Why were we put here on earth

[Robert_Sock]

Not sure why we are here in this world, but it’s interesting that our Jewish brothers and sisters (in Chabad) believe that there are multiple worlds, with our world being the absolute lowest of all the worlds!

 

[empther]

Not sure why we are here in this world, but it’s interesting that our Jewish brothers and sisters (in Chabad) believe that there are multiple worlds, with our world being the absolute lowest of all the worlds!

That’s interesting?

 

[danserr]

ok guys…umm to start off im a 16 and all my life i have always had a question bothering me… “why are we here…i mean why did God create us and put us here so that when we die
we will either Suffer in eternal hell or go in heaven?” ive cried plenty of times out of anxiety , fear and depression
that i even went crazy about this…i wanted to know what you guys think of my question
and help me out. thank you ,all and God bless

A bit off topic, but why not try watching a couple episodes of Fulton Sheen. youtube.com/user/CatholicClips

The reason, I suggest that is you appear to be at an age where you are starting to need a better and more intelligent understanding of your faith. I think as you acquire this, some of the questions you have will start to be answered. New ones will come up, but that is the way it should be.
If you want to look into books on the subject, CS Lewis is a decent place to start, Mere Christianity is a classic.

As a more direct answer to your question. We are put on this earth to say yes or no to our eternal destiny. That is the destiny for which God made us, eternal happiness with himself. You have to consider that God made us out of love for us. He does not want anyone to go to hell. He suffered and died to prevent that and to help us join him in heaven. He made us for heaven and himself; St. Augustine said: “You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

As to being afraid of hell. Ask yourself if God would have created you from love, became man, suffered and died for you, if he wanted you or anyone to go to hell? Hell was not even made for man at all, but for the fallen demons. Instead of being overwhelmed at fear of hell, try to reflect more on the love of a God who made you for heaven and try to learn something about him and enter into a relationship with him. As CS Lewis says, no one who seriously desires eternal joy will miss it.

 

[Peggy_in_Burien]

If we say God needed—or even if you hedge your bets and call it “wanted” someone to love/serve Him, then does that not mean that God is imperfect? He was “missing” something? He “wanted” for something that he did not have?

God is all perfect Love, and He wanted to share His Love, so He created the angels and us.

 

[Peggy_in_Burien]

However, does it not mean that he was wanting for something? Therefore, “not complete”?

I am a complete human. I have lived alone for many years, therefore I know I am complete, or I wouldn’t be able to live at all. That does not mean that I do not want the man I love.

 

[DasErlibnis]

i get that were supposed to love hima nd i do, but i just dont understand why make people go through this…which is what hurts my mind the most

Book, “The Problem of Pain”, by C.S. Lewis, is a great place to start.

But the short of it is that you are learning love. Consider the angels, they came first, and didn’t have to go through what we do, yet some have still failed and are in Hell. They took their place in heaven for granted.

We, on the other hand, have a great reward. And the greater we suffer for love, the greater the reward. It is true for people, and it is true with God. That you can express this longing already only magnifies that great love.

Blessed are you.

 

[tonyrey]

I am a complete human. I have lived alone for many years, therefore I know I am complete, or I wouldn’t be able to live at all. That does not mean that I do not want the man I love.

We are never really alone, Peggy, unless we deny that God exists. The isolation of the materialist is a foretaste of hell!

 

[greylorn]

greylorn wrote this garbage ! :banghead:

This is trash. There’s not a word of truth in it. It’s New Age nonsense, an attempt to explain the world without God as its cause.

Greylorn spent fifty years thinking these things over? He wasted his life.

Could be, but occasionally I am reassured. Simply knowing that at least one pinhead who lacks the intelligence to understand my ideas, rejects them, means that they will not be mistakenly programmed into the little brains of the next generation of cretins. Christ’s precept, “Cast not thy pearls before swine,” is more important that most people realize.

 

[Peggy_in_Burien]

We are never really alone, Peggy, unless we deny that God exists. The isolation of the materialist is a foretaste of hell!

Don’t you know me well enough by now, to know that isn’t what I meant at all? I was trying to say that God, although alone, was complete and didn’t need to make us or the angels. He wanted to make us, so He could shower us with His Love.

As a human, I can understand that (in a very simple fashion), because even though I am physically complete without a friend or a spouse, that doesn’t mean that I do not want someone to love.

Obviously, I make myself as clear as mud!

 

[tonyrey]

We are never really alone, Peggy, unless we deny that God exists. The isolation of the materialist is a foretaste of hell!

I didn’t misunderstand you, Peggy! In fact I intended to contrast your position with that of a materialist. There are times when we **feel **alone even though we believe God is always with us. After all we are human… The saints experience the dark night of the soul more intensely because they are more aware of His presence and suffer more when they have doubts. But to believe God is **never **with us must be the worst possible fate…

 

[Peggy_in_Burien]

I didn’t misunderstand you, Peggy! In fact I intended to contrast your position with that of a materialist. There are times when we **feel **alone even though we believe God is always with us. After all we are human… The saints experience the dark night of the soul more intensely because they are more aware of His presence and suffer more when they have doubts. But to believe God is **never **with us must be the worst possible fate…

Even in the darkest night, I still believe in God. I cannot imagine enduring life–even a fun life–without the knowlege of God. I cannot imagine what an atheist must feel like as he/she faces death, believing that it is the end of everything.

I’m glad you didn’t misunderstand me. You sounded like you might be worried about my state of mind or soul. (thanks if you did)

 

[tonyrey]

Even in the darkest night, I still believe in God. I cannot imagine enduring life–even a fun life–without the knowlege of God. I cannot imagine what an atheist must feel like as he/she faces death, believing that it is the end of everything.

I’m glad you didn’t misunderstand me. You sounded like you might be worried about my state of mind or soul. (thanks if you did)

I sympathised with you, Peggy, but I know you’re certainly not a materialist! :dts:

 

[roselily]

ok guys…umm to start off im a 16 and all my life i have always had a question bothering me… “why are we here…i mean why did God create us and put us here so that when we die
we will either Suffer in eternal hell or go in heaven?” ive cried plenty of times out of anxiety , fear and depression
that i even went crazy about this…i wanted to know what you guys think of my question
and help me out. thank you ,all and God bless

I do not know ; I knew there will be wonderfully beautifully eternal life and happiness.

Romans 8
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God;20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now;23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.27And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

**Do not weep for now, and remember this,- All will be well for in Christ sisters and brothers.
you will love Him always. and endure everything patiently? For our God will let His angels watch over us, and at end we will have promises happiness inexhaustible and eternal. . **

 

[DasErlibnis]

I am a complete human. I have lived alone for many years, therefore I know I am complete, or I wouldn’t be able to live at all. That does not mean that I do not want the man I love.

Yeah…I’m not really buying the whole “I am perfectly complete” thing either. Living alone without conflict doesn’t exactly make one whole and complete.

I think it was Aristotle who said “a man who needs no other human is either a beast or a god”.

None of us are called to be alone. We are called to communion. Even hermits live in communion with the other monks. But they’re only allowed to go it alone AFTER they’ve perfected the social life with other monks. So, being alone for them is not proof of their being whole or complete. It is only that they are drawn into the stillness of God, depending on their “being” with Him.

 

[Peggy_in_Burien]

Yeah…I’m not really buying the whole “I am perfectly complete” thing either. Living alone without conflict doesn’t exactly make one whole and complete.

I think it was Aristotle who said “a man who needs no other human is either a beast or a god”.

None of us are called to be alone. We are called to communion. Even hermits live in communion with the other monks. But they’re only allowed to go it alone AFTER they’ve perfected the social life with other monks. So, being alone for them is not proof of their being whole or complete. It is only that they are drawn into the stillness of God, depending on their “being” with Him.

Blame my lack of a formal education, for I seem not to be able to express myself very well.

I never said that I wanted to live alone–far from it. I am terribly lonely, and especially for a certain person who is far from me.

What I mean by being “complete,” is that I am what God created. I have all my physical parts (well, most anyway), and I have my intellect. I don’t “need” another person, but that sure doesn’t mean that I don’t “want” another person. And, of course, I am never alone, by virtue of having not only God and the communion of saints, but my guardian angel and all the rest of you.

I fall back on my first reponse: Why are we here? We are here to know, love, and serve God in this life, and be happy with Him in the next.

 

[DasErlibnis]

That certainly changes the meaning.

I’ve lived alone deliberately for three years. After army, college, then seminary, I got a little tired of community life and having to social. I think mostly, I’d rather be a cowboy or just live alone off the land like Jeremiah Johnson.

 

[Peggy_in_Burien]

That certainly changes the meaning.

I’ve lived alone deliberately for three years. After army, college, then seminary, I got a little tired of community life and having to social. I think mostly, I’d rather be a cowboy or just live alone off the land like Jeremiah Johnson.

By the way, you mentioned “living alone without conflict.” What did you mean by that phrase?

After all these years, I think I like the living alone without the conflict part. I have had 30 something years of living with someone with conflict. I’d rather not have that, but will put up with “atoms bumping up against one another” for the right relationship.

Well, a cowboy has a foreman and even Jeremiah Johnson had some companions as I recall. Yep, I understand you. I had my time in the military, too, and then marriage. Community life is never easy.

 

[tonyrey]

By the way, you mentioned “living alone without conflict.” What did you mean by that phrase?

After all these years, I think I like the living alone without the conflict part. I have had 30 something years of living with someone with conflict. I’d rather not have that, but will put up with “atoms bumping up against one another” for the right relationship.

Well, a cowboy has a foreman and even Jeremiah Johnson had some companions as I recall. Yep, I understand you. I had my time in the military, too, and then marriage. Community life is never easy.

Peggy, friendship is the best antidote to loneliness if we are living alone. I lived for a while in two different monasteries. In one I felt isolated because there were cliques but in the other where the monks spoke very little there was a real atmosphere of fraternity. We don’t need to communicate verbally if we are united to others by love and a common purpose. A “retreat” is a misnomer; it is an advance into the most fulfilling form of life!

 

[lizaanne]

i get that were supposed to love himand i do, but i just dont understand why make people go through this…which is what hurts my mind the most

Would you rather have someone love you by their own love, or love you because they are forced to?

God allows us choice. He allows us to chose Him, or to chose hell. God wants us ALL to love Him, but He wants that to be our choice, not a forced love which is never real.

And the important thing to remember is that love is not a feeling – love is sacrifice. Love is a conscious decision, not a feeling.

~Liza

 

[tonyrey]

God allows us choice. He allows us to chose Him, or to chose hell.

Sometimes it seems as if we have to experience hell to get to heaven. But at least we are not betrayed, rejected, deserted, mocked, imprisoned, tortured and executed like a criminal as Our Lord was…