have the best efficacy, leading to self efficacy, must over come the cloudy mists of the mind. So a belief that prayer does indeed work, despite living in the world of the strange…is without doubt a level of efficacy/ this is also an intimacy with God. I think Sheen would agree that life is worth living-as his daily reminder would show his schedule to spend time before the blessed sacrament/ this being found his gift of vocation, spending time before Jesus.
 
empther said:
After 65 years of living,
and considerable thought about everything in the world,
I have come to the ultimate truth about this life.

Money is life. Money is love. Money is happiness. Money is everything.

I know some people won’t like discovering this universal truth. I know the tired old cliches that will be thrown at me.
But as any simple minded poor person can tell you,
life with money is good, life without money is bad.

Have a nice day! 🙂
Click to expand...
The man with the silos in our LORD’s parable, thought so too.

But all his wealth couldn’t buy him another breath.

ICXC NIKA
 
( Is Live Worth Living? )
Indubitably!
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You can be thoroughly disgusted with people,
and at the outrages that life has thrown at you without end, mercy, or respite,
and yet be proud of how you’ve lived.

From chapter 22 of the Gospel according to empther…
… There was a large ship down there, and although at this altitude I couldn’t see details, I could see from its shadow it was high above the water. It could only be a cruise ship with two or three thousand people on board. Where were they going? They had to be wondering the same thing about me. They could not fail to know those two planes overhead were my lead plane and my own plane. Safe on their ship, most of them must have pitied me and my fellow passengers. But maybe a few of them were envious. When their cruise was over what would be worth remembering about it other than seeing me fly overhead? An owner of a popular magazine had recently died. He was a bon vivant who had had many interesting experiences besides his magazine. The next issue showed a picture of him on one of his adventures. The caption read, “While alive, he lived!” I’ll bet there were people on that ship who would gladly trade places with me now even if it meant this was their last day.
… “Sorry, folks. I wouldn’t trade with you.”
Click to expand...
 
From the moment we are conceived, the stem cells that form us begin to collect oxygen free radicals that that will begin to tear the fabric to which of our very own blueprints of existence reside. Essentially meaning before even when parents are aware of the existence of you, you begin the process of death. Truly the physical world is simply that, with all living things marching to their demise and whether we take our hand to it or not we will all end up a pile of bones regardless. You are automatically entitled to suffering as soon as God even thinks of you.

Having said that, life is worth living. That same evil that we are so quick to avoid and do back flips over gives good so much more meaning than good without the existence of evil. As a spoiled rich child who receives roast duck every night cannot appreciate a simple bowl of rice as a poor child might, we cannot fully appreciate the beauty of life, light and god’s creation without experiencing darkness. It’s a very asian way of thinking, but it makes perfect sense to me.
 
Are we not alive now in our current circumstances because our Father in Heaven wills it? Hold fast to what you have been taught. Times are coming that will try us all-even unto death. The beast is still in the bottomless pit but not much longer.
 
Lux in Tenebris said :** “That same evil, that we are so quick to avoid and do back flips over, gives good so much more meaning than good without the existence of evil. … we cannot fully appreciate the beauty of life, light and God’s creation without experiencing darkness.”**

Very nice. I agree.

Yeah. If there was NO Satan, God would go out and create him.

I receive comfort from knowing that there is Evil in the World.
First, it helps me (mostly) forgive myself for my sins;
Second, it makes me feel self-conscious … in that I attempt to NOT do Evil actions;
Third, it inspires me to offer up prayers for those who have been hurt through Evil actions.
 
4love2God said:
Lux in Tenebris said :** If there was NO Satan, God would go out and create him.
.**

I’m no theologian and certainly don’t claim to have the knowledge of such, but I am not terribly comfortable with that idea. I think scriptures imply that evil existed prior to our own creation in the form of the serpent in the garden of Eden. And even then, evil didn’t have really much of a hold over the human experience till Adam and Eve chose to disobey God. I figured he did not create evil as a means punish us, but rather evil is a consequence of our fall from Grace that we brought on ourselves. If somebody found some holy bullets and sniper shot Satan, I doubt an all loving God would go out of his way to recreate that evil in the form that we know him as. I could be wrong:shrug:
Click to expand...
 
empther said:
After 65 years of living,
and considerable thought about everything in the world,
I have come to the ultimate truth about this life.

Money is life. Money is love. Money is happiness. Money is everything.

I know some people won’t like discovering this universal truth. I know the tired old cliches that will be thrown at me.
But as any simple minded poor person can tell you,
life with money is good, life without money is bad.

Have a nice day! 🙂
Click to expand...
How about a new cliche? Too late to tell that to Howard Hughes or Michael Jackson!

Crud! This is in the evil philosophy forum! Now my head is going to hurt like it has every other time I have posted here… :ouch:
 
empther said:
After 65 years of living,
and considerable thought about everything in the world,
I have come to the ultimate truth about this life.

Money is life. Money is love. Money is happiness. Money is everything.

I know some people won’t like discovering this universal truth. I know the tired old cliches that will be thrown at me.
But as any simple minded poor person can tell you,
life with money is good, life without money is bad.

Have a nice day! 🙂
Click to expand...
I hope you’re kidding. Money is the drive of every evil on this earth. Money is evil. My pastor gave an excellent sermon on this noting how much he himself hates asking for money for the church but since the archdiocese has an annual drive which gives him little choice. If you’re ever worrying about money your thoughts are far away from God.
 
Having recently experienced a near death illness I must believe that life is worth living because I apparently did not give up. Being a curious person, their is so much more that I want to know and learn and in so many different areas.
Since I don’t know when the curtain will fall, I plan to take every day as if it is my very last. Live, love learn.
I’ll have to see how it works out.
 
If you’re ever worrying about money your thoughts are far away from God.
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It is obvious that you will have no understanding at all of what I say… 😦

Sometimes a person has no choice in what situation he is in and the time, energy, and effort he must expend on it.
… “I feel like running away” I said. “You couldn’t stop me.”
… “I know we couldn’t.”
… “All I wanted to do was be a high school math teacher.”
… “You can teach millions something more important. When the world falls apart around us, we look within ourselves and find ourselves. Show us what‘s within you.”
Click to expand...
 
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