Questions about God and why we exist.

Conar

Firstly I would like to point out that I am an atheist. I was born one and will die one, so if you want to ignore this thread feel free but I would love to get peoples insight into this. I don't want to start an argument or to be converted I'm just interested.

Someones reply to the popular Granny in Hell thread sparked this thought in my head.
I never really wondered why God bothered to create our world and us.
Was he lonely/bored? Is there any reason given?
Did he come up with the idea for heaven before or after he decided to create man?
Is earth just a big garden growing souls to fill out heaven or whats the deal there?

I'm sure that these questions must have been asked before but I could find any answers on the web.
Any comments/answers would be appreciated.

kelly1

Conar wrote:

I never really wondered why God bothered to create our world and us.
Was he lonely/bored? Is there any reason given?
Did he come up with the idea for heaven before or after he decided to create man?

Hello Conor, I think the catechism explains it very well.

III. "THE WORLD WAS CREATED FOR THE GLORY OF GOD"

293 Scripture and Tradition never cease to teach and celebrate this fundamental truth: "The world was made for the glory of God."134 St. Bonaventure explains that God created all things "not to increase his glory, but to show it forth and to communicate it",135 for God has no other reason for creating than his love and goodness: "Creatures came into existence when the key of love opened his hand."136 The First Vatican Council explains:

This one, true God, of his own goodness and "almighty power", not for increasing his own beatitude, nor for attaining his perfection, but in order to manifest this perfection through the benefits which he bestows on creatures, with absolute freedom of counsel "and from the beginning of time, made out of nothing both orders of creatures, the spiritual and the corporeal. . ."137

294 The glory of God consists in the realization of this manifestation and communication of his goodness, for which the world was created. God made us "to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace",138 for "the glory of God is man fully alive; moreover man's life is the vision of God: if God's revelation through creation has already obtained life for all the beings that dwell on earth, how much more will the Word's manifestation of the Father obtain life for those who see God."139 The ultimate purpose of creation is that God "who is the creator of all things may at last become "all in all", thus simultaneously assuring his own glory and our beatitude."140

IV. THE MYSTERY OF CREATION

God creates by wisdom and love

295 We believe that God created the world according to his wisdom.141 It is not the product of any necessity whatever, nor of blind fate or chance. We believe that it proceeds from God's free will; he wanted to make his creatures share in his being, wisdom and goodness: "For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."142 Therefore the Psalmist exclaims: "O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all"; and "The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made."143

http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p4.htm#I

Conar wrote:

Is earth just a big garden growing souls to fill out heaven or whats the deal there?

Life on earth is a pilgrimage to our ultimate end which is a blissful existence in the glorious presence of God. Along the way, we have free will to choose between good and evil or between our will and God's will. I'm sure God would want as many souls as possible to share in the Divine life.

God bless,
Noel.

Conar

Thanks Kelly1!

mossieh

Noel,
no disrespect (towards religious folk) intended, but it sounds like god was on a bit of an ego-trip there..."he wanted to make his creatures share in his being, wisdom and goodness".

He created us so we could see how great he is?

Must be a bit of a bummer for him that many of us don't think he's so great, or that he exists at all.

philologos

mossieh wrote:

Must be a bit of a bummer for him that many of us don't think he's so great, or that he exists at all.

And He must rejoice knowing that the majority of us still accept him as our Lord.

BrianCalgary

mossieh wrote:

Noel,
no disrespect (towards religious folk) intended, but it sounds like god was on a bit of an ego-trip there..."he wanted to make his creatures share in his being, wisdom and goodness".

He created us so we could see how great he is?

Must be a bit of a bummer for him that many of us don't think he's so great, or that he exists at all.

He created us because He wanted us to share in His bounty. He wanted to give us life to enjoy and learn and grow.

philologos

In essence He created us for the same satisfaction a father gets when he has a child. One could ask why have a child in the first place surely?

mossieh

Jakkass wrote:

In essence He created us for the same satisfaction a father gets when he has a child. One could ask why have a child in the first place surely?

Are you suggesting that god is subject to the same reproductive urges as animals?