I do not believe in God, but I believe we should treat life as a precious gift. By inference then, if life is a gift, then there has to be a gift giver. I welcome any comments. Thank you.
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Like Tom Cruise's character said in 'Minority Report' - I'm very attached to my eyes. My mum gave them to me.
AlmostVulcan
Level 5
Aug 4, 2018
1
I do not watch Tom Cruise movies. I feel a sense of despair in how you feel humans treat each other. Be grateful you do not live in America right now. I fear a civil war may be brewing. My conviction that very few people would want to leave the comfort of their air-conditioned homes to actually fight give me comfort. Nice to meet you.
@Omots I am exceedingly grateful that I do not live in USA right now. I am desperately compassionate for any decent human beings currently living there. I'm not sure what would urge you to do: fight to protect what you love, or GTFO.
@AlmostVulcan GTFO is something I have considered. The animosity in our society seems so beyond repair. What do you think is happening here? I am so close to the chaos that it is hard to be truly objective. I keep telling myself that Trump is a fleeting moment in our nation's timeline, but the nightmare keeps getting worse every day with every new tweet he makes and ever campaign rally he conducts.
@Omots what I think is happening there, is similar (sociologically) to the Islamic Revolution in Iran in the 70's. Not everyone wanted Sharia law in Iran, but the fanatics did. But economically, what I genuinely suspect is this: The fact is that most USAns have literally been trained since birth to unquestioningly accept and unconditionally submit to the first white man who comes along who claims to be powerful and who says he will save them and take them to a better place. The Kingmakers who are working behind the scenes and who put this clown on the throne knew these sheep would worship him, and have been playing the USA like a violin and are going to get fabulously rich out of all of this - of that you can be sure. If you deliberately devalue a large country's currency and you own large sums of a rival country's currency... well then.
Life is a gift you're right, but I think some people shouldn't be "a gift giver" because they couldn't be good parents.. Personally I wanted more to have children up to present but right now I'm not sure if I want to give birth to a child when I'm thinking to all my struggles in my life... I know the child will have the same or more struggles in his life and I know I won't be able to protect him. But I'm thinking to adopt a child that anyway was born and to love and help him as much as I can. Or maybe I'll meet someone with children.
Sensiwoman7
Level 6
Aug 4, 2018
0
My parents should not have made me because they were not good. That is the inference I see from your opening. I am made up of good and bad experiences, and I am happy at the way I turned out. I am a good man. So, was the neglect I went through truly good or bad because I wouldn't want to be any other way. One regret is I have no children. I still wouldn't have it any other way because I know the chances are I might have carried on in my families tradition of abuse. Nice to meet you.
I hear people say that often, "life is a gift..." But I don't necessarily agree. The insanity, the craziness, the agony, the suffering... these are not gifts. My life was chosen for me. I had no input. But now that I'm hear, I'm left dealing with the morass that comes with life, knowing that there's but one way out... and that also is not a choice for me. Those I love are leaving me way before their time. Those who do great good in the world seem to die young, while those who do great evil live extraordinary long lives. Innocent children are born and subjected to monstrous abusive parents... Of all creatures on earth, it's not the "creature" that life pushes on, it's the species. Life pays little attention to the individual.
I do not see the gift. Life has this need to propagate itself, and nothing more.
Benthoven
Level 8
Aug 4, 2018
1
I do not need to direct thanks or blame. I do not like to point fingers. To tell the truth, who values life more? A Christian or Muslim who is willing to die for their beliefs, or an Athiest who believes we need to seize the moment because life ends here. Perspective is the motivator. I almost chose death once. I am glad I did not. My perception comes from my search for beauty. The illusions we create to keep going. Nice to meet you. Looking at your profile I see we have some things in common.
@Omots I do see a lot of beauty on earth, and I appreciate it greatly... Especially when it comes to music. But all that beauty would still be there without me... I've never been able to get to the "gift" part... I'm here... there's only one way out... not sure I'm ready for that yet, Although there is ONE true gift... vodka. That is a true gift.
Your mum and dad. But even that doesn't automatically merit gratitude. You didn't ask to be born.
If you really need to direct thanks or blame in any specific direction, there's the universe. It's old and vast and full of things. There's room there.
memorylikeasieve
Level 7
Aug 4, 2018
1
I do not need to direct thanks or blame. I do not like to point fingers. To tell the truth, who values life more? A Christian or Muslim who is willing to die for their beliefs, or an Athiest who believes we need to seize the moment because life ends here. Perspective is the motivator. I almost chose death once. I am glad I did not. My perception comes from my search for beauty. The illusions we create to keep going. Nice to meet you.
Respectfully, I have always had a problem with life being a gift. This says that the gift is given to the gift. I AM the life. If the gift is not given, who or what is around to be denied.
MrDMC
Level 7
Aug 4, 2018
1
I am a creator. Is that where you are going? I look at religion as a way to connect people and then control them. I looked at your profile.
I didn't mean to sound biblical. What am I if not the life itself?
Life is from as it is an element of the cosmos. But who or what is the recipient?
Since there's no gift giver, then strictly speaking, "gift" is not the proper word in this instance. Just as "gratitude" is the wrong word in a situation where some boon or benefit doesn't come to you via some specific actor. One can be grateful to someone who does us a good turn, or even to some abstraction like society that is behind some benefit. But one can only appreciate simple good fortune.
Similarly, to the extent I appreciate my life, I can consider it a "gift" from, at best, my parents ... although I can guarantee you they didn't have me specifically in mind on the conjugal bed. Indeed, my father was 41 and my mother 39 when I was conceived, and my youngest sibling is 10 years older than me ... so I was Mommy and Daddy's little "accident" actually.
On the other hand, this is verging on picking nits. If something feels like a gift, then symbolically we may regard it as such. If it makes one feel better to do so, and you are aware that you're sort of kidding yourself and not literally thinking life is gifted to you by the cosmos, then ... whatever it takes to get through your day I guess.
mordant
Level 8
Aug 4, 2018
1
I think my reference to viewing life as a gift comes partially from being taught to treat your body like a temple. People throw away their lives on drugs and alcohol. I use to be that way. I think viewing it as a gift helps me to stay away from the toxic stuff. I was mommy and daddy's little mistake. Perspective is important. It is a case of whatever it takes to get through the day.
I have been on for a few days and am still trying to figure out what I am looking for here. My post is a lure. It is only semantics. I am here for community. Hi. How are you?
@Omots Fine.
Broadly we are in three groups ... those who seek relationships, those who just want to talk / commiserate ("community" ), and those who are into both. Like you, I'm in the second group. I tend to see this as a discussion / informal debate venue. Sharing of ideas with fellow unbelievers.
Yes, life is a gift in the sense that it came to me through no effort on my part, and yes, it came from a giver. Today we call the giver “universe”; the ancients called it “god”. Descriptors change with fashion, but the facts are the same.
The universe is the supreme being. It is all-powerful. It created me. It will take the life it gave me away from me sooner or later. There is nothing I can do to change that. The only options under my control are whether I choose to be grateful for this momentary gift or to be bitter because it is temporary. The fact that the ancients personified the giver is not surprising, or even that many people do still today. The fact that many people from all time periods did and do inaccurately attribute imaginary qualities to this all-powerful entity is also to be expected. Education is hard to come by. In its absence, kindness goes a long way.
skado
Level 9
Aug 4, 2018
2
It is a choice I made to view it as a gift. We are all stardust. I am grateful for the experience. Thank you for your kindness.
Sorry my friend but that is a case of false logic
Drsmash253
Level 7
Aug 4, 2018
1
If you mean hypocritical logic, then I see what you mean.
Of course there is, I like to call her Mom. Thanks Mom for the gift of life.
Surfpirate
Level 9
Aug 4, 2018
0
My mom broke my back and tried to kill me. I think I am thinking of a perspective to adopt.
@Omots HUH?? That either makes no sense at all or needs a lot of clarification.
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